The maidservant helped Lanqin walk slowly towards Changchun Palace. Lanqin knew that the Empress was unwilling, but the Fourth Prince insisted on this, and the Empress had no choice but to resort to this tactic to vent her anger.
On the other side, Consort Nian also learned about Lanqin's investiture and was so angry that she threw all the fruit and snacks that the maid had just brought to the ground.
Hongfu, held in the wet nurse's arms, burst into tears of fright. The wet nurse patted him gently and soothed him, saying, "Don't cry, brother..."
Seeing Hongfu crying, Madam Nian forgot her anger and snatched the baby from the wet nurse's arms, gently coaxing him, "Don't cry, don't cry, it's your mother's belly that scared Fu'er..."
It took a while of coaxing to calm Hongfu down. He blinked and looked at Nian Shi with a blank expression, seemingly wondering why his mother was angry.
Seeing that Lady Nian had calmed down, Cui Ling dared to step forward to tidy up, gesturing for the wet nurse to leave: "Your Highness, please calm down, the little prince will be frightened. I also heard today that Consort Xi suffered a silent injustice in the Empress's palace, being deliberately made difficult by the Empress. It seems that even if Consort Xi were to manage the harem, she would still have to respect her rank and not overstep her bounds... Besides, the Emperor has already said that he is only assisting the Noble Consort in managing the harem, so no matter how favored Consort Xi is, she is only assisting the Noble Consort..."
After hearing this, Lady Nian's anger subsided somewhat. Afraid of frightening Hongfu again, she lowered her voice considerably: "That may be true, but the thought of how the Emperor treats her makes me uncomfortable... I really didn't expect that even after we got to the palace, the Emperor would still dote on her like that, disregarding etiquette and insisting on handing over the power to manage the harem to her. He even personally attended the investiture ceremony. Isn't this just making outsiders look down on me?"
“Your Majesty, you are a Noble Consort personally appointed by the Emperor. If Consort Xi were truly favored by the Emperor, how could she only hold the rank of Consort? It is clear that Your Majesty holds considerable weight in the Emperor's heart. Moreover, there is General Nian as well…” Bai Zhi said as she tidied up, trying to fathom Nian’s thoughts.
Suddenly, Hongfu smiled. Madam Nian looked down at Hongfu with a tender and affectionate expression, and touched Hongfu's head, saying to herself, "Hongfu, all of your mother's hopes are now pinned on you..."
Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and said fiercely, "The young prince still needs Your Majesty. Your Majesty must not displease the Emperor over trivial matters. If we're going to fight for something, let's fight for something big..."
Mrs. Nian paused for a moment, her gaze distant and blank: "Competing for the biggest..."
“Indeed, isn’t the General about to enter the capital? Your Highness should have a proper reunion with him this time. The Emperor values the General so much that he has bestowed upon Your Highness the title of Imperial Concubine, which shows how much he values you!” Bai Zhi said. She naturally became a first-class palace maid by Lady Nian's side, and along with Cui Ling, remained Lady Nian's trusted maids.
"Yes. My brother now controls the Ministry of War! He stands tall in the court, and I cannot show weakness in the harem. Consort Xi's brother is just a poor scholar, nothing to fear." Lady Nian suddenly seemed to regain her confidence.
“Your Majesty is right. No matter how favored Consort Xi is, without a powerful maternal relative to support her, she cannot compete with Your Majesty,” Bai Zhi said.
Lady Nian nodded, her earlier rage completely gone, and said, "That vile woman, Lady Fucha, is still alive!"
“Your Majesty, she is currently in the Cold Palace, practically a walking corpse. You need not worry,” Bai Zhi said.
"But the thought of my Hongsheng keeps me awake at night. Fine, let her live a little longer. I want her to suffer terribly before she dies!" Lady Nian said bitterly.
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