Chapter 286 The Empress's Desperate Need for a Son

The palace road was long, and Qingling followed behind the old woman, not remembering how long they walked.

Upon entering the palace for the first time, she did not look around aimlessly, but remained calm and composed throughout.

Granny Kong glanced at her and asked, "Are you tired from walking, madam?"

Qingling smiled and said, "Granny, you've worked hard. This is my first time entering the palace, and you've been very patient in guiding me."

Granny Kong smiled slightly, said nothing more, and led Qingling through another long corridor before entering the Chaohua Palace where the Empress resided.

Qingling respectfully performed the etiquette of a noblewoman, and the Empress looked at her and nodded in satisfaction.

"Judging from her appearance, she is intelligent and quick-witted."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

Empress Zhou invited Yao Qingling to sit down and had a maid serve her tea.

Empress Zhou is not old, only twenty-five years old, and she is dignified and graceful.

Qingling thought that her initial choice was the right one.

Zhao'er is still young, and there is no one in the Marquis's mansion who can support the family. If she is in the right position, the Marquis's mansion will not collapse.

“My mother mentioned you to me, so I asked the Emperor to invite you to the palace banquet. You are the only person in the history of this dynasty who, despite being divorced, was still granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady.”

Qingling rose and bowed again before the Empress, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for speaking well of me before the Emperor."

The Empress nodded: "Please rise."

She added, "You are worthy of wearing this robe of a noblewoman."

His gaze deliberately swept over Qing Ling.

Qingling immediately understood that the harsh gossip of the noblewomen outside the palace gates must have reached the Empress's ears.

Qing Ling smiled with relief.

The Empress made some polite remarks, but what she really wanted to do was meet the woman who had pledged allegiance to her.

After this experience, Empress Zhou accepted Yao Qingling.

She was just an orphan, yet she had the power to stir up trouble and escape unscathed.

Such a loyal and brave marquis's mansion is worth a thousand soldiers.

Empress Zhou asked a few more questions, which Qingling answered one by one.

What started as a casual, tentative chat turned into an interesting conversation for Empress Zhou, who found Yao Qingling's thoughts and actions quite intriguing.

She is different from most women.

They were a bit reckless and arrogant; to put it nicely, they were bold; to put it bluntly, they were gambling with their lives.

Which of the other women dared to act so recklessly only because they relied on their husband's family or their own family?

"Yao Qingling, do you know that if I hadn't intervened on your behalf, you would have been sentenced to death because of your uncle? Weren't you afraid then?"

Qingling said, "Of course I'm afraid. But if I don't do it just because I'm afraid, then I wouldn't be Yao Qingling, but just a timid woman who resigns herself to fate. My mother once said that the King of Hell won't give you more years of life just because you're afraid."

"A person's life is of varying lengths, but if you do something meaningful within that length and make people remember you, then your life will be extended."

After listening, Empress Zhou seemed to be deep in thought.

She looked at Qingling: "Your mother is a woman of great insight..."

Granny Kong came in to deliver a message: "Your Highness, the Lady of Xincheng and the Fourth Miss have arrived."

Empress Zhou called someone in.

Lady Xincheng glanced at Qingling and nodded to her.

She managed to do a good job as the middleman.

Lady Xincheng said, "The Emperor intends to elevate the Marquis's residence to a higher level, and it will be renamed the Duke of Zhou's residence after spring."

After receiving her title, Empress Zhou kept a low profile and did not rush to elevate her family's status. She has not yet given birth to a child, and the harem is unstable, with many restless concubines.

The removal of Consort Shu will bring some peace to the harem, but her family's status is not prominent, and she will still be attacked by court officials.

She needed to consolidate her power and secure her position as empress forever.

Lady Xincheng glanced at Qingling and asked, "Are there any folk methods to help with fertility?"

Qingling said, "There are all sorts of strange methods used by people to help them conceive. Some people have become pregnant as a result, while others have lost their lives. Your Majesty the Empress is of noble birth and cannot be harmed in the slightest."

She thought to herself, "The Empress is just desperate for a son."

But from the Empress's perspective, it's understandable.

If an empress does not have her own legitimate son, even if she secures her position, she will only receive the emperor's respect, but it will be difficult to maintain her favor and honor.

If a prince is raised from another concubine, without the bond of blood and kinship, the future is uncertain.

Thinking of this, Qingling inexplicably thought of Lin Shiyuan.

She fidgeted with her fingers, somewhat lost in thought.

The Empress suddenly said to Qingling, "Lady Yao, did you bring your child with you to the palace?"

Qingling snapped out of her daze and replied, "Your Majesty, my child is too young to be carried with me."

"What you say makes sense," Empress Zhou sighed regretfully. "I heard that you divorced Zhan Xingzhuo while pregnant. When I heard that, I thought you were really strange. Now it seems that a mother always thinks of her child."

How many women in this world would work so hard to earn a title for a baby less than a year old?

Qingling smiled faintly and said frankly to Empress Zhou, "I am not actually fighting for Zhao'er. I just don't want the honor of the Marquis's mansion to be tarnished by my uncle. I am angry because my parents have been wronged, and that's why I am going to fight them to the death."

Outsiders say that Yao Qingling is ruthless and would even harm her own family in order to climb the social ladder.

But her closest relatives are her parents. How can risking her life for her parents' honor not be considered filial piety?

Empress Zhou bestowed upon Zhao'er a gold-inlaid ruby ​​necklace and upon Qingling a set of ruby ​​jewelry, and ordered her to wear them on the spot.

"In a little while, you will wear this headdress to the banquet and let those people see it."

The palace maids came to dress Qingling up again.

Her attire was more dignified and composed than before; this outfit was comparable to that of a princess.

Yao Qingling was flattered: "Is this appropriate?"

Empress Zhou glanced at her indifferently: "They saw you enter my palace. They know you are one of my people. If they continue to gossip, what will you do?"

Yao Qingling pressed down on her lips and replied, "I am never afraid of them. Being polite to them is my way of being humble and kind; being impolite to them is my way of being upright and honest, and of upholding justice with fierceness and dominance."

Empress Zhou chuckled, "You really do..." She paused for a moment, "You even praise yourself with every reply. Well then, it's getting late, you may all leave."

Yao Qingling and Lady Xincheng emerged from the Empress's Palace together.

Lady Xincheng was in high spirits, congratulating Qingling in person. Then, her face suddenly fell, and she said with a heavy heart, "The Grand Princess sent someone to test whether the two families wanted to form a marriage alliance. I have already sent word back to politely decline the Grand Princess's marriage proposal on the grounds that our horoscopes are incompatible."

Qingling recalled the way the Grand Princess looked at her when she entered the palace.

No wonder she was unhappy.

She already knew that the Marquis of Xincheng's family was unwilling to form a marriage alliance with the Duke's family, but the reason lay in Zhan Xingzhuo's relationship with Zhou Zhining. The Grand Princess was taking her anger out on her because she saw that she had become involved with the Empress.

"Thank you for the reminder, Madam. I will be more careful in the future."

Lady Xincheng said again, "Although you have offended many people and made many enemies this time, on the other hand, a group of people have left the court, but soon someone will fill the vacancy. These new dignitaries will be your new guests from all directions, so there is no need to worry or be afraid. With your status, there will be plenty of people who want to befriend you in the future."

"Thank you for your comfort, Madam. That's what I was thinking too."

The two walked and talked together until they reached the Moon Viewing Platform where the palace banquet was held. The palace maids led them to different seats.