I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 116 Taking a Concubine

The carriage rolled over the bluestone road, the sound of the wheels gradually slowing down. They had arrived in Chengdu, and the upturned eaves of the palace could be seen in the distance, hidden in the misty haze of late spring.

The awkwardness in the carriage was broken by the sound of Zhuge Liang gently waving his feather fan. He looked at the fleeting embarrassment in Liu Shan's eyes, the smile in his eyes faded, and he regained his usual composure and solemnity, his tone becoming more serious.

"Your Majesty, I am not speaking jokingly. The Empress's younger sister is still young and needs to wait until she is old enough. The most urgent task at present is to resolve the current predicament of the court."

He lightly touched the four characters "Gui Mei Yi Di" on the silk scroll with his fingertip, each character clear: "Wang Feng, the Empress's personal maid, has been the Empress's close maid since childhood. She is not only the Empress's confidante but also has been bestowed a name by His Majesty, making her the most suitable candidate. Taking her as a concubine not only conforms to the profound meaning of 'Di' in the hexagram, but also follows the will of Heaven and the hexagram, and can first help the royal family to have offspring and appease the court officials."

Liu Shan ran his fingertips along the edge of the tea cake, the faint aroma of tea lingering in his mind.

He was not unaware of Wang Feng's background, nor was he worried that his wife, Zhang, would harbor resentment.

What worried him was that Zhuge Liang's words had clearly revealed the entanglement between the inner palace and the outer court.

As long as one side sets its sights on taking Prince Feng, the various factions in the court will certainly not sit idly by.

As expected, as soon as the carriage entered the Chengdu palace gate, the eunuch Wang Gui hurriedly conveyed a message that Empress Dowager Wu had something to discuss with her.

In this harem, although the Empress is the head of the harem and is responsible for managing the daily affairs of the harem, her power is restricted by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager generally does not participate in matters of the inner palace unless it is necessary for her to make a decision.

Liu Shan understood that the Empress Dowager's summons at this time must be for this very reason.

"Your Majesty, it seems that you have no choice but to proceed with this matter."

Zhuge Liang had an exceptionally keen political sense and quickly realized that this matter was of utmost importance.

Liu Shan nodded without speaking, but had already tacitly agreed with Zhuge Liang's words.

Upon arriving at the inner palace, Liu Shan went straight to the palace where the Empress Dowager resided and met Empress Dowager Wu.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Empress Dowager Wu got straight to the point, earnestly requesting Liu Shan to expand his harem and continue the imperial bloodline, citing the reasons of "the continuation of the imperial family and the stability of the nation."

Liu Shan opened the register of concubines and frowned deeply after reading it.

The emperor's choice of concubines was a private matter, handled by the empress dowager and empress, and was not subject to interference from officials or the court.

Empress Dowager Wu was the younger sister of Wu Yi of the Dongzhou faction. Among the people she recommended was a woman from the Li Yan clan named Li Xiangyi.

Another person was a woman from the Liu family of Chengdu, Shu County, a prominent local clan in Yizhou.

The Dongzhou faction and the Yizhou faction had been openly and covertly fighting with the Jingzhou faction. Previously, due to Zhuge Liang's overall leadership of the court and his vigorous promotion of training courses and reorganization of military and political affairs, the three forces had temporarily restrained themselves.

Now, taking advantage of the matter of the imperial heir, they immediately want to place their own people in order to consolidate their position in the court.

"Empress Dowager, what did the Empress say?" Liu Shan handed the list back.

"The Empress is aware of this matter, but I need to know His Majesty's intentions before I can discuss the follow-up matters with her."

"In that case, I will discuss this with the Empress first, and leave the rest to the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Wu was slightly taken aback.

Neither of the two individuals recommended on the roster were affiliated with the Jingzhou faction.

She originally thought Liu Shan would be somewhat resistant, after all, he had no children yet, and taking a concubine was related to the stability of the court.

"In that case, Your Majesty should discuss this with the Empress first before making a decision."

After Liu Shan left, he walked slowly through the vast palace, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

Na Wang Feng signifies following the hexagram and stabilizing the court.

However, if women from both Dongzhou and Yizhou were taken in, the harem would inevitably be filled with factions, leading to constant disputes in the future.

If he refused, he would surely enrage both sides of the gentry, and the Shu Han court, which had only recently stabilized, would be thrown into turmoil again, destroying the stable situation he had painstakingly built up.

Caught in a dilemma, dusk had already fallen over the palace walls, spilling onto the blue bricks of the sleeping quarters.

Lady Zhang had already prepared dinner. Seeing Liu Shan enter the hall with a solemn expression, she dismissed the servants and personally stepped forward to take his outer robe, asking softly, "My husband traveled back with the Prime Minister today, but was summoned by the Empress Dowager. Did something happen?"

She already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on, but as a wife and empress, she absolutely couldn't say it out loud first.

Looking at the gentle-looking Zhang Shi before him, Liu Shan felt a surge of pent-up frustration and annoyance.

He grasped his wife's hand, sighed deeply, and recounted, without missing a single word, Zhuge Liang's words about the Guimei hexagram and Empress Wu's request to take a concubine.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang chuckled and said, "I wondered what it was about. It's just about taking a concubine, isn't it? The Empress Dowager has already spoken to Yun'er about it."

Liu Shan was somewhat surprised. He had thought that even if Lady Zhang did not harbor resentment upon hearing this, she would inevitably look gloomy.

After all, they're not just taking Wang Feng as a concubine now, but also two other women.

But after Zhang listened quietly to him finish speaking, she showed no jealousy whatsoever. Instead, she gently patted the back of his hand, her eyes full of understanding and clarity.

"Yun'er has been married into the palace for many years, but has failed to give birth to a legitimate son for Your Majesty. This is Yun'er's fault, causing worry to the court and the people, and even more so to Your Majesty. It is Yun'er's incompetence."

Zhang's voice was unusually calm, yet every word struck a chord with Liu Shan's heart.

"You're not..."

Just as Liu Shan was about to speak, Zhang pressed her finger to his lips.

Zhang looked up at Liu Shan, her eyes filled with respect and worry, without a trace of resentment.

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty, shouldering the heavy responsibility of reviving the Han Dynasty and pacifying the gentry in all directions. The imperial heir is the foundation of the country, and the stability of the harem is the foundation of the stability of the court. The divination results given by the Prime Minister are all reasonable."

"Wang Feng has been by my side since childhood. She is calm and loyal. I am at ease having her serve Your Majesty."

"Yun'er will include her in the register as Empress. She comes from a humble background and has no powerful clan to rely on. Even if she becomes pregnant in the future, she will never disrupt the court. I believe the Empress Dowager will not make things difficult for her, and the court officials will not have any objections."

Since ancient times, there has been a patriarchal tradition of "establishing the eldest son as heir".

In the case of a legitimate son, the eldest son born out of wedlock has no chance of being made crown prince.

She paused, looking at Liu Shan's increasingly solemn expression, and continued softly, "As for the requests from the Dongzhou and Yizhou factions, Your Majesty need not make things difficult for them."

"General Wu is a pillar of the court, guarding the border of Shu. The Dongzhou faction is an important pillar of our Shu Han court; the local gentry of Yizhou control the money, grain and people's livelihood in Shu. We must not offend either of these forces."

"What they seek is nothing more than to secure a stable future for their own clan and to gain the trust of the court, not entirely to interfere in the affairs of the inner palace."

"Your Majesty might as well go with the flow and bring the women from both clans into the palace and confer upon them the title of concubines. This would appease both aristocratic families, demonstrate Your Majesty's fairness and impartiality, and temporarily balance the power among the various factions in the court. With Yun'er in charge of the harem, she will surely restrain everyone, prevent infighting and disputes, and ensure that harem affairs do not interfere with the affairs of the court."

Looking at his wife before him, Liu Shan was deeply moved, yet also filled with warmth and respect.

He began to re-examine his wife, never knowing that his empress possessed such magnanimity and vision.

The concubines in the imperial harems depicted on television in the past, who only knew how to fight for favor and calculate personal gains and losses, seem to have mostly been fake.

Women from truly prestigious families always stand from a higher perspective, sharing their husbands' burdens.

"Yun'er, it is my blessing that you can understand me."

Liu Shan gripped her hand tightly, his voice trembling slightly.

Zhang gently rested her head on his shoulder, her voice soft yet firm as she said, "Yun'er has no complaints. I married the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, not an ordinary farmer's son. It is my duty to share the heavy responsibilities of the nation with His Majesty, not just to indulge in the tender feelings between husband and wife. As long as I can help His Majesty stabilize the court, what does it matter if I suffer a little grievance?"

Liu Shan's dilemma and guilt were completely dispelled by his wife's gentleness and generosity, leaving him only with pity and certainty.

"To have such a wife is my good fortune, and the good fortune of the Han Dynasty. Yun'er, rest assured, no matter how many more women are added to the harem, your position as Empress will always be secure, and no one can match your place in my heart."

Liu Shan picked her up and carried her into the inner tent.

Zhang leaned against him, her eyes gentle, and nodded slightly.

At this moment, all tenderness transforms into a pool of spring water woven together by the two of them.