After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 1100 Prince An and the Zhang Family

"Empress Dowager Zhang Gong actually did such a thing? The Zhang family is really not a smart family!"

After learning about his younger sister's experience in the palace, Hai Jiao couldn't help but sneer and mock: "Anyone who is not stupid should know the attitude of the royal family after several failed attempts. Whether it is the Empress Dowager, the Queen Mother or the new emperor, none of them are interested in the daughter of the Zhang family's legitimate branch and don't want her to enter the palace at all! Even if she is a fairy, no matter how smart and outstanding she is, she can't catch the eye of the new emperor! Besides, how old is the new emperor now? Even if the Zhang family wants to use their daughter's beauty trick, they have to wait patiently for a few more years, right? If they start to rush to ask a grown girl to flirt with a half-grown child now, maybe the child will dislike her for being too old!"

Hai Jiao really couldn't understand. The Zhang family had produced concubines for three consecutive generations, gave birth to princes, had sons marrying princesses, and married daughters into the royal palaces of the royal family. How come there was no one who understood? The direct line of the Zhang family repeatedly made stupid moves, even dragging down the reputation of their daughter, but they didn't know how to restrain themselves. Were they afraid that their daughter would end up in a miserable situation? Even if they wanted to stuff their daughter into the harem of the new monarch, there was no need to act so hastily, right? Wait a few years, at least until the new monarch was fifteen years old, and then it wouldn't be too late to send the daughter into the palace. At that time, the direct line of the Zhang family's daughter would not even be twenty years old, still young, and perhaps there was still hope that she could be favored for a few more years with her beauty. Why rush now? !
Furthermore, even if the daughter of the Zhang family has no hope of entering the palace, there is no need to talk about a good marriage at this time. Almost all the sons of the powerful families in the capital are married. They have either already married and had children, or their marriages were designated by the previous emperor. The ones left for the daughters of the Zhang family are either too low in status or too young. The Zhang family probably doesn't like the former. If they don't want their daughter to compromise, they can wait a few more years until the next batch of powerful children grow up, and then meet and talk about marriage. It's the same. The Zhang family can accept letting their daughter marry the new king who is several years younger as a concubine. A decent marriage with an older woman and a younger man is not that difficult to accept, right?
So, why is the Zhang family so anxious?! Even the Empress Dowager Zhang Gong in the palace has begun to panic. In order to control Empress Dowager Xu, she dared to threaten her with remarriage. Isn't this courting death?!

Not to mention that when the late emperor was still alive, he had already made a conclusion about Empress Dowager Xu's life experience, and he also killed all the witnesses who threatened her, so it was impossible for anyone to overturn the verdict. Just mention that when Lord Sun was still in power, he failed to overthrow Empress Dowager Xu. How could the Zhang family get the confidence to accomplish what Lord Sun failed to do? Was there any witness or material evidence about Concubine Zhang Gong and the Zhang family? Nothing. Just relying on a few rumors, did they think they could pose any threat to the Empress Dowager?

Now that the new emperor is on the throne, the masters of the harem are the Grand Empress Dowager Zhou and the Empress Dowager Xu. Concubine Zhang Gong has only two princesses, and her husband's family is only glorious. The biggest helper outside the palace, Prince An, has already expressed his submission to the new emperor. Unless Concubine Zhang Gong can get the support of the Grand Empress Dowager, she will have no power to resist Empress Dowager Xu in the palace. If Empress Dowager Xu is really tired of her and is cruel, a cold can solve her trouble. No one in the palace or outside the palace will object to this.

What on earth had Concubine Zhang Gong been tricked into doing such a stupid thing? Moreover, she did it in front of Haitang, an outsider of the palace, as if she was afraid that the news of her rudeness to the Queen Mother would not spread outside the palace.

Hai Jiao felt angry and amused at the same time, so he said to his younger sister, "You don't have to take this to heart. With the Queen Mother's ability, she will definitely make Concubine Zhang Gong shut up. Besides, Concubine Zhang Gong now lives in a side hall at the back of Shoukang Palace. The palace is strictly guarded. Without the permission of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother, she cannot see outsiders. What can she do? As for the Zhang family, even if they know some news from the palace from the letters and other objects that Concubine Zhang Gong sent back to her parents' home today, they only need to warn Prince An, and Prince An will naturally restrain the Zhang family, and the direct branch of the Zhang family will never be able to achieve anything!"

Haitang raised her eyebrows: "Will Prince An restrict the Zhang family?" They are Prince An's closest relatives from his mother's side.

Haijiao smiled and said, "Why not?" Although Prince An was once a hot candidate for the throne, he was never as popular as Prince Ji. After the late emperor ascended the throne, he was also one of the first brothers to submit. Although he has some ambitions, he is actually very tactful and realistic. Once he finds that things are impossible, he will immediately choose to kneel down and submit in order to protect his life and property and to maintain his wealth and prosperity.

Now, Prince An is the second person in the royal family after Prince Kang in status. Prince Kang is weak and will rest in peace in the future. In situations where the royal family needs to appear, Prince An will most likely appear. As long as he can satisfy the new monarch, he will be a stable elder of the royal family, the emperor's uncle, and will enjoy endless wealth and glory throughout his life. Although he has no hope of becoming the master of the palace, Prince An will not give up such a good life easily. The Zhang family is his in-laws, and whether they can produce another queen or imperial concubine is not that important to him. Of course, it would be best if they can, but it doesn't matter if they don't. But if the Zhang family affects the stability and wealth of his Prince An's mansion in order to produce another queen or imperial concubine, I'm afraid he will have some thoughts in his mind...

Hai Jiao told Xiao Mei: "Prince An's biological mother, Concubine Lao De, was not actually the daughter of the Zhang family's direct branch, but a branch of the family. She was sent to the palace by the then head of the Zhang family just because she was much more beautiful and intelligent than her sisters from the direct branch. Concubine Lao De was grateful for the direct branch's kindness and was always willing to contribute to the family. She also taught Prince An to get close to the Zhang family. But now the head of the Zhang family is far less open-minded and wise than his father and grandfather..."

Hai Jiao now works for the Jinyiwei and often deals with people in the palace. He is more informed than before and knows a lot of secrets. It is said that before Concubine Zhang Gong was sent to the palace, she was not the most outstanding among her sisters. There was a sister from the side branch who was more beautiful and intelligent than her. However, in order to ensure that it was his own sister who entered the palace as a concubine, the head of the Zhang family sent the daughter of the side branch to the backyard of Prince An's mansion. At that time, Prince An already had a main wife and a concubine, so the daughter of the side branch of the Zhang family could only be a concubine and sit back and watch Concubine Zhang Gong, who was not as talented and beautiful as herself, enter the palace. The head of the Zhang family may think that he has made a smart decision, but in fact, it may not be a blessing for the Zhang family that the daughter of the side branch stays in Prince An's mansion...

Hai Jiao whispered, "This lady gave birth to Prince An's eldest son, and she has three sons and two daughters. After a concubine died, Prince An personally wrote a letter to request a title, and she became a concubine. Although she is not very prominent, she is actually the most favored person in the backyard of Prince An's mansion. Prince An is not a direct descendant of the Zhang family, and he has been whispering in the ear of this concubine for many years. In addition, his biological mother, Concubine Lao De, died unclearly two years ago. It is rumored that it was caused by Concubine Zhang Gong. The relationship between Prince An and the Zhang family is no longer as close as before!"

Under such circumstances, the Zhang family did not choose to marry another daughter to the son of Prince An, nor did they want to let the daughter of the head of the family marry the sons of relatives close to the royal family such as Wu Ke or Jin Jiashu. Instead, they wanted to covet the position of the new emperor's concubine. Their repeated stupid moves would only make their relationship with Prince An's mansion more distant. The fact that the Zhang family was declining and no longer favored by the emperor would become increasingly obvious to the outside world.

The Zhang family has no outstanding sons to support the family and only relies on the beauty of their daughters in exchange for the so-called family glory. Once people discover their inner weakness, no one knows what will happen to them!

Haijiao sneered, and Haitang seemed to be thinking: "After all, the Zhang family has been prosperous for many years, so they still have some wealth. Although the direct branch of his family is stupid and incompetent, it would be a pity if all the connections accumulated over the years were wasted. Wu Ke is about to marry the daughter of the second branch of the Zhang family. Can he take over some of the Zhang family's connections? It's better to try whatever you can to avoid wasting it!"

Haijiao was stunned and couldn't help but consider this possibility.