A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

After Emperor Qianwu left with Zhou Mingyi in his arms, Fuquan immediately led people to clean up the mess.

Looking at the tragic scene behind the small Buddhist hall, Fuquan, a man without roots, felt a surge of emotion within him.

Fuquan had served Emperor Qianwu for many years and knew His Majesty all too well.

With Consort Zhen's status, it would be difficult for her not to be favored.

She's beautiful, healthy, and has a lot of fun.

Looking at the nun's robe, Fuquan racked his brains but couldn't figure out how the Empress could have come up with such a "bad idea".

However, judging from the intense situation behind the Buddhist hall, this tactic was quite effective against His Majesty.

Consort Zhen has a bright future ahead of her!

Unless she herself doesn't want to compete for favor...

Of course, if she were to actually conceive, that would be absolutely perfect.

Unfortunately, there are hardly any perfect things in this world.

Aunt Zhulan came again, and she specifically asked, "The Empress Dowager ordered me to come and ask you, sir, which young lady has won His Majesty's favor?"

"Where should we send the reward later?"

Fuquan narrowed his eyes, and once again sighed in his heart, no wonder the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had such a good relationship.

Indeed, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have been together since their humble beginnings, relying on each other for survival.

However, there were also emperors and empress dowagers throughout the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty who were mother and son like His Majesty and Empress Dowager.

As the saying goes, it is easy to share hardship, but difficult to share wealth.

But the Empress Dowager did it.

Despite being a mother, she always prioritized His Majesty's wishes.

Even if His Majesty acted recklessly in the Buddhist hall, the Empress Dowager would certainly be somewhat displeased.

After all, it would be truly absurd to say such a thing out loud!

To put it more seriously, it is blasphemy against Buddha.

But for His Majesty's sake, the Empress Dowager could tolerate such a seductive and bewitching woman!

Of course, Consort Zhen was brought into the palace by the Empress Dowager herself at Hanshan Temple.

The Empress Dowager should have been mentally prepared.

Therefore, the reaction will not be so intense.

However, if the woman favored by His Majesty behind the Buddhist hall today was indeed just another woman, or even a nun who had taken vows in the palace, then although the Empress Dowager would comply with His Majesty's wishes, she would certainly not like this woman.

But should we tell Aunt Zhulan that the woman was actually Consort Zhen?

However, this would damage Consort Zhen's reputation.

However, since the Empress Dowager was in charge of the inner palace, she could certainly find out if she really wanted to investigate.

Now that His Majesty has taken Consort Zhen back to the palace, the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace is not missing a single nun...

"this……"

Aunt Zhulan kept her eyes down, a smile playing on her lips. "What? Is it inconvenient to say?"

Fuquan laughed too, "Well, I wouldn't dare to speak carelessly about my masters' interests..."

"Please wait a moment, Auntie, while I go and consult His Majesty."

Aunt Zhulan was a shrewd person; upon hearing this, she immediately realized something was amiss.

"Could it be that the person accompanying His Majesty... is not a newcomer, but rather one of the palace's masters?"

Fuquan smiled and said, "Aunt Zhulan is incredibly intelligent."

"This servant will first inform His Majesty, and then report to the Empress Dowager."

What else could Aunt Zhulan say?

We can't say that Fuquan didn't care about the Empress Dowager, can we?

The Empress Dowager has maintained a close relationship with His Majesty and his son all these years, which is entirely due to her wholehearted concern for His Majesty, even if she occasionally suffers some grievances herself.

They are mother and son after all, and they won't harm each other.

"Alright, then go ahead, I'll wait here."

Fuquan immediately said, "Then this servant will go."

……

Weiyang Palace.

After receiving Zhou Mingyi's advice, Emperor Qianwu's pent-up frustration of the past half month vanished instantly, leaving him feeling refreshed and full of energy.

It must have been tough on Zhou Mingyi's waist.

Although her body has undergone systematic modifications, she still feels tired during high-intensity exercise.

"My beloved consort, please rest well. I will come to see you again next time."

Zhou Mingyi couldn't help but curse the emperor in her heart!

That heartless, ungrateful bastard!

They used it and left, claiming they were busy with official business and would come again next time.

No wonder everyone wants to be emperor.

You can take advantage of someone without taking responsibility.

You should be grateful to be allowed to enter the palace as a concubine.

Just then, Fuquan came in.

"This servant greets His Majesty and Consort Zhen."

Zhou Mingyi had already been helped to change her clothes by Shiliu and Lianwu. She was weak and listless, and when she heard Fuquan's voice, she just waved her hand lightly.

"Eunuch Fu, you may dispense with the formalities."

Seeing that Fuquan showed no sign of leaving, Emperor Qianwu frowned slightly. "But Mother..."

Zhou Mingyi glanced at Emperor Qianwu.

I didn't see you showing any concern for the Empress Dowager when we were in the back hall of the Buddhist temple, so what are you pretending for now?

Unfortunately, the emperor's demands were insatiable, leaving Zhou Mingyi speechless.

Fuquan glanced at the stunningly beautiful Consort Zhen, considered his words carefully, and then said, "The Empress Dowager believes that Your Majesty... has favored a new concubine, and has come specifically to inquire..."

Emperor Qianwu's brows furrowed even deeper.

He also subconsciously looked at Zhou Mingyi, but the beauty only glared at him fiercely. However, her gaze was clearly like a coquettish act, and it had no intimidating power whatsoever.

Emperor Qianwu touched his nose, feeling slightly guilty.

"this……"

"Tell the Empress Dowager that it was my momentary folly that caused me to lose control and have sex with Consort Zhen..."

Fuquan understood that His Majesty was protecting Consort Zhen.

"Yes, I understand."

Emperor Qianwu thought for a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll go myself."

Zhou Mingyi seized the opportunity to say, "It's all Your Majesty's fault. I only heard that the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace has a small Buddhist hall, and there are palace maids who have become nuns there..."

"I was thinking of going there to pray, so I wore a nun's robe to show my piety, but who knew Your Majesty would..."

Zhou Mingyi pouted her pink lips, her tone complaining, but it sounded more like she was being coquettish.

Perhaps because she had just been too tired, her voice still had a slight breathiness. How could Emperor Qianwu bear to blame her?

"Very well, it's all my fault."

"That dress is beautiful! I've ruined one of my beloved concubine's dresses, so I'll repay you tenfold!"

As Emperor Qianwu spoke, he turned to Fuquan and said, "I remember that a few days ago, Shu (Sichuan) urgently sent several bolts of Shu brocade as tribute. Take two bolts and send them to Consort Zhen's palace."

There were seven bolts of Shu brocade in total. The Empress Dowager was His Majesty's birth mother, so naturally, she couldn't be left out of any good things.

Unless the Empress Dowager dislikes it.

In addition, there is Princess Chaoyang.

As His Majesty's beloved, I naturally cannot forget her.

Secondly, there is Consort Chen, who gave birth to Princess Chaoyang for His Majesty. For the sake of the princess, His Majesty should also give her extra favor.

Putting aside other matters, things are not as they used to be. Consort Lan has been released from the Cold Palace, and His Majesty, to show his favor, has already ordered someone to send her a bolt of silk.

If Consort Zhen were given two bolts, there wouldn't be enough Shu brocade to go around.

Normally, if the gifts were sent to the Empress Dowager, Princess Chaoyang, and Consort Chen's palace, they would be in even numbers. Just for these three places alone, at least six bolts would be needed...

Of course, the quantity of Shu brocade this year is indeed less.

But this is His Majesty's idea. If any of the consorts is dissatisfied, they should go directly to His Majesty.

For Zhou Mingyi, it was nothing more than the loss of an ordinary nun's dress, which she had specifically acquired to seduce Emperor Qianwu.

Now, however, they have received two priceless pieces of Shu brocade in return.

That's really a good deal.

……

Consort Lan was heading towards the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace when she suddenly saw palace servants hurrying by, seemingly carrying something in their hands.

The palace maid beside Consort Lan hurriedly said, "Isn't that Shu brocade?"

"Shu brocade is expensive; it's said that a single bolt is worth a thousand gold pieces! But didn't His Majesty already give the Empress a bolt? Judging from the direction those palace servants went, it seems they're heading towards our palace."

Upon hearing this, Consort Lan couldn't help but smile.

Indeed, if you want to live a good life, you have to humble yourself.

Consort Lan had an unbearable life in the Cold Palace in her previous life, which led her to have a more open-minded perspective after her rebirth.

Even without children, disregarding her own feelings, she had to please her emperor brother and try her best to avoid his accident.

My elder brother, the emperor, has practiced martial arts since childhood and is physically strong; he will surely live for several more years.

As long as he lives, she will enjoy endless wealth and luxury!

Even priceless Shu brocade was sent to her.

Consort Lan was delighted and immediately stopped the palace servants, while the maids beside her fawned over her.

"Since it was sent to the Empress's palace, give it to me."

The two palace maids looked at each other, beads of sweat dripping from their foreheads, and instinctively lowered their heads even further.

"Your Highness, this...this is...sent to Weiyang Palace..."

Consort Lan's maid was instantly embarrassed, her face turned pale, and she knelt down with a "plop".

"It's all my fault for being so talkative!"

After several changes in expression, Consort Lan gritted her teeth and said, "It's alright."

"You may leave."

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Consort Lan still took a deep breath.

From the day she left the Cold Palace after deciding to vie for the Emperor's favor, Consort Lan knew that her brother, the Emperor, was ultimately a man who was both affectionate and heartless.

If she places herself in the position of a favored concubine, wanting to monopolize him, and becomes jealous and persecutes the other concubines, then he will surely be ruthless.

But if you put yourself in his position as his childhood sweetheart, and treat him with gentleness and tenderness, he will reciprocate your feelings...

"Is this Consort Zhen very favored?"

After the two palace maids left, Consort Lan couldn't help but ask the maid beside her.

The two maids serving Consort Lan were named Banruo and Ruoci.

Both of them had served Consort Lan before. After Consort Lan was banished to the Cold Palace, Ruoci entered the laundry department.

Prajna suffered alongside her in the cold palace.

Now that Consort Lan has been released, she has brought them all back to the palace.

The two of them finally saw their hard times come to an end.

If the poem is written in the laundry department, that is the hardest place in the palace, and it is far away from the inner palace, so it is not easy to get information.

On the contrary, while Prajna was in the Cold Palace, she had the Empress Dowager's protection and could secretly gather information for her mistress.

But nowadays, who in the palace doesn't know that besides Consort Chen, the most favored is Consort Zhen, née Zhou?

It is said that His Majesty brought her back from Hanshan Temple.

She was personally ordained as the "daughter of destiny" by Master Jingming, the abbot of Hanshan Temple.

However, there were two so-called "daughters of destiny" who were predicted to have their fates told. The other one, Jin, had already been flogged to death in court by His Majesty for deceiving the emperor, and her fate was tragic.

This Zhou family member, on the contrary, doesn't get involved in worldly affairs.

Of course, there were some rumors about her in the harem, but His Majesty did not allow the palace servants to gossip, so gradually no one dared to speak of it.

The information that Prajna obtained was almost entirely superficial.

"It is said that Consort Zhen had an older brother in the Hanlin Academy, and her father was once an advisor to His Majesty, known for his upright character."

Consort Lan herself had no one to rely on, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but feel envious.

If only she had a father and brothers to protect her.

In her previous life, after the Emperor died, she heard that a fire had broken out in Consort Rong's palace, and that Consort Rong and her two maids had been burned to a crisp.

But after her rebirth, she suddenly had a sudden realization.

What was burned to charcoal?

Perhaps it's a case of substitution, a cover-up to deceive everyone!