Chapter 138 - 118: Here Comes Trouble (2)
Disbelief spread across everyone’s faces.
The words Li Mingyu had been about to use to condemn the Emperor for his absurdity caught in his throat.
Seeing the two old men choke on their words, the Emperor was satisfied.
’This was exactly the effect I was going for!’
Listening to lewd songs and poetry in Qingliu Hall would be too outrageous and would damage the Emperor’s reputation as a wise ruler.
But if he were studying seriously in Qingliu Hall, he would have no reason to refuse the capable men recommended by the two elders.
Yet, the Emperor had pulled this move—
He was here to listen to his beloved concubine sing!
And she was singing about proper, scholarly subjects!
It was the perfectly calculated relaxation of a top student, possessing a charm that would leave even a dean of discipline baffled.
The five young Hanlin Officials, whose composure was not so strong, were left with dazed, dumbstruck expressions as they listened.
The Emperor didn’t mind this at all.
He was supremely confident in his own charm and believed no one would dare covet his woman. Given that, all their envy and jealousy only served to flatter his vanity.
The song came to an end.
In high spirits, the Emperor asked, "Mr. Li, wouldn’t you say my beloved concubine sings well? I’ve grown quite tired of the usual way of studying. Having her here to sing to me is rather refreshing."
Li Mingyu forced a smile. "Lady Gu’s voice is indeed heavenly, but for her to be coming and going from the place where the Emperor studies... I’m afraid that is highly improper!"
As a Minister of Care appointed by the late Emperor, he held a certain authority; the current Emperor was, in a way, his junior.
Li Mingyu could prostrate himself on the ground in the most subservient display of a courtier to offer his counsel, but the Emperor could not simply ignore his words.
If one wished to be an enlightened ruler, one’s actions had to be restrained.
But a femme fatale didn’t need to be.
"Mr. Li, you are so cruel!" Jiang Xian’s voice, with its natural reverb, was so effective it nearly gave Old Sir Li a heart attack. Playing the victim, she clutched her chest, her beautiful eyes shimmering with tears. "The Emperor works so hard handling state affairs every day. He merely wanted me to accompany him while he reads—and we are reading the classics of sages! Why are you so insistent on tearing me and the Emperor apart? *Sob, sob, sniffle...*"
"You..."
"Why are you glaring at me? Your Majesty, he’s frightening me!"
Jiang Xian collapsed delicately into the Emperor’s arms, revealing only a pair of moist eyes. "*Sob*, the moment he glared at me, my shoulder started hurting again."
Everyone knew that Gu Pin had injured her shoulder while shielding the Empress Dowager from a sword.
Just as expected, a look of pain crossed the Emperor’s face. "Alas, must you be so harsh with a delicate woman?"
"This minister wouldn’t dare! I simply believe that with Lady Gu’s beauty, she should not appear where other men are present. It will cause gossip and disturb the Emperor and his officials, making it impossible to study with a clear mind."
"Oh?"
Jiang Xian, who had just been weeping in the Emperor’s arms, lifted her head and looked at him demurely. "Has Mr. Li been disturbed by me?"
What a heart-piercing question.
Li Mingyu hastily denied it, and Jiang Xian smiled. "Since that’s not the case, there’s no need for Mr. Li to mention it again. I am certain that all the officials who can study in Qingliu Hall are righteous scholars with pure minds. If there are any who cannot quiet their hearts, then perhaps they should stay away from Qingliu Hall."
Li Mingyu was about to argue further when he suddenly realized the brilliance of Jiang Xian’s statement.
He and Zhang Mingci had come with the express purpose of stuffing their own people into Qingliu Hall.
If he were to admit that he couldn’t quiet his heart, that would be the perfect excuse not to use the people he recommended.
’She seems coarse, but she’s actually quite subtle. She’s turned my own words against me.’
"If the Emperor wishes to summon concubines to his studies, this minister believes it is also permissible," Zhang Mingci interjected, speaking slowly. "I imagine the candidates I’m recommending would also be quite capable of appreciating Lady Gu’s singing voice."
’As long as we can get our people in, what does a little absurdity matter?’
The two old men were pressing forward relentlessly, leaving no choice but for the femme fatale to make her move.
"You two sirs were just trying to tear me and the Emperor apart a moment ago,"
Jiang Xian’s lip trembled, and she started to fake-cry again. "I don’t want to perform in front of such cold, heartless people. I feel awful. My heart hurts. Where is that list? Your Majesty must stand up for me! I don’t want to see anyone from that list! They all want to keep you from seeing me."
Since ancient times, gentlemen have always been afraid of shrews.
In the workplace, you often see a mild-mannered boss who keeps an aggressive and unreasonable subordinate on hand. When it’s time to fight for benefits, this person is sent into the fray to raise hell. This role is often best filled by a middle-aged woman. After all, in traditional Chinese thought, it is an extremely embarrassing and undignified thing for a grown man to get into a drawn-out, messy argument with a shrew.
Thus, the one who sent them—and cared about saving face—emerged victorious.
Jiang Xian didn’t personally agree with this way of thinking, but that didn’t stop her from using it to her advantage.
’I’m the Emperor’s subordinate. If I act like a shrew on my boss’s behalf, won’t a promotion and a raise be guaranteed? A supervisor can do without one competent subordinate, but when it comes to wrangling over benefits with other departments, they can’t do without the one who knows how to fight and argue. A flamethrower will always have its chance to shine.’
"Qingliu Hall is meant to be a place where I can relax and listen to my studies. If my two dear ministers have people they find useful, have them prove themselves in the royal court. When I am tired, I only wish to see people who are sensible and interesting. More importantly, I don’t want to upset my beloved concubine."
The Emperor put on a helpless expression, looking for all the world like a "henpecked" and unenlightened ruler.
Seeing that Jiang Xian was about to cause another scene, he regretfully handed the list back to Zhang Mingci. "There is no need to show this list to me again."
Zhang Mingci forced a smile and offered his thanks.
Why had the ever-diligent Emperor suddenly become so absurdly infatuated?
To make the two men believe it, there had to be a devastatingly beautiful femme fatale convincing enough to pull it off. This was why Jiang Xian had turned her "halo" up to the maximum today.
After the two men left Qingliu Hall, they discussed the Emperor’s performance. "The Emperor doesn’t seem the type to summon a concubine to sing for his amusement."
"But Lady Gu’s singing voice was truly delightful. I’d be willing to come back tomorrow just to hear it again."
"Sigh! What good is a nice singing voice when her personality is so detestable?"
"That’s true. It must have been hard on you, getting scolded by a woman like that."
"The Emperor is doting on her, holding her in the palm of his hand. What can we do? But from the looks of it, did the Emperor really establish this Qingliu Hall just to listen to readings and amuse himself? If Lady Gu only visits Qingliu Hall this one time, then His Majesty was just putting on a show to fool us."
Both men found Gu Pin to be spoiled, willful, and utterly detestable.
Her exaggerated performance, however, had served to justify the Emperor’s slacking off.