PDLP Chapter 331 Unreasonable trouble
Chapter 331 Unreasonable trouble
Emperor Shenwu's fingers gently fiddled with the snow-white beads on the collar, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. With this, Lan Qingwu could be safe and worry-free.
The next day, when Lan Qingwu went to the Cining Palace to visit Empress Dowager Li again, he found that the atmosphere in the Cining Palace had completely changed.
Empress Dowager Li sat on the bed with a gloomy face, the palace maids and eunuchs were crawling on the ground, and even Nanny Li didn't dare to breathe.
Lan Qingwu's heart tightened. She bowed gracefully and said, "My Lord, Queen Mother. Are you feeling better?"
Empress Dowager Li looked at Lan Qingwu with an ambiguous expression and said in a neutral tone, "Empress! You're here?"
Nanny Li's heart skipped a beat when she saw Empress Dowager Li's expression. She had no choice but to speak up, "Empress Dowager, your medicine is ready. Now that the Empress is here, let's..."
"Shut up!"
Empress Dowager Li suddenly shouted angrily, "Did I ask you to speak?"
Nanny Li's face turned pale and she retreated silently.
Lan Qingwu remained motionless, waiting for Empress Dowager Li's next words.
Ruping, who was kneeling behind Lan Qingwu, had a dark light flashing in her eyes, which was covered by her lowered eyebrows.
After a long while, Empress Dowager Li finally spoke, "Empress, I've been ill for a while, and I'm sorry for your hard work! But I'm uneasy when I think about the fact that the Emperor hasn't had any new people to serve him in recent years. Although there are quite a few royal children now, who would complain about having too many? Especially our royal family! Empress, in this sense, you've failed in your duty as Empress! I also know that the Emperor loves and respects her even more than the previous emperor! It's time for you to give him some serious advice!"
Lan Qingwu almost laughed out loud. When the late emperor favored you, you didn't push him away, did you? Lan Qingwu's mind turned slightly, and he realized that this was Empress Dowager Li transferring all the misfortunes she had with her son, Emperor Shenwu, onto himself. This was really...
Lan Qingwu bowed with both hands and said, "Yes! I will advise Your Majesty!"
Empress Dowager Li looked at Lan Qingwu gravely and said, "Forget it! There's no need to persuade me! I have two people here. You can arrange for them to sleep with me tonight!"
Lan Qingwu fell silent. She slowly lowered her hands in greeting and raised her eyes to look at Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Li felt a little uncomfortable when she saw those clear and penetrating eyes.
Then Empress Dowager Li thought again that this was what she, as the head of the harem, should do. She was unhappy. Seeing Emperor Shenwu being so disobedient and unfilial, and refusing to reuse his own brother, Empress Dowager Li couldn't help but deliberately want to find some trouble for her emperor son. Why should she, the mother, be so angry to death, while her son can still have smooth sailing every day!
Lan Qingwu lowered her hands in greeting and said, "Please forgive me for not being able to arrange this."
Nanny Li lowered her head desperately, wishing she could plug her ears. Empress Dowager Li was slightly surprised: "What did you say?"
What did she hear? The queen, who had always been respectful and gentle, actually rejected her directly and righteously.
Lan Qingwu spoke clearly, word by word, "Empress Dowager, please think twice! If I do this, I will be no different from the Evil Queen, wantonly recommending beauties to the Emperor and seducing His Majesty. I am afraid that the six palaces will follow suit, and it will also cause unrest in the former dynasty and the harem. Where will this put me and the concubines in the six palaces who are legitimate? There are many concubines in the harem. If Your Majesty wants, you can summon any woman in the palace, but I cannot make this decision! Empress Dowager, you cannot do the same! You must know that Your Majesty is the supreme ruler of the world. Although I am Your Majesty's wife and the Empress Dowager is Your Majesty's biological mother, we cannot influence anything that dominates the emperor of the world! Therefore, please withdraw your order!"
Empress Dowager Li's face flushed red after Lan Qingwu's conversation. She was so angry that she hit the bed and said, "You mean I can't control the emperor! Queen! You are so jealous! They are just two palace maids. So what if the emperor took them? You——"
Nanny Li no longer cared about remaining silent and quickly raised her voice to interrupt Empress Dowager Li: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
Empress Dowager Li paused and closed her mouth.
Lan Qingwu continued to reply, "It is precisely because they are just two palace maids, not concubines in the palace, that this is even more inappropriate! The Empress Dowager can issue an imperial decree to promote the two palace maids. Only then can I speak to Your Majesty!"
Lan Qingwu looked at Empress Dowager Li sincerely, as if saying to her, Empress Dowager Li, please stop being unreasonable. What you said is totally against the palace rules!
Empress Dowager Li's face turned pale and blue. She knew this was against palace rules. Lan Qingwu had already put her on the spot, so what was the point of promoting those two maids? What was the purpose? Her original intention was to use the maids to cause trouble for the Emperor and Empress. Empress Dowager Li had promoted the maids herself, but if Emperor Shenwu didn't accept the offer, what good would it do?
Empress Dowager Li could only vent her anger on Lan Qingwu, angrily saying, "Empress, you have also learned to disobey me! Since you can't do this, then kneel down here!"
Lan Qingwu simply lowered his eyes and replied, "Yes! Empress Dowager! Please calm down, Empress Dowager!"
Lan Qingwu sighed inwardly. Being punished to kneel! It seemed like Concubine Wan had punished him once since entering the palace. After that, he usually kneeled on the bed before the Emperor Shenwu. Of course, the Emperor Shenwu was reluctant to let him kneel more than once. On the rare occasions when he was angry, he also punished her by kneeling on his lap.
Empress Dowager Li had long been estranged from Emperor Shenwu because of the abandonment of the prince. Coupled with the current incident of Prince An, the relationship between mother and son took a sharp turn for the worse. Emperor Shenwu had a strong personality and was used to being in control of everything. He would not be influenced by Empress Dowager Li and would not change his decision. After Empress Dowager Li made a series of stupid moves and was getting further and further away from her goal, she was at a loss and didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, Empress Dowager Li was the biological mother of Emperor Shenwu, so Lan Qingwu felt no psychological burden kneeling before her husband's mother. However, since becoming empress, this was truly a first. However, just because she accepted it well didn't mean her knees could handle it!
But after a while, Lan Qingwu felt a slight pain in his knees. Empress Dowager Li was still waiting for Lan Qingwu to give in, but even if Lan Qingwu knelt for three days and three nights, there was no way he would agree to such a request.
Nanny Li brought over a bowl of medicine and fed Empress Dowager Li the medicine spoonful by spoonful, while constantly winking at Lan Qingwu.
Empress Dowager Li naturally understood, but she forced herself to remain silent. Nanny Li was extremely anxious. If anything happened to the Empress in the Cining Palace, His Majesty's attitude towards the Empress Dowager would be even worse! However, Empress Dowager Li, relying on her status as an elder, insisted on arguing.
Another quarter of an hour later, after drinking the medicine, Empress Dowager Li felt drowsy and finally spoke: "Well! Return to your Fengqi Palace!"
Lan Qingwu took his leave politely.
As Lan Qingwu left the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Li's sleepiness faded. Nanny Li dismissed the other palace servants in the bedroom and said anxiously, "My dear Empress Dowager! What are you doing? If something happens to the Empress here, how will we explain it to His Majesty? We can't do this!"
Empress Dowager Li stubbornly said, "I am their mother, why can't I let them fulfill their filial duties? I just knelt for a while, what could happen?"