Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Deng Cainu twitched her lips slightly. She was delicate and charming, with a pair of dark, watery eyes like a fawn. If Kang Cainu hadn't embarrassed herself before the emperor, and You Cainu hadn't been reprimanded by the emperor for her eagerness to stand out, it wouldn't have been her turn to come to Qianzheng Hall to bring soup to Emperor Shenwu.

Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Shenwu had already reconciled, so Emperor Shenwu had to accept Empress Tang and Deng Cainu openly.

Sure enough, Xiao Fuzi came out trotting a moment later, bowed and said, "Deng Cainu, His Majesty summons you!"

Xiao Fuzi couldn't help but sigh in her heart, it seemed that Deng Cainv was going to fly to the tree and become a phoenix. She was still Cainv when she went in, but when she came out, she might have to change her name to "Master and Madam".

The situation in this palace is ever-changing. It seems that the time for change has finally come.

Deng Cainv walked in gracefully.

"Your Majesty, your concubine!"

Deng Cainu's voice was as clear and melodious as a yellow oriole's. "This is the ginseng soup that the Empress Dowager personally instructed me to make for Your Majesty. Your Majesty must be very busy with all sorts of affairs."

The prince was sitting at a table beside him, looking at a memorial with his head bowed. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but look up at Deng Cainv. He found that the tenderness between Deng Cainv's eyebrows was very similar to that of his own mother. The prince raised his eyebrows silently, and finally became interested.

Emperor Shenwu didn't even raise his head, "Get up!"

Li Xiang personally took the ginseng soup.

Emperor Shenwu didn't take Deng Cainu seriously at all. "Go down! Tell my mother that I'll find time to go to the Cining Palace!"

Deng Cainv observed the man's expression and left without any hesitation after bowing.

The ginseng soup was directly given to Li Xiang by Emperor Shenwu. He no longer eats anything from the Cining Palace.

For two or three days after this, Empress Dowager Li sent Deng Cainu to Qianzheng Hall every day, either to bring soup or snacks. Emperor Shenwu treated Deng Cainu as a transparent person.

Deng Cainu, a concubine, learned the art of reading people's expressions and seducing others from her aunt. Her aunt was a woman who would do anything to achieve her goals. As a child, Deng Cainu witnessed her aunt, naked and dressed only in a cloak, waiting for her father at the door.

Her father was so obsessed with his aunt that he didn't care at all about his daughter who was in the room next door.

In Deng Cainu's mind, all men are equally lustful. Just like the unattainable, noble, and cold-hearted Emperor Shenwu, wasn't he also softened by the Empress's tenderness for many years?

However, the Empress has enjoyed her glory for too long, and it is time for a new concubine to regain the Emperor's favor in the harem.

It had to be said that Deng Cainu was quite scheming. She had sensed for the past few days that Emperor Shenwu was only summoning her out of concern for Empress Dowager Li. Her thoughts shifted slightly, and a plan had already formed in her mind.

It was a sunny afternoon and Emperor Shenwu was resting in the octagonal pavilion in the imperial garden. He happened to meet Deng Cainu chasing butterflies. The beauty was playful and the butterflies were flying, which was a beautiful scene.

When she met the emperor by chance, Deng Cainu smiled and immediately went into the octagonal pavilion to pay her respects to Emperor Shenwu.

Deng Cainu stayed in the octagonal pavilion for a while, and news came out in the evening that Emperor Shenwu summoned Deng Cainu to sleep with him in the Qianzheng Hall.

The harem was in an uproar, and Empress Dowager Li naturally felt more relieved. Her liver qi stagnation also healed faster.

At night, Emperor Shenwu instructed Li Xiang: "Watch the side hall carefully and don't let her wander around!"

Li Xiang quickly responded, and Emperor Shenwu got up and went back to the main hall to sleep.

Li Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling that this task was becoming increasingly difficult. He had never imagined that with the arrival of Deng Cainu, he would have to follow his master's lead in the play.

Deng Cainu spent the night alone in a side hall. She told herself that this was just the beginning, a necessary step. She had offered to help the emperor relieve his worries, to ease the deadlock between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor and Empress, and the Emperor would not treat her unfairly. Deng Cainu understood that only by gradually gaining the emperor's trust could she talk about the future!

The next morning, Emperor Shenwu promoted Deng Cainu to the rank of Talented Lady and granted her the residence in Yayu Pavilion. Now she was a real Talented Lady Deng.

Consort Deng moved into her new residence, the Yayu Pavilion, with much fanfare. This infuriated Kang Cainu and You Cainu, who remained in Chuxiu Palace. Both were legitimate daughters, naturally arrogant, yet a humble concubine had gained the upper hand. The newlyweds couldn't compete with the high-ranking concubines, so they could only engage in petty quarrels within the Chuxiu Palace, with one person stabbing the other.

Lan Qingwu was completely unaware of all this. That day, she was engrossed in reading a book when Emperor Shenwu walked in from outside.

Emperor Shenwu hugged Lan Qingwu from behind: "What are you looking at?"

Lan Qingwu held up the scroll in his hand, motioning for the Emperor to read it himself. The Emperor looked at Lan Qingwu quietly for a while, then suddenly said something earth-shattering: "I have conferred a title of nobility upon a talented person!"

Lan Qingwu looked up at Emperor Shenwu in bewilderment, as if he didn't understand what he meant.

Emperor Shenwu turned Lan Qingwu around and said, "I just want to reassure the Queen Mother and stop her from causing trouble between us. Once she calms down, you and I will have peace and quiet!"

"quiet?"

Lan Qingwu felt a pang of bitterness in his heart: "Your Majesty favored her?"

"Of course not! I only let her stay in the side hall for one night, and the next day I made her a talented lady. This was considered an explanation to the Queen Mother. I will not summon her again in the future!"

Lan Qingwu didn't know how to react. "Is that woman also willing to accompany Your Majesty in deceiving the Empress Dowager? Now that she has a legitimate status, what will happen next? How can Your Majesty guarantee that she won't continue to be a beauty or a noble lady?"

Emperor Shenwu frowned, seeming to disdain, "What could a mere talent like her possibly be able to dig up? Besides, she came to me on her own initiative, wanting to relieve my worries. I've already rewarded her, what more could she ask of me?"

Lan Qingwu looked at the Shenwu Emperor's matter-of-fact expression, but he still felt uncomfortable. "Your Majesty, are these women really going to stay in the palace forever? Can they be released?"

Emperor Shenwu was not surprised by Lan Qingwu's naiveté and said, "They were summoned into the palace by their mother, which means they were willing to do so. Whether it was for themselves or for their families, they were sent to temples to be accompanied by ancient Buddhas for the rest of their lives. They can still enjoy wealth and glory in the palace. There is no other way!"

Lan Qingwu was silent. The young girl was going to grow old and die in this palace.

Lan Qingwu's face was cold, she knew that the quietness that the Emperor Shenwu had talked about was simply impossible. Lan Qingwu felt very uncomfortable, for the Emperor Shenwu's decision to kill the newly appointed beauty first and then report to him, and for the fate of those women.

Emperor Shenwu coaxed her, "Don't think about anyone else. Tomorrow I will issue an order to lift your house arrest. Come find me in Qianzheng Palace. I'll be waiting for you!"

Lan Qingwu replied listlessly, but she felt a little annoyed. Men always made things look so simple. She used the excuse of not getting enough rest at night and feeling unwell, and even asked the Emperor Shenwu to sleep with her.

Emperor Shenwu didn't think much about it and went to bed with Lan Qingwu in his arms.

The next morning, Emperor Shenwu was in a good mood and kissed Lan Qingwu on the forehead before going to court and leaving.

After the morning court session, Emperor Shenwu asked Li Xiang to go to Fengqi Palace in person to convey his imperial edict.