0p0 Chapter 160 I'm Not as Good as You
Chapter 160 I'm Not as Good as You
Lan Qingwu looked at Concubine Jiang seriously. "I am just a woman, and I can't help but feel pity for the fate of women all over the world. Your Majesty, do you know that some women only stole half a bag of rice, while others were accused of being unfilial simply for offending their mother-in-law. Yet, they all bear this tragic fate, unable to die even if they want to, and unable to live even if they want to! Who knows when your family will decline? Will this fate befall the women of your family too?"
Concubine Jiang opened her mouth and said with difficulty, "Aren't only women who have committed serious crimes imprisoned in the women's prison?"
Lan Qingwu shook his head. "It's already gotten worse. Some remote areas even send girls as young as a few years old to the women's prison to satisfy their selfish desires. The price they pay is just a few copper coins to their parents."
Concubine Jiang calmed herself down and said, "But what can you do?"
"I know my power is weak, but I still want to try my best. Even if I don't succeed in the end, at least I have tried to change. I only ask Your Majesty to consider that we are both women and not to stop me."
Concubine Jiang stood up and looked Lan Qingwu up and down for a moment. "I think I understand why His Majesty likes you so much! You have a heart full of compassion for all things. In some ways, I am not as good as you!"
Concubine Jiang turned to leave, but stopped short. "But—this is in the harem, where people's hearts are the most complicated! You'd better be careful!"
Concubine Jiang returned to De'an Palace. After she sat quietly for a moment, the head maid walked in from outside the hall and said, "Your Majesty, I've heard that some civil and military officials have indeed taken in caged beauties from the Beinar tribe!"
Concubine Jiang's expression was as frosty as ice: "Go and quietly spread the news."
She hoped to attract some attention from Emperor Shenwu. It was funny that she went to persuade Lan Qingwu, but ended up letting Lan Qingwu persuade her instead.
The front court and the harem were once again in commotion. That day in the Golden Throne Hall, Leng Qujing was the first to bow and step out of the line: "Your Majesty, yesterday I received a special gift from the Beinar tribe. I didn't want to accept it, but I had to do so out of consideration for the Beinar tribe."
The Shenwu Emperor raised his eyebrows. "Oh? What kind of gift is this? What's causing my general such embarrassment?"
Leng Qujing lowered his head slightly: "The woman in the cage!"
Emperor Shenwu looked solemn.
"I believe that I am not the only one in the court who has received this kind of gift!"
The Divine Martial Emperor's phoenix eyes were icy. "What does the Northern Nar tribe want to do? Are they blatantly trying to plant spies in the Great Sheng Dynasty?"
Inside the main hall of the Golden Throne Hall, all the civil and military officials were silent, not daring to breathe under the calm questioning of the Emperor Shenwu.
After a while, officials began to emerge one after another. "Your Majesty, I was just about to report that the Northern Nar tribe also sent a caged woman to me."
"I have also received it and was just about to report it to Your Majesty."
……
Imperial City Prefect Lin Suzhi looked solemnly at the Shenwu Emperor: "Your Majesty! The Northern Nar tribe's ill intentions are obvious, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Shenwu stood up and walked to the high platform of the dragon throne. "This new king of Beinar is really capable!"
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were as silent as cicadas.
Emperor Shenwu then issued an edict that any court official who received a gift like the caged woman would be sent to Yichun Hall in the imperial city for treatment first, and then become an official slave, embroidering in Yixiu Hall, and would never be redeemed.
After dismissing his court, the Emperor returned to Qianzheng Hall. The recent incident of the caged woman had spread throughout the court and harem. He had dealt with the caged woman who had been sent to the officials, but he still needed to consider how to deal with Wuer Yuji in the palace. Ideally, he could get her out of the palace while also silencing the Beinar tribe. After a moment, the Emperor whispered, "Beinar tribe, Unad Eagle!"
Emperor Shenwu was walking through the imperial garden, preparing to visit Lan Qingwu. Halfway through the journey, he waved his hand and asked the palace servants to stop the dragon chariot.
Emperor Shenwu looked towards the distance and asked Li Xiang, "Is that Prince Kang?"
Li Xiang took a look and replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Not far away, Prince Kang was looking at a palace. He was staring at a corner of the palace in a daze. Prince Kang looked so fascinated that the coming and going of the palace servants and eunuchs beside him did not disturb him at all.
Emperor Shenwu's phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously. If he was not mistaken, King Kang was looking at the Suowu Palace where Lan Qingwu lived!
The pressure around Emperor Shenwu subsided, and the palace servants and eunuchs who were serving him lowered their heads, not daring to look up.
Emperor Shenwu couldn't help but gently stroke the handle of the dragon chariot. His eyes turned slightly and suddenly a plan came to his mind.
The dragon chariot came silently behind King Kang. King Kang's servant first discovered the Shenwu Emperor. He kept hinting at King Kang, but was dismissed by King Kang: "What are you doing? Don't disturb me!"
When King Kang turned around and saw the Emperor Shenwu on the dragon chariot, his face turned pale and he knelt down to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, I greet you. Please forgive my negligence and disrespect!"
Emperor Shenwu frowned slightly: "Prince Kang! What are you doing here?"
Prince Kang hesitantly said, "I saw that the scenery in this imperial garden was quite beautiful and was momentarily dazzled. That's why I stopped here."
The Emperor Shenwu was indifferent to his emotions: "Is that so? Prince Kang, just looking at the beautiful scenery is not enough. I will give you something even more beautiful than the scenery!"
King Kang was somewhat flattered: "Your Majesty, I am unworthy of this honor!"
Emperor Shenwu waved his hand, leaned forward, and spoke word by word, "A few days ago, the Beinar tribe presented a noblewoman to me. I will give her to you! You will take the noblewoman from Beinar as your concubine, assuming the title of Prince Dasheng!"
Prince Kang knelt on the ground in a daze, his face blank and shocked: "Ah! Your Majesty...this..."
King Kang suddenly regained consciousness. He bowed his head to the ground and knocked his forehead against it. "Your Majesty! Absolutely not! That was presented to you by the Northern Nar tribe! How dare I?"
Emperor Shenwu said firmly, "This is my will, and it also concerns whether the grassland tribes will submit to Dasheng. Prince Kang, do you intend to disobey the imperial decree? Also, I see that the palace you were looking at just now is none other than the Chuxiu Palace where Wuer Yuji lived. I—will grant your wish!"
Prince Kang's entire body trembled slightly. He didn't dare look up at Emperor Shenwu's expression. He gritted his teeth and insisted, "Your Majesty, please retract your order!"
Emperor Shenwu shook his sleeves and said, "Li Xiang, go to Chuxiu Palace later to announce the decree."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
King Kang continued to plead, "Your Majesty, please revoke your order!"
Emperor Shenwu no longer looked at Prince Kang, who was kneeling on the ground. He made a gesture, and Li Xiang hurriedly shouted, "Move forward!"
Lan Qingwu was curious about this Lord Lin Suzhi. Ruhan, after inquiring, reported back to Lan Qingwu: "Lord Lin Suzhi, the prefect of the Imperial City, was a special official who often overturned cases for vulnerable women and had a strong sympathy for them. Lan Hao said that Lord Lin's mother was sent to the Women's Prison by her in-laws and suffered greatly there. When Lord Lin grew up and had some ability, he went to overturn his mother's case. Unfortunately, while Lord Lin was carrying his emaciated mother on his back on the way home, her mother... died! Lord Lin not only hated the Women's Prison, but also those who forced women there! I heard that Lord Lin spoke ill of His Majesty several times."
Lan Qingwu sighed slightly. Another victim of the women's prison: "I guess Lord Lin must have become an official after he took his mother out of the women's prison! Otherwise..."
Otherwise, it will be useless no matter how much you talk about it.
Emperor Shenwu came to Suowu Palace. Lan Qingwu had already fallen asleep. In recent days, she was always feeling sleepy and very sleepy. Nie Wushuang said that these were all normal phenomena.
After Emperor Shenwu finished dealing with the affairs of the previous dynasty and the harem, he found Lan Qingwu sleeping soundly and deeply. He couldn't help but feel a little helpless, "You, you just rely on my favor! If you weren't pregnant, just wait and see how I would deal with you!"
Lan Qingwu was sleeping soundly, unaware of what was happening, with her right hand gently placed on her lower abdomen.