BLHO Chapter 111
by VolareChapter 111: What I Like, Doesn’t Lord Shen Know?
Princess Meng Ning hid a myriad of schemes within her flowing gaze, but deliberately put on a casual appearance, smiling at He Yuncheng and saying, “Grand ambitions are nothing to speak of, just some small plans that may not amount to much. No rush, the wine hasn’t been drunk yet. The night is long, we can talk as we drink.”
She returned to the desk and sat down, picking up a celadon jade wine cup, the liquor rippling in the moonlight.
“On this beautiful festive night, when families are reunited, you are the people closest to me. Without further ado, I toast you with this cup.”
The four cups clinked together, producing a clear sound. As the other three drained their cups, Princess Meng Ning’s cup remained untouched.
What did this mean?
He Yuncheng looked at her curiously, only to see her push the wine cup in front of Shen Tan, tapping the rim with her fingernail, making a crisp sound. “The imperial physician wants me to take care of my health, so it’s not appropriate for me to drink alcohol. Lord Shen, drink this cup for me.”
Shen Tan lowered her eyes, gazing at the swaying liquor, the moonlight congealing into a silver ring at the mouth of the cup.
Her throat moved slightly, and she drained it in one gulp.
Lin Shuangxu’s jade chopsticks hovered above the sliced sea bass, “What’s wrong with your health? Are you not feeling well?”
Princess Meng Ning rested her cheek on her hand and smiled, her sleeve sliding down, revealing a gold bracelet with a honeysuckle pattern on her wrist.
“I’m not feeling unwell. The imperial physician said that only a healthy dragon body can produce strong imperial heirs. I have to plan for the future little crown prince.”
He Yuncheng’s silver chopsticks landed on the agate dish, and he exchanged glances with Lin Shuangxu, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.
What little crown prince?
The two of them looked at Princess Meng Ning’s lower abdomen at the same time.
Slender and flat, with not a hint of pregnancy.
These two then turned to look at Shen Tan in unison.
Lord Shen… probably couldn’t possibly make the emperor pregnant, right?
Where did this crown prince come from?
“What are you thinking!” Princess Meng Ning smiled charmingly. “I’m not pregnant yet. This is the preparation stage. After the selection of consorts ceremony, when the young men enter the palace to attend to me, imperial heirs will come as soon as they’re mentioned.”
The world says that men are fickle, but it turns out that after women gain power and influence, they still crave these vulgar things.
He Yuncheng put on a theatrical expression and said to Princess Meng Ning, “Imperial heirs are indeed a major matter, but Your Majesty has only just ascended the throne, and things in the court are not yet stable. Are you not afraid of running out of energy if you’re so eager to fill the harem and produce offspring?”
Princess Meng Ning shrugged. “I can’t help it. Lord Shen said that with a woman on the throne, countless people are watching with covetous eyes. If an imperial heir is not produced, the people’s hearts will not be stable for even a day. So I have to speed up the process, choose consorts and establish an empress, to put the people of the world at ease.”
She leaned against the back of the chair, her fingertip lightly twirling the tassel of Shen Tan’s embroidered spring knife. “Right, Lord Shen? Is that what you said to me?”
Shen Tan took a deep breath and did not answer, taking it as tacit agreement.
They probably understood what was going on.
He Yuncheng’s interest in watching the show grew even stronger, as if fearing that the world wouldn’t be chaotic enough. He asked Princess Meng Ning, “Then when does Your Majesty plan to choose consorts? I haven’t seen the scene of all the handsome men in the world competing for beauty. Can I go and watch the spectacle then?”
“Of course, you can.” Princess Meng Ning said readily, “You come, and Brother also comes. You help me choose together. I want those with handsome faces and tall figures. It doesn’t matter if they understand poetry and books, as long as they can make me happy. Choose more, fill the three thousand in the harem, it would be best if they were all full.”
He Yuncheng smiled very rudely, giving a thumbs up. “Your Majesty is truly… a heroine among women.”
This didn’t sound like a compliment at all. Lin Shuangxu said softly beside him, “Shut up.”
He Yuncheng sensibly nodded, and shut his mouth.
Lin Shuangxu placed a piece of sea bass in Princess Meng Ning’s bowl. “Try it.”
He intentionally wanted to end this ridiculous topic, but Princess Meng Ning had no intention of stopping. She put the fish in her mouth, swallowing it absentmindedly, and then spoke to Shen Tan, “By the way, Lord Shen, didn’t I tell you to pick a few good-looking ones in Fengdu City and send them to the palace to relieve my boredom? It’s been several days, have you picked them out yet?”
Shen Tan’s expression was not very pleasant. “Not yet.”
Princess Meng Ning was dissatisfied. “Why is it so slow?”
Shen Tan took a deep breath, explaining, “Those who enter the palace must be carefully considered. How can they be easily recommended?”
Princess Meng Ning’s face was full of fault-finding. “Then may I ask what standards Lord Shen uses for consideration? Are you sure that what you consider is what I like?”
Shen Tan also couldn’t suppress her emotions any longer, raising her eyes to retort, “What does Your Majesty like? Please tell this humble servant clearly.”
“Doesn’t Lord Shen know what I like?”
“This humble servant is foolish.”
“Since you know you’re foolish, don’t always point fingers at me.”
“This humble servant wouldn’t dare.”
“You wouldn’t dare? I think you dare too much, even who I have children with has to listen to your decree.”
“I didn’t make Your Majesty listen to me.”
“Didn’t you say to consider imperial heirs?”
“Your Majesty asked me.”
“Lord Shen, you were the one who first said that officials had petitioned for me to fill the harem and plan for the future. Otherwise, would I have asked you?”
“I put away the memorial after I approved it, but Your Majesty insisted on asking me what was written on it.”
“…”
The two of them spoke back and forth, without stopping to catch their breath.
He Yuncheng and Lin Shuangxu watched from the sidelines, and roughly understood.
Officials had advised the emperor to plan for the future and consider the issue of imperial heirs. The emperor asked Lord Shen for her opinion, but the answer she gave was not what she wanted to hear, and that’s why the two of them were at odds.
No wonder these two hadn’t exchanged a smile since they entered the door.
Seeing that Princess Meng Ning was about to explode, she didn’t want to talk to Shen Tan anymore, and waved her sleeve. “Leave, I don’t need you to manage my affairs!”
Shen Tan didn’t argue with her any further, and suddenly stood up, her black flying fish uniform gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
She had only taken two steps when the dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread tightly grabbed her sleeve.
Princess Meng Ning pulled her, angrily asking, “Where are you going?!”
“Didn’t you tell me to leave?”
“Did I say let you leave now?”
“…”
Shen Tan had no choice but to sit down again.
Princess Meng Ning was still dissatisfied. After she sat down, she said again, “Stay away from me, don’t sit next to me!”
Shen Tan had already given up on reasoning and wearily asked her, “Where do you want me to be?”
“Be wherever you like, just don’t talk to me!”
Princess Meng Ning’s stubbornness came up, and a hundred Shen Tans couldn’t outdo her.
After she shouted, she stood up and took a step, walking to the middle of He Yuncheng and Lin Shuangxu, patting He Yuncheng’s shoulder. “Get up, I want to sit next to Brother.”
?
He Yuncheng was dumbfounded. “Aren’t you already sitting next to him?”
The table was round. He Yuncheng was on Lin Shuangxu’s left, and after Princess Meng Ning came, she sat on his right, so she was indeed sitting next to him.
“I want to sit on this side of him! Why do you also have so much nonsense! Get up quickly!”
He Yuncheng: “…”
He suppressed his laughter and moved to the side, and Princess Meng Ning squeezed in between the two of them.
The banquet was originally for four people, but the seating was a complete mess.
Lin Shuangxu sighed softly, placing a slice of crystal goose breast in Princess Meng Ning’s bowl. “Try this and see if it suits your taste.”
The young female emperor immediately changed her expression, and without saying a word, put the goose breast in her mouth, chewing while saying in a strange tone, “Brother is still good to me, unlike some people, who only know how to bully me.”
He Yuncheng struggled to suppress his laughter, picking up a gilt wine pot to pour wine for Shen Tan. “Lord Shen has worked hard.”
Shen Tan held the cup with both hands and clinked it against He Yuncheng’s, then heard He Yuncheng say, “Come, Lord Shen, it’s an honor to gather today. I am a rough person, if there were any offenses in the past, please forgive me. In the future, my General’s Manor will have to rely on Lord Shen’s care.”
“General He is too polite.”
The two of them drained their cups in one gulp.
Seeing them drinking so happily, Princess Meng Ning said to He Yuncheng, “General He, I’ve been sitting here for so long, and you haven’t taken the initiative to drink a cup with me. What does that mean? Don’t you want to be my sister-in-law anymore?”
He Yuncheng thought to himself, aren’t you about to prepare to have children?
But it’s better not to touch on a sore spot. He diligently poured wine for Princess Meng Ning, smiling apologetically, “As long as Your Majesty recognizes me as your sister-in-law, I’ll drink as many cups as you want me to drink.”
Princess Meng Ning was amused by him, temporarily throwing her little temper aside, turning the wine cup and saying to him, “Drinking is secondary. General He, I ask you, do you want to achieve meritorious service and have your name recorded in history?”
The smile remained on He Yuncheng’s face, as he calmly asked, “Your Majesty, what ideas do you have?”
Princess Meng Ning stared at him, her almond eyes, which should have been soft and charming, were filled with ambition.
“Now that I sit on this land, it is not for the sake of indulging in pleasure. I don’t want future generations to mention the Bei Sheng female emperor after my death, unable to name any achievements, only leaving behind empty reputations.”
He Yuncheng listened to her seriously.
Princess Meng Ning continued, “I want to expand the territory of Bei Sheng, to completely eliminate the enemies lying in wait, so that they have no chance of turning over.”
She leaned forward, her bright eyes shining under the lamplight.
She slowed her tone, “General He, what if we swallow Yan Zhao?”
To be honest, He Yuncheng was not surprised that Princess Meng Ning had such a big appetite.
But grand plans are grand plans, and reality is reality.
“Two questions.” He Yuncheng said to her seriously, “First, we have already signed a fifty-year ceasefire agreement with Yan Zhao. Within the time limit, if Bei Sheng takes the initiative to provoke war, this is a breach of faith and will damage the dignity of a great nation. Second, the internal strife in Bei Sheng has only just subsided, the situation is still unstable, and the soldiers also need to rest and recuperate, and reorganize their forces. If we launch consecutive foreign expeditions, I fear the momentum will be exhausted.”
Princess Meng Ning nodded. “What you said makes a lot of sense. Therefore, to annex Yan Zhao, it’s best if we don’t have to do it ourselves.”
He Yuncheng couldn’t guess what she was thinking. “If we don’t do it ourselves, who will do it?”
Princess Meng Ning smiled without answering, and looked sideways at Lin Shuangxu.
She said to him, “Brother has always been very concerned about the movements of neighboring countries, right? The undecided throne of Qi Dynasty should be settled soon.”
Born of the same Qi Dynasty long princess, Princess Meng Ning and Lin Shuangxu both have half of Qi Dynasty blood flowing through their veins, so naturally they pay more attention to that distant homeland than others.
She said, “Crown Prince Cousin can’t be helped, but Wangye Cousin will come from behind. When the new emperor of Da Qi ascends the throne, he should do something to benefit the people of the world. Over the years, the He family army has guarded the northern border, blocking the iron hooves of Yan Zhao. Those who have been sheltered are not only the people of Bei Sheng. How much strength to resist the enemy have we saved Qi Dynasty? It’s time for them to make an effort as well.”
He Yuncheng finally understood. “Your Majesty means, let Qi Dynasty send troops to fight Yan Zhao, and we watch from the sidelines, reaping the benefits?”
“Exactly.”
“What reason should we give them to send troops?”
“Well…” Princess Meng Ning ate her food unhurriedly. “No rush, let me think about it carefully and make a long-term plan.”
He Yuncheng pondered in silence.
“What do you want to say?”
He Yuncheng said succinctly, “Difficult.”
“The process will definitely be a bit difficult. Now we’re just talking about annexing Yan Zhao. He Yuncheng, do you think it’s feasible or not?”
“Not feasible.”
The three words were light and soft, the volume was not high, but it was resounding.
It wasn’t He Yuncheng who said it.
Nor was it said by any of the four people at the table.
It was a voice from outside the courtyard.
The group followed the direction of the sound, only to see a white figure fluttering over, ethereal as a fairy. They didn’t even hear any footsteps.
Princess Meng Ning’s eyes lit up when she saw who it was.
“Immortal Master Xingzhi?”