Empress with no Virtue - Chapter 28

The emperor is rather hot tempered lately.

Recently, no matter in the matters of court or the inner palace, as long as anyone met Ji Wu Jiu, will also have this type of thoughts. He pulled a very long face, with a unpredictable expression, seems to be suppressing some sort of anger, almost like a volcano that would erupt anytime soon. The people in Gan Qing Palace, even to walk now they have to be super careful, afraid that making any noise will make the emperor unhappy, then it would truly be troublesome.

Therefore the eunuchs and maid servants that enters Gan Qing Palace, are quiet as a feather, like floating on the floor. The atmosphere truly makes people uncomfortable.

When Fang Xiu Qing left Gan Qing Palace, he found out that he was scared too. He took up one of his sleeves and start wiping his forming sweats. The Gan Qing Palace is where the emperor resides, the normal ranked ministers does not have the right to enter but Fang Xiu Qing as one of the high ranked ministers, will sometimes be called upon by the emperor to enter this place, to discuss about matters. Actually when this two fellas get together, most of the time they are discussing on how to go against Ye Xiu Ming, this time it was also the same. But what got Fang Xiu Qing astonished was that these few days the emperor was being very straightforward, with speed he settled a few people from the Ye supporters, those who deserved to be flogged, was flogged, those deserved to be sacked was sacked from their positions, and also took the opportunity to bring the defense ministry to his side. This way the departments under Ye Xiu Ming would only be left with three, now he has the support to finally fight back Ye Xiu Ming.

It is just that Ye Xiu Ming still holds some influence in the court, so when Ji Wu Jiu made his decision, a lot of ministers starts to curse/scold him. And he can’t really flog them, the more you flog them, the more happy they get, returning home they will still show their butts to their wife and boast, take a look, the emperor hit me, thinking that to work for the emperor is a really glorified job!

Ji Wu Jiu thought that this group of ministers is not only admonish, but they are truly low, truly truly low!

If it was the usual, he will just be patient with it, since he has been doing so for so many years already, an emperor’s hardship is not only these things. But this time, he was not in a good mood. He already has a pit of anger in his stomach that he does not know how to release, such a coincidence there are people that walk towards him asking for it, it was a really good chance.

The minister can’t be hit right? Then his dad can be hit right? His son can be hit right? His brother, uncle, cousin, friends…. Also can be hit right?

Although you may be an honest minister, but to be in the world of politics, no one’s butt is really clean, it was easy to find faults, and when Ji Wu Jiu chose his victims, he only choose those that are healthy and would not have any after effects from the flogging, and he will also limit it to twenty hits, only enough for them to go home to complain.

Then finally the minister’s arrogance was finally diminished by this weird method by the emperor.

Ye Xiu Ming was angered by this method, and closed himself in the room for two days, to ponder, and kept repeating, “that small rascal!” Ye Kang Le heard from the door, and immediately ordered people to guard all sides, this type of words if heard by the emperor can lead to the implication of the whole family. It was lucky that Ye Xiu Ming has not lose his rational from the anger, in his heart, who that small rascal refers to, he himself knows that would be sufficient, there was no need to say it out loud. If anyone wants to find fault, their house has a lot of grandchildren, just picking one of them also can the small rascal.

Honestly, Fang Xiu Qing admires Ji Wu Jiu a little, he thinks to himself, if he was placed at that spot, with so many ministers scrutinizing him, he might not be able to think of such a good plan that was not only evil but able to keep the situation under control. He has always thought that he will be a good emperor, if not he also will not stand by his side, to fight with Ye Xiu Ming. But just not sure why the normally good tempered emperor seems to be not in control of his temper, and everyone seems to anger him. He really is still young, not mature enough.

Actually, to be fair, the ministers…. are innocent. To be looked down by woman that way on the bed, most probably this type of event would only be understood by eunuchs.

After wiping his sweat, Fang Xiu Qing looked at Feng You De who brought him out, smiled and said “Feng Gong gong, every day you are taking care of the emperor, such dedication makes me feel less worthy.”

Feng You De smiled, “sir, you are too humble, to take care of the emperor is our duty”

Fang Xiu Qing continued “Feng Gong gong, the emperor recently, how is his health?”

“Minister Fang, to be so worried about the emperor, really shows your loyalty” Feng You De smiled and continued “Do not worry, the imperial doctor said that the emperor’s health is very good, he is not in a good mood, because there is something that he is keeping in his heart.”

“Not sure what causes the emperor..”

“This I am not sure, I only know since the winter solstice night, after he came out from Kun NIng palace, he is already like this”

Fang Xiu Qing understood from this one sentence. They all are clever people, there is no need to say things so clearly. He looked left and right and asked, “then my daughter did not cause any problems?”

“Minister Fang, what are you saying, Xian Concubine is the treasure in his majesty’s heart, just recently she helped look over the matters of the inner palace, very wise and did not cause others to worry”

Fang Xiu Qing stopped asking, and bid goodbye to Feng You De.

Seeing that Feng You De finally left, he turned around, and saw an eunuch from Gan Qing Palace, hiding behind the wall and was looking towards him.

Feng You De scolding “Why are you not inside to and await for orders, creeping here to in such a suspicious manner, if his majesty saw you like this what would happen, you don’t want to live anymore?”

Yu Ji walked forward and apologized “Feng Gong gong, I am not on duty today… the emperor has not been in a good mood recently, what actually happened?”

Feng You De knocked Yu Ji’s forehead “you are only to honestly do your duty, things that shouldn’t be ask, don’t ask”

Yu Ji saw that there were no one here, lowered his voice and said “not that I want to interfere, gong gong, don’t tell me you have never thought.. towards that type of matter?”

“What are you actually trying to say?”

“His majesty has not visited any consorts for a few days already”

Feng You De suddenly has a thought, don’t tell me the emperor is weak again, and will need some nourishments? But for a young man, to keep being nourished in that area, will it cause any problems…

“Gong gong, you don’t understand, Women, are like dishes, if ate too much you will find it bored, maybe it’s time to change the taste?”

“Change what taste?”

“Wild taste”

Feng You De suddenly understood what Yu Ji meant, and raised his hands and whacked him, “I will hit you, you shameless beast, how dare you speak of this! Full nonsense! The emperor will definitely chop of your head if he found out!”

Finally Feng You De gave him a kick “get lost”

Yu Ji ran away, and left Feng You De alone in the walk way, with a face that was hard to figure out.

***

Ji Wu Jiu was seating in a pavilion holding a zither. Ding Ding Dang Dang, music was coming from the zither, very pleasing to the ear, but within that, you can slightly feel some sort of killing intent?

Xu Cai Ren was dancing along with the music. She was wearing a green dress, material very soft, moving along with her body while she danced.

Ji Wu Jiu was not paying attention to her, his eyes were not looking anywhere, his fingers playing the instrument was increasing in speed, the sound was slowly becoming like a few thousand horses running towards their enemy. Xu Cai Ren’s movements started to get messy, and eventually could not follow, a misstep and she fell.

The music suddenly stopped.

Ji Wu Jiu was looking at Ye Zhen Zhen who was standing not too far away, his fingers was pressing on to the zither’s string, and the tight string was starting to cause his fingers to ache.

He was not in a good mood, but who knew, Ye Zhen Zhen was not happy too. From her opinion, when doing that type of thing with man, and will feel disgusted is a type of weird disease, and Ji Wu Jiu is the root of the disease. Therefore as long as he appears, it will remind her “You are ill”

How can she be not angry?

Xu Cai Ren was helped up by the servants there. She looked at Ji Wu Jiu, pouting and said “ Cousin brother, you played too fast just now”

Ji Wu Jiu got up and went towards her, holding on Xu Cai Ren, “are you okay?”. Although talking to her, his gaze was at Ye Zhen Zhen, and when he saw Ye Zhen Zhen face’s was not fine, he then held on to Xu Cai Ren’s shoulder, and allowed her to lightly lie into his arms.

Xu Cai Ren blushed, and shyly looked up at Ji Wu Jiu.

Ye Zhen Zhen was looking at them, thinking, since she can’t bully Ji Wu Jiu, then she can only bully his beloved cousin sister…

Furthermore, this Xu Cai Ren has long required a punishment. Although this person was only a sixth rank Cai Ren, but holding on to her status as the empress dowager’s niece, and was childhood friends with Ji Wu Jiu, she was not following the palace rules properly. She and the empress dowager has together come up with a lot of small moves, thinking that I can’t see it through?, I am such a genius!

“Cousin brother, let’s go” Xu Cai Ren said.

“Meeting me, you don’t have to kneel and greet me already? Cousin sister?” Ye Zhen Zhen said and walked towards them.

Xu Cai Ren stole a look at Ji Wu Jiu, the latter released her and said, “what the empress say was right, we should not forgo the rules”

Xu Cai Ren should not be considered arrogant, she is still not at the position to do so, to be honest for Ji Wu Jiu to look at her only, will also make her very happy. So this time, she was obedient and kneeled down to give the proper greetings to Ye Zhen Zhen, “greetings to the empress”

Ye Zhen Zhen did not allow her to stand up, looked down and smiled “Since you call the emperor as cousin brother, why don’t you call me as cousin in law?”

In a moment Xu Cai Ren’s face turned bad, to call Ji Wu Jiu cousin brother still brings about a tone of flirtying, but if she were to call Ye Zhen Zhen as cousin in law, doesn’t it mean that she could only be Ji Wu Jiu’s cousin sister.

“I don’t dare:

“Don’t dare? I see that you are calling cousin brother with ease, why did you dare then?”

Xu Cai Ren kept quiet for a while, and seeing that Ji Wu Jiu did not show any signs of helping her, she can only answer “I admit my mistakes”

“Good that you know, if everyone in the palace are like you, not knowing their place, won’t it be hectic. You and the emperor has a strong bond, I didn’t want to punish you initially, but if I don’t punish you today, if the others all learn from you next time…”

“I accept any punishment”

“Since its like that, go outside Kun Ning Palace and kneel for 4 hours”

After exiting Kun Ning Palace it would be the imperial garden, this is where there are most people passing through in the palace, Xu Cai Ren’s kneel has made her famous, those who knew or didn’t know her, now all know who is she.

During winter, the floor would be very cold, although Xu Cai Ren was wearing a thick layer of clothes, she was still shivering from the cold. She turned pale from the cold, only her eyes seems to contain vigor, looking at Kun Ning Palace, staring into the main hall.

Ye Zhen Zhen was looking from the side, turned and asked Ji Wu Jiu, “are you not worried?”

“Why should I be?”

Both of them looked at each other in silence for a while, and then both of them had a similar flashback, both face turned black, turned around and did not look at each other anymore.

Heng!