Chapter 382: The Concubine Who Was Buried with the Emperor VS The Ruthless and Romantic Emperor 30
What happened in Fengyi Palace was soon spread to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

When Emperor Jing heard this, he slammed the memorial in his hand onto the imperial desk with a gloomy look on his face.

He never thought that his momentary impulse would cause her to suffer criticism and grievances.

Yao'er is pregnant, and it is already hard for her to pay her respects in the morning. She must feel very uncomfortable now as she has to listen to the ridicule and sarcasm of those women.

If it affects the baby in her womb, Concubine Li will have ten heads left.

This is really unreasonable.

"Someone is coming."

He called out in a deep voice, his voice carrying unquestionable authority.

Lu Xi hurried in and bowed, "What do you want, Your Majesty?"

"Concubine Li's words and deeds are inappropriate. As a concubine, she should be dignified and prudent, and a role model for the people in the harem. However, she took the lead in causing trouble in Fengyi Palace and squeezed the concubines at will, causing unrest in the harem and a bad atmosphere. Concubine Li's actions are contrary to my expectations. Pass on my decree to deprive Concubine Li of her title to correct the atmosphere in the harem."

Emperor Jing's tone was majestic and left no room for doubt.

Lu Xi was slightly startled. Although he was a little surprised, he quickly responded, "As you wish."

Emperor Jing narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression stern, and said again: "I hope everyone in the harem will take this as a warning. If there are people who disregard the harmony of the harem and provoke disputes again, I will punish them severely."

Afterwards, he thought of Concubine Qin and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

He wanted to give her a title as compensation, but thinking that she had just been promoted to the rank of Concubine, it would be inappropriate to promote her further, he gave up the idea and only asked Lu Xi to pick some good things and send them to the East Palace.

Lu Xi naturally took the order and left.

When everyone in the harem learned that the Emperor had stripped Concubine Li of her title simply because she had said a few words to insult Concubine Qin in Fengyi Palace in the morning, they were all very shocked and afraid, and dared not cause any more trouble.

Those who originally wanted to cause trouble for Concubine Qin also gave up the idea, fearing that they would get into trouble.

For a time, the atmosphere in the harem was tense, and everyone was cautious in their words and actions, trying to maintain stability in the harem.

Of course, the Queen and Concubine Yu also became wary of Yu Yao and no longer looked down on her.

Concubine Li, Yingyue Palace, the atmosphere is extremely depressing.

When Concubine Li learned that she was stripped of her title, she was furious and had a great tantrum in the palace.

"I am a concubine, and that lowly maid is just a little concubine. How can the emperor be so partial to her? Just because of a few words in Fengyi Palace, he punished me so severely?"

Concubine Li paced back and forth in the palace, her face gloomy and she cursed with gritted teeth.

She really couldn't understand. She had been bullying that slave girl in Fengyi Palace for a long time. Why did the emperor suddenly get so angry today and even take away her title?

The palace maids in the hall were so frightened that they were silent and dared not make a sound.

"How can I swallow this? The emperor is so unfair, it must be that the slave girl used some seductive tricks."

Concubine Li said through gritted teeth.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She waved her hand suddenly and swept the tea set on the table to the ground.

"crash"

The sound of broken porcelain echoed in the hall, adding to the tense atmosphere.

"I will never give up and will make that slave pay the price."

Concubine Li's eyes were filled with resentment, and she was secretly thinking about how to take revenge.

Yu Yao had no idea how angry Concubine Li was or how she was planning revenge. When she received the reward from the dog emperor, she was not particularly happy and just let Liuli put it into the warehouse.

West side hall.

When Concubine Shu heard that the Emperor had stripped her of her title just because she had said a few words to insult Concubine Qin in Fengyi Palace, she was frightened on the spot.

She knew very well how excessive her actions had been during this period, and she was prepared to break off relations with Concubine Qin.

But Concubine Qin did nothing, said nothing, and did not ask anyone to stop her from going to the East Palace. Instead, this made Concubine Shu feel very guilty.

The emperor's ugly expression when he left last night always lingered in her mind.

Generally, after the imperial concubines had slept with the emperor, they would receive routine rewards the next day.

But she didn't receive any reward, which showed that the emperor was really dissatisfied with her.

"The Emperor, I guess he won't turn over my card again, right?"

Thinking of this, Concubine Shu felt extremely desperate and felt that there was no hope for her future life in the palace.

But life must go on.

In order to have an easier life in the palace in the future, she thought about it, gritted her teeth, and decided to go to the East Palace to find Concubine Qin.

East side hall.

Yu Yao was half leaning on the couch reading a storybook when she saw Amber come in and report that Concubine Shu was here.

She frowned slightly, thinking that Concubine Shu was using another excuse to come over and meet the Dog Emperor, so she didn't want to pay any attention to her and wanted Amber to send Concubine Shu away.

But Miss Shu came in by herself and knelt down in front of her without saying a word.

"Sister Qin, I know I have been too much during this period and made you unhappy. But I really have no choice. I never ask for the emperor's favor. All I ask for is to have a child and have someone to rely on in the future. Please forgive me, sister."

Lady Shu knelt on the ground, her eyes red, and spoke in a trembling voice.

Yu Yao looked at Lady Shu who was kneeling in front of her with mixed feelings.

She could understand Shu Meiren's helplessness and struggle. In this harem, without favor, life might just be a little harder, but without a child, she would really die.

No one wants to die.

It was just like when she first came to this world and faced with being buried alive, she desperately escaped just to survive.

But Lady Shu's behavior did indeed annoy her.

A moment of silence.

Yu Yao sighed slightly and said, "Get up. I understand your feelings, but your behavior is indeed inappropriate. Don't do this again in the future."

Based on her understanding of the Dog Emperor, he will most likely not turn over Shu Meiren's brand again in the future.

If Lady Shu could get pregnant last night, it would be fine. If not, she would have to wait for the dog emperor to be buried with her in a hundred years.

Of course, it is also possible that Concubine Shu died earlier than the Dog Emperor.

But no matter what the ending is, it's tragic.

I don't know which wicked person made this crappy rule, which is even crueler than the one recorded in history books that after the death of the Tang emperor, the concubines in the harem were forced to become nuns in Ganye Temple.

After all, becoming a nun means you are still alive and your life is still there.

But this kind of burial with the dead is really life-threatening and extremely cruel. Yu Yao looked at Shu Meiren in front of her and felt a little bit sorry for her, so she asked the system to put a pill to give birth to a daughter into Shu Meiren.

It was like giving her a daughter.

Anyway, there are a lot of these pills, and the system mall will have discounts from time to time, so they are very cheap.

Besides, Shu Meiren is pregnant, and when the news of her pregnancy comes out, she can also share some of the firepower from the concubines in the harem.

Not everyone is staring at her.

Lady Shu didn't know this. When she heard her words, gratitude flashed in her eyes. She quickly stood up and said, "Thank you, Sister Qin. I will be careful with my words and actions in the future and never make you angry again."

The Emperor would probably never call her to his bedchamber again, so it was useless to seduce her again.

Now she only wanted to rely on Concubine Qin so that her life in the palace would be better in the future.

As time went by, the draft finally began.

In the Imperial Garden, flowers are in full bloom, as if even nature is adding a touch of spring to this grand event in the palace.

In the distance, the sound of stringed instruments could be heard faintly between the red walls and yellow tiles, adding a bit of liveliness and anticipation to this quiet palace.

The talent show was held in the "Fanghua Hall" on the east side of the Imperial Garden. This place was carefully decorated to make it even more elegant and extraordinary.

Inside the hall, rows of beautiful ladies dressed in colorful costumes, some standing, some sitting, all with dignified and beautiful postures.

Their faces were either nervous or filled with anticipation; even worse, their eyes were filled with desire and uneasiness about an unknown fate.

"Have you heard? Among this year's selected ladies, there is a talented lady from Jiangnan who is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Even the Queen Mother is full of praise for her."

A palace maid lowered her voice and whispered to her companion beside her.

"Really? That's a really strong rival. I heard that the Queen is worried about not having a suitable candidate to balance the power in the harem."

"That's nothing. I heard there's a daughter of the Yangzhou prefect who is extremely beautiful, like a fairy from heaven."

"Is this true? How does your beauty compare to Concubine Qin's?"

"They are on par with each other. I heard that the Empress and Imperial Concubine Yu wanted to remove him, but unfortunately he was smart and met the Emperor in the Imperial Garden ahead of time."

"This harem is really getting more and more lively."

Inside the Fanghua Palace, the atmosphere was tense and solemn.

Emperor Jing sat high on the dragon throne, his eyes sharp as torches, examining the rows of beautiful ladies below.

They are either gentle as water or bright as spring, each showing a different charm.

The Queen and Concubine Yu sat on either side, each with a different expression.

The queen is dignified and generous, with a look of scrutiny and consideration in her eyes. She needs to select suitable women for the harem in order to maintain the balance.

Concubine Yu looked wary and disdainful, thinking that they were a bunch of vixens who came to seduce her cousin. Although she was unhappy in her heart, she did not show it.

The beauties came forward one by one to show off their talents; some danced gracefully, as light as a swallow.

Some played musical instruments, and the tunes were melodious.

Some recited poems and painted, showing their talents. Every girl tried her best to show her best side, hoping to win the emperor's favor.

Soon it was the turn of the talented woman from Jiangnan, Su Wan'er.

She was dressed in an elegant blue shirt with only a white jade hairpin in her hair. She was pure and elegant, like a woman who had walked out of an ink painting.

Facing the emperor's scrutiny, she took her time, stepped forward slowly, and bowed, "Your servant Su Wan'er, pays respects to the emperor, the queen, and the imperial concubine."

"Keep your head up."

The emperor's voice was deep and magnetic, with irresistible majesty.

Su Wan'er looked up as she was told, and her clear eyes met Emperor Jing's gaze. At that moment, it seemed as if time had stood still.

There was no fear in her eyes, only calmness and purity.

Emperor Jing raised his eyebrows and asked, "I heard that you are proficient in poetry and songs. Why don't you compose a poem on the spot to suit this scene?"

Su Wan'er smiled slightly, thought for a moment, and then chanted: "Spring is in the Forbidden City, and the flowers are blooming in the sun. I wish the king would look back at me, so that I will not let you down."

The poems are fresh and refined, with sincere emotions, which attracted the attention of people around.

Emperor Jing nodded slightly, obviously quite satisfied with this talented woman. "She is indeed worthy of her reputation. I will give her flowers and keep her a plaque."

After several rounds, some were eliminated while others were given flowers and kept their names.

Soon it was the turn of Liu Mengyan, the daughter of the Yangzhou prefect, the extremely beautiful woman.

She walked into the venue, wearing a moon-white dress, dancing with light gauze and light steps, like a fairy descending to earth, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Facing the emperor's gaze, she did not show the slightest sign of timidity. Instead, she stepped forward generously and performed a standard palace etiquette: "Your servant Liu Mengyan greets the emperor, empress, and imperial concubine. May the emperor, empress, and imperial concubine be blessed with good health."

Emperor Jing carefully looked at the beauty in front of him. She had skin as white as cream, eyes as clear as autumn water, and an indescribable charm between her brows.

He opened his thin lips slightly, and said with a hint of amusement: "Liu Mengyan, your beauty is indeed as beautiful as the most beautiful woman in the world. But I want to know, besides your beauty, what else can catch my eye?"

Liu Mengyan's expression did not change when she heard this, and she remained calm and confident: "Your Majesty is the ruler of all people. Mengyan dare not say anything that will please the emperor. But Mengyan is willing to treat you with sincerity. No matter when Your Majesty returns, there will always be a light here for you, and a love for you."

These simple yet affectionate words touched Emperor Jing's heart.

He couldn't help but think of Concubine Qin.

The same unparalleled beauty, the same gentleness as water, and the same endless affection.

He nodded slightly, and felt more favorable towards this beauty, "Give me flowers and keep my card."

Obviously, he was selected.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Mengyan smiled slightly, bowed respectfully, and retreated gracefully.

As the talent show progressed, some were selected while others left in disgrace. The power structure of the harem also quietly changed in these silent competitions.

Yihe Hall, east hall.

Yu Yao sat in front of the window. She was more than two months pregnant and some early pregnancy reactions began to appear.

Fortunately, she took pills to preserve her pregnancy, so the condition wasn't that serious, except that she was prone to sleepiness.

Although her belly hasn't grown yet, she tries to wear loose-fitting clothes to avoid others noticing anything.

"My lady, I heard that there is a contestant named Liu Mengyan in this year's selection. She is very beautiful and has some of your demeanor. The emperor seems to like her very much."

Liuli said worriedly as she arranged the tea set on the table.

Yu Yao smiled slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip. In the aroma of tea, she said lightly: "Liuli, you are just a new girl in the palace. The emperor's favor has always been a cloud, so don't worry. Now, I just want to give birth to the baby in my belly safely. As for the rest, let it go."