Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 149 Thick Skin

Fengzao Palace.

There was no one around. Emperor Zhaoming was leaning on the couch, using a small silver stick to pick up a freshly harvested watermelon. He tasted it, threw the stick away, and said in disdain, "It's not sweet."

"It's the first crop that has just come down, so just eat it while it's fresh." Tao Xingjian advised him not to go too far.

Emperor Zhaoming snorted, then looked at Yuanchun who was sitting cautiously beside him, and told her with a fake smile: "The servants of your uncle's family are really generous.

"I heard that your cousin and sister-in-law assigned them a task, but they didn't want to do it, so they ran away together! Jingzhao Prefecture chased them, but they dared to resist!"

Yuanchun's face turned pale instantly. She bit her lip, knelt down with a plop, lowered her head, and didn't know what to say.

"As for the man, he was killed by Jingzhao Prefecture. Jingzhao Prefecture handed over his valuables for me to see - guess how much silver was there?"

Emperor Zhaoming leaned forward on his knees, raised one corner of his mouth, and asked Yuanchun directly.

Yuanchun suppressed the trembling of her whole body and looked up at Emperor Zhaoming's eyes tremblingly.

There was coldness, murderous intent, and hatred in those eyes, but no pity or tenderness.

"I can't guess..."

"Can't guess? Or you don't dare to guess it for me?" Emperor Zhaoming sneered, leaned back, and picked up a pear-shaped silk fan on the couch and fanned himself for fun.

Yuanchun knelt on the ground and answered in a tearful voice: "I have been in the palace for more than ten years, and I really don't know what's going on at home.

"When I wrote to my family, I only asked about my parents, brothers and sisters. How could I have thought of asking about me?

"I know Your Majesty is angry. If you are angry, you can punish my uncle, father, brother, and me. This is all right.

"I will hand over my salary for the past six months right now. Just consider it as a punishment from Your Majesty!"

Emperor Zhaoming raised his eyebrows and looked at her. He was stunned for a moment, and then his smile widened: "Smart! Come on, Lao Tao, remember!

"The virtuous concubine Jia of Fengzao Palace is worried about the flood and feels sorry for me, so she specially donated half a year's salary to help with disaster relief!

"Your heart is truly admirable! I wish to reward you and ask the Queen Mother for her mercy to promote you to the title of Imperial Concubine!"

Jia Yuanchun suddenly raised her head, tears in her eyes, and looked at Emperor Zhaoming in horror. She could no longer hold back her shaking!

"Such a surprise? You don't even know how to thank me?" Emperor Zhaoming stood up from the couch with a cold look in his eyes and a raised corner of his mouth, looking down at Jia Yuanchun.

"That's fine! Let me explain another puzzle to you: the Wang family has four concubines, and their valuables total 12,672 taels!

"And your poor sister, who was expelled from the clan because she refused to be the concubine of Prince Beijing, all the antique utensils in her house are only worth a little over a thousand taels.

"I gave her a plaque to praise her. She deserves it."

Emperor Zhaoming left.

Jia Yuanchun lay limp on the ground for a long time. She barely got up with the help of Baoqin and forced a smile, "Baoqin, your master has been promoted to a noble concubine. Are you happy?"

Baoqin's eyes were filled with tears: "Your Majesty is using you as a target for the whole palace..."

"Baoqin! Your master is quite happy. This shows that your master is still useful in the eyes of His Majesty." Jia Yuanchun lowered her head, wiped away her tears bit by bit, and then raised her head, "Dress up for me and change into bright clothes!"

A quarter of an hour later, the imperial kitchen sent two more servings of fruit, one of which was a watermelon that was so sweet, and the other was bayberry that was delivered to the palace this morning.

Bayberry. Raise your eyebrows?

Yuanchun smiled sadly.

The entrance to Fengzao Palace suddenly became noisy: "Oh my! I heard that a new imperial concubine was replaced with half a year's salary?

"Hurry up, let me make Jia pay respect to me before the imperial edict comes down! Tomorrow she will become a noble concubine, and I will have to kneel down to her!"

Baoqin's face was pale.

Jia Yuanchun was wearing a bright pink brocade gown with hundreds of flowers, showing a calm smile, slowly waving a silk fan, and whispered: "Baoqin, take a look at the snacks, and bring the sour plum soup!"

Emperor Zhaoming went directly to Kunning Palace, to inform the empress that he wanted to promote Jia Yuanchun, and to assign her a big project - the birthday celebration of the retired emperor.

"Father likes excitement, and you are always the best at organizing excitement. You go and organize it. Although the treasury is tight, it is not as tight as Father's."

Emperor Zhaoming said in a friendly manner, "The Ministry of Revenue is not able to help with the flood in the south of the Yangtze River. I will be very busy recently and I am afraid I will not come here often. Although you are in charge of this matter, please do not tire yourself out. Let the imperial physician take care of it from time to time."

Empress Wan was so moved that she almost cried. She couldn't help but complain to Emperor Zhaoming: "How can Jia be made a noble concubine when she's not even pregnant? Wouldn't that make Concubine Li, who has a child, complain?"

"Noble Concubine Si passed away last year, and the Seventh Prince has been raised by the Dowager Concubine, which is not appropriate. Since Jia Shi has no children, let her raise them. It's also good. The child's biological mother is a noble concubine, and the adoptive mother is also a noble concubine. It's suitable!"

Emperor Zhaoming slapped his thigh, then walked away.

Empress Wan was so angry that she burst into tears. Seeing Emperor Zhaoming had left the courtyard, she raised her hand and smashed a jade ruyi, gritting her teeth and saying, "Jia Yuanchun, that bitch! She's taking advantage of me by getting a concubine for half a year's salary!"

"How can it be cheap? If this happens, everyone in the palace will have to donate some of their monthly salary, right?

“What’s more, her sister actually won an imperial plaque with just one or two thousand yuan of her own money.

"All the daughters of officials in the capital city, who wouldn't have to quickly take out the money from their purses?

"Won't this make all the women in and outside the palace hate her?!

“If Your Majesty truly loves her, you should have left her alone at this time, but you followed your words and made a big fuss to let her adopt the Seventh Prince!

"Your Majesty, please understand. The Emperor must really hate her! You shouldn't be angry with her!"

Although Su Hong is missing a few teeth, it does not prevent her from thinking quickly.

Empress Wan was unwilling to give in, and cried fiercely: "Then I will give her another shot in the arm! Spread the word that I am ill, and ask her to come and celebrate the emperor's birthday!"

Su Hong quickly stopped him: "Then you are openly opposing the emperor. You are the Empress of the Central Palace and the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Emperor. It is reasonable for you to hold this birthday party.

"But if you don't do it, then Your Majesty will have to hand this matter over to the Crown Prince, and by the way, you must find one or two princes from the royal family to help, most likely Prince Yu!"

Although he is over thirty this year and has been on the throne for three years, Prince Yu is still the regent prince.

Everyone in the harem understood that the emperor was afraid of his uncle Yu.

Empress Wan was immediately timid and sulked for a while before throwing the comb aside, muttering, "What's this! Even if you make people angry, you still have to make them work!"

Everything happened just as Su Hong said.

Before the palace gates were locked, the messengers from the palaces who had been sent out to deliver messages to their parents' homes had all returned, bringing with them the money that the sisters in their boudoirs had donated to help with the floods in the south of the Yangtze River.

By dinner time, there were already several piles of lists on the table in front of Emperor Zhaoming.

"This is the monthly salary donation of the ladies of the imperial court. This is the donation of the daughters of the noble families. This is the donation of the princes of the royal family such as Duncheng and Kejin, along with their princesses and princes.

"This is the first batch of donations from the wealthy families in the capital who were quick to donate." Tao Xingjian wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a bitter face, "The total amount is more than 336,000 taels."

Emperor Zhaoming flipped through the last stack of lists and asked, "Wealthy families in the capital? Is there anyone from the Xue family, the relative of Concubine Jia?"

"No……"

"Ha! How can that be tolerated? Send people to go to their doorstep and complain about them! Let's see how thick-skinned this family is!"

"Your Majesty, you won't even let go of someone with this kind of family background?!"

Who is the thick-skinned one?!