The strictness of the palace guards was well-known.
However, some matters, if people outside wished to know them.
Would always find a way to leak out.
Just like Emperor Yongxing sleeping with Baozhu in Yucui Palace. By noon the next day, the news had reached Su Xiaoqi.
"Bang..." She was holding an account book and reading it.
Upon hearing Zhang Yu return from outside and tell her about it, she immediately lost her composure.
"They were a couple through hardship. And it's only been this long," Su Xiaoqi murmured with some emotion.
She didn't have many opportunities to see Emperor Yongxing.
But in the few times they had met, Emperor Yongxing had left a very good impression on her.
She still remembered when Emperor Yongxing was still Prince Duan.
He had been injured while watching the dragon boat races on the Duan Yang Festival.
She had gone to treat him. At that time, Prince Duan, although his appearance was somewhat weathered.
He was refined and elegant, his demeanor calm and measured.
He was an uncle figure who easily garnered goodwill.
She hadn't expected him to be such a scumbag.
Su Xiaoqi found it hard to believe. When Shen Yun returned, she asked him about it.
Seeing the unusual expression on her face, Shen Yun tentatively asked, "My lady, do you think this matter is impossible?"
Su Xiaoqi replied, "Since His Majesty is already the Emperor, I had thought that there would certainly come a day when he would take concubines and enfeoff consorts.
I just didn't expect it to be so soon, nor did I expect him to find someone in Consort Li's palace."
Shen Yun let out a long sigh. Fortunately, his lady wasn't intensely criticizing the matter.
Having spent so much time with his lady.
Although she rarely expressed her opinions in front of him.
He could tell from her daily actions that she placed great importance on a man's loyalty.
It wasn't that she was jealous.
But rather, she fundamentally believed that a man should only marry one wife.
Taking concubines was unacceptable.
The reason Emperor Yongxing had been intimate with two women consecutively this time.
Was actually due to his behind-the-scenes efforts.
He was hesitating whether to tell her.
And he was afraid she would overthink it.
While he was in distress, Su Xiaoqi's eyes were sharp, and she had already noticed that he had something on his mind.
She pierced through his thoughts with a single sentence: "Husband, what's wrong? Are you hiding something from me and haven't decided how to say it?"
Shen Yun suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with shock, completely revealing his thoughts.
Su Xiaoqi had initially just tried to trick him.
Because back in her modern life, she had heard her best friend talk about it.
Her friend would occasionally ask her boyfriend, "Are you hiding something from me?"
After saying this, she wouldn't say or do anything else.
She would just stare intently at his face.
Observing his eyes and facial expressions to determine if he was indeed hiding something from her.
This method had always worked on her best friend's boyfriend.
Su Xiaoqi had never used it on Shen Yun before.
She hadn't loved him then and felt it was unnecessary.
Now that she loved him, Shen Yun was relatively honest in front of her, giving her no opportunity to use it.
But this time, Shen Yun clearly had something to hide.
So she had a sudden impulse to try and trick him.
Hoping that what Shen Yun was hiding was something she could accept.
Rather than something like her best friend's boyfriend.
During her last attempt to trick him, he finally couldn't hold back and confessed that he had an affair with a married colleague while on a business trip.
And then that romantic relationship had come to an abrupt end.
Su Xiaoqi's mind was racing with thoughts, but her eyes remained fixed on Shen Yun, unmoving.
She wanted to hear what he had to say.
"My lady, I, you, won't be angry if you know, right?" Shen Yun hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
He, who was usually so straightforward, had never imagined he would become so hesitant.
He could have easily used a common phrase in court, "It's a man's business, women shouldn't interfere," to block Su Xiaoqi's inquiry.
But he was certain he couldn't bear to do that.
If he didn't tell her, Xiaoqi would keep it in her heart and feel sad.
So, under Su Xiaoqi's silent urging, he said, "Actually, His Majesty acting this way is because I..."
Su Xiaoqi blinked, waiting silently.
"Consort Li is wary of my closeness to Prince Chen and wants to use the marriage of the Princess of Nanyue to scheme against me.
So I had to find some things for her to do, so she wouldn't have time to deal with me."
So that was the reason.
Su Xiaoqi instantly felt relieved.
"So, my lady, please don't be angry with me. I didn't do it on purpose."
"You did it on purpose!" Su Xiaoqi glanced at him and said naughtily.
At the same time, she couldn't help but let out a snicker.
Shen Yun looked at her radiant smile, seeming to understand something, yet also seeming to understand nothing.
"My lady, you, you aren't angry?" Shen Yun asked cautiously.
His lady usually couldn't stand seeing anyone take concubines.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and said, "It's His Majesty who wants to marry and take concubines, not you. What are you so anxious about?"
Although she didn't approve of the custom of having multiple wives and concubines in this place.
She wouldn't go so far as to play the role of the Virgin Mary and think that she, a穿越者 (transmigrator), could stop them.
She was in the midst of a historical tide.
Which contained whirlpools and rapids.
With her own strength alone, it was completely impossible.
She wouldn't do thankless tasks.
Furthermore, if Consort Li dared to scheme against her man, she should be happy that Consort Li was in trouble.
She wasn't stupid, would she really speak up for someone with whom she had no connection and even a small grievance?
And in doing so, fall out with her husband.
Seeing that Shen Yun hadn't fully recovered, Su Xiaoqi proactively cupped his face and leaned in, giving him a kiss with a "bap."
To reassure him.
Shen Yun was stunned. This turn of events made him so happy that he was a bit at a loss. He weakly said, "My lady doesn't mind."
Su Xiaoqi shook her head, "As long as it's not you, it doesn't matter who it is."
The key was that if Emperor Yongxing truly had no intention, he could have refused.
So the root of the problem lay with him.
Not with Shen Yun, the mastermind behind the scenes.
At best, he had accurately guessed the Emperor's wishes.
Su Xiaoqi said, "One Mingzhu and one Baozhu, how can that be enough?"
Shen Yun now understood Su Xiaoqi's thoughts, and he playfully flicked her nose, saying, "Naturally, it's not enough. So I have already memorialized the Emperor to select consorts."
Su Xiaoqi nodded and suddenly thought of something, "Hey, that's right, doesn't the Emperor's selection of consorts require families of officials above the fifth rank to send a daughter into the palace for selection?"
Shen Yun nodded, "In principle, yes. However, His Majesty is benevolent and said that voluntary applications are sufficient.
He wouldn't want everyone to get married blindly and indiscriminately just to avoid entering the palace."
Su Xiaoqi smiled upon hearing this, "He's quite self-aware."
To think of such a thing showed that Emperor Yongxing was indeed not a foolish ruler.
Otherwise, why would he care about such trivial matters?
He was the Emperor, his word was law, and anyone who dared to disobey would be punished for treason, with confiscation of property and extermination of the clan as the complete package.