Chapter 670

Several senior officials held high prestige in the court, but this time they raised the issue of the empress sharing the bed, instantly making the situation somewhat awkward, even causing Xiao Yin to lose face.

Gu Jiu Ling stepped back, looked at Xiao Yin, made a bow, and said, "Your servant will go directly to the Phoenix Etiquette Palace; today Your Majesty is also tired, rest early; your servant takes leave."

Xiao Yin's face instantly darkened, and he seized Gu Jiu Ling's sleeve.

"Your Majesty," Gu Jiu Ling sensed the faint anger in Xiao Yin.

She did not want, on the day Xiao Yin ascended the throne, to cause the court to be unsettled because of her meddling.

Xiao Yin has the potential to be a wise ruler; he must not be ruined in the hands of that seductive empress, Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling broke free of Xiao Yin's hand and softly laughed, "In such a vast palace city, where I live is just a residence; besides, it's not separated by mountains and rivers, never to be seen again."

"Your Majesty taking a stroll will pass by; then your servant will make hot pot for Your Majesty to eat."

Xiao Yin was about to say something when Gu Jiu Ling turned and hurried away.

He clenched the hand hidden in his dragon robe into a fist, then turned to look at the several venerable officials before him.

Xiao Yin's eyes grew slightly cold; those old fellows finally showed a hint of fear on their faces, instinctively shifting back.

"Hah!" Xiao Yin gave a soft laugh, coldly looking at the few officials whose expressions had slightly changed, and slowly said, "I have heard that Chancellor Zhao and Minister Zhang each have a lovely granddaughter; now at sixteen, they are in the prime of their beauty."

Those two persons involuntarily shuddered, wondering why Xiao Yin suddenly brought up the women in their households.

When Xiao Yin said that, he actually hit upon something they were thinking.

Throughout dynasties, when a new emperor ascends, how could the Imperial Harem have only one person?

Seeing that the day of the selection is approaching, following past custom, the emperor will be given a selection.

Xiao Yin is so young; how could the positions of imperial consorts in the palace possibly be vacant?

It just so happens that each of their households has marriageable daughters; if they can enter Xiao Yin's Imperial Harem through the selection and gain his favor, their families' rise to prominence is imminent.

Now the eight great clans have been destroyed; the new clans of Southern Qi are faintly about to rise.

If the Imperial Harem could have a favored consort from their clan, for the family that would be like adding wings to a tiger.

Therefore, everyone is closely watching this selection; yet no one expected that after becoming emperor, Xiao Yin would show extra favor to that unpresentable woman from the Gu clan.

Although they supported each other as husband and wife, Xiao Yin's status is now different.

An emperor inevitably has three palaces and six courtyards; how could he expend all his energy solely on Gu Jiu Ling?

Moreover, Gu Jiu Ling's previous reputation is not exactly good; how many truly enduring loves are there in this world?

As time passes between husband and wife, many aversions can arise.

Only see the new bride laugh; who hears the old wife weep?

How could Gu Jiu Ling possibly maintain lasting favor forever?

Now the Gu clan is merely a callow youth, Gu Kang; Gu Kang's ability to stand at the head of civil and military officials is due to a bit of tactics and the support of his brother-in-law, Prince Rui.

Such a clan—even if Gu Jiu Ling became empress, how could it uphold its facade?

How could it compare to those scholarly families, these houses of merit?

One must admit those senior officials had their calculations; they did not expect that today, as Xiao Yin ascended the throne, he would actually bestow such honor upon Gu Jiu Ling—this is unprecedented in Southern Qi history.

That would be tolerable enough; who would have thought Xiao Yin would actually place Gu Jiu Ling directly in the Jiaotai Hall?

What has this become? This is the Southern Qi imperial palace, not an ordinary household's daily life.

The ancestral laws cannot be abolished; no matter how pleased she, Gu Jiu Ling, may be, she must not disrupt the Imperial Harem's rules.

This time Xiao Yin suddenly mentioned the marriageable young women in their households; Chancellor Zhao and Minister Zhang instantly felt delighted.

Chancellor Zhao hurried forward a step, bowed, and said, "In reply to Your Majesty, my household indeed has a granddaughter, who is the legitimate daughter of our Zhao family."

"In daily life she is versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; the most exquisite is her ambidextrous writing, each hand excelling in its own way."

"Your Majesty," Minister Zhang also not to be outdone, stepped forward and smiled, "My household's granddaughter is rather different from Chancellor Zhao's; she does not love red adornments but loves military gear."

"Usually she enjoys dancing with swords and spears; her swordsmanship has also achieved some minor accomplishment. Having heard that Your Majesty's swordsmanship is exquisite, if my granddaughter is fortunate enough to receive Your Majesty's guidance in swordsmanship, that would be a great fortune for her three lifetimes."

"Oh? Truly a pair of marvelous talents!" Xiao Yin lightly laughed, then turned and walked toward the Jiaotai Hall, saying no more extra words.

The several senior officials standing behind him instantly froze there; Xiao Yin had first brought up their granddaughters, yet he spoke only halfway and then stopped.

However, the spring selection will soon begin; it is only a matter of time before their granddaughters enter the palace.

Gu Kang had been standing behind these people, saying nothing.

Not long after Xiao Yin left, Eunuch Zhao came out, conveying Xiao Yin's oral order for the officials to disperse; after all, a full day of sacrificial rites had taken place, surely everyone was tired.

As soon as Eunuch Zhao's words fell, those court officials then slowly walked out of the Meridian Gate.

Gu Kang continued walking behind these people; a close aide of his, who usually got along well with him, coldly laughed, "These people, so eager to push their own daughters into the palace, probably want to secure a foothold in Southern Qi."

"Merely, the methods are too base; to build merit and rely on oneself, yet also depend on the women of the inner chambers—how laughable."

This Minister Song was promoted from a local post, taking office as the President of the Ministry of Justice.

Because he had just arrived in the capital, he did not get along with those slick old-timers of Jing Cheng; instead, he grew closer to the warm-hearted Gu Kang.

Minister Song also saw that these people were merely banding together, wanting to suppress the Gu clan.

Although he and Gu Kang were not friends, they could be considered fairly good friends; at this point he inevitably felt compelled to speak up for the Gu clan.

The emperor and empress are a devoted couple, their feelings deep; how could these people come out to interfere?

Gu Kang's steps paused, and he coldly laughed.

"To be unaware of impending disaster is also laughable"

Having said that, he bade farewell to Minister Song, turned, boarded the Gu clan's carriage at the East Si Ma Gate, and headed toward the dawn.

Minister Song stared for a moment, then hurried after him, looking at Gu Kang's graceful retreating figure.

He scratched his head and said softly, "What impending disaster? Chancellor Gu is also careless; shouldn't he think of a way to help his sister secure favor?"

Gu Jiu Ling brought Jiu Yue and Yun Duo to the Fengyi Palace.

The Fengyi Palace is the main hall where Emperor Longqing's empress, Empress Li, resides; it is said that the former emperor and Empress Li were childhood sweethearts, but at this moment, to Gu Jiu Ling, those four words are simply laughable.

While shouting about childhood sweethearts, surrounded by beauties, Emperor Longqing is also one who knows how to have fun.

Although the Phoenix Etiquette Palace usually has people sweeping, it nevertheless exudes a chill everywhere.

Gu Jiu Ling sat on the Empress's bed, while Yun Duo and Jiu Yue also attended her carefully; these two maidservants, having entered the palace to accompany Gu Jiu Ling, were actually somewhat unaccustomed to staying here.