I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

The atmosphere in the court became strange and stagnant because of the Grand Tutor's words.

For the beleaguered Liang dynasty, twenty million taels of silver was nothing short of a lifeline. But the price was that the crown prince had to take a merchant's daughter as a concubine.

This was not merely a family matter within the Crown Prince's palace; it was a naked political game. On one side lay the pressing national affairs and the hungry soldiers on the front lines; on the other side were the Crown Prince's personal feelings and the reputation of the Eastern Palace.

This multiple-choice question is too difficult.

Xiao Jingshi stood there upright like a pine tree, his face revealing no emotion. But his clenched fists hanging at his sides betrayed the raging fury within him.

He felt disgusted. He was disgusted by these so-called "key ministers" who, instead of thinking about how to share the burden of the country in times of national crisis, only thought about how to scheme and plot for personal gain.

What disgusted him even more was that they had set their sights on his beloved An'an. They actually wanted to use a woman who appeared out of nowhere to defile his palace and share the love that should belong only to An'an.

How dare they?

Just as he was about to step forward and reject this absurd deal on the spot, Xiao Yuanzheng on the dragon throne spoke first.

"This matter... is of great importance." The emperor's voice sounded somewhat weary. He glanced at his son, whose face was icy cold, then at the Grand Tutor below, whose expression was one of "earnestness." "Allow me to consider this further. Court adjourned."

……

The Eastern Palace, the Tinglan Waterside Pavilion.

Ye An'an was sitting on a recliner in the yard, basking in the warm winter sun, while casually stroking her feline overlord "Hotpot," who was fast asleep on her lap.

After becoming pregnant, she became unusually sleepy and lazy. Xiao Jingshi forbade her to worry about the business of "Liren Pavilion" anymore, only allowing her to cook occasionally, euphemistically calling it "resting on her pregnancy."

So she settled into the typical "parasite" life of eating and sleeping. Although it was a bit boring, the thought of the little life quietly growing inside her and the man who doted on her made her feel incredibly at ease and happy.

Just as she was about to fall asleep along with the "hot pot", Granny Gui from Fengyi Palace suddenly arrived at Tinglan Water Pavilion with several young palace maids.

"Greetings to Her Highness the Crown Princess." Granny Gui bowed respectfully.

"Please rise, Granny." Ye An'an quickly stood up. "Why have you come? Does Mother have any instructions?"

"Your Majesty," Granny Gui smiled, her face as kind as ever, "Her Majesty the Empress heard that you haven't had a good appetite lately, so she specially asked the kitchen to stew a bowl of sweet and sour rock sugar pear soup for you, and had this old servant bring it to you."

"Her Majesty also asked this old servant to invite you to Fengyi Palace to sit for a while and keep her company."

"Your Majesty is so kind." Ye An'an felt a warmth in her heart. She knew that the Empress truly loved her, so she didn't think much of it, changed her clothes, and followed Granny Gui to Fengyi Palace.

The Phoenix Palace was filled with the finest calming incense. Empress Wei, dressed in an elegant phoenix robe, sat in the main seat, leisurely sipping tea. Upon seeing Ye An'an enter, she immediately put down her teacup, a kind smile spreading across her face.

"An'an is here, come quickly to your mother." She waved to her.

"Greetings to the Empress Dowager." Ye An'an stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Alright, alright, we're all family, no need for formalities." Empress Wei pulled her hand and made her sit down beside her, then carefully examined her.

"Your face looks even thinner. Are you having severe morning sickness and can't eat anything?" she asked with concern.

"It's alright," Ye An'an said with a smile, "I just can't stand the smell of greasy food. I'm fine with porridge and fruit on ordinary days."

"Then you should eat more nutritious food." Empress Wei touched her hand tenderly. "You're not alone anymore. This baby in your belly is our royal family's first grandson, he's very precious."

The mother and daughter chatted casually, the atmosphere warm and harmonious. After a while, Empress Wei suddenly changed the subject.

"An'an," she looked at Ye An'an, her gaze becoming somewhat complicated, "Have you heard about what happened at the morning court session today?"

Ye An'an's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly gripped her.

She could feel the Empress holding her hand, her grip tightening, and her usually kind eyes were now filled with complex emotions she couldn't understand.

"Your subject... doesn't know yet." She lowered her eyes and answered softly, her mind racing.

The fact that the Empress Dowager brought it up so solemnly was no small matter.

"Sigh..." Empress Wei sighed softly, a sigh filled with helplessness and heaviness. She patted Ye An'an's hand, as if to give her strength, her voice extremely slow and gentle.

"An'an, after you hear what your mother is about to say... you must stay calm and think about the baby in your belly."

Upon hearing this, Ye An'an's heart sank even further.

She raised her head to meet Empress Wei's gaze and said softly, "Please speak, Your Majesty, I am listening."

Empress Wei looked at her feigned composure, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes, but she still told the cruel truth: "This morning at court, the Grand Tutor, together with several imperial merchants, expressed in court their willingness to donate 20 million taels of silver to be used as military funds for the southern border."

Ye An'an's pupils contracted slightly. Twenty million taels? This was a huge sum of money, enough to solve the immediate crisis of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Before she could process the news, she heard the Empress continue, "But they have one condition."

Empress Wei paused, seemingly considering her words, before finally letting out a sigh: "They requested Your Majesty... to allow Zhang Qinghe, the daughter of Master Zhang, to become a concubine in the Eastern Palace."

In an instant, the entire Phoenix Palace seemed to fall silent, and even the wisps of calming incense became pungent.

"Sigh..." Empress Wei sighed softly. She held Ye An'an's hand and said earnestly, "I know you've been wronged by this."

"Jing Shi only has eyes for you. He would definitely be extremely unwilling to take in another woman."

"But An'an, you must understand. Jing Shi is not only your husband, he is also the Crown Prince of Daliang, the future monarch. He carries the weight of the entire nation on his shoulders, and the safety of all the people under heaven."

"The war in the southern border is now critical, and the national treasury is empty. That fifty million taels of silver is a lifeline. With this money, we can send enough food and medicine to the soldiers on the front lines, and we can save many lives."

"For the sake of this nation and its people, for the soldiers who are fighting and shedding blood on the front lines, what do personal grievances matter sometimes?"

Empress Wei spoke slowly and softly, every word filled with the principle of "putting the greater good first." But to Ye An'an, it was like a series of cold needles piercing her heart.

She knew the Empress was right. But while she understood the reasoning, she couldn't bear to watch her husband marry another woman, or to give half of the home she had worked so hard to build to a stranger.

She's just that selfish and petty.

"Mother," she looked up at the Empress, her eyes involuntarily reddening, "I..."

"An'an, listen to what your mother has to say." Empress Wei interrupted her, "Your mother knows you are a smart child. You should also know that since ancient times, there have been very few fairy tales of 'one love for one lifetime' in the royal family."

"Jing is the crown prince. After he ascends the throne, he will have three thousand beauties in his harem. This is the fate that he, as an emperor, cannot escape."

"As his wife and future empress, your task is not to monopolize his favor, but to manage the harem well and ensure the continuation of his lineage."

"I know you are pregnant now, which is a great joy. But..." Empress Wei paused, her voice becoming more earnest.

"One child is not enough. The royal family needs more offspring to consolidate its rule. Although the Zhang family's daughter comes from a merchant family, I've heard that she is well-educated, gentle, and virtuous."

"Once she enters the Eastern Palace, you will be her rightful mistress. As long as you are magnanimous and act like a princess consort to win her over and make her work for you, she can become a valuable asset to you in the harem in the future."

"You should also make some preparations. While you're still not feeling well, it would be a good thing to let her come in and serve His Highness for you, sharing some of the burden."

Every word Empress Wei uttered was like a gentle knife, cutting Ye An'an's heart, which had softened because of love and pregnancy, until it bled profusely.

She finally understood that in the eyes of royalty and these true superiors, so-called love and devotion were nothing more than cheap luxuries that could be sacrificed at any time for greater interests.

Looking at the Empress's dignified yet undeniably authoritative face, she felt a chill in her heart.