usatvline Chapter 75 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 2
Chapter 75 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 2
Seeing that the emperor had made a decision, Zhang Tingyu and the others dared not say anything more and respectfully took their leave.
He had no connection with Consort Jingren Palace to begin with, and he only mentioned this matter to test the emperor. Now that the test has been completed, there is no need to mention it again.
In fact, before he arrived, he had already made a preliminary prediction about the outcome of this matter based on the emperor's temperament. He thought that the emperor would most likely be indecisive and would simply use delaying tactics to deal with his ministers.
Unexpectedly, the emperor was timid and hesitant before ascending the throne, but after taking the throne, he changed his style and began to show his iron-fisted approach. He directly rejected the matter and even flew into a rage, cleverly using the words of the late emperor to attack ancestral rules and etiquette.
The late emperor did indeed say, "An empress can only be an empress." The emperor is now simply following the late emperor's dying wish. Anyone who dares to say a word more would be disrespecting the late emperor and would put the emperor in an unfilial and unjust position.
In that case, who would dare to say anything more?
It seems everyone misjudged him. This emperor looks gentle, but he is actually very majestic. We must be careful to serve him in the future!
After everyone had left, the anger on Hongli's face vanished instantly.
He wasn't actually angry; his 'rage' was merely a means to achieve his goal.
The matter of honoring Consort Jingren as Empress Dowager is not something he should speak so harshly about; he is merely giving a warning to veteran officials like Zhang Tingyu.
Tell them that I have seen through your attempts to test me, and that I am very unhappy and therefore angry.
This method directly thwarted Zhang Tingyu and others' probing, making them abandon their ulterior motives and work steadily from now on.
Zhang Tingyu and the others were all shrewd and intelligent, and they naturally understood his meaning. Therefore, they dared not speak further, and the emperor and his ministers tacitly chose to let the matter drop.
"After this reprimand, I hope you understand your place and stop trying to scheme in front of me." Hongli smiled meaningfully.
When he was a subject, he naturally hoped that the monarch he served would be weak, mild-tempered, not autocratic, and preferably silent like a clay or wooden statue, like Emperor Renzong of Song, who would not get angry even if spit on his face, so that he could infinitely weaken the imperial power.
But when he became emperor, he wanted to centralize power and hold absolute authority, rather than be bound by these senior and old ministers.
"However, it is indeed not suitable for Consort Jingren to stay in the palace!"
After thinking it over, Hongli simply issued an imperial decree that after the funeral, the two of them should be sent directly to the Rehe Palace to spend the rest of her life there.
Having two empress dowagers side by side would not bring any balance to the harem; the struggle between the two would only make the harem more chaotic and disorderly. What he wanted was a stable harem, one where he could feel at ease and act freely in the court without any scruples.
His harem could be an asset, but it should never be a stumbling block.
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The news that the emperor had angrily refused Zhang Tingyu's offer to honor Consort Jingren as Empress Dowager spread throughout the palace in less than half a day, sparking much discussion and varied reactions from palace to palace.
Consort Xi of Yongshou Palace, now Empress Dowager Zhen Huan, laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"The Emperor is very thoughtful. He was able to withstand the pressure from Zhang Tingyu and his group of old ministers and directly refused to let the one from Jingren Palace come out. He only honored me as the Empress Dowager. It was not in vain that I supported him to the throne."
Although the emperor's jade tablet listed her as his son, they were not actually mother and son. She thought the emperor would turn his back on her after ascending the throne and kick her aside, but she didn't expect him to go to such lengths. He was truly grateful.
As the head maidservant of the Empress Dowager, Fu Jia naturally hoped that the two mistresses in the palace would get along well, so as to save them, the servants, from having a difficult time. Upon hearing this, she quickly followed suit and flattered them:
“That woman in Jingren Palace is malicious and has repeatedly tried to harm Your Majesty. The Emperor is filial and knows about your affair with her, so he will not allow her to come out.”
Mentioning Jingren Palace, the Empress Dowager's face darkened for a moment, then she suddenly thought of something: "However, the Emperor has always doted on Qingying. The two grew up together and have a deep and abiding affection. If it weren't for the late Emperor's intervention, Qingying would definitely be the Emperor's principal wife. Because of this, the Emperor has always felt guilty towards her. If Qingying whispers in the Emperor's ear, it's hard to guarantee that the Emperor won't change his mind. I must take precautions and make plans in advance."
A fierce look appeared on the Empress Dowager's face.
Fu Jia's heart skipped a beat when she thought of the Emperor's decisiveness today. She wanted to speak up and stop the Empress Dowager, but the grudge between the Empress Dowager and that person could not be resolved in a few words. If she spoke up, she would only provoke the Empress Dowager's dislike for nothing.
"Fu Jia, go and quietly call Qing Ying over." The Empress Dowager had long since developed a heart of stone in this treacherous palace, and understood the importance of eliminating any potential threats.
She and Ulanara Yixiu were already sworn enemies, and now, taking advantage of the late emperor's funeral, they could send her away together to avoid future troubles.
"Yes!"
Fu Jia dared not think too much about the Empress Dowager's intentions and hurriedly went out to arrange for someone to invite Qing Ying.
Meanwhile, Ulanara Qingying, whom the Empress Dowager was concerned about, was currently mourning before the late Emperor's coffin.
She tried her best to straighten her posture and ignore the mocking and scrutinizing gazes around her, in order to make herself look presentable.
She was the niece of the Empress Jingren. There were few men in the Ulanara clan who served as officials in the previous dynasty, and the family's honor was entirely supported by the two empresses.
Although my aunt had been confined to her quarters by the late emperor, she was never deposed.
Now that the late emperor has passed away, it is only right for her to be honored as Empress Dowager. Once her aunt becomes Empress Dowager, her status in the palace will naturally rise accordingly. Her aunt will be her greatest support in the palace.
But reality slapped her hard in the face; the emperor refused!
He actually refused!
She had thought that once the emperor ascended the throne, he would release her aunt based on etiquette, ancestral rules, and their affection for each other. Why did he refuse?
The Emperor had clearly hinted to her before that he would release her aunt!
why!
Does he really not care about her feelings?
Qingying fell into deep thought, her face turning pale and then flushed, as if she had spilled a paint box.
Not far away, Gao Xiyue, Jin Yuyan, and others surrounded Fucha Langhua, keeping a distance from Qingying, and their gazes toward her were full of schadenfreude.
"Your Highness, look how awful her face is," Gao Xiyue said to Fucha Langhua, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and raising the corners of her mouth.
Fucha Langhua is Hongli's principal wife and will rightfully become the empress in the future. However, she has not yet been formally conferred the title and cannot be directly called empress. She can only be temporarily referred to as "Your Highness".
Jin Yuyan's beautiful eyes darted around as she pondered in her mind. On the surface, she pretended to be straightforward and said, "That concubine in Jingren Palace is vicious. She harmed countless imperial heirs in the late emperor's harem. If she is released, who knows what kind of storm she will stir up in this palace."
Besides, that concubine is Consort Qing's aunt. With her help, Consort Qing will probably have a lot of power in the palace, just like her aunt and niece.
Fucha Langhua's expression changed upon hearing this. That concubine had once held absolute power in the harem, and her methods were ruthless and merciless. Qingying was already favored by the emperor, and if she were to receive that concubine's assistance, she feared that her position as empress would be in jeopardy.