Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 256 The Demon Queen's Unclear Voice

Late at night, Changchun Palace.

After a fierce storm, the wind and rain suddenly stopped.

Zhu Qizhen gently embraced the wet person in his arms, stroked her soft hair, and said softly: "In another year, you can give birth to another child for me."

The virtuous concubine blushed slightly, her eyes were charming, and she looked at him passionately, as if she wanted to remember him deeply in her heart. She raised her beautiful face slightly and glared at him: "Your Majesty, you will have a new concubine soon. Will you remember me when the time comes?"

"You will be my queen by then, how could you not remember it?" Zhu Qizhen said seriously, holding her slender waist.

"Just to coax me."

Upon hearing this, the blush on Concubine Xian's pretty face seemed to become even more intense. She gave him a charming look and leaned tightly into his arms, her face full of happiness and satisfaction.

Zhu Qizhen said affectionately: "I'm not trying to coax you. You and I are husband and wife. We have been through thick and thin together until now. Husband and wife are meant to be together in our previous lives. We have cultivated for thousands of years to sleep on the same pillow. From now on, we will be one."

After hearing this, Concubine Xian was moved to tears. She looked at him tenderly and said softly, "Your Majesty, my family is also one with your Majesty."

"For ourselves, our children, and our loved ones, I have to go on." Zhu Qizhen said seriously.

The virtuous concubine hugged him tightly, tears glistening in her eyes.

Zhu Qizhen patted her jade back and smiled: "When you are like this, I can't control myself again."

"I will bear your majesty's child now."

The virtuous concubine's cheeks were flushed as if she was drunk, her red lips slightly parted, and she pressed tightly into his arms, her arms tightly clenched, and spoke in a low and shy voice.

"No, that will affect your body." Zhu Qizhen stroked her flat belly gently.

The virtuous concubine was very shy and leaned on his shoulder.

"Has the selection of concubines entered the final stage?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"Yes, a thousand people were left behind." Concubine Xian raised her beautiful eyes and said, "I have persuaded the Concubine Dowager, but she wants to see you."

Zhu Qizhen gently stroked her hair, his eyes flickering: "Then let's meet. What can a woman like her do to me?"

"Well, she is worried about her son. Your Majesty just needs to grasp this point." The virtuous concubine raised her head slightly, pinched his chin lightly with her fingers, and blinked her eyes slightly, as if she was not worried about the concubine dowager.

……

The next day, deep in the harem.

Zhu Qizhen strode into a palace. When the palace maids and eunuchs saw him, they all knelt down. A woman with a charming demeanor stood in the corridor, with a proud figure.

"Greetings, Concubine Dowager." Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly.

This woman was the imperial concubine of the Ming Dynasty, the mother of Zhu Qiyu. Although she was not as good as the empress dowager, she was well maintained and had the charm of a mature woman, the kind that was ripe and mature.

"Your Majesty, you are a rare guest." The Queen Mother waved her hand calmly, "Tea."

The maid brought tea, and Zhu Qizhen sat down without hesitation, saying coldly, "All of you go down."

All the eunuchs and palace maids retreated. Zhu Qizhen took a sip of tea and said coldly: "I am here, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

The concubine chuckled, sat down opposite him, sipped her tea slowly, and asked, "Did you have a fight with the demon queen?"

"It's none of your business." Zhu Qizhen's voice was as cold as ice.

The Queen Mother looked him up and down with her beautiful eyes and sighed coldly: "In fact, you don't look like the orthodox emperor. I don't know if the court officials are blind. They can't even tell the difference."

Zhu Qizhen suddenly grabbed her soft hand and squeezed it hard: "My patience is limited."

The toffee felt pain, and her long eyelashes trembled: "Okay, I said, you let me go."

"You speak first." Zhu Qizhen smiled playfully and kneaded her hand.

"I only ask for one thing, to save my son's life." The concubine frowned, "I will cooperate with you in the harem."

Zhu Qizhen shook off her hand and snorted, "Okay, I promise you! After your son is captured, he will be locked up in the Dazongzhengyuan and his life will be spared."

The concubine was slightly surprised. She didn't expect the fake emperor to agree so readily. She was skeptical. Zhu Qizhen spread his hands and said, "Because locking up your son is more useful than killing him."

"Okay, I will help you choose a concubine tomorrow." The concubine nodded.

Zhu Qizhen stood up and said, "Just live in peace. After you die, I will still give you the honors you deserve."

Seeing that he was about to leave, the concubine smiled slyly and asked, "Do you know who the demon queen learned the health-preserving technique from?"

Zhu Qizhen stopped. He learned from Qi Qige that the queen's health-preserving technique was an evil Taoist technique that might be harmful to men and affect their lifespan.

Therefore, when he went to the mountaintop palace last time, he was not so eager to get the Demon Queen. But he was still curious about what the Demon Queen practiced.

"You know?" he turned and asked.

"It was passed on to her by the evil monk Yao Guangxiao." said the concubine.

"Ah? Isn't it a Taoist health-preserving technique? How come a monk passed it to her?" Zhu Qizhen was surprised.

The concubine snorted: "The evil monk Yao Guangxiao is proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Just listen to his name, the evil monk."

Zhu Qizhen's heart trembled.

Of course he knew Yao Guangxiao, the prime minister in black, who was the chief planner of Emperor Taizong's Jingnan Campaign. There were too many legends about him, some of them even mythical.

Why did Yao Guangxiao teach the Demon Queen the health-preserving technique?

……

The next day.

After the small court meeting, Zhu Qizhen took the new Minister of Works Wang Hao for a walk in the corridor in front of the Qianqing Palace.

"Wang Hao, your father's health has deteriorated a lot in recent years." Zhu Qizhen sighed, "When the third phase of the project is completed, I will transfer him back to the capital."

"Your Majesty, my father is stubborn and will definitely not want to come back." Wang Hao smiled bitterly, "Over the years, he has been walking back and forth along the Yellow River. He is used to it and can't sit still."

Zhu Qizhen stopped and said, "Then he should enjoy the rest of his life. I have been sorry for him all these years."

Wang Hao quickly shook his head, his eyes firm and sincere: "Your Majesty, it was you who made it happen for him. The Yellow River is peaceful and calm, which is his lifelong wish. Without you, he would not have been able to achieve it."

"I didn't do anything. It's all thanks to the river." Zhu Qizhen said.

Wang Hao boldly took a few steps closer, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that you want to build...a highway. I and my colleagues in the Ministry of Works have carefully studied what you said. This is a major event that will last for thousands of years. Your Majesty, I will preside over this project."

Zhu Qizhen looked down at him and asked with a smile: "Do you understand everything? Tell me what you think."

Wang Hao began to talk rapidly, his face excited.

He agreed with the emperor's point of view and prepared three routes first. This was a major project, even bigger than river management. The first was the line from Liaodong to the capital, which should be repaired first to facilitate border warfare and defense.

Then there is the north-south trunk line, which was built along the Grand Canal and connected the north and south of the Ming Dynasty. It greatly promoted the flow of materials, especially after the opening of the sea, which will greatly drive the economic development along the line.

Next is the East-West Line, which connects the two major cities of the Ming Dynasty, Yingtian and Xi'an. This line will become even busier after the Ming Dynasty controls the Western Regions.

"Your Majesty, with these three lines opened, the Ming Dynasty will be a completely different world." Wang Hao said excitedly.

Zhu Qizhen nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, you lead the people from the Ministry of Works to conduct preliminary surveys first."

"Yes, sir." Wang Hao accepted the order excitedly.

Zhu Qizhen looked at his excitement and said speechlessly: "It's just the preliminary survey and route determination. It will probably take several years for the actual construction to start. Hey, you also know that the war in the northwest has to wait until that side is pacified."

Wang Hao said confidently: "Your Majesty, there is a way to win the world: if you win the people, you win the world; there is a way to win the people: if you win their hearts, you win the people. No matter what happens in the northwest, Your Majesty is already invincible."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

You have so much confidence in me?

……

After noon, Zhu Qizhen had almost finished reviewing the memorials and walked out of the Qianqing Palace for a walk. Cao Jixiang knew the emperor's habit of not liking to be followed by others, so he was the only one who lagged far behind.

Zhu Qizhen strolled to Kunning Palace. Because the empress dowager was not at home, the palace should have been closed, but it was very lively today, with many palace maids standing in line in front of the palace gate.

Zhu Qizhen suddenly remembered that today was the day to select concubines. He muttered, "If you want me to choose a wife, I have to go and see it with my own eyes."

He strode into the garden of Kunning Palace, where there was also a long queue. At the end of the long queue was a pavilion, where the imperial concubine, the virtuous concubine, and a group of eunuchs and maids were.

The girls waiting to be selected were lining up, waiting for the imperial concubine and the virtuous concubine to come and select them. The eunuchs and the maids were holding the information of the girls who were finally selected.

"See Your Majesty."

When the eunuch found the emperor, he immediately knelt down. Everyone in the garden knelt down, except the concubine. Zhu Qizhen walked by with a smile and raised his hand: "I am just passing by and came in to take a look. You continue."

The concubine smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, come over here and take a look. This is where we are selecting concubines for you."

"Then I'll join in the fun." Zhu Qizhen sat down next to the concubine.

Everyone stood up and continued to select concubines. Xianfei, who was sitting on the other side of the emperor, handed him the book in her hand and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is the final list of fifty people selected."

Zhu Qizhen glanced around and found the last name was Shi Xiyao, the girl who deliberately put freckles on her face to make herself ugly. He didn't expect that she had not been eliminated yet.

"Is this person from a famous family?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"Oh, Xiyao." Concubine Xian smiled. "She was born in a scholarly family in Jiangnan. She is well-known for her talent in the local area, but... she has freckles on her face. However, she has a very good figure. I have seen her, but I have selfish motives. I thought she would not be chosen, so she stayed with me." So that's it.

Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly, said nothing, and continued to watch the selection of concubines.

As the girls walked past them one by one, Zhu Qizhen felt very happy. Isn't this just a beauty pageant? They are all beauties, why do we have to choose?
Only children make choices, adults want them all.

It was just that according to the ancestral rules, he couldn't have all of them. This time, he would select at most five people to be his concubines. Seeing the beauties being eliminated one by one, his heart was bleeding. However, most of these women would be kept by the queens of the various palaces. When the time came, it would not be impossible for him, the emperor, to have their favors.

"Luo Youlan, born in Yingtian..."

After the eunuch's announcement, a woman in a plain long dress stepped forward. Her face was elegant and refined. She was wearing a palace skirt, the color of which was as light as ink, which gently outlined her graceful figure. Her clear eyes carried the agility and purity of a mountain spring.

Her temperament is just like an orchid quietly blooming in an empty valley, with a sense of elegance. Her eyes and eyebrows contain a faint smile, warm yet reserved, as if she can see through the world, yet maintains a pure innocence that is not tainted by the world.

"My Lady Concubine, I think this is okay." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

"Okay." The concubine nodded slightly.

The eunuch next to her quickly made a record. After Youlan went down, a palace maid would take her to a special palace.

The selection of concubines continued, and the imperial concubines selected two more. Zhu Qizhen gradually lost his initial interest, as he had seen too many beauties and they were just like that.

"Xie Jingwen, born in Shuntian Prefecture..."

A girl in a red dress came over. The red dress was as red as fire, tightly wrapped around her perfect body that made one's blood boil. Every inch of the fabric was very close to her body. As her figure swayed, the long dress swayed gently with her steps, showing off her amazing curves to the fullest.

Her temperament is a unique blend of beauty and enchantment, nobility and unruliness. Zhu Qizhen secretly praised her in his heart, saying that she is a hot girl, and turned to the concubine and said, "I think this one is also OK."

"Okay." The concubine nodded.

The eunuchs on the side took notes again. The selection of concubines was almost over, and the concubine chose one more, enough for five people. The last one to come up was Xiyao, who had been eliminated.

"My Qianqing Palace is still short of a maid to serve tea, so let's pick her." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "The maids around me don't need to be too gorgeous."

After hearing this, Xiyao's face turned pale instantly.

What's going on? Your Majesty, please open your eyes and take a good look. I have a face full of freckles. Do you want one too?
No, Your Majesty?
He... isn't he the little eunuch from last time? It's over, it's over. He is His Majesty. He must be holding a grudge. This girl is going to die.

……

Dark as ink.

After Zhu Qizhen finished reviewing the memorial, he did not get up to go to Changchun Palace and Yonghe Palace, but turned over the cards. Five concubines were appointed today, so why not try something new?
He flipped Luo Youlan's card. After flipping the card, the eunuchs would go to prepare, and he himself went to the back hall to take a bath. He also learned from the demon queen and dug a bath in the bedroom.

After soaking comfortably for half an hour, he slowly returned to the bedroom. At this time, Youlan was already on the dragon bed, curled up in the quilt, obviously very nervous, because she was trembling slightly.

Zhu Qizhen walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. When Youlan saw him, her voice trembled: "Your Majesty, I will serve you."

"Don't be nervous, I will be very gentle." Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows and smiled at the delicate face.

He hugged her gently and kissed her red lips. After a while, he clearly felt Youlan's body soften in his arms, and she became soft in his arms.

With rich experience, he started to guide and soon things got out of control.

Half an hour later.

Zhu Qizhen hugged Youlan gently, and the two of them were pressed close together, covered with a quilt.

At this moment, Youlan was even more beautiful, her skin was rosy, and she looked even more charming. Her elegant and quiet temperament made her even more attractive. Curled up in the quilt, leaning against the emperor's arms, she had a look of relief and uneasiness between her brows.

"Don't worry, I will treat you well." Zhu Qizhen stroked her delicate back and said softly.

Youlan nodded slightly, her eyes revealing a bit of weakness and resignation, and she leaned against him obediently.

What women want is dependence. Once they enter the palace, the only person they can rely on is the emperor.

Zhu Qizhen didn't know what to say for a while. He certainly had no feelings for a strange woman, he just wanted to have more children. He suddenly wanted a cigarette to relieve the embarrassment and melancholy afterwards.

"Are you from Yingtian?" he asked.

"Yes, I grew up in Yingtian since I was a child." Youlan replied in a low voice.

Zhu Qizhen turned around, faced her, and asked with interest: "What did people in Yingtian say about me?"

You Lan did not dare to move or speak rashly. She pondered for a moment and said, "The people are praising Your Majesty, saying that Your Majesty is an eternal saint..."

After a lot of praise, Zhu Qizhen reached out and held her face, interrupted her and asked: "What about the rumors about the real and fake emperors? Who do you believe?"

Youlan's eyes were obviously flustered.

Zhu Qizhen smiled gently, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "You can speak boldly, but be truthful. I won't blame you."

Youlan's face was tangled for a while, and as if she had mustered up her courage, she said: "There are indeed true and false rumors about Your Majesty in Yingtian, but most people believe in Your Majesty and support Your Majesty. It's just...it's just that some gentry don't believe Your Majesty. They say that the people are stupid and can't tell the truth from the false. But they only dare to say it in private..."

Her voice became softer and softer, and she looked up at Zhu Qizhen from time to time. Zhu Qizhen laughed loudly, hugged her tightly, and said, "Don't be afraid. From today on, you and I are husband and wife. Come on, you must give birth to a prince for me, or a princess is fine."

Youlan's pretty face turned slightly red. She reached out and tightly grasped the emperor's mischievous hand. She bit her lips lightly and said with a slight tremor: "Your Majesty...I want to serve you again."

……

Spring is here, everything comes back to life, and it is the breeding season for animals.

Zhu Qizhen recalled Teacher Zhao's words in his mind, and took advantage of the moonlight to come to the palace on the mountain.

Under the moonlight, the queen in a long gauze dress stood in the courtyard of the palace, her figure soft and graceful, her hair tied up with a silver hairpin, some hair fell beside her cheeks, adding a bit of indescribable charm and tenderness to her, but her eyes were as clear as water, the fusion of the temperament of a mature queen and a young girl, enchanting.

Swish!
Zhu Qizhen jumped down from the courtyard wall and landed in the garden. The demon queen looked up and saw him, glanced at him unhappily, bent down and sniffed the flowers in front of her, drawing a perfect arc.

Zhu Qizhen watched, his heartbeat quickened for a moment, and he almost went up to kill her on the spot. The witch queen's eyes lit up slightly, and she said lightly: "I heard that you have selected five new concubines? Why are you still coming to me?"

"I miss you."

Zhu Qizhen walked over, held her in his arms, sat down on a stone bench beside her, and let her sit on his lap.

The Demon Queen took advantage of the situation and leaned into his arms, her beautiful eyes blinking slightly, her tone somewhat clingy: "Bah, who would believe you, you haven't come for two consecutive days, and you still miss me."

After saying that, he snorted in dissatisfaction.

"Well, that's because the newly selected concubine is so beautiful, younger, prettier and more obedient than you. How could I still think of you?" Zhu Qizhen said.

The demon queen's body suddenly trembled, and her beautiful eyes instantly flashed with a complex expression. She bit her plump lower lip gently, and her heart seemed to be pierced by a sharp knife. The pain spread to her limbs and bones, and even breathing became heavy and difficult. She seemed unable to believe that such cruel words came from his mouth. For a moment, she struggled hard, trying to break free from him.

Crystal tears quietly emerged in the corners of her eyes, flashing with sorrow. She felt that she had been deceived by the whole world, and all her trust and emotions collapsed at this moment.

"Silly girl, why do you show that expression? It makes me feel bad." Zhu Qizhen hugged the Queen tightly, gently squeezed her little hand, and said with a smile, "I was just joking. Don't you always say harsh words to me?"

The demon queen's beautiful eyes were filled with tears. At that moment, she thought she was going to lose him. She suddenly felt scared, realizing that she had become so dependent on him and had never thought about what would happen if she lost him.

A hint of heart-breaking weakness flashed across her beautiful eyes, and she pursed her lips: "I... I said those harsh words because I thought you didn't want me anymore."

"If you didn't want it, you would have given it up long ago." Zhu Qizhen pinched her face.

The Queen leaned in his arms delicately, her charming eyes shimmering with tears. Zhu Qizhen's tone was gentle but a little tired: "In fact, I have thought a lot about how to stay with you forever. It is not easy to meet someone you like in your life. I want a long-term, not a short-term pleasure."

The demon queen tilted her head, her beautiful eyes a little dazed.

The tired and helpless tone of the false emperor made her heart wrench, and she suddenly realized that he was really hard-working and tired.

"It's just that I haven't found a solution yet. Given our identities, if we were to be together, we would be scolded for thousands of years." Zhu Qizhen said, gently stroking her cheek.

He seemed to open up tonight, and what he said was very emotional and moving.

The Queen's heart was in great turmoil, the love in her eyes grew stronger and stronger, she stretched out her arms and hugged his neck tightly, and kissed him passionately.

Ha ha!

Queen of Demons, are you also moved? At this moment, are you real or fake?

The concubine said that you learned your health-preserving technique from the evil monk Yao Guangxiao, but according to Qiqige, you might have harmed the late emperor. How could you harm the late emperor? Don’t you know what you are practicing?
Zhu Qizhen thought in his heart, but his hands were around the slender waist of the Queen, and he responded enthusiastically.

Gradually, he exerted a little force with his arms and began to take the initiative from being passive. Both of them were very skilled and involved in the game, and seemed to have forgotten the time.

After a long time, the lips opened.

Zhu Qizhen gently stroked her delicate and beautiful cheek, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb: "Even if we are angry in the future, let's not have a cold war, okay?"

The enchanting queen blushed slightly, her face filled with tenderness and coquettishness, and whispered in her ear: "I give myself to you."

The soft and sweet voice accompanied by the hot air blown out from the red lips made Zhu Qizhen's Adam's apple roll.

"But not here, let's go to the courtyard." The Demon Queen smiled and rubbed his cheek lightly with the tip of her nose.

Zhu Qizhen hugged her tightly and glared at her: "Then you teased me? I am now..."

"Let me help you." The demon queen rolled her eyes and said, "Go to your room, not here. It will be awkward if Shuangxi comes in."

Zhu Qizhen did not move, burying his head in the warmth of her body.

The demon queen still held his neck with her arms, and she held his ear in her mouth unhappily, biting his earlobe gently, and said in an unclear and tender voice: "Hurry up~"

She took Zhu Qizhen's hand and walked quickly into the room, then slammed the door shut.

(End of this chapter)