freenovelworld Chapter 389 Give Me Another Child
Chapter 389 Give Me Another Child
"Hey! Brother Dong, I've always been curious about how many wrinkles there are on my old face. How about you count them for me and satisfy my curiosity?"
Su Peisheng's sarcastic voice sounded from behind him.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Dongzi was so frightened that he fell to his knees, then turned around and begged for mercy.
"Master, I was just farting, please don't take it to heart."
Xiao Dongzi hated Xiao Xiazi in his heart. That bastard knew that the master was coming but didn't tell him. It was a waste of his good intentions to give him some attention in the future.
Xiao Xiazi: Su Peisheng is obviously feeling guilty for hiding the selection of Hahazhuzi from the Imperial Concubine. Anyone with eyesight can see it.
Of course, Su Peisheng kept his mouth shut, and Xiao Xiazi only got the specific list of Haha beads after the Sixth Prince entered the Shangshufang.
Su Peisheng still had to go to the palace to serve his master and had no time to stay here.
He glanced coldly at Xiao Dongzi, who was kneeling on the ground, several times, snorted coldly, and turned away, leaving Xiao Dongzi kneeling on the ground and talking to himself sadly.
"It's over! I'm done!"
Xiao Xiazi couldn't bear to see this, so she reached out and pulled the man up.
"You are a little eunuch who has left your name in front of the master. The master will not do anything to you."
At least it won't be life-threatening, but there will definitely be constant small troubles.
"Brother Xia, Master is narrow-minded. What do you think I should do?"
Xiao Dongzi held on tightly to the arm beside him and refused to let go.
Xiao Xiazi gave him a helpless expression.
Su Peisheng is a man of deep thoughts, and no one can predict what he will do. But if I dare to give Xiao Dongzi some untactful advice, he will definitely not let me go.
Any small eunuch can be the mouthpiece of the emperor, it is not necessary for him to be the only one.
Xiao Xiazi, who was standing respectfully not far from Su Peisheng waiting for orders, had a gloomy look in his eyes. He had to do everything he could to climb up, otherwise he really couldn't help Concubine Shu at all.
Outside the hall, Xiao Xia Zi blamed herself for not being able to dig out the information about the Sixth Prince's Haha beads in advance, while inside the hall, An Lingrong gently placed a small plate with exquisite pastries on the table.
"Your Majesty, this is a pastry fresh from the kitchen. It's still hot. Would you like to try it?"
"I thought Qiao Zhongping was the only one who had snacks, but it turns out I have some too."
The emperor smiled and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and put it in his mouth. After chewing it for a few times, he squinted his eyes in enjoyment.
An Lingrong explained calmly.
"Your Majesty, I heard from my mother that children from ordinary families must prepare six rituals before entering private schools. I will pack six plates of snacks and send them over right away."
The emperor's spies are everywhere in the Shangshu Room, so it seems that sending pigeons to deliver cakes every day is not feasible.
An Lingrong pushed a plate of freshly made pastries in front of the emperor.
"Qiao Zhongping is indeed a man of great learning, but he is very intolerant. Rong'er, please don't send him cakes in the future, so as to avoid getting into trouble with him."
The emperor advised kindly.
He still felt a lingering fear when he talked about Qiao Zhongping.
When Qiao Zhongping, a boy from a farming family, won the second place in the imperial examination, the emperor even summoned him to the palace for a talk. All the major families heard the news and followed suit, offering generous gifts.
Who would have thought that Qiao Zhongping turned around and handed the list of gifts to the emperor, and stated on the spot that he would hand over the ill-gotten gains to the national treasury.
The emperor still clearly remembers the surprise on the late emperor's face.
"Your Majesty, I have taken note of this. However, Lord Qiao is a good official who is honest and upright. I am relieved to have him teach Hongzhan."
The person was chosen by the emperor, so An Lingrong could only say good things about him.
In her heart, she hoped that Qiao Zhongping would not be a conservative person, so as not to lead Hongzhan astray.
"I will check Hongzhan's homework every now and then. If Qiao Zhongping is not capable of teaching him, I will not keep him in the Shangshu Office to prevent him from misleading other students."
Among the three sons raised by the emperor, Hongzhan seems to be the most outstanding at the moment.
His fiftieth birthday will be at the end of the year, so many things need to be considered in advance.
From time to time, the censors used the excuse that he had no children to submit memorials to dissuade him from visiting the harem more often.
The emperor became very upset whenever he thought of this.
Having children was his family affair, but a group of ministers from the previous dynasty were keeping a close eye on it.
In particular, several ministers from major families hinted to him in words and deeds that he should get closer to the Manchu concubines and give birth to children as soon as possible.
The emperor's eyes darkened. His prince's background was not important, the one with the most ability would get the position.
When the emperor was having snacks, he looked through all the concubines in the harem and found that only Concubine Shu was the most blessed.
He grabbed An Lingrong's hand that had put down the teacup and discussed with her with a smile.
"Rong'er, Hongzhan has moved to the prince's residence. Hongyao and Zhaohua are already sensible. How about you give birth to another prince for me?"
"I will obey your Majesty."
An Lingrong lowered her head and responded softly, her exposed earlobes tinged with a faint pink.
She had been with the emperor for so many years and had learned a lesson: if you can't do something, you should agree to it immediately; if you can do something, you should agree with a frown.
Anyway, she is just a small concubine. If she encounters a problem that cannot be solved, she will eventually have to ask the emperor for help.
The emperor took in An Lingrong's shyness, gently stroked her soft, boneless little hand, and joked with a smile.
"Rong'er, you've given me three children, why are you still so reluctant to let go?"
"Your Majesty, you...how could you make fun of me like this? I remember I have something else to do in the palace, so I'll take my leave now."
An Lingrong bowed and trotted out of the Yangxin Palace.
Su Peisheng heard the deep laughter coming from the main hall, and without knowing the inside story, he smiled and moved closer to An Lingrong.
"Your Highness, you are truly capable. I haven't seen my master laugh so happily in a long time."
An Lingrong smiled awkwardly, "Eunuch Su, the Emperor is in a good mood because Hongzhan is starting school today."
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Eunuch Su for his concern for Hongzhan."
Xiao Xia Zi revealed more and more information to Yongshou Palace, which might not be without Su Peisheng's hint.
Although An Lingrong had some resentment towards him, she couldn't pretend to be deaf and blind at this time.
"You are too polite, Your Majesty. The Emperor loves the Sixth Prince, and as a servant, I naturally cannot let my master down."
When Su Peisheng heard An Lingrong's words, his heart felt as sweet as honey.
Then he glanced around and spoke in a low voice.
"Your Highness, since Li Shuren's son was adopted out, the Shangshufang has been empty for several years. The Emperor intends to allow the royal family's children to enter the palace to study..."
More people means competition, and Hongzhan's life will be harder than before.
An Lingrong immediately understood Su Peisheng's unspoken intention.
"Thank you, Eunuch Su, for your advice. I am deeply grateful."
Not long after they returned to Yongshou Palace, the eunuch from Yangxin Palace brought news that the emperor would come to have dinner with Hongyao and Zhaohua today.