Chapter 146 Parents Love Their Son

Until late at night.

The emperor and empress then left Yongfu Palace.

In order to prevent the eldest prince from being too sad, Queen Cui took him to Fenghe Palace to be looked after.

After the emperor and empress passed away, the concubines in the six palaces had to take turns to keep vigil according to their rank.

Logically speaking, if the Imperial Concubine did not go out, Concubine Xie would be the first person under the Queen, and she should have been the one to keep watch with the lower-ranking concubines on the first night.

But the second prince Yuchuan was still ill, and Concubine Xie was really worried, so she switched with Concubine Jiang.

She hurried back to Yichun Palace with the palace maid Hua Ying.

As soon as she entered the side hall, Concubine Xie took off her cloak and walked to the charcoal basket. She did not go into the bedroom until the coldness in her body had dissipated.

The second prince was sleeping soundly on the couch.

Concubine Xie used the back of her hand to test the temperature of his forehead. After finding it was normal, she patted her chest and said, "The fever has finally subsided. I was really shocked."

Hua Ying poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Concubine Xie, "Your Majesty, drink some tea quickly to warm yourself up."

Concubine Xie took it, took a sip, and only after the scalding hot tea went into her stomach did she feel better.

"Lin Zhaorong's death has finally put this worry to rest."

Hua Ying smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you on getting what you wished for."

Concubine Xie sighed, "How can this be considered fulfillment? They only eliminated Lin Zhaorong, while the one residing in Chengming Palace remained unscathed."

"We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

Concubine Xie Xian shook her head: "There is no chance. At least not in the next few years."

Hua Ying was puzzled: "Why did the Queen say that?"

Concubine Xie glanced at her and said, "To survive in this harem, the most important thing is stability. If you can't even keep your mind steady and take action frequently, you will only seek your own death."

"This time, Lin Zhaorong sought her own death. She actually blamed me for the falling of the Bixiao Palace plaque and completely hated me. I had no choice but to strike first. Ultimately, I was only doing this to protect myself."

"If she were fine, I would ignore her and just have these arguments. Later, when the two children are older, I will start to fight with her. It was she who went astray, forcing me to intervene."

Hua Ying suddenly realized: "Your Majesty is wise! It is I who am short-sighted. But there is one thing I do not understand."

Concubine Xie asked with a smile, "What's unclear?"

Hua Ying asked, "How did your Majesty know for sure that Lin Zhaorong would commit suicide?"

Concubine Xie touched the Second Prince's face and sighed,

"Hua Ying, do you know that the deepest love in this world is not the love between men and women, but the love between parents and their children?"

"Today, I'm ostensibly advising Lin Zhaorong to stay alive for the sake of her child, but secretly, I'm also expressing another meaning. If Lin Zhaorong survives, the eldest prince will be criticized and criticized by the world for having a sinful concubine like her as his biological mother."

"Lin Zhaorong certainly didn't want this to happen, so she was determined to prove her innocence, even at the cost of her life, to pave the way for the Crown Prince."

Hua Ying's pupils slightly dilated. "So, while it may seem like the Empress is urging Lin Zhaorong to live, she's actually asking her to die."

Concubine Xie looked at the Second Prince lovingly.

"I believe that any mother in the world would do the same."

"Not only mother, but father would do the same, just like Lin Qinglan."

"Do you know why I didn't kill Lin Qinglan?"

Huaying shook her head.

She had also advised her own queen to cut the roots of the problem, but the queen just said in an unfathomable way that there was no rush and did nothing else.

Concubine Xie smiled faintly. "Because Lin Qinglan's children are in my hands. If I delay in releasing them, Lin Qinglan will soon understand my intentions. Without my intervention, he will follow in Lin Zhaorong's footsteps."

Hua Ying was surprised: "That's how it is! No wonder the Queen isn't anxious!"

Concubine Xie leaned over and kissed the Second Prince's cheek.

“Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run.”

"I am no different from Lin Zhaorong and Lin Qinglan. For the sake of my child, I am willing to navigate this cannibalistic harem and live my life in fear."

"No fighting, no competition? Then what future will this son of mine have?"

Hua Ying sighed, "But I'm a little worried. After Lin Zhaorong's death, will the Empress raise the eldest prince?"

"No." Concubine Xie said firmly: "Even if the Queen raises him, I am not afraid."

"Why do you say that, Madam?"

Xie Xianfei said,

"Let's not talk about the fact that Prince Minghui is a thorn in the Queen's heart, causing her so much pain that she will never raise another person's child again."

"Take the worst-case scenario, even if the Queen raises the eldest prince, I am not afraid."

"Because the Queen won't live much longer."

Hua Ying's breath was choked.

"this…"

Concubine Xie Xian said leisurely, "The last time I attended to the Empress, I overheard Court Judge Xia report to the Emperor that the Empress was suffering from a heart disease. Medicine alone couldn't cure it, and she could only hold out for a few years. Maybe three years, maybe five years. One day, she'll give up her anger and die."

Hua Ying was shocked and said, "On ordinary days, the Empress looked very healthy. I never thought she would be at the end of her life!"

Concubine Xie smiled confidently, "The Emperor respects the Empress so much that he can hold off on appointing another empress for six months or a year, but he can't do so forever. So, who in the harem is the best candidate for the next Empress?"

Hua Ying analyzed carefully: "Concubine Jiang Shu has lost the emperor's favor and is no longer useful. Although Pei Zhaoyi holds a high position, she has only been in the palace for a short time and has a poor family background, so there is no hope for her. Concubine Li has gone to the temporary palace, and it is unknown when she will return. By the time she returns, the emperor will have forgotten who she is."

"As for the rest, Huang Jieyu and Wen Jieyu are both invisible figures in the harem, making no difference whether they exist or not. There are also two beauties whose presence is not high."

"Going further, both Shen Baolin and Qin Baolin made serious mistakes, which displeased the emperor. Otherwise, one was once the emperor's favorite concubine, and the other was the niece of the empress dowager. Both of them had the potential to compete. Now, it is impossible."

"After all the calculations, there is only one Concubine Song left. She can compete with the Empress."

Concubine Xie's expression was indifferent: "Empress Song is also impossible."

"The Song family has 300,000 soldiers. If Concubine Song becomes the empress, with such relatives, I'm afraid the emperor won't even be able to eat!"

Hua Ying's eyes lit up: "In that case, only the Queen is left."

Concubine Xie seemed determined to win. "Yes, the position of the empress must belong to me. We just need to wait and see."

Hua Ying smiled and said, "Yes, even if Your Majesty doesn't become the next Empress, we are still in a good position now. Your Majesty is a Second Rank Consort, has a son, and even has the power to assist in managing the six palaces."

Concubine Xie smiled but said nothing.

After this conversation, it was almost dawn, and Concubine Xie stood up and said, "I'm tired. I need to rest for a while."

As the master and servant were walking out, Concubine Xie suddenly stopped and said, "I heard that Shen Baolin and Qin Baolin have been very close recently?"

Hua Ying leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

After hearing this, Concubine Xie smiled and nodded, “This is really helpful to this palace. Tell our people to cover up for Shen Baolin and Qin Baolin.”