Empress Ashina was by no means the reckless, ignorant, and foolish woman that outsiders imagined.
She is extremely shrewd and calculating.
Therefore, Empress Ashina knew perfectly well what Cui was planning.
"Hmph, isn't it just that they think my Ah Xi has risen again and has a bright future, and they want to take the opportunity to attach themselves to him?"
"She has forgotten the stupid mistakes her family made, but I can't forget them!"
“Even if Ah Xi wanted to take a concubine, it wouldn’t be now, and the candidate certainly wouldn’t be Xie Shi A Rou.”
Empress Ashina was truly very clear-headed.
She knew that Cui wanted to take advantage of the fact that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are natural enemies to instigate her and Xie Yuan.
Empress Ashina had never formally met Xie Yuan, her daughter-in-law.
However, she ordered someone to secretly observe Xie Yuan for several days.
While in the capital, Empress Ashina thought Xie Yuan was quite good.
After leaving the capital, rumors circulated that Helian Jue had become decadent, and that Princess Xie was a harlot. This further convinced Empress Ashina of her own judgment.
Xie is a virtuous wife.
To help her husband pretend, she was willing to ruin her own reputation. What else could she be but a virtuous wife?
These days, calling a woman a "hen crowing at dawn" is really not a compliment.
Especially since Helian Jue is a prince, there is no doubt that he could rise to the top in the future.
As Helian Jue's wife, Xie would be the empress if Helian Jue became emperor.
For an empress, being virtuous and kind is the bare minimum requirement.
The infamous reputation of "a hen crowing at dawn" could very well affect the Xie family.
Xie, however, did not consider all of that and bravely took on all the responsibilities.
The Xie family deserves half the credit for Helian Jue's success in Yuezhou, where he "endured hardship and bided his time."
Empress Ashina was clear about her grudges and could distinguish between what was important and what was urgent.
Therefore, she was very clear that, for the time being, Xie Yuan was Helian Jue's most perfect wife.
Their harmonious relationship is not merely a matter of male-female relations, but rather contributes to overall stability.
While her son was still working hard and needed his wife's assistance, Empress Ashina, as the mother, put another woman between them.
Tsk tsk, isn't this just creating chaos within our own camp and destroying our own Great Wall?
Empress Ashina must have been insane to do something like that.
As for the children—
This point did indeed make Empress Ashina hesitate.
“Axi is already twenty-three years old, it’s time for her to have a son.”
"Moreover, if one wants to achieve great things, those who follow him will not feel at ease if he has no offspring."
It is said that after Empress Ashina arrived at the Northern Dynasty's harem, her reading of history books was truly worthwhile.
The eunuchs of the Han Dynasty were incredibly powerful; they could not only interfere in court affairs but also arbitrarily influence the deposition and enthronement of emperors.
Even so, no eunuch ever sat on the dragon throne on his own.
It's not that they don't want to, it's that they can't!
Eunuchs were all rootless people, so naturally they had no offspring.
Without a successor, those below would not dare to risk their lives to support him.
Using eunuchs as an example for Helian Jue is somewhat inappropriate.
But the principles are all the same.
To achieve great things, one must have followers.
To appease the followers, they must feel hope – below the lord, there is a young lord, and their “great cause” will continue!
"..."
Empress Ashina was in a dilemma.
She pondered it carefully.
After a long while, her gaze swept over several trusted palace maids in the hall.
These palace maids were all people she trusted; they came from respectable backgrounds, were of decent appearance, and were all in very good health.
If it's used for procreation, then it's quite suitable.
However, Xie Yuan is truly a very important partner to Helian Jue now.
If Xie Yuan were to rashly send a woman to Helian Jue, Xie Yuan, as his wife, would certainly be unhappy.
If a fire breaks out in the inner quarters, it will definitely be a hindrance to Helian Jue!
Empress Ashina herself was a woman, and she had tasted enough of the bitterness of jealousy.
Therefore, she doesn't believe that any woman in the world would be willing to share her husband with other women.
The idea of harmonious relationships between wives and concubines is nothing more than a man's wishful thinking!
Unless absolutely necessary, no wife would willingly live in harmony with a concubine!
"Three years! I will give the Xie family another three years."
Finally, Empress Ashina made up her mind: "If Lady Xie has not given birth in three years, then I will have to intervene."
The fact that the mother-in-law only intervened after her daughter-in-law had not given birth for five years after marriage shows that Empress Ashina was already very kind.
Furthermore, three years later, Helian Jue's empire should be even larger in scale.
His dependence on the Xie family and his family should be much less!
Empress Ashina was indeed a woman of great shrewdness. In her mind, there was no absolute right or wrong, only useful or useless!
...
The Cui family's people ran into a wall with Empress Ashina and failed to achieve their goal at all.
However, this person was quite clever—
Helian Jue has two mothers.
If the adoptive mother route is not feasible, could we try to get through to the birth mother route?
So this man spent a large sum of money to curry favor with the palace servants around Consort Xiao.
"This Cui family member is quite clever!"
Consort Xiao is nearly forty years old this year, but there are no signs of aging on her face.
Her skin was like porcelain, her features were exquisite, she had no wrinkles, yet possessed the charm of a mature woman.
She was exceptionally beautiful, and because she came from a prominent family in the Southern Dynasties, she possessed a unique grace and gentleness characteristic of women from the Jiangnan region.
Judging by her appearance alone, it's hard to believe that this woman would be a grandmother in ancient times.
Yet it remains incredibly charming.
The key is that kind of temperament; a person who is well-read and knowledgeable naturally exudes elegance, which has always been what sages love most.
Except for a period of more than twenty years ago when she was unexpectedly taken to the Northern Dynasty and almost became a "female slave," her life was without any hardship.
Even after her fall from grace, she still caught the eye of the emperor and was taken into his inner court because of her stunning beauty and unique noble temperament.
This marked the beginning of her more than twenty years of constant imperial favor.
Consort Xiao was favored, and her womb was also fertile, giving birth to the emperor's eldest son.
Unfortunately, the child was taken away by Ashina, who was then the principal wife, when the child was only a month old.
Consort Xiao lay on the bed, not crying, but secretly vowing in her heart: One day, the Xiao family will definitely stand in a high position and never let anyone control my life again!
Although Xiao Zhaoyi has not yet become the most honored woman in the Great Zhou Dynasty in name, she is still the emperor's most beloved person.
Thanks to Consort Xiao's diligent efforts, the Emperor, out of affection for her, also placed great importance on the Third Prince.
She, the Sage, and Sanlang—they are the real family.
The sage has stated more than once that his empire will definitely be passed on to Sanlang!
She was favored by the emperor and had an outstanding son. With the unification of the north and south, she also gained a family.
Xiao Zhaoyi's life became increasingly smooth.
As for her eldest son, Helian Jue, who symbolized her past lowliness, humility, and helplessness, Consort Xiao never cared about him.
However, not caring might still cause some annoyance!
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