Back at the inn, An Ge stayed home for a while, finally making up for her previous exhaustion.
Looking at the increased numbers on the scale, her face turned pale.
Her robes could automatically adjust to her body shape, so she never felt like she was gaining weight. If Lu Yan hadn't mentioned it, she would still be eating cola, milk tea, and fried chicken every day.
Although she had a comfortable life before, she would at least take care of the inn's affairs from time to time and cultivate every day.
Perhaps because she had been too busy recently, and with one of her biggest worries resolved, she went through a period of extreme depression when she had free time. She would lie down whenever possible and stay in her room all day.
"I have to lose weight! I absolutely have to lose weight!" An Ge said, her face contorted with grief, as she tried to cheer herself up.
As soon as I came out of the room, I heard Lu Yan's sarcastic voice, "Oh, so our store manager has finally decided to come out? You've been missing every day lately, and Hu Jiu has gotten so thin."
An Ge is now extremely sensitive to the words "fat" and "thin," and she suspects that Lu Yan did it on purpose.
Hu Jiu was happy for An Ge's life. He wished she could open up her access to her alternate dimension so he could come and go as he pleased.
"Lu Yan, shut up," An Ge said through gritted teeth. "I will definitely get back to my previous figure."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Dan, who was passing by, immediately disagreed, "The shop manager is much better now than before. She used to be too thin, and it broke my heart to see her like that. Shop manager, please don't try to lose weight like those young girls; it's bad for your health."
I'll talk to Lao Wei later and make some more good food for the manager. I'm still a bit thin.
There's a kind of thinness that only Aunt Dan, with her loving motherly heart, thinks you're thin.
Hu Jiu nodded, "Aunt Dan is right. You've been working too hard lately, so you need to replenish your energy."
Apart from Lu Yan, everyone else nodded in agreement, feeling that An Ge was in a good position right now.
In their eyes, although An Ge is the store manager, she is still a child.
An Ge was used to being flattered by everyone, and sometimes she had to thank Lu Yan, who had a sharp tongue, for giving her honest but unpleasant advice.
She had made up her mind that she could no longer live the life of a couch potato for the foreseeable future.
Then, her wish came true.
An Ge looked at Shen Qing Shuang, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, seemingly still processing the news she had just heard.
"What did you say? Feng Jinghan and Qinghe are getting married?"
Shen Qingshuang nodded. "The wedding is in about a month. Qinghe is currently in the capital and can't get away to talk to the manager in person. I'll apologize to the manager on her behalf."
An Ge shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for. I just think it's all too fast."
She knew Shen Qinghe would become the Crown Princess, but it hadn't even been half a year since Feng Jinghan expressed his feelings. That was too fast.
If I remember correctly, Shen Qinghe is only sixteen years old.
In ancient times, sixteen years old was considered a legal age for marriage. Perhaps because Shen Qinghe used to pester An Ge every day, she still saw her as a child.
"It's getting late. His Highness the Crown Prince is already twenty. If he doesn't get married soon, everyone will start to get anxious."
An Ge couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart; it was as if the daughter she had raised had been taken advantage of by a pig.
Although Shen Qinghe wasn't kept by her for long, Feng Jinghan was even less likely to be a pig.
"Oh right, I remember the Crown Prince also chose a concubine?"
An Ge disliked the ancient system, but she didn't want to force others to change it because of her own preferences.
Shen Qingshuang nodded. "Two concubines have been chosen. One is the eldest granddaughter of the Grand Tutor, and the other is the eldest daughter of the Grand Commandant."
Good heavens, Feng Jinghan's two concubines seem to have quite a background. Shen Qingshuang is only a fifth-rank Hanlin Academician, and that was only because she was promoted exceptionally for her merits in helping the emperor.
Feng Jinghan could actually make two daughters of first-rank officials his concubines?
With Feng Jinghan's intelligence, he must have known that this was inappropriate.
But given his age, the selection of a crown princess cannot be delayed any longer. He may not have time to wait for Shen Qingshuang to grow up, so he has no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
As for the other two concubines, they probably had their own difficulties as well.
An Ge's guess was correct; Feng Jinghan was also in a dilemma regarding these two candidates for concubine.
He has become the crown prince and his position is still very stable, but he does not yet have real power, and there are some things he cannot control.
"Father, can't I really change two concubines?"
Because the Crown Prince was about to get married, Emperor Feng Zhao returned to the palace from the inn early. Hearing Feng Jinghan's words, he was somewhat displeased, "Han'er, as the Crown Prince, you cannot be willful. Making Shen Qinghe the Crown Princess is already my biggest concession."
I know you're in a difficult position, but until you have absolute power to suppress them, there are some things you'll have to compromise on. I believe that once you sit on this throne, you'll be able to stand independently of your ministers. But not now, understand, Han'er?
Thinking of his own experience, Emperor Feng Zhao's tone softened. In the past, he was powerless to protect the woman he loved most, and now his son was facing the same problem.
However, he believed that even if he was temporarily swayed, the Crown Prince would do a better job than him.
Feng Jinghan pursed his lips. "It was my oversight."
The aristocratic class and imperial power were inherently opposed. He was confident in reforming the nobility, but things had to be done step by step.
Emperor Feng Zhao sighed, "I think Qinghe is a good girl, but her status is too low. I'm afraid she won't be able to win people's respect. You need to pay more attention to her in the future."
Emperor Fengzhao is already very enlightened to be able to consider Shen Qinghe's feelings.
"By the way, you shouldn't underestimate your two concubines either. Let's raise the wedding ceremony a bit more." Emperor Fengzhao was also in a dilemma. He couldn't underestimate the Crown Princess, nor could he look down on the concubines. He even felt a little sorry for his son.
The fact that the younger sister of a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar became the Crown Princess, and that the concubine held an exceptionally high status, was the hottest topic among the nobles in the capital during this period.
When many people inquired about Shen Qinghe's identity, they all shook their heads.
How could their wise Crown Prince be so frivolous in choosing a consort?
Shen Qinghe comes from an ordinary family. If it weren't for her good older brother, she wouldn't even be considered by ordinary officials.
Even with Shen Qingshuang, Shen Qinghe's status as a concubine of the Crown Prince was already considered high enough. No one expected that she could outshine the legitimate daughters of two first-rank officials.
With two concubines of such high status, this future crown princess is in for a tough time.
As everyone suspected, those two concubines were definitely holding a grudge after hearing the identity of the person chosen as the Crown Princess.
Neither of them would feel so resentful if they were to become the Crown Princess. Now, however, they have been overshadowed by the sister of a fifth-rank official. How can they swallow this insult?
Even though they outwardly showed respect to the Crown Princess because of the Crown Prince's favor, they secretly looked down on her.
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