After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 132 The Empress Pleads Guilty
"Grandma, I heard something outside!"

When Suyun returned, she rushed to find her grandmother, only to find her sitting alone by the window, lost in thought. She called out to her twice before the grandmother woke up.

Su Yun knew the reason and couldn't help but laugh, "Grandma, are you thinking about last night again? You've been thinking about it all day. If Grandma wants to see His Majesty, why don't you go to Linjing Hall and wait?"

Li Wan blushed and asked her, "What did you see last night? What did you see?"

Su Yun smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't see anything last night. I was a few steps away from the pavilion, and it was dark, so I couldn't see very clearly. I only saw Your Majesty and His Majesty enjoying the moon and chatting in the pavilion. After a while, Your Majesty sat in His Majesty's lap and did such things."

As she spoke, she touched her two index fingers together, signifying that their necks were intertwined and they were kissing passionately.

Seeing her describe it this way, Li Wan blushed with embarrassment and spat at her, saying, "You silly girl, what are you saying? You talk nonsense like this even in the palace!"

Su Yun laughed and said, "I'm not making this up. I saw it yesterday, and many eunuchs and palace maids did."

Seeing that her grandmother seemed about to get angry, Suyun quickly smiled and said, "Grandma, why are you so embarrassed? Isn't it good to be favored by the Emperor? Countless people in the palace want to be like you were last night, to be held in the Emperor's arms and pampered. A few days ago, I met two concubines and saw them twisting their waists and stretching their legs in the courtyard. They looked so shameless that I blushed. Later, I heard that they were originally from the Yeting Palace and were only made concubines after gaining the Emperor's favor."

Li Wan blushed, and after a long while, she said, "You also want to be made a talented woman?"

Su Yun smiled and then said, "Grandma, I just heard someone say that someone in the court submitted a memorial requesting the emperor to release the empress from the palace to prevent bad rumors from spreading."

As she spoke, she laughed at herself.

Li Wan laughed and said, "Officials outside don't know about palace affairs..."

She wanted to say that Empress Zhang was favored by the Emperor last night, so how could it be a rumor?

But then he thought about it again and said to Su Yun, "Those who can become officials are not fools. They have probably already guessed it, but they just don't say it to save His Majesty's face."

Su Yun found this very reasonable and laughed, "It shows that the emperor is the most powerful. I heard from the palace maids that those upright officials only dared to remonstrate to the death in order to gain a good reputation."

He then went to do his work.

Li Wan was alone in the room.

Last night, the emperor left the Imperial Garden with her. She thought the emperor would take her back to Linjing Palace, but instead he went to Kunning Palace, visited Empress Zhang, and sent her back to Changchun Palace alone.

Li Wan couldn't help but feel disappointed, and even a little resentful.

He had just ordered her to write erotic poems in the Imperial Garden, and then embraced her, teased and kissed her, making her blush with shame. When she could no longer control herself, he turned around and abandoned her to favor the Empress, which led to the officials remonstrating with him today.

What's this?

Last night, Li Wan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

After two intimate encounters with Chu Yan, her heart felt like a floodgate had been opened, filled with a myriad of emotions that she longed to express but could not, and which were difficult to dispel.

Su Yun brought the tea and saw that her grandmother was lost in thought again. Suddenly, she remembered something: His Majesty seemed to have figured out her grandmother's identity, but was intentionally keeping it from her.

Last night, when leaving the Imperial Garden, Lan Ge called out "Mother" twice. The First Madam was being held by the waist and nestled in His Majesty's arms, so she didn't hear it. But Su Yun seemed to think that His Majesty had noticed.

……

Linjing Hall.

Empress Zhang, accompanied by her palace maids, stepped into the bedroom where her ex-husband had lived and reviewed memorials for the first time in a long time.

When the eunuchs and palace maids of Linjing Hall saw her, their eyes were filled with strange expressions. They seemed to be surprised that even after the change of dynasties, the former empress could still come to Linjing Hall to see the emperor.

Empress Zhang ignored the stares and entered the inner palace with a calm expression.

A plump and beautiful young woman came out to greet her, smiling and saying, "I was inside and didn't know Your Highness had arrived. Please forgive me."

Empress Zhang recognized her; she was Xue Baochai, the daughter of the Xue family. Yesterday, she had gone to Kunning Palace to pay her respects. She was beautiful, with red lips and fair skin. No wonder His Majesty had specially sent troops to surround the Jia family and bring her, Qin Keqing, and others into the harem.

Thinking to herself, Empress Zhang smiled and said, "I am neither an empress nor a concubine now, so why would I need you to greet me? Miss Bao is the emperor's proper concubine, and I really dare not put on airs in front of her."

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "If Your Highness is not a concubine, then how could I be? It is only right for me to rise and greet you when you come in, elder sister."

Empress Zhang smiled and said, "Let's not stand on ceremony, let's go inside and talk."

As he spoke, he took her hand and they went inside together.

After holding her hand, Empress Zhang felt that Baochai's skin was smooth and her hands were soft and boneless. They were slightly sweaty and her palms were slippery, which made her skin look even more like solidified cream.

After sitting down, Empress Zhang rubbed her fingers together, looked at Baochai's palm, and said in surprise, "Miss Bao, are you sweating in the room? If you feel hot, you can ask the palace maids to fan you." She then smiled and said, "Now that you are favored, you don't need to be polite when ordering them around."

Baochai's round and beautiful face, which resembled a silver plate, looked a little embarrassed. She smiled and said, "I am most afraid of the heat. Now that it is the summer solstice, it gets hotter every day, so I have sweated a bit. My body is also a bit strange. I tend to sweat from my hands and feet first, which must be related to my illness."

Empress Zhang asked, "What illness is it?"

"I don't know what kind of illness it is. I've seen many famous doctors and taken a lot of medicine, but I haven't gotten better. Fortunately, I met a bald monk who said that I had heat toxins from my mother's womb. He gave me a miraculous prescription and a packet of medicinal ingredients. After taking it, I gradually got better."

"This is truly a strange thing."

Empress Zhang smiled and then changed the subject, asking her, "Is Miss Bao waiting for His Majesty to return? If there's something, I'll go to the side room and wait, and come back later."

Baochai quickly said, "It's nothing urgent, Your Majesty, please stay and wait. I'll go back to the east wing first." Empress Zhang pulled her along, smiling as she was about to speak, when a eunuch's voice came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived!"

Both of them hurriedly got up and went outside the hall to greet them.

As soon as Chu Yan returned to the inner palace, he saw two dignified and noble beauties standing at the palace gate, their beauty complementing each other. One was a dignified and majestic woman, and the other was a beautiful and radiant unmarried girl. Upon seeing them, he felt instantly pleased.

"Why are you all waiting for me together? Come on, let's go inside and talk!"

Chu Yan smiled and took their hands, leading them into the inner palace. He sat down on the soft couch in the east side room, and then pulled Empress Zhang into his arms, making her sit on his lap with her round, pert buttocks pressing against him.

Baochai's face was rosy, but she didn't speak, just sat on the soft couch opposite her.

"His Majesty!"

Empress Zhang whispered, "Please release me, I want to kneel before Your Majesty and beg for forgiveness."

Chu Yan asked in surprise, "What crime have you committed? Could it be that you are still thinking of your husband and no longer wish to be with me?"

Upon hearing this, Baochai couldn't help but smile.

Empress Zhang looked at him with resentment: "Your Majesty is joking. I am now a wicked concubine who has brought ruin to the country. If I stay in the palace for even a day, I will tarnish Your Majesty's holy name. Why not let me out so that Your Majesty will not lose face for the world and future generations?"

Chu Yan glanced at Baochai, then at her, and said with a smile, "I have read Song Rui's memorial. It is well-written and clearly organized. I did not expect that he would dare to submit a remonstrance on his very first day as the Grand Master of the Imperial Library. I have underestimated these officials who dare to speak out."

Empress Zhang said in a low voice, "As the saying goes, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty has summoned me. Sooner or later, the news will spread outside the palace. My lowly name is not worth mentioning, but His Majesty's holy name cannot be ruined because of me."

Seeing her insistence on this matter, Chu Yan said, "The emperor's reputation is not in the palace, but in the world. Emperor Taizong of Tang had flaws in his private morality, but later generations still admire him as a model emperor."

They still refused to send her out of the palace.

Baochai then said, "His Majesty the Emperor rose up at the opportune moment, took up his three-foot sword to quell the chaos, and after entering the capital, he made a three-point agreement with his soldiers, ensuring that they would not commit any offenses and that the markets would remain undisturbed."

Even so, in my opinion, most people are vulgar and fond of gossiping behind people's backs, which damages Your Majesty's holy reputation. If you want to silence the people, why not send the Empress to the Imperial Grace Temple outside the city to become a nun, and after some time, summon her back to the palace to serve Your Majesty.”

Empress Zhang quickly replied, "What Miss Bao said is exactly what I was thinking!"

Chu Yan smiled and said, "You don't understand at all. You don't know anything about court affairs. No matter how well Song Rui speaks, he shouldn't be the one to offer advice."

Seeing that the two were looking over, Chu Yan explained, "He is a former official of the previous dynasty. Although he is now an official of the new dynasty, his words do not carry much weight. If I were to listen to his advice, wouldn't that surprise the meritorious officials of the new dynasty? Besides, I am the emperor. If I could immediately change my mind after a minister's advice, I wouldn't need to be the emperor. Let him be the emperor."

Baochai rose and apologized with shame. Chu Yan told her to sit down, raised his hand to stroke the Empress's chin, and smiled, "Now you understand?"

Empress Zhang said wistfully, "When will I be able to leave the palace?"

"We'll talk about it when you have a reason to become a monk."

Empress Zhang was immediately startled.

Does the emperor want to kill the retired emperor? Or does he want to kill her imprisoned husband?

Only when the two men are dead will she have an excuse to leave the palace and go to the temple to chant sutras and pray for blessings.

Chu Yan said, "I have already replied to Song Rui. You will serve the Empress Dowager in the palace to fulfill your filial duty. You do not need to leave the palace."

Empress Zhang's parents-in-law were both in the palace, and she silenced the criticisms of the world with her filial piety and righteousness.

After all, outsiders could not witness Chu Yan entering Kunning Palace and having sex with Empress Zhang; such palace affairs were merely rumors.

Empress Zhang sighed and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to write a letter to Consort Xie, explaining that I did not occupy Kunning Palace, but was forced by Your Majesty!"

Half coquettish and half pleading, Baochai saw it all clearly from the side, and sure enough, the emperor softened and agreed.

After a while, Baochai smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I will go back to my residence with Sister Qin tomorrow, and then come to the palace again in a few days."

Chu Yan nodded, "Go and call Miss Qin over, I want to talk to you for a bit."

The young ladies of the Jia family came and went, none of them staying in the palace for long. Baochai also roughly realized that the emperor intended to use the Jia family as a temporary palace, and would visit the Grand View Garden when he had time.

Just then, Baoqin arrived. Chu Yan released Empress Zhang and waved to her with a smile.

The girl with dimples blushed when she smiled, still a little embarrassed. But seeing that Empress Zhang had been in his arms just now, and that Baochai, with her plump and round face, also looked a little shy, she knew that she had also been kissed by Chu Yan.

So she obediently sat in Chu Yan's lap, chatted for a while, and then kissed him again.

"Humph."

The disgraced Empress Zhang knelt beside the soft couch, letting out a soft hum, but said nothing.

Baochai realized that such things were common in the palace. The emperor would invite several young concubines to accompany him, drinking and playing around, and indulging in intimate acts on the soft couch.

The historical records' description of "excessive feasting and indulgence in concubines" actually refers to this, showing how literati have written it in a subtle way.

(End of this chapter)