In front of her family, Sun Miaoqing spoke frankly about her plans. Now that she had entered the palace, how could she not become the Empress Dowager?
Those who grow up standing tall, even if forced to kneel and bow down by circumstances, do so so that one day they can stand up again with dignity.
Sun Miaoqing had had enough. This kind of life, where her life was in someone else's hands, was not suitable for someone like her.
Besides, no matter who sits in this position, none of them can compare to her ability to change the world.
Zhao had already considered this point. Which woman who entered the palace wouldn't want to become the Empress Dowager? The Fifth Prince was young, and with her sister's abilities, she could surely tame him.
If this were to succeed, the Sun family would become the emperor's maternal family. With the example of the Tongjia clan before them, Zhao couldn't help but be tempted, and her breathing became rapid.
This was something that Sun Miaoqing and Sun Zhuhe had discussed long ago, after Sun Miaoqing entered the palace.
If Sun Miaoqing has a prince and wants to compete for the throne, they will do their best to help her achieve her wish, even if there is only the slightest possibility.
If there were no princes, or if Sun Miaoqing did not want to get involved in the struggle for the throne and only wished to live a peaceful life, the couple would not force her to.
Now that we know Sun Miaoqing's thoughts, and considering the current situation, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Fifth Prince is the most likely candidate to succeed to the throne.
Such a windfall left Zhao somewhat dazed. After her initial excitement, she immediately said...
"Your Majesty, rest assured, please give us your orders. Your husband and I will do our best to handle everything perfectly."
Sun Miaoqing nodded, took out an envelope and handed it to Zhao Shi, "The things I need you and your brother to do are all on this. After you go back and read it, you will naturally understand."
Zhao carefully put the envelope away and promised, "Your Majesty, rest assured, now that you have made up your mind, I will definitely keep Wenjin and Wenyu in check."
"I certainly won't put Your Highness in a difficult position, but this won't fool the Emperor. What if he becomes suspicious?"
Zhao couldn't help but overthink it. Although she had never even seen Da Pang Ju's face, she knew from what Sun Miaoqing and Sun Zhuhe had told her that Da Pang Ju was very suspicious.
The younger sister arranged two prestigious marriages for her nephew from her maternal family. Anyone with eyes could see what she was up to, let alone the emperor.
Sun Miaoqing dares to do it, so she's not afraid of Da Pang Ju's suspicion; she has plenty of words to shut him up.
He said confidently, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I know what to do. There won't be any problems with the Emperor."
"It's nothing to worry about."
Zhao replied, "Since Your Majesty says so, I am relieved."
Seeing Sun Miaoqing's certainty, it must be that the emperor treats her very well, otherwise he wouldn't have made her a Noble Consort so quickly.
Perhaps in the Emperor's heart, the Fifth Prince Hongzhou was already the most likely candidate for the position of Crown Prince.
After all, the emperor didn't like any of the other princes.
The two talked for a long time until the gates of the Yuanmingyuan Palace were about to be locked. Only then did Sun Miaoqing reluctantly ask someone to see them off.
The other concubines, knowing that Sun Miaoqing's family had come to visit, were filled with envy in their own courtyards.
I lament that I don't know when I will have such an honor and be able to meet my family.
*
Jiuzhou Qingyan
Zhen Huan was playing chess with the chubby boy, Da Pang Ju, when Su Peisheng came to report after Zhao Shi left the palace.
"Your Majesty, Lady Sun and her two sons have already left the palace."
"I understand. Where is Consort Cheng? She should be very happy right now."
Su Peisheng said with a smile, "Consort Cheng held Madam Sun's hand and didn't want her to leave. She was so reluctant to part with her."
Zhen Huan hesitated to place the white chess piece on the board, and upon hearing what Su Peisheng said, her interest clearly waned.
Big Fat Orange turned around and saw that Little Chun Yuan was sad, so he quickly comforted her.
"Now that you've been granted the title of Consort, after you return to the palace for the investiture ceremony, I will allow your mother-in-law to visit you so you two can have a good talk."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan's mood immediately brightened, and she was overjoyed. "Thank you, Fourth Master, but my mother is not worthy of being called your mother-in-law."
The chubby orange cat laughed and said, "That's what people call each other. Although I am the emperor, we can act like an ordinary couple in private."
"Once you become pregnant, I will promote you to the rank of concubine. Every two months thereafter, you may summon your family members to the palace to ease your homesickness."
Zhen Huan nodded shyly and said with a smile, "Huan Huan also hopes to have an heir for Si Lang as soon as possible, and it would be best if she could give birth to several princes."
"This way, the harem will be more lively. Hongzhou will definitely be a good older brother like the Third Prince, playing with his younger brothers and sisters."
The chubby orange-haired boy smiled, seemingly recalling that pleasant scene, and surprisingly praised the Third Prince.
“Hongshi has not made much progress in his studies, just like his mother. But he is, after all, my eldest son, and has some of the demeanor of an elder brother.”
“When you have children, they will definitely be smarter and more sensible than Hongshi, and not as naughty as Hongzhou.”
Zhen Huan said, "If Consort Cheng finds out that Your Majesty said this, she will surely feel indignant on behalf of the Fifth Prince."
Big Fat Orange regretted his quick tongue, but how could the emperor show weakness in front of a beauty?
"What can she do even if she knows? Am I wrong?"
“Whenever she is unhappy, she throws Hongzhou at me, deliberately letting Hongzhou cause trouble and disturb my peace.”
"I couldn't bear to be harsh with her because of our past relationship, but she took advantage of me instead. I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted in the first place. She's grown up to be like this.
"When you have children, they will definitely be as well-behaved and clever as you."
Zhen Huan noticed that although he criticized Sun Miaoqing for not raising her child well, he looked quite pleased with himself when talking about the mother and son.
He revealed a tenderness and warmth that he himself had not even realized.
He's just saying one thing and meaning another. If she actually believed his words, all the books she'd read would have been for nothing!
Moreover, when the emperor said he hoped she could have a child, was he thinking of her, or Empress Chun Yuan, or the second prince who died at birth?
Keeping all of this in her heart, Zhen Huan said with a smile, "When the Emperor mentions Consort Cheng and the Fifth Prince, his eyes are full of smiles."
"It's clear that what you're saying is just empty talk to fool people; I don't believe it."
The chubby orange cat laughed and said, "Really? How come I didn't know?"
The chubby orange cat casually tossed aside the chess pieces in his hand, then picked up Zhen Huan, startling her so much that she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Shiro?"
"We'll leave the Yuanmingyuan Palace tomorrow. Tonight, the stars will be shining brightly. Let's enjoy the scenery and play in the ponds of Jiuzhou Qingyan. It will be a unique experience."
After saying that, the chubby orange cat laughed loudly and carried the shy Zhen Huan to the back.
The next day, they set off back to the palace. Only after the carriage entered the palace gates did Zhen Huan slowly wake up.
Last night, the emperor was a completely different person compared to before. Is it possible that getting older makes one more advanced in this area?
Zhen Huan's doubts remained unknown to Da Pang Ju. Back in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she contentedly put away the golden elixir. This one was more effective than the previous ones.
It seems those two old Taoist priests have improved their skills considerably!
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