Chapter 439: Establishing the Queen

Chen Fenghe walked in and saluted Qin Mengyue. Mrs. Wu and her two daughters then reluctantly stood up and saluted Chen Fenghe.

Chen Fenghe looked at the expressions on their faces and roughly guessed what they were thinking, and couldn't help but sneer.

After Xiao Yunshuo ascended the throne, he immediately appointed Qin Mengyue as the empress dowager, and then took care of the national mourning of Emperor Yucheng. The matter of enthroning the empress and the harem was placed at the end and would not be carried out until after the funeral was over.

Now that the funeral had just ended three days ago, those ministers in the court who felt that Chen Fenghe's background and status were not worthy of being named queen came out and made suggestions. Naturally, the wives of these court officials also had the same idea, thinking of taking the opportunity to replace her as the Crown Princess.

Therefore, it is understandable that people would show disrespect to her.

Madam Wu knelt down and said, "Empress... Oh, look at my mouth. The Emperor hasn't even crowned her empress yet. It's really inappropriate to call her Empress now. I'd better stick with the Crown Princess..."

This statement is quite provocative.

The Emperor has not yet crowned a queen, but he has ascended the throne. Even if he cannot call her Queen, he should at least call her "Your Highness". He specifically mentioned "Crown Princess", which is clearly intentional.

Although Chen Fenghe had no intention of staying in the palace to be the queen, since people had come to bully her, there was no reason for her to be so indifferent as not to fight back.

"This is... Madam Wu, the concubine of Prime Minister Wu, right? Madam Wu's words are puzzling. The Emperor was preoccupied with the late Emperor's funeral. Apart from the Empress Dowager, he hadn't yet had time to appoint any new consorts to his harem. Filial piety is paramount. If he hastily appointed a queen and concubines before the late Emperor was buried, wouldn't he be branded as debauched and immoral? Madam Wu, it's not right for her to call me Empress, but there's nothing wrong with that. However, in terms of fairness and justice, I was originally the Crown Princess. Now that His Highness the Crown Prince has ascended the throne, I am still worthy of the title 'Empress'. Madam Wu keeps calling me 'Crown Princess'. What does that mean? Could it be that Madam Wu feels that His Highness the Crown Prince is unworthy of the throne, so I, the Crown Princess, should remain the Crown Princess and not be promoted to 'Empress'?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Madam Wu's face turned pale, her limbs weakened, and she kowtowed desperately, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I absolutely did not mean to do that. It was my ignorance that prevented me from reacting. Please have mercy!"

Prime Minister Wu was originally promoted by the Sixth Prince. After Xiao Yunshuo returned to the palace, he changed his allegiance and supported the Crown Prince.

Chen Fenghe's words just now said that she deliberately mentioned the term "Crown Princess" after the Crown Prince had ascended the throne, which showed that she was dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne.

This is a heinous crime of treason! If word of this reaches the emperor, or even someone with ulterior motives, then Prime Minister Wu's career as an official will be over.

Although Mrs. Wu was stupid, she could still think of these things.

She entered the palace to win favor and pave the way for her daughter to enter the palace as a concubine or even become the queen. How could she suddenly become the wife of a minister with ulterior motives?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but regret that she was too arrogant just now. She thought that with her husband's status and her daughter's beauty, she would soon be favored after entering the palace, and it would not be impossible for her to be crowned as queen. So she didn't take her daughter seriously, but she didn't expect to be caught!

Qin Mengyue couldn't help but frown and said in a cold voice, "Although the Emperor hasn't crowned her empress yet, it's because filial piety is the most important thing. If he does, Feng He, as the Crown Princess, will naturally take the throne. Madam Wu is so disrespectful and has lost her temper! I think Madam Wu has lost her mind. She should go back and reflect on her mistakes. She doesn't need to come to the palace again!"

After saying this, he waved his long sleeves, and the palace maids around him understood and immediately stepped forward to take Madam Wu and her two daughters out of the palace.

Qin Mengyue took Chen Fenghe's hand and said with a smile, "You came at the perfect time. I was just about to send someone to summon you. I wanted you to have dinner with me."

When Chen Fenghe heard her say this, he knew that she must have something to say to him, so he agreed.

After they finished eating together, Qin Mengyue finally pulled Chen Fenghe aside to chat for a few words, then said with a smile, "Fenghe, logically, we in the harem shouldn't be concerned about what happens in the court, but I think you've probably heard a little bit about what those ministers have said. However, there's only one thing you can rest assured about: the position of queen will definitely belong to you."

Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. I have no doubts about this matter."

Qin Mengyue smiled with relief after hearing this and said, "I know that Fenghe, you have always been very wise and will never harbor any rift with the Emperor because of what those people said. After you are crowned Empress, the selection of concubines and the enrichment of the harem cannot be delayed any longer. Shuo'er is the Emperor, and the matter of having an heir cannot be delayed any longer. Fenghe, you must take care of your health as soon as possible."

Chen Fenghe had actually just roughly guessed what Qin Mengyue was going to talk about. Although she had thought about it countless times in her heart, she still couldn't help feeling a little sad.

After all, her beloved husband wants to marry another woman, and she cannot refute or accept this. It is one thing to know rationally that it is the limitations of the times, but it is another thing emotionally.

Qin Mengyue saw her lowered her brows and looked at her in a submissive manner, and continued, "I was also a prince's consort before I became empress. Back then, the prince had several concubines, but they were nowhere near the size of the harem after the late emperor ascended the throne. Even so, seeing my husband favoring other women, I felt lost and jealous. Putting it into your situation, Fenghe, the prince was jealous and did not take any more concubines. Now that he has to choose a concubine, it must be even more difficult for you to accept. However... after all, we are no longer a small family in the countryside... As the queen of a country, the chief minister of the harem, these are all things you must endure. Fenghe, you have always been smart, you must understand, right?"

Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Mother, I know."

Apart from this, she seemed to have nothing else to answer.

Qin Mengyue then produced a list of names and said with a smile, "The women on this list are all daughters of important officials in the court, as well as local officials and border commanders. I've had their conduct and appearance checked, and they're all good. Fenghe, take another look. If there are any you don't like, just cross them out. From now on, all matters concerning the harem will be handled by you. If you choose some troublesome and unruly ones, it will cause chaos in the harem."

Chen Fenghe took it and said with a smile, "Mother, I understand."

In ordinary wealthy families, the mistress of a family still had the power to decide what kind of concubines her husband would take in. However, the empress generally had no say in what kind of concubines the emperor wanted to take in.

Qin Mengyue gave her this list, probably to make up for it. Being able to do this is probably the limit for her as the queen mother.

Returning to her bedroom, Chen Fenghe casually put the list aside.

Before she entered the palace, she had entrusted Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing to Gu Hongzhi, asking him to send them out of the capital. Now, the two have gone to the place she had chosen in advance.

In other words, she no longer had any worries in the capital, and it was really time for her to leave.

She couldn't help but glance outside the palace with some melancholy. Her heart ached dully, like a sponge. In the days and nights when she decided to leave, sorrow was like water, soaking up the 'sponge' little by little. The slightest touch would make it overflow.

She thought the sadness could be digested with time, but the truth was, the sadness was always there, she just got used to it.

I wonder what Xiao Yunshuo is doing at this moment?

There are no other concubines in the palace now, so except for dealing with memorials and government affairs all night long, he comes to this palace every night.

But if she doesn't leave when other concubines enter the palace in the future, she will become a woman who longs for her husband's visit every day, right?

She could not accept this kind of thing no matter what. She could not allow herself to become such a person.

At this time, a voice came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived."

Whether it was the eunuch who delivered the message or the palace maid who served her personally, their faces and tones were filled with joy. This was no wonder, as the fate of the palace maids who served them would be much better if their master was favored.

Chen Fenghe took a deep breath, a smile appeared on her face, and she adjusted her makeup and clothes a little before going over to greet him.

"Your Majesty, you ended your work early today," she said with a smile.

Although it was early, it was already the hour of You. Since he ascended the throne, it had become his daily routine to review memorials until the hour of Hai.

"Can I have someone go to the imperial kitchen and bring some midnight snacks?"

Xiao Yunshuo took her hand and said, "No need. I'm already angry enough with those court officials."

He said he was reviewing memorials, but half of them said that the Crown Princess was not suitable to be named Queen and asked him to think twice.

Is it up to these ministers to decide who he wants to appoint as queen?

Apart from anything else, during the period when he was framed for 'faking his death', Chen Fenghe had cured the plague in Qizhou City and worked with him to thwart Qu Wenmin's conspiracy to defect to the enemy and rebel. These two things were never made public for the world to know about. However, the fact that the Youzhou plague was cured by the Crown Princess using medicine was known to the world.

In the end, in the eyes of these pedantic ministers, these things were nothing compared to the so-called "inappropriateness" of her being the "daughter of a guilty minister", having been "abducted by the Northern Rong", and having "no children"!

Looking at these memorials makes me angry enough, why would I want to have a midnight snack?

However, he naturally had no intention of telling Chen Fenghe about these things, so he softened his tone and said with a smile: "Just ask them to prepare hot water, and then go to bed after taking a bath."

Chen Fenghe didn't ask what made him so angry, and just ordered them to prepare hot water.

Xiao Yunshuo suddenly said, "Tomorrow morning, I will issue an edict to make you queen."