The Empress Dowager's body trembled a few times. She closed her eyes, and her mind was filled with the bloody scene of Lu Siming's forced palace coup five years ago.
She stroked her chest and heaved a heavy sigh, unable to say a single word.
The calming incense had burned out, and the atmosphere in the room was cold.
Lu Sihong stood up and bowed. "Recently, there have been many visitors from outside. You've been receiving guests all the time and must be tired. Just rest in peace these days. I'll tell them that you won't be receiving guests during this period."
The Empress Dowager's face turned slightly pale.
Her son, using his imperial status, had ordered her not to see those noble ladies anymore. This showed his great dissatisfaction with her.
If they continued to argue, the mother - son relationship would really break down.
After Lu Sihong and Cheng Simian left, Qiluo walked in and relit the calming incense.
Qiluo had replaced Daiying five years ago and become the first - rank female official beside the Empress Dowager.
She was meticulous, cautious, intelligent, and calm. There was a shadow of Cheng Simian on her.
The Empress Dowager was very satisfied with her.
She was also willing to confide in her.
"I've only done this for the sake of the Great Zhou's imperial throne. Why doesn't the Emperor appreciate my efforts?"
Just thinking of the cold and terrifying look her son had given her, the Empress Dowager felt sad and scared.
Qiluo swept away a bit of residual ash that had fallen on the incense stool.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has always understood the principles you've mentioned. Otherwise, how could he work hard to revitalize the country and make the Great Zhou more prosperous and the people wealthier? The late Emperor in the afterlife would surely be very pleased to see the Emperor's outstanding achievements."
The smell of the calming incense slowly drifted into the Empress Dowager's lungs. She suddenly smiled. "You little girl, you're really good at talking."
She understood the implication of Qiluo's words.
It was said that the harem affected the court. But even without a large harem, the Emperor hadn't neglected governing the country.
The Great Zhou was more peaceful and prosperous than in the late Emperor's era.
The common people all sang praises.
Who would dare to deny that Lu Sihong was not a good emperor?
Qiluo patted the brocade - covered soft pillow to make it softer and placed it behind the Empress Dowager so that she could lean back more comfortably.
"Your Majesty, you've worked hard for this harem for most of your life. Now it's time for you to enjoy a peaceful life."
The Empress Dowager had indeed lived a peaceful and comfortable life in the past five years. She was already the person with the highest status in the harem, and Mianmian always made her happy.
Why didn't she want to retire in peace?
"The matter concerns the long - term stability of the Great Zhou. If I just turn a blind eye, I always feel that I'm sorry for the late Emperor's spirit in the afterlife..."
Once people live a smooth life, they want everything to be perfect.
It was a good thing that Lu Sihong was not indulged in beauty. She should be happy about it.
She didn't really want her son to fill all the seventy - two positions in the harem.
The late Emperor didn't have many concubines either, but at least he had four noble concubines and six secondary concubines.
She just wanted her son to take in four noble concubines. That would be enough.
Qiluo pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "This servant heard that when the late Emperor was on his deathbed, he held the Empress Dowager's hand and said that he had wronged the Empress Dowager all these years and failed to keep his promise of being with only one person in his life. The late Emperor felt very guilty and regretful."
The Empress Dowager couldn't hold back her tears.
The Emperor and the Empress had supported each other for thirty years. She watched as the late Emperor took one noble lady after another into the harem. Later, in order to suppress Lu Siming's ambition to seize the throne, he even broke the ancestral system and promoted Concubine Lan to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort.
She had long been used to swallowing her grievances. Over time, she had become numb.
After the late Emperor said that on his sickbed, she went back and cried all night.
For herself and for the late Emperor's sincere repentance before his death.
Asking herself, did she want to see Mianmian go through the same pain she had endured?
Qiluo's tone was soft. "Your Majesty, the Empress is the only mountain in the Emperor's heart. He'll never be able to climb over it in his lifetime. His admiration has reached its limit. No matter how many better and more beautiful women there are in the world, none of them can catch the Emperor's eye. The Emperor is devoted to his wife. It's also because you and the late Emperor have taught him well."
The Empress Dowager laughed through her tears.
"No wonder the Emperor and the Empress value you so much. You always know how to make me happy."
Letting go was probably the best choice. The Empress Dowager could only think so.
When Lu Sihong was still the Crown Prince, she hadn't been able to change his mind. Now that he was the supreme emperor, no one could change his will.
The four senior officials in the Qianyuan Hall knelt until evening and still refused to go back.
They all wept bitterly and said that they wanted to go to the late Emperor's spiritual tablet to plead guilty.
Because they were unable to persuade the Emperor to take more concubines and the imperial family's offspring were few, they, as senior officials, were ashamed to face their ancestors.
Lu Sihong sat in the Yangxin Hall, his brows tightly knitted.
Cheng Simian sat with him.
The crying outside grew louder and louder.
Lu Sihong was extremely annoyed.
Those senior officials were not only meritorious but also firmly supported him back then. Even when the Gao family's army rushed into the Qianyuan Hall, it was these senior officials who fought desperately to protect him.
He had only been on the throne for five years. Although the court was stable, punishing the senior officials would invite criticism.
"If it were Second Liang, how would he deal with this situation?"
Although Lu Sihong had previously despised Liang Yuzhou's methods, he couldn't deny that when faced with a very difficult situation, he would involuntarily put himself in Liang Yuzhou's shoes.
Liang Yuzhou had a great influence on him.
Cheng Simian bit her lower lip and nodded slightly. "Can Liang Yuzhou's unorthodox methods really be used against the senior officials?"
She didn't deny Liang Yuzhou's talent, but Lu Sihong was not him. Some bottom - lines couldn't be crossed.
Lu Sihong kind of missed Liang Yuzhou's sarcasm.
When he spoke and analyzed problems, he could always get straight to the point and clear the fog.
"Second Liang once told me something. Back then, in order to win him over and monitor him, Lu Ningzhen forced two serving concubines on him. The old Duke ordered him to accept them. Guess what Second Liang said?"
Cheng Simian was very curious. Wan Chu talked to her about everything, but she had never mentioned this.
"What did he say?"
Lu Sihong couldn't help but smile. "He said to the old Duke, 'If you want to accept them, go ahead. Anyway, I don't mind calling them my little mothers.'"
Cheng Simian burst out laughing. "It has to be Second Liang. Only he would dare to say such a thing."
Suddenly, Lu Sihong's brows relaxed.
"The reason they're forcing me to choose concubines is that they think there aren't enough offspring in the royal family. I'm surnamed Lu, and so are my younger brothers. If I have the responsibility to expand the royal family, my younger brothers also have this responsibility."
Excluding the deposed Lu Siming, he had four younger brothers.
In the year after he ascended the throne, all four younger brothers had been successively enfeoffed as princes.
The youngest one was already twenty and had a princess consort.
But there were still many vacant positions for secondary consorts.
He called for Xiao Anzi. "Go and convey my order. Summon Liang Wentao to see me immediately."
Cheng Simian clearly saw a mischievous smile on Lu Sihong's lips.
The majestic and profound emperor seemed like a naughty boy about to succeed in his plot at this moment.
Her eyelids twitched. She was just about to ask something but stopped herself.
After all, Lu Sihong was Lu Sihong, not Liang Yuzhou. He had his own judgment.
Liang Wentao had just finished dinner and was about to go into the room to hug his one - month - old son when the Emperor's oral edict arrived.
Reluctantly, but not daring to delay, he went.
After hearing clearly the imperial edict the Emperor wanted him to draft, his mouth fell open in great surprise.
The Emperor had betrothed the daughters of the four senior officials, who were originally prepared to enter the palace as concubines, to his four younger brothers as secondary consorts respectively.