This kind of specious words, it wasn’t Li Hong Yuan’s first time hearing Le Cheng Emperor say either. Sounding as if he hated the iron for not becoming steel, but how was it not necessarily another kind of warning, letting him not produce thoughts that he shouldn’t have. Li Hong Yuan has never taken it seriously either. If he really were to count on this old man of his, then he also didn’t need to continue mingling anymore. It’d be better to just tuck one’s tail between one’s legs and behave oneself.
Li Hong Yuan, by nature, was just never one that was willing to be an ordinary person. Even in his past life, prior to meeting with misfortune, he also wasn’t one that would act according to convention. Truthfully speaking, if not for Noble Consort Su, he probably would’ve just fought with his other brothers to the death from the start. Can only say, Noble Consort Su conducted herself too successfully, and as a mother, was also too successful.
Setting these aside, they brought up some other interesting stories again.
Li Hong Yuan lazily sat leaning to the side, listless and bored, as if he hadn’t fully woken up yet.
Noble Consort Su smilingly looked to him, “What was Yuan’er doing last night?”
“Do what? Privately meeting with a beauty, what else could there be.” He was really telling the truth.
“You ah, just never having a time when you’re proper.”
Li Hong Yuan setting out, although has always had Eunuch Mu, this close attendant, taking care of the trivial matters, but in other people’s eyes, this wasn’t the case. After all, by his side, there similarly were four beautiful servant girls.
In the capital, he used an entire villa to raise beauties, and in his rear court, there wasn’t a single one with a title, but no one would believe that his servant girls were still intact. However, because those four very rarely appeared, they didn’t arouse anyone’s suspicions. During this trip, he didn’t bring anyone else, but these four still followed by his side, so ‘meeting with a beauty at night’, aside from them, who else could it be?
“The so-called ‘appetite and lust are only natural[1]‘, how is that not being proper?” Li Hong Yuan’s sitting posture relaxed a bit more, like as if his bones melted.
“Fine, whatever you say.” Noble Consort Su said, and then signaled an older palace maid by her side.
That older palace maid swiftly left and very quickly returned, with a row of beauties following behind her.
“These are the palace maids that the people below sent over to the imperial summer residence. Why don’t you pick two to take back with you.”
Before the Emperor headed to the imperial summer residence, they’ve already arranged beauties inside. Those were all customary, just like how every year there would be women selected from the various regions to pad the imperial harem. As for these women, majority were all daughters of officials from the various regions, just their fathers were all some minor officials. Their purpose was nothing more than just climbing onto the imperial power. And the people in the layer above them naturally also want to climb to an even higher position, going up layer by layer. For these women, their greatest feature was precisely their good looks.
If these women were to obtain favor, becoming pampered, then for those people, there will be great benefits. Suppose that you were just a tiny minor official. Your daughter flying up the branch and becoming a phoenix, that was just like ‘a person becoming immortal, the chickens and dogs rising to heaven[2]‘. Even the slew of people that had this girl sent up would all obtain benefits, and perhaps can even dream about some things one shouldn’t think about in the dark. But, that thing that one shouldn’t dream about, throughout history, it’s not like it has never come true before either[3].
Speaking of these women, the ones that disliked them the most were probably just the young imperial concubines that followed along. Coming out together with the Emperor, for them, was a hard to come by opportunity. Compared to when in the palace, the competition was much less, so as the number of times they were called to serve increased, perhaps they’ll be able to become pregnant with an imperial son. Of course, getting pregnant now wasn’t to count on them to go compete for anything, but rather just for having someone to rely on. In the future, when the Emperor departs to the heavens, their son, no matter what, will still be able to get bestowed as a wangye. When time comes, leaving the palace along with their son, becoming a Consort Dowager in the wang manor, for them, as people who have served the Emperor, probably was the best way out. Else, when time comes, will it be going to the monastery as a nun, or directly getting buried along with the Emperor?
But unexpectedly, in the imperial summer residence, there were actually still a bunch of little demons waiting. When they learned of this situation, don’t know how many handkerchiefs they tore up. But, in the end, they still had no other way. Didn’t one see the one with the highest rank, her highness Noble Consort, all calm and composed, not saying a single word. As such, where was it their turn to comment.
In fact, Noble Consort Su even kindly summoned those women. All thought that she wanted to make the first move to gain the upper hand, picking some to strengthen her favor from the Emperor, hehe, now they finally know her intentions. Turns out, it was picking for her son.
Then, looking to that indifferent expression on Le Cheng Emperor, he perhaps long knew, or perhaps, right now, towards beauties, he didn’t have that strong of a feeling anymore, that’s why he would be like this.
A total of eight women, dressed either elegantly or brightly, their temperament either gentle or charming. All in all, it was each having their own merits.
Li Hong Yuan indifferently watched. They probably already knew who the main target was, each and every one all secretly glancing at him. And after meeting his gaze, they would immediately lower their heads, their face crimson red.
Even for those that were familiar with Li Hong Yuan’s conduct, there were still quite a few that would fall for him, let alone these who simply didn’t know. Such a handsome man, and even one that appears to be favored, following this kind of person, wouldn’t it be better than following the Emperor?
The Emperor although didn’t appear to be too old, he ultimately still can’t compare to the son in strength.
In any case, these eight women, under the premise of completely not understanding the situation, just became completely infatuated by Li Hong Yuan’s looks, forgetting their original purpose, forgetting the ‘hopes’ of those that had sent them in.
As such, there were those daring few that were either carrying a bashful look, or acting bold in conduct, or smiling sweetly, and just intentionally or otherwise, stared at Li Hong Yuan, attempting to attract his attention.
Li Hong Yuan’s gaze swept through them, “Consort mother can leave them for the other brothers, this son isn’t interested.”
Once these words came out, eight first class beauties all revealed a disappointed look. There was even that one whose foot moved, seemingly wanting to directly go forward and offer up oneself. However, she fortunately endured.
Noble Consort Su, seeing his expression not even changing once, truly a look of lacking interest, lifted her brow, “Yuan’er, is it that your body is unwell?” The others all looked over too.
“Consort mother, where do these words come from?”
Noble Consort Su let out a shallow smile, exceptionally graceful and composed, “Just saw that Yuan’er hasn’t had ‘anyone’ at one’s side for a very long time.”
The lazy feeling around Li Hong Yuan scattered a little, his eyes carrying three part surprise as he looked to Noble Consort Su. “Consort mother is thinking too much.”
Noble Consort Su lightly coughed. She actually was also a bit awkward, “It’s good that your body is fine.”
Li Hong Yuan nodded, “Naturally it’s fine. This son just feels annoyed, and temporarily don’t want to raise anyone to play with. It’s not like this son doesn’t have anyone serving.”
“Since that’s the case, just randomly pick two to take back to serve tea then.”
Using as a servant girl, one didn’t need to ‘pamper’. If one likes, then can just give a few extra glances, if not, then can just throw to the side, and occasionally at night, can also fetch them over to relieve one’s boredom. To put it bluntly, that was just a plaything.
Over on his own wife’s side right now, he still haven’t made any progress yet. If he were to take these people back, even if he didn’t touch a single hair on them, no one would believe he really was clean either. Until when will he finally be able to have the dirty waters on him washed clean? That’s why these people, he definitely can’t take back. This time, he pretended to carefully examine them, “Too ugly, don’t want.”
[1] This line is quoted from Mencius’s teachings; Mencius was part of Confucius’s fourth generation of disciples and has been said to be second only to Confucius himself.
[2] This idiom roughly means ‘riding on someone else’s success’; the reason it’s called chickens and dogs rising to heaven is because it’s referring to how when a person rises to a high position, their ‘lackeys’ under them will also rise with them.
[3] This line is referring to the humble official daughter rising to a high position or even becoming the mother of the next emperor. Of course, in this current setting that would be a pipe dream. However, historically, there were definitely cases likes these, especially if you look at the Empress Dowagers throughout history. There were quite a few that didn’t come from very illustrious backgrounds. For example, Empress He of the Han dynasty, who later became Empress Dowager He after her son ascended the throne, her father was a butcher, well her whole family was technically butchers, so a very humble birth. Of course the Han Dynasty also collapsed during her time too.
