85Top-tier beauty – Consort Su
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Chapter 85 Top-Tier Beauty – Consort Su
The Palace Maid's expression subtly changed, and she quickly bowed.
"This Servant Yu Ting greets Lord Shen."
Shen Yulou said, "I have come by His Majesty's secret decree to treat Consort Su. You may withdraw."
"Yes!"
For a Servant to treat their master this way, it seemed Consort Su was truly out of favor.
After Yu Ting left, Shen Yulou walked up to Consort Su.
He saw Consort Su coughing incessantly, her face pale, slumped on the ground, with long eyelashes still wet with tears, appearing utterly piteous.
Upon seeing Consort Su's face, Shen Yulou's heart skipped a beat.
What a beautiful woman!
No wonder Emperor Ren couldn't bear to kill her; such a woman, even the experienced Shen Yulou, who had seen countless women, found himself somewhat captivated.
Consort Su's face and figure, if placed in the entertainment industry of a later era, would definitely make her a top star.
Even without any expression, simply sitting quietly here was enough to mesmerize people.
Shen Yulou said, "Your Highness, Your humble servant has been ordered by His Majesty to examine your illness."
Consort Su sat on the ground, still not having recovered from her recent emotions, and simply extended her wrist casually.
Shen Yulou supported her hand and placed his fingers on her wrist. Consort Su's small hand was cool and delicate, but her fingernails were somewhat pale, indicating some malnutrition.
"Your Highness must have caught a cold a few days ago. It is now whooping cough caused by the cold. Your humble servant will prescribe some lung-clearing decoctions for you, and the Imperial Household Department will deliver them later."
Consort Su nodded expressionlessly, like a walking corpse.
Shen Yulou picked up his belongings, preparing to leave.
Although Consort Su was somewhat pitiful, it had nothing to do with Shen Yulou.
Just as he was about to leave, Consort Su seemed to remember something and suddenly grabbed Shen Yulou's hand.
"Lord Shen! Can you do me a favor?"
Shen Yulou frowned, "Your Highness, if it's a physical ailment, perhaps I can help, but in other matters, Your humble servant is incapable."
Consort Su, as if grasping a life-saving straw, stood up, holding Shen Yulou's hand, and said with some agitation.
"Lord Shen, I beg you to help me send a letter outside. It's just this one small matter. As long as you can help me, I will agree to anything."
Consort Su fumbled in her bosom a few times and took out some broken silver, placing it in Shen Yulou's palm.
This bit of broken silver was clearly not enough to get a fourth-rank Imperial Household official to do something; this amount of money wouldn't even move a eunuch.
Consort Su clearly knew this, but it was all she could offer.
Before Shen Yulou could speak, Consort Su suddenly pulled open her robes with both hands, revealing a light pink bellyband and a large expanse of fair skin underneath.
Consort Su said, blushing, "Lord Shen, I have nothing else. As long as you can help me, I am willing to give my body to you.
His Majesty has never touched me; I am still a virgin. If Lord Shen does not mind... cough, cough..."
Shen Yulou's expression subtly changed, and he quickly glanced outside the door, finding no one there, which made him sigh in relief.
Shen Yulou said, "Your Highness need not go to such lengths. To whom do you wish to send a letter?"
"To my father."
Shen Yulou thought for a moment, "I can help Your Highness with this, but should I need Your Highness's assistance in the future, I ask that Your Highness not refuse."
Shen Yulou already had a plan in his mind.
Although Consort Su was an unfavored concubine, she was still the Emperor's woman, and naturally had great utilitarian value.
Consort Su nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice, "Lord Shen, rest assured, I will definitely help."
Consort Su was even willing to give her body to him, so it seemed she was truly desperate.
"Also, the letter you wish to send, I must watch you write it."
Consort Su thought for a moment, and finally nodded.
She laid out the writing implements and began to write.
Shen Yulou glanced at it; the general content was about how her daughter was unfilial for failing to get His Majesty to pardon her elder brother, and asking them to find other ways.
After Consort Su finished writing, she handed it to Shen Yulou.
"My father is in the northern suburbs of the Imperial City. If you inquire, everyone knows where Juren Zhang lives."
Shen Yulou nodded, put the letter away, and left Consort Su's bedchamber.
Shen Yulou was not very knowledgeable about history, but he knew that during the Han and Tang dynasties, emperors liked to intermarry with powerful aristocratic families.
The women they married were all wealthy or noble, used to consolidate political power.
However, the Ming dynasty was completely different; to prevent external relatives from interfering in politics, they would choose daughters of low to mid-level officials, or even commoners, to enter the palace.
But the current Emperor's Imperial Harem was very chaotic, with both daughters of high officials and women of humble origins.
Presumably, Emperor Ren's initial idea was also to consolidate political power through marriage with powerful families.
Later, he also selected some commoner women to expand the Imperial Heirs.
It's just a pity that the Old Emperor is a bit out of his depth now; such a beautiful woman as Consort Su has never even been touched, tsk tsk.
Shen Yulou, holding the letter, arrived near the northern suburbs of the Imperial City. Upon inquiring, it was indeed true that many people knew Juren Zhang.
"Surname Zhang, I'm giving you three days. If you can't come up with the money again, you won't have this house!"
With a bang, an old man in his fifties was kicked out of a gambling house, looking disheveled and utterly unlike a Juren.
Everyone pointed and whispered.
"They say his daughter entered the palace as a concubine, so how did he end up like this?"
"You don't understand. The Emperor's Imperial Harem has many concubines. It's not like marrying into the imperial palace automatically makes you a royal relative; some the Emperor doesn't even know."
"Alas, is a Juren really like this?"
The neighbors all watched the spectacle, but not one stepped forward to help.
After the crowd dispersed, Shen Yulou stepped forward and asked.
"Are you Juren Zhang?"
Juren Zhang took a long time to stand up, his body feeling as if it had fallen apart.
"It is Your humble servant Zhang. What can I do for you?"
Juren Zhang's tone was somewhat unfriendly, thinking it was another neighbor who had come to mock him.
Shen Yulou said, "I am from the palace. Her Highness Consort Su asked me to deliver a letter to you."
Juren Zhang immediately became excited, "Did Her Highness Consort Su ask you to bring me money?"
Shen Yulou frowned slightly, took the letter from his pocket, and handed it over.
Juren Zhang tore it open and scanned it, almost reading ten lines at a glance, then appeared very disappointed.
"What's the use of saying all this nonsense? Entering the palace to be a concubine, yet she can't even get some money. What a useless person!"
Juren Zhang tore up the letter and walked away angrily.
Shen Yulou was speechless; what was the point of relaying information to such a father?
However, this was someone else's family matter, and Shen Yulou was too lazy to interfere; he only needed to deliver the letter.
With this favor from Consort Su, Shen Yulou would have an easier time later.
After finishing this small matter, Shen Yulou returned to the palace, bringing a group of people to Consort Qing's bedchamber entrance, preparing to set Prince Zhao Ying's bones.
Zhao Ying lay on the bed, looking slightly nervous.
"Lord Shen, I entrust everything to you!"
Consort Qing also nervously grabbed Shen Yulou's arm, "Lord Shen..."
Shen Yulou quickly gave her a look, and Consort Qing then let go.
If anyone saw them, Shen Yulou's transgression would be great indeed