It's raining outside.

The Chengen Hall was very quiet.

It is elegant without being overly extravagant, and the incense burner emits a faint fragrance.

Huan Yue's voice was like the weather, cold but not too cold: "Auntie must know that being a woman is difficult, being a woman in the harem is difficult, and being a crown princess or empress is even more difficult, but why?"

Dou held her hand with even more tenderness. Wasn't Empress Mingde facing a difficult situation?

Huan Yue said softly, "Children are innocent, and the loss of every child is a sin."

Dou nodded slightly.

Children die naturally, but many also die abnormally.

Empress Mingde lost two sons, didn't she feel heartbroken?

Why is it so difficult?

Huan Yue smiled slightly: "The emperor has a previous dynasty, and the empress has to be a mother, a wife, and an empress. This is a triple responsibility. It's not that ordinary people are not fortunate enough to bear it. It's just that there is an unreasonable aspect to this."

Dou looked at her, surprised.

Huan Yue blinked.

Looking into her bright eyes, Dou seemed to understand.

Huan Yue said, "Being a wife of the imperial clan is difficult, because of the extra responsibility that is not given enough attention. It is even more difficult to be an empress; either one does a bad job or dies young. Very few people do it perfectly."

Dou nodded; she understood.

The responsibilities of an empress are no small matter.

Just like an emperor, he doesn't just sit there and enjoy himself.

If enjoying it is acceptable, then the consequences are hard to predict.

Dou held Qing'e's hand, which is why the sage valued her, because she was willing to take responsibility.

Huan Yue was trying to shirk responsibility: "Actually, being an empress is like a job, something that a female official would do. But it has to be the emperor's wife. So, since the emperor is special, then we should choose a special empress to take on this role. As for being a mother and a wife, that's a separate matter."

Dou asked, "What do you think?"

Huan Yue said, "The royal family is both family and country, with the country coming first and the family second. If the empress is acting for the country, in order to fulfill this responsibility well, she should also manage the family aspect clearly. Being a mother should be simplified. Otherwise, if one is pregnant, manages a large group of wives and concubines, and still has to be a good empress, only a saint could do it well."

Dou understood.

Actually, it's about the imperial harem.

It's a man's business.

After a man finishes his work in the court, he can go to the harem and dote on whomever he wants.

But how many of those who are favored can remain content?

Even the emperor wanted to give the empress's position to someone he favored.

Can you sit in the back seat with peace of mind?

Huan Yue said, “Everyone in the world wants to live in peace and prosperity, but the harem cannot. What kind of situation is this? How can the world be at peace if the family is not in harmony? The royal family has special reasons and cannot control their desire for favor. Why not give each other peace? The empress, like an official title, should not be granted to people casually. Even if such an emperor is a wise ruler, it is not just a matter of imperfection, but will sow the seeds of disaster and harm his descendants. The harm will be immeasurable. Therefore, I wonder how many wise rulers are left today?”

Dou thought she might have hit her head.

Huan Yue, unafraid of death, said: "The Empress's position is decided by the court. The rest of the harem belongs to the Emperor. The Empress is above the law, and managing the harem is different. If she doesn't do a good job, there are other standards for deposing and installing her. However, favored concubines should be restricted from becoming Empress, just like concubines. If they have no hope of becoming Empress, it should save them some trouble."

Dou wanted to laugh.

But it might not be entirely unreasonable. The Empress was different after all.

The court would intervene in the deposition and installation of an empress. It was different for imperial concubines.

Huan Yue ate a mooncake and said, "Just like each department in the harem has its own duties, the empress and the concubines also have their own duties. The emperor shouldn't worry that the empress is not pleasing. She should be dignified when she should be dignified and charming when she should be charming. The one chosen as empress should also understand that one cannot have all the advantages."

Dou understood.

If you want to be an empress, then you must be devoted to being an empress; as for matters with men, leave it to fate.

Many first wives are like that. But ordinary families, even royal residences, are not as dangerous as the palace.

There are indeed problems in the palace.

Dou felt she had been tricked by Qing'e.

Huan Yue circled back: "Since you've assumed the position of Empress, it's a different matter from having a legitimate son. The condition of having no son no longer applies. On the contrary, having a son is acceptable; if not, another heir can be chosen and raised by the Empress. This is because both the Crown Prince and the Empress are matters of state. It's not that the Empress has no son and needs to raise someone else's child. Since you are the Empress of the country, you will naturally have the country and the means to support you."

Dou nodded slowly; this had solved a major problem.

The special status of the empress and the crown prince is precisely related to the country.

This is the foundation of the nation.

The Crown Prince is important, but the Empress seems to be overlooked.

Because of women's status, no one cares how much she bears.

Huan Yue said, "Whether or not there are children, whether they are sons or daughters, is all up to fate. I don't intend to waste too much time on this matter. With limited resources and experience, I can do many meaningful things. Even if the Crown Prince has no son, it's not fatal, just like the Empress having no son. The truly fatal problem has never been this."

Dou looked solemn.

Huan Yue said easily, "Besides, it's best for women to have children after the age of twenty, and for men after the age of twenty-five. Having more time to learn when you're young will allow you to do better later on. Instead of rushing around and causing a lot of bad things. If you want a tree to grow well, the sapling must be good, and the seed must be good. A shriveled seed is unlikely to grow into a good seedling, and bad soil will obviously affect the harvest."

Dou was stunned.

However, it is permissible to have children at fifteen or sixteen years old.

But things get better after you turn twenty.

Using seeds as a metaphor is very vivid.

No wonder he's always delivering tree seedlings to people.

Dou Shi had a feeling. Perhaps this Phoenix Fate was going to cause some trouble.

Dou was not a good match.

After all, that was a major event for the imperial court; how much of it was up to the Di family?

So what if the rules change? It's just like this anyway.

A palace maid came over and reported, "Consort Luo has sent Princess Yongning here again. She has demoted her to the rank of Beauty and is crying there, wanting to see you."

Huan Yue said, "Tell her that if she doesn't want to be demoted to a low-ranking concubine, she should keep crying."

The palace maid left.

Lady Dou shook her head: "When Empress Dong was alive, who dared to cry?"

Huan Yue said, "She thinks I'm bad at managing the harem. Why should I manage the harem?"

Lady Dou nodded. She had a general idea of ​​who was in the harem.

Lady Dou recalled: "Consort Luo flattered Empress Dong, but what she really wanted was a son."

Huan Yue sneered: "He does resemble Luo Chenghui quite a bit."

Dou nodded.

These women are all pretty much the same. Or perhaps all people in the world are pretty much the same.

If the harem is to be managed well, there are some things that need to be clarified.

Huan Yue couldn't control him and continued eating.

Looking at what she was eating, Dou asked, "Aren't you going to eat lunch?"

Huan Yue nodded: "Eat. But there are a few princesses who shouldn't eat too much, I'm afraid it will corrupt them."

Mr. Dou laughed!

Huan Yue invited her to lunch together.

Lady Dou decided against it, as she didn't want to be with the princesses.

It seems there's still a chance for Princess Yongning.

Dou was always self-aware and never lacked food when she returned to her own home.

Huan Yue summoned Xiu Yun. There are many tributes to be given this time; bring more for the Di family.

The Dou family was pleased. The Di family didn't lack anything, but they didn't specifically seek it out. Some of the tribute items were indeed the best.

Xiuyun sent two truckloads of gifts, and also gave a lot of mooncakes.