"What, a pure and innocent little darling?"
Yanshu immediately became interested and quickly asked, "So how did the Empress Dowager grow from a pure, innocent, and adorable young girl into a top-level palace intrigue expert?"
The system replied, "Well, that's a long story. The Empress Dowager came from a noble family. She was graceful and beautiful from a young age. After she came of age, countless princes and young noblemen in the capital wanted to marry her. Once, when she accompanied her parents to a palace banquet, Emperor Gaozu took a liking to her at first sight and immediately bestowed her in marriage to the Late Emperor."
"At sixteen or seventeen, she was just like a blank sheet of paper. When the imperial decree of marriage came down, her heart was filled with thoughts of the Late Emperor. After marriage, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to her husband. She sewed clothes and shoes for him by hand, stayed up late reading with him, and made soup and snacks for him. In the beginning, the two were affectionate and supportive of each other, truly in love. The Late Emperor even said he only wanted her as his woman."
Hearing this, Yanshu couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Sure enough, all scumbags have said such things.
It would be a miracle to believe him. If he really only had the Empress Dowager as his woman, how did the Emperor come to be?
Sure enough, the system continued, "After waiting for her husband to ascend the throne and becoming the Empress herself, the good days were gone forever. The Late Emperor began to take many concubines into the palace. The huge difference from before, coupled with all the scheming in the harem, made the Empress Dowager very unhappy. She also had to manage the harem affairs. Despite the difficulties, she became pregnant, but the child was not healthy and was born weak and sickly."
"Later, other consorts successively gave birth to two daughters and a son. Among them, Concubine Shu was greedy and actually plotted to harm her legitimate son, attempting to replace him with her own son. However, by the time she discovered this, it was already too late. The already weak child contracted tuberculosis and died not long after. From then on, in addition to her heartbreak, the Empress Dowager finally woke up. She quickly eliminated her enemies and began to develop connections in the court. She also adopted the Emperor. Later, when the Late Emperor died, she supported the Emperor's ascension to the throne and finally became the Empress Dowager herself."
Yanshu couldn't help but marvel inwardly, "Growing into a boss through blood and tears, the Empress Dowager is truly a great female protagonist! Especially being able to raise the Emperor to be so excellent in such an environment is truly remarkable."
Yuwen Lan, who was quietly listening nearby, raised an eyebrow. He was indeed very excellent.
But then he heard her sigh, "However, this bloody turmoil is really terrible. I'd rather be a salted fish, eating and drinking well with money every day."
Yuwen Lan: "..."
So that's what "salted fish" means?
In that case, she is indeed very salty.
Then he heard her ponder in her heart, "Counting like this, the Late Emperor had four children before the Emperor, but now only he and the Princess Royal are left. Apart from the Crown Prince who died young, the other two... couldn't have been done by the Empress Dowager, could they?"
Yuwen Lan paused.
To be honest, he had thought about this question before.
But having been mother and son with the Empress Dowager for many years, he knew that although she was deep in thought, she didn't seem like someone who could harm children.
The system said, "You're overthinking. The Empress Dowager only took revenge on adults and never harmed children. Those two children were implicated by the evil Concubine Shu and also died of tuberculosis."
Yanshu understood, "So it wasn't the Empress Dowager. Tsk, Concubine Shu poisoned the Crown Prince and ended up killing her own children too. She really deserved it."
"But come to think of it, the Emperor being alive today is also partly thanks to the Empress Dowager. Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager hadn't adopted him, he probably would have ended up like his older brothers and sisters."
Hearing this, Yuwen Lan felt conflicted.
Indeed, the Late Emperor's harem at that time was even larger than now, and the bloody turmoil was indeed more intense than today.
If it weren't for the early death of the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager adopting him, he might have long since perished along with his birth mother.
Therefore, he always remembered the Empress Dowager's kindness in raising him and didn't want to be too ruthless in many matters.
Just then, he heard Yanshu sigh in her heart again, "It's just a pity that someone as clever and talented as the Empress Dowager encountered a scumbag like the Late Emperor. If she had met a steadfast and devoted man, she probably would have lived quite happily."
Yuwen Lan's brow twitched.
This girl actually called the Late Emperor a scumbag?
But...
For the Empress Dowager, and even his own birth mother, the Late Emperor was indeed not a good husband.
Especially later, when the Late Emperor became obsessed with Taoist cultivation and alchemy, neglecting even him, his only surviving son, he could hardly be considered a good father either.
He silently sighed.
The system, however, was still gossiping with Yanshu, "Actually, the Empress Dowager did encounter someone who moved her heart later. There was a time when the Late Emperor was obsessed with Taoist cultivation and almost ignored state affairs. All major court matters were handled by a group of ministers helping the Empress Dowager. Among them was a Chancellor of the Zhongji Court who was uniquely insightful and wise, greatly admired by the Empress Dowager."
Oh, there's a situation here!
Yanshu's eyes immediately lit up, "Did the Empress Dowager and this Chancellor of the Zhongji Court spark a romance?"
Yuwen Lan: "???"
Chancellor of the Zhongji Court?
Empress Dowager?
Sparks of love???
What does this mean?
The system: "It's a bit regrettable, but before any sparks could fly, the Late Emperor had already become suspicious. To protect the Empress Dowager, the Chancellor voluntarily resigned and went home."
Yanshu: "??? Ah?"
This is too regrettable!
Imagine if the Empress Dowager could have sparked a romance with this Chancellor, and then something uncontrollable happened...
Tsk tsk tsk, what a shocking and earth-shattering love story that would have been!!!
Hmph, since the scumbag was unfaithful first, wearing a green hat wouldn't be a big deal.
Yuwen Lan: "???"
What, wearing a green hat is not a big deal???
And an earth-shattering love story???
This girl...
But who exactly is this Chancellor she's talking about?
Just then, he heard her ponder in her heart again, "But thinking about it, this Chancellor had already reached the position of Chancellor of the Zhongji Court, that's the Prime Minister!!! The fact that he was willing to resign and go home for the Empress Dowager shows that his love for her was true!"
Chancellor of the Zhongji Court?
Resigned?
Alright, Yuwen Lan probably knew who it was now.
That person was called Qi Shuguang. He was indeed a very talented man who had even taught him before. He became Prime Minister at a young age but suddenly resigned and went home later...
Could it be...
Did that man really have something with the Empress Dowager...
He secretly glanced at the Empress Dowager, but saw no unusual expression on her usually dignified face.
In her heart, apart from surprise at him having someone write novels, there were no other thoughts.
Looking at Yanshu again, he saw her lowering her eyes with an obedient expression, but in her heart, she was still thinking, "I've got inspiration! When I go back, I'll write an earth-shattering love story and fulfill the Empress Dowager's wishes in the novel."
Yuwen Lan: "???"
This novel can't be published either!
He had just told the Empress Dowager that this was a novel he had someone write!!!
Yuwen Lan's heart was truly in turmoil as he ate this snack.
Fortunately, not long after, the head eunuch of the Imperial Household Department suddenly came to report that officials were seeking an audience at Qianming Palace.
He felt as if he had been granted amnesty and hurriedly bid farewell to the Empress Dowager, taking Yanshu with him.
The imperial carriage was already waiting outside. Yuwen Lan said to Yanshu, "Get in the carriage, I'll send you part of the way."
But Yanshu said, "This concubine is not in a hurry, please go ahead, Your Majesty."
Now that the first month of the year had passed, the weather was mild and the imperial garden was in full spring bloom. She wanted to appreciate the beautiful scenery.
Not wanting to keep the ministers waiting, Yuwen Lan could only say, "You don't need to rush to write the novel when you get back. If you're tired, just rest for a while."
In any case...
Don't write the Late Emperor as a scumbag despised by everyone...
At least leave him some face, ahem.
But he couldn't say these words out loud.
Yanshu, oblivious, responded with a yes. After he boarded the imperial carriage and left, she leisurely began to stroll around the palace.
After wandering outside for about half an hour, Yanshu returned to Ganlu Palace.
She changed her clothes and was just about to start writing the novel when she suddenly began to feel unwell.
At first, her neck itched. She scratched it a few times, but then her eyes started to itch as well.
Before she could rub her eyes again, she suddenly began to sneeze, and sneezed five or six times in a row.
Rendong was startled and hurriedly came to feel her forehead, anxiously saying, "Did the mistress catch a cold outside just now?"
But Yanshu shook her head in confusion, "No, it was quite warm earlier..."
Before she could finish speaking, she sneezed twice more.
After sneezing, her eyes had also swollen up.
She finally felt something was wrong and quickly said, "Go and call for the imperial physician."
...
Yuwen Lan was in the study, busy until it was time to light the lamps.
Seeing that the ministers had finally dispersed, Fu Hai dared to come forward and said, "Your Majesty, it's time to set the evening meal."
Yuwen Lan made a sound and casually asked, "Has Concubine Yi eaten yet?"
If not, perhaps they could dine together in Ganlu Palace.
However, Fu Hai frowned and said, "I heard Concubine Yi was feeling unwell this afternoon, so she probably hasn't eaten yet..."
What?
Before he could finish, Yuwen Lan immediately asked, "What's wrong with Concubine Yi?"
Fu Hai hurriedly replied, frightened, "Your servant doesn't know the details, but this afternoon I saw a royal physician going to Ganlu Palace, so I asked casually. The physician said Concubine Yi had summoned him."
Yuwen Lan frowned, "This happened in the afternoon. Why wasn't I informed earlier?"
Fu Hai looked aggrieved and said, "Your servant wanted to report it, but you were busy and had no time..."
Yuwen Lan paused.
Indeed, earlier the ministers from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had come to report on spring planting and water conservancy projects. He had been so busy he barely had time to drink water.
So he didn't pursue the matter further and simply said, "Prepare the carriage. I'll go see her."
He then got up and left.
As the imperial carriage rolled along, Yuwen Lan wondered: if Yanshu had fallen ill right after returning from the Palace of Benevolent Peace, could there have been poison in the Empress Dowager's refreshments?
— That seemed unlikely.
Not to mention that Yanshu had special abilities, he himself had been with the Empress Dowager and hadn't noticed any ill intentions towards her.
So what could it be?
As they arrived, he immediately alighted and rushed into the palace. He saw Yanshu with a red nose, teary eyes that were a bit swollen.
Seeing him arrive, she hurriedly tried to bow, "This concubine greets Your Majesty..."
Before she could finish, she sneezed three times in a row.
He quickly said, "No need for formalities, sit down quickly."
Noticing a royal physician in the hall, he asked, "What's wrong with Concubine Yi?"
The physician frowned and replied, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yi's symptoms resemble a cold, but her pulse doesn't indicate a cold."
Yanshu, with a stuffy nose, said from the side, "This concubine hasn't caught a chill. I suddenly started sneezing... It's a bit like an allergic reaction to peach blossoms."
The physician responded, "But peach blossoms haven't bloomed yet."
True, although spring had begun, it was still some time before peach blossoms would bloom.
Moreover, Yanshu had just asked her system and confirmed that no one was harming her, so she was also puzzled.
She had hoped the royal physician could figure it out, but after taking her pulse for a long time, he still couldn't determine the cause.
Just then, Fu Hai spoke up, "I heard two peach trees by Taiye Pool bloomed today. Could the wind have blown pollen over?"
Yanshu was stunned, "Peach blossoms have bloomed by Taiye Pool?"
Fu Hai nodded quickly, "Yes, your servant heard about it this morning."
Yanshu paused, suddenly realizing.
Of course, the weather had been warm these past few days with an east wind blowing. Taiye Pool was just east of the imperial garden. She must have come into contact with peach pollen blown by the wind while strolling in the garden that afternoon.
Hearing this, the physician said, "This humble one will prescribe a remedy for the Concubine."
But inwardly he mused that while he had seen many cases of willow pollen allergies, this was the first time he'd encountered a peach blossom allergy.
Yuwen Lan's brow twitched upon hearing this.
First time seeing this?
How could he prescribe medicine with such limited experience?
He thought for a moment, then asked Fu Hai, "That doctor who treated the Duke of Cheng'en at the sacrifice ceremony last time... What was his name?"
Fu Hai pondered, then quickly replied, "His name is Jiang Nianqi."
"That's right."
Yuwen Lan said, "Summon him to examine Concubine Yi."
Fu Hai promptly agreed and immediately sent a swift eunuch to the Imperial Pharmacy to find him.
Fortunately, the Imperial Pharmacy had not yet closed for the day, and before long, Physician Jiang hurried over.
Oh, by the way, after his forthright speech at the sacrifice ceremony last time, the emperor had promoted him two ranks, and now he was already a medical official.
"This humble one greets Your Majesty," Physician Jiang bowed. Before he could stand up straight, he heard the emperor instruct, "Go examine Concubine Yi and see what's wrong with her."
Physician Jiang complied and immediately went to Yanshu's side.
He first inquired about her symptoms, then examined her eyes and nose, and finally took her pulse. He quickly made a diagnosis, saying, "The Concubine is suffering from an allergic reaction. Do you usually have allergies to anything? Peach blossoms? Willow catkins? Or perhaps apricot blossoms?"
He had figured it out at once.
Yuwen Lan, now reassured, answered for Yanshu, "Concubine Yi is allergic to peach blossoms. Do you have a way to alleviate her symptoms?"
Jiang Nianqi immediately replied, "Yes, this humble one will write a prescription for the Concubine right away."
He then picked up a brush and began writing swiftly on paper.
Once the prescription was ready, Rendong immediately sent Little Dong to fetch and brew the medicine.
Physician Jiang also gave Rendong a separate package of herbs, saying, "Use these to prepare bath water for the Concubine. It will help alleviate her symptoms."
Rendong accepted it and followed the instructions.
When the bath water was ready, Yanshu went to take a soak.
Remarkably, when she emerged a quarter of an hour later, her eyes were no longer swollen or itchy, and her nose was clear.
After drinking the prepared decoction and waiting another half hour, all her previous symptoms had indeed subsided.
Everyone was convinced, and Yuwen Lan nodded, saying to Jiang Nianqi, "Your medical skills are indeed exceptional. It's a waste for you to be just a medical official. From today on, I promote you to Imperial Physician, specifically assigned to Ganlu Palace."
Jiang Nianqi immediately knelt and said, "This humble one obeys and thanks Your Majesty for the grace."
Having been promoted four ranks in such a short time, everyone cast envious glances at him.
However, he maintained a calm demeanor, seemingly unmoved by favor or disgrace.
Yanshu thought to herself that he was truly talented.
Then she saw Fu Hai asking Yuwen Lan, "It's getting late, and now that Concubine Yi is feeling better, would Your Majesty like to eat something? You haven't had dinner yet."
Yanshu looked at him in surprise and said, "Your Majesty hasn't had dinner yet? This concubine is fine now, please go back and eat."
But Yuwen Lan remained seated and only asked her, "Have you eaten?"
Yanshu shook her head, "No, I was feeling unwell this afternoon and didn't have a chance to eat."
He then said, "In that case, have the imperial kitchen prepare something simple. I'll eat with you."
Well, that sounded good.
Yanshu was feeling better now and realized she was quite hungry, so she quickly nodded in agreement.
Before long, the imperial kitchen sent over a late supper.
There were four dishes: vinegar-dressed cabbage, eight-treasure lotus root dice, pan-fried tofu, and pork tenderloin in egg pouches, along with two bowls of porridge.
— It was already late, so it wasn't appropriate to have heavy meat dishes. Moreover, Yanshu had just taken medicine, so she couldn't eat too much rich food. Therefore, the meal consisted mainly of vegetarian dishes.
However, the imperial chef's skills were superb, and even the vegetarian dishes were prepared with great flavor.
After they finished eating, Yuwen Lan ordered, "Prepare water, I want to bathe."
Yanshu looked at him in surprise, "Your Majesty plans to rest here tonight?"
He nodded, "That's right."
Yanshu was stunned, "But this concubine is ill."
Yuwen Lan smiled, "Don't worry, I won't disturb you."
He paused, then raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Unless you decide to snuggle into my arms yourself."
What? Her snuggling into his arms?
Yanshu was speechless, "Isn't Your Majesty afraid of catching my illness?"
He didn't seem concerned at all, "Your illness isn't contagious."
Yanshu: "..."
She was at a loss. Why did this man enjoy sleeping so close to others?
Yuwen Lan's heart said yes.
Indeed, he was now very reluctant to return to Qianming Palace to sleep alone.
Because once he went back to sleep alone, things wouldn't be right.
The bedchamber in Qianming Palace seemed like a curse, eerily strange. He had become a bit afraid of it.
So no matter how much she grumbled inwardly, he didn't care.
After all, he just liked squeezing into this bed with her.
The night passed uneventfully.
When Yanshu woke up, Yuwen Lan had already gone to attend court.
The medicine from last night had been effective; she had slept soundly and no longer felt unwell.
However, she still didn't dare to be careless and decided not to go out for a while.
— She knew that the east wind was still blowing outside. If she went out, she would surely come into contact with peach pollen again and fall ill.
Ah, the difficult days were starting again.
Fortunately, the imperial kitchen sent a sumptuous breakfast, giving her some consolation.
Mmm, the juicy xiaolongbao and sweet pumpkin porridge were a perfect combination, and the pearl glutinous rice meatballs were her favorite.
As she was eating with relish, Lianxin came running to tell her, "Mistress, His Majesty just ordered the two peach trees by Taiye Pool to be uprooted."
"Uprooted?" Yanshu was surprised, "Why did His Majesty want those two trees uprooted?"
Lianxin smiled and said, "It's because he's worried about you feeling unwell again. His Majesty ordered them to be moved away. I heard those two trees were decades-old peach trees."
Hearing this, Yanshu was momentarily speechless.
Tsk, the last man who had been this good to her was her father.
When she was young and first had an allergic reaction to peach blossoms, her father cut down the old peach tree in their courtyard. He even persuaded the neighbors to replace their peach trees with apricot and pear trees.
Her father rarely troubled others, but that was the first time.
And now, the man who uprooted peach trees for her had become the emperor.
A warm feeling spread through her heart.
She took a bite of the lotus seed cake.
Mmm, the sweetness spread from her mouth to her heart.
Rendong smiled beside her, "His Majesty truly cares for you, my lady. But now only two peach trees are blooming. What will happen in a few days when peach trees elsewhere start to bloom?"
Yanshu was taken aback.
Indeed, were they going to cut down all the peach trees in the palace?
Besides, there were peach trees outside the palace too. When the wind blew, wouldn't the pollen still come into the palace?
They couldn't possibly ask all the citizens in the city to cut down their peach trees and never eat peaches again, could they?
The poor innocent peach trees!!!
No, although she was touched, this wasn't the solution...
As she was pondering this, she saw the court physician Jiang from last night arrive at the door, saying, "This humble official is here to check Your Highness's pulse."
Her eyes lit up and she quickly said, "Please come in. I have a question I'd like to ask you."
Physician Jiang complied and entered the hall with his medical kit.
Yanshu tentatively asked him, "Doctor, is there any way to prevent me from having allergic reactions to peach blossoms in the future?"
She had only meant to try asking, but to her surprise, he nodded directly and said, "There is a way, but it depends on whether Your Highness can endure the hardship."
Yanshu was startled and quickly asked, "What kind of hardship?"
Physician Jiang explained, "To treat this condition, we essentially need Your Highness's body to accept peach pollen without an extreme reaction. I will have Your Highness exposed to small amounts of peach pollen daily, while also taking medication. If we persist with this for a while, until Your Highness's body adapts, you won't have allergic reactions to peach blossoms in the future."
Yanshu thought for a moment, then decisively gritted her teeth and said, "Alright."
It was better to try than not to try at all. If it really worked, she wouldn't have to fear peach blossoms anymore, would she?
It was a good solution that would solve the problem once and for all.
Having agreed to this, she began her treatment journey.
Every day, Physician Jiang would prepare a tiny amount of peach pollen for her to hold in her mouth for a while, followed by drinking a medicinal decoction.
As time went on, they gradually decreased the amount of medicine while increasing the amount of peach pollen.
Sure enough, after seven or eight days, when the peach blossoms outside began to bloom, her reaction was much milder than in previous years.
However, her family outside the palace didn't know about this. As the time for peach blossoms to bloom in full arrived, her parents and grandmother were all very worried about her.
On this day, with the emperor's permission, Ms. Zhu finally had the opportunity to enter the palace and visit her daughter.
As soon as they met, Ms. Zhu took out a package of pills and said to Yanshu, "This is something I bought from a doctor in our hometown earlier. It's said to specifically treat your peach blossom allergy. Why don't you give it a try?"
Yanshu smiled and said, "There's no need. There's an exceptionally skilled imperial physician in the palace. I've been using his method for treatment, and I'm almost cured now."
She then cautioned her mother, "That doctor must have been trying to deceive you. Medicine only works when it's properly prescribed, and everyone's constitution is different. How could he prescribe medicine without even examining my pulse? Please don't be deceived like this in the future."
Ms. Zhu nodded and agreed, "I won't fall for such tricks again in the future. It's just a waste of money."
However, Yanshu noticed that her mother's smile seemed a bit tired.
So she quickly asked, "Is everything alright at home? Has something happened?"
But Ms. Zhu said, "Nothing, everything's fine."
Yanshu didn't believe her, so she secretly asked the system, [Has something happened to my family?]
The system replied, [Yes, your brother Li Tianrui was bullied at Songhe Academy a couple of days ago. He fought back and punched the other person twice, but unexpectedly, the headmaster there was biased and told your brother to apologize to the other party.]
Yanshu was shocked, [What? Isn't Songhe Academy supposed to be the top academy in the capital, known for its excellent academic atmosphere? How could such a dark incident occur?]
The system sighed, [That was many years ago. Songhe Academy was originally founded by two great scholars and produced many outstanding talents. It was indeed the best back then. But after it became famous, nobles and aristocrats started sending their children there. Those unruly children of officials gradually corrupted the atmosphere. Now it has become a playground for the powerful.]
Yanshu was speechless.
If she had known this, she wouldn't have let her brother go there. And she had thought it was such a good academy!
But still...
She was puzzled.
— She was now a royal consort. How could her brother, as a member of her family, still be bullied?
Then she heard the system continue, [You don't know your father's personality yet? He didn't want to cause trouble for you, so when he sent your brother to the academy, he didn't reveal his identity. As a result, everyone thought your brother was just a commoner's son.]
Yanshu understood now, but she was still angry, [Even so, they shouldn't bully people without reason! Are commoners' children destined to be bullied by them without being able to fight back? And that headmaster even told Tianrui to apologize? What nonsense!]
The system replied, [Indeed, he's not a decent person. That headmaster appears to be very learned, but in reality, he only cares about profit. He has done many despicable things for fame in his life. Back then, to climb to the position of headmaster, he even sent his own wife to the bed of a government official.]
Yanshu was shocked, [What???]
Tsk, how interesting, offering himself up on a platter!
