A concubine enters the mansion? Reborn, three matchmakers and six engagements to marry the Prime Min

Song Hongshen nodded, "Yes."

He really didn't want to choose a concubine, nor did he want to take a concubine. But the emperor would not agree, and he was afraid that if he didn't choose at that time, the emperor would designate someone.

At that time, he was investigating the case of drawing a salary without working, and Shen Zhixiu was also investigating Li Zhiyong, so he took advantage of the situation to set up this scheme.

Zheng Nanqing shouted at the top of her lungs, full of resentment, "Your Highness, how unfair is this to us?"

If he didn't want to choose a concubine, he could have discussed it with the emperor. Why bother dragging them into the game and suffering this humiliation and misfortune for nothing.

If she had not entered the Eastern Palace, she might have been able to marry someone else. The crime was not as serious as that of a married woman, and they could still live their lives as usual.

Song Hongshen, however, acted as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. "Fairness? You guys are so powerful that you take advantage of your family's power to call your servants and maids what you want. Why don't you talk about fairness?"

"Why don't you talk about fairness when you enjoy the money you got from corruption and oppression of the people?"

"At this time when my family is in trouble, you are talking to me about fairness."

"I'm telling you, there is no fairness in this world. Look at the princesses of the royal family. When it's time to marry, they have to marry."

What about those people who are born without enough food? Who can they ask for fairness?

But Song Hongshen did not say anything further. He just waved his hand to signal the imperial guards to take the person away.

After the imperial guards left with a few people, Song Hongshen looked around and asked, "Why don't I see the Crown Princess?"

Logically speaking, since such a big thing happened in the East Palace, she should come out and take a look.

Liu Bao stepped forward and replied, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is in the back garden and no one is allowed to disturb her."

"I was just wondering whether I should go and inform Her Majesty when His Highness returned."

Song Hongshen knew without thinking that she must be researching firearms on her own.

After thinking for a while, he walked towards the back garden and said, "I'll go take a look."

Just after taking a few steps, I heard a "bang" coming from the direction of the garden, followed by thick smoke.

For a moment, Song Hongshen felt that his heartbeat had stopped.

After a moment, he came to his senses and ran quickly to the backyard.

All the way from the front hall to the back garden, Song Hongshen kept cursing himself in his heart.

Even if you indulge her, there should be a limit.

Studying firearms involves gunpowder, and one can easily lose one's life if one is not careful.

Su Zhilan kept assuring that she would definitely pay attention to safety.

But there is no guarantee that this will be useful.

When he arrived at the back garden, Song Hongshen was completely panicked by the scene in front of him.

The place where Su Zhilan was researching firearms was filled with thick smoke and no one could be seen.

Such a thick smoke means that a lot of gunpowder exploded.

He ran towards the thick smoke like crazy, and subconsciously shouted: "Zhilan..."

His vision was impaired in the thick smoke, and he took only two steps inside when he was tripped by something.

"Hey, who is it? You're so clumsy."

Song Hongshen recognized it as Su Zhilan's voice, reached out his hand, and pulled Su Zhilan to his side.

Then he carried the person out of the thick smoke.

Beside the stone table in the garden stood many palace maids and eunuchs, each with their heads tilted back, trying not to laugh.

Su Zhilan was sitting on a stone bench, wearing a white smoke butterfly dress, the original color of which could no longer be seen, having turned into a dark gray.

If you said that pretty face was covered with soot, I'm afraid some people would believe it.

Seeing Song Hong's sullen face, Su Zhilan sat down obediently.

She subconsciously wanted to purse her lips, but she heard Song Hongshen say, "Don't purse your lips. What if you get a mouthful of ash?"

Then, a palace maid brought warm water with a cotton towel on it.

Song Hongshen wrung out a cotton towel soaked in warm water until it was half dry, then gently wiped the dust off Su Zhilan's face.

Afraid that she would move around, he held the back of her head with one hand.

Su Zhilan couldn't help but say, "I'll just go take a shower."

Song Hongshen did not stop moving his hands. "How much water do you need to change to take a bath with this face? I'll help you clean your face, then you can go."

As he said this, he threw the cotton towel he had used to wipe twice into the basin, and the water in the basin immediately turned black.

Bai Guo ordered someone to change three basins of water before Su Zhilan's face was wiped clean.

After wiping it, Song Hongshen said, "Don't touch this firearm from now on."

Su Zhilan said hurriedly: "How can that be? Don't look at how embarrassed I am today, but I made the smoke bomb today specifically to confuse the enemy. I know it's not dangerous."

Seeing that Song Hongshen was still looking at her disapprovingly, Su Zhilan raised her pitch-black hand and wiped it on Song Hongshen's face.

Then she said coquettishly: "I promise, there won't be a next time."

My mother said that sometimes we have to learn to overcome hardness with softness.

She also explained to him what she had done today and how much gunpowder she had used. She knew the situation well, so she was able to get close to him.

Song Hongshen was humiliated, but he couldn't lose his temper. He could only say with a stern face: "Next time you do this, I will punish you."

Bai Guo reminded from the side, "My queen, we should go back and take a bath. The water is ready."

Su Zhilan lowered her head and looked at the shoes, which were no longer recognizable, with disdain.

The next moment, she took off her shoes and stood on the stone bench. Then she jumped onto Song Hongshen's back.

"Your Highness, carry me back."

She did it on purpose, of course, to calm Song Hongshen down and not ruin her fun.

Obviously, the prince fell for it.

When Su Zhilan lay on his back, his body stiffened subconsciously.

The next moment, he hooked his hands around her legs, unable to suppress a smile on his face.

On the way back to the main room, Song Hongshen told her what happened in the court today.

Hearing that the four people had been taken away by the imperial guards, Su Zhilan asked with a startled heart, "Did the prince do this on purpose?"

Song Hongshen was not walking fast. When he saw some beautiful flowers, he stopped to let Su Zhilan pick one.

When she asked, he said, "Yes, I did it on purpose. My mother died because of the concubines' competition for favor, so I never wanted to choose another concubine. I made this plan at that time to prevent those old officials from bothering me and delaying my work."

Su Zhilan lay on Song Hongshen's back, holding the peony flowers in her hand and gesturing at Song Hongshen's temples, saying, "Emperors throughout history have always chosen concubines. I wonder if Your Highness can withstand the pressure from those ministers in the future."

She felt a lot more relieved that Song Hongshen did not choose a concubine.

At least she doesn't have to deal with those concubines in the harem, and she can concentrate on doing what she likes.

Song Hongshen raised his lips and said, "When they put pressure on me last year, I had just gotten involved in the power of all parties. This was done to stabilize them and also to delay them."

"From now on... I won't be afraid anymore."

As long as he is strong enough, he won't have to care about what these people think.

Speak of one and criticize the other.

He just didn't believe that these people would give up their official careers just for the sake of selecting a concubine.

Those who put pressure on him all did so because there was profit to be made and they hoped that their daughters would enter the palace and even become queen.

When they find that hope has turned into despair, they will naturally make a choice.

Two days later, Shen Zhixiu privately met with Song Hongshen and handed him the case file.

"Jiang Rang explained that most of the silver went into the pocket of Marquis Jingyuan."