After returning to the palace, Zhu Youxiao did not stay in Qianqing Palace, but went directly to Kunning Palace where the queen was.
Since the wedding, he has not seen her for nearly ten days. This is not okay. He cannot neglect the queen who just got married, otherwise what he has done before will be in vain.
Speaking of which, he still missed Zhang Yan. Although he had known him for a short time, their relationship was directly drawn closer because of their status as husband and wife.
After getting along for a short time, he found that Zhang Yan was indeed an excellent candidate for the queen, and she was also a kind-hearted and soft-hearted person.
The old fritters and hard-nosed households in the harem have basically been eliminated by themselves, and the rest are all good people who are on the right side. The other low-level eunuchs and maids are either newcomers or recalled from other places. The threat to the queen can be said to be minimal.
The Ming Dynasty was different from other dynasties in that the harem concubines were not allowed to participate in politics, and they did not have the support of their natal brothers like the Han Dynasty.
The system of Emperor Taizu can be said to be the pinnacle of the feudal dynasty. It completely prevented groups such as relatives, harems, and eunuchs from controlling government affairs. It would not be like the Han and Tang Dynasties, where they fought openly and secretly with ministers while competing for power with the emperor.
The harem of the Ming Dynasty was the most harmonious in history. As long as you become the queen, you are the real master of the harem. It does not need to be ruthless or mean, because these are not the decisive reasons.
The real key is the emperor. Only the emperor can decide all this. Whoever the emperor loves, that person is the most powerful. And even if you are not the queen, as long as the emperor supports you, you can still be the master of the family.
Isn't that the case with Concubine Wan Guifei and Concubine Zheng? The reason why they can control the harem is not because they have the emperor behind them.
But just like Concubine Zheng, who had been favored for decades, the emperor even wanted to violate the ancestral system for her sake. Although it failed in the end, at least the emperor really did it, but even she did not dare The queen of the main palace who provoked Emperor Wanli.
All this is because of the emperor. As long as the emperor doesn't want to touch someone, no matter how clever your methods are, how deep the city is, or how you fight with wits and courage, it will still be useless.
When Zhu Youxiao rushed to Kunning Palace, the eunuchs and maids outside the palace quickly ran over and knelt on the ground. Before they could say anything, he immediately covered his mouth with his fingers and made a silent gesture.
Then he walked slowly towards the palace with gentle steps. Upon seeing this, Wang Chaofu understood the meaning and immediately said to the eunuchs and maids around him:
"It's none of your business here, please step aside."
Then he ordered four guards to take over the guarding work at the door, arranged everything, and entered Kunning Palace with the two palace ladies.
At this time, Queen Zhang Yan was enjoying dinner alone in the palace.
Because Zhu Youxiao's gesture was to keep silent all the way, it was not exposed. He walked quietly behind Zhang Yan and just watched.
Zhang Yan didn't notice that the emperor was watching her from behind, but continued to taste the delicacies made by the eunuch who was in charge of the ceremony.
"Liu Sifu, this dish is really good. It tastes quite good. Whose craftsmanship is it? I should reward him well."
An older eunuch next to him quickly bent down and said:
"Back to my wife, this dish was made specially for my wife by the factory owner. It is said that it was learned from a specially hired cook from Henan."
Zhang Yan said with a smile:
"It seems that Wei Zhongxian is a thoughtful person. This cooking skill cannot be learned in a day or two. It must have taken a lot of effort, so I will reward you with twenty taels of silver, which can be regarded as a token of my appreciation. "
When Zhu Youxiao heard from behind, his expression changed. Wei Zhongxian really knew how to judge the situation. When he saw that the Hakka family had no hope of presiding over the harem, he immediately began to fawn over the queen.
"No need. Since it is my eldest companion who is specially honoring you, just taste the orb."
Baozhu is Zhang Yan's nickname. Zhu Youxiao thinks this name is very good, and Zhang Yan is indeed worthy of the word Baozhu, so he has been calling Zhang Yan Baozhu since they had sex.
He felt that no matter calling her Queen or anything else, it would not be as intimate as Baozhu, so Zhang Yan was naturally happy.
Zhang Yan looked back and found that the emperor was behind her. She immediately bowed and saluted:
"I have met your Majesty!"
Zhu Youxiao helped her up and said softly:
"Didn't I say it last time? In the harem, Baozhu doesn't have to worry too much about these complicated etiquettes. You and I are husband and wife. Doesn't this seem too harsh?"
Zhang Yan replied:
"I know it!"
After the two sat down, Zhu Youxiao picked up the bowl and chopsticks that Zhang Yan was eating and tasted the dish Wei Zhongxian cooked. After tasting it carefully, he also secretly praised Wei Zhongxian's cooking skills. It seemed that it really cost a lot of money. Don't worry about it.
After taking a few bites, he put down his chopsticks and asked:
"What do you think of this palace, Bao Zhu? Is there a lot of trivial matters? Are there people bullying you?"
"Your Majesty is joking, how could anyone dare to bully my concubine? Minor matters in the palace are managed by the female officials and eunuchs, and major matters are decided by the concubine. However, I have nothing to do."
"I have to go to Cining Palace every day to pay my respects to the concubine and learn from it. I haven't fully understood the affairs in this palace yet. I need to get familiar with it early so that I can share the burden with the concubine and your majesty."
Zhu Youxiao sometimes couldn't help but wonder whether this simplicity was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Since you have nothing to do, why don't you come to Qianqing Palace to see me? I miss you very much."
Zhang Yan was originally a thin-skinned person, but now that the emperor was teasing her again, she couldn't help but show a hint of embarrassment.
When the eunuchs and maids nearby saw the emperor and empress flirting, they all covered their mouths and started laughing.
Zhu Youxiao didn't stop. He just wanted to show it to others so that they could spread the word.
Besides, the eunuchs and maids who can serve here now are not ordinary characters. They are all people close to the emperor and empress.
After dinner, Zhu Youxiao couldn't wait to carry Zhang Yan to the dormitory. Not long after, there was a rustling sound in the dormitory.
After the two fought for three hundred rounds, the dormitory finally became quiet.
Zhu Youxiao hugged his wife tightly on the bed, placed his chin and lips against her forehead, closed his eyes and said with a hint of sleepiness:
"Tomorrow, go and see Concubine Chun on my behalf. I have been neglecting her these days. I don't know if she is in good health or if there is anything wrong with the emperor's heir."
Zhang Yan replied softly:
"If your majesty has nothing to do tomorrow, why don't you go with me? It's better for your majesty to see her once than for me to go ten times."
Zhu Youxiao was now drowsy and replied vaguely:
"Okay, let's go together tomorrow. I don't know if she will give birth to a prince or a princess for me."
When this sensitive topic was mentioned, Zhang Yan became nervous and asked tentatively:
"Then does Your Majesty want a prince or a princess?"
Zhu Youxiao said intermittently:
"I want Baozhu to give birth to my first prince, make him the prince, and inherit the throne."
Zhang Yan couldn't help but feel a lot more relaxed after hearing this. She leaned closely into Zhu Youxiao's arms, buried her head in the emperor's chest and fell asleep.
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