Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 485: The Concubine Has Intentions, But the Man Has No Heart

Shi Fuming led his men out of the East Warm Pavilion. When the main gate closed again, only the emperor and his concubine were left in the huge Qianqing Palace.

"Speak now. While I am still willing to listen to you."

Mi Mengshang gnashed her teeth, forcing her voice to stop trembling. "The day before yesterday morning, I heard about that incident from Director Wei. He wanted me to tell the Emperor. I refused."

"Then you came alone?" The emperor interrupted Mi Mengshang.

"Yes," Mi Mengshang felt as if her heart was about to be shattered by the emperor. "I, my humble concubine, came here alone! I really shouldn't have come!" Tears flowed down from her tear glands, slid into her nasal cavity, and were finally sprayed into snot bubbles by her uneven breathing.

The emperor took the silk handkerchief from the table and threw it forward lightly.

The square handkerchief swung twice in the air before landing accurately in front of Mi Mengshang. "I prepared this specially for you. Pick it up and wipe it. When you stop pretending to be pitiful, I will ask you again." Zhu Changluo then leaned sideways on the square cushion.

These words were so hurtful and heartbreaking that Mi Mengshang was momentarily unable to react. She froze for a moment, then bent down to pick up the handkerchief and stared at it silently for a few seconds. Then, tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away while crying, unable to stop, and the handkerchief was soon soaked.

The emperor showed no mercy. Just as he had said, he propped up his head, his face sullen, and waited quietly for Mi Mengshang to stop. He didn't even offer a rude rebuke.

The tears will eventually stop, and the heartbreak will make you die. The crying gradually subsided, and the light in Mi Mengshang's eyes gradually faded.

"I ask you, why did you come to the Qianqing Palace at that time?" the emperor asked coldly.

Mi Mengshang shrank back slightly, feeling a hollowness in her heart and a chill running down her spine. "If I were to tell you, I came to the Qianqing Palace because I was concerned about the Emperor and wanted to comfort him. Does the Emperor believe me?"

"I don't believe it," the emperor replied without hesitation. "Wang An has been loyal to me for twenty-seven years. I believe what he says. You? Humph, I really don't believe it."

"Haha," Mi Mengshang shook her head self-deprecatingly. "Since Your Majesty doesn't believe me, there's nothing more I can say. Tell Eunuch Shi to take me away. The Supervisor of Wei knew about this and didn't report it, so he got 20 lashes from the Emperor. Not only did I not report it, I even tried to suppress the news. Your Majesty could have just given me a slap on the wrist like he did the Supervisor of Wei, and then imprisoned me or sentenced me to death. It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"Well, that's fine! You've said it, and I'll grant your wish." The emperor narrowed his eyes and leaned forward suddenly, looking like he was about to call for help.

But he didn't shout after all.

"Forget it." The emperor's anger quickly faded, and then slowly formed a look of sorrow, regret, and fatigue. "I still have some questions for you."

Combined with the few steps she had taken on her knees, Mi Mengshang could barely discern the emperor's expression. The genuine emotion, unfaked, rekindled the fire in Mi Mengshang's heart, which had been nearly extinguished by her tears.

The emperor sighed and asked, "Why did you know about that incident but didn't say anything after coming here?"

Mi Mengshang replied calmly, "Because at that time I was sure that the emperor didn't know yet, and I didn't want him to know."

"Then why don't you want me to know?" the emperor asked.

"It's the same reason why the emperor doesn't believe me. The emperor regards me as a witch from the Zheng Palace and thinks the worst of me in everything. What else can I do?" As she spoke, Mi Mengshang's heart began to ache again.

The emperor's eyes softened slightly, but remained stern. "So you're using that case to appease me?"

"Yes. I thought in advance that Wang Zhangyin might suppress the news, so I brought such a case here. Otherwise, if the emperor asked me why I came to the Qianqing Palace, could I still say that it was because I missed the emperor? Even if I told him, would the emperor believe it? No, right? If the emperor doesn't believe it, he will ask more questions. Then I am just trying to find something to say, right?" Mi Mengshang pursed her lips and clenched her fists. She squeezed so hard that the handkerchief soaked with tears was soaked with water. "A case that directly involves thirteen lives and at least five people will be executed was used by me as a legitimate reason to come to the Qianqing Palace to see the emperor. Yes, just like Wang Zhangyin said! I am already an out-and-out bad woman. No wonder the emperor doesn't believe it!" Mi Mengshang felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and her voice gradually became louder.

"Alright! Stop rambling," the emperor said, irritably waving his hand. "I'm asking you again, why were you crying so suddenly? Don't tell me you were so worried about your husband's worries, so anxious about his anxieties, that's why you cried so pitifully! I didn't find it strange at the time, just thinking you were a kind woman full of sympathy. But now I think about it, it's wrong. Have you ever been to Jingren Palace? Tell me, why did you cry that time?"

"This" Mi Mengshang felt a little guilty. Yes, the emperor was suspicious of her, and didn't she also doubt the emperor?

"If you can't say it, then I'll help you say it!" Zhu Changluo smiled gently. "You want to be like Li Zhulan, right?"

"Empress Kang?" Mi Mengshang was stunned.

The emperor began to exploit the situation. "You, like Li Zhulan, are both intelligent women. She's very good at adjusting herself to suit my preferences. I like directness, so she's direct; I like gentleness, so she's gentle. You, too, are well aware that I need a steward who's neither inside nor outside to help me watch over the West Factory, my house dog. So you became a steward who's neither inside nor outside, which is great. As for whether she's good or not, I never care."

The emperor put on a look of deep sorrow and pointed at Mi Mengshang and said, "But you! You are too smart. Outside, you learn from Wei Zhongxian to protect yourself and not to report when you should. Inside, your heart is also full of seeking favor and consolidating favor. To consolidate favor, you not only learn from Li Zhulan to pretend to be virtuous and good, crying wolf. You also learn from Concubine Zheng to put people in my bed. Of course, putting people in is a good thing, and I am happy to have more people warming the bed. But I also feel sad! Because it shows that you are hypocritical! You say you love and cherish me, but you don’t love me at all in your heart." "Wen Jing and Gu Pan have never loved me either, but I don’t care, because I have never needed their love, just like," Zhu Changluo paused, sighed, and said regretfully but resolutely, "just like I have never needed your love."

The emperor's half-truths, half-truths, half-truths, half-truths, and often skillfully crafted "analysis" were like a sharp knife, constantly piercing the softest part of Mi Mengshang's heart. She endured it with all her might until the final, heart-wrenching words, when her newly built defenses crumbled. Her eyes, once dull, regained their brilliance.

Touched, wronged, and at a loss for what to explain but not knowing how to explain all flooded my heart.

With a cry of "Wow", Mi Mengshang burst into tears again. But this time, the tears flowing from her eyes were no longer water to extinguish the fire, but oil to fuel the flames.

The emperor struck while the iron was hot and continued. "Since you don't love me, then just do your job well. You've always done a good job, so keep doing it. As long as you do this job well, I won't reduce your salary. I'm really tired, so go ahead. Don't come to the Qianqing Palace anymore, pretending. I'm tired of seeing you."

The emperor propped up his head and closed his eyes, a look of exhaustion and regret slowly emerging on his face, as if he was too sad to face it. But in reality, the emperor was just waiting for Mi Mengshang to express her opinion.

As the emperor, Zhu Changluo would never keep his word. As long as Mi Mengshang turned around and walked out of the warm room, all her current power and privileges would be stripped away by the emperor. Zhu Changluo would not sentence her to death, nor would he imprison her behind bars, but this was the last bit of tenderness he reserved for her.

The person sitting in the seat close to the emperor's armpit must be someone loyal to the emperor. If a woman is to be placed there, it is best if she loves the emperor deeply.

Zhu Changluo had already guessed Wang An's motives for getting involved before he even started to exploit the situation, so he wouldn't actually do anything to him. However, regardless of Wang An's motives, the eunuchs' collusion to conceal the emperor's actions was inherently dangerous. Loss of hearing and sight, the isolation of the inner and outer worlds, was no small matter; such behavior must be discouraged and punished.

As for Mi Mengshang, there was no time-honored trust between this woman and the emperor, only a natural distrust due to their birth. This mutual suspicion was detrimental to both sides. However, Zhu Changluo noticed that after spending so much time together, Mi Mengshang seemed to still have feelings for him. If he could probe, stimulate, and then skillfully retract and solidify these feelings, she could still be useful.

"No, no! I won't leave!" Mi Mengshang was young after all, and she couldn't stand the emperor's manipulation and manipulation. What's more, she did have feelings for this suspicious and dangerous man.

Mi Mengshang was certain that the emperor still loved her! Because without love, there would be no resentment. If there was only suspicion and indifference in the emperor's heart, then there would be no need to summon her today. If there was no favoritism, then dismissing her from office, throwing her into the cold palace, or simply granting her a white silk would not be a loss to the emperor. Only when there is love in the heart can one feel sadness and grief!

"Your Majesty! All the mistakes are my fault. I know Your Majesty loves me." She crawled forward a few steps, hugged the emperor's calf, and looked up at him with such humble eyes. "It was my self-pity and self-righteousness that aroused Your Majesty's suspicion. Your Majesty worked day and night, and I was unreasonable. It was my fault that I hurt Your Majesty's heart."

The emperor got the answer he wanted and knew it was time to take it back.

"Alas!" The emperor sat up straight, pulled Mi Mengshang up, and held her in his arms. He looked down at her and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his sleeve. His movements did not stop until the tears continued.

The emperor looked at Mi Mengshang affectionately. "Mi Niang." The voice was so gentle. "You are not wrong, and there is no need to admit your mistakes to me. I am the one who is wrong. I am too busy and confused, and I take my anger out on you. Moreover, I usually put too much pressure on you. Old servants like Cui Wensheng, Wei Zhongxian, and Shi Fuming are afraid of me and want to protect themselves. What about you? And think about it carefully, you are born in the Zheng Palace, not the Qiandi Palace, and you have not been in the palace for a long time. You did not follow me voluntarily. You are uneasy and want to curry favor, which is not wrong. I have been too harsh on you." Zhu Changluo looked away slightly. "I'm sorry."

Mi Mengshang had never imagined the emperor would have such a heart-to-heart talk. The Jiannu were rampant, the northern barbarians were wreaking havoc, the nation was in turmoil, her beloved daughter had tragically passed away, and there were damning rumors circulating in the capital. Reflecting on recent events, the delicate Mi Mengshang unexpectedly began to feel sympathy and pity for the most powerful man in the world.

Mi Mengshang put her arm around Junfu's shoulders. "No, no, no! Your Majesty, please don't think that! Your Majesty is the best man in the world. You have never treated me harshly. What you have given me is a thousand times more than what I have given you in return."

"How can I return the love between my husband and me?" The emperor looked over again. Their eyes met, and Mi Mengshang saw clearly the emperor's eyes, which gleamed with tears but were filled with tenderness, love, and fatigue. "Mi Niang," the emperor called softly.

"Yeah." Mi Mengshang responded timidly.

The emperor leaned close to Mi Mengshang's ear and said softly, "Don't think about your past as a member of the Zheng Palace. I can even forgive and reuse an old servant like Cui Wensheng who did Concubine Zheng's dirty work, so I don't care about your background, my concubine. People will always change, but as long as they are not stubborn, no matter how much they change, it doesn't matter. The reason you became a bad woman is because I led you astray."

A warm, caring feeling flowed from my ears to my heart, flowing through my entire body. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by emotions of emotion, shame, and embarrassment. The intense bitterness and grievance completely dissipated, replaced by a bewildered and intoxicated soul.

"Your Majesty." Mi Mengshang trembled as she nudged the emperor's shoulder, then closed her eyelids and raised her head slightly. This was a gesture for kissing and courtship.

At this moment, Zhu Changluo knew he had completely captured this young woman. He no longer had to worry about her loyalty. But Zhu Changluo was not happy at all, for he was clearly aware that he was using power, emotion, and the skill of controlling his actions to secure and maintain the loyalty of a young woman. This was not honorable, truly dishonorable. This was essentially no different from concubines seeking favor from the emperor and securing his favor. The only difference was that the emperor had an absolute advantage in status, resources, and information.

But why not just throw Mi Mengshang away? After the purge of the inner court was completed, her greatest value, that is, "rootless and without support", no longer existed and was no longer needed. There were better and safer candidates in the harem.

The moment he kissed her back, Zhu Changluo figured it out. This was probably because Mi Mengshang was already a mature "bad woman", and continuing to use her would save him the effort of training her.

Yes, that must be the case!

(End of this chapter)