On the surface, Consort Duan Yichen's words were instructions given to various departments within the palace and the Imperial Household Department.

Jiang Xiang even went to Yujing Palace in person.

“Our Ladyship has something to say: Because Consort Ke’s status is low and her character is questionable, she is not allowed to handle the Third Prince’s marriage and the establishment of his residence. If Consort Ke insists on interfering, then all her interference will be downgraded by one level.”

"What did you say? I am the birth mother of the Third Prince! What do you mean by low status? Worrying character? In what way is my Murong family inferior to her Yan family? I am at least a second-rank concubine, a principal of a palace, how can I be of low status?" Consort Ke was furious.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. I was merely relaying a message." Jiang Xiang curtsied. "If I have angered Your Highness, it is truly my fault."

"I want to see His Majesty!" Consort Ke hadn't been this angry in decades.

"Yes, Your Highness, please proceed. If there is nothing else, this servant will take her leave," Jiangxiang said.

As soon as she left, Consort Ke smashed her teacup, shouting, "This is outrageous! This is outrageous!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." Everyone hurriedly knelt down.

"Where is His Majesty? I want to see His Majesty!" Consort Ke's chest heaved.

“Your Majesty, His Majesty is in Zhaochun Palace…” Wuyu said.

"Come, come with me to see him." Consort Ke was furious and didn't even bother to change her clothes.

In Zhaochun Palace, lunch was about to be served.

When Consort Ke came to request an audience, Yan Nangui granted her request immediately.

Shu Chengfeng didn't say anything. He was sitting by the window in the outer room, talking to the Seventh Princess.

The seventh princess was showing off her beautiful handwriting.

“Compared to your mother, your handwriting is far inferior. You should study hard,” Shu Chengfeng said.

"Is Mother's calligraphy better than Father's?" The Seventh Princess was still young and always liked to make comparisons.

Father and Mother want to compare themselves, and so do others.

"My handwriting is different from your mother's. Don't try to imitate it completely. Your mother's handwriting is like that because she had a hard childhood. It's toughened her up. Your handwriting won't be as sharp in the future. But you still need to write well."

As soon as Consort Ke entered, she heard these words: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Sister Chen, and I greet the Seventh Princess."

"Greetings, Consort Ke." The Seventh Princess greeted her in a similar manner.

"Alright, go find your wet nurse. It's time to eat. Your father has other matters to attend to, hmm?" Yan Nangui patted his daughter's head.

"Oh, I understand, Mother." The Seventh Princess then bowed to her mother in a proper manner, "Your daughter takes her leave."

"Your Majesty, I am the birth mother of the Third Prince, and it is only right that I arrange his marriage. How could this be... Sister Chen, could you have misunderstood something? Over the years, there has been no impropriety between us, so why did such a thing suddenly come out?"

Consort Ke knelt down and asked.

"Murong clan. In this harem, do you choose to live with clarity, or with ignorance?" Yan Nangui sat down and asked.

“Why do you say that, Sister Chen? You must be clear-headed,” said Consort Ke.

"No, I think you chose to be confused." Yan Nangui scoffed: "A person who chooses to be clear-headed wouldn't act so recklessly."

"Sister Chen... what do you mean by this?" Consort Ke asked nervously.

"I delivered today's message. Although I've been promoted, I'm still, in essence, a concubine. To be precise, I'm not much different from you. So you can choose not to listen to my message. But are you sure you want His Majesty's answer?" Yan Nangui asked.

Consort Ke looked at His Majesty, who was sitting silently to the side, with surprise.

"I don't know... I don't know what you mean, sister." Consort Ke forced a smile.

"Everyone says the imperial family is heartless. But His Majesty cherishes the princes and princesses. You gave birth to a royal heir, and so did others. His leniency towards you is not because of you, but because of the royal heir you gave birth to. If you can swallow this grievance, this matter can be considered over. If you cannot swallow it, for the sake of the royal heir, you cannot be demoted or punished arbitrarily, but you can die of illness. I think that even though the Third Prince's mother has passed away, the Third Prince is still alive, so it won't affect anything."

"You...you..."

"Your Majesty! You...you're not going to do anything about it?" Consort Ke was shocked.

"Murong clan, can't you understand what I'm saying?" Shu Chengfeng said calmly.

He won't say that much, but he might actually do it.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Meeting His Majesty's cold eyes, Consort Ke suddenly found some courage: "From the moment I entered the palace, Your Majesty disliked me. Even now, because of... what I did, what did I do while I was still in the palace? Why should I be disliked by Your Majesty?"

Shu Chengfeng frowned, unable to answer that question immediately.

Why? If you don't like it, you just don't like it. Why else?

"Think it over carefully yourself. I'm going to have my meal now. You may go back." Shu Chengfeng waved his hand.

It took a lot of courage for Consort Ke to even ask a question; the less favored she was, the more afraid she was of him.

Not having the courage to ask a second question, I had no choice but to take my leave.

This trip has been completely fruitless.

"Let's serve the meal, everyone's hungry," Yan Nangui said, waving his hand.

Soon, the meal was served.

Shu Chengfeng smiled and put a few bites of food on her plate.

Yan Nangui simply smiled and said nothing.

Consort Ke couldn't eat anything this time; she was so angry she almost died.

I went back and smashed a bunch of things.

At Zhaochun Palace, after lunch, we took a nap.

Shu Chengfeng put his arm around the person: "Don't want to talk?"

"No, I was wondering what kind of people you liked back then?"

"Think of something useful," Shu Chengfeng said, and then fell silent.

Yan Nangui simply smiled and closed his eyes.

Consort Ke was furious, and the Third Prince also received the news, so he naturally went to Yujing Palace as well.

“Mother, it must be because of this incident. Father has noticed something… Consort Duanyi’s words mean that you have implicated the eldest princess.”

"It's that idiot Luo Jieyu! She's the idiot!" Consort Ke said angrily.

The Third Prince did not refute, but in his heart he thought, "It's also because of your hint."

It would naturally be beneficial for the eldest princess to do this.

But we can't say it now.

“It’s alright if you can’t interfere. My son is a prince, and the Imperial Household Department will do its best,” the Third Prince said.

"No, I need to go and talk to the Empress Dowager." Consort Ke stood up.

Her only and greatest support is her son. If he can't even participate in her marriage, what about other things in the future?

If I can't participate this time, will I even lose my identity as a mother in the future...?

I don't want to think about it. If that's the case, what has she been after all these years?

After the Empress Dowager finished her lunch, Consort Ke arrived and tearfully recounted her story.

So, just as Yan Nangui woke up from her afternoon nap, someone from Ruining Palace came and said that the Empress Dowager wanted to see her.

All the concubines had gathered in Ruining Palace.

Yan Nangui knew what was going on. After paying his respects, he took his seat and waited for the Empress Dowager to ask questions.

"Yan Shi, you've been promoted, but you're no longer the Empress. Several princes are getting married; do you intend to handle everything?" The Empress Dowager's tone was harsh, and her expression was unpleasant.