In an era where a woman's status depended on her son, pregnancy was considered a divine blessing.
However, Huo Baichuan paused for a moment, then continued, "I don't know why she was so stubborn. She would rather die than become a concubine, even though the Empress Dowager compromised and allowed her to become one of the four imperial concubines."
Zhao Shu agreed with Yi De this time. Even if she became a Noble Consort, she would still be a concubine, which she would never do. But Yi De herself had problems. She refused to be a concubine and had no chance to become Empress, so she shouldn't have anything happen with Emperor Mingde. Now that she was pregnant, she was still so stubborn. To put it bluntly, the child would not survive.
If you're going to leave, do it cleanly and decisively, without any lingering attachments. To claim you won't be a concubine while secretly having a child outside is just as absurd as being a prostitute and then trying to maintain a virtuous image.
The Empress Dowager despised concubines the most, but since it was impossible for Yide to become Empress, she might as well be a concubine openly and have a child outside the marriage, which made the Empress Dowager look down on her even more.
Sure enough, Huo Baichuan said, "At that time, the Empress Dowager said that if I acknowledge him, he is a prince, and if I don't, he is a bastard."
Across the torrent of time, Zhao Shu could feel the intensity of the struggle: the Empress Dowager's anger, Emperor Mingde's inaction, and Emperor Yide's despair.
"The ministers then suggested removing the mother and keeping the son, since he was of royal blood."
From Yide's perspective, the whole world seemed to be full of malice, but no one would consider that the Empress Dowager had already decided who to make empress, and the four consorts had also been selected. The ministers' unanimous agreement was based on their calculations of interests. Even the emperor had to obediently marry the woman chosen by everyone.
The world is fair. If you attain a supreme position that others do not have, then you must also endure the same pain and injustice that others do not have.
From one perspective, the world is fair.
"In the end, Yi De's child didn't survive?" Zhao Shu asked impatiently. If Yi De could fake her death, then the child could fake his life. This was a little venomous snake. If Zhao Shu were to do this, she would definitely not let the child live, no matter how innocent he was.
There are so many innocent people in the world, who can care about all of them?
To cut weeds, you must remove them by the roots, otherwise they will grow back in the spring.
Huo Baichuan knew what she was thinking and sighed softly. What had made her lose her innocence? The ruthlessness and world-weariness in her eyes were chilling.
Nodding, "That's right, the child was replaced and died, and the person who disposed of the child also died."
"Then how did you know?" Since the person who took care of the child is dead, there's no reason for him to know such details.
However, Huo Baichuan gave her an unexpected answer: "The Empress Dowager told me." He said, "The Empress Dowager was too arbitrary in handling Yide's affairs back then. Later, she returned power to the Emperor and relinquished her authority. After that, Zhihai also died. Now she is no longer able to contend with the Emperor."
"So, the Empress Dowager should have ruled all along and become Empress." Thinking of Zhihai's death, Zhao Shu felt aggrieved. He was still in good health and could have lived for at least several decades, but he hanged himself. So, the royal mother and son, humph!
Huo Baichuan reached out and poked her forehead. "Your grandmother became empress and made you the crown princess, right? And then you'll be the next empress."
“Yes, why can’t I?” Zhao Shu retorted, “If I were empress, I would never be blinded by lust.”
"Yes, you are wise and powerful, but it's a pity that everyone gets old." He sighed. "The Emperor is probably getting old. He wasn't like this a few years ago. Perhaps he is affected by Yide."
Not wanting him to change the subject, Zhao Shu asked, "And who is Zhao Bi?"
"He was Consort Ning's son, but the Emperor thought he was Consort Yi's son. At first, he said to leave the mother and keep the son, and the child was given to the former Consort to raise. Later, the Consort passed away, and the Second Prince also contracted smallpox and could not be saved. You should know about the forbidden areas in the palace, right?"
Before Zhao Shu could reply, he continued, "The layout of the palace wasn't like this before. It was only after the death of the former Consort that the Emperor made changes, turning the palace where the Consort once lived into a forbidden area. In recent years, Consort Hao risked her life to seduce the Emperor, took Yi De's token, and lied that she knew the secrets of that time."
He felt rather awkward as the word 'seduce' left his mouth, and touched his nose to hide his embarrassment.
Zhao Shu didn't seem too embarrassed and asked, "She said that son was Zhao Bi?"
"That's right. At first, it was just a rumor without any evidence. Later, Hao Shumei sent the evidence to the Emperor and was promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine."
Zhao Shu remembered that Hao Shumei knew the dance that only Yi De could dance, so she must have learned it from Yi De.
How can the living ever win against the dead? The dead have no flaws. With their passing, those who loved them will only remember their goodness. No one else can ever surpass them, because the living will grow old, become ugly, and have their flaws exposed.
Therefore, Yide won. By faking her death, she became an indelible mark in Emperor Mingde's heart, a mark that no one could surpass.
That day, the Empress said that you shouldn't have married me, and Emperor Mingde flew into a rage. It turned out that he wasn't just throwing a tantrum; he simply shouldn't have married her in the first place. Marrying her was only the Empress Dowager's and the ministers' idea, so he shouldn't have married her.
Whether this cinnabar mole will fade or not depends on the next steps.
"Why did Yi De choose Hao Shu Mei?" As soon as Zhao Shu asked, she felt stupid. Hao Shu Mei was beautiful, so who else would she choose?
"Initially, Yide chose Sun Yun, but the Empress Dowager saw through it and issued an edict to make her your study companion, and they went to Guanzhou together. The Empress Dowager's original intention was to make way for her."
Zhao Shu knew, "It's because Yi De used my twin brothers to threaten the Empress Dowager."
"Part of it is, and the other part isn't." Huo Baichuan took a sip of tea. He was a little thirsty from talking so much, and Zhao Shu thoughtfully refilled his cup.
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