Zui Gu🔞 ( mtl)

33

　　The maple leaves gradually turned red, burning the trees in the palace like flames.

　　At that time, the palace was busy preparing for the upcoming autumn examination.

　　Every autumn, the emperor would order a large-scale autumn examination. This was one of the few opportunities for him to go out and play, so he would not let it go. Every time, he would take a group of concubines to the hunting ground in a mighty manner, and would not return to the palace for nearly a month.

　　Not only was the emperor eager to make a move, but the concubines in the harem were also unable to sit still. This was a great opportunity to compete for favor. Every year, the emperor would bring a large number of concubines to the autumn examination for him to enjoy music and relieve boredom. The concubines in the palace who were not favored by the emperor were staring at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like wolves and tigers, and took out their own money to bribe the eunuchs in charge of this matter, asking him to add their names to the list of candidates for the autumn examination.

　　With such an opportunity to make money, how could the eunuchs let it go, and they naturally agreed. The eunuch was only responsible for drafting the names of the concubines in each palace and presenting them to the emperor. As for who would go, it was not something that a servant like him could decide.

　　The eunuch knelt beside the emperor with a smile on his face, and held the drafted list high with both hands for the emperor to review. The emperor took it nonchalantly, then picked up the wolf-hair brush on the table and quickly circled several concubines who were accompanying him. When his eyes fell on the name at the end, he paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about who was Chunpin on the list and why she looked so unfamiliar.

　　But after a while, the emperor came back to his thoughts, with a frivolous look in his eyes, as if he remembered that this Chunpin was the one who had served him halfway that day. He moved the tip of his pen and circled that name as well. It had nothing to do with compensation, but he had not really tasted the woman yet.

　　After the list was finalized, the eunuch looked at the names of the accompanying concubines again and asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, will you let the Empress stay in the palace this year like in previous years?"

　　The emperor lazily lifted his eyelids and took another look at the name he circled first. Suddenly, his lips curled, but his eyes were tinged with a little chill, "Hmm."

　　After the emperor finalized the list of the accompanying concubines, he sent it to Empress Yan Zhaozhao for another review. Although it was called a review, everyone knew that once the emperor decided on a person, he would not make any changes. Sending it to Fengyi Palace was just a formality.

　　When Yan Zhaozhao saw Concubine Yan's name on the list of the accompanying concubines, her breath suddenly choked, and there was an unconcealable chill in her eyes. "Yanpin is pregnant, and it's only been three months now. Is it inappropriate for her to go with her?"

　　The eunuch replied, "Replying to the Queen, the Emperor feels sorry for Yanpin's hardship during her pregnancy, so he specially took Yanpin with him to the hunting ground. The imperial physician will also be with him, so don't worry, Your Majesty."

　　Yan Zhaozhao clenched her fingertips, and even the paper in her hand had a few more wrinkles. The tyrant emperor didn't feel sorry for Yanpin at all. He put the burden of taking care of the heir on her, and took her to the hunting ground after a long journey, but deliberately didn't take her with him in the end. The hunting ground is dangerous, and there are many people and many hands. If something goes wrong, even if she is not in the hunting ground, she will probably be held responsible for it.