At this moment, Yinti had no idea that his younger brother, whom he treated as a subordinate, looked down on him.

Right now, he's dreaming of becoming a king and ruler in the future. Anyway, his father values ​​him more than Yinreng. Once Yinreng is successfully removed from the position of crown prince, he, the eldest son of the emperor, will be even more legitimate.

For a time, the two brothers each had their own plans, and judging from the atmosphere outside, they were evenly matched.

...

Qixiang Palace

As Xiuning expected, Consort Rong once again arrived uninvited.

"Your Majesty, I have disturbed you. I hope you will not take offense."

Consort Rong held the teacup that Chunyu had brought her, speaking softly and gently.

If a beautiful woman in a qipao were to speak like that, and the person opposite her were a man, he would probably be so captivated that he wouldn't be able to see anyone else.

Xiu Ning smiled slightly, "How could I find it strange? If it weren't for Consort Rong's hard work in coming to keep me company, I'm afraid I would have found it extremely boring."

Even the most patient person can't stand staying in the palace all the time.

For various reasons, Xiuning rarely gets to go out.

Now that Consort Rong has come forward herself, she has found Xiu Ning a good companion to chat with. Xiu Ning is quite happy, even if Consort Rong has ulterior motives.

Upon hearing Xiu Ning's words, Consort Rong blushed before she could speak. A beauty with a pretty face, even in simple attire, was captivating enough.

"Your Majesty's praise is too much; I am filled with trepidation."

"Fearful? Is Consort Rong truly fearful or feigning fear?"

Taking a sip of tea, Xiu Ning smiled faintly, thinking to herself that Consort Rong really had some skills; no wonder she was able to remain unscathed in the harem.

"Whatever Your Majesty thinks, that is what I will do."

Consort Rong did not give a clear answer. She put down her teacup and sighed softly, "Consort Ping's little prince is in very bad condition. According to the palace servants, he will die in the next day or two."

Her tone carried a hint of regret; Consort Rong truly felt that the young prince was innocent.

But being born into the royal family, one's fate is not in one's own hands. Consort Ping failed to protect the young prince and ensure his safe growth, and the young prince could say nothing but regret.

"Wouldn't Consort Ping be saddened to hear the news?"

This is her own son, and Consort Ping has been putting in a lot of effort since she became pregnant.

The journey was fraught with peril, overcoming numerous obstacles to finally give birth to the child.

I don't want the final outcome to be an early death; who could endure that?

Consort Rong nodded, "Who says otherwise?" Consort Ping is really in a bad situation.

However, it was a pity that Consort Rong and Xiu Ning were just having a simple discussion and had no other intentions.

"What do you think about this?" Xiu Ning looked at Consort Rong, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong was taken aback at first, then smiled and shook her head. "I think there is some coincidence involved. Regardless of whether others are involved, Consort Ping will avenge her son."

In other words, Consort Ping will take this opportunity to cause trouble, and those who offended her in the past may not be able to escape.

Xiu Ning nodded in agreement with Consort Rong's statement, "When the clam and the crane fight, the fisherman benefits."

But who exactly is this Crane-Clam, and whether there are other fishermen behind the old fisherman, no one knows.

"Your Majesty, I have recently felt lonely with no heirs and wish to raise a royal heir. I wonder if Your Majesty has any suggestions?"

After a moment's hesitation, Consort Rong smiled and told Xiu Ning her request.

Xiu Ning was not surprised. "Does Consort Rong have any goals? There are many imperial heirs in the harem, but as of now, I don't think any of them can get along well with Consort Rong."

The imperial heirs who have already been born have all had foster mothers to varying degrees.

Consort Rong's attempt to seize the opportunity to get involved will face considerable difficulty.

After hearing Xiu Ning's words, Consort Rong's initial enthusiasm, which had been fueled by some ulterior motives, cooled considerably.

She lowered her head, picking up the porcelain teacup filled with tea again. "Does Your Majesty believe that I will have a royal heir with whom I will get along well in the future?"

It was a question, but it seemed to have cost Consort Rong half her life.

After Consort Rong finished speaking, her face turned pale. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that Xiu Ning had bullied her.

Xiu Ning glanced at Consort Rong, then thought of the several imperial heirs who were about to be born in the harem.

The birth mothers were mostly Han women or women from minor ethnic groups, so it wouldn't be difficult for Consort Rong to choose one to raise under her wing.

"Consort Rong, do you have any prejudice against social status?" Xiu Ning asked in return.

Consort Rong shook her head, "How could I possibly have such thoughts?"

If you're living a miserable life and still cling to the prejudices of aristocratic families, it's practically suicide.

"As Consort Rong said, Consort Rong will surely have her wish fulfilled," Xiu Ning thought to herself. Putting aside everything else, Lady Wang, who had previously relied on her, had given birth to three princes, and Emperor Kangxi had only allowed Lady Wang to raise the youngest one. Consort Rong could choose any of the remaining two princes.

This was not just Xiuning's wild imagination, because Han women entering the palace did not meet the requirements of palace rules. However, since the Empress Dowager was no longer alive and could not make decisions for the Emperor, Kangxi could openly and legitimately favor Han women in his later years.

However, while Han women could enter the palace, it was difficult for them to rise in rank.

In other words, any princes born later could only be raised by the principal concubines in the harem.

“If Consort Rong is not in a hurry within these two years, I will grant her wish.”

Consort Rong's eyes lit up. Although Xiu Ning's words seemed like empty promises, the promises were undeniably tempting.

Consort Rong could not refuse (or did not want to refuse), and willingly took the bait.

"With Your Majesty's words, I am at ease."

Of all the women in the harem, only Xiu Ning's words would make Consort Rong choose to believe them.

There's nothing to it except that Xiuning is exceptionally capable.

The topic of offspring came to an end. Consort Rong knew that saying too much would only lead to more mistakes. Besides, some things only needed to be mentioned once or twice; mentioning them too much would only have a negative effect.

After sitting for a while, Consort Rong got up and calmly left Kaixiang Palace.

Xiu Ning sighed, "What a perceptive woman, but she also has her distracting thoughts."

When facing Yinxiang, Consort Rong refused decisively, and she understood better how she would survive.

However, within just a few months, Consort Rong's thoughts had already changed, and she even developed a desire for offspring.

"Humans are complex, and distracting thoughts are always present."

The system popped up and started spouting philosophical sayings; it seemed to have been holding back for a while, as it was quite unstoppable once it started talking.

Listening to the various complaints from the system in her mind, Xiu Ning leisurely got up and said, "Since I'm bored, why don't I go to Consort Ping's palace to investigate the situation?"

The young prince is in grave danger, and the eldest prince is about to make his move.

She's the one who stirred up all this excitement; wouldn't it be a shame to miss it?