The queen stroked her belly, her brows furrowed, and she felt extremely anxious.
As the months went by, she became more and more anxious. She took this baby very seriously and was on guard day and night.
The noblewoman beside her couldn't help but comfort her, "Your Majesty, the emperor has only one son. He is particularly looking forward to the child in your belly and will definitely protect you and the child."
This is the Queen’s biological mother, the wife of Duke Cheng’en.
The Crown Prince's wife also chimed in, "Yes, Madam, please relax and don't be so nervous."
The queen's belly was bulging, her face was sallow and swollen, and her complexion was extremely bad. She looked like she had aged by ten years.
But she didn't dare to be so optimistic. The harem was a place where people were cannibalized and it was always a battlefield of life and death.
"Mother, I always feel that everyone in the palace wants to harm me. They don't want me to give birth to a legitimate prince. I don't even dare to sleep with them."
Once she gives birth to a legitimate prince, he will be the most likely to inherit the throne.
The first priority is the system of inheritance by the eldest son of the legitimate wife.
She is so suspicious and neurotic, she won't be able to sustain this for long.
Lady Cheng En's eyes were filled with worry. "The two maids sent in this time are both quite capable. One is very sensitive to smells and is well versed in medical knowledge. The abortion drug can be hidden from her eyes. The other is very good at taking care of pregnant women and is good at massage. Let her massage you wherever you feel uncomfortable."
Their whole family had high hopes for the baby in the queen's belly. Only if a prince with their bloodline succeeded to the throne, they could continue to live a glorious life and enjoy wealth and splendor.
Therefore, they were particularly worried and hoped that the legitimate prince would be born more than anyone else.
The queen felt a little warm in her heart and said, "Thank you, Mom and Dad." Her mother's family was her only support.
Lady Cheng En stroked her daughter's arm, eyes full of love, "Only when you and the prince are well, can our Cheng En Mansion be well."
The queen naturally knew this and subconsciously touched her belly.
The imperial physician said that it was most likely a prince.
The wife of the Crown Prince of Cheng'en Mansion hesitated for a moment, "Why did I hear that the eldest prince took Princess Qingping as his teacher?"
The school run by the Princess of Qingping County was very famous in the upper class circles, and everyone wanted to send their naughty children there.
The Queen's face fell, "No, but the Emperor intends to let the eldest prince study at the Royal Technical School."
The emperor is paving the way for the eldest prince, which makes her very unhappy. In her opinion, these are the resources of the legitimate prince, how can they fall into the hands of others?
"The Princess of Qingping County is indeed very resourceful. We cannot let her turn to the Crown Prince."
For the sake of her unborn child, she used all means of winning over and suppressing, but Mu Wanqing remained unmoved and remained loyal to the emperor alone.
The scene fell silent. Even though they all disliked Mu Wanqing who was in the spotlight, they had to admit that she was very capable. In just one year, she had fought her way out of the oppression of civil and military officials and established herself firmly in the court.
All the civil and military officials were divided by her, and some of them gradually turned to her side.
The most important thing is that she is in the emperor's favor and is a confidant whom the emperor values very much. Under this situation, it is only a matter of time before she enters the cabinet.
But how old is she? She is younger than other officials. This is her asset.
The more influence she had, the more the queen wanted to win her over.
For a major event like appointing a crown prince, the emperor would definitely ask for the opinions of his important ministers.
One word from her in front of the emperor is better than thousands of words from others.
She hasn't given birth to a child yet, but she's already considering appointing a crown prince. It's really a bit anxious.
The wife of Duke Cheng'en was in a great headache. They had wanted to suppress Mu Wanqing before, but the more trouble they made, the more the emperor valued her and protected her openly and secretly.
To put it bluntly, the importance of their entire Cheng'en Mansion in the emperor's heart is far less important than that of Mu Wanqing.
"What do you want?"
The emperor was very wary deep down in his heart. He was too special to Mu Wanqing and made exceptions for her many times.
She always felt that Mu Wanqing was her biggest rival, no doubt about it.
It's normal for a man and a woman to fall in love after spending so much time together.
"For a woman, a happy family, a loving husband, and filial children are her greatest happiness, so choose a suitable man."
Lady Cheng En was stunned for a moment, "What is appropriate?"
The queen frowned slightly. "Look for someone who is handsome, sweet-talking, can coax women, knowledgeable, gentle, and has a good family background. Look carefully among the clan and relatives."
Mu Wanqing is already a second-rank official, and there are not many men who are worthy of her.
If family background is not enough, then look for someone who can provide high-quality emotions.
Successful people all like women who can speak sweetly, and want someone to flatter and comfort them when they are tired from work. They don’t want anything else, just to be happy.
The wife of Duke Cheng'en and her daughter-in-law looked at each other and thought that this request was a bit difficult.
But no matter how difficult it is, you have to bite the bullet and do it.
"Okay, don't worry."
The queen sighed softly, "It's a pity that my brother is already married."
It's a perfect match for the emperor's uncle to be with an important official, and the emperor won't be so shameless as to seize his brother's wife.
The wife of the prince's face changed several times. Why did she mention her man? If Princess Qingping couldn't get married again, she couldn't rely on a married man.
The queen didn't care what she was thinking. "When she comes, you should get along well with her and give her more gold, silver and jewelry. She likes these yellow and white things."
"yes."
The trusted palace maid came back from the Yangxin Palace, "Her Majesty the Queen."
Without waiting for her to finish her ceremony, the Queen stood up with joy and couldn't wait to tidy up her clothes.
"Is the emperor here? Help me up quickly. Is my makeup off? Are my clothes still appropriate? Help me clean up quickly."
She was so anxious that she was running around, touching up her makeup and styling her hair, making sure to appear beautiful in front of the emperor.
The maid had a look of pity in her eyes, and she spoke carefully, "My lady, the emperor said that if you feel unwell, you should go to the imperial physician, because he can't treat illnesses."
It was like a basin of cold water was poured over her head. The queen shivered and her face turned even paler.
A sting of pain pierced her heart, and her voice became sharper, "He's not coming? Where's Mu Wanqing? Is she next to the emperor?"
The wife of Duke Cheng'en was stunned, looking surprised.
The maid fell to the ground, not daring to raise her head, "Princess Qingping is not coming either."
The Queen's face was ferocious and she gnashed her teeth with anger. What a Mu Wanqing! She didn't accept the goodwill offered by the queen of a country. She was so ungrateful.
The Crown Prince's wife was furious. "How dare she not come when the Queen summons her?"
They all seemed to have lost their memories, and the harem could only summon the officials' families and keep their distance from the court officials.
Even though she was the queen, if she wanted to see her family, she could only summon female relatives, and the number and frequency of visits were limited.
It is normal for concubines not to see their fathers and brothers for many years.
After all, they still thought that Mu Wanqing was a woman and did not have a clear understanding of her official identity.
Or rather, it is blurred intentionally.
The maid spoke weakly, "She said in front of the emperor..."
"What?" the queen urged impatiently.
The maid trembled, "The court officials have no obligation to accompany the queen. She doesn't want to break the taboo. Cutting off contact is the best way to show respect to both of them."
It was wrong to invite Mu Wanqing into the bedroom in front of the emperor.
But after the Queen became pregnant, her temper became worse and she didn't get enough rest. The various discomforts after the pregnancy made her irritable. She became stupid for three years during the pregnancy and no longer had the restraint and clarity she had before.
The queen was so angry that she picked up the vase on the table and smashed it over, hitting the maid on the head, causing blood to flow out immediately.
The maid didn't dare to hide. She felt a sharp pain in her head and her vision went dark. She still managed to speak, "And..."
Lady Cheng En was so angry that she said, "Don't hesitate, just speak up."
"The emperor said that the queen violated the palace rules and will be punished by copying ten volumes of scriptures after giving birth." After saying this, the maid allowed herself to fall into a coma and her body fell limply.
Queen: ...I'm so angry! Ah, my stomach hurts!
In the Yangxin Palace, the emperor discussed state affairs with the Prime Minister and Mu Wanqing.
He was very careful to avoid comments and never summoned Mu Wanqing alone.
"The promotion of kapok has been going smoothly recently. It has been successfully planted on every acre. Corn should be the next step. What are your plans?"
Mu Wanqing was the one who discovered corn, so she has the most say. "There aren't enough corn seeds, so we can only choose a few test areas."
She has asked people to look for sweet potatoes and potatoes overseas, and has even drawn pictures of the plants, hoping they can find them.
Hmm, I suddenly want to eat mashed potatoes and French fries.
The emperor believed in Mu Wanqing's ability and asked, "Which region do you think is more suitable?"
Mu Wanqing's thinking was very clear. "Each provincial government will be given a portion, which will make it convenient to preserve the seeds later."
The emperor nodded slightly, "Okay, corn promotion will also be assigned to the Kapok Promotion Department, no need to reassign personnel."
Mu Wanqing smiled and bowed, "Your Majesty is wise."
The two of them talked back and forth and finalized an important matter in just a few words. It was quick and efficient, and they had a great understanding of each other.
The Prime Minister watched silently without interrupting. He was just a tool, there to watch.
He knew that this position would belong to Mu Wanqing sooner or later, and he was just helping her hold the position.
Once Mu Wanqing has accumulated enough experience and prestige, he should give up his position.
After finishing the official business, the emperor talked about personal matters, "Princess Qingping, the Queen Mother's birthday is coming soon, please help me find some rare and new things."
Mu Wanqing was a little worried. Perfumes and skin care products were no longer new. Every concubine and noble lady in the harem had several sets.
She thought about it, and an idea flashed in her mind, "How about a kaleidoscope?"
The emperor heard it for the first time, "What is that?"
Mu Wanqing gave a brief introduction, "It's a small optical toy that uses light reflection to form flowers. Every time you change the angle, there will be a different pattern. It's quite interesting."
The toy store has launched new products.
The emperor thought it was interesting and wanted to try one out for fun. "Prepare a few more."
"Okay."
The emperor took a sip from the teacup and said, "You must prepare your own gift carefully, don't be careless."
Mu Wanqing's mouth twitched. Don't keep pulling at her like a sheep.
She had already made up her mind to prepare a set of exquisite glass tea sets and glass ornaments.
A smile flashed across the emperor's eyes. "Let the eldest prince attend the opening ceremony of the square on my behalf tomorrow. Remember to pack a few more meals."
The food at the Mu family is even better than that at the imperial kitchen, especially the snacks, which are cheap and delicious. No wonder the Mu family was able to make their fortune by running a snack street.
Mu Wanqing shook her head and said without hesitation, "It's easy to have problems with food. I'll give you a few secret recipes and let the imperial chefs make them for you."
She was very generous and gave away the family secret recipe immediately. She was really loyal and sincere. The emperor was very moved. Princess Qingping was a good person and he could not let her suffer too much, so he opened a private storehouse for her to choose carefully.
Prime Minister: ...a little jealous.
For a moment, I didn't know whether I envied the friendship between the monarch and his subjects, or was jealous of those secret recipes.
At this moment, the eunuch rushed in, "Your Majesty, the Queen is having a miscarriage."
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