I was sold when I opened my eyes! My sick and disabled husband comforts me every night after he wake

This is truly disgusting.

She immediately ordered that Consort Zhen, Consort Jiang, and Consort Duan be summoned.

The women sat together, listening to the Queen recount her discoveries of the past few days, and all wore expressions of disbelief.

"Eunuchs? The Emperor is a man, how could he like eunuchs?"

After Consort Zhen exclaimed in surprise, Consort Jiang echoed her sentiment.

"Yes, His Majesty has never acted like this before. Is there some misunderstanding?"

Consort Duan's eyes flickered slightly, and she said as if suddenly realizing something:

"I heard that the Emperor even allowed a little eunuch to live in a side hall closest to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and forbade anyone else to approach it. At first, I didn't believe it, but now that you're telling me, could this little eunuch be the one who stays overnight at the Hall of Mental Cultivation every night?"

After she said this, the other three women discussed it and concluded that the emperor was tired of the concubines in the palace and wanted to find excitement, so he summoned a handsome young eunuch every night.

The Empress's breathing suddenly became rapid, and she immediately stood up from the soft couch, saying angrily:

"Sisters, ever since Consort Liang entered the palace, the Emperor has been spending every night at Fangcao Zhai. Now that Consort Liang is injured, the Emperor is having an affair with a eunuch. It's one thing for us to lose to a woman, but it would be too shameful to lose to a man without a foundation."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yes, let's go to the Empress Dowager to settle this matter."

"Yes, go find the Empress Dowager..."

"..."

The other women nodded in agreement with righteous indignation, and the group hurried towards the Longevity Palace.

Longevity Palace

Ever since Wei Ming arrived, the Empress Dowager's mood has improved, and she asks Wei Ming to play chess with her every day.

But Wei Ming had had enough of the palace. While playing chess, he cautiously inquired...

"Grandmother, Ming'er has been in the palace for six days and has fallen behind in her studies. It's time for her to go back."

The Empress Dowager's face darkened, and she asked in a cold voice,

"What? You don't want to stay with the Empress Dowager?"

"no no."

Tomorrow, quickly wave your hand and explain.

“Ming’er really enjoys being with Grandmother and wants to stay with her all the time. But Ming’er is also worried that her studies will fall behind and that you won’t get enough rest if she stays with you all the time. If you don’t want Ming’er to leave, then Ming’er will stay. How about this: you find Ming’er a tutor and a martial arts teacher, so that Ming’er can stay by your side all the time.”

Although the Empress Dowager liked Ming'er very much, she was already used to a quiet life. It was fine for Ming'er to stay for a few days, but if Ming'er stayed by her side all the time, she would find it annoying.

Thinking of this, she sighed helplessly.

"Alright, you're used to being free outside the palace, and it's not suitable for you to stay in the palace for long. So go back first. But we have to agree that you'll come to the palace to visit Grandmother for a few days each month. Is that alright?"

Seeing that the Empress Dowager had finally allowed him to leave the palace, Ming'er immediately clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and agreed.

"Grandmother, rest assured, your grandson will visit you every month."

"Hmm, that's good. Someone, escort Young Master Ming out of the palace."

Granny Zhuang strode in, bowed, and asked:

"Empress Dowager, His Majesty said yesterday that he would like this old servant to return to the Crown Prince's residence with Young Master Ming to take care of him. This old servant is thinking that the Crown Princess may not like this old servant very much. Should this old servant go or not?"

No one knew that Granny Zhuang's departure was not at the Emperor's behest, but rather at the Empress's.

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly and looked at Wei Ming.

What does Ming'er mean?

Wei Ming didn't want Granny Zhuang to go, but considering he might need her help in avenging his parents, he nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Granny Zhuang."

Upon hearing this, Granny Zhuang was somewhat surprised.

She had been wondering what reason she should come up with if Wei Ming disagreed with her going to the Crown Prince's residence with him, but now it seems that her worries were unnecessary.

She nodded hastily.

“This old servant understands. This old servant has already packed his things and is outside the palace. He can leave at any time.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming rose and respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager.

"Great-grandmother, I will take my leave now and come to visit you again another day."

Although the Empress Dowager was reluctant to see him leave, she still slightly raised her hand.

"Go! Study hard and become a useful person to the country in the future."

Although the Empress Dowager knew that given his father's status as a traitor, he would never be able to serve as an official in the court, and that it was already an act of mercy from the Emperor to leave him a title.

No sooner had Wei Ming left than the Empress arrived angrily with several concubines.

"Please, Mother, do us justice!"

"Please, Your Majesty, do us justice!"

Several women knelt down, their eyes filled with grievance, and began to wipe away their tears with handkerchiefs.

The Empress Dowager frowned and questioned sharply.

"What happened? Why are you making such a fuss so early in the morning?"

According to past practice, when the Empress brought so many concubines to see her, it was either to pay their respects on a major festival or to confide in her after suffering a great injustice.

There are still more than ten days until the Chinese New Year. If they come to her crying, something must have happened.

After sobbing for a while, the Empress began to whimper.

"Mother, you must stand up for us! The Emperor hasn't stayed overnight in our palace for many days. He's been staying at the Hall of Mental Cultivation every night for the past few days."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at them with a hint of impatience.

"His Majesty is busy with state affairs, and it is normal for him to occasionally spend the night in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Why do you have to come to me to complain about such a trivial matter?"

Consort Zhen wiped her eyes as she explained:

"Mother, we have been in the palace for many years and are not the kind of people who cause trouble and do not know etiquette. The Emperor is staying in the Hall of Mental Cultivation this time. If it is for official business, we naturally would not dare to say anything. But... but he has other reasons!"

At this point, Consort Zhen felt embarrassed and was somewhat speechless.

The Empress Dowager was listening intently when she saw her stop halfway through, and she glared at her with displeasure.

"You're speaking haltingly, what kind of behavior is this, Consort Duan? Tell me, what's going on?"

Of all the concubines, Consort Duan was the one who didn't like to show off or be jealous; the Empress Dowager wouldn't doubt what she said.

Consort Duan swallowed hard and replied in a soft voice:

"The Emperor is staying in the Hall of Mental Cultivation not for official business, but because... because of a little eunuch?"

The Empress Dowager looked at her with great curiosity and confusion.

"Because of which eunuch? What happened to the eunuch?"

Consort Jiang simply swung the handkerchief in her hand and replied loudly:

"Look at you all, what did you say before you came? You all wanted to get an explanation, but now that you're here, you're all stammering."

She turned to look at the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, we are here today because of a little eunuch. The Emperor is keeping him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation because this little eunuch sneaks into the hall every night. To avoid suspicion, the Emperor has placed him in a separate courtyard closest to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, not letting him do any work, and even assigning two palace maids to serve him. Tell me, what kind of nonsense is this?"

Seeing that Consort Jiang had brought the matter to light, the Empress no longer hesitated and followed up:

"Yes, Mother, with three thousand beauties in the harem, they can't even compare to a little eunuch! How... how can we ever face anyone again!"

"Your Majesty, you must do us justice!"

"Empress Dowager, you must do us justice!"

As the women knelt down and kowtowed, they kept wiping away tears with handkerchiefs in their hands, as if they had suffered a great injustice.

Upon hearing this news, the Empress Dowager was initially unwilling to believe it, but later she was shocked.

How could the Emperor possibly have a eunuch serve him in bed? As far as she knew, the Emperor didn't have such unusual preferences!

"Let's go and take a look at the Hall of Mental Cultivation."