stjorthotic Chapter 251 The Empress was displeased upon hearing Shen Shixi's name.
Chapter 251 The Empress was displeased upon hearing Shen Shixi's name.
Li Yuanke refused, "What could be more important than my hunger? Don't you miss me too?"
Shen Shixi was already airborne, and struggling was futile, so she simply hugged his neck and kissed him twice. "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask!"
"Maybe I'll grant it once I've eaten my fill and am in a better mood!"
Shen Shixi laughed and cursed, "You tyrant!"
Li Yuanke retorted, "I'm a tyrant, and what are you? Are you a vixen?"
The two rolled around on the bed.
Shen Shixi hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and Li Yuanke hadn't either. So, during this meal, neither of them let the other off the hook.
Shen Shixi's effort astonished Li Yuanke. He helped her up and said angrily, "Can't you be a little gentler! What will you do if you cripple me!"
Shen Shixi was drenched in sweat, which dripped onto Li Yuanke's abdomen and flowed down his cleavage. "Tell me, did you enjoy it?"
It's definitely enjoyable, but don't get too carried away.
"You'll only enjoy it if you don't hurt me."
"I didn't do it on purpose. Sometimes I just lose control of the situation. Li Yuanke, you can't have it all..."
Li Yuanke rolled his eyes at her and then fell silent, gritting his teeth and enduring it.
When Shen Shixi calmed down, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and took the two of them soaring into the sky.
She lay on Li Yuanke's chest, whimpering and complaining of being tired, like a dead dog.
Li Yuanke held her for a while before kissing her, saying, "You lecherous thing, you reckless wretch, I've never seen a woman crazier than you!"
"As if you're not a womanizer!" Shen Shixi kicked him. "Go wash up!"
The weather wasn't warm yet, and both of them were already covered in sweat from exhaustion.
Exhilarating.
Li Yuanke wouldn't have it; he wasn't satisfied yet, and he grabbed her again, wanting more.
Another half hour passed, and after Shen Shixi had enjoyed herself twice, he finally finished.
The two soaked in the hot spring for a while, and then snowflakes began to fall outside.
Shen Shixi then spoke to him about serious matters, "I've asked my third brother to set up some workshops in Huaizhou. This time, we'll mainly use the new tools developed by the Gewu Academy for production, and the output will be very large."
I don't plan to seize the domestic market; I'm going to focus on exports. Do you understand?
"I don't know, I'm illiterate!" Li Yuanke said irritably.
Has he never eaten pork or seen a pig run away?
Shen Shixi laughed heartily, hugged him, and kissed him. "Our Emperor is the greatest sage ruler of all time. How could someone born with such knowledge not know?"
Li Yuanke pushed her away, "Get to the point!"
"The Great Zhou Dynasty has opened up two Silk Roads: one by land, which goes through Youzhou, and the other by sea. Right now, we don't have a port yet. I have my eye on Quanzhou. I want you to build a large wharf in Quanzhou, set up a customs office, and open up a maritime Silk Road."
Li Yuanke stroked her smooth back, his blood boiling. "What did you see when you went to sea that year?"
"People and things! Many countries, many different kinds of people, different ethnic groups with different beliefs and lifestyles, some poor and some rich. At present, the Great Zhou is the most powerful country and nation in the world;
Li Yuanke, I am proud of you for ruling such a powerful nation! Keep up the good work! I hope this land will forever be strong, prosperous, and powerful, that its people will live in peace and contentment, generation after generation, enduring and unyielding!
Since I have come into this world, there is a reason for my existence. My purpose and value is to select a good ruler for the people living on this land, assist him in becoming a wise and benevolent ruler, and bring them decades of peace. That is all I have to say! I have no shame before Heaven or before men.
She rewarded Li Yuanke with a kiss on the lips, and Li Yuanke held the back of her head, deepening the kiss.
I wish I could integrate it into my very being.
The next morning, there was a morning assembly at Fengyi Palace.
It was common for the Imperial Noble Consort to be absent.
However, a spot still had to be reserved for her, second only to the Empress's left. If it weren't for the diligence of the palace maids in Fengyi Palace, it would probably have been covered in a thick layer of dust.
"The Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching. I know you are all very filial, so there is no need for me to remind you about preparing birthday gifts. This year, due to the severe disasters in Henan and Hebei, the Empress Dowager wishes to hold a small celebration for her birthday. It will just be a meal for the imperial relatives and the palace staff. But we cannot be too casual about it."
"We respectfully obey Her Majesty the Empress's decree!" The concubines bowed in unison.
The Empress was very satisfied.
As soon as she sat down, Consort De said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the palace is currently carrying out something about vaccination against smallpox. Is this true?"
The Empress replied, "I am not entirely sure."
Consort Jin smiled and said, "That is indeed true. This method of vaccination to prevent smallpox was actually conceived by Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan. The Imperial Hospital had been testing it on people a few days ago, and it was successful. Even the imperial physicians were vaccinated first."
"Weren't there people spreading rumors about the Imperial Noble Consort? At the time, the Imperial Noble Consort herself was experimenting with this method, which is why the imperial physicians were staying at Zhaoyang Palace, and that's why they were being gossiped about by these petty people."
The Empress's face darkened. "Consort Jin, you mustn't speak nonsense. Do you also wish for the Emperor to punish you?"
Consort Jin didn't say anything.
Consort Qiong said, "I've heard about this too, but I don't know how it's done. I've never had smallpox before."
Consort Yuan laughed and said, "Your Highness, Consort Qiong, are you joking? How many people can survive smallpox?"
This is true, and therefore, many people want to get vaccinated against smallpox.
"We don't know if it will work. You've been thinking about it all here. What if it's not very reliable? Wouldn't that be a waste of a life?" the Empress said. "If it works, the Emperor will issue an edict. That's all for today. You may all leave!"
The Empress was displeased upon hearing Shen Shixi's name.
Did she think that by becoming an Imperial Noble Consort, she could disrespect the Empress?
Once outside the gates of Fengyi Palace, Consort Qiong and Consort Jin began to discuss the matter, both wanting to inquire at Zhaoyang Palace. However, when they sent someone to ask, they found that Shen Shixi was still staying at Qianyuan Palace.
However, the person who went to inquire also brought back news that the palace would organize smallpox vaccinations, which would likely take place after the Empress Dowager's birthday.
That puts my mind at ease.
At this moment, Shen Shixi was throwing a tantrum when Chaoyu learned that the Pei family had included the name of their third sister in the list of candidates for Princess Consort of Jin and presented it to the Empress Dowager.
Knowing full well that the Empress Dowager would never betroth Shen Shiwan to Prince Jin as his second wife, this move was simply to make the Empress Dowager take a liking to Shen Shiwan and betroth her to Li Yuanyin as his principal wife.
Shen Shixi then cursed, "Your younger brother is just a giant baby. He's completely fooled by that idiot Xie. You think you're so great because you're a prince? You're a hopeless case."
Li Yuanke hugged her and patted her back, saying, "Speak slowly, don't get so angry you'll hurt yourself!"
"He's come to see me so many times, and I've told him so many times, he's like a lovesick fool, oh my, has he never seen a woman before! Xie is such a goddess, can't she see that others are using him? She just keeps going after him, sacrificing herself for love, even willing to die for it, it's really touching;"
Shen Shixi shifted her hips on his lap, turning around in circles.
"Who knows what Xie is thinking, calling him a fool. And yet, the Empress Dowager actually wants to marry my sister to him? Is she hoping that in the future, for my sister's sake, you'll bestow upon him a princely title and guarantee him a lifetime of wealth and honor?"
On the invitation list for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, the Shen family specifically requested that Shen Shiwan attend. What was their intention?