"You really dare to think that way!" Empress Dowager Cheng frowned upon hearing Jing Shuo's words, feeling a surge of inexplicable anger.
How could it be that the Cheng family suffered the Anguo disaster back then, which took away all of the Cheng family's fortune? Women, women don't have composure and courage.
The man, the man, didn't know his own limitations, and having accomplished nothing, he started to have wild fantasies.
"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being born a year later than Jingyan. If you had been born a year earlier, given His Majesty's difficulty in having children, even the son of a Noble Consort could have entered the Eastern Palace."
"If you're just a little unlucky, then work harder. Jing Yan just destroyed the Feng clan, which is a great achievement for both the Jing clan and the Jing Kingdom. If you want to take his place, you'd better have the ability!"
"Let me tell you, it's fine if Jing Yan occupies that position. You just focus on accumulating merits for me and don't think about anything else. In the future, you can still have a prestigious title as an important official in the imperial court."
“If Jingyan were to suffer any mishap one day and lose his position as Crown Prince, do you think that Jinglu, with no achievements to his name, can outdo the Zheng family and His Majesty’s blood relatives by virtue of his age? I think our good days are over.”
From the very beginning, when Empress Dowager Cheng brought Cheng Suyun into the palace, she never placed Jingshuo's future in the Eastern Palace.
Rather than letting Jing Shuo fight tooth and nail for the position of Crown Prince, it would be much more prudent for him to work hard to become a powerful minister and marry a woman from the Cheng family.
Cheng Suyun married into the Eastern Palace as the Crown Princess and gave birth to a prince with Cheng family blood, who will inherit the throne in the future.
The Cheng family should be able to recover its former prosperity within at least three generations.
Therefore, compared to Empress Dowager Zheng's possible desire to bring Jinglu into the Eastern Palace and her willingness to force Jingning to marry a foreign prince, it was something Empress Dowager Cheng would be happy to see Jingyan remain the Crown Prince.
But plans can't keep up with changes, and unexpectedly, a month-old ginger appeared out of nowhere to block the way.
Not to mention the difficulty of Cheng Suyun entering the Eastern Palace, even if she were to enter in the future, her children would have a hard time getting ahead.
With no hope of becoming the Crown Prince's consort, Empress Dowager Cheng dared not rashly allow Jingshuo to marry a woman from the Cheng family.
Soon after, she will inevitably have to find a wife who can help Jing Shuo.
Seeing her aunt so angry because of her son, Consort Cheng quickly tried to calm her down: "Aunt, please calm down. Shuo'er is still young. You are our pillar of support. If you say so, he will listen to you, won't he?"
Empress Dowager Cheng said self-deprecatingly, "I dare not accept such praise. My old bones are already brittle. In a few years, I will be gone and let you do whatever you want with me."
"Please don't say that," Consort Cheng secretly patted her son's back, trying to get Jing Shuo to admit his mistake, but Jing Shuo pursed his lips in dissatisfaction.
"Shuo'er, speak!" Consort Cheng had been observing her aunt's expression, and seeing that it was getting worse, she patted her twice more, urging her anxiously.
A few breaths later, Empress Dowager Cheng looked at Jing Shuo's appearance and was no longer angry. She simply shook her head and sneered.
"If you have such stubbornness, then show some real stubbornness. Don't listen to too much reminiscing about the past and actually live in the past," she glanced at Consort Cheng, her intentions clearly directed at her.
Consort Cheng noticed the gaze and lowered her head guiltily.
When she was young, her father often told her about the glory of the Cheng family, saying that she had the opportunity to become empress, but it was because her uncle died in Anguo that the Cheng family declined.
Later, whenever Consort Cheng got angry with Consort Zheng, she would go back to the palace to vent her anger, and she would hold young Jing Shuo and tell him about the Cheng family's past.
After all, if she could become empress, Jing Shuo would have no trouble moving into the Eastern Palace and wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation.
My aunt overheard those words and scolded me for more than half a month. I never expected that my aunt would still remember this after all these years!
Jing Shuo noticed that his mother had become quieter, and recalling what his grandmother had just said, he realized that his mother had been subtly criticized.
Jing Shuo cleared his throat and bowed, admitting his mistake: "Grandmother, you are my only support. How could I dare to hold a grudge against you? My concern for the Crown Prince is also for the future restoration of the dynasty..."
"Alright," Empress Dowager Cheng said, no longer wanting to hear more. She closed her eyes and gave her final advice: "If you truly want to restore the Cheng family, you don't need to covet that position. Now that the prestige of Jing Kingdom has greatly increased, An Kingdom will surely be on high alert and on guard day and night. Sooner or later, there will be a day when it is a fight to the death."
"Wait until General Du returns, then pay him a humble visit and learn from him."
Jing Shuo was deeply resentful at being looked down upon, but he had no choice but to bow and say, "Yes!"
Empress Dowager Cheng, not wanting to see the mother and son any longer, waved her hand and dismissed them, saying, "Go back."
Once only Cheng Suyun remained in the hall, Empress Dowager Cheng glanced at her, noticing her blank expression. She then picked up a cup of tea, took a small sip, and remained indifferent.
"You've seen the behavior of your aunt and cousin, haven't you? I don't expect Shuo'er to compete for any position."
"Although Jingyan is not my own grandson, he is the balance between me and Empress Dowager Zheng. If we ruin Jingyan's position as crown prince, and we are not absolutely certain that Jingshuo will enter the Eastern Palace, thus benefiting Jinglu, the Cheng family will have no chance to recover."
"So all along, I have valued your marriage to the Crown Prince more, and I have built up the momentum for you as the last orphan over the years. It's a bit foolish, but you still have that title and support. But with Yue Jiang coming in, it's all a pity."
"If you ever become the Crown Prince, don't raise your child to be so stupid."
A layer of tears welled up in Cheng Suyun's eyes, and her voice choked with emotion: "But does my grandniece have a chance to enter the palace? And if she does, will she have to be like her aunt,... will she have to be a dutiful concubine?"
Empress Dowager Cheng sighed, "Without ability or brains, being content with your lot is the greatest blessing. Unless Yue Jiang is infertile, the opportunity will eventually come your way, otherwise..."
She couldn't say what the outcome would be, so she might as well worry about the last few years. By the time she actually stepped into her coffin, she wouldn't be able to worry about it anymore.
After hearing these words, Cheng Suyun sat there silently, tears streaming down her face, lost in thought.
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