"This family is really big, with seven children. Their third daughter-in-law is pregnant with another one. Wen Niang's younger brother and sister-in-law are not married yet. No wonder they have to send her out to earn money. That family is really poor."

Song Xinian drank his tea, shaking his head repeatedly.

Song Xibai was astonished. This family had four sons and three daughters, and their weddings alone would cost a fortune. They didn't understand family planning; if they got pregnant, they would give birth, and whether they could raise the children was up to fate.

The family originally owned their own land and rented fields from nearby villages, barely making ends meet. However, a few months ago, a torrential rain caused widespread disaster, resulting in a poor harvest of crops near the capital. The whole family has to tighten their belts to make ends meet!

"How did you arrange things for them, brother?" Song Xibai asked.

"We've rented a house nearby to settle down. I'm thinking that we'll be moving to a new house in the future and we'll need servants, so we'll keep them at home to work."

"Brother, you can make the decision. But keep an eye on things. Wenniang is a good person, but who knows what her in-laws are like?"

Song Xibai gave a word of advice.

Song Xinian smiled and nodded, then stroked the teacup, hesitated for a long time, and tentatively asked her.

Have you heard what happened in the palace?

Song Xibai was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was talking about establishing an empress.

Instead of answering directly, she asked him in return, "What does your older brother think?"

“I think it would be best to ascend directly to the position of Empress. No matter what happens in the future, you will have a proper title, and your child’s position will be secure. But Father doesn’t think so. He feels that his family’s status is not worthy of the position of Empress.”

Thinking of his stubborn father, Song Xinian couldn't help but rub his temples.

Looking at him, Song Xibai could tell from his face how he felt: "A terrible teammate, I can't carry him."

I almost burst out laughing.

Song Xibai pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh.

"Actually, you don't need to take this matter too seriously, brother. Whether I become empress or not, my child's status will not change. To be honest with you, the court officials will never agree to let me become empress."

After the Lady of the Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Chengen came that day, Song Xibai understood.

Song Xinian asked, puzzled, "Why? Is it because our Song family is of low social standing?"

"That's not the main reason. Their family background is just an excuse. To put it bluntly, they all have their own selfish motives in supporting His Highness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne. Everyone contributed their efforts, and now that it's done, they all want a share of the profits."

"The positions of officials in the court are like a radish filling a hole; if the people in front don't leave, how can the people behind get up? Therefore, by pulling down a group of people, we can benefit our own people."

Song Xibai spoke very frankly, and Song Xinian understood.

"What does this have to do with who is chosen as empress?"

Song Xibai raised her eyes: "It was the same in the previous dynasty, and it's the same in the harem!"

Song Xinian's expression changed slightly.

"You mean, they're all eyeing the Empress's position?"

Song Xibai nodded.

“I’ve had people inquire about it. There are two unmarried girls in the Chengen Marquis’s mansion, both eighteen years old. They claim to be observing mourning for their grandmother, but the Chengen Marquis’s wife has been dead for almost three years, so the mourning period is long over. It’s quite obvious what they’re up to.”

"The Minister of Rites also has one. At the age of seventeen, when she came of age, a monk told her that she had a good destiny. She is still unmarried."

"As for the other families, I haven't asked around to find out about them all, but I imagine they all have similar situations. There are no eligible young women in the Song family, but now, aren't they going to join our family?"

Song Xinian suddenly realized: "I thought that Grand Secretary Song agreed to the matter of merging the clan too quickly back then. I didn't know there was such a reason."

Song Xibai sighed: "I only recently figured it out myself."

So, being an empress is no easy task!

So many people are eyeing this position covetously!

The Zhou family was relatively polite, showing courtesy before resorting to force. Other families might not have been so forgiving.

If the crown prince had ascended the throne in a proper and orderly manner, without the interference of a fake emperor, he could have gradually cultivated his own people, built up his own power base, and established his own authority. The old ministers wouldn't have dared to do anything about it.

The problem now is that, because the fake emperor has been suppressing the government for more than a decade, there are only a handful of people in the court who can be considered the crown prince's confidants.

There are Yue, who went from covert to overt, Chen Si, who went from deputy to chief, and Jin Xiang, who took over the Inner Guard. As for civil officials, there are very few.

Song Xinian muttered, "Thinking about it this way, His Highness the Crown Prince is quite pitiful. He can't even make decisions in the harem."

After he finished speaking, he became nervous again.

"If they really succeed, and those people enter the palace, who can guarantee that His Highness the Crown Prince won't take a fancy to one of them? Even if it's just a fling, there could still be unexpected events!"

Song Xibai, however, was not worried at all.

"Won't."

For the past ten years or so, the Crown Prince has lived a life of stifling and forbearance. Now that he is about to ascend the throne and become the emperor, can he still tolerate being controlled by those ministers?

In addition, he had been plotted against by women many times in the past, including Zhu Qianqian's wine and Xie Zhaoxun's affair. Now, he felt particularly disgusted with women from noble families and those with ulterior motives.

Song Xibai still has a lot of confidence in the Crown Prince.

Even if the Crown Prince really did change his mind, she would still have ways to deal with it.

Of course, there's no need to tell my older brother these things, lest I scare him.

Song Xinian sat for half a day and then left.

Song Xibai did not return to the inner room, but sat on a chair in the main room, pondering quietly for a long time.

The silence inside the room was broken by the sound of footsteps.

As soon as the familiar footsteps approached, the curtain was lifted, and the prince walked in wearing a thick fox fur cloak.

"Why has Your Highness come at this hour?"

Song Xibai greeted him with delight.

The prince took off his cloak, wanting to embrace her, but then stopped.

"I'm cold, and I'm afraid I'll pass on the chill to you. Let me warm myself by the fire."

After saying that, he walked to the brazier, carefully warmed his hands, and then took Song Xibai's hand and led her inside.

Song Xibai couldn't help but smile and rested her head against his chest.

"Have you finished dealing with everything in the palace?"

"There's no end to the work!" The Crown Prince sighed deeply. "Only when you sit in this seat do you realize how troublesome and complicated things are. They argue about the specifications of just one set of clothes several times over."

Song Xibai imagined the scene and burst out laughing.

"I thought His Highness and the officials were discussing important matters!"

“I think so too, but the Minister of Rites insists that this is a major event. What could be so important? It’s just a piece of clothing, isn’t it? Even if I were to ascend the throne wearing patched and tattered clothes, who would dare to disrespect me?”

The crown prince raised an eyebrow.

Song Xibai laughed even more heartily.

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, even in simple clothes, your heroic spirit cannot be concealed. Otherwise, how could I have recognized you at a glance?"

The crown prince felt extremely pleased upon hearing this.