The playboy county magistrate

Pei Qingyuan's words were both reasonable and persuasive, completely refuting Consort Shu's subtle provocations.

This not only praised the Emperor and Empress for their wise decisions, but also indirectly defined everything the Crown Prince did as being for the country and its people, and as a lesson learned from the sages. It preserved the Crown Prince's reputation and silenced any criticism from the harem.

Consort Shu now finds Pei Qingyuan displeasing no matter how she looks at her.

The Empress, on the other hand, found him increasingly pleasing to the eye. She even secretly praised him in her heart.

As expected of Li Xuanzhi's first wife, she's truly a woman who can't be two different people even when sleeping in the same bed.

He glanced at Consort Shu again, feeling extremely annoyed.

Indeed, whether it was the private quarters of court officials or the emperor's harem, these concubines were truly not respectable.

Now they're running around like crazy, even though His Majesty is still alive. Don't they know how to behave themselves?

If someone with a brain like that didn't have a good family background, they would probably have been dead several times over by now.

I wonder what Consort Shu was thinking. Did she not know before she came here that His Majesty had made the decision for the Crown Prince to leave the palace and stay at Li Xuanzhi's house for an extended period?

Why are you making such a scene in her palace? Aren't you afraid that His Majesty will get angry and order her to stay at home?

But at this moment, the Empress had to say something; it wouldn't be right to let Pei Qingyuan and Consort Shu clash while she herself remained quietly out of the public eye.

If that were actually done, it would truly damage the royal family's reputation.

The Empress remained calm and smiled as she spoke softly, breaking the tense atmosphere between the two.

"His Majesty has gone to great lengths to pave the way for the Crown Prince and to plan for the long term of the nation. Outsiders, unaware of the inner workings, make unwarranted comments on His Majesty's decisions and worry about empty reputations, which is what truly damages the dignity of the royal family."

Anyone who dares to criticize the Crown Prince for leaving the palace to study is criticizing the Holy Emperor and making unwarranted comments on national policies.

The verbal dispute escalated directly to the level of national affairs, reaching the point of court decision-making. Even if Consort Shu were foolish, she knew that she couldn't continue to dwell on this matter.

Consort Shu's face darkened completely, her mind filled with the word "outsider" from the Empress's words, yet she had no way to refute it.

He could only swallow his resentment and scheming, forcing a smile.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right; it was I who was short-sighted."

The Empress sighed softly, "Very well, it's all for the Crown Prince's sake. It's getting late, Qingyuan, take the Crown Prince and set off. Don't let him miss his studies; it wouldn't be good if his education was delayed."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Pei Qingyuan nodded slightly.

Consort Shu gripped her handkerchief tightly, watching Pei Qingyuan and the Crown Prince leave, but there was nothing she could do.

She has three purposes for coming here today.

Firstly, she deliberately lingered in front of the Empress to annoy her. Secondly, she probed the Empress based on the note sent to the palace by her family, hoping to find out or observe something different.

Her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law all expressed some unease. As the least bright person in the family, Consort Shu naturally did whatever her family told her to do.

Having spent so many years in the palace, she had long since come to understand a principle—

The love of an emperor is too elusive. Even if an emperor has true feelings, he will only give them to the empress or the woman who truly enters his heart.

This woman, aside from being the empress and the emperor's principal wife, was just an ordinary woman who had no influence on the emperor's empire.

As the daughter of a prominent family, with her father, brother, and many members of her clan holding important positions in the imperial court and local government, she was destined to be viewed with estrangement and prejudice by the emperor, regardless of his feelings towards her.

The fact that she was fortunate enough to give birth to two princes was also related to her usual behavior.

In the emperor's eyes, Consort Shu was just a dim-witted person who was spoiled by her family.

A foolish concubine with a powerful family backing her up is always easier to control than a woman whose cunning is as dense as a honeycomb.

Therefore, everyone felt that Consort Shu was deeply favored, and even the favored concubines who entered the palace later could not share her affection.

Moreover, in the entire harem, she was the only one with two princes. Even if the Empress had a Crown Prince, she would only have one prince.

Her second purpose in coming here was to confirm that it was a certainty that Li Xuanzhi would be in charge of the Crown Prince's departure from the palace. She also wanted her sons to receive a good education.

Despite being a noblewoman from a prominent family, she felt that Li Xuanzhi was indeed unlikable from the perspective of both family and personal interests.

However, from the perspective of choosing teachers for his sons, Li Xuanzhi was indeed the most suitable.

The Crown Prince's tutor is Li Xuanzhi, so why can't he fight for his two sons?

If I have the opportunity to reach that position in the future, with Li Xuanzhi's guidance, my future will definitely be smooth sailing.

If they don't have the chance to sit in that position, considering they are half-brothers or direct disciples trained by the same master, even if their maternal family commits a crime and is purged in the future, at least they can save their lives out of consideration for face.

Consort Shu knew how to live a peaceful life in the palace, and naturally she would strive for greater benefits and the most favorable conditions for her children's survival.

Thirdly, Consort Shu also wanted to see what kind of abilities this woman named Pei Qingyuan had that could make such a capable man as Li Xuanzhi refuse his own sister's request to become a concubine for her sake.

This exchange truly gave her a deeper understanding of Pei Qingyuan's sharp tongue.

No wonder Li Xuanzhi was in love with her; she looked gentle and delicate, but her words were incredibly sharp and cutting.

But they had a well-reasoned argument, leaving no room for rebuttal.

A woman who is pleasing to the eye, capable of solving problems, and proficient in managing household affairs—what man wouldn't like that?

It's a pity she could only hide her talents. Otherwise, how could she have become a concubine and had children?

The Crown Prince didn't care what Consort Shu was plotting; he obediently stepped forward, gave the Empress one last deep look, and whispered:

"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself. Your son will visit the palace often to pay his respects."

After speaking, he turned around and firmly took Pei Qingyuan's sleeve.

With her small figure upright and dignified, he followed her step by step out of Kunning Palace without the slightest hesitation or lingering.

Outside the palace gates, a carriage with a blue curtain waited quietly.

Pei Qingyuan led the Crown Prince slowly into the carriage, and the curtain slowly fell, shutting out the treacherous winds and rains of the deep palace.

The wheels rolled slowly, leaving the palace and heading towards the Li residence.

The green-curtained carriage smoothly drove along the main street of the capital.

The streets are bustling and crowded with traffic.

The shops lining both sides of the street are full of life and bustling activity, a scene of human splendor that can never be seen within the high walls of the palace.

The prince sat upright in the carriage, his small body ramrod straight. He didn't peek out curiously, but quietly watched the bustling city life outside the carriage window. His eyes were clear, yet they held a calmness far beyond that of a five-year-old child.

Pei Qingyuan sat beside him, and seeing his mature-beyond-his-years appearance, her heart softened, and she gently comforted him:

"Your Highness, from now on, you will reside in the palace and need not adhere to the strict rules of the inner palace. You may be at ease. You may read and practice calligraphy, rest and play as you please, without being too restrained."