Chapter 9: The Emperor Is Even More Flamboyant
Do you think that by starting over, everything can proceed according to your control?
This world is my world. I decide who lives and who dies. I do as I please!
The Emperor, seeing Nian Shilan’s stunned and surprised expression, felt greatly pleased.
“Shen Meizhuang, daughter of Shen Zishan, Jizhou Assistant Commander, aged seventeen—”
Shen Meizhuang knelt and performed the ceremonial greeting. The Emperor, unable to hear Nian Shilan’s inner thoughts, couldn’t help but glance at her.
【Why are you looking at me? Is it because your beloved Meimei has arrived, and I can’t even take a sip of tea?】
Nian Shilan had just picked up her teacup but silently set it down again.
【I told you I shouldn’t have come to the selection, but you insisted. Damn Emperor! Serves you right for being cuckolded by her!】
The Empress’s pupils trembled: What? Cuckolded? Does she mean what I think she means?
Is Consort Hua saying that Shen Meizhuang will… cuckold the Emperor?
How dare she?
The news was too explosive. The Empress also took a sip of tea to calm her nerves.
The Empress Dowager was fond of Shen Meizhuang’s dignified demeanor. “Have you read any books?”
Before Shen Meizhuang could answer, an enthusiastic bullet comment floated through Nian Shilan’s mind: 【She’s read Postpartum Care for Sows】
“Cough, cough, cough…”
The Empress’s sip of tea failed to calm her; instead, it went down the wrong pipe. How had she never known before that Consort Hua was such a delightful person?
Quite charming, actually.
The Empress Dowager shot a displeased glance at the Empress, who immediately suppressed her smile.
Shen Meizhuang replied, “This humble girl is dull-witted. I have read Rules for Women and Instructions for Women and recognize a few characters.”
【Oh my, Noble Lady Shen is being modest. You’ve thoroughly studied The Book of Songs, Mencius, and Zuo Zhuan. If your little friend were the top scholar of the harem, you’d at least be the second-place finisher. Truly worthy of someone from Shandong—an Imperial Examination Power Province. You guessed the exam topics perfectly, and now you’ve passed the Imperial Examination!】
Nian Shilan didn’t actually understand what “Imperial Examination Power Province” or “passed the Imperial Examination” meant, but since the bullet comments were flying cheerfully, she assumed they were words of praise. After all, the Shen family was highly regarded and well-liked by everyone.
The Emperor listened as Nian Shilan began spouting nonsense again, thinking that this woman would cuckold him once she entered the palace.
This woman must not stay!
But before he could speak, the Empress Dowager sensed his intention and spoke first to keep her.
“Record her name. She is retained.”
In front of everyone, as her son, he couldn’t embarrass the Empress Dowager over such a trivial matter.
Keeping her wouldn’t hurt. He simply wouldn’t favor her in the future.
“Zhen Huan, daughter of Zhen Yuandao of the Court of Judicial Review, aged seventeen.”
Zhen Huan was so happy for Shen Meizhuang that she lost focus. The eunuch had to call her name twice, which drew the attention of everyone in the hall.
【As expected of the female lead—a high-quality imitation of Empress Chunyuan, the woman who will control the harem and influence the fate of the Great Qing in the future!
While everyone else is eager to be selected, she alone is different, determined to fail.
Even her entrance is unlike anyone else’s. If it were anyone else called twice, wouldn’t they be dragged out?】
Nian Shilan’s inner emotions surged, ending with: 【Bitch!】
The Empress didn’t know what a “female lead” was, but based on Nian Shilan’s introduction, she assumed this woman would stir up trouble in the harem in the future and couldn’t help but regard her more highly: Control the harem? Her?
The Emperor: Influence the fate of the Great Qing? Her?
Forget about being a high-quality imitation of Chunyuan—even if Chunyuan herself were here, if she dared to threaten the Emperor’s reign, she would have to die!
The Emperor said coldly, “Raise your head.”
Zhen Huan obediently lifted her head, though her eyes remained lowered, not daring to look directly at the Emperor’s face.
The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Emperor were all astonished.
Nian Shilan secretly turned her head. Although she had never seen Chunyuan, judging from the reactions of the three: 【This isn’t just resemblance—it’s clearly Empress Chunyuan come back to life, right?】
Rouze’s death was inextricably linked to the Empress. She knew perfectly well that the age didn’t match, that this Zhen girl couldn’t be her sister, yet she still felt an instinctive sense of crisis.
“What ‘Huan’ character?” the Empress inquired.
Zhen Huan replied, “Answering Her Majesty the Empress, it is from the line ‘Graceful and slender as a waist in the Chu palace’—precisely this humble maiden’s given name.”
【Tsk tsk tsk, ‘Graceful and slender as a waist in the Chu palace’ indeed! A lowly wretch remains lowly! To actually discuss such licentious and frivolous verses in public, and still claim to be the top candidate for the harem—shameless!】
【The Emperor is even more wanton, not correcting her but instead saying, ‘Then as spring comes, jade diminishes and fragrance fades, but the Forbidden City’s feng shui nurtures people, it surely won’t let your jade diminish or fragrance fade’—what a lecherous man! An old rogue with no decency!】
Listening to Nian Shilan’s inwardly mimicked words, deliberately altered in tone, the Empress found herself in rare agreement: Consort Hua might be detestable, but after all, she comes from a general’s household—not someone just any common stray cat or dog could compare to.
For some reason, the Empress felt that Nian Shilan was inwardly sticking out her tongue and making faces at this moment, dripping with sarcasm.
Before, she had only found it annoying, but now, listening to it, why did it sound somewhat pleasing?
The Emperor took a deep breath: When did I ever say such things?
Moreover, those weren’t just frivolous verses—they were words satirizing a foolish ruler. Would I be insane to discuss such things with her in public?
I really want to drag Consort Hua out and give her a beating!
But there’s no justification.
【And ‘In Jiangnan there are the Two Qiaos, in Hebei Zhen Mi is fair, the Zhen clan produces beauties’—since when does the Zhen clan produce beauties? They produce Chunyuans!】
【Zhen Huan resembles Empress Chunyuan, her maid resembles her, her younger sister will resemble her even more when she grows up, and the one who resembles her most is her mother.】
【I just can’t figure it out—if all the women in the world resemble Chunyuan, how come Empress Chunyuan’s own younger sister doesn’t resemble her? Was this concubine-born daughter picked up from somewhere?】
The Empress was enjoying Nian Shilan’s mockery of the Emperor when she inexplicably heard about herself: “…”
【Zhen Huan’s mother?】
【Her age is about the same as the Emperor’s. Since the Emperor loves Empress Chunyuan so much, why not just seize Zhen Huan’s mother and bring her into the palace?】
【Forget about the Three Bonds and Five Constants—a ruler seizing his subject’s wife, how thrilling that would be.】
The Emperor recalled a phrase Nian Shilan had used earlier, which seemed quite fitting for his current self.
Am I some kind of utterly shameless person?
To even consider seizing a subject’s wife?
【Anyway, Zhen Yuandao is just a civil official, no match for anyone in a fight. Later, have the Imperial Guard sneak in at night and chop off his head, then frame the criminals from the Court of Judicial Review. After that, under the pretext of offering comfort, bring his wife and daughter into the palace, and have the mother-daughter pair of Chunyuan substitutes take turns serving him.】
【When the younger one grows up, she can take over. The entire harem might as well take the surname Zhen, sparing the Emperor from tormenting others.】
Nian Shilan thought, others could be disregarded, but the most important thing was not to let him come torment her.
The more the Emperor listened, the more outrageous it became. All his displeasure surged at once, leaving him instead devoid of emotion, his small eyes filled only with speechlessness.
Since this woman would later bring chaos to the court, he would nip this danger in the bud.
“Palace Maid Candidate surnamed Zhen—it violates Our name taboo, inauspicious.”