Inside the room, the three princes had already heard the commotion, especially the eldest prince, Jiang Jin, who was particularly sensitive to any talk about him.

He pursed his lips slightly, knowing that his aunt had been ridiculed by Consort Zhuang and Consort Li because of him.

In fact, he knew every time his father asked him about his and his second and third brothers' studies. He hesitated to speak because his wet nurse told him that if he performed too well, his father would be jealous of him and he would be persecuted by the other concubines.

But now that I think about it, what my wet nurse told him wasn't necessarily correct, and what my aunt said made sense.

As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, why can't I be outstanding? Why can't I surpass my other brothers?

My aunt is the Empress, and my maternal grandfather is the Prime Minister. No matter what I do, I will still be feared by others. If my father has really completely abandoned me, why would he let my aunt become the Empress?

Most importantly, he didn't want to continue living such a pathetic life. He didn't want to be ridiculed anymore, didn't want people to say that he was even worse than his younger brothers, and didn't want his aunt and grandfather to be implicated because of him.

Seeing him stand up, the Second Prince Jiang Ming and the Third Prince Jiang Zhen both looked up in astonishment. What was their elder brother going to do? It seemed that their eldest brother had started acting strangely since yesterday. Was it because his new mother was his aunt?

Everyone says that the Emperor disliked the eldest prince, but if he really disliked him, why would he let the eldest prince's aunt become empress? Of the two empresses, one was the eldest prince's birth mother and the other was his aunt. If you ask them, this should be considered favoritism.

Remembering their mother's usual admonitions, the two studied even harder, putting aside the noise outside.

"Your subject pays respects to the Empress Dowager, to Consort Zhuang, and to Consort Li."

Upon seeing him, Song Xia's indifferent expression instantly softened: "Why did you come out?"

"When I heard my mother's voice inside, I thought of coming out to greet her."

"The eldest prince certainly knows how to play the innocent," Consort Li said sarcastically. "If he put that same effort into his studies, he would surely please His Majesty."

"I need not trouble Consort Li with my affairs. My father, mother, and tutor will take care of me."

Seemingly surprised by his resolute demeanor today, Consort Li's expression changed several times. Even the Grand Tutor looked at him with utter astonishment, then revealed some approval in his eyes. As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, he should be more assertive. It seems that the Empress's conferment of the title has given the eldest prince ample courage.

Consort Li's voice turned shrill: "I meant well, but the First Prince doesn't appreciate it. All six princes are here, and only you, the First Prince, came out. You must have studied very well?"

"The work is done over a long period of time, not in a short period of time. Your son only wanted to come out and pay his respects."

Consort Zhuang continued, "Long-term learning is accumulated through countless hours of daily study. The First Prince should understand this principle."

He replied lightly, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness. I will keep it in mind."

After speaking, Jiang Jin looked at Song Xia, only to see that Song Xia's gaze was increasingly satisfied with him. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Sure enough, his decision not to back down was the right one. Then he looked at the Grand Tutor and saw that the Grand Tutor also nodded slightly. The answer in his mind became clearer and clearer.

Consort Zhuang and Consort Li were shocked by his dramatic change and became even more wary. The new empress had only been in the palace for a few days, yet the eldest prince had changed so much. Even when the late empress was alive, he was not like this. Did those few words really have such great power?

They had no idea how much Jiang Jin had been suppressing her feelings over the past few years. Rather than saying that Song Xia's words had magic, it was more accurate to say that Song Xia had spoken to Jiang Jin's heart and that her words in public had given Jiang Jin courage.

Song Xia raised an eyebrow. As the saying goes, environment changes people. This is just the beginning of her advice to Jiang Jin! As for the remaining princes, after she has finished fooling His Majesty, she will start by educating them.

Perhaps in the future, no one will understand her actions, or they will become more wary and fearful of her, or even directly attack her. But she will still do it without hesitation. If no one changes her mind, these six children will all go down a dead end, causing more children in the world to suffer.

"Go back now and listen carefully to the tutors' lessons. What I want to tell you is that you don't need to suppress yourself too much. Just work hard in class and get plenty of rest when you get back. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Your subject obeys."

Consort Zhuang and Consort Li curled their lips upon hearing this. Who could they possibly fool? They would never fall for it! Seeing that the eldest prince had already changed, they absolutely could not allow him to surpass his past achievements. They would increase the dosage, and later have the eunuch tell the prince that he must study hard and that the dosage must be increased!

Song Xia knew exactly what they were thinking, but she was sorry for the Second Prince and the Third Prince for the time being. She would just have to wait and see. She had already sent someone to find a sorcerer. As long as His Majesty believed in the sorcerer, there would be a way to make a change.

"Grand Tutor, I'm just here to visit. I won't interrupt your lessons with the princes. I'll head back now, no need to see me off."

"Your Majesty, I obey your command. Please take care."

She left without warning, leaving Consort Zhuang and Consort Li bewildered. After exchanging bewildered glances, they left in a huff.

"I knew they were useless in the past." After hearing about today's events in the palace, Consort Xian sneered. The game had changed, and she was no longer as conflicted as before. "They're always making a fuss and busy with this and that. It's a wonder they have the time for this. But it's precisely because His Majesty can see through their intentions that he has tolerated them for so long."

"Your Majesty, is the Empress's action intended to target the princes in the Imperial Study?"

"She wouldn't dare." Consort Xian rarely showed annoyance. "Actually, it's good that Consort Zhuang and Consort Li are so reckless and bring some trouble to our new Empress. It would be boring if they all acted like Buddhas, like Consort Shu and Consort Zhen."

"Could it be that Consort Shu and Consort Zhen didn't actually have that kind of intention at all?"

"Impossible." Consort Xian sneered as she placed her card. "The Empress Dowager fought her way out of thousands of troops back then. As the Empress Dowager's niece, how could Consort Shu back down? Don't be fooled by her rarely leaving her Changning Palace. When have you ever seen her suffer a loss? It's only because the Fifth Prince is still young that she doesn't dare to act rashly. And Consort Zhen, if her family didn't have such intentions, why would they have sent her all the way to the palace?"

Consort Xian spoke with unusual certainty. She was usually very meticulous, but this time she really guessed the two of them wrong.

It is precisely because she is the Empress Dowager's niece and has witnessed too much palace intrigue that Consort Shu has such a strong aversion to it. She has only gotten to where she is now because she has been pushed around by others.

The fact that Consort Zhen entered the palace is even more ridiculous. What does her father's decision have to do with her? Back then, she was just a young woman dependent on her father. How could she possibly make decisions about her own life? She was forced into this situation just as she was.

With so many powerful concubines and princes already ahead of them, it's laughable that her father still has such unrealistic fantasies. Having been a local tyrant in the two lakes for so long, he thinks the capital is also under his control! She and her son are just taking it one step at a time. When will this life of fear and anxiety finally end?