"It's good to have ambition," the Empress said with a faint smile.
"As for the clothes and jewelry, we've made quite a few from all over. Everyone's waiting to see. After the mourning period, the first person to serve Your Majesty will naturally be you. As for the second, I wonder who it will be," Suzhen said.
"It's not just about that; it's also about who gives birth first." The Empress smiled and touched her belly. "I'm in good health now, so I have to prove myself."
"Yes, if you give birth to a legitimate son, everyone will have to step aside."
At this moment, Consort Ye was serving in the Empress Dowager's palace when the eighth and eleventh daughters of the Ye family entered.
Now both of them have grown up, are outstanding in appearance, and are much more composed than Consort Ye.
Those who are carefully raised at home are naturally not as brainless as Consort Ye.
In Consort Ye's eyes, it was an absolute eyesore.
At least she remembered her mother's teachings: don't go against the Empress Dowager, and if she was told to enter the palace, then she would enter; no matter how many people entered, none of them could get past her.
Even if they have the ability to have children, they will bring them to her place to be raised.
The Empress Dowager said to Consort Ye, "The mourning period will be over soon, and your health has improved. Be sensible and don't throw tantrums. When you serve the Emperor, try to have a child. Even a princess would be fine."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I remember." Consort Ye bowed respectfully.
The Empress Dowager gave them some further instructions before letting them all go.
After everyone left, the Empress Dowager rubbed her temples and asked, "Which of these two children do you think is more suitable?"
Granny Fei said, "The Eighth Miss is more thoughtful and knows the rules better. If she enters the palace, she can protect herself. The Eleventh Miss is a bit more unconventional, but she is also smart and not stupid. She is more lively. If we're talking about complementing Consort Ye, then the Eighth Miss is naturally better. But if we're talking about forming her own faction, then the Eleventh Miss is naturally better."
"Complementary? Look at her, how can she accept any complementarity? If she were capable, I wouldn't have had to force another one in. Empress or Crown Prince, she has to have one, right? Look at her, how can she have either one?" The Empress Dowager frowned.
“Then…then it should be the Eleventh Miss.” Granny Fei thought for a moment: “With Consort Ye ahead of us, the Eleventh Miss is probably not that remarkable.”
The Empress Dowager nodded and sighed, "I suppose the Emperor will still give me face. I hope she'll prove herself."
"How's the Yingfu Palace project going?"
"Your Majesty, her joint pain is severe now, and medicine is not helping. She often cannot walk." But joint pain is not fatal.
It's just torture.
"Hmph." The Empress Dowager sneered, "Have someone keep a close eye on her, lest she try to commit suicide."
"Your Highness, rest assured, after her head maid Luoshui left two years ago, that Yushui has remained loyal and is keeping an eye on things. Besides, I hinted to Consort Cao that if she wants to behave herself, she will keep a close eye on her aunt," said Aunt Fei.
"Hmm, she is a suitable candidate."
The Cao family was expelled from the capital last year for disrespecting the late emperor, losing all their titles and official positions.
Princess Jane's brothers were also convicted and exiled.
Now the family's honor and disgrace are in the hands of these two concubines in the harem.
On March 29th, the sky was overcast from early morning. Just after noon, it started to rain, and it turned out to be a thunderstorm.
At this time of year, thunderstorms are not very common, but they are not particularly unusual either.
However, there was something far more serious than the weather: the eldest princess had suddenly fallen ill.
Shu Chengfeng and the Empress have arrived, and the concubines of the palace dare not delay.
They all went to Luo Wanyi's Qiyun Pavilion.
The geese fly south, so they come slowly from afar, and since it's raining, we dare not chase them; they walk.
With the help of Shuanzi holding an umbrella, they managed to get there.
As soon as I entered, I saw everyone kneeling in the corridor, and many palace servants were standing below, all of them soaked.
Apart from the Empress, the Imperial Concubine, and the Virtuous Consort, everyone else was kneeling.
Yan Nangui didn't rush to kneel down, but asked Consort Murong, "What's wrong?"
Consort Murong glanced at her and sighed, "The imperial physician just came, but he wasn't a specialist in pediatrics. He said he couldn't make it in time because of the bad weather. Her Majesty the Empress tried to persuade him, but His Majesty got very angry..."
Yan Nangui looked at her speechlessly: "That's it?"
Murong nodded: "I have never seen His Majesty so angry..." She was also annoyed, since it wasn't her who led the kneeling.
It's all Consort Jiang's fault. Once she knelt, everyone behind her knelt down, making Consort Murong too embarrassed not to kneel as well.
Yan Nangui frowned and immediately ordered someone to lift the curtain and go inside.
Seeing Consort Ye looking over, she ignored her, greeted His Majesty and Empress, and then looked at Luo Wanyi to the side: "How is the eldest princess?"
"The eldest princess choked on her food, I was just overreacting..." Luo Wanyi quickly said.
"It's terrifying when a child chokes, how can you blame yourself? And now?" Yan Nangui asked.
"I'm fine now, but I had a bad cough earlier, and now my chest hurts," Luo Wanyi said.
The wild geese nodded as they returned south.
Turning to Shu Chengfeng, he said, "Your Majesty, it's best that the eldest princess is alright. Please calm down. There are many younger sisters kneeling outside. It's so rainy, it's uncomfortable to even stand. What could possibly make you so angry?"
Shu Chengfeng frowned: "Why are you kneeling?"
“When you were so angry, who would dare not kneel? Everyone was worried about the eldest princess. Now that the eldest princess is alright, shouldn’t we call out?” Yan Nangui said.
"Everyone's kneeling, so why aren't you kneeling?" Shu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow.
"Then let's go, Sister Ye and Sister Xiang, let's go out and kneel down too." Yan Nangui glanced at the two of them.
Before Consort Ye could speak, Consort Xiangxian laughed: "Sister, you really have a childish temper. His Majesty can't bear to see you kneeling."
"Ignore her, she's just making a scene for no reason. Tell everyone outside to get up. If there's nothing else, go back inside." Shu Chengfeng waved his hand.
Everyone outside got up, and except for Consort Murong, everyone else left.
Xiao Guirong started acting up on the way.
"Sister Jiang is the Empress Dowager's grandniece and a noble lady, so why are your knees so weak? Your kneeling has made everyone kneel in the rain for half an hour! If your knees are weak, don't drag everyone else down with you. What do we owe you?"
Jiang Guiyi bit her lip: "Since you were so angry, you shouldn't have knelt down with me just now."
She was truly terrified. When the emperor became angry, she instinctively knelt down, and when she knelt, the others couldn't stand up either.
"Hmph! You have the nerve to say that? I think this is your fate for the rest of your life." With that, he left without even bowing.
Jiang Guiyi was so angry that she was helped back to Zhenxia Pavilion by her maid.
"Your Highness, please don't be angry. She's not blaming us at all. Everyone knows that she always tried to outdo Consort Yan when she was still in the manor. Unfortunately, she's just like Consort Yan. Now that she sees others enjoying their success, it's no wonder she's so angry."
“I’m not much different from her. We both came from the same social class, but now we’re worlds apart,” Jiang Guiyi said.
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