The Zhao family, a few generations ago, was barely considered a middle-low level noble family. Their ancestor was originally the servant of the founding emperor who accompanied him to many battlefields. After the dynasty was established, his slave status was waived and he became a wealthy man.

But that was all there was to it.

In the 17th year of Emperor Wen, the Zhao family’s daughter received the decree by the emperor to enter the palace to participate in the concubine selection, and from then she began her long harem and political career that lasted for fifty to sixty years. This eldest daughter of a concubine from the Zhao family, who was by no means of high noble birth, relied on her almost innate talent for political strategy and not only forged a bloody path in the harem to become the empress, but also in the last eight years of her life, she also became the first Her Majesty the Emperor of the dynasty.

This woman who had been all-powerful for half her life was also Jing Ye’s biological grandmother.

The Zhao family had since become one of the big families standing at the top of steps just below the emperor’s feet. The Jing family had practically almost declined, but the imperial jade seal in the female emperor’s hand was eventually handed over to her fifth son, Emperor Ren, Jing Ye’s father.

The character of Emperor Ren was like the title “benevolent” given to him by later generations (TN: ren=benevolent). He was diligent in government and loved the people, magnanimous and benevolent, so the country became more and more prosperous, the common people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the world was prosperous and peaceful.

It was because of a father who worked hard and a grandmother who could basically be called a workaholic, that the original owner of this body had been on the throne for five years, committing hundreds of misfortunes, yet the dynasty still managed to remain relatively stable enough.

Jing Ye sat quietly on the soft couch, looking through the booklet sent by Gu Hong.

Gu Hong sat on the side and said with a smile: “Does Your Majesty really believe that the more than 200,000 official silver sent to the southwest was robbed by bandits?”

“Is Zhen a fool?” Jing Ye pressed the paper, frowning, “Or the bandits are fools. There are so many rich people in the world yet they do not rob them, and instead they decide to offend the emperor.”

Gu Hong still smiled: “Exactly.”

“There’s someone behind this.” Jing Ye stared at the booklet, “Say, who could it be?”

In the evening, the emperor’s decree came from the palace——the emperor wanted to celebrate the birthday of Gu Hong, the consort of the first rank, and hold a banquet in Zhaoyang Hall on the evening of July 15th. Officials of the fourth rank and above must bring their families to the banquet.

“Does Your Majesty intend to test the Zhao family’s attitude?” Gu Hong asked with a smile.

“En.”

“Fine.” Gu Hong smiled and nodded: “Although Your Majesty has an ulterior motive, this subject also respectfully thanks Your Majesty’s decree.”

“Well, this matter....” Jing Ye suddenly felt a little embarrassed, “Qing doesn’t need to say thanks.”

“But this subject has something else I want to tell Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“My birthday is on June 15th.”

Jing Ye: “!”

Zhao Manor.

Once Zhao Mingde returned to the manor, he went to Xu shi’s rooms for dinner. After the meal, he dismissed the maids and servants in the house, leaving only their youngest son, who was still a baby, and asked Xu shi in a deep voice, “Is it you who promised Miao Ling to let her go to the birthday banquet in the palace?”

“That’s right.” Xu shi pulled out the gold hairpin from her hair and leaned over to tease the baby in the cradle, “She was clamoring to go, so I promised her.”

Zhao Mingde said angrily: “Why are you so ignorant! As an unmarried lady going to see her former....lover, what if she can’t hold back and does something improper, do you even care about her reputation?”

“What former lover!” Xu shi slapped the gold hairpin on the table, “If it wasn’t for the emperor, Miao Ling would have been the third young madam of the Gu family, and wouldn’t that make the daughters of the world envious? Now that the Gu family has retreated to the southwest, and Gu Hong has entered the palace, Miao Ling insists that she has no eyes for others. How can the daughter of our Zhao family, can’t even marry the husband she wants, in the future, just wait until we overthrow the....”

“Shut up.” Zhao Mingde immediately lowered his voice and scolded, “Just based on your words, I can’t let her enter the palace! You tell her for me that she should obediently study calligraphy and music at home, don’t even think about it!” Then he flicked his sleeves and walked away.

The baby was frightened by the quarrel between the two, and burst into tears with a “wah”. Xu shi hurriedly sat down and coaxed him with a rattle, while gritting her teeth and looking in the direction where Zhao Mingde had left.

Zhao Mingde couldn’t calm down in his heart. He wanted to stay in his study for the night, but he turned around and went to his concubine, Meng Qiucui’s place.

Meng Qiucui was originally the daughter of a seventh-rank small official in Zhengzhou. When Zhao Mingde passed through Zhengzhou once, an official surnamed Meng asked a matchmaker to offer his daughter as a concubine. This happened often, and he was not moved. But the girl was indeed very beautiful, not an ordinary beauty at all. After it was mentioned twice more, his heart ended up being moved.

Meng Qiucui also gave birth to a daughter for him, who was two years younger than Zhao Miaoling, and was at the age where young girls became engaged.

In the evening, after the couple’s business ended, Meng Qiucui nestled in his arms and brought up the matter of letting their daughter enter the palace with him to attend the birthday banquet.

Zhao Mingde frowned: “You also have this intention?”

Meng Qiucui curled her lips: “Miao Rong is also the daughter of laoye, now that she is old enough, we should also think about her marriage, go out to see the world, and let the madams of the families have a look....”

Zhao Mingde was silent for a while but eventually nodded.

Meng Qiucui’s eyebrows and eyes curved, and the corners of her bright red lips hooked up.

Ping An Palace.

Jing Ye paused while holding the tea: “Fiancée?”

“Yes.” Ye Gonggong nodded, “At that time, both the Gu and Zhao families had this intention, but before they could bring it out in the open, Gu Gongzi entered the palace, and the Gu family also retreated to the southwest.”

Jing Ye stared at the fog for a while and said, “The eldest daughter of the Zhao family....seems to be very famous in the capital.”

“Yes.” Ye Gonggong nodded again and opened his mouth, but suddenly hesitated, “The former....Lord Zhao of the Court of Imperial Entertainments’s eldest daughter....”

Jing Ye’s eyebrows twitched.

Ye Mao looked at his face, but there was no anger, so then he continued: “....and this young lady Zhao family are equally famous as young ladies with both talent and beauty. The two families are also from the same clan, so they are called the ‘Zhao family’s twin pearls’ by the people.”

The eldest daughter of the former Lord Zhao of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, was the dear, dear childhood sweetheart of comrade Li Tingqiu who left for the southwest.

So ruthless. Jing Ye sighed at this stifling of any ulterior intentions aimed at the male pets. As for the young lady of the Zhao family who was almost married to Gu Hong, he remembered that she still hadn’t been married yet.

I won’t marry anyone but you, I will marry nobody except you. How tragic.

“Your Majesty.” Ye Gonggong sneaked up to him, “If Gu Gongzi asks, you must not let him know that it was this servant who said it.”

Jing Ye’s eyes twitched: “What?”

Ye Mao: “Your Majesty! What if....”

Gu Hong lifted the bead curtain and walked in: “What if?”

Ye Gonggong: “!!!!!!”

Jing Ye froze: “Qing....when did you come? There was no word from outside.”

“This subject arrived just now.” Gu Hong smiled softly, his eyes glanced at Ye Mao who was trying to step back and pretend to be a quail, “From that phrase ‘fiancee’.”

Wasn’t that all of it....

Ye Gonggong’s face was as green as a vegetable. The little eunuch who followed behind and brought Gu Hong in raised his head, looked at Ye Mao, who was smiling in embarrassment, and covered his face silently. Teacher, I really didn’t do it on purpose.

Gu Hong did not pursue the matter, but sat beside the emperor with the medicine in his hand: “Your Majesty, please drink the medicine.”

Jing Ye scooted back: “Why must Zhen drink it again?”

Gu Hong chuckled: “Your Majesty is too impatient. There was a saying in the past: ‘Illness comes like a mountain, and it goes away like a thread.’ It’s not an elixir of the immortals, so how can it be so effective. If Your Majesty wants to get better soon, come, open your mouth.”

Are you speaking to a child.

His Majesty the Emperor took the medicine bowl and looked at it for a long time before he frowned and took two sips. It was so bitter that he wanted to stick his tongue out, but because of the noble and solemn image he wanted to maintain, he managed to resist and swallow it all.

Gu Hong smiled and said, “Your Majesty, is it bitter?”

Jing Ye glanced at him and said solemnly, “En, it’s alright.”

“Is that so.” Gu Hong frowned, “Then this subject will order the imperial kitchen to leave out the licorice on the prescription. Lest using it to boil with the medicine suppresses the medicinal properties.”

Jing Ye: “....” Wait, what do you mean!

Sure enough, he still holds a grudge!