Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 195 Find a way

Yao Jinse certainly wouldn't join in the fun at this time.

Even in the imperial harem where seniority is the deciding factor, this kind of thing is none of her business.

These days, anything that happens is likely to attract trouble.

Good things never come my way, and I'm easily implicated in bad things. In that case, I might as well stay at home and wait for the storm outside to pass.

……

Meanwhile, just as Yao Jinse and the others knew, the palace was unusually lively.

All eyes were on Yangxing Pavilion. The concubines without children naturally hoped for the arrival of a new child, while the concubines with children had more complicated feelings. But if we were to say who had the most complicated feelings, it would probably be Consort Zhuang.

Another prince is coming to the palace.

Unlike the Consort Gui's child whose gender was unknown, Consort Qi's child was definitely of a certain gender. Although Consort Zhuang didn't care much about other people's children, she understood one principle.

Flowers are not a hundred days of red.

Because of the existence of the eldest prince, her status was exceptionally different even when she was in the royal palace. Over the past ten years, a series of coincidences have led to the current situation.

For the sake of the dragon throne, and with the arrival of a favored concubine, many reasons have led to the situation in the Prince's Mansion where there are only two princes—one of whom is disliked by Xie Yun'an.

It was precisely because of this that, for many years, Consort Zhuang harbored a deeply hidden fantasy.

Over the years, she has served the Empress and always presented herself as approachable and gentle, not asking Xie Yun'an for much. Because of her status, even if he doesn't actively ask for anything, he won't lack her share of offerings.

However, one can pretend for a while, but not forever.

It can only be said that Consort Zhuang was not a person who was indifferent to worldly affairs.

She also had her own ambitions. She stayed by the Empress's side for two reasons. First, the Empress had no children. After the Emperor passed away, the eldest prince would be the eldest son and could also gain a title with the Empress's help. Then he would be the rightful heir to the throne.

But now that the Empress has other ideas... she has to make plans for herself and her son.

Of course, she couldn't give up the good image she had built up over the years. Consort Zhuang closed her eyes and suppressed the restlessness in her heart.

At this moment, with everyone's eyes fixed on one spot, it's not a good time to make a move.

In ordinary households, it is not difficult for a child to grow up. Even children from poor families are raised very well.

But raising children in the inner palace is much more difficult. These days, although Consort Zhuang doesn't actively inquire about what's happening outside, the winds in the palace never stop blowing. Those winds, passing through her ears, naturally bring news from people.

After Consort Rong became pregnant, she mostly stayed at home and avoided even paying her respects to the Empress. Such domineering behavior would obviously be unacceptable in other dynasties, but for some reason, the Emperor tacitly approved of this practice, so the Empress naturally couldn't say anything.

When Consort Rong was first pregnant, Xie Yun'an would visit her from time to time. However, in the past two months, as Consort Rong's belly grew bigger, the Emperor visited her less often.

Of course, the Emperor didn't visit Consort Gui's palace, nor did he mention coming to see Consort Zhuang's palace.

Xie Yun'an spent most of his time with the new concubines: Consort Qiao of Liuchun Pavilion, Consort He of Zhaopin Palace, and Qin and Chu, who were of similarly high rank. Even Bai, a lowly talented woman from Le'an Hall, had the opportunity to accompany the emperor. It was clear that Consort Rong's pregnancy was a truly good thing for everyone in the palace.

But for Consort Zhuang, this was not good news.

The more people who get to see the emperor, the more opportunities there are for him to sleep with the emperor. The emperor is in his prime, and these concubines are all young, beautiful, strong, and of a high age where they are likely to conceive.

The purpose of selecting concubines in the palace was precisely this: one or two concubines might not be able to produce offspring, but by arranging for a large number of beauties to be selected one by one, there would eventually be someone who could give birth to children.

With more people like this, there will naturally be more children in the palace. Then, will there be any fear of not having outstanding princes to continue the dynasty?
Throughout history, the number of emperors who succeeded to the throne as the eldest son was extremely limited, except for those emperors who died young. In fact, there are numerous historical records of cases where the eldest son did not even outlive his father.

Although everyone says that if you can't be an emperor, being a leisurely prince is not bad, the reality is quite different when it comes to the person in question.

Who wouldn't want their wealth and status to be in their own hands? Ultimately, it's unreliable to have your life and fortune in someone else's hands.

Moreover, the imperial family is inherently ruthless, and children raised in such a place are even more suspicious. No matter who sits on the throne—unless it is their own son—no one can say that everything is foolproof.

"But things have come to this point, and there's no point in saying more. Your Majesty, why don't you think about the future? Our eldest prince has grown up. In the next two years, he will be able to establish his own residence. At that time, our eldest prince will be able to help the emperor with more matters in the court."

Those around Consort Zhuang were naturally the most aware of her worries. Hua Yan, seeing her mistress's furrowed brows, said softly, "As long as the eldest prince has a future, why should Your Majesty worry about the current situation? Besides, even if Lady Qi gives birth, the child will eventually be taken to Kunning Palace, so Lady Qi herself is not a concern."

Having said all that, there was really no need to say anything more. Consort Zhuang wasn't that clueless, especially since she had been immersed in the inner quarters of the palace for many years. She naturally understood the principles that even her own maids could comprehend.

"That's true, and I understand the reasoning behind it, but as you watch the new generation of women grow up in the harem, how can I not feel anxious?"

Her anxiety stemmed from the fact that the Emperor had yet to approve the Crown Prince's decision to establish his own residence. Although the Empress had instructed the Imperial Household Department to begin preparations, these preparations were not yet officially approved.

A few days ago, when Consort Rong paid her respects to the Empress at Kunning Palace, her words made it very clear that since she said the Emperor was interested in this matter, it meant that the Emperor must have considered it.

Previously, Consort Zhuang had tried to influence the Empress, but the results were not satisfactory. The Empress had also given hints that, since it involved the princes, even as the legal mother, the Empress could not offer much help.

Ultimately, it all depends on whether Changchun Palace can persuade the Emperor.

Therefore, Consort Zhuang is now very clear that since it concerns whether her son's future can be one step ahead of others, no matter how much she wants to maintain her image in the emperor's eyes, she must eventually find a way to get the emperor's approval.