Then she frowned again: "Am I really old? How come I don't see any wrinkles when I look in the mirror?"
"What do you mean old? You're younger than me." Qi Yan laughed, "She said you're old? Lady He has been acting crazy these past few months."
"I'm not here to complain. I just want to talk to the emperor first to avoid being the bad guy." Shangguan Ji shook his head.
"Okay, I know you won't bully others for no reason, and the Queen certainly knows that too. He is young and very ignorant. I originally said that I would promote her after she gave birth to this baby. Now it seems that it is not necessary."
"Why would the emperor tell me about this? I don't dare to care. As for me..." Shangguan Ji smiled and said, "I haven't had any children in these years. I guess I don't have the ability to do so. I don't plan to raise children. I just want to accompany the emperor for the rest of my life. I don't want anyone else."
"You, don't talk about the past. Aren't you afraid that I will be jealous?" Qi Yan laughed.
"Your Majesty, you are so mean! I am not saying that because I married you, I would say that the man I married before was not good. He was a good man. It's just that we are not destined to be together. But what kind of person is your Majesty? Since I came to the court, it has been more than ten years. Who do you think you have ever been submissive to? You are still jealous?"
"Forget it, Niaoniao, you really leave me speechless. It's you who knows everything. You know things that the Queen doesn't know." Qi Yan shook his head.
"Your Majesty." Fu Yu called out from outside.
"Come in and answer the question."
"Your Majesty, Madam Consort Shu, and Madam Queen have sent someone to reply."
"Call him in too." Qi Yan said.
Soon a eunuch came in. He was the chief eunuch beside the queen.
"Your servant greets His Majesty and Madam Consort Shu."
"Well, tell me, what's the matter?" Qi Yan asked.
"In reply to the emperor, just now, Concubine He went to Fengzao Palace to cry. Of course, the queen would never listen to one side, so she also summoned Wang Baolin to ask about the matter. She was afraid that Concubine Shu would be angry because of Concubine He's inappropriate words, so she asked me to come. One is to reply to the emperor, and the other is to tell Concubine Shu that the queen knows everything. It's not your fault."
"I thank the Queen for her insight, but you are also too cautious. When have I ever not trusted you in matters like this?" Shangguan Ji smiled.
"Well, go tell the Queen that I will go to have dinner soon. As for Concubine He, punish her by confining her to her house. She doesn't have to come out before giving birth. We can talk about other things later." Qi Yan waved his hand.
"Yes." The eunuch responded and left.
"Niao Niao, I will go to the Queen's place today. I will go out with you later. I will come to see you tomorrow."
"Okay." Shangguan Ji smiled and said, "The Queen has not yet given birth to a legitimate son, so the Emperor should go more often."
"Nianyiao, do you really think so?" Qi Yan smiled deliberately.
"Your Majesty, please stop joking." Shangguan Ji pinched his hand.
Qi Yan smiled and hugged her, and the two talked for a while.
Queen Ye was naturally happy to hear that the emperor was coming.
"Shufei is indeed very righteous. As the queen, I cannot be biased. Although Concubine He was wrong, she is pregnant with the emperor's heir. What can I do..."
"According to me, Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Although the status of Concubine Shu is different, she is now also the emperor's concubine. The Empress Dowager has always been fair. Our Emperor is also reasonable. There is no reason to vent his anger on others. But today, Your Majesty was really too polite." "Then I will be more careful in the future." The Queen sighed.
Bai Mei suddenly knelt down and said, "My Lady. I have something to say that I have wanted to say for many years."
"That's what you said. Why are you saying that?" The queen wanted to pull her up.
But she didn't get up. Not only did she refuse to get up, Bailing also knelt down.
"My queen, do you still remember what you were like before you got married? At that time, even the emperor, who was still the crown prince, praised you for your cleverness. When Empress Yihe was still alive, how many candidates were there when choosing the crown princess? Not to mention others, the current Concubine Shu had not yet married. What a good candidate! Don't you know the emperor's temper? If he thought she was good at that time, he would definitely marry her. The late emperor loved her, and with Empress Yihe's support, he would naturally get what he wanted."
"As for the current Concubine Hui, I heard that she also had a chance. Although the late emperor felt that the Cui family was not of high status, it was probably because the prince at that time was not very willing. But what about you at that time? You were favored by him and he was optimistic about your choice of wife."
"Have you forgotten? Back then, the prince told you that you had a good name and that you were a very good person. At the wedding, I still remember that the prince praised you for being very smart."
"The emperor, for a man like him, would not like a dull queen who only knows the rules. Or do you want to be a queen who only knows the rules for the rest of your life, Your Majesty?"
"But I... still have no children. I feel guilty about what I have done as a queen." Queen Ye cried.
"My queen, does a woman's life have to be like this just because she doesn't have a son? Will you be deposed if you don't have a son? Even if you don't have a daughter, you are still the queen. If you don't have a legitimate son, you can either raise a prince from another family or establish a prince born out of wedlock. But no matter what, you just have to follow the rules. Won't you feel sad if you are too rigid?"
"What were you like when you were young? Concubine Huixian has never changed over the years. But you were not like this before."
Queen Ye took a deep breath and wiped her tears: "I know, you guys get up. The emperor will be here soon. I know everything in my heart."
The two men then got up, fetched water to wash the queen's face, and put on makeup again.
After Qi Yan came, he didn't say anything, but whether it was noticed or not, no one knew.
Qi Yan didn't mention what happened today, and the queen didn't talk about it again.
Just serve him meals and bedtime.
Nothing happened for a few days.
Just when no one was paying attention to this matter, Wang Baolin suddenly came to Fengzao Palace, knelt down and cried, saying that Concubine He was practicing witchcraft.
"I saw it with my own eyes. I live with her, and although she is under house arrest, she is not really repenting. I really dare not deceive the Queen." Wang Baolin said.
"Wang Baolin, there is witchcraft in the palace. Do you know what kind of crime this is?" The queen stood up suddenly.
"I know. I know that if it is true, it is a huge sin. That is why I dare not hide it. If it breaks out one day, I will be afraid." Wang Baolin said.
"If you didn't see it clearly, the crime is yours. It's a false accusation." The queen said seriously.
"Your Majesty, I have been in the palace for two years. Although I am only Baolin, I also know the importance of things. I have always been at odds with Concubine He, but I will not slander such things. My family still wants to live." Wang Baolin kowtowed. She was scared to death when she first knew about it.
(End of this chapter)