Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 1684: Chapter 1684: Matriarch of All Under Heaven

Having accepted the obeisance and congratulations of all the ministers and titled ladies, and taken up the Empress’s golden seal and jade stamp, if she made no mistakes, Yuanyuan would be Empress for the rest of her life.

The Ministry of Rites was also rather embarrassed. Ordinarily, the conferring of the Empress’s title was an honor shared by the entire family. Yet from the Su Family, only Su Xing had come.

Now his status was different too—he was formally the Imperial Uncle. His rank and position had risen quite a bit.

Many people were watching Su Xing. Although he was still only a boy in his teens, standing there with such seriousness, he did have a certain presence.

Tan Shaoting looked at the quiet woman beside him. This was quite good—peaceful, calm, and unlikely to cause him trouble.

So long as she always stayed like this and didn’t change, she would benefit from it in the future.

The ceremony took up the whole morning. When it concluded at noon, no banquet was arranged. Tan Shaoting disliked that sort of thing, so he had simply cut that step out.

By now the ministers were used to it. Unlike before, when every few days they would eat a meal in the Imperial Palace, since the Emperor ascended the throne there had only been one banquet.

Yuanyuan was carried back, and the first thing she did was change clothes.

Cui Shanggong knew her habits and had everything prepared.

Only after she had washed clean did she sit down to eat.

The Empress’s lunch had its set portions. "From now on, only a fifth of this amount."

"Yes, my Lady." Before, she hadn’t been properly entitled to give such direct orders; this time she did so outright.

After eating her fill, she went to rest. She lay on the bed and fell asleep within moments.

Tan Shaoting found it amusing. She really did eat well and sleep soundly.

But he was quite satisfied with her habits. She hadn’t shown any unbecoming behavior just because her status had risen.

Eunuch Meng came in, his face full of difficulty.

Tan Shaoting merely looked at him without speaking, which scared Eunuch Meng so badly his calves began to cramp.

"Your Majesty, a few young ladies from Chuxiu Palace wish to request an audience."

"Whatever it is, have them go to the Empress. Tell those people that in a few days it’ll be time for them to be taken back; it’s too noisy here."

"Your Majesty, there are unpleasant rumors outside that your body has some... problem."

In fact, what was being spread was much uglier than that. Eunuch Meng simply didn’t dare say it.

Tan Shaoting had long known. The earliest to harbor suspicions had been the former Empress’s family.

He didn’t continue questioning, which only made Eunuch Meng more afraid.

He had always followed at the Emperor’s side; ever since the Emperor’s accession, there had not been a single woman.

Before, that could still be glossed over—there had been three Princes. But now not one was left; only a Princess remained. How was this to be managed?

Watching the Emperor lower his head and continue working, he said, "Your Majesty, if this continues, there will be great disorder."

The thing valued most was succession. If the Emperor had no heirs, what would become of this Jiang Shan?

Tan Shaoting waved his hand. He had long since made preparations. Because he still carried memories of his past life as a Cultivator, he was unwilling to kill in the Mortal World. So even for the Empress’s entire family, he had chosen exile, not execution.

This time it would be the same. He would absolutely suppress them, but do his utmost to avoid killing.

Right now he had no way to achieve Energy Introduction; in other words, in this life, until death, he would be no more than a mortal.

Even if he yielded the throne, the path ahead for him was only death.

At present, all he could do was endure and hope to die a natural death. Since things had been arranged to this point, there had to be a reason.

Eunuch Meng was deeply anxious. During the rest period he had someone fetch Cui Shanggong.

The two of them had been together before; they were quite familiar with each other.

"That Lady seems even more inclined for His Majesty not to go to the harem."

The two exchanged a glance and both sighed. What was to be done? Such a vast Jiang Shan, with no heir?

"Cui Shanggong, could you perhaps speak to Her Majesty, and ask the Emperor to see an Imperial Physician?"

Cui Shanggong gave a bitter smile. "Don’t be fooled by how young my Lady is. She would never listen to us servants on such matters.

Besides, she and His Majesty have never been alone together. How is she supposed to bring it up?"

She was still a girl untouched by the affairs between men and women; how was she to speak of such things to a man?

"She is the Empress. She has the right and the duty to manage matters of His Majesty’s harem."

Cui Shanggong thought it over for quite a while. "All right. I’ll go back and talk to Her Majesty about this."

"There’s no other way. If there really is a problem, a proclamation can be issued to invite the greatest physicians under Heaven."

"Wouldn’t that mean everyone would know?"

"Isn’t it already something everyone knows?"

Cui Shanggong was truly stumped by that.

When Cui Shanggong returned, she saw her Lady leisurely eating fruit and reading, completely relaxed and at ease.

On the way back she had rehearsed many ways to phrase it, but upon seeing her Lady, she suddenly didn’t know how to begin.

Yuanyuan had quite a good opinion of this Cui Shanggong, who had been at her side for two years.

"What is it?"

"Your Majesty, there are already rumors among the common folk that the Emperor’s body is... not up to par."

Yuanyuan understood that people now placed great weight on succession; even the throne might be hard to keep.

"We must have faith in His Majesty. There will certainly be no problem."

Cui Shanggong was left utterly speechless by her Lady’s words, and no longer knew how to follow up.

Yuanyuan continued reading. After quite a while, Cui Shanggong was still standing ramrod straight at the side.

"Is there something else?"

"Just now Eunuch Meng came to me. He hopes Her Majesty might persuade His Majesty to see an Imperial Physician."

Yuanyuan put down the book in her hand and looked at Cui Shanggong.

"Do you think I have that kind of influence?"

"My Lady, even if you don’t, you must still try to persuade His Majesty. After all, you are the Empress, the Emperor’s wife."

"I don’t have the nerve to meddle in that sort of matter." What a joke—did she have a death wish? Besides, wasn’t that precisely the thing a man cared most about? Since he himself was unwilling to see a physician, that meant the problem was very serious. This was not something others could push him on.

Just then, a little eunuch announced from outside.

Yuanyuan looked at Xu Shanggong below.

"A few young ladies are already getting restless. Also, the Minister of Ministry of Industry’s daughter and the Princess have been particularly close."

"They knew each other before, didn’t they?"

"Yes."

Yuanyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Cui Shanggong, warn them where they may not go. If they want to go to the front hall, don’t concern yourself—if they have the ability, let them go on their own. As for matters concerning the Princess, give a few reminders to the Princess’s Chief Palace. Beyond that, don’t interfere too much."

The two Chief Palace women both understood.

Cui Shanggong sighed. Her Lady truly had the bearing of a mother of the realm. Where others guarded against women approaching the Emperor, the Empress was actually opening the door of convenience for them.

Yuanyuan didn’t concern herself with this matter. Tan Shaoting didn’t care, but Eunuch Meng and the others were worried sick.

That day, as Tan Shaoting was reviewing memorials, his Divine Sense swept out and he actually sensed several women approaching.

His brows knitted together and he immediately understood what was going on.

Without changing his expression, he continued reviewing, simply waiting for these few to arrive.

These young ladies hadn’t expected it to be so easy to reach the front hall, and were all a bit excited.

They had already been in the Imperial Palace for some time without seeing the Emperor at all. However many schemes they had, they needed to see the man himself before they could put them into play.