Consort He is now not only losing the Emperor's favor, but also having to spend a lot of money on the palace.
Consort Xian looked at Consort He with tenderness, and said with a hint of disdain, "You already know?"
Consort He said anxiously, "Your Majesty, I can't help but be worried! If those people enter the palace, where will we have a place to stay?"
Consort He seemed to be considering Consort Xian's best interests; her expression was extremely solemn.
The Consort Xian curled the corners of her lips and said casually, "With the Second Prince by my side, what do I have to worry about? It's Consort He who should be worried."
Consort He's face turned extremely ugly. In her panic, she blurted out, "Your Highness, you are mistaken. How can Prince Ning compare to Prince Chen!"
A sharp glint flashed in Consort Xian's eyes as she looked at the woman before her with a half-smile: "No matter what, the Second Prince is still the Emperor's son. It's not up to you, his stepmother, to comment."
Consort He's face turned pale and then red: "What's so great about Consort Xian? Once those new concubines enter the palace and give birth to princes, what will the Second Prince be?"
"Consort He. After being in the palace for so long, can't you even say a word?" Consort Xian raised her hand and called over the head maid beside her: "Consort He doesn't know the rules. Find a few old nannies to come and teach her properly. Her Majesty the Empress passed away early, and I am also in charge of palace power. It is only right to punish a little Consort He who doesn't know the rules."
"Your Highness, how dare you!" Consort He knew she wasn't very bright and easily offended people. But the Emperor liked her straightforwardness, and she was considered a favorite.
Now, facing Consort Xian, who had been spoiled rotten, she spoke directly and retorted: "Your Highness, the Emperor has been favoring me these past few days. You cannot punish me so casually."
Consort Xian sneered: "Punish me so casually? Consort He is mistaken. You are merely a concubine of low rank. Even if you were the head of a palace, your rank would still be below mine. You defied me first. Do you think I have no right to punish you? Even if this matter goes to the Emperor, I will still be in the right."
Consort He looked ashen-faced and was dragged out by the head maid and several young palace maids.
The old nanny who served the Consort Xian whispered to her, "Your Highness, Consort He's words make some sense. If the Emperor really fills the harem and has another heir, it will be very disadvantageous for Prince Ning."
"Granny, you're overthinking it." Consort Xian stretched out her long fingernails, admiring them in the sunlight, a gentle smile on her lips, but her words were utterly cold: "Whether I can enter the palace is uncertain, whether I can conceive after entering the palace is uncertain, and whether I can give birth after conceiving is even more uncertain. So, Granny, what's there to be anxious about?"
The old nanny suddenly realized and laughed: "Your Highness sees things clearly, doesn't she? This old servant was confused for a moment."
“However, I think this time it’s not about choosing concubines for the Emperor, but about choosing wives for his sons. After all, the Emperor hasn’t really held any selections these past few years; he just brings back whoever he likes. If the eldest prince hadn’t gone to the border a few years ago, the marriages of his brothers wouldn’t have been delayed. Judging from the Emperor’s intentions, this time it’s going to be done all at once.” Consort Xian expressed her guess, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She happily instructed, “Start preparations. Have some people secretly investigate all the candidates this year, and then bring all the information they find to me. I must carefully choose my future daughter-in-law.”
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