After returning to the palace, Zhu Youxiao did not stay in Qianqing Palace, but went directly to Kunning Palace where the Queen was.
Since the wedding, he has not seen her for nearly ten days. This is not okay. He cannot neglect the queen who just got married, otherwise all the things he has done before will be in vain.
Speaking of which, he still misses Zhang Yan. Although they have known each other for a short time, their relationship has become much closer because of their status as husband and wife.
After a short period of getting along, he found that Zhang Yan was indeed an excellent candidate for the queen, and she was also a kind-hearted and soft-hearted person.
The old fritters and hard-nosed households in the harem have basically been dealt with by themselves, and the rest are all good people who are on the right side. The other low-level eunuchs and maids are either newcomers or recalled from other places, so the threat to the queen can be said to be minimal.
The Ming Dynasty was different from other dynasties in that concubines in the harem could not participate in politics, and they did not have the support of their natal brothers like the Han Dynasty.
The system of Emperor Taizu can be said to be the pinnacle of the feudal dynasty. It completely prevented groups such as relatives, harems, and eunuchs from controlling the government. It would not be like the Han and Tang Dynasties, where they fought openly and secretly with ministers while competing for power with the emperor.
The harem of the Ming Dynasty was the most harmonious in history. As long as you become the queen, you are the real master of the harem. You don't need to be ruthless or mean, because these are not the decisive reasons.
The real key is the emperor. Only the emperor can decide all this. Whoever the emperor favors is the most powerful. And even if you are not the queen, as long as the emperor supports you, you can still be the master of the family.
Isn't that what happened to Concubine Wan Guifei and Concubine Zheng? The reason why they were able to dominate the harem was not because they had the emperor behind them.
But just like Concubine Zheng, who had been favored for decades, the emperor even wanted to violate the ancestral system for her sake. Although it failed in the end, at least the emperor really did it, but even she did not dare Provoked the empress of the main palace of Emperor Wanli.
All this is because of the emperor. As long as the emperor doesn't want to touch someone, no matter how clever your methods are, how deep the city is, or how you fight with wits and courage, it will still be useless.
When Zhu Youxiao rushed to Kunning Palace, the eunuchs and maids outside the palace quickly ran over and knelt on the ground. Before they could say anything, he immediately covered his mouth with his fingers and made a silent gesture.
Then he walked slowly towards the palace with gentle steps. Upon seeing this, Wang Chaofu understood the meaning and immediately said to the eunuchs and maids around him:
"It's none of your business here, please step aside."
Then he ordered four guards to take over the guarding work at the door, arranged everything, and entered Kunning Palace with the two palace ladies.
At this time, Queen Zhang Yan was enjoying dinner alone in the palace.
Because Zhu Youxiao's gesture was a gesture of silence, it was not exposed. He walked quietly behind Zhang Yan and just looked at it.
Zhang Yan didn't realize that the emperor was watching her from behind, but continued to taste the delicacies prepared by the eunuch who was responsible for the ceremony.
"Liu Sifu, this dish is really good. It tastes pretty good. Whose craftsmanship is it? I should reward him well."
An older eunuch next to him quickly bent down and said:
"Back to your wife, this dish was specially made for you by the factory owner. It is said that it was learned from a specially hired cook from Henan."
Zhang Yan smiled and said:
"It seems that Wei Zhongxian is a thoughtful person. This cooking skill cannot be learned in a day or two. It must have taken a lot of effort, so I will reward you with twenty taels of silver, which can be regarded as a token of my appreciation.
"
When Zhu Youxiao heard from behind, his expression changed. Wei Zhongxian was really good at judging the situation. When he saw that the Hakka family had no hope of presiding over the harem, he immediately began to fawn over the queen.
"That's not necessary. Since it's my eldest companion who is specially honoring you, just taste the treasure."
Baozhu is Zhang Yan's nickname. Zhu Youxiao thought this name was very good, and Zhang Yan was indeed worthy of the word Baozhu, so he has been calling Zhang Yan Baozhu since they had sex.
He felt that no matter calling him Queen or anything else, it would not be as intimate as Baozhu, so Zhang Yan was naturally happy.
Zhang Yan looked back and found that the emperor was behind her. She immediately bowed and saluted:
"I have met your Majesty!"
Zhu Youxiao helped her up and said softly:
"Didn't I say it last time? In the harem, Baozhu doesn't have to pay too much attention to these complicated etiquettes. You and I are husband and wife. Doesn't this seem too rude?"
Zhang Yan replied:
"I know it!"
After the two sat down, Zhu Youxiao picked up the bowl and chopsticks that Zhang Yan was eating and tasted the dish Wei Zhongxian cooked. After tasting it carefully, he also secretly praised Wei Zhongxian's cooking skills. It seemed that it really cost a lot of money.
Don't worry about it.
After taking a few bites, he put down his chopsticks and asked:
"What do you think of this palace, Bao Zhu? Is there a lot of trivial matters? Is there anyone bullying you?"
"Your Majesty is joking, how could anyone dare to bully my concubine? Small matters in the palace are managed by the female officials and eunuchs, and major matters are decided by the concubine. However, I have nothing to do."
"I have to go to Cining Palace every day to pay my respects to the concubine and learn from it. I haven't fully understood the affairs in this palace yet. I need to get familiar with it early so that I can share the burden with the concubine and your majesty."
Zhu Youxiao sometimes couldn't help but wonder whether this simplicity was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Since you have nothing to do, why don't you come to Qianqing Palace to see me? I miss you very much."
Zhang Yan was originally a thin-skinned person, but when she saw the emperor starting to tease her again, she couldn't help but show a hint of embarrassment.
When the eunuchs and maids nearby saw the emperor and empress flirting, they all covered their mouths and started laughing.
Zhu Youxiao didn't stop. He just wanted to show it to others so that they could spread the word.
Besides, the eunuchs and maids who can serve here now are not ordinary characters, they are all people close to the emperor and empress.
After dinner, Zhu Youxiao couldn't wait to carry Zhang Yan to the dormitory. Not long after, there was a rustling sound in the dormitory.
After the two men fought for three hundred rounds, the dormitory finally became quiet.
Zhu Youxiao hugged his wife tightly on the bed, placed his chin and lips against her forehead, closed his eyes and said with a hint of sleepiness:
"Tomorrow, go and see Concubine Chun on my behalf. I have been neglecting her these days. I don't know if she is in good health or if there is anything wrong with the emperor's heir."
Zhang Yan replied softly:
"If your majesty has nothing to do tomorrow, why don't you go with me? It's better for your majesty to see her once than for me to go ten times."
Zhu Youxiao was now drowsy and replied vaguely:
"Okay, let's go together tomorrow. I don't know if she will give birth to a prince or a princess for me."
When this sensitive topic was mentioned, Zhang Yan became nervous and asked tentatively:
"Then does Your Majesty want a prince or a princess?"
Zhu Youxiao said intermittently:
"I want Baozhu to give birth to my first prince, make him the prince, and inherit the throne."
Zhang Yan couldn't help but feel a lot more relaxed after hearing this. She leaned closely into Zhu Youxiao's arms, buried her head on the emperor's chest and fell asleep.