Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the spring with its blooming flowers and singing birds had passed, and the summer with its scorching sun and chirping cicadas was also drawing to a close. The battle in northern Xiang had progressed from a stalemate to showing signs of victory, and the atmosphere in the imperial court had also relaxed a lot.
Once a person relaxed, it was easy to get hotheaded, and once a person got hotheaded, it was easy to cause trouble. The empress had been pregnant for six months, and the emperor had favored the empress alone for almost a year, showing no intention of summoning concubines from other palaces to sleep with him, which made the maternal families of many newly promoted high-ranking concubines dissatisfied. They secretly incited the imperial censor to submit a memorial, advising the emperor to spread his favor evenly.
That morning, Emperor Zhouwu entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony with an expressionless face. Behind him, Chang Gui carried a stack of memorials and looked at the ministers below with pity. Chang Xi had already “died of illness”. As a master, he had told his apprentice many secrets, the first of which was that even if you offend the emperor, you must not offend the empress. The emperor was a wife slave, a hopeless wife slave! Now that the empress’s belly was getting bigger and bigger, it was when her body was at its weakest. The emperor was worried enough, and these people were still trying to stroke the tiger’s whiskers at this juncture. They were really tired of living.carpreads.pages.dev
“If there is something to report, report it. If not, court is dismissed!” Chang Gui shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present!” An imperial censor stood up and passionately stated the importance of an heir to the royal family, strongly urging the emperor not to indulge in women and neglect the country and its people.
As soon as he finished speaking, several more imperial historians and ministers came forward to agree, and the scene was quite lively.
“Indulging in women, harming the country and its people. I did not know that loving my wife and child would become a crime.” Emperor Zhouwu spoke slowly, his voice cold, causing the hearts of the ministers below to tremble.
“When did the affairs of my harem become subject to your oversight? Could it be that I must have your approval to favor or disfavor any woman? If you wish to advise me on matters of state, I will certainly listen with an open mind. However, the affairs of my harem are my private matters and I will not tolerate interference from others.” After a pause, his sharp gaze swept over the cowering faces of the ministers, and he continued. “It is said that one good turn deserves another. Since you insist on meddling in my private affairs, I shall take it upon myself to oversee your own households.”
The young emperor’s mouth curled up into a strange smile that made the officials’ scalps tingle. When they saw Yan Junwei present a thick memorial, the ministers who had been advising him knew that something was wrong!
“Read it to them.” Emperor Zhouwu lifted his eyelids and handed the memorial to Chang Gui.
Chang Gui accepted the promise, spread out the memorial and read loudly, “Xia Gao, on the third day of March, stayed at Manxiang Building, spending a total of three hundred and forty-seven taels of silver. He settled a mistress in Saijing alley and had a son. He is six years old. Liu Ren favoring his concubine and neglecting his wife, took away the rights of his legitimate wife, and handed over the management of his inner house to his concubine, causing his legitimate son and second son to be poisoned and died; Shan Mingbo allowed his wife to treat his concubine-born children harshly, poisoned and killed several pregnant concubines…”
Chang Gui’s sharp voice continued. Several ministers who stood up to remonstrate were named one by one. Their private affairs in the backyard were turned upside down. Many things were unknown even to themselves. They couldn’t help but sweat and tremble. The rest of the ministers all buried their heads deeply, feeling terrified by the ubiquitous and pervasive Imperial Guards. Only then did they realize the extent to which the emperor controlled the court and his ministers. It was no exaggeration to say that he could turn his hand over to make clouds and cover his hand to make rain.
However, the emperor was not usually arbitrary and dictatorial. If these people had not touched his bottom line, he would have turned a blind eye to these things.
The ministers who did not stand up to remonstrate could not help but secretly rejoice. Meng Yanzhou admired his brother-in-law even more. This move was brilliant! This was a true hero, a true man! People like his father, who took a concubine because his grandmother forced him, could not compare to the emperor at all!
After Chang Gui finished reading, Emperor Zhouwu spoke slowly, “If the internal backyard is not peaceful, how can the external world be peaceful? I really doubt whether you are qualified to continue to be an official in the court.”
Several ministers could no longer bear it, and they knelt down with a thud, kowtowing and shouting, “Your ministers are guilty, please forgive us, Your Majesty!”
“Go back and clean up your backyard before you come back!” The young emperor threw the memorial in front of the few people, his face cold and hard.
The following morning court ended in a somber atmosphere. After the emperor left, the ministers who had been named fled in disgrace amidst the ridicule of the crowd, eager to return home and severely punish the women who had caused the trouble. The maternal clans of the concubines who had incited the imperial historians to remonstrate with the emperor dared not make the slightest further move.
From then on, the atmosphere in the imperial court became much clearer. As the saying goes, “the emperor’s actions set an example for his subjects.” Because the emperor loved his wife dearly, the status of the main wife in the Great Zhou Dynasty was greatly improved. Of course, the number of cases of the main wife mistreating concubines and illegitimate children was also greatly reduced. Unless an official was over forty years old or had difficulty having children, he generally did not dare to take more than three concubines. These are all later stories, so let’s not talk about them for now.
Emperor Zhouwu left the Hall of Supreme Harmony and hurried towards the Kunning Palace. At this time, Sangyu had not yet gotten out of bed, and he could still hold her and sleep for a while. Passing through the Imperial Garden, he saw a graceful figure hidden behind the trees, and his steps faltered slightly. He immediately changed direction.
“In the future, after I retire from the court sessions , seal off this road. No one is allowed to come near it!” He commanded in a deep voice. Chang Gui quickly agreed.
He was really annoyed by these women’s pestering. If he had known that promoting their status would inflate their ambitions, he should have flatly rejected it when his mother suggested it. They professed their love for him, but their eyes revealed their lust for power. Whenever he saw this expression, he would think of Shen Huiru and feel an inexplicable loathing!
Only Sangyu always considered how to live a life of ease. If power hindered her, she would abandon it without hesitation. If power helped her, she would actively pursue it. How simple and straightforward!
Thinking of this, he shook his head and laughed, quickening his pace.
That night, inside the Kunning Palace, Emperor Zhouwu looked at the woman with her eyes tightly shut beside him, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He tentatively reached out and put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, pulling her into his embrace, and with his other hand, he untied her underpants and reached inside to play with her depths.
Meng Sangyu woke up from the heat and saw the man buried in her neck licking and kissing her. She muttered impatiently, “Go away, it’s so hot!”
“Sangyu, let me hold you, okay? It’s been a long time since we’ve been intimate.” The man’s voice was hoarse, his breathing rapid, and his hard, thick member rubbed gently against the woman’s legs.
“No! Go away!” It was the end of August, and the ice basins in the hall had long since melted. Meng Sangyu felt the baby kicking her belly and impatiently pushed the man away.
The man wrapped his arms around her neck, breathing heavily, and relentlessly nibbling on her earlobe.
“You can’t bear it? You can’t bear it then you go to find someone else. Don’t bother me!” Her ears were sticky and uncomfortable, and coupled with her pregnancy, her temper was erratic. Meng Sangyu felt as if there was an evil fire burning in her chest, and she didn’t know what she was saying.
The man froze, his head buried in her neck for a long time without moving. After a while, he got up, put on an outer shirt, and left. Anyone who had taken great pains to protect someone only to be treated like this would feel uncomfortable.
Meng Sangyu was still a little confused. She propped herself up and looked at the man’s back and asked, “Where are you going?”
“As you said, go find someone else to sleep with.” The man paused slightly and said coldly.
The words “sleep with” finally brought Meng Sangyu back to her senses, but the evil fire in her chest burned even more fiercely. Without thinking, she shouted, “Gu Shaozhe, if you dare to leave, don’t come back!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she regretted it in her heart. Damn it! This threat was too classic and vulgar! According to statistics experts, 99.99% of men who hear this sentence would leave! Before leaving, they would slam the door to show their momentum.
Sure enough, the man’s footsteps quickened, and soon disappeared at the door. She had to be thankful that the door of the Kunning Palace was big and heavy enough for the man to not be able to shake it?
Meng Sangyu was stunned for a long time. She slowly sat up and covered her face with both hands. She should have expected it long ago. How could the fairy tale of two people for a lifetime happen to her? She didn’t get it in her previous life, and she was still delusional in this life. She really couldn’t learn! It’s good to leave!
Thinking of this, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes gradually dried up, and a hint of frost hung on the corners of her slightly pursed mouth.
Hearing the shout from the hall, Chang Gui, who was on night watch, was startled. In the Great Zhou, only the Empress dared to call the Emperor by his name. While he was still in a daze, he saw the Emperor come out with an expressionless face, walking hurriedly. Chang Gui quickly followed.
When he reached the main gate of the Kunning Palace, Emperor Zhouwu suddenly stopped, almost causing Chang Gui to bump into his back.
“Your Majesty, it’s so late, where are you going?” Changgui asked in a low voice.
“Yes, where else can I go besides Kunning Palace?” Emperor Zhouwu murmured, lingering at the palace gate. Thinking of Sangyu’s stubborn and vengeful nature, if he really left, he didn’t know how much effort it would take to coax her back in the future. After hesitating for a while, Emperor Zhouwu finally gave up his male dignity and walked back with a straight face.
Chang Gui supported his forehead and quickly followed. Master Chang Xi was right, the emperor was a wife slave!
Entering the inner chamber, Emperor Zhouwu saw Sangyu sitting on the bedside with her face covered by her hands. He took two quick steps forward, pulled her hands away, and met her eyes that were still filled with the chill that had yet to dissipate. His heart ached instantly.
“Sangyu, I’m not leaving. It’s all my fault. Please don’t be mad.” He hugged Sangyu’s shoulders tightly, murmuring an apology. Fortunately, he came back, otherwise, this year’s effort would be in vain, and he would have pushed Sangyu further away! He thought with fear.
She didn’t expect the man to be the unexpected 0.01%, Meng Sangyu was stunned, and only came back to her senses when she met his pleading eyes. Her cold face softened, and she said, “I have to go to the toilet ten times a night, the weather is hot, I’m always sweating, and my legs often cramp, and the baby kicks me from time to time! Even so, you still want to toss me!” She used her fingertips to lightly poke the man’s chest, her soft tone with a hint of coquettishness, making the man’s heart melt into a puddle.
A couple couldn’t always be at each other’s throats. The appropriate amount of compromise could greatly promote mutual affection. She understood this principle.
Emperor Zhouwu was greatly relieved. He put his arms around her shoulders and gently shook her, saying indulgently, “It’s all my fault. Why didn’t you tell me earlier that your legs were cramping? I’ll rub them for you.”
Meng Sangyu nodded and very naturally put her legs on the man’s knees. The man massaged her legs, sometimes lightly and sometimes heavily, with a very focused expression, as if he were doing something important. The throbbing sensation faded away, and there was a sound of abdominal rumble in the hall, making Meng Sangyu’s ears turn red quickly.
“Hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll have someone make it.” The man didn’t find it annoying, and he scratched the woman’s nose, joking.
“I want to drink sesame oil and eat stinky tofu.” Meng Sangyu licked her lips, her face full of longing.
“Drink sesame oil? Drink it straight from the bottle? Stinky tofu, eat rotten tofu?” Emperor Zhouwu’s forehead twitched a little, unable to understand his wife’s taste.
“Yes, I want to drink sesame oil! Or mixing the sesame oil with stinky tofu is fine too!” Meng Sangyu hugged the man’s arm and shook it gently. Her coquettish appearance made the man unable to resist.
“Tell the imperial kitchen to make a dish of stinky tofu with sesame oil and serve it.” Emperor Zhouwu waved to Chang Gui at the door.
This stumped the imperial chef, who fearfully made a dish of fried tofu with sesame oil and personally brought it to the Kunning Palace to apologize. Emperor Zhouwu laughed and cried, stinking tofu, even if the imperial chef could make it, he wouldn’t dare let Sangyu eat it, it would be better if he didn’t make it!
After sending the imperial kitchen away, he picked up his chopsticks and fed the fried tofu to Sang Yu, who was quite dissatisfied, coaxing her with gentle words.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” After finishing her supper, Meng Sangyu contentedly rubbed her stomach and took the initiative to put her arms around the man’s shoulders, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Your mouth smells like sesame oil!” Emperor Zhouwu turned his head to avoid her, but his eyes filled with a thick smile.
“Your Majesty, when people are full and warm, they think of lust. Come on, be gentle.” Meng Sangyu lifted her nightgown, revealing half of her fair, round shoulder and the deep cleavage on her chest. She winked at the man, her seductive aura fully unleashed.
“Little vixen!” The man’s breath caught in his throat. He hugged her from behind and eagerly kissed her glossy lips.
Although tender tofu was good, occasionally changing to fried tofu was also not bad! The young emperor squinted and thought to himself.