Chapter 695 Belief

Gao Qingtong said, "She gave birth to a son. Whether a son will be capable in the future is very important. It's good to start training him from a young age. With hard work, he might become a great talent. Being the emperor's son is not the same as being the son of an ordinary family."

Gao Qingtong didn't mean to sow discord between the Empress and Song Qing; she just felt that the Empress had changed and wanted her to be wary of Song Qing.

She remembered that Song Qing wasn't like this before; maybe people really do change!

Jiang Fenghua glanced back at her, implying that Song Qing's ambitions were sky-high, thinking that having a son gave her leverage, but there was only one throne, and she didn't intend to train her son to be the crown prince.

She thought to herself: The late emperor had quite a few sons, and in the end, Xie Shang became emperor, and it seems that none of the other princes were dissatisfied.

She wondered if the Fourth Prince was a wise fool or a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She said, "The children are still young, and it's impossible to tell who will be capable in the future. Governing the world is no easy task."

"Your Majesty is right."

Jiang Fenghua changed the subject, "Thank you for your help yesterday, Consort Gao. I will remember this favor. Princess Yanhuan's future will naturally be very bright."

She knew that Gao Qingtong was wholeheartedly planning for her daughter's future. Jiang Fenghua wasn't stupid either. She couldn't possibly refuse someone's kindness. She needed helpers in the palace to live comfortably. Promising the Second Princess was her way of returning the favor.

Gao Qingtong knew that the Empress was referring to Consort Han. It didn't matter whether there was one less or one more concubine in the palace. She said, "Your Majesty misunderstands. I didn't mean to do this for the Second Princess."

Jiang Fenghua was stunned. Could it be that she had been being petty?

Gao Qingtong continued, "No matter what Your Majesty does, I will support you and trust you, just like before. I want to be your friend. In this palace, apart from the Empress, I don't trust anyone."

Jiang Fenghua noticed the anxiety in her eyes, as if she was afraid that the girl wouldn't believe what she was saying.

Since she entered the palace, all she had ever encountered were people who harbored hatred towards her. Gao Qingtong was the first person to be friendly to her, meaning not just an ally, but a friend.

She said calmly, "You trust me that much?"

Gao Qingtong suddenly grasped Jiang Fenghua's hand, her gaze firm, and said, "I believe you."

Jiang Fenghua was quite uncomfortable with her sudden action.

Gao Qingtong also felt embarrassed, and she even blushed. "I... I mean, I feel very at ease with Your Majesty in the palace. No matter what happens, Your Majesty can handle it. When I gave birth to the Second Princess, I almost lost my life. It was Your Majesty who watched over me for three days and three nights. If it weren't for Your Majesty, I would have been dead long ago."

Her eyes welled up with tears, filled with emotion and reluctance. She longed to return to the days when they had heart-to-heart talks.

Jiang Fenghua then realized that she and Gao Qingtong had such a connection. She used to stay up for three days and three nights to give birth to a concubine in the harem. It seems that she is not a bad person. Everyone curses her for being vicious, scheming, and evil. Only Gao Qingtong thinks she is a good person.

"Why are you feeling wronged?" Jiang Fenghua said with a smile.

At this moment, Song Qing suddenly walked in. Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit strange, she smiled and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Jiang Fenghua remained calm and said indifferently, "No need for such formalities, Consort Shu."

Song Qing asked, "What's wrong, Consort Gui?"

Gao Qingtong wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, avoided Song Qing's gaze, and bowed to Jiang Fenghua, saying, "Your Majesty, I will take the Second Princess back first."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Song Qing said, "Why are you leaving, Consort Gui? Let the Second Princess and the Eldest Princess play together!"

Gao Qingtong said, "It's time for the Second Princess to take her afternoon nap. If she doesn't sleep on time, she'll make a fuss. Does Consort Song want to come along?"

Song Qing smiled and said, "The Second Prince and the First Prince are having a great time. I'll be back in a bit."

Gao Qingtong didn't say anything more, found the Second Princess, and took her away directly.

Song Qing was stunned. She felt that Gao Qingtong and the Empress were talking about some secret behind their backs. She didn't know why Gao Qingtong was crying. Was she telling the Empress about her grievances and asking the Empress to arrange for her to serve the Emperor? It had always been like this before. Apart from the Empress, Gao Qingtong had seen the Emperor the most.

"Your Majesty."

Jiang Fenghua replied with a nasal tone, "Mmm."

Song Qing said, "The Second Prince has reached the age to begin his studies. May I ask Grand Tutor Jiang to take Rui'er as his disciple? Grand Tutor Jiang is highly respected and is the best teacher in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Could the Second Prince become his student?"

Jiang Fenghua was too lazy to play along and directly refused, "The Second Prince is still young and not old enough to start his studies. Grand Tutor Jiang has never taken on such a young child as a disciple. Even when he is older, we will have to see if he has the talent for studying."

“Consort Song is his mother. For the sake of the Second Prince, I advise Consort Song not to let him learn martial arts too early, as it is not good for his health,” she said in a deep voice.

Song Qing's face turned pale. "Your Majesty is right. It was my oversight. It was also because the Second Prince wanted to play with the First Prince and the First Princess. I absolutely had no ill intentions. Please believe me, Your Majesty."

Her eyes also turned red.

After Song Qing left, Hongxiu said, "Why did Your Highness tell her all this? Let her do whatever she wants. It would be better if she caused the Second Prince to die."

Jiang Fenghua glared at her coldly, "What do you mean 'gone'? The child is innocent."

"Your Highness Consort Gao is right. Consort Song is quite ambitious. She thinks that if she gives birth to a prince, her son will have a chance to compete for the position of Crown Prince. Your Highness must be wary." Hongxiu reminded her because she had lost her memory and forgotten their original intentions.

The Empress's original purpose in entering the palace was to become the mother of the nation and the most honorable woman in the Great Zhou Dynasty. This also included ensuring that the Empress's son was the Crown Prince; otherwise, all the suffering the Empress endured would have been in vain.

Jiang Fenghua sneered, "If you want to be the crown prince, you have to rely on your own abilities. Besides, just because I don't allow her to act, does that mean she won't act?"

Hongxiu Chen exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty said that on purpose. Given Consort Song's personality, the more Your Majesty forbids the Second Prince from learning, the more she will think Your Majesty has ulterior motives and secretly forces the Second Prince to study and learn to read."

Jiang Fenghua was speechless. "Am I really that bad?"

Hongxiu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is the kindest person and is always thinking about the imperial heir. Whether Consort Song listens or not is her business."

"Where did you learn all this frivolous, grinning manner from?" Jiang Fenghua teased her again. "Go and call Cheng Feng here; I need to speak with him."

"What does Your Highness want with Steward Cheng?"

Something has happened, something important.

Hongxiu didn't think much of it and actually went to find Cheng Feng.

After Song Qing brought the Second Prince back to the palace, she said angrily, "What does the Empress mean? Or did Gao Qingtong say something to her? Why can't the Second Prince learn? The Fourth Prince was only half a year old when he was taken to school. Why didn't she say that the Fourth Prince was too young to learn?"

Dong'er advised, "Your Majesty, don't be angry or anxious."

"How can I not be angry? The palace is going to open a school and is already recruiting students of school age to come to the palace to study with the princes. The Empress's two sons are studying, and the Fourth Prince is not even a year old yet. My Second Prince is also a royal heir!"

Song Qing has also been brainwashed by her family, who are worried that she won't raise her son properly, so she is also very anxious.