Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Under the various gazes of the concubines, Lan Qingwu walked out of De'an Palace calmly.

Ruhan behind him whispered, "Master, His Majesty is angry!"

"Hasn't this been thought of a long time ago?"

Emperor Shenwu returned to Qianzheng Hall, and the more he thought about it, the more angry he became.

After a moment, Emperor Shenwu's expression finally returned to normal. He turned to look at Li Xiang, who was sitting quietly behind him, as if he didn't exist. "Li Xiang, do you think she is angry?"

Li Xiang looked up in confusion. "Ah? Who is Your Majesty talking about? Who is angry?"

Emperor Shenwu narrowed his eyes and said disdainfully, "What use is there for you!"

Li Xiang nodded and bowed quickly: "Yes, yes, yes! I only know how to serve Your Majesty, I don't know anything else!"

Li Xiang couldn't help but complain in his heart, let him go! He really doesn't understand!

Later, Emperor Shenwu arrived at the Suowu Palace. He didn't want to come today, but when the time came, his legs uncontrollably and he walked towards the Suowu Palace involuntarily.

Emperor Shenwu comforted himself that he was just worried about his prince and would leave after just one look.

Lan Qingwu was about to kneel down to pay her respects when Emperor Shenwu reached out and held her back: "Kneel again? Don't you care about your own health?"

Lan Qingwu stood up and said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished."

Emperor Shenwu thought again of the woman in the jade cage who couldn't perform the ceremony. "Ruoruo, could you please tell me what you're brooding about? What are you thinking about?"

Lan Qingwu was silent. How could she say this so that Emperor Shenwu wouldn't get angry again?

The Shenwu Emperor supported Lan Qingwu, and they sat down on the edge of the bed together. "Ruoruo, are you uncomfortable watching someone living like an animal? If you really don't want to see her, I will lock her up in the palace and not allow her to leave. I promise you that I won't go to see her. After all, she is a noble lady from the Northern Nar tribe who was just presented to us. Do you understand?"

Lan Qingwu lowered her eyes slightly: "I understand, Your Majesty, you can summon her. After all, she is also Your Majesty's concubine."

The Shenwu Emperor lifted Lan Qingwu's snow-white chin with his finger and said, "You are speaking in anger! Weak, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Emperor Shenwu looked into Lan Qingwu's clear eyes and suddenly understood the meaning of her expression: "You want me to let her out of the palace!"

The Shenwu Emperor loosened his fingers. "That's impossible! Wuer Yuji not only represents the Beinar tribe, but is also a figure of concern to the other grassland tribes. If anything goes wrong with Dasheng, many grassland tribes will become panicked, and unrest will lead to trouble. Weakling, have you ever thought about how to balance the relationship between them?"

Of course he had thought about it, which was why Lan Qingwu believed that the new king of Beinar was truly capable. He could defend himself with this move! Emperor Shenwu probably also understood what keeping Wuer Yuji in the palace meant to the women of the world, but he didn't think it was that serious, or perhaps he didn't care that much.

"I am thinking about it."

Emperor Shenwu turned to look at Lan Qingwu: "You really dare to think so! Well, this matter ends here. If you are willing to let Nie Wushuang see the doctor, then let him go!"

Emperor Shenwu stood up and tried hard to calm his anger: "You... have a good rest!"

The Shenwu Emperor left the Suowu Palace. Lan Qingwu watched him go quietly. See, it's not easy to make up your mind to accomplish something. The Shenwu Emperor might understand her thoughts, but he didn't agree with her approach. The two of them wanted to achieve different goals.

Ruping and Ruhan walked into the dormitory and looked at Lan Qingwu worriedly.

Lan Qingwu said calmly, "Close the Suowu Palace and tell them I need to rest."

Ruping and Ruhan looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Lan Qingwu remained quiet in Suowu Palace, but the Emperor's expression grew worse day by day. One day, Concubine Jiang came to the Qianzheng Palace to pay her respects to the Emperor, specifically inquiring about Wuer Yuji. When Concubine Jiang inquired about the status he intended to bestow upon Wuer Yuji, the Emperor remained silent for a long time. If he truly issued an edict, making Wuer Yuji a concubine, Lan Qingwu would likely harbor another knot in his heart.

Concubine Jiang looked at the silent Emperor Shenwu and suddenly realized something. She tentatively said, "Your Majesty, how about I go visit Concubine Yi today? Sometimes women are easier to talk to."

Emperor Shenwu glanced at Concubine Jiang, but ultimately did not refuse.

When Concubine Jiang stepped into the Suowu Palace for the first time, her maid knocked on the gate of the Suowu Palace. When the eunuch guarding the gate heard that it was Concubine Jiang, he hurriedly opened the door. Another eunuch had already gone to report to Lan Qingwu.

Lan Qingwu received Concubine Jiang in the main hall of Suowu Palace. Seeing Lan Qingwu about to bow, Concubine Jiang quickly stopped him, saying, "Concubine Yi, you are pregnant. There is no need to be so polite."

Lan Qingwu insisted on completing the ceremony: "It's nothing serious if it happens occasionally."

After they were both seated, Concubine Jiang didn't mince words. "Actually, I'm very curious about you. Your Majesty is a wise ruler and wouldn't be obsessed with beauty. The current outcome is the best possible outcome. I don't understand you anymore. What are you thinking?"

Lan Qingwu stared at Concubine Jiang for a moment.

Being stared at by those beautiful and unparalleled eyes, Concubine Jiang actually felt a little uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

Lan Qingwu lowered her eyes: "In fact, I also admire you, Concubine Jiang."

"Admire me?"

"Yes, Concubine Jiang must really like Your Majesty, at least she is sincere. Yet you are able to persuade me for Your Majesty's sake."

Concubine Jiang froze slightly.

Lan Qingwu continued, "I can tell your Majesty, Your Majesty, that before I closed the palace, I received news from my third uncle that the Beinar envoy had delivered a woman in an iron cage to the Lan Mansion."

Concubine Jiang was puzzled for a moment: "So what? Doesn't this show that the Beinar tribe is trying to curry favor with them?"

"Empress Consort Jiang, your uncle, a mere fourth-rank official, has received a caged beauty. What about the other important officials in the court? Your Majesty has openly accepted a woman in a jade cage into the harem, and the civil and military officials of the court have also accepted women in cages in their residences. If this continues, local officials and even the people of the world will surely follow suit! Has your Majesty considered the consequences?"

Concubine Jiang hesitated and said, "This... doesn't seem appropriate. This woman's situation..."

"If this becomes widespread, then if any noble official takes a fancy to a woman, they can simply cage her. Madam Jiang, this is the beginning of the objectification of women! Unlike those women who have broken the law, the women's prison is already inhumane enough, are they going to turn them into caged playthings?"

"Women's prison? That's different, right? They just lock women who have violated Da Sheng laws in wooden cages."

Lan Qingwu sighed softly and shook her head. "Not only that! Concubine Jiang is from an aristocratic family. Unlike me, who grew up free and unrestrained on the border, I have personally witnessed that women in the women's prison are given a poisonous drug before being put into the wooden cages. From then on, they cannot stand and have no strength at all. That's why they always use wooden cages, not iron cages, to hold female prisoners. They never need to worry about these women escaping."

Concubine Jiang was stunned. This was the first time she had heard this.

"Not only that, Madam Jiang, the woman in the official prison, as long as he is a man, any man, official, noble, scholar, merchant, peddler, even beggar - can enter the wooden cage and do whatever they want to that woman!"

Concubine Jiang was shocked: "What? There is such a thing?"

"This is an unspoken secret among all men in the world. It's their common interests and their shameful desires! Empress Jiang, do you still think it doesn't matter?"