Yesterday, I saw my son was still acting awkward, wearing a Taoist robe and making a fuss, but today he was smiling, looking very natural. Even the female official Mo asked, "What's wrong with the Prince?"

Although Ms. Mo was very clear-headed, she had never been married. Concubine Hong laughed and said, "When young people meet someone they like, they tend to be impetuous and anxious. We don't need to worry about their happiness or sadness."

Xing'er was just bringing over the bird's nest soup. When she heard Concubine Hong talking about Prince Chen and his wife, her eyes couldn't help but dim. Others might not know why Prince Chen was like that, but she knew. She knew everything.

It was obvious that Prince Chen was pretending to be stupid for Luo Yaoniang's sake. In this way, everyone thought that only Princess Chen could make Prince Chen return to normal, otherwise, he would have to practice Taoism. No one dared to send any more women to him, fearing that Prince Chen could not stand the noise. Some even hinted that they should be nice to Princess Chen, so that Prince Chen would be more normal.

But did he know that if he continued like this, the emperor would think he was abnormal? How could he be confident in giving him the country?

Even because Prince Chen flatters Princess Chen too much, Xing'er feels that Prince Chen is not as good as before.

How can I, a man who wants to be a king in the future, be emotional?

Gao Xuance actually cared more about his family than she had imagined. He would return home almost every day for dinner to accompany Yao Niang, and the couple's relationship was getting closer and closer.

Every night when he was working, Yao Niang would grind ink for him, but she was very tactful and kept away from confidentiality, hardly even looking at her.

Gao Xuance said, "My things are yours now, so why don't you like them? You can come and go as you please here, really."

"There's no need for that. Since this is a confidential document, no one can read it except you. If you make an exception for me, what kind of rules are those? I just happened to buy a good book today, so I'll sit here and read it." Yao Niang smiled.

Showing an excessive desire for power at the beginning may not necessarily be a good thing. Moreover, she still does not understand how this country works, and it would be bad if she said something embarrassing.

In private matters, she and Gao Xuance were free to speak and act, but in official matters, if he asked her and found that she had said something wrong, then she could only be a spoiled wife. Gao Xuance only treated her as his wife and could not see her true judgment.

The book in her hand is about the History of Southern Liang. As the content is not very obscure, it is very easy for Yao Niang to read. Occasionally, when there are things she cannot figure out and wants to look up, she will fold it aside and make a mark.

At night, if the weather was cold, she would put a coat on him; if the tea was cold, she would pour water for him.

Gao Xuance said, "I have so many people serving me here, why should I ask you to wait for me here? Your eye circles are dark and your eye sockets are deep. Go and have a rest."

"Ah? Is it really like that?" Yao Niang was still very concerned about her appearance.

Seeing that Gao Xuance really nodded, Yao Niang ignored him and went to rest.

In the past, when Gao Xuance was not at home, Yao Niang was always uneasy. There were only her and her two young sons in the huge palace, and she had to pay attention to their safety at all times. Now that he is back, Yao Niang falls asleep almost as soon as her head touches the pillow.

It seems that as long as people have a good rest, they will be smooth and shiny. Even during the Dragon Boat Festival, when Xu Qingrong saw Yao Niang's radiant face, she couldn't help but say: "Third sister-in-law's face is like an egg without a shell. How can it be so smooth? She is getting younger and younger."

Yao Niang touched her face and said, "It's nothing special, it's just getting up early and going to bed early."

This is the truth. It was only in her previous life that Yao Niang realized that no supplement was as good as a good sleep. Now that Gao Xuance is back, she is really in a deep sleep.

Xu Qingrong is young and worried, and often has trouble sleeping at night.

She always felt insecure. She heard that the women in the mansion often sought out the imperial physician, fearing that they would be discovered to have been drugged, or that the women muttered about how they were the only ones who could give birth while others could not, and so on.

Mrs. Gan was already pregnant and seldom went out. But today was the Dragon Boat Festival, a big day, so she was helped out by others.

Princess Zhaoping arrived the earliest. As the most favored princess during the late emperor's reign, her life was not very good now. She married the son of the powerful official Xiumin, who was imprisoned for corruption. The relationship between Princess Zhaoping and her husband also changed from being very harmonious to being cold.

Last time, Concubine Jing passed away. She was the mother of Prince Le'an and the concubine of the previous emperor. She had a long career in the palace. But during such a period of mourning, the prince consort was drinking and reveling, which made Emperor Jianzhang scold her for being a heartless person. Princess Zhaoping had to rely on her own dignity to enter the palace.

Originally, her study partner was Wang Yuanshuang, who could have a say when the eldest prince was around, or could give her some guidance when Princess Zhenyang was around.

But now, who is willing to touch that mold?

The people in the palace have been replaced one after another, and everyone seems to always follow the same principle - flatter the powerful and look down on the weak.

Yao Niang had no intention of showing her kindness. She just greeted her according to etiquette and said a few more words naturally: "My lady, you look thinner. Someone just happened to send me some supplements. I will give them to you, Princess, when the time comes."

Sending things out from Prince Chen's Mansion at this time was undoubtedly a first-class expression. Although Princess Zhaoping looked normal, she was very emotional in her heart.

But that’s all. If there is more, Yao Niang can’t do anything.

In this scene, Yao Niang actually met Mrs. Zhong from her previous life, Madam Jia from the Fourth Prince's mansion in this life. She had only been in the mansion for a short time, and because she was honest and docile, Mu Wantong decided to bring her out.

Lady Zhen beside Mu Wantong was afraid that she would embarrass herself, so she was introducing her to her: "That is the Princess of Chen, the Third Prince's wife. Her father is Prime Minister Luo. The Luo family of Gaoping has been a prominent official for generations. She once entered the palace to accompany Princess Zhenyang. Later, she was favored by the Royal Concubine and the Emperor, and was betrothed to the Prince of Chen as his principal wife. She is the only one by the Prince of Chen's side."

Madam Zhen has observed these days that Madam Lin, who came into the mansion, was very upset because she did not serve the Fourth Prince, and she secretly bribed the servants. Madam Jia, on the other hand, was content to do her duty and just wanted to live her own life in peace.

Because of this, she gave a few more instructions: "She is easy to get along with. Although she is not as popular as Princess Zhou, she rarely punishes the maids in Prince Chen's mansion for doing something wrong. But there is one thing, although she looks nice, she is not easy to mess with, because Prince Chen stands behind her."

"So that's how it is." Mrs. Jia muttered.

She had once wondered how the girl who had swapped with her was living. Now she finally saw her, dressed in gorgeous clothes, in a high position, with a doting husband and a harmonious son.

Sometimes, she thought darkly, how nice it would be if it wasn't changed back.

Now she is the Princess of Chen, loved by thousands of people and enjoying a high status. What regrets can she have in her life when she has become such a person?

The rice dumplings given by the palace were very small. Some were presented to the Imperial Concubine by the Prince Chen's Palace. These were the traditions over the years.

Yao Niang was not good at drinking, but she still wanted to drink realgar wine. At this time, Gao Xuance suddenly came over and said to Yao Niang: "I heard that snakes are afraid of realgar wine. Be careful or they will show their true form if you drink it."

He is just like that, he likes to joke and often speaks out of his imagination. Here he is hinting that she is a snake demon.

"Little Taoist priest, if I were a snake demon, would you accept me?" Yao Niang hooked his hand.

Gao Xuance was originally teasing her, but he didn't know that he was seduced instead. He coughed lightly and said, "What are you doing? I definitely won't accept you."

Yao Niang raised her eyebrows: "That's impossible, you are a Taoist priest, are you going to capture the demons?"

"I can choose not to accept yours." Gao Xuance pursed his lips.

"It turns out that Taoist priests are also partial." Yao Niang pretended to be enlightened.

Gao Xuance pulled her sleeve and said, "Don't say any more."

Fool, you still want to fight with her. Seeing that her husband was defeated, Yao Niang happily used the jade and ignored him.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, Gan gave birth to a daughter. Xu Qingrong felt relieved as if all the burdens were lifted. Unfortunately, her good intentions were soon put away. At the end of the year, Gan became pregnant again.

Although Gan was not a healthy woman, she was in good health and was loved by many people, so it was premature for her to get pregnant.

However, the Zhou king's former favorite concubine, Wang, died of illness, and another concubine who served him was also ill for a long time. When Concubine Hong saw that Xu Qingrong had not been able to move for a long time, she knew that she was not favored, so she did not make things difficult for her and personally sent Tao'er, who was serving her, over to him.

Like Xing'er, Tao'er was originally intended for Prince Chen and was a rare beauty in Kunning Palace.

But Gao Xuance took the initiative to refuse her, and no one knew about this. Concubine Hong saw that Tao'er was a good person, very good at needlework, and usually quiet, so she thought that sending such an honest girl away would not affect her son's backyard.

Tao'er is about the same age as Yao Niang. She almost thought that she could only leave the palace when she was very old. However, she didn't expect that a piece of cake would fall from the sky and she would be assigned to Prince Zhou's Palace.

Ms. Mo gave the little maid to her. From then on, she would no longer be a slave here, but half the master of Prince Zhou's palace.

Most of the palace maids were sold into the palace and just went with the flow. They might have longed for the outside world and life, but when they thought of their miserable experiences before being sold, they decided to hold on to the wealth in the palace.

Xing'er and Tao'er have similar qualifications, but Xing'er is smart, outstanding and intelligent. She currently has the highest status in Kunning Palace. Even Lady Official Mo may not have received as much service as she has in Concubine Hong.

When she heard that Tao'er was going to the Zhou Palace, she sewed a pair of purses for her overnight: "We all served the Imperial Concubine in the past. You are going to the Zhou Palace. We all know that the Zhou Princess looks kind, but there is no concubine in the Zhou Palace who is not afraid of her. You must abide by your duties in the future."

"Well, I know. I'm not a prominent person. The Zhou Palace has the princess, the concubine Gan, and Madam Li who gave birth to the eldest son. I'm just a servant. But Xing'er, you don't have to be depressed. I have come to this day, let alone you." Tao'er held Xing'er's hand.

Xing'er was surprised. She didn't expect Tao'er to know what she was thinking.

Tao Er smiled and said, "You are very good at hiding it from others, but you can't hide it from me. I have waited for it, and you are a hundred times smarter than me, so you can wait even longer."

Xing Er was shy when she heard this, but she still shook her head: "I don't expect these, I just hope that everything goes well for the Prince of Chen." But seeing that Tao Er was going to the Prince of Zhou's mansion, she couldn't show her position too much, so she said: "Now I am just serving the Royal Concubine, and I will be released when I am older. Don't worry about other things."

Taoer nodded.

The admission of a maid into Prince Zhou's palace would not cause any disturbance at all, especially since Yao Niang was pregnant at the time. This was her second pregnancy after her youngest son was two years old.

When Yao Niang gave birth to Cheng Yun and Cheng Ze, she had some expectations, especially the expectations for the children from her previous life, but now that she was pregnant with this child, she felt it was very wonderful.

What will happen to this baby? This is a new baby.

"Brother Xuan Ce, what do you think this child will be like? I'm really curious." Yao Niang stroked her belly, very curious.

Gao Xuance smiled and said, "Anyway, it's a child we haven't seen before, but we are all looking forward to it."

Yao Niang nodded: "That's right."

Now the emperor dotes on Concubine Li and names her youngest son Gao Xuancong. The word "Cong" means ancestral temple and the country, and no one knows what Emperor Jianzhang thinks.

Gao Xuance helped Yao Niang lie on the couch. He looked a little worried, so he pinched a mustard seed, sat down and watched over Yao Niang as she slept.

Yao Niang couldn't sleep for a while, so she asked him, "What's wrong with you?"

"Someone submitted a memorial today requesting the establishment of a queen. I wonder whether my father will make my mother the empress. Even if my mother becomes the empress, I will definitely not be the one who benefits from it." Gao Xuance sighed.

Only Yao Niang, who knew her past life, could understand her feelings. She said, "In your previous life, you never hurt him because he was your brother. I'm afraid it will be the same in this life."

Gao Xuance nodded: "If I were to take the stage, I might not do anything to him. It's hard to say for him."

"Why do you think so much? Since ancient times, victorious kings have defeated bandits. If you don't want to, then you should submit now. If you are willing, then you should continue on this path." Yao Niang held his hand.

Gao Xuance nodded: "If so, when mother becomes the empress, I will take you to your fiefdom."

To be a feudal lord? This...

Yao Niang was puzzled: "Since you have your heart set on this place, how can you become a vassal? Wouldn't that leave the position for King Zhou?"

Gao Xuance smiled and said, "That's not what I meant. I didn't want to stir up the Xuanwu Gate Incident, so I had to help my father. Now many people are trying to stir up trouble. My second brother is not like my eldest brother. He is very stable and smarter. He won't end up easily. If I make a move, he will have something to hold against me. In this case, why should I be so aggrieved? My father is always hesitant. I think it's time to give him a push."

This is what it means to be a person of great talent and courage.

Of course, King Zhou was not a person who was completely indifferent to fame and fortune. He was very diligent in his work, which was different from Gao Xuance. When Gao Xuance had things on hand, he would find the right person to do it and would not do everything himself.

Gao Xuance commented on him: "He is very suspicious. He is a bit like your second brother. I think he is in favor of the equal-field tax reform. I have to give way to him so that father can also make some comparisons."

"No, I know you are doing this to force the emperor, but the worst thing is that a fake will become real. You have to know that I have been with King Zhou and his son for many years. They are definitely not the kind of people you think. If you really want that position, you can't be anxious, not at all. And don't expect that the emperor will really take you seriously just because he loves you. Once people are far away, the affection will fade." Yao Niang reminded very seriously.

Men will never know one thing: a man likes a child because he likes the child's mother.

Emperor Jianzhang was an emperor and also a man. If he really wanted to set rules at will, he could have made Concubine Li's son the heir. If he was weak, he could have chosen to make the eldest son the heir.

"You men will never know that the one a man loves most is always the child of the woman he loves most."

Gao Xuance had never expected that Yao Niang, who never interfered in official affairs, would say such a thing. She was reckless in private, but she never spoke about his official affairs.

But now that she said this, it means that what she said is true.

"How do you mean?" Gao Xuance really didn't understand.

The emperor was still very good to him, but were men really like what Yao Niang said?

Yao Niang sighed, "You are the son of the Imperial Concubine. The Emperor used to dote on the Imperial Concubine very much. He also felt that the Imperial Concubine had wronged her when choosing the principal wife. So he favored her and had the most contact with you, so he liked you the most. But you are old. You think you are competing with King Zhou, but you don't know that the Emperor is most jealous of you. If you establish a crown prince as soon as possible, no matter who it is, it will be a share of the Emperor's power. Li Chengqian, Hou Junji, Du Ruhui, so many people supported him, but he still failed. People's hearts are the most difficult to grasp, you must not play a game of self-destruction."

Gao Xuance believed it deeply. He stood up, walked around twice, and then said, "It is true that listening to your words is worth ten years of reading."

"As long as it can help you, by the way, who came up with this idea?" Yao Niang asked.

"Gao Jian."

Yao Niang said unhappily, "I have long said that you are a villain's friend. This man often kidnaps women and behaves dissolutely. Although he has some schemes, he cannot control himself. At that time, because I had a good relationship with Princess Lan Feng, I sent someone to her and planted someone around her. That person told me that Gao Jian had recently given King Zhou a lot of gifts in private."

"It's just that they did it in secret, deliberately letting the women interact with each other, so you men can't find out."

Gao Jian married a girl from the Hong family. The Hong family had a close relationship with Xu Qingrong through Hong Shuyi, who was also the imperial concubine. Yao Niang could not get anyone to the Zhou Palace, but she had someone in the Jinyang Palace.

Gao Xuance, who always prided himself on his wisdom, had no idea what to think. Gao Jian knew very well that he was an adventurous person. The emperor summoned him back to the capital early on the pretext of next year's war, so that the emperor could see clearly the gap between King Zhou and him. This completely touched his heart.

In fact, Gao Jian had already surrendered to King Zhou.

"He came to me before because his family had high hopes for my mother and thought I was favored. But since returning from the Western Expedition, my power has not increased. On the contrary, after my mother was crowned queen, my second brother became the legitimate eldest son of the emperor, so they wanted to change their allegiance." Gao Xuance said lightly.

Yao Niang pulled his arm and said, "So, you have to stay and be in the presence of your father."

"But my fourth brother is preparing to request to be granted a fiefdom and has already asked the chief secretary to draft a memorial," said Gao Xuance.

If the Fourth Prince was going to be enfeoffed, then his refusal to do so would be seen as a wolfish ambition even if it made sense.

But Yao Niang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will take action to ensure that the Fourth Prince will not be removed from his position. You just wait."

Other men would have been jealous, but Gao Xuance said happily: "Mother Yao, I told you I am yours, and you can protect me."

Yao Niang didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You are really the evil in my life."