"This old servant advised the Princess Consort on this matter long ago! Oh dear!" Granny Wu almost slapped her thigh in frustration. "The Princess Consort is just too kind-hearted, even allowing Consort Geng to cause trouble right up to you..."
Ulanara rested her head on one hand, deep in thought.
Lady Li was foolish. The Third Prince was only a minor figure in the Prince's eyes, merely occupying the status of the eldest son. Moreover, Lady Li's title of Consort was only granted because of the princes and princesses who had died young.
But Lady Nian is different. Originally, only Lady Ulanara in this household had been betrothed by the Emperor, but now Lady Nian is to be added to the list. Moreover, she is a concubine entering the household without favor or children, and she has the Nian family behind her... The eldest and second masters of the Nian family are both remarkable, and it's hard to say how far she will go in the future...
"The Fujin even pleaded with the Prince for Nian's sake. Alas, the Fujin is just too kind-hearted!" Granny Wu was still muttering when Ulanara smiled bitterly.
That's not what she wanted to ask for.
However, when Lady Nian came to her crying that day, she mentioned the Second Master Nian, Nian Gengyao, saying that she had already written to her brother, asking him to speak on her behalf to the Prince. Lady Ulanara thought that she was just doing a favor, and that no matter whether she spoke up or not, the Prince would have to give Lady Nian face after receiving the Second Master Nian's letter.
...Yes, she thought that as long as it was acceptable on the surface, at least they could consummate the marriage and not embarrass Nian Shi.
But who could have imagined that the prince would become obsessed after just one visit, spending five consecutive nights at Ying Shui Lan Xiang, and even yesterday when Hong Zhou was alarmed and sent someone to invite the prince, he was still in Nian Shi's bed.
Thinking back to Lady Nian's appearance and figure, Lady Ulanara felt a surge of resentment.
"With such favor, if she had her own son..." The thought of it made Ulanara feel as if a fire was burning in her heart.
She knew, of course, that Hongzhou was not her son, and that in the prince's eyes, his status was probably similar to that of Hongli. Even if he were raised in her room, it wouldn't amount to much.
Even now that Lady Geng has brought up the fact that she can no longer have children, I'm afraid the prince might feel some pity for her. If he continues to be worn down by Lady Geng and Lady Li's persistent efforts, I'm afraid the prince might change his mind and return Hongzhou to Lady Geng...
If, at that time, the Nian family had another son...
Even if Hongzhou were raised under her name, he would likely be no match for Lady Nian's son...
"Granny, what should I do?" Ulanara rubbed her forehead, her voice weak. "If in the future... the head of this palace is someone else's son, what am I?"
“Fujin…” Wu Mama was naturally heartbroken. Over the years, Fujin had watched the women below her get pregnant and give birth one by one, but she herself had never had a single happy event except for the eldest prince.
The eldest prince was such a good child, intelligent and very sensible, but unfortunately, God couldn't let such a good child live in this world...
Granny Wu couldn't help but wipe her eyes. If the eldest prince were still alive, the princess consort wouldn't be in such a predicament.
She gritted her teeth decisively and whispered in Ulanara's ear, "My lady, this old servant still has some medicine left over from last time... Normally, that medicine is just an aphrodisiac, but if taken while pregnant, it can... eliminate any future problems!"
"No!" Ulanara was startled and couldn't help but scold Wu Mama, "Why are you still keeping that medicine? The Prince dislikes it very much. You should get rid of it as soon as possible."
Granny Wu agreed verbally, but she had already made up her mind.
The Fujin was kind, but she would never allow anyone to climb over her. No matter what the Nian or Li families were, she would risk her old life to keep the Fujin in peace.
At this moment, Qian Shengyan was unaware that her small action had caused a dramatic change in the situation. She had just received the news that Geng Shi could no longer conceive and was still very surprised: "Really?"
"It must be true. At first, I didn't think it would be that serious, and that it would be fine after some proper care. But last winter, when Geng Gege had her period, she experienced unbearable abdominal pain and had to call a doctor to check her pulse to confirm it..."
"Wasn't it a miscarriage last spring? How come it was diagnosed in winter?" Qian Shengyan didn't understand, and Qingxue wasn't sure either: "It seems that she took care of herself for a few months first, and the doctor said that everything was fine, but then for some reason it got worse again."
Qian Shengyan subconsciously suspected that it might be related to the Li family, but she couldn't think of any evidence. Almost a year had passed, and there was no point in discussing it again.
She stroked her chin: "So, does Princess Geng want to take Hongzhou back?"
"I heard that Consort Li and Lady Geng have been discussing this in the manor, waiting for Your Highness to return and expose the matter, so they can ask Your Highness to make the decision," Qingxue said.
Qian Shengyan nodded, then waved her hand: "Let them fight it out."
Anyway, she wouldn't touch it.
That's perfect, it gives the three of them something to do, so they don't have to keep staring at her Peach Blossom Village all the time.
As for Lady Nian, she settled down after Yinzhen's visit. It is said that she spent her days either cutting new clothes or making new jewelry, and was very happy. She had no time to care about other women.
Finally, things calmed down, and Qian Shengyan was able to raise her children with peace of mind, happily playing with her son and kissing her daughter at the same time.
If Yinzhen hadn't suddenly come over...
Seeing that he was still reluctant to leave after finishing his dinner, Qian Shengyan hesitated. She personally served Yinzhen a new cup of tea, then sat down close to him and asked softly, "Your Highness, it's getting late...shouldn't you be leaving?"
"Hmm?" Yinzhen looked up and glanced at the Western-style clock in the room. "It's not too late yet. Are you sleepy? Then you should rest."
"No, Master..." Qian Shengyan quickly stopped him, then asked cautiously, "Does Master intend to stay at Peach Blossom Village tonight?"
Seeing her long eyelashes tremble slightly, her expression a mixture of anticipation and disbelief, Yinzhen couldn't help but smile and pinch her cheek: "Yes, stay at Yanyan's place tonight."
"Ah..." Qian Shengyan really didn't expect it. She calculated that Yinzhen had only slept with Nian Shi for five days. He shouldn't have gotten tired of her so quickly, right?
Seeing her like this, Yinzhen became interested as well. He put down his book, hugged her tightly, and asked, "Haven't you noticed anything strange these past two days?"
"Huh?" Qian Shengyan looked up at him, her face full of confusion.
Her expression successfully pleased Yinzhen, who stopped mentioning what he had done for her and simply pinched her nose: "Never mind." He added, "Even if we have to create the illusion of doting on others, I can't really abandon you. People have to know that you still hold a significant place in my heart."
He hadn't made a big show of coming to Peach Blossom Village for only five days, yet those servants dared to give Hongli second-rate goods to make pastries. If Su Peisheng's men hadn't been cautious, he wouldn't have known that his subordinates were so scheming.
But even with meticulous planning, Yinzhen feared a oversight. What if someone harbored disrespectful intentions, and he didn't notice immediately? Wouldn't that result in harm to the three precious children of Peach Blossom Village? This was something he absolutely did not want to see.
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