Chapter 3187: Will people’s hearts really never change?
He had originally wanted to bring up the matter of the Queen's position during the family dinner tonight, but the Imperial Concubine's words were all about commemorating his mother, so there was no way to talk about the matter of enthroning the successor Queen.
Zhu Fengan looked at the two of them quietly.
Although he remained expressionless, his twinkling eyes seemed to indicate he understood something, but he remained silent. After a long while, he smiled faintly and said, "Alright, alright, let's finish our meal first. The food is getting cold."
Zhu Chengxuan immediately said, "Yes."
He looked up at Nan Yan carefully, and Nan Yan just smiled at him.
The meal took a long time and it was completely dark outside, but the pitch-black sky was not pitch black. Instead, countless snowflakes could be seen falling like light goose feathers. They had just walked out of the warm room when snowflakes fell all over their shoulders.
Zhu Feng looked up, then squatted down and grabbed a handful of the thick snow on the steps. He squeezed it into a ball in his palm and said with a smile, "Auspicious snow means a good harvest."
Xinping also jumped out: "Father, what does it mean that auspicious snow indicates a good harvest?"
After hearing this, Zhu Feng suddenly showed a sly smile on his face and said, "That's exactly what I mean!"
After saying that, he rubbed the ball of snow into Xinping's neck.
"Wow!"
Xinping was so cold that she screamed and jumped up and down. She immediately grabbed a snowball and threw it at Zhu Feng. Zhu Feng smiled and jumped down the stairs: "You can't hit me, you can't hit me."
He looks like a child.
Xinping refused to give in and followed after grabbing two balls of snow. Chengjun had always been a follower behind his sister, so seeing this, he also followed behind his sister. The three figures, one big and two small, laughed and played in the snow.
Nan Yan laughed and told them to be careful while shaking her head: "What a bunch of kids."
Zhu Chengxuan's voice came from behind: "Father is happy to see his younger brothers and sisters."
Hearing this, Nan Yan turned around and looked at him.
As Zhu Feng's child, he obviously did not have the right to play around freely in front of Zhu Feng like Xinping or Chengjun. His eyes were gradually filled with envy.
Seeing Nan Yan looking at him, he smiled shyly and lowered his head.
Nan Yan walked forward with him, whispering, "Don't feel wronged, Prince. If Your Highness was as spoiled as those two, I'm afraid he wouldn't be as accomplished as he is now. The Emperor wouldn't be so relieved to leave the government to you after being away for over six months."
“…”
“There is gain in loss, and there is gain only when there is loss.”
Zhu Chengxuan was originally feeling somewhat sad, but upon hearing these words, he was immediately comforted. He had not received much fatherly love since he was a child, and after growing up, a little bit of warmth could fill his heart and make him burst into tears of gratitude.
He said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Nan Yan smiled and gathered her wind cloak around her body, saying, "Why are you thanking me? It's because you have become a talent that the Emperor values you so much."
Zhu Chengxuan didn't respond.
The two walked forward for a while, and Zhu Feng had already run past the Yuehua Gate with the two children. The sound of laughter echoed between the red walls. Although it was a quiet night, it also revealed a bit of homely liveliness. Zhu Chengxuan walked forward and whispered: "Just now, why did the queen-"
He stopped talking halfway through.
Nan Yan smiled and looked back at him: "Why?"
In fact, this question was unnecessary. There were undercurrents at the family dinner. Both of them were very meticulous people. How could they not see what the other was thinking?
Zhu Chengxuan just looked at her.
The two looked at each other for a long while. Nan Yan finally sighed and said softly, "I know what Your Highness means, but Your Highness should not act on your own in this matter."
When Zhu Chengxuan heard the words "acting on his own initiative", his face turned slightly red.
He said softly, "Don't blame me, Your Majesty. I did act on my own initiative, but not only do I have a clear understanding of this matter, but everyone in and outside the palace actually thinks the same way."
“…”
"My mother has been gone for so long. The harem cannot remain without a master. Moreover, before she died, she mentioned two candidates for the succession: one was you, the queen, and the other was Consort Shun."
“…”
"Now, Concubine Shun has passed away. Your Majesty, you have always been favored by your father, but you are not that concubine who only cares about vying for favor and is ignorant of the world. After several major events, who in this palace does not regard you as the Empress?"
“…”
"Whether you say I'm trying to please the Empress or for the peace of the harem, this matter is ultimately for the benefit of both Father and the Empress, isn't it?"
“…”
"It's a good thing, why shouldn't we do it?"
Nan Yan walked forward with him, smiling slowly and saying, "Good things should of course be done."
“…”
"But sometimes, less is more."
Zhu Chengxuan looked at her with some confusion.
Nan Yan said calmly, "Your Highness, all you think about is what I can do if I become the next empress. But think about it again, what's the difference between me now and the next empress?"
"But--"
"I know you want to say it's real but not famous, but it doesn't make any difference to me."
“…”
"What's more, this will be more effective in deterring the harem."
"What?"
Zhu Chengxuan was a little confused. He just thought that if someone sat on the position of the Queen of the Central Palace, it would shock the harem, but he didn't expect that if no one sat on the position of the Queen of the Central Palace, it would also shock the harem.
How is this possible?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Nan Yan smiled and said, "Your Highness just said that everyone inside and outside the palace, especially those in the harem, has recognized me as the successor. In everyone's eyes, I am the candidate for the successor, right?"
Zhu Chengxuan nodded.
Nan Yan said, "Your Highness must be thinking that if I don't take the position of Empress, someone else will want to take it, and then there will be constant turmoil in the harem, right?"
Zhu Chengxuan and Tina nodded.
Nan Yan smiled and said, "Then why don't you think about this, Your Highness? Everyone in and outside the palace has recognized me as the most favored Imperial Concubine by the Emperor, and the position of Empress must belong to me. However, if even someone like me can't sit on the position of Empress, then how dare others, who haven't even touched the corner of the Imperial Concubine, dream of it?"
“…”
"With such a hurdle, how peaceful can the harem be?"
“…”
This time, it was Zhu Chengxuan who was stunned.
He hadn't thought of that.
Nan Yan's words did make sense, but this was based on the fact that she had always been favored by Zhu Feng and had always been at the top of all the concubines.
This is a bit too arrogant.
Although she has been favored for nearly ten years since her canonization, but——
Do people’s hearts really never change?
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