Quickly wear salted fish, she won by lying down

Chapter 927 The Best Family 54
However, Concubine Cai could not deal with Concubine Li. As she watched Linlang's promotion higher and higher, and she was only three levels away from her, she was afraid that Linlang would surpass her one day, which was something she could not accept. After all, how could she accept that someone of such a low rank had to pay respect to her in the past, would one day in the future she would have to pay respect to him. So she wanted to deal with Linlang.

Thinking that Linlang was easy to deal with, Concubine Cai did not resort to such vicious means as poisoning for the time being, but used conventional means, which was to ask Empress Dowager Wu for help.

I guess he thinks that he can deal with Linlang by relying on conventional means.

Just one day, when Concubine Cai saw that Linlang was promoted to the fourth rank of imperial concubine, she came to see Empress Dowager Wu. On the surface, she came to talk to Empress Dowager Wu, but in fact, she came to make trouble for Linlang.

As Concubine Cai was chatting with Empress Dowager Wu, she deliberately led the conversation to the topic of foolish women in the folk, and then pretended to say casually: "Yes, there are indeed many foolish women in the folk who can't read or write. Even if they are given the opportunity to be rich and noble, they often make jokes because of their low birth. It's okay for the folks, but we are the royal family. If we make jokes, it will be bad. Therefore, I often think that the highest rank of concubines of common origin should be limited, so that they won't be promoted too high. In the future, on some important occasions, because of their high positions and sitting in more conspicuous positions, their every move will be watched by others. If they make jokes, it will spread all over the world and lose face for the royal family."

Although Concubine Cai did not mention Linlang directly, there were not many concubines of high rank who were born in the common people, there were only Linlang, Concubine Liu and others. Like Concubine Cai herself, although she was also an old person who followed the emperor before he ascended the throne, she was not born in the common people, but was the daughter of a minor official - this was also the reason why she was able to be named Concubine Gui at that time, while Concubine Liu was an old person but was only named Concubine.

Although she was the daughter of a minor official, her status had remained unchanged for all these years after she was conferred the title of Noble Concubine. This was the development that made Noble Concubine Cai most angry, so it would be strange if she was not annoyed when she saw Linlang being promoted repeatedly.

Empress Dowager Wu didn't know that Concubine Cai was targeting Linlang. After listening to Concubine Cai's words, she felt that they made sense. She praised her for her thoughtfulness. So when the emperor came to visit her in the evening as usual, Empress Dowager Wu told the emperor about Concubine Cai's proposal and said, "I think what she said makes sense. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

What did the emperor think? Of course the emperor would not listen.

The emperor was the ruler of the world. He was often scolded by the court officials for what he could not do and what he could not do. When he returned to the harem, he was also scolded by a little concubine in the harem, asking her how to give the concubines titles? Was she qualified to propose that? She was the queen, and she had no right to dictate what titles her husband, the emperor, should give to whom, not to mention that she was just a little concubine!

The emperor immediately frowned and said, "Does she doubt my judgment? Do you think I can't judge people well enough to give a high position to someone who will make a fool of himself in public? She even tells me what I should do. Has she learned the Three Obediences and Four Virtues and the principle of putting the husband first? She also said that she was afraid that others would make a fool of themselves, but she herself is the one making a fool of herself! Even among the common people, no concubine dares to tell the master what to do!"

The emperor didn't know that Concubine Cai was targeting Linlang, he just knew that he didn't like her rules, so he said, "As a concubine, you don't know etiquette, and you dare to tell the emperor what to do. You should be demoted to a noble lady, fined three months' salary, and let her reflect on herself behind closed doors! Learn some etiquette!"

Empress Dowager Wu listened to the emperor's words and felt that he was right. She thought that the emperor was the ruler of the world, and it was not the right of a concubine like Cai Guipin to say who should be given what position. It was just as ridiculous as what the emperor said, that concubines in the folks dictated what kind of people the master should take as concubines. She only thought that Concubine Cai's suggestion was good before, but now she thought that as a concubine, Concubine Cai really had no power to manage this matter.

So Empress Dowager Wu didn't care how the emperor dealt with Concubine Cai. As for the suggestion that she thought was quite reasonable from Concubine Cai... the emperor had already said that Concubine Cai's suggestion was questioning the emperor's vision, so Empress Dowager Wu didn't dare to mention it again, for fear that her son would ask if she was questioning his vision, which would cause a strained relationship. The emperor wouldn't dare to do anything to his mother, but if he dealt with her family, that would be bad - he wouldn't have to do anything, and if he didn't give her family any rewards in the future, her family's livelihood would be in even more trouble.

You have to know that now, in addition to the large amount of money that Empress Dowager Wu gives to her parents' home, the emperor will also send some rewards to her parents' home on festivals and birthdays, and the amount is not decided by the emperor.

If the emperor was happy, he would give more. If the emperor was unhappy, then she would just give a piece of paper and her parents would have to kneel down to thank God for his grace.

Since Empress Dowager Wu's family had to rely on the emperor for their livelihood, she did not have much confidence to discipline the emperor.

So the matter just ended there.

Except for the unlucky Concubine Cai, everyone became a laughing stock in the entire palace.

Because of what she said when she went to see Empress Dowager Wu, and then the emperor's reply was spread by the people around Empress Dowager Wu, everyone laughed to death, and they all thought, yes, Concubine Cai is just a concubine, what qualifications does she have to discipline the emperor what to do, isn't this funny?
Well, now that she has been demoted to a noble lady by the emperor and brought shame to the entire palace, she is now satisfied.

Of course, Concubine Cai's move also angered some concubines who were born in the common people. In the past, she was in a high position, and they might not dare to do anything to her, but now she has angered the emperor and was demoted to a noble lady. Concubine Cai is not favored, and it is estimated that she will not be able to climb up in the future. So seeing her bad luck, naturally many people will kick her when she is down, thinking about Concubine Cai, oh no, Concubine Cai looks down on concubines of low status who are born in the common people, now Concubine Cai is lower in status than these concubines of low status who are born in the common people, then as they are in high positions, can they also look down on her? After all, according to Concubine Cai's theory, people of high birth can look down on people of low birth, but now their status is higher than Concubine Cai, of course they can look down on her.

Linlang saw the emperor's reaction and couldn't help but feel satisfied.

Linlang knew that Concubine Cai wanted to tell Empress Dowager Wu about this proposal that was aimed at her and intended to restrict her from further promotion, because Concubine Cai had already told her trusted female official about this in private. At that time, Linlang did not stop her from telling Empress Dowager Wu because, based on her years of research on the emperor's temperament, she knew that the emperor would never agree to her crappy proposal and might even get angry about it, which would then put Concubine Cai in trouble. That's why she didn't stop her. After all, Concubine Cai wanted to play tricks on herself, and then the emperor would take care of it. That was such a good thing, why should she stop such a good thing?