As soon as the Empress finished speaking, Liu Yuanmeng's lively little face instantly fell down.

Two years after marrying Yi Chenqi, Liu Yuanmeng was still a virgin. Having a child was not something Liu Yuanmeng could do on her own.

Liu Yuanmeng dreamed of having a child with Yi Chenqi, but Yi Chenqi never gave her a chance.

Liu Yuanmeng felt increasingly aggrieved as she thought about it, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

Seeing her like this, the Empress assumed that she was unwilling to choose a few concubines for the Crown Prince, and immediately challenged her: "What does the Crown Princess mean by this? Is she unwilling? Does the Crown Princess want to monopolize the Crown Prince?"

Liu Yuanmeng sobbed softly, "Yuanmeng dares not."

Seeing the situation, Yi Chenqi interjected, "Mother, I am still young and will have children in the future. There is no rush if we don't have children for the time being. Yuanmeng is doing an excellent job as the Crown Princess. She handles all the affairs of the mansion properly and has never made any mistakes. Mother, please don't make things too difficult for her."

Yi Chenqi spoke up in support of Liu Yuanmeng, and the Empress, out of consideration for her son, did not bring up the matter further.

The Empress said coldly, "Qi'er and I have something to say to each other alone. The Crown Princess's makeup is ruined, so she should go and touch it up first."

Liu Yuanmeng, knowing her place, did not linger. She bowed and withdrew first, following her maid.

After Liu Yuanmeng left, only the mother and son remained in the house.

The Empress, no longer holding back, said, "Back then, your mother arranged for you to marry Liu Yuanmeng because she valued the power of the Liu family and believed it would be helpful to you. However, in recent years, after the Murong family was raided, the Liu family has gradually declined. This Liu is quite virtuous, and your mother knows that you get along well with her. But, Qi'er, you are the Crown Prince, and you still need to plan for the long term."

After the Empress finished speaking, she took out a small notebook from beside the bed.

The notebook was filled with detailed records of the relationships among the court officials, with those circled in red being the ones the Empress believed could be won over.

If Yi Chenqi truly ascends the throne, even if she is only a concubine of the crown prince, she will eventually become a noble consort. There will be no shortage of women who want to marry into Yi Chenqi's family.

Yi Chenqi glanced at the Empress's notebook indifferently and then put it aside.

His tone was somewhat cold: "Mother, Qi'er is already the Crown Prince. Qi'er wants to obtain everything he desires through his own abilities, not through these means."

The marriage alliance with the Liu family had already made Yi Chenqi deeply regretful. Now, Yi Chenqi didn't want to do anything he didn't want to do.

If power is paramount, then human emotions must be forgotten. Even if one becomes the supreme being, Yi Chenqi feels that living like that would be tasteless.

Despite the Empress's lengthy persuasion, Yi Chenqi showed no sign of wavering.

The Empress knew how stubborn her son was.

Back then, it was only after the Empress threatened to kill herself several times that Yi Chenqi finally gave in to the marriage.

However, such tactics cannot be used every time.

The Empress used emotional appeal, softening her voice as she slowly said, "But Qi'er, if Liu Yuanmeng remains childless, will you never take a concubine? Your mother is getting old, and sometimes I wish I had a grandson or granddaughter by my side, so that I could be much happier."

For some reason, the image of a girl reappeared in Yi Chenqi's mind—pink, with a touch of allure. Just thinking about her brought him joy.

A gentle light appeared in Yi Chenqi's eyes: "Mother, in Qi'er's heart, there has always been someone..."