Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 455: Filling the New Emperor’s Harem?

Chapter 455: Chapter 455: Filling the New Emperor’s Harem?

Consort Dowager Qi became more and more infuriated as she spoke.

Hua Ping was previously only a third-class palace maid and was not qualified to serve her. It was only because Consort Dowager Qi saw that Hua Ping was thoughtful and nimble that she allowed her to become a personal attendant.

Not only did her monthly money increase several times, but she often received rewards from Consort Dowager Qi as well.

Yet now she had the audacity to say she wanted to leave the palace without even discussing it with her!

Consort Dowager Qi suppressed the rage in her heart and looked at Hua Ping:

"I do not know why you suddenly wish to leave the palace, but I will pretend I did not hear your words just now. Think carefully, whether it is more promising to follow me or to leave the palace and marry someone at random!"

Despite not wanting Hua Ping to leave, she still spoke with her usual air of superiority.

Kneeling on the ground, Hua Ping lifted her head to face Consort Dowager Qi and said firmly:

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for your appreciation, but I truly wish to leave the palace. What I have not told you is that not only is my family poor, but I also have a childhood sweetheart who is my fiancé. I voluntarily entered the palace to serve as a palace maid in order to support my fiancé’s studies and his success in civil examinations."

Consort Dowager Qi’s eyes widened in shock: "What are you talking about? You’re usually so clever, why would you do such a thing as supporting a man’s studies! Theaters constantly perform the tale of Chen Shimei, do you think there are many good men out there? If you really help him succeed, he will just turn around and marry someone else’s wealthy daughter!"

She almost laughed in anger, for since ancient times, when men achieved success, the first thing they did was to abandon their old wives and completely sever ties with their past, fearing others would learn of their humble beginnings.

Hua Ping actually sold herself into the palace for a man.

It was utterly ridiculous!

Hua Ping also laughed, but her laugh was gentle, and her expression was no longer the stern solemnity of a senior palace maid. She said:

"Life is a gamble, but I have bet correctly. He and I came out from deep within the mountains after exhausting everything we had. He is ambitious and diligent. Last year, he already achieved scholarly honors and has now become a pupil of Grand Scholar Zhou. He has made progress step by step, firmly and steadily."

Consort Dowager Qi sneered: "Is that so? He achieved scholarly honors last year, yet he allowed you to continue staying in the palace. Do you truly believe he loves you? Would a man who loves you bear to let you serve as a servant?"

"He has always been looking for a way to get me out of the palace, but I wanted to save more silver. Besides, I was not of age last year."

Hua Ping had just turned twenty-two, and in the past, one could leave the palace only at the age of twenty-six.

She could not tell Consort Dowager Qi that she was actually someone bought by the New Emperor to keep an eye on Consort Dowager Qi and prevent her from doing anything irreversible that might affect the situation, occasionally even following orders to manipulate Consort Dowager Qi into minor actions.

She would not tell, nor did she need to.

The relationship between Consort Dowager Qi and the New Emperor was already tense, and if Consort Dowager Qi learned that she had been bought, it would only further sour the relationship between mother and son.

Hua Ping knew that Consort Dowager Qi was not a bad person, just someone with a difficult personality and temper, easily swayed by emotions.

Consort Dowager Qi’s strained relationship with the Empress, her daughter-in-law, was entirely due to her own prejudices, because she had never approved of this daughter-in-law from the beginning and had preferred Murong Man instead.

Even after discovering that Murong Man was not as good as she thought, she still did not change her opinion.

Ultimately, it was Consort Dowager Qi’s own stubbornness, feeling that her son and daughter-in-law were not heeding her advice.

She felt she owed her son and did not dare to scold him, and since her son was born of her, she naturally sided with him, blaming the daughter-in-law for causing discord.

But in truth, the Empress simply did not care what her mother-in-law thought of her, nor did she have the will to pay attention to these matters.

The Empress was magnanimous and would not stoop to petty calculations.

The decree to confer the title of Empress Dowager Feng still had not been issued, all because the New Emperor was deliberately leaving her hanging.

But no one else could be blamed for that—it was her own fault.

In her early years, to secure the Emperor’s favor, she had deliberately let her son fall ill so that the Former Emperor would stay concerned and spend the night. Later, when she was pregnant with twins, considering it an ill omen, she had found ways to have a miscarriage. Looking back, she was selfish and reaped what she sowed, and she could not blame others.

Consort Dowager Qi’s future had nothing to do with Hua Ping anymore. She had offered her advice, whether Consort Dowager Qi would come to realize it was up to her.

She knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times: "This servant thanks Your Majesty for the care over the years. I will be forever grateful and never forget it."

"You really insist on leaving the palace? If you live miserably afterwards, don’t even think about coming back to cry to me!"

Consort Dowager Qi said with a cold face.

"This servant has made up her mind."

"Then go."

Consort Dowager Qi couldn’t bring herself to plead with a servant to stay, nor could she lower her dignity to do so.

She believed that Hua Ping’s choice was wrong and that she couldn’t possibly live a good life in the future—who could have it as comfortable as by her side?

But since Hua Ping insisted on leaving, let her go. She was, after all, the mother of the Emperor, the most prestigious woman under the heavens—could she not find a few personal attendants?

She watched indifferently as Hua Ping departed.

...

Hua Ping was about to leave the palace, and Murong Jiu knew about it.

Lately, there had been a number of palace maids and eunuchs leaving the palace, and Hua Ping, left by Jun Yuyan as a spy by Consort Dowager Qi’s side, was someone whose situation Murong Jiu was aware of.

Initially, Jun Yuyan had passed the word to Hua Ping, allowing her to leave the palace early.

This age threshold of twenty-two for leaving the palace was set by Murong Jiu according to Hua Ping’s age.

When Hua Ping entered the palace, she was only sixteen, and in the blink of an eye, six years had passed.

There were many palace maids who entered the palace at twelve or thirteen, spending the best years of their lives in the palace.

In fact, Hua Ping’s fiancé, although considered a scholar in their village, possessed only superficial knowledge once he arrived in the Capital City. Fortunately, instead of being discouraged, he was motivated to work even harder, studying diligently. After years of effort, he finally succeeded in obtaining scholarly recognition last year.

Although his ranking was a lot lower than Lou Zixi’s, given his background, his achievements were still excellent.

There were quite a few noble lords who took a liking to his prospects, wanting to match their daughters with him, but he refused them all, clarifying voluntarily that he has a fiancée whom he has loved for many years.

Jun Yuyan had met him and, after evaluating him, found that his character was indeed very good and resilient. He was a serious scholar, albeit a bit bookish, and his abilities in governmental affairs were utterly different from Lou Zixi’s—he was more suited for scholarly pursuits.

Therefore, Jun Yuyan introduced him to Grand Scholar Zhou so that in the future, he could take the path of a scholar. If he did well, he might manage Great Yan’s free schools.

Of course, all these were future matters.

Murong Jiu admired Hua Ping’s courage to risk it all. She believed that Hua Ping was not a person who only thought of love. She had her pursuits and worked hard for their home as a couple.

So she summoned Hua Ping, awarded her with gold and silver jewelry, to add to her dowry.

Hua Ping expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Her Majesty the Empress. I am forever grateful."

"Go and start your new life."

She was also embarking on a new life, her journey as the Empress had just begun.

But no sooner had Hua Ping left, than Consort Dowager Qi started causing trouble again.

She actually took advantage of an Imperial Woman who came to the palace to visit her, arranging with her to introduce suitable young women into the palace to fill Jun Yuyan’s harem.