The most dissolute couple in the capital

Inside Consort De's palace, the underfloor heating was extremely warm, and a faint scent of sandalwood permeated the luxurious hall.

Consort De came from the Lu clan of Fanyang, one of the five noble families and seven prominent clans. She was among the first batch of concubines selected to enter the palace after His Majesty ascended the throne. She gradually rose to the position of Consort De after giving birth to the second prince, Li Han.

In truth, she was not particularly favored. The current emperor was diligent in his duties and rarely visited the inner palace. Moreover, Consort De was getting older and could only rely on her sons and her maternal family's influence.

The Second Prince, Li Han, sat upright in his chair, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest. The speed increased until Consort De came out of the inner palace, at which point he stopped.

"Mother, look at Father's thoughts now. He's becoming more and more wary of aristocratic families." Li Han sneered. "The He family, a family of such low social standing, wouldn't even be worthy of carrying shoes for the royal family in the past. Now they can marry a princess? Li Zhao is, after all, the eldest daughter of the Empress. Father is really willing to marry her down to a lower social status."

Upon hearing this, Consort De, who was seated at the head of the table, waved her hand to signal the palace maids to leave.

"Han'er, watch your words." Consort De's voice carried a hint of arrogance. "How dare you and I presume to comment on your father's thoughts? So what if the He family is of mediocre birth? Their advantage lies in having no powerful roots; they can only be as loyal to the royal family as dogs."

At this point, Consort De curled her lips into a mocking smile: "Outsiders say that the Emperor favors the eldest princess, but in my opinion, even if Li Zhao receives the utmost favor, the Empress has not been able to give birth to a younger brother for her, which means that she is destined to rely on the other princes in the future. All this effort has ultimately amounted to nothing."

Li Han sneered: "Your subject naturally understands. However, before the autumn hunt, everyone in the court was discussing the choice of the eldest princess's consort. Zheng Wenhan of the Zheng family of Xingyang and the legitimate son of a collateral branch of the Wang family of Taiyuan, which one of them is ten streets higher in social standing than the He family?"

He looked at Consort De: "Mother, don't you think Father's fear of the aristocratic families has reached an unreasonable level?"

"What's so surprising about this?" Consort De said dismissively. "Our five surnames and seven clans have deep roots and hundreds of years of aristocratic heritage. How can the word 'fear' easily shake us? In recent years, whether your father has reopened the imperial examinations, promoted those from humble backgrounds, or recommended new military merits, frankly speaking, he has been testing and suppressing us. But so what? The lifeline of the court is ultimately still in the hands of the aristocratic families."

Consort De was comforting her son, telling him not to panic.

But as Li Han listened to these words, the gloom in her heart grew heavier and heavier.

He certainly understood the power and influence of powerful families. His anger and anxiety stemmed not from genuine sympathy for the Zheng or Wang families, but from the chilling message his father's selection of a husband for the eldest princess had revealed.

The emperor is sparing no effort to weaken the influence of aristocratic families on the court and even on the princes.

Li Han, however, was the one among all the adult princes who was most deeply bound to aristocratic families.

His maternal clan was the Lu clan of Fanyang.

Seeing Li Han deep in thought, Consort De assumed he understood and continued, "You have now reached the age to establish a principal wife. The selection of this principal wife is crucial to your future career and must not be taken lightly."

"Our Lu family of Fanyang has a cousin who is the eldest daughter of your maternal uncle. In terms of talent, appearance, and family background, she is outstanding. Your mother is thinking that in a few days, she will go and sound out your father's opinion and finalize this marriage."

Li Han's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composed and courteous demeanor, speaking softly, "Mother, I am deeply grateful for your constant planning. My cousin is certainly wonderful, but... Father is currently wary of powerful families. If I were to hastily propose marriage to Lady Lu now, I fear it would displease him, making him think that our maternal relatives are too powerful. Perhaps we should proceed cautiously, Mother?"

Consort De pondered for a moment: "What you said makes sense. But you always need someone you know well to help you. Never mind, your mother will act according to the situation and will never arouse your father's suspicion."

"Thank you, Mother." Li Han bowed respectfully.

However, the moment he lowered his head, a chilling gloom surged in his eyes.

The Lu family of Fanyang? What a joke.

He has the blood of the Lu family flowing in his veins; the Lu family has long been bound to him, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

Since the Lu family is already his prey, why should he waste such a crucial position as his principal wife to appease them? If he could marry the eldest daughter of the Wang family of Taiyuan or the Cui family of Qinghe, the resources he could control from powerful families would double.

My mother was, after all, just a woman; she was too short-sighted and only had her family's glory on her mind.

If it weren't for the fact that the eldest daughter of the Cui family was already engaged to the Xiao family, she would be a pretty good choice...

So be it, she's just a woman. There are plenty of noble ladies in the world who want to get into his bed.

-

The next day at Chang Le Palace.

Li Zhao sat at his desk, revising the orphanage's charter.

After it was submitted a few days ago, the Empress Dowager revised it a few times and sent it back, asking her to improve it further.

The trusted female official entered the hall silently and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, our people have sent word that Consort De went to the Qianqing Palace today to ask His Majesty for a favor, to bestow the eldest daughter of the Lu family of Fanyang upon the Second Prince as his principal wife."

Li Zhao's lips curled into a mocking smile: "It seems that Father Emperor has not agreed."

The female official nodded and said, "That's exactly right."

"Stupid and dull." Li Zhao chuckled lightly, and the tip of his brush steadily wrote a character on the rice paper.

Consort De underestimated the difficulty of winning the throne. She thought that Li Han, as the eldest son, had the backing of the Lu family of Fanyang, and was guaranteed to win. She even fantasized about strengthening the family ties through marriage.

She failed to see that precisely because Li Han possessed the title of "elder," if his principal wife were also from the Lu family, it wouldn't be a prince marrying a wife, but rather a blatant challenge to imperial power by a powerful clan. In her father's eyes, Li Han at that time would only be a puppet son-in-law of the Lu family.

What's even more ridiculous is that while Consort De was plotting her way out of maternal love and filial piety, she was unaware that her precious son, whom she had carried for ten months, was unwilling to be trapped and die by the Lu family.

Li Han, who was of the Lu clan, was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He would surely vacate the position of the principal wife and sell it to a powerful family like the Wang clan of Taiyuan, which could double his influence.

This mother and son are truly each harboring their own ulterior motives.

The female official looked worried: "Your Highness, if the Second Prince truly gains the full support of several powerful families, it will be a great disadvantage for us. Those officials in court are already biased towards the Second Prince; they think he is the one who..."

"You think he's the rightful heir, right?" Li Zhao's tone held no anger.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gloomy sky outside.

"Just because I was born a girl. Over the past ten years, no matter how many classics and historical texts I have read, or how many tasks I have accomplished that have earned my father's praise, in some people's eyes, none of them are as legitimate as the greetings that my second brother casually wrote."

Li Zhao gripped the window frame tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white. "After all these years of their growth, I've long understood. No matter how outstanding I am, I will never be the first choice of the court officials."

The female official looked at her master with heartache: "Your Highness..."

"People are used to using the rules of 'gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and humility' as shackles. As long as I don't care about this empty reputation, their so-called righteousness is nothing but a piece of waste paper. They don't choose me not because I'm not good enough, but because the corrupt rules of the court are incompatible with me."

Li Zhao smiled, his eyes filled with ambition and a cold glint.

"Since these rules forbid me from entering the game and making a move, then I will smash this chessboard, sever these outdated customs and practices in the court, and ensure that none of them can ever be the one to play the game!"

The female official trembled slightly at her words, then a fervent, unwavering devotion welled up in her eyes, and she bowed deeply: "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

Li Zhao straightened her sleeves, smoothed the gold-embroidered hem, and resumed her dignified and majestic princess demeanor.

"Keep an eye on the Second Prince's residence, especially which aristocratic scions he's been in contact with in private." She slightly raised her chin, a half-smile on her face. "I want to see how long this show of 'being of one family' between Consort De and her son can last in the face of Li Han's wolfish greed and ambition."