Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 171 The Same Method

The eligible age is between fifteen and nineteen. After deducting those who are already engaged or those who are in poor health, there are only seven girls left who can be considered as candidates.

Xie Jiu carefully reviewed the information of the seven girls and then made arrangements for Chunrong.

"Go and find out about these people, what their talents, appearance, and character are like. The Empress's plum blossom appreciation banquet will be held in at least three days, so I need to make preparations in advance so that it will be easier to select the right people."

There are seven people, so we must prioritize them and focus our attention on them.

“Yes, this servant will take care of it right away,” Chunrong replied.

After she left, Qingfang, who was serving her, whispered, "Does Your Highness want to tell Master about this?"

Xie Jiu's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered for a moment.

"Don't tell him for now. I have to handle this matter properly for the Emperor. If he finds out in advance, I'm afraid he might have ulterior motives and ruin the Emperor's plans."

What needs to be kept secret must still be kept secret.

Clearly, Zhao Xingjin intended to make good use of the marriage alliance to lure Gao Sui into his trap, so he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Actually, Xie Jiu was very happy that Zhao Xingjin's first reaction today was to ask Xie Jiu to do things for him.

This shows that she is gaining more and more importance in Zhao Xingjin's heart.

Don't say it's all for the sake of the bigger picture. That might be one reason, but it's clear that Zhao Xingjin is now starting to confide in her when things happen.

good thing.

Previously, Zhao Xingjin had used gentleness and affection to lower Xie Jiu's guard, and now, Xie Jiu is using the same methods to slowly penetrate Zhao Xingjin's heart.

Weiyang Palace.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor says he will have dinner here tonight!"

The head palace maid, Hongmei, happily ran quickly into the inner room.

The Empress was reading a storybook with her two daughters when she heard the news, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"really?"

“Of course it’s true, that’s what Qingdong just told me.” Hongmei smiled and her eyes crinkled. “There’s still an hour left, Your Highness, please change into some bright clothes. Let me redo your makeup; you’re dressed too plainly today.”

Tingyun nodded with a smile, "Yes, Your Highness is more suited to elegant hairstyles like the Chaoyun bun or the peony bun. Today's Chuiyue bun is a bit too lacking in grandeur."

The two maids were gossiping when Princess Zhaoqing raised her head, looked at the Empress seriously, and then said softly.

"But I think Mother's attire today is very good. She is gentle and graceful, just like when we were in the Prince's Mansion. Usually, Mother's attire is elegant and luxurious. She is beautiful, but she makes people feel that she is not easy to approach."

Lingyi nodded in agreement, "Empress Dowager looks beautiful even without makeup. I love how her hair looks when it's down, like silk, like a fairy!"

"You're always trying to make people happy, you little mouth!" The Empress chuckled, pinched Princess Lingyi's nose, and then put her arm around Princess Zhaoqing. "Alright, if you think your mother looks good like this, then so be it."

The two princesses nestled happily in the queen's arms; all three of them were joyful.

Seeing this, Tingyun and Hongmei stopped talking.

When it was almost time for dinner, Princess Zhaoqing and Princess Lingyi were led away by Hongmei, leaving the Emperor and Empress alone.

Zhao Xingjin hadn't come to Weiyang Palace for dinner for a long time, so the servants naturally wanted to avoid disturbing him so that the Emperor would stay. This way, the Empress would regain favor, and Weiyang Palace would be more comfortable, wouldn't it?
Although no one in the palace dared to mistreat the Empress, the servants around her might not be so forgiving.

This has always been the case in the palace; servants who are favored by their masters have an even more comfortable life.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

As Yang Zhi'an's voice rang out at the entrance of Weiyang Palace, the Empress immediately led the palace servants to bow and greet him. "Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a pair of golden dragon-patterned boots appeared in the Empress's sight. Then, her wrist was gently grasped, and Zhao Xingjin's voice rang out from above her head.

"Your Majesty, please rise. We are husband and wife; there is no need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but etiquette must not be disregarded." The Empress was helped up, looked up at him, and smiled gently. "Dinner is ready, Your Majesty, please come inside."

Zhao Xing nodded, then released his grip on the Empress's hand and strode into the hall.

After they sat down, the Empress personally served Zhao Xingjin some food, asking, "What brings Your Majesty to Weiyang Palace today?"

Actually, she wanted to ask, since lunch was at Jingming Palace, why didn't it stay with Xie Jiu? Could it be that she didn't serve him well at noon and displeased the Emperor?
However, it was inconvenient to ask these questions directly, so I just said this for now.

"It's been a long time since I've come to see you. What, does the Empress not welcome me?" Zhao Xingjin said calmly.

The Empress immediately smiled and said, "How could that be? I was just thinking that with the people of Xichi Kingdom in the capital, the Emperor is bound to be busier."

Zhao Xingjin took a bite of food before slowly and deliberately replying.

"Since I have some free time today, I also have something I'd like to tell you. There are quite a few eligible young women in the imperial family, and there are also quite a few talented young men in the court. I think it would be a joyous occasion to help arrange a few more good marriages."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes flickered, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Does Your Majesty wish for me to be a matchmaker for the talented men of the court?"

Many emperors throughout history have done this.

If you don't have a suitable daughter, then use women from the imperial clan to win over the hearts of the court officials. Marrying a woman from the imperial clan would make you a relative of the emperor, wouldn't it?

Of course, they hoped even more for the prosperity of the royal family and the stability of imperial power.

They are therefore more willing to risk their lives for loyalty.

Zhao Xingjin nodded. "After I ascended the throne, the court investigated corruption and purged the Ministry of Revenue. As a result of these actions, many people were removed from their posts. These vacancies should be filled by new people."

This statement did not deceive the Empress. Apart from selecting a suitable member of the imperial clan to be given to Gao Sui, the other girls were indeed good for winning over court officials.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Rest assured, I will handle this matter well." The Empress nodded, now that she had a plan.

Zhao Xingjin nodded slightly.

"Let's find a suitable time before the New Year to hold a plum blossom appreciation banquet, invite the young ladies of the imperial family to the palace for the banquet, and take the opportunity to choose them. If there are any good ones, let me know their names, and I will think about it and then bestow a marriage upon them if there are any suitable ones."

"Yes," the Empress replied. "The plum blossoms in the plum garden are in full bloom. Since we're holding the banquet before the New Year, let's send out invitations tomorrow and set the date for the banquet five days from now."

"You can handle this. The concubines from the palace can also come along and make it more lively."

As Zhao Xingjin spoke, he personally placed a piece of food into the Empress's bowl.

"I'm sorry to trouble you."

The Empress smiled, her eyes filled with tenderness, "It is all my duty."

As she spoke softly, Zhao Xingjin looked up and saw that, in the candlelight, he suddenly felt as if he had returned to the time when he was in the Prince's mansion.

"This outfit suits you very well today." Zhao Xingjin withdrew his gaze.

The Empress was taken aback, looked down at her everyday clothes, and was surprised but also pleased.

She didn't reply, but quietly served food to Zhao Xingjin.

That night, Zhao Xingjin stayed overnight at Weiyang Palace.

The next morning, when the concubines came to pay their respects, they noticed that the Empress's smile was even brighter.