activa-t Chapter 32 Assassination of the Emperor!
Chapter 32 Assassination of the Emperor!
When Zhu Houzhao arrived at Cining Palace, he indeed heard the sounds of gongs, drums, and string instruments coming from inside.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
"This servant greets Your Majesty!"
As Zhu Houzhao entered the Cining Palace, the palace maids and eunuchs immediately knelt down and bowed to him.
The actors on stage stopped singing and respectfully bowed to Zhu Houzhao.
"The Emperor has arrived, come and sit down."
Empress Dowager Zhang stood up, gave Zhu Houzhao a sincere smile, and patted the spot next to her.
"Get up, everyone, and keep singing."
As Zhu Houzhao spoke, he walked toward Empress Dowager Zhang.
"His Majesty."
After sitting down next to Empress Dowager Zhang, the young and beautiful women, somewhat shyly, performed the curtsy to Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao then realized that these women must be his concubines.
However, during this period, due to the war in Liaodong, he had no intention of summoning them to his bedchamber.
"Please sit down."
Only after Zhu Houzhao spoke did the concubines dare to take their seats.
Zhu Houzhao noticed that the two concubines closest to him wore clothes and jewelry that were much better than those of the others.
These two concubines were the only two he knew: Xia Tianxin and Liu Ningwei.
"Your Majesty, this play, 'The Loss of the City, the Empty City and the Executioner,' is said to be one of their specialties. I also found it quite good, so I specially invited you to watch it with me."
"You've been working too hard lately. The late emperor ruined his health because he was so worried about state affairs. Don't follow in his footsteps."
"With so many officials in the court, let them handle the miscellaneous tasks. Otherwise, they're receiving huge salaries from the court without doing any work; wouldn't that be letting them off easy?"
Zhu Houzhao nodded calmly: "I understand."
Every time they met, Empress Dowager Zhang would advise him not to overwork himself and to delegate tasks to the court officials.
But if he really handed over all his affairs and became an emperor who knew nothing about politics, wouldn't that be handing over the power in his hands?
Zhu Houzhao would never allow anyone to take away even the slightest bit of the power he held!
After the eighteen concubines took their seats, their eyes frequently swept over Zhu Houzhao, their faces flushed and their hearts pounding.
This was one of the few times they had the opportunity to come into contact with the emperor after entering the palace.
This opportunity was secured for them by the Empress Dowager.
Of the remaining sixteen concubines who had never served the emperor, who wasn't envious of Xia Tianxin and Liu Ningwei's current treatment?
Within the imperial harem, social classes were clearly defined, and the treatment one was entitled to according to their status was laid bare.
The status of a concubine can be clearly seen simply by looking at the material of her clothes and the type of jewelry she wears.
The only factor that determined their status was whether the emperor favored them.
Some concubines who were out of favor lived in more dire straits than some of the head palace maids.
These eighteen concubines all knew that the only thing they could do to change their status in the palace was to try to attract Zhu Houzhao's attention, stir his heartstrings, and capture his heart!
They weren't sure if accompanying Zhu Houzhao to the opera was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If we miss this opportunity, we might regret it for the rest of our lives.
"Your Majesty, I have practiced a dance and would like to present it to you."
A concubine came before Zhu Houzhao, knelt down gracefully, and looked at him expectantly with eyes as clear as autumn water.
Zhu Houzhao glanced at her and said indifferently, "Today we're watching a play, not a dance. Let's go back."
The concubine's originally rosy cheeks instantly turned pale, and she felt embarrassed in front of so many people.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I apologize for my presumption."
The concubine returned to her seat, her eyes already moist.
Seeing this, the other concubines who were eager to curry favor with Zhu Houzhao had no choice but to abandon their plans.
While he chuckled softly at the impetuous concubine, he was also making other plans in his mind.
"Your Majesty, would you like some oranges?"
A peeled orange segment was held up to Zhu Houzhao's mouth, with even the white pith completely removed.
Zhu Houzhao looked up and saw Liu Ningwei standing beside him, bending down to feed him oranges.
Zhu Houzhao glanced at her, ate the orange, and said, "You don't need to do these things yourself; others will serve me."
Liu Ningwei smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling: "No, I only want to serve Your Majesty. No one else is as attentive as me."
Zhu Houzhao glanced at her and said nothing more. Liu Ningwei stood beside Zhu Houzhao, peeling oranges for him segment by segment, without feeling that anything was wrong.
The other concubines were green with envy; Liu Ningwei was far too cunning!
They could also peel oranges for Zhu Houzhao; they could also serve His Majesty!
Empress Dowager Zhang laughed and said, "Your Majesty, you and Consort Liu have a very good relationship. You should invite her to serve you more often."
"The most important thing for the women in the harem is to quickly give birth to imperial offspring for His Majesty and to continue the lineage of the Ming Dynasty."
When Empress Dowager Zhang said this, Zhu Houzhao did not show much emotion, but Liu Ningwei, who was beside him, blushed.
Her beautiful eyes stared boldly at Zhu Houzhao, her body hovering casually around him, her fingers even seemingly unintentionally brushing against the corner of his lips.
Xia Tianxin's face turned slightly pale, and she subconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes. Her gaze fell on Zhu Houzhao, her heart ached a little, and she had some difficulty breathing.
Empress Dowager Zhang sighed and said with some emotion, "I have only given birth to three children: you, Prince Weidao, and Princess Taikang."
"It's a pity they all died young, leaving you as the only heir. I have truly failed in my duty as the mistress of the harem!"
Zhu Houzhao knew who Empress Dowager Zhang was referring to: Prince Wei Dao, Zhu Houwei, and Princess Taikang, Zhu Xiurong. They were both born to Empress Dowager Zhang and were Zhu Houzhao's siblings from the same mother.
Sadly, they all died young, one at three years old and the other at five; they were all pitiful children.
Zhu Houzhao was puzzled as to why Empress Dowager Zhang seemed to have no reservations at all, and was taking the initiative to chat with him about everyday matters.
But she still comforted her, saying, "It's all in the past, Mother, don't think about it anymore."
"Doesn't the Ming Dynasty still have me?"
Empress Dowager Zhang wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and grasped Zhu Houzhao's hand: "Yes, the late emperor is gone, Wei'er and Xiurong are gone too, and now only we, a widow and her children, are left in this palace."
Are you trying to play the emotional card?
Zhu Houzhao looked at Empress Dowager Zhang holding his hand and pondered deeply.
At this moment, the actor who was originally performing on stage suddenly stepped off the stage, demonstrating his fighting skills as he approached Zhu Houzhao.
The actor, relying solely on the flags behind him, twirled a spear, drawing continuous applause from the concubines.
Just as the actor approached Zhu Houzhao, a sudden and unexpected change occurred!
The actor caught the spear and suddenly thrust it fiercely at Zhu Houzhao!
He's trying to assassinate the emperor!