"You all go back first." Tianmiao stood up and softly said to the concubines who were trembling on the ground.
"Go back, go back." The Emperor also spoke up at this time, trying to soften his tone. Yet, those concubines still retreated like mice seeing a cat, and after bowing, they quickly ran off.
In the blink of an eye, only the Empress and the Emperor remained in the garden.
"Empress, it’s not that I’m saying anything, but you’re getting more and more ridiculous by the day." The Emperor walked over to the Empress, sat down beside her, and said with a stern face.
"How am I being ridiculous? Is there an ancestral rule that says concubines can’t pay respects to the Empress? Is there a rule that forbids concubines from having fun? Is there a rule that they must stay in the deep palace waiting for the Emperor’s summons, possibly not seeing him for a lifetime, and then dying in desolation?" The Empress also sat down and said slowly.
The Emperor’s expression suddenly changed as he stood up abruptly, shouting angrily, "Empress, you are being impertinent!"
When an emperor is furious, a thousand corpses lie dead.
This metaphor shows just how terrifying an emperor’s anger can be.
All the palace attendants instantly knelt in fear, burying their heads and holding their breath.
The Emperor coldly stared at the Empress, watching her calm face.
The Empress merely smiled slightly and spoke softly, "Upset by the truth? As a ruler of a nation, should you not listen to all sides to be enlightened and widely accept advice? The truth is unpleasant, but beneficial."
The palace attendants in the Empress Palace were trembling as they knelt. My god, what was the Empress saying? How could she dare speak to the Emperor like that? Is she not afraid of being deposed? The Emperor could easily depose the Empress. The Empress has no powerful family backing her, while Concubine Xian and Concubine Mei come from prominent families. If the Empress were deposed, their families would certainly welcome the opportunity and try to place their own members in the Empress’s position.
"Empress, you are becoming more and more insolent. Don’t think I really can’t do anything about you." The Emperor squeezed out a sentence through his teeth, although he felt a sudden shock at the truth of the Empress’s words. What the Empress said was indeed the truth, very unpleasant truth.
"You are a wise ruler, not only halting the advance of foreign invaders but also driving them further away to protect your subjects. Your strength and charm don’t need validation through expanding the harem; wouldn’t you agree, Emperor?" Tianmiao smiled, handing a bowl of tea to the Emperor. "The weather is hot; have some cool tea to beat the heat."
The Emperor gazed steadily at the smiling Empress, slowly sat down, and took the cup from her hand. For some reason, his earlier anger seemed to have dissipated by more than half?
"Empress, are you... jealous?" Suddenly, the Emperor asked Tianmiao. Due to his expansive harem, the Empress had been enduring all along but was now unwilling to continue?
Tianmiao raised an eyebrow. "Then, let’s just say it’s jealousy." Sometimes, placating a difficult child is a necessary part of an immersive task.
"Actually, I don’t need that many concubines. It’s the Empress Dowager who insists on selecting more to spread the lineage." The Emperor said in a low voice. The Empress’s comment about jealousy erased the last bit of his anger.
"So, treat them well." Tianmiao gently suggested. Those lower-ranked concubines can’t be dismissed from the palace. If they go home, their parents won’t welcome them, not to mention remarrying; who would dare marry a concubine dismissed by the Emperor?
"Fine, then you take charge, Empress. Give them a raise or something." The Emperor nodded.
"Alright, will you stay for dinner tonight?" Tianmiao asked.
"Yes, let’s have hotpot." The Emperor replied.
"Didn’t we just have it last time? Eating so frequently might cause internal heat."
"Then have the Imperial Physician prescribe some cooling medication."
"..."