My enemies became my companions

Chapter 488: New and Old (Two in One)

In the deep night, the boat no longer created green waves, only circles of tiny ripples remained, spreading from the inside out under the moonlight.

Yin Tingxue was really impatient with the tossing and turning, so she lay in Chen Yi's arms, letting his breath hit her neck, her pretty face flushed.

Chen Yixu closed his eyes, enjoying her petite and obedient nature.

As the night grew darker and darker, Yin Tingxue could only smell the smell of dried sweat. She frowned and clutched the quilt tightly.

She tilted her head and her chin rubbed against Chen Yi's neck, and he looked down at her.

"Aren't you sleeping yet?" Chen Yi asked teasingly.

Yin Tingxue did not answer, but asked: "...Are you satisfied?"

satisfaction?

Chen Yi put his arms around her slender waist. He was really fed up with Yin Tingxue's poverty during that period of time. It was like someone who was used to feasting on sumptuous food now had to deal with delicacies. It was beautiful, but no matter how he thought about it, it was not pleasant.

Not long ago, there was a kind-hearted Korean woman who accompanied him. The fat meat filled his stomach, and the little fox was like an after-meal entertainment that was extremely satisfying.

"Satisfied." Chen Yi said softly, and finally kissed the back of her head.

Yin Tingxue turned her face to the side and caught a glimpse of the outline of her cheek from the corner of her eye. Chen Yi looked at her chubby little face, which was as round as a hillock, with dots of moonlight visible on the edge.

Chen Yi said slowly: "Why don't you grow taller?"

“It’s growing.”

"I'm almost seventeen. There's no chance for me to grow any taller."

"…There's a chance…as long as you don't bully me so harshly…"

"Is it all my fault?"

Yin Tingxue could tell that he was trying to make things difficult for her, but she didn't argue with him. Instead, she said, "Then blame me."

"He can talk."

Chen Yi rubbed her head. The little fox always followed his wishes, rarely argued, and was almost obedient. It was not so much a weak act of submission as a compromising resistance. She was always strong in her heart and would always stick to her own ideas.

Thinking of this, Chen Yi suddenly felt a little dissatisfied for some reason.

After being together for so long, Yin Tingxue never seemed to act coquettishly with him. In contrast, Big Yin would sing softly from time to time... Before he could form his thoughts, a girl's voice suddenly came to his ears: "Why were you always dissatisfied before, but only satisfied this time?"

Chen Yi put aside his thoughts and responded, "I can't help it. I've seen the world."

Let's not talk about Dayin and the princess, or even Noble Concubine Zhu'edong. Even Min Ning, although generally thin, has a unique charm in the muscle lines on her arms, thighs and abdomen, and she has a chivalrous air. As for Yin Tingxue, she is too impatient to be tossed around.

"But you used to be very... clingy to me."

"Stick to you? I have no choice."

"Oh..." Yin Tingxue lowered her brows, "You are too easily bored with the old and love the new."

Chen Yi's heart suddenly softened. In fact, it was fine a long time ago. After all, Yin Tingxue was the only woman by his side. What's more, she was extremely beautiful and lovable. So what he said could not be false. Therefore, he stayed with her all day long. But after that... there were more and more women, and he had experienced different tastes. Looking back, she was more like a bowl of refreshing hangover tea.

Especially when the big and small Yins held parties, that was often when Chen Yi was most satisfied.

"How can I get tired of the old and love the new?" Chen Yi hugged her tighter and kissed her again and again, "I want to be with you for ten lifetimes, and you're still not satisfied?"

Yin Tingxue didn't answer, but just let Chen Yi hug her.

After a while, Chen Yi's strength relaxed a little and she turned around.

Perhaps she could tell that he was in a good mood, so Yin Tingxue plucked up her courage and said, "Husband...are you often dissatisfied with me?"

Calling her husband usually means she has something to ask of him... Although Chen Yi knew this, he still softened his heart and said, "Occasionally."

“…I am not satisfied either…” She paused, fearing misunderstanding, and said, “You are too fierce.”

Who can stand this kind of praise mixed with criticism? Chen Yi enjoys it very much. One sentence makes him unhappy, and ten sentences make him happy. If this little fox is put in the history books, she will probably be a beauty who brings disaster to the country and the people.

He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Just say what you want to say."

Yin Tingxue gritted her teeth and said directly: "In the future, do it less and don't be so lustful, okay? It's not that we don't do it, we are husband and wife...but I can't stand it, I feel uncomfortable."

She did not have the disregard-for-worldly heart of Yin Weiying, nor did she have the boldness of a female prince. Although she was brought up in the royal mansion so as not to avoid it like the plague, she still had an instinctive aversion to it in her heart. More or less because of this, Chen Yi loved to bully her.

This was not the first time that Yin Tingxue mentioned this request. Chen Yi did not comment, but asked jokingly: "If you don't do this, what do you do when you sleep?"

"Just like usual... just kiss, hug, and sleep together. How nice it is." She paused, "If I had Yin Tingxue to hug me, I wouldn't want anything else."

"You are quite conceited."

"Then don't hug me."

"I want to."

……

It was already late at night, and the boat was sailing on the waves under the moonlight. Yin Tingxue came to him a few more times in the second half of the night, but she was too tired and fell asleep without realizing it, snoring softly. Chen Yi bent down and kissed her forehead, wanting to say some cheesy words to her while she was asleep, but it would be bad if she pretended to be asleep and heard it.

...............

In the capital, the Empress Dowager had been ill for a long time, and there had been no court meetings since January before the New Year. Many government affairs were either squeezed in and waiting to be dealt with, or transferred to the Shangshu Neisheng after discussion in the cabinet. Although this made people feel suspicious, the New Year holiday had arrived, and all officials had stopped their activities, and the capital was calm for a while.

"Mother, I've brought you here."

In a house where the family had settled down somewhere, Guihunque led Concubine Dong around the screen and met the graceful woman who was reading the secret letter.

When she looked over, Concubine Dong, whose hands were still handcuffed, bent her knees and bowed gently. Her posture was impeccable from head to toe.

"You're so good at pretending." Queen An said sarcastically.

Concubine Dong did not refute, but just nodded and said: "But what the queen asked was finally done."

"It's just a trivial matter. Do you want to take credit for it?"

"Your Majesty's chores are my humble duty." Concubine Dong responded without revealing a word, with a flattering smile on her face.

Queen An saw this and waved her hand, asking the Guihun Bird to retreat.

Goryeo women are good at serving others. Not only are they as good at trying to figure out the emperor's mind as the favorite ministers, but they are also often action-oriented and are not satisfied with just taking care of their husbands and children. They are good at vying for favors and competing for beauty, and they are more ruthless. Therefore, ordinary concubines are often not as likely to be favored as Goryeo concubines.

Empress An put down the secret letter in her hand and said slowly, "I heard everything about you from the Magpie Pavilion last night." "Your Majesty may not have heard everything."

"Are you saying that Magpie Pavilion is hiding something from me?" Queen An asked in a subtle tone.

If others had already been lured out of their hole by this sentence, and then went with the flow and said something with ulterior motives, thinking they would gain benefits for themselves.

However, Concubine Dong understood this woman well. Even though she lived deep in the cold palace, she was able to make inferences based on the reactions of the female officials and palace maids, and she also had met Empress An several times.

Empress An often seemed to be very open-hearted, but in fact she was mean and ungrateful, with mood swings, and she gradually established her authority to rule the country.

The palace intrigues, the emperor's mind, and such people, Concubine Dong had been exposed to the bloody power struggles within the Yangban nobles of Goryeo since she was a child.

"It's not that Xi Que Pavilion hid it from the Queen Mother."

"So you hid it from Magpie Pavilion?"

Imperial Concubine Dong shook her head and said, "I have not concealed anything from Xi Que Pavilion, but some things, when heard from different people, have different emphasis."

"Oh?" An Houlu murmured.

Concubine Dong lowered her eyelids, and her handcuffed hands also drooped. She said nonchalantly: "When I was having sex with him, I saw that he still had the pendant on his chest."

"…continue."

Queen An remained calm.

Imperial Concubine Dong showed a happy expression at the right moment and said, "Yes!"

Immediately, she recounted the events of the previous night in detail. Although the story was exactly the same as that in Magpie Pavilion, she emphasized the man's reluctance to leave and his unreasonable attachment, both explicitly and implicitly.

"...When we were leaving, I gave him a poem: 'After we part tomorrow, our love will be as long as the blue sky.'"

After a moment's silence, Queen An asked, "How should he respond?"

"I am speechless." Concubine Dong said slowly, "I have heard many scholars say that most people are speechless."

The implication is self-evident.

Empress An couldn't help but ponder. All of Concubine Dong's words, including this poem, were exactly the same as the report from the Magpie Pavilion. Now, hearing her tell it in person, she actually had some different feelings. Perhaps... that man had a secret affection for this Korean woman?
She didn't realize for a moment that Chen Yi was not speechless, but simply did not understand the rhyme of poetry and could not compose a poem.

Concubine Dong lowered her eyes, with a hint of love in the corners of her eyes, as if she was in love.

The first thing Concubine Dong did when she came back was not to see the Queen Mother, but to be sent to the Magpie Pavilion for interrogation. The result was then reported to the Queen Mother by the head of the Magpie Pavilion, which showed the latter's distrust of her. Concubine Dong knew it very well, so... she had to take some action.

Queen An came back to her senses and asked with a smile, "The poem is quite good. Did you write it yourself?"

"I dare not sell my name. This was written by a famous prostitute in my hometown, Huang Zhenniang." When Concubine Dong talked about her hometown, there was still a trace of pride in her. This is the big difference between Goryeo women and other concubines.

Queen An had no intention of snooping in, so she decided to leave it to others to listen. At the moment, she had a vague intention of having a deep conversation, but she immediately suppressed it and remained calm.

"You don't have to come to me to explain in the future."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Concubine Dong's eyes, and she took a few steps back.

Then, Empress An held up the secret memorial and said, "By the way, you are very interested in the White Lotus Sect, so you might as well take a look at this secret memorial."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Dong pretended to be happy instead of worried.

She also knew that Queen An would see this.

Ever since the death of the previous emperor and the empress dowager took power, Concubine Dong has always been confident that she is the person who can best understand the emperor's intentions.

"The White Lotus thief caused chaos in Huguang, and even led evil spirits to attack the city. He also got the help of the evil cultists in southern Xinjiang..."

Concubine Dong recited to herself, memorizing all of this in her heart for future reference. When she read to the end, her pupils shrank slightly.

"Censor Han Rang was killed in the army by the Holy Mother of the White Lotus Sect, and the one who helped him was the tenth-blind arrow in the world."

The Censor was a high-ranking official of the third rank, in charge of the criminal affairs of the entire Huguang region. However, he was killed in the army. Among them were some of the top ten in the country. Concubine Dong's face instantly became solemn. No matter how she thought about it, she could not have imagined that this time the White Lotus Rebellion would become so serious. She was afraid that all the people in Huguang, whether they were mountains, rivers, spirits, or martial arts, would be dragged into this vortex.

If this is the case, then the people from Huangyue Temple in Huguang must withdraw quickly...

Concubine Dong couldn't help but want to see more secret memorials, but as soon as she thought about it, the secret memorials in front of her were put away by Queen An.

She was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted and said, "I am a criminal, and I almost lost my manners."

Queen An narrowed her eyes slightly.

Concubine Dong, who has no foundation or power in the court, is useful, but... she still needs to be disciplined and we need to be more cautious.

…………

It is a taboo for a monarch or mother of a country to leave the palace without permission. Moreover, although the Lin Party in the court has been destroyed, they are still fighting and impeaching each other. If you are not careful, it will give others the opportunity to fish in troubled waters and ascend to the throne through a coup. Such stories are common in history books. For example, during the Song and Jin Dynasties, King Hailing went on a southern expedition and wrote a poem saying "Thousands of miles of carriages and books are mixed together, how can there be a separate border in the south of the Yangtze River?" How heroic and majestic it was. However, Jin Shizong ascended the throne through a coup, and King Hailing soon encountered a mutiny and died in the chaos.

However, Dayu is not one of those barbarian dynasties after all. Not to mention that the capital and the Han areas are stable with few rebellions and chaos, what's more, Queen An not only took the little emperor with her this time, but also took the seal of the palace. In addition, no one knew that she was going south this time. Even if it was February, the capital would be in order and everything would be as usual. Even if they knew that Queen An had left the palace, the situation in the court would not necessarily be turbulent. Could it be that King Jing ascended the throne through a coup?

The Lantern Festival is approaching, and the capital is filled with a festive atmosphere.

Cui Bu, the head of the Cui family, met his colleagues and two officials from the Ministry of Rites on the street. After congratulating each other, he was invited to drink.

"Are there any other guests?"

As they were colleagues, it was difficult to refuse, and Lin Bu also wanted to get closer to them. However, it would be bad if he got close to people he shouldn't be close to.

The left and right provincial governors and the commander-in-chief of Huguang were all recommended by the Ding'an Party. Among them, the commander-in-chief Su Hongtao was personally received by King Jing. However, now there is a White Lotus Rebellion and the whole place is in a mess. After the rebellion is quelled, others will be held accountable. The palace may even use this as an excuse to suppress or even destroy the Ding'an Party.

Without the protection of the Lin Party, Cui Bu naturally tried to protect himself and distanced himself from the Ding'an Party, with which he had once been friendly.

"The Imperial College's Du Taixue will come, and the Hanlin Academy's Dean Qiao..."

When Cui Bu heard that they were all members of the Ding'an Party, he casually exchanged a few pleasantries, then shook his head and said, "Forget it, forget it. I have something to do at home, so it's really not easy for me to go with you. Moreover, officials like us are bound to be suspected of forming cliques for personal gain. The Lin Clan incident is still fresh in our minds, so it's better for us to do our job well."

"Why is Doctor Cui so pedantic?" Someone kept asking when he heard him speak like this.

Cui Bu spoke in a straight voice, sounding particularly serious: "Call me pedantic, I really don't want to abuse my power for personal gain and step into the dirty world. Yes, I am a pedantic gentleman."

Several people soon parted unhappily.

Cui Bu was not annoyed. On the contrary, he was glad that he had done his duty and drawn a clear line in time. He was even more glad that thanks to Lin Wanheng, the Cui family had the emperor's favor. When the rebellion was quelled and the affairs of Huguang were investigated, it would never be held accountable to him.

However, a few days later, Cui Bu received an appointment to be demoted from the Ministry of Personnel to the Ministry of Rites.

(End of this chapter)