TFSRITA Chapter 96

Ji Yecheng had developed a sharp sense of hearing. At first, he was hit every time, but now he could sense the strikes in advance and dodge out of the whip’s range—no easy feat.

The palace appeared to have returned to calm, but outside, there was still an uproar over the imperial consort handling the reports again.

Especially concerning the matter of the Wuling River.

But no one dared to speak out. After all, Lord Ran, who had initially opposed the decision most strongly, had been executed along with his entire family. Naturally, the others were scared.

A group of officials gathered to chat, frequently bringing up the consort’s actions. One of them, upon hearing the mention of the water channels, muttered, “What does a woman know? Has she ever even seen the Wuling River? Does she understand how fierce the river truly is? What could she possibly know? How could she order so many laborers to dig channels and plant trees? When the floods come, they’ll all be washed away!”

“Exactly! I suggested earlier that we could recruit wealthy merchants to donate funds and prepare rescue measures in advance. That would have been far better!”

“Not to mention, rebuilding the dikes would have been a much better use of manpower than this nonsense!”

“Ah, His Majesty is deluded. This will be the downfall of the Da Qian Empire!”

“Indeed, alas, there’s nothing we can do…”

As they spoke, the middle-aged man who had started the conversation looked at the younger man who had been silent and asked, “Xiu Zhi, why aren’t you saying anything?”

The younger man snapped out of his thoughts, his expression uncertain.

Seeing the encouraging looks from his colleagues, he gritted his teeth and said, “I’ve been thinking about His Majesty… His Majesty plans to dismiss the imperial harem!”

“What!” The group erupted in shock and fury, their eyes fixed on him. “What did you say? Repeat that!”

The man reluctantly explained the situation.

It turned out that some time ago, the emperor had ordered the construction of a summer palace at the foot of Mount Zhoushan. It was a beautiful place, only half a day’s journey from Chang’an, with good weather and peaceful surroundings—a perfect retreat.

But only recently did he learn that the purpose of this palace was to house the concubines.

The palace was nearly complete, and as soon as it was finished, the concubines would be sent there.

However, those who wished to return to their families would be allowed to do so. The summer palace was just one of the options.

Even so, the ministers were outraged and rushed home to draft petitions.

The next day, the court was in complete chaos.

Yet Ji Yecheng acted as if he hadn’t heard the commotion. He waited until they had all exhausted themselves, then calmly said, “Since you already know, I’ll be direct. On the auspicious date of May 15th, all concubines must leave the palace. They can return to their families or go to the summer palace. I will ensure their safety for the rest of their lives.”

One official, after hearing this, cried out, “Your Majesty, this will ruin my daughter! She’s only eighteen, hasn’t even had children, and now she’s destined to live in loneliness!”

“Your Majesty, you must reconsider…”

“Your Majesty, please think this through!”

Ji Yecheng waited for them to finish their pleas, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “Even if they stayed, I wouldn’t touch them. How do you expect them to have children?”

The officials fell silent, stunned. Ji Yecheng continued, “I told you from the beginning when you sent them to the palace, that I wouldn’t touch them. Yet you insisted on sending them. Now you want them to bear children? Are you trying to have me wear a cuckold’s hat?”

“Your Majesty, we’ve been wronged!” The officials gasped, afraid to bring up children again. They quickly shifted the conversation elsewhere.

“And what about the imperial consort?”

“She’s already been made empress. The coronation and our wedding will take place in September,” Ji Yecheng replied.

“But—”

“—”

Every question was perfectly countered by Ji Yecheng. Meanwhile, the news of the harem’s dissolution spread from the court to the inner palace.

The concubines started crying and causing a scene, with some even threatening to hang themselves, but no one paid any attention.

Some tried to approach Yan Qing to plead for help, but they were blocked along the way—Ji Yecheng had stationed guards to prevent them from reaching her.

Yan Qing remained silent the entire time. When she heard the news, the slight agitation she had been feeling disappeared, and her temper improved significantly. Ji Yecheng noticed the change and was thrilled. He knew he had made the right decision!

As for the concubines who were about to be sent away, Yan Qing remained indifferent. Even without her intervention, Ji Yecheng would never have touched those women. This was something she had come to understand about him over time.

Previously, she had thought Ji Yecheng would still visit the harem, but she eventually realized that she was the only woman he had ever slept with in the entire palace.

Although their relationship remained quite innocent.

Given Ji Yecheng’s general indifference to life, it was already surprising that he went out of his way to build a summer palace to ensure those concubines would have a secure future.

“Your Majesty, the way His Majesty treats you is unprecedented. Are you happy?” one of her maids couldn’t help but ask in a whisper.

The news had been so shocking that even the usually quiet maid was curious to hear Yan Qing’s thoughts.

Yan Qing was correcting reports when the question made her pause. She put down her pen.

The maid dutifully moved forward to massage her hands.

Yan Qing said, “It certainly surprised me.”

But happiness? Not exactly, though she did feel a bit touched.

The maid, having received her response, didn’t dare say more. After massaging her hands for a while, Yan Qing withdrew them, and the maid stood quietly to the side.

That evening, Ji Yecheng came by as usual, acting as if nothing had happened, his expression calm and normal.

From late March until late June, the palace remained in a state of unrest. On May 15th, all the concubines were sent out of the palace. Some were taken back by their families, while others chose to stay at the summer palace. Even those who left could return to the summer palace at any time, as their status as concubines granted them this right—a safeguard given by the emperor.

Because of these arrangements, the concubines and beauties left without complaint, quietly and obediently.