Rhythm

"Desire is human nature, and His Majesty is young and has taken the Empress Dowager's secret medicine; his body is full of energy and needs to be released... Damn it, even releasing energy shouldn't be done at a time like this!"

The Empress Dowager was undoubtedly extremely patient.

She and Emperor Jing endured the Empress Dowager's presence for decades, weathering countless storms in the palace to reach this point.

She has an excellent temper, but at this moment she still found it difficult to suppress her emotions.

She used to not care, but now the Immortal Court weighs on her heart like a mountain.

Without Emperor Jing overseeing the situation, she was indeed extremely anxious.

She didn't know how to break free from the Immortal Court's control.

The Empress Dowager could only check on the new emperor's progress in his spiritual practice and then selectively communicate with him about the things she could say.

This was an extremely urgent moment, and she was already extremely anxious. If the new emperor were to exert himself on the woman's belly at this moment, the Empress Dowager would undoubtedly feel terrible.

She kept comforting herself, but her mood gradually became irritable.

"... Hidden kingfisher, shooting pheasant. A small arrow is fired, a delicate snare is used. A white swan is shot, a goose is caught in the crossfire. Two pheasants descend, a black crane follows..."

Only when the melodious and clear sound reached her did the Empress Dowager's anger subside slightly.

Li Guang's guards could relay messages to the Jiaofang Palace, but messages to the Shufang Palace, which was a mile away, were difficult to transmit.

The Empress came out of the Jiaofang Palace to greet them, but no one came out of the Shufang Palace.

Compared to the spacious Jiaofang Palace, Shufang was just a room in a side hall, with only basic washing facilities, and nothing else.

If an emperor's concubine lived in such a place, her life was basically set, and it was normal for her not to see the emperor for three to five years.

But amidst the gentle singing, the Empress Dowager did not feel oppression, but rather an extremely vibrant and uplifting spirit.

This is a completely different temperament from that of the Empress.

Having a woman like the Empress by one's side is prestigious and can highlight the emperor's perfect match and destiny. However, being with a singing woman would undoubtedly be extremely relaxing and enjoyable.

The Empress Dowager had never met the woman surnamed Wei before, and she didn't care about such a fleeting encounter. She only felt that the woman was a brief passerby in the new emperor's life, and that he would leave once he got tired of her.

However, her views have changed slightly, and she now feels that it would be excellent for the new emperor to rest and recuperate in such a place.

Diligence is certainly good, but people are not machines and ultimately need adjustment.

"This piece is Sima Xiangru's 'Zixu Fu'. Her recitation of the tune is different from others, so it must be a tune she composed herself. Therefore, she can't be considered an unlearned person!"

Playing musical instruments and singing are skills in music. For example, Sima Xiangru was skilled in playing the qin (a seven-stringed zither). Given enough time to prepare, Sima Xiangru's qin playing was quite powerful.

The true power of this type of technique lies not in killing, but in its ability to regulate State of Mind and stimulate various emotions.

Superior musical techniques do not require killing; they can immerse the listener in the emotions of battle, thereby enabling them to unleash extraordinary power.

At this time, "Zixu Fu" was sung a cappella, relying purely on the rhythmic sounds produced by the throat to evoke feelings.

It's understandable that the new emperor, who was captivated by the beautiful sounds, would be so pleased that even the Empress Dowager felt good.

"It's not surprising that His Majesty likes to come here!"

The Empress Dowager did not stop the a cappella performance.

It wasn't just the new emperor who used this "Zixu Fu" to calm his mind and body; the Empress Dowager also used this song to soothe her anxious and restless heart.

Only after the sound of the recitation of "Zixu Fu" in the boudoir stopped did the Empress Dowager cough lightly twice.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

The eunuch beside the Empress Dowager then shouted loudly, which quickly caused a flurry of activity to erupt in the boudoir.

Just a few moments later, the new emperor, whose attire could barely be considered neat, quickly opened the door to his private quarters.

"Mother, what brings you here?"

The new emperor exclaimed in surprise, then quickly and respectfully greeted the Empress Dowager.

"He's quite a handsome young man!"

The Empress Dowager stepped into the boudoir. The woman bowing inside was far less elegant and noble than Empress Chen Ajiao, but her bright eyes sparkled, and her young and pretty face was pleasing to the eye.

As she had thought, the women of the Wei clan were indeed a completely different style from the Empress.

If the other person is merely handsome and has a good figure, it would not be enough to attract the new emperor. But if the other person has a captivating singing voice and even a mastery of musical rhythm, that is a different matter altogether.

The Empress Dowager will favor whoever benefits the new emperor.

She originally wanted to warn the new emperor that his indulgence needed to be moderate, but the current empress dowager had no such thought at all, and only felt that the new emperor could come to the boudoir to listen to songs from time to time.

If it weren't for the need to maintain a relationship with Princess Dou, the Empress Dowager felt she would even like to invite her to visit Changxin Palace from time to time.

"I heard from the Empress that His Majesty is fond of women's bellies, so I came to take a look," the Empress Dowager said with a smile.

"She's just jealous," the new emperor said, slightly annoyed. "She's just a woman, spending all her time dressing up and eating delicacies and medicines. Her body is constantly aroused and seeking a mate. Who can withstand her like that? She almost ruined my health. I'm only here with Wei Zifu to find some peace and quiet!"

"Cough cough!"

The Empress Dowager also knew a little about the affairs of the emperor's harem. She knew that the Empress, at the behest of Princess Dou, sought a son in order to lay the foundation for the future of the Great Han Dynasty and prevent the new emperor from losing his daughter in the event of an accident.

Such things have happened in every dynasty, it's just that it's somewhat rare for empresses to spend their days preoccupied with finding a partner and having children.

The empress filed her complaint in the Jiaofang Palace, while the new emperor did so in the Shufang Palace; both sides had a valid point.

Such is the way things are in the inner palace; no matter who tries to mediate, things rarely go smoothly. After an awkward cough, the Empress Dowager could only offer a few words of advice.

"Mother's arrival here must be due to that jealous woman's complaints again," the new emperor said angrily. "She does this all the time, constantly gossiping to Princess Dou and the Empress Dowager. I've tolerated her for a long time!"

"Che'er, you mustn't be so rude. You've only been on the throne for a few years, and the ministers haven't fully submitted to you yet. You've already angered the Empress Dowager by bringing up Confucian School and the Mingtang. Now you're holding a grudge against Ajiao for disobeying the Grand Princess. You'll definitely offend them severely," the Empress Dowager admonished. She then advised, "Women are easily pleased; you must be very careful!"

"But... but there are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not land that's been over-plowed. She's been taking medicine to strengthen her body, and I really can't take it anymore!"

"Princess Dou has already agreed to release Yi Shuo from prison. I will arrange for Yi Shuo to examine A Jiao's health and ensure she takes the appropriate amount of medicine to avoid harming her body!"

"I'm terrified whenever I see her naked!"

This was not a glorious thing in the royal family, and the Empress Dowager could only repeatedly persuade him and indicate that she would make arrangements, which finally stopped the new emperor from complaining.

"Let's go to the main hall!"

The Empress Dowager didn't come to the Weiyang Palace to mediate these petty family matters. After dealing with them briefly, she couldn't help but call out, signaling the new emperor to go to the main hall of the Weiyang Palace for a meeting.

"Is this not suitable?" the new emperor asked, slightly taken aback.

"Here... here will do, but we'll need Your Majesty, this wonderful person, to sing us another 'Zixu Fu'!"

The Empress Dowager paused while speaking and glanced at Wei Zifu again.

Her conversation with the new emperor was confidential and would not involve any unauthorized personnel eavesdropping.

Normally, the Weiyang Palace, with its ingenious design and heavy defenses, would be the most suitable place for holding meetings.

But it's not entirely impossible in Shufang's case.

As long as Wei Zifu's singing in the boudoir is clear enough, it will surely drown out her conversation with the new emperor, and Wei Zifu, who sings with rhythm, will find it difficult to concentrate and hear their voices.

Even the gentle and calming melodies of Wei Zifu's music allowed the Empress Dowager to calmly recount some private matters.

If Wei Zifu's rhythm is disrupted due to her distraction from eavesdropping, the Empress Dowager will surely stop talking, and may even use this as an excuse to punish Wei Zifu, letting her know the rules of the palace, thus fulfilling Empress Chen Ajiao's wish.