"Isn't that true? I said it. I naturally believe what the second brother said today. But I also have a question, and I would like to ask the second brother for advice." Huang Qiong obviously didn't want to continue this topic. Instead, he chose to avoid the topic. Who is the mastermind behind the scenes? Huang Qiong believed that his second brother, no matter how cunning he was, would tell him in the end.
As long as he still thinks about revenge for himself, he will not hide this to the end. Although this second brother is the kind of person who must repay his flaws, Huang Qiong doesn't know. But he knew that his second brother was definitely not that broad-minded. Even if he is going to die, he will definitely have someone to support him.
Hearing that Huang Qiong wanted to ask him something, King Jing had never guessed what the ninth brother was thinking about since he met him. Thinking that this ninth brother finally lost his composure, he couldn't help but feel happy and said in his heart: "Whatever the ninth brother wants to ask, the second brother promises to tell you everything. At this time, I don't have anything to hide, right?"
"Second brother, the first tryst you just mentioned with Concubine Shen was because you accidentally broke into Concubine Shen's palace, Jieyu, while drunk. I want to ask second brother how long you were drinking at that time. ? Do you still remember how you got to Concubine Shen's palace? I think that given the situation of my second brother at that time, the old man would never let a drunk person wander around the palace. "
"After the second brother was drunk, at least one or two eunuchs should be sent to take care of the second brother. According to this common sense, the real possibility of the second brother accidentally breaking into Concubine Shen's palace should be very slim. Even if the second brother accidentally broke into Concubine Shen's bedroom, the real possibility I'm very drunk, but the eunuchs who serve my second brother don't know some rules."
"How can you still indulge your second brother and break into the residence of the concubines in the harem? You and Concubine Shen were having an affair, oh, it was a tryst. Is it possible for anyone else to know about it except you? The palace next to Concubine Shen Don’t you realize it at all? Second brother, as long as you are willing, some things cannot be hidden from others.”
When Huang Qiong finished speaking, King Jing was stunned. He did not expect that his ninth brother did not ask him about his own affairs, but instead brought the topic back to himself. Thinking of what happened back then, King Jing said with some embarrassment: "Because I was about to join the vassal state at that time, my father and mother often summoned the prince, me, and King Duan and King Ji who later joined the vassal state into the palace."
"My father had two thoughts at the time. One was that I was the first among the princes to leave the capital and join the vassal state. He hoped that I could cherish the people after I arrived in the vassal territory. I would not follow the example of the clan in the past and become a mere slave to the common people. The example of my younger brother. Secondly, I hope that we brothers can be united and not kill each other."
"It's just that the old man has a good idea, but is this possible? Love and harmony are possible even when we were young. During those years in the cold palace, the eldest brother also shouldered the responsibility of being the eldest brother. He took us three brothers with him Mother and queen depend on each other for life, and we hope that our father can take us out of the sea of misery as soon as possible, while we survive the years of the cold palace together."
"At that time, our four brothers did not have the intrigues we have now, let alone the fratricide we have now. Among the four brothers, except for the one who was still ignorant, the other three brothers also worked together to accompany our mother. During those years, Now that I think about it, it’s actually not that difficult, it’s just that I can’t leave that courtyard and can’t see outsiders.”
"Although the Prince of Huaiyang County has always wanted to starve and freeze us mother and son to death in the cold palace, and has often skimped on supplies. However, with your mother's care, although it is not as good as it is now, it can be considered that we are fully clothed and fed. Looking back now, those days should actually be the happiest days of my life.”
"Although I can't see my father and can't get out of the cold palace wall, there is no suspicion between the brothers, and everyone is surrounded by a loving mother. It's a pity that people can only share joys and sorrows, but not wealth. I don't know this When did our relationship begin to change? Maybe from the moment the eldest brother was canonized as the prince, we can no longer get back the past."
"My father and my mother have also noticed the changes between us. Especially our mother, who always tries to find ways to restore us to the past. In addition, I am the first among the princes to become a vassal, so my father and my mother always let us go back to the past." We brothers often get together. Because King Ji lost his mother when he was young and was raised by his mother, we are often called into the palace to give banquets."
"At that time, although the eldest brother and I had a deep prejudice, in front of the father and the queen, especially in front of the queen who was already in poor health, everyone could at least pretend to be harmonious on the surface. We drank very late that day, too. It was the first time I got drunk in the palace. The palace was locked at that time, so my father and mother did not let me return home."
"As for how I got to her palace at that time, I recalled it for a long time afterwards, but I couldn't recall it. At that time, her status was not high, she was just Jieyu, and she was only served by two palace servants and a eunuch. Later. The time was short and I was worried that the nights would be long and I would have many dreams, so I silenced these three people."
"The eunuchs and maids who were later transferred to her were all my confidants in the palace. No one dared to reveal a word about my tryst with her. As for the others, this matter is your second sister-in-law's. I don’t know, how can outsiders know? Ninth brother, your second brother and I are not that interested yet. When I had sex with the woman I loved, I made it shocking and had a large circle of people watching. "
After King Jing's explanation, Huang Qiong pondered for a moment and then said: "Second brother, do you know the details of Mr. Liu? Is he really as bookish as you thought? Bookish? Bookish people are probably more stubborn than ordinary people. Even more difficult to deal with. How would such a person easily let his daughter enter the palace? Second brother, you have too many doubts after thinking about this matter. "
"I'm afraid that from the moment you met Miss Liu, you have fallen into someone else's trap. First of all, my father is not the kind of person who likes beauty. When it comes to beauty, my father is quite restrained, almost There are very few beauty pageants, you have to admit this. Since my father rarely does beauty pageants, how did Concubine Shen get into the palace?"
"What's more, the second brother should know whether it was the year of the beauty pageant. From this point of view, Concubine Shen's entry into the palace is quite suspicious. Because I know that with the kind of person my father is, it is impossible to know someone's daughter. If she is beautiful, she will be selected to sleep in the palace. Even if she is selected into the palace according to customization, my father will usually not take the initiative to get close to the newly selected women. "
"How could she be chosen as Jieyu as soon as she entered the palace? In fact, after entering the palace, the second brother may not have a chance. As long as the girl is still an ordinary female official and has not been favored by the father. The second brother wants to come over, but It was just a word from Empress Daxing. But with this Jieyu’s choice, she completely blocked the second brother’s last possibility.”
"How can He De, a woman who is not very favored and only comes from a fifth-rank civil servant family, be named Jieyu as soon as she enters the palace? You know, generally women from third-rank official families and above have to be given the title of Jieyu when they enter the palace. Only after you are lucky can you be named a beauty or a virgin. Women from the families of fifth-rank officials can only be named nobles at most."
"Although your Concubine Shen is as delicate as water, she is far from being so beautiful and fragrant that she would make my father lose himself. With the second brother's power in the court and palace, it stands to reason that he can find out if she enters the palace. The reason is very simple. But the second brother has never understood such a simple thing. "
"Second brother, think about it carefully. During your tryst, did she ever mention the reason for entering the palace to you? I don't believe it. With the kind of person the second brother is and the deep love he has for Concubine Shen, you won't ask these questions. ? But when you asked her, did she ever answer these questions of yours? Has the second brother carefully considered these questions that go against common sense? "
"The palace is strictly forbidden. Not to mention you, a prince, even the prince cannot enter the concubine's residence at will. The palace doors have been locked, not to mention you, a prince who has left the palace, can walk through the palace without restraint after being drunk. Even the eunuch in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not have the guts to enter the palace of the harem and concubines."
"After the second brother was drunk, he was able to break through the layers of gate guards and accidentally ran into the palace of the person he dreamed about at night. Based on the second brother's understanding of our Daqi palace system, do you think this is possible? Second Brother I was so drunk that I couldn’t even remember whether I and Concubine Shen were in the same room, so how dare you conclude that this encounter between you and Concubine Shen was not deliberately arranged by someone else?"
"Even every subsequent tryst, second brother, even though you are powerful in the palace, you are an old prince who has left the palace. You go in and out of the palace again and again, and even have a private tryst with a concubine. I have never encountered any obstruction, and I have never been discovered by anyone. Do you think this is normal?"
After King Jing finished stating the whole story, Huang Qiong thought about it for a moment and smelled a strong smell of conspiracy. If the whole thing is as described by King Jing, then there are simply too many things worth pondering. Not to mention anything else, how Concubine Shen entered the palace and was named Jieyu as soon as she entered the palace is a big doubt.
Huang Qiong now has a rough idea of the personality and character of his emperor. Even though he has ten thousand shortcomings, there is one thing he has to admit. Among all the emperors of the past dynasties, my old man was really not a lecherous person. There are only about twenty concubines in the harem who are famous.
Compared with his imperial grandfather who was said to have over 10,000 beauties in his harem, the then Emperor Sejong was barely even a drop in the bucket. And even among these more than twenty concubines, most of them are the daughters of ministers chosen by the emperor himself after he truly gained power. This does not mean more for the sake of women, but more to consolidate one's own rights.
For a woman whose beauty is not considered outstanding and who is just a fifth-rank official in her family, it stands to reason that even if her statement spreads far and wide, the emperor will laugh it off at most when he finds out about it. And she will never be selected into the harem, and she will even be named Jieyu, who is second only to the ninth concubine as soon as she enters the palace.
According to Daqi's customization, although this Jieyu's status is not high, she can be said to be a link between the past and the future in Daqi's harem system. Jieyu was ranked first at the first level and had her own separate courtyard in the palace. Concubines in the harem who have not been given the title of Jieyu cannot be promoted to be concubines. In other words, if this woman is named Jieyu, she can directly surpass the position of ninth concubine. The next step is to become a concubine.
Generally, women from official families are selected into the palace. Unless there are special cases like Huang Qiong's mother, they are usually just named nobles, talents, and beauties. Even the virtuous concubine whose mother-in-law was known as a protégé and former official in the civil service system of Da Qi was just a noblewoman when she first entered the palace. And this incident has made the concubine De, who wanted to compete with Huang Qiong's mother, still be worried about her.
Although she was only brought into the palace as a decoration. Because the Huaiyang County Prince had no intention of letting Huang Qiong's emperor stay on the throne for too long. It's pretty good to give her the title of noble person. If you want to be crowned a concubine, or even become a queen, you have to see whether the Prince of Huaiyang County agrees or not.
