Chapter 1551: The Crown Prince Takes a New Lady of Beauty

"What? The Crown Prince has taken a new favorite?" Hearing Zhang Dejun's report, Emperor Liu, who was gnawing on a watermelon, stopped mid-bite, spat out a few seeds, wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief, and only then spoke.

"Indeed!"

Zhang Dejun replied respectfully, and was about to offer details when he heard Emperor Liu say in a surprised tone: "He's not a lustful man. Whose lady is it this time, that managed to catch his eye?"

Ranwen

There had indeed been quite a few Ladies of Beauty who had received Emperor Liu's favor, but over all these years, only the Crown Princess and Consort Zhao had been formally married into the Eastern Palace and granted proper titles — and both of those had been political marriages arranged by the Emperor and Empress.

Thus, when he heard that Emperor Liu had formally taken a new Lady of Beauty, even Emperor Liu himself couldn't help but be curious.

At the question, Zhang Dejun's voice carried not a trace of fluctuation as he calmly reported: "Reporting to His Majesty, it is the daughter of Xiao Siwen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War!"

"Hm?" A hint of surprise and doubt suddenly appeared on Emperor Liu's previously calm face: "That young lady named Xiao Yanyan?"

Noticing the look of astonishment on Emperor Liu's face — yes, in Zhang Dejun's view, that was indeed astonishment — his heart suddenly filled with surprise. Zhang Dejun, who knew Emperor Liu very well, had rarely seen the Emperor react in such a manner.

Could this young lady surnamed Xiao possess some extraordinary quality? Zhang Dejun was puzzled, but he reacted quickly and promptly reported: "Indeed! Her name is Xiao Chuo, with the childhood name Yanyan!"

Emperor Liu also quickly recovered his composure, and said with a slightly amused tone: "How did this young lady of the Xiao family end up in the Eastern Palace, and catch the Crown Prince's eye..."

Zhang Dejun replied: "According to my investigation, the Xiao girl was sent into the Eastern Palace as a maidservant last year. Because she was diligent and clever, with a dignified appearance, the Crown Princess took a liking to her and summoned her as a personal attendant. During the Fengshan sacrifices, she accompanied the entourage eastward, and was fortunate enough to receive the Crown Prince's favor. This time, the Crown Prince's taking of a consort was also the Crown Princess elevating the Xiao clan..."

Hearing Zhang Dejun's description, a relatively clear picture took shape in Emperor Liu's mind. Clearly, the process by which this Xiao girl had risen was probably not so ordinary.

If before, Xiao Yanyan had been to Emperor Liu merely an insignificant name, a memory lingering deep in his mind, utterly trivial.

But when that name entered his ears once more, and now as a consort of the Crown Prince, Emperor Liu's feelings suddenly became complicated. After all, this was the famous Empress Dowager Xiao of history.

If, in the current Great Han, she had merely been given to some court official or a son of a noble family, Emperor Liu would not have reacted much — perhaps only a brief sigh of reflection.

But when this little extraordinary woman became entangled with the imperial house, especially after securing a place in the Eastern Palace, he couldn't help but entertain some unpleasant associations.

Especially hearing Zhang Dejun's report that this likely involved the maneuvering of that old fellow Xiao Siwen, who had even gone so far as to have Xiao Yanyan start as a mere maidservant in the Eastern Palace — what was the purpose? Perhaps merely to cling to the powerful and wealthy, seeking the prosperity of his clan. And who was the most prominent power in the Great Han? Rather than clinging to those princes and nobles, why not go straight to the top, find the tallest tree with the most flourishing branches and the sturdiest trunk.

Furthermore, Emperor Liu couldn't help but speculate that perhaps the young lady Xiao herself had her own designs in this. After all, the title "Empress Dowager Xiao" alone was enough to explain some things.

Emperor Liu sat there with furrowed brows, deep in thought, his inner activity extraordinarily rich. Zhang Dejun, standing below, clearly sensed the Emperor's unusual mood, and his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

He had originally thought this was just a routine report, but judging by Emperor Liu's reaction, he seemed to be paying extraordinary attention. As a qualified loyal hound, and one who controlled a secret service agency like the Palace City Office, Zhang Dejun's mind was heavy with schemes. Seeing this situation, he couldn't help but secretly wonder — could there be some hidden story behind this?

Zhang Dejun's wandering thoughts even led him to wonder: could His Majesty also be interested in this Xiao Yanyan? If so, then the court might be headed for serious trouble...

Of course, he quickly discarded this absurd notion. Emperor Liu had long passed the age of chasing women, and in recent years had become increasingly indifferent to female charms — this was well known to those familiar with him.

What Zhang Dejun did not know was,

Emperor Liu was indeed interested in that lady Xiao — just not in the way he imagined.

"Your Majesty, is there any problem in this?" When Emperor Liu came back to his senses from his pondering, Zhang Dejun hesitated briefly before asking: "This Xiao girl is, after all, a Khitan. Should we strengthen surveillance on her?"

Hearing the tone, Emperor Liu knew that Zhang Dejun was starting to overthink again — only this proactive attitude was being applied in the wrong place.

He immediately rebuked: "What about the Khitan? Khitan are equally my subjects, and Xiao Siwen is also a minister of the court!"

"Your Majesty's instruction is correct! This subordinate was being narrow-minded!" Hearing the rebuke, Zhang Dejun admitted his fault without any panic.

At the same time, he immediately made a judgment — so it wasn't about her Khitan identity. Indeed, Consort Qin Xiang in the palace was also a Yao woman, and had even borne His Majesty his thirteenth prince, Liu Ye.

"This matter, I know of it now. It's not worth making a fuss over!" After a moment, Emperor Liu waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes!"

"Just a mere little woman..."

Hearing Emperor Liu's low murmur, Zhang Dejun grew even more puzzled. It seemed that His Majesty did indeed have an unusual level of attention for this lady Xiao whom he had never met.

"You may withdraw!"

"Yes! This subordinate takes his leave."

"Wait!" Just as Zhang Dejun turned to leave, he was called back. With his hand suspended in mid-air, Emperor Liu said: "Regarding the Eastern Palace, you of the Palace City Office..."

His brow furrowed again unconsciously, then he waved his hand: "Go on, you may leave!"

Such hesitant behavior from Emperor Liu was truly rare, and it stirred even more curiosity and greater caution in Zhang Dejun. But he dared not ask, could only silently note it in his heart, and withdrew respectfully.

Emperor Liu had originally wanted to have the Palace City Office reduce its surveillance of the Eastern Palace. What kind of place was the Eastern Palace? It was the Crown Prince's territory, the abode of the heir apparent, the continuation of imperial authority — how could he allow these hounds of his to spy on it so brazenly.

Over time, it would only give the Palace City Office delusions of grandeur, making them increasingly reckless and devoid of reverence, inevitably leading to excessive and overstepping actions.

But that moment of hesitation meant his stance was not firm. And from Emperor Liu's own perspective, understanding the situation in the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince's movements was still necessary — even if it was just a matter of taking a Lady of Beauty, even if that Lady of Beauty was no ordinary one.

The news of the Crown Prince taking Lady Xiao as a consort still spread inadvertently. Of course, it caused no waves — the only ones truly paying attention were probably Emperor Liu and some personnel within the Eastern Palace.

When Empress Fu learned of the news, she also looked into it briefly and ordered a gift to be sent. As for the Crown Prince, he showed no particular reaction to the matter.

There was no elaborate preparation, no ceremony of any kind — he merely settled Lady Xiao's title in a rather plain manner. It seemed that Crown Prince Liu did not place particular importance on this new favorite either.

And the "rise" of the young lady of the Xiao family seemed to signify that the Eastern Palace would grow increasingly unsettled. Those within it could all feel that the opposition and hostility between the Crown Princess and Consort Zhao, between the Murong family and the Zhao family, was becoming more and more apparent.

A little Khitan woman was merely a minor player who had accidentally stepped into the game under such circumstances. Of course, there were still those in the court who envied Xiao Siwen. In recent years, there had been no shortage of prominent nobles sending people to the Eastern Palace, hoping to place their own daughters on the Crown Prince's bed. Who would have thought that the one who ultimately succeeded would be Xiao Siwen, that Khitan defector minister.

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