On the afternoon of the 21st afternoon of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Houzhao woke up very early. The sun had not yet set yet. After a brief wash, he considered what good programs would be available in the evening.

Xiao Tiaozi came over and briefly told Zhu Houzhao what happened during the day. Perhaps Empress Dowager Zhang sent someone to invite the emperor to return to the palace to discuss the matter. Zhu Houzhao said annoyed when he heard this:

"Does the Empress Dowager still want to plead for Marquis Jianchang? Humph, don't think I don't know. She only has those two unsatisfactory brothers in her heart, and she almost has no place for me... Is there anything else?"

Xiao Guozi didn't dare to mention any matters related to the relatives of the foreigners. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang Yuan and Eunuch Zhang came to ask for a visit, saying that there is something important to report to Your Majesty."

"He didn't say what was going on?" Zhu Houzhao asked with a glance at Xiao Twist.

Xiao Tiaozi thought for a while and shook his head: "Eunuch Zhang has not made it clear. He is still waiting outside now, saying that he wants to report to His Majesty himself after he gets up."

Zhu Houzhao said: "This uneasy thing, if he wants to bother me if he does things... let him come in."

"yes."

Xiao Tiaozi took the order and left. Soon, Zhang Yuan appeared in front of the house.

Zhang Yuan came in and immediately knelt down when he saw Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, I have greeted you. I wish you a lifetime."

Zhu Houzhao frowned: "It's not the birthday of the Birthday. What do you mean by coming here to tell me about these things?"

Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to give you a gift to Your Majesty... I have prepared a small gift and want to give it to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty can give you a chance to be loyal."

Zhang Yuan smiled all over his face. This flattering expression was learned from Liu Jin, but he didn't learn it like it. Instead, it had a deliberate decorative meaning. Xiao Twist was very annoyed when he saw it and thought:

"If I had known, I wouldn't have reported it to Zhang Yuan. If his power is in power, we will suffer. Fortunately, he dare not attack me now! But I thought it would be soon."

Zhu Houzhao said, "What kind of gifts are enough to be delivered to the leopard room, I don't want to see them." Obviously, he was not interested in the gifts given by Zhang Yuan. Zhang Yuan did not expect that his hot face was pressed against his cold butt, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have carefully prepared a group of beauties for you..."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, then he curled the corner of his mouth and said in a sarcastic tone: "Eunuch Zhang, how did I explain to you in normal times? I asked you to help me review the memorials and make the court stable. What are you doing with these meaningless things? Do I want a woman, and you, a eunuch, bother?"

Obviously, Zhu Houzhao was very unhappy with those who were outspoken, especially on the premise that he had prejudice against Zhang Yuan.

Zhu Houzhao just asked someone to help him handle the government affairs temporarily, and did not look down on Zhang Yuan much, which was completely different from his previous attitude towards Liu Jin.

Zhang Yuan was scolded and felt very wronged. He felt that he worked hard to help Zhu Houzhao find a woman. This was a sign of loyalty. It would be fine if Zhu Houzhao didn't appreciate it, but he even scolded her.

Zhu Houzhao was angry for a while before waved her hand: "How many women have you found to come back?"

Zhang Yuan said: "Go back to your Majesty, I have found 60 women for you."

"Um?"

Zhu Houzhao immediately glared at him. Qian Ning had previously searched for women from the people, and at most there were more than a dozen or twenty people at a time. Zhang Yuan has sent him sixty women at once, which made him very "surprised".

Zhu Houzhao didn't want to show the contrast between her attitudes before and after, and asked calmly: "Where are these women now?"

Zhang Yuan said with a sad face: "Without His Majesty's permission, the old slave dare not bring it to the Leopard Room. He will stay in the Jiaofangsi Yamen for the time being. As long as His Majesty wants, he can be recruited at any time."

Zhu Houzhao said, "What are you waiting for? Call the person here, I want to see what you think... If you can't do things well this time, don't blame me for blaming you!"

In the end, Zhu Houzhao wanted to say a few serious words, but found that the reason was insufficient... People tried their best to find a woman for you, and even if they had no credit, they would have worked hard. You still have to blame others. What is this?

Zhu Houzhao felt secretly happy, but on the surface he still had a stern face, asking Zhang Yuan to bring people, and he also calmed down to prepare for "beauty pageant".

...

...

After half an hour, Zhang Yuan still didn't send anyone there, and Zhu Houzhao was a little impatient.

Just at this moment, two eunuchs arrived, and Zhu Houzhao recognized them as those around Concubine Hua and Concubine Li.

"What's up?"

Zhu Houzhao frowned and asked.

A eunuch said: "Your Majesty, Empress Hua invites you to drink."

The latter eunuch said: "When you say to your Majesty, Concubine Li has prepared wine and food, please come and have a meal."

Zhu Houzhao said: "You go back and tell your respective masters that if I want to go over, you know the past and don't need them to urge me. This will make me disgusted... If you send someone to disturb me, don't blame me for neglecting them."

"yes."

The two eunuchs were ordered to do things, but they did not dare to speak much, so they received the order and sued their orders.

Zhu Houzhao ordered Xiao Guozi: "Xiao Guozi, remember that there is nothing important. Don't let the people in Huafei and Lifei's room get close to you. I have a strong opinion!"

Xiao Tiaozi asked, "Where will your Majesty go to bed today?"

"Do you still need to ask?" Zhu Houzhao said angrily, "Eunuch Zhang will send the woman here later. Do I still need to consider where to spend the night?"

Xiao Guozi realized that he was talking too much. At this moment, Zhang Yuan hurried over: "Your Majesty, you have prepared it for you!"

Even though Zhu Houzhao tried her best to suppress her heart, she still couldn't hide it. She rushed out of the door and suddenly remembered that she didn't know where Zhang Yuan left the person. She turned around and glared at Zhang Yuan: "Why don't you lead the way?"

Zhang Yuangao happily walked forward and led the way, passed through several corridors, and came to a flower hall. Zhu Houzhao was immediately dazzled by a group of belles.

"good."

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but praise him.

Zhang Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: "Your Majesty really likes beauty, I said that I must be right to do this."

Zhu Houzhao turned around and her face changed rapidly. She was full of excitement before, but after seeing some women, her brows frowned and her face was not so good-looking.

Zhang Yuan wondered: "What's wrong with Your Majesty? The women I found are all in a bad state. They all need to be beautiful and have figures. Even His Majesty likes mature and charming women. I have prepared several of them. Why does Your Majesty still look like this?"

Zhu Houzhao turned back from the pile of women and stared at Zhang Yuan and said, "Is this the woman you found?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, you... don't know what you are not satisfied with?" Zhang Yuan asked quickly.

Zhu Houzhao said with a dark face: "Did you find these women from the people? Or from some corner of the palace? There are so many palace maids in the palace. If I want women, I need you to summon people? I only have an imperial edict, let alone sixty people, even six hundred and six thousand people can be found!"

Zhang Yuan knows women well, but is not proficient.

His criterion for judging a beauty is basically the same as Zhu Houzhao in terms of appearance and figure, so he feels that the beauty he has found is basically 70% or 80% of which are even stunning.

But the biggest problem is that Zhu Houzhao likes not only beauties, but also charm. Even a look or an attitude will become Zhu Houzhao's standard for choosing a woman.

When a folk woman goes to a strange place, she will appear at a loss and feel confused and helpless, which will arouse Zhu Houzhao's strong desire to conquer, which is an important reason why he likes folk women.

Women in the palace are very different from those outside.

The shrewdness and desires that these candidate women carry cannot be hidden. When these women come to Zhu Houzhao, they have very little shame and joy, and most of them have the intention of competing for favor and becoming the top.

Zhang Yuanxin said, "How can Your Majesty see that this is not a woman outside, but a woman from the palace? How could these be women from the palace?"

Zhang Yuan did not realize that he asked the eunuchs to help him search for women. Except for the very few eunuchs who flattered him, the rest of them were all vain and naturally they would not do their best to find women for him.

Don’t you, Zhang Yuan, want to give the emperor a beauty? Then we will find a group of people from the palace or the Jiaofangsi. Anyway, you don’t know the specific source of each person. I just say that these are good women, where do you check it?

As for the more mature women you want to cater to the king's appetite, then let's find some older palace maids... Some old palace maids are eager to leave the palace wall and go to the leopard room. If they can get the favor of the king, it will be a blessing that will never be cultivated for eight lifetimes.

So far, Zhang Yuan has not understood what he is wrong.

Zhang Yuan said: "Your Majesty, these women were all found by the old slaves from the outside. Why don't your Majesty take a closer look?"

Zhu Houzhao's face became increasingly ugly: "Do you think I'm blind? These people are basically women in the palace. Next time you don't need to do such things for me, otherwise I will make you look good!"

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, she did not have the interest to continue the beauty pageant and turned around and left.

Xiao Tuozi glanced at Zhang Yuan, feeling secretly happy, but he did not dare to offend Zhang Yuan in person, so Xiao Tuozi hurriedly followed Zhu Houzhao to leave.

Zhang Yuan felt very frustrated. He had great expectations since he made up his mind to find a beautiful woman. Now that his dream is shattered, he is naturally unwilling to accept it.

He walked over and said, "Tell me honestly, where did you come from?"

Many women knelt down directly. In fact, many of them knew Zhang Yuan, but Zhang Yuan had many troubles and could not remember so many palace maids.

Zhang Yuan said: "I honestly explain who you sent and your identities. If our family doesn't believe it, we can't find the source... He dares to fool our family, and those old people don't want to live?"

The women present looked at each other, and there were many women who came from outside. Their faces were full of curiosity and they didn't understand why this sarcastic person was so angry.

Zhang Yuan waved his hand and immediately came a few eunuchs.

Zhang Yuan said: "Send people to the Jiaofangsi, investigate their origins clearly, and see who is fooling our family... Our family will definitely expel him from the palace and let these old people slander our family!"

...

...

Zhu Houzhao left the beauty pageant flower hall and went straight to the villa where Concubine Li lived.

As soon as I entered, I saw the palace maid cleaning the house. In the cold winter, I actually brought out a few pots of flowers.

"See Your Majesty."

When the palace maid saw Zhu Houzhao, she greeted her smile, and she always had a sense of vitality and vitality.

Zhu Houzhao thought to himself: "Concubine Li is really not simple. Even the maids around her are so delicious. You can try to pick one or two of them when you look back."

Zhu Houzhao asked, "The weather is so cold, where do you get the potted plants?"

A palace maid replied: "These are potted plants carefully raised by Concubine Li in the warm room. They bloom all year round. Concubine Li thought these pots were not expensive enough, so she moved them to the side and chose a few new pots to put them out."

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "It's interesting. It's really not easy to see flowers all year round in the northern part of the world."

As he spoke, Zhu Houzhao felt much better and walked in with a small twisted letter.

When he entered the main house, Concubine Li was not there, and only a few palace maids were cleaning up. Zhu Houzhao asked, "Why are they all busy? Did Concubine Li arrange this way?"

Another palace maid replied: "Empress Li Fei said she had prepared a gift for His Majesty. My servants and others just followed the instructions of the Empress and re-arranged the tables and chairs here."
To be continued...