HMIME Chapter 32: Who Wants to be Empress

 Bai Lu’s mind was turned upside down by these few letters. Various absurd thoughts emerged, wondering if there were many people who had traveled from modern times to this world?! Could it be that among the vast sea of ​​people, there were still many compatriots?!

However, Geng Qing spoke again, “This cipher was compiled by His Majesty two years ago. Previously, there was a rampant phenomenon of counterfeit silver tickets. After His Majesty ordered all banks to use this cipher uniformly, this phenomenon gradually decreased, and fake silver tickets are now rarely seen.”

Bai Lu’s imagination was instantly shattered, “Oh, he invented it.”

He looked at the amount on the silver ticket, ten taels of silver.

Bai Lu calculated it difficultly with his fingers. Ten taels were equivalent to ten thousand coins. Since he took twenty percent of the profit, does this mean that their total income from selling milk tea last month was fifty taels of silver, which is fifty thousand coins?

Although compared to his monthly allowance, this amount was insignificant, the profit of selling just one kind of milk tea in this restaurant was quite good. After all, in modern first-tier cities, milk tea shops sell a variety of drinks, and they may only earn a few tens of thousands of coins in a month.

If this were in the past, without needing to work, just relying on profit sharing to earn over ten thousand coins a month, Bai Lu would have laughed even in his dreams.

However, Bai Lu had seen the world now. He just coughed lightly and calmly put the silver ticket into his pocket, “Alright, I’ve received it.”

Geng Qing casually grabbed some pastries from the nearby stone table and chatted with Bai Lu.

“I happened to encounter the second young master of the neighboring silk shop marrying a concubine when I went home yesterday, so I went to mooch a meal.”

He sighed as he munched on the pastries, “People change so quickly nowadays. When the second young master married his wife two years ago, he swore on the wedding stage that he would only marry her for the rest of his life. But look at him now, it’s only been two years, and he’s already taken in a concubine. It’s even more grandiose than when he married his main wife. Favoring concubines over wives, isn’t this guy something? If he couldn’t do it back then, he shouldn’t have promised. He’ll get struck by lightning sooner or later.”

Bai Lu didn’t respond, seemingly uninterested in this gossip, but involuntarily recalled what Bai Lin had said.

With so many young, beautiful, virtuous, and considerate concubines in the harem, could he really remain unmoved?

He received the same monthly allowance as the Empress, so did he hold the same status in his heart as those concubines in the harem?

Bai Lu was not someone who was easily troubled by emotions, but perhaps for the first time, as he intended to seriously be with Chu Ya, or perhaps because of what others had said, he began to feel restless.

Geng Qing looked at him strangely as he fidgeted in his chair, looking uncomfortable, “What’s wrong with you? Hemorrhoids acting up?”

“You’re the one with hemorrhoids!” Bai Lu stood up abruptly and said hastily, “I’m going to the Lotus Pavilion.”

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Bai Lu felt it necessary to ask his birth mother for advice on palace intrigue.

As the saying goes, one should not harbor malicious intentions, but one should also not be defenseless. He could choose not to engage in intrigue, but he couldn’t afford not to know how. Bai Lu didn’t want to end up like the second lady of the silk shop, bullied by a concubine a few years later.

Geng Qing was somewhat surprised, “Why are you suddenly going to the harem? Men are not allowed to enter the harem without permission.”

“It’s okay, Chu Ya gave me the pass to enter the harem a few days ago.”

Although it was to make it convenient for him to meet Bai Lin, Bai Lu couldn’t help but speculate: Did Chu Ya really think that he and the palace concubines had no difference in status, so he allowed him to enter freely?

When he arrived at the Lotus Pavilion where Bai Lin resided, he didn’t see her figure inside, only two sixteen or seventeen-year-old maids sweeping the courtyard. Bai Lu glanced into the room but didn’t see Bai Lin, so he asked the maid closest to him, “Where’s the young lady who lives here? Where did she go?”

The maid put down the broom in a hurry and bowed, “Back to the young master, just now, Her Highness sent someone to take the young lady away, saying they were going to drink tea together.”

Bai Lu’s face changed slightly, his pupils slightly contracted, and he asked sharply, “What did you say? When did this happen?! Where did they take her?”

The maid was frightened by his question and stuttered in reply, “It, it was about half an hour ago, they seemed to have gone to the Unfolding Dreams Pavilion in the back garden. Her Highnesses often have tea there.”

Bai Lu didn’t say a word, he turned and left.

He was anxious. Who was Mei Fei? She was the kind of poisonous woman who would stuff hot charcoal into a palace maid’s mouth just because of a piece of clothing. Moreover, he had had many conflicts with her. It was not impossible for her to retaliate using underhanded methods.

Even though Bai Lin now held the prestigious position of the Prime Minister’s daughter, Mei Fei couldn’t openly harm her, but what if she plotted something secretly?

Bai Lu rushed to the Unfolding Dreams Pavilion. As he stepped up the steps, he saw Bai Lin sitting at the table, slowly bringing a teacup to her lips.

Bai Lu’s heart skipped a beat. He strode forward and snatched the teacup, then turned to the woman sitting across from the table, “What do you want from me? Stop playing these sinister tricks!”

On the other side of the tea table, a woman dressed in a white embroidered snow skirt, with a peacock jade hairpin on her head, sat there, holding a tea cup, staring at him in astonishment, with a bewildered expression on her face as if she didn’t understand what was happening.

Bai Lu was even more surprised than her because the person in front of him was not Mei Fei!

Bai Lin reached out and slapped his butt, scolding, “You unlucky child, why are you so rude!?”

Then she turned to the woman across the table and apologized, “I’m really sorry, Lady Wen, this child’s mind has never been very sharp. Please don’t take offense.”

“Lady Wen?” Bai Lu suddenly remembered. Right, there were two noble concubines in the harem.

Lady Wen didn’t seem to mind either, smiling, “It’s okay, come and sit, let’s chat, and pour another cup of tea.”

Bai Lin pulled him to sit down, “Perfect timing, we were just talking about you.”

“Talking about me?”

“Yes.” Lady Wen smilingly interjected, “We were discussing when you would become the Empress.”

Bai Lu: ?

Talking about this in front of a noble concubine, wouldn’t he be punished severely?

Bai Lu reluctantly sat down, drank half a cup of tea, listened to their conversation for a few sentences, and finally understood.

It turned out that in this era, remarriage for women was relatively tolerated. Even if she was the Emperor’s woman, as long as she was expelled from the palace without any wrongdoing, she could remarry.

Perhaps Lady Wen thought that instead of being confined to the deep palace and becoming a widow, it would be better to go out and marry someone she liked. Even if she couldn’t enjoy wealth and glory, losing her high position as a noble concubine, living a plain life for the rest of her life would be fine.

But Lady Wen might think so, not necessarily the other concubines. It sounded nice to be indifferent to fame and fortune, but in fact, what was most difficult to give up was precisely these two things. Moreover, there might still be exceptions of those who sincerely loved the Emperor in the harem.

Lady Wen smiled at Bai Lu, “Actually, I’ve been paying attention to you. I heard from Mi Su that the Ministry of Attire has improved the irons according to your advice, and there have been fewer incidents of burning hands lately. You’re very clever.”

It was the first time in his life that someone praised him for being clever. Even Chu Ya, who loved him so much, would only glance over when it came to intelligence issues, and even console him carefully, saying that whether he was smart or not, he still liked him. It always made Bai Lu feel a bit insulted amidst the romance.

Bai Lu couldn’t help but develop a great fondness for Lady Wen, scratching his head embarrassedly, “Hehehe, it’s nothing special, I’m just ordinary smart.”

Lady Wen looked at him with interest, “May I ask, does Master Bai have any intention of becoming Empress?”

Bai Lu was stunned, “Isn’t that up to His Majesty?”

If anyone could become Empress just by wanting to, wouldn’t there be thousands of Empresses in the world?

Lady Wen smiled softly, “Perhaps you can go back and ask His Majesty, maybe you’ll succeed.”

Bai Lu didn’t know what to say. Although he hadn’t watched palace intrigue dramas, he subconsciously felt that being Empress was not such a simple matter. Otherwise, those concubines wouldn’t fight so fiercely for eighty episodes.

Moreover, bringing up the topic of Empress suddenly felt like suddenly being asked to marry his boyfriend. But he had just decided to let go of his worries and try to have a romantic relationship with Chu Ya.

Although it was said that having a romantic relationship without the intention of getting married was a bit of a rogue move, skipping over the process like this wasn’t right either. Marriage was too early for him, and he instinctively felt danger and threat, even feeling a bit resistant.

Bai Lu hesitated, “I’ll go back and ask, but just to ask, it definitely won’t work…”

After nightfall, Bai Lu sat in the corner of the big bed, holding the orange cat, lost in thought as he absentmindedly rubbed the cat’s big belly.

“Is it about to give birth?” Chu Ya handed over a cup of warm calming and nourishing tea, urging Bai Lu to drink it before sitting down on the bed.

Bai Lu nodded, “Probably, during this time, Big Lord has been particularly clingy, and he doesn’t let Miss get close to him. It probably won’t be long before giving birth.”

Chu Ya smiled, “Then you’ll be busy when that happens.”

Taking care of the kitten would definitely fall on Bai Lu’s shoulders because he currently had no official position or status, just a leisurely and idle person. Chu Ya was also willing to find something relaxing and interesting for him to do, afraid that he would be bored.

However, Bai Lu’s mind was not on this. He hesitated and asked, “What do you plan to do with those concubines in the palace?”

Chu Ya thought for a moment, “Let’s deal with them later, it’s not the right time yet.”

Bai Lu couldn’t help but frown, “What do you mean? Are you planning to keep them?”

Chu Ya chuckled awkwardly, “Are you jealous?”

“No!” Bai Lu put the cat down, turned his back to Chu Ya, and covered his head with the blanket.

This kind of man was indeed unreliable. He had vowed before that he would send away the concubines, but after winning him over, he changed his mind.

Well, with three thousand beauties in the harem, who would easily let them go? If it were him, he wouldn’t be willing either.

But, although he could understand, he felt uncomfortable in his heart. Who wants to be Empress, let whoever wants to be Empress go, he doesn’t care anymore!