Chapter 125
Qin Sang wondered what this meant, and asked, "The eldest princess has a rather bad temper. Will she make things difficult for the younger generation?"
Consort Xian: "Oh, no, it's just that..."
"It's just that the Eldest Princess found me another wife before you, and you've gotten in her way." Prince Ning'an replied to his mother's words expressionlessly.
Consort Xian gently scolded, "You child, why are you saying this... Actually, the encounters between people are all due to fate. The fact that the two of you can come together shows that you have a deep connection. Don't worry about anything else."
As Qin Sang listened to these words, Xie Sui'an's face involuntarily appeared in her mind. She thought that if he were there and heard these words, he would probably be so angry that he wouldn't want to say a word, and would just hide to the side with his arms crossed, pouting and sulking.
So I smiled unconsciously.
However, this charming smile misled Consort Xian. She probably thought that Qin Sang had fallen deeply in love with her son. When she looked up and saw that her son was looking at Qin Sang with the same affection, she felt gratified but also worried.
In the royal court, deep affection is the most taboo thing. So she couldn't help but sigh and remind the two of them: "But your future is not easy. One wrong step and you will be doomed. Even if the emperor is willing to believe you now, the empress and the crown prince have been working for you for many years. You have the support of the emperor's brother-in-law and the support of the eldest princess. You..." She couldn't finish her sentence.
Qin Sang seized the opportunity to ask, "Actually, the Empress was promoted by the Eldest Princess, wasn't she?"
Judging from the Empress's dull and foolish appearance, and her beauty not being top-notch, how could she have ascended to the position of Empress without someone's support? And it is said that the Empress's family background was not particularly illustrious.
As expected, Consort Xian looked at Qin Sang with a surprised expression, then nodded: "That's right, indeed."
Years ago, the Empress was originally an unfavored concubine. The most favored concubine at the time was Consort Gan, the mother of Prince Su. At that time, the late Empress was seriously ill, and the Emperor originally intended for Consort Gan to be the next Empress. However, it was discovered at this time that there were effigies used for witchcraft in Consort Gan's palace, and the target of the curse was the seriously ill late Empress.
The inner court investigated for a long time, but found no other clues or leads. All witnesses and physical evidence pointed to Consort Gan alone.
Seeing that Prince Su would also be implicated, how could a mother bear it? So Consort Gan committed suicide to prove her innocence, thus temporarily preserving Prince Su's pity and favor in the eyes of the emperor.
Later, during an animal training performance, the wild beasts went out of control, and the Crown Prince's mother was made Empress for protecting him. After that, the mother and son rose rapidly in rank, and the son, thanks to his mother's status, was also smoothly made Crown Prince.
However, from then on, the children in the palace began to fall ill or die one after another. A few years later, the Prince Su plotted a rebellion, a major event that shocked the court and the country.
In fact, this matter is a case of the onlooker seeing more of the game than the player. The emperor may have had his suspicions about the crown prince and the empress, but the relationships within the royal family are complex and unpredictable. It's not unreasonable to say that the events within the palace and the rebellion were due to Prince Su harboring resentment and seeking revenge for his mother. Moreover, the empress and the eldest princess were constantly whispering in his ear, and they even bribed the eunuchs, so what the emperor saw and heard was completely different from what outsiders saw and heard.
Perhaps he finally realized something was wrong, but it was too late. The Empress and the Crown Prince's faction was powerful and deeply entrenched. If the Princess hadn't been so eager to destroy the Nanwu Kingdom, and had she had firmly supported the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne and waited for several decades for the Nanwu Kingdom to hollow itself out, Qin Sang would not have had any chance now.
“Feng’er, I know how difficult what you’re doing is. I only wanted you to be safe. Over the years, you’ve suffered so much to avoid attracting attention. I…” Consort Xian’s voice trailed off, “I’m so useless…”
Seeing this, Qin Sang quickly reached out and covered the other person's hand to comfort them: "This is not your fault, don't blame yourself too much."
Both Prince Ning'an and Consort Xian were slightly taken aback. Qin Sang then realized that she had spoken too casually, addressing him directly as "you," which showed absolutely no sense of etiquette.
She chuckled awkwardly, adjusted her earring, and was about to say something to make amends when she heard hurried footsteps approaching. A maidservant bowed and announced, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Princess has arrived."
"??" Qin Sang subconsciously looked at the door.
Sure enough, a group of maids and servants escorted a well-dressed woman as she leisurely crossed the threshold.
"I'm sorry to disturb your reunion," Yuan Zhao said with a smile as he walked towards the group.
Consort Xian had already stood up: "I won't disturb you. I've been looking forward to your arrival, sister. You're such a rare guest."
Consort Xian was gentle by nature, and her greetings were soft and gentle, making people feel very comfortable.
As expected, Yuan Zhao showed no politeness, fixing her gaze on Qin Sang's face as she approached. She was slightly taller, requiring Qin Sang to raise her eyes slightly to meet her gaze. Yuan Zhao smiled slightly and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Princess."
"The last time I saw you was at my birthday banquet. I never imagined that you and Feng'er would have such a connection. It's truly a joyous occasion. Not only are you a beauty, but you also have a very clever and insightful mind. Sister," the Princess said with a smile to Consort Xian. "You are truly blessed."
Consort Xian: "It's all thanks to His Majesty's discerning eye."
Princess Yuanzhao: "Indeed, such a good person, my royal brother won't give her to my Qing'er, but you've gotten a good deal."
She addressed the last "you" to Prince Ning'an, who remained expressionless, coughed lightly twice, and then weakened again: "Auntie is right."
The Eldest Princess: "About what?"
"It would be a real shame to give it to me. She told me yesterday that I should go and ask my father to annul the engagement."
Qin Sang was startled, and everyone's eyes immediately turned to her. She quickly looked at Zhao Kun and asked, "Did I say that?"
Zhao Kun: "I said this matter is not up to me to decide. Father Emperor won't listen to me unless Aunt intervenes..."
Consort Xian quickly scolded in a low voice, "Feng'er! Stop talking nonsense."
The princess's gaze returned to Qin Sang's face: "You refuse?"
Qin Sang's eyes crinkled with laughter: "Of course not, Prince Ning'an was just teasing me. He probably has someone else in his heart and is not satisfied with me, which is why he said that. However, if the Princess's intervention can really change the Emperor's mind, I will not insist on standing here to block someone's marriage." As she spoke, she glanced at Prince Ning'an with a smile.
The princess glanced at the two faces, seemingly finding it uninteresting, and chuckled lazily, saying, "Very good, flirting before marriage. It seems the Emperor will soon be holding a grandson."
"..." Qin Sang thought to herself, "What a load of bull, a grandson!" But she didn't want to say anything more about the topic. She had finally gotten a chance to meet this colleague from the Immortal Realm alone, so she naturally wanted to find out more.
She smiled and said, "It is my great honor to be able to bear children for Your Highness and continue the royal lineage. As long as the descendants are numerous and the country is prosperous, the lives of ordinary people will be better. Although I am not talented, I am very happy to be able to make a small contribution to the prosperity of the Kingdom of Nanwu."
"Contribution?" Yuan Zhao murmured to himself.
"Yes, Princess, don't you wish for the Nanwu Kingdom to be peaceful, prosperous, and enduring for a long time?"
The princess narrowed her eyes slightly: "How could that be?" Before Qin Sang could continue speaking, she added, "Do you know what you're saying?"
Beneath the calm smile lay the imposing aura of someone accustomed to a high position; though his voice was composed, it instantly heightened the tension in what had been a harmonious atmosphere.
Qin Sang was naturally not afraid of her, but she didn't want to expose herself. She lowered her head slightly and pretended to be sad: "My family has fallen on hard times, but even so, we are still able to make a living. Recently, I have heard about natural disasters everywhere and have personally witnessed the suffering of the people who have been displaced and are suffering. It is too terrible to bear. So I always hope for peace in my heart."
The eldest princess calmly turned her gaze away and snorted, "At such a young age, you have the world on your mind and quite the audacity... But you've only managed to climb up to the Prince Ning's mansion. I thought you were going to be the savior of the world."
Consort Xian finally couldn't stand it anymore and intervened, saying, "She's just a child and doesn't know any better. Please don't take offense, sister. I'll teach her properly later."
"He should be taught proper manners. He keeps interrupting adults; he'll make a fool of himself if he goes out in public."
After saying this, the eldest princess sat down on a stone bench. Consort Xian followed suit and, smiling, changed the subject.
Although the other person didn't want to pay attention to her anymore, Qin Sang would glance at her from time to time. It was clear that after so many years here, she had really run out of patience and was not interested in talking about anything.
But then she suddenly told all the servants to leave, saying she wanted to speak with Prince Ning'an alone.
Qin Sang was also pulled by Consort Xian to the inner room to pick out jewelry, but her mind was elsewhere; she was very curious about what the two outside were talking about. She thought to herself, "This princess is openly visiting Consort Xian and her son, and she even dismissed the servants to speak privately with them. What will the Crown Prince and Empress think if this gets back to them?"
If a powerful backer who has always supported you and stood by your side suddenly turns around and supports someone else, wouldn't someone with a slightly weaker mentality either immediately kill them to silence them or act desperately? Judging from the level of the Crown Prince and the Empress, they probably won't last long.
So eager? Are you about to incite both sides to fight to the death?
She glanced out the window every now and then, but couldn't see anything.
Consort Xian held up a small, exquisite hairpin to her head, noticing her darting eyes. She said, "A woman should be quiet, smile without showing her teeth, lower her head and look at others with gentle eyes, and walk silently. I can see that you have been taught these things, but do you also want to become like the Princess?"
Qin Sang's thoughts were pulled back: "Hmm?"
Consort Xian continued to fuss over her, saying, "The Princess is a woman of deep and meticulous thoughts; no one can truly guess what she's thinking. She's too clever..."
Qin Sang grasped a hint of something, but it was only a clue. She immediately pressed for details, asking, "What does Your Highness mean? Isn't being clever a good thing?"
"In a male-dominated world, what use is a woman who is too clever? Can't she just hide in the background? Can she possibly usurp the throne and become an empress?"
Upon hearing the word "Empress," Qin Sang glanced around. Fortunately, only Consort Xian's personal maid was standing at the door. What did Consort Xian mean by that? Did she mean... that the Princess was ambitious and wanted to stir up trouble in the court and usurp the throne?
It seems that the mother and son also saw through the princess's duplicity and opportunistic behavior. However, their guess was wrong; they never expected that she only wanted the destruction of the Nanwu Kingdom, not to become some kind of empress.
"Don't easily believe what others say, and don't be too curious. These are the basic rules for survival in the harem." Consort Xian's voice came softly from above, like a mother's whisper, carrying a hint of worry.
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