It's been mentioned almost everywhere.
The censors disagreed on two main points: childlessness and remarriage.
But whether it was due to good management over the years or just good luck, the core family members couldn't object.
It's hard to say that it wasn't Consort Duanyi's scheming.
At least, that's how Consort Jin Cong sees it.
"She rose step by step, steadily and surely. She climbed up from the rank of a second-grade imperial concubine. Even after the Empress passed away for so many years, she still served the Empress Dowager when she was ill. She also arranged marriages for the princes. When the Yan family was at its peak, she herself was deeply favored."
"Yes, she has no children, but she is too powerful. Which prince wouldn't be hoping for her promotion? Consort Ning's retreat is too obvious. If the Ning family doesn't stop her, who will?"
"The Empress Dowager was originally unwilling. But the Ye family must have had the Duke Ye's instructions back then, so they are also listening to His Majesty. Anyway, there's no hope for their Fifth Prince."
“The Consort Xiangxian didn’t seem to object either; after all, their family is a marquisate. Her brother is in court and has some influence,” Hongchou said.
“She is getting worse every year, but she is still a smart person. The current situation cannot be ignored. Is the Su family courting death by taking the lead?” Consort Jin Cong said.
“Actually, in my opinion, the reason why the officials disagree with this matter is because he has no son, and the reason why they are not trying their best to stop it is also because he has no son,” said Green Feather.
"What does this mean?" Hongchou asked, puzzled.
"If the Imperial Concubine has a prince, then if she becomes Empress, her prince will definitely be the Crown Prince. To put it bluntly, the court officials care more about who the Crown Prince is, not who the Empress is. The court officials also know that His Majesty is unwilling to support someone with a prince to ascend the throne. So it wouldn't be a big deal for the childless Imperial Concubine to ascend the throne."
"As for the likes of the Ning family, they hope that the prince they support will receive support. Of course, we won't stop them. Besides, once a crown prince is established in the future, whether the empress is the empress or not, she's not the crown prince's biological mother, so sooner or later, won't she be put aside? Don't mention the Yan family's military power, they wouldn't dare to rebel, would they?"
Hongchou nodded: "I understand now."
"In any case, the Yan family has made it." Consort Jin Cong sighed.
"People, when they think too much, they can't see things clearly. Over the years, I've watched with a cold eye, and every step Yan Shi has taken has been flawless. No matter what, she's never afraid of His Majesty bringing up old grievances. Even among the women in the harem, which one dares to plot against her? It's not that they're afraid of her as a person. It's just that it's very difficult to find a point to attack her. It's terrifying that a person can live so flawlessly. I can only say that it's fortunate she has no children."
"I suppose this is a case of no one being perfect. She's so amazing, it's no wonder Heaven wouldn't allow her to have a son," said Consort Jincong.
“Your Majesty is right,” Hongchou said. “Once she becomes Empress, she will inevitably be promoted. Your position will also be affected.”
Consort Jin smiled indifferently. So what if she was promoted? She didn't care about that anymore.
The morning court sessions have been quite lively these past few days.
Those officials who dared to criticize would say, citing classical texts, that the imperial concubine could not become empress.
Various opinions.
Those who agree with it offer various rebuttals.
You say the imperial concubine remarried? Fine, I'll dig up all the remarried women in your family across generations, those who had children.
You say the Imperial Concubine cannot bear a prince? Fine, His Majesty has no princes, right? The late Empress also had no children, so what about that?
Actually, this is just a process.
It's impossible for His Majesty to propose the establishment of an empress today and issue an edict tomorrow.
Therefore, a little noise can be beneficial to harmony.
And so, this argument lasted from the height of summer to the depths of winter.
Even the Empress Dowager couldn't sit still.
Then he summoned Shu Chengfeng to Ruining Palace.
"Last time, when I voiced my opposition, Your Majesty responded so harshly that I dared not utter another word of opposition. Now, I'm not going to interfere. More than half a year has passed, and you've remained silent again. You've been making quite a racket at the morning court every day; what are you thinking now?"
Shu Chengfeng found it somewhat amusing, and said, "It's about time to issue the edict. Wasn't the eldest princess's wedding a while ago? Now that it's over, it's time to issue the edict."
The Empress Dowager was taken aback: "You really thought of everything for her."
This was intended to spread the word that the Imperial Concubine had arranged the marriages of the princes and princesses. Previously, it wasn't enough to just have a prince; a princess had to be included as well.
Knowing that the Empress Dowager had misunderstood, Shu Chengfeng did not offer any explanation.
While that idea certainly exists, it's not entirely true.
He didn't explain, he just smiled.
"That's fine then, I won't ask any more questions. But now, many people outside are urging you to establish a crown prince. All three eldest sons are married, what are your thoughts?" the Empress Dowager asked again.
"Mother, you don't need to worry about these things. Since they are all princes born of concubines, let's wait and see how they develop. Let the younger ones grow up a bit more."
The Empress Dowager heard this and didn't ask any further questions.
The Empress Dowager changed a lot during that year.
Although people still believe everything they hear, at least they haven't made a scene.
They're also more likely to... stay put.
Indeed, even Song Liangcai dared not instigate it. Together with Granny Fei, they persuaded the Empress Dowager to behave herself.
There was nothing he could do; he could see it too. The Empress Dowager had been suppressed in her youth, and his true nature hadn't been revealed much.
She's getting old. When the Empress passed away, if she were truly powerful, she could have easily taken control of the harem.
That won't work.
Now, the Imperial Concubine has long since gained power, and the Fifth Prince has no chance. It would be difficult for the Empress Dowager to support any of the princes she wanted to.
As a servant, are you constantly watching to make sure she treats the prince well? Saying too much will only make her angry.
If they continue to act recklessly, the Empress Dowager will be fine—she is His Majesty's own mother—but those who serve her will likely die.
Therefore, Song Gonggong reluctantly decided to give up. Forget it, he didn't want to torture himself to death.
Under these circumstances, the Empress Dowager indeed became much more obedient.
As for her sharp tongue, the Imperial Concubine is too lazy to even bother with it, so who would bother?
This time, Shu Chengfeng left the Empress Dowager's place in a rare calm and peaceful manner.
Consort Mei's pregnancy began in the middle of the night on the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month.
By the time everyone arrived, she had already given birth.
This is my third pregnancy, so it's much faster this time.
He was still a prince.
It has to be said that this is fate. It's not necessarily true that she had that many servants. Yet she was able to give birth, and every single one of them was a prince.
The eleventh prince was born frail, as were all three children born to Consort Mei. The first was premature, while the second and third were full-term, yet they remained frail.
However, they are all in good health.
The next day, in the Beichen Palace, Shu Chengfeng said, "I haven't issued the edict for your empress's appointment yet. Let's wait until you become empress before promoting her."
"Fine, just give it to her now. She's already given birth to three princes. Give her the rank of Consort now, and then we can make her a Noble Consort or a Consort Hui later. You need to add people to the first rank eventually. I've been watching her for so many years, and I still have some confidence in her. Without being the mother of three princes, she can't climb to the first rank."
She wasn't even one of Emperor Kangxi's concubines, so why was she in such a miserable state?
"Fine, fine, I can't listen to everything you say. We'll bestow the titles all at once when the time comes. Give them to Consort Hui." He just wouldn't give them to her now.
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