TBFCWTE - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The empress understood Emperor Zhengning's meaning. Concubine Hui's family background was ordinary, and her rank after entering the palace through the selection had originally been low. After she was found to be pregnant, directly promoting her to a titled concubine rank was already an exception.

This made the empress's smile deepen a little.

Everyone inside and outside the palace knew the reality that the emperor had many daughters and only one single seedling of a son, the crown prince. In the eyes of the world, this was a very dangerous signal.

It meant that if anything happened to the crown prince, Emperor Zhengning would have no second heir to the throne.

So when Emperor Zhengning's consorts became pregnant, each would fervently hope she could bear a prince, because then she might have the chance to rise through her son and become mistress of the rear palace.

In this world's most elite arena of fame and profit, ambitious people were never scarce, nor were consorts who coveted the empress's position or even the crown prince's position.

Moreover, Emperor Zhengning never concealed how much he valued his children, so it was common enough to see consorts in the rear palace grow smug and arrogant on the strength of their pregnancy.

In addition, the empress knew her own family's affairs. Even though it was Emperor Zhengning himself who had passed off a daughter as a son and put her in the crown prince's position, she could not help feeling guilty.

If such a thing were ever leaked, it would be somewhat better if Emperor Zhengning had a real son. But with Emperor Zhengning having only daughters and no son, it would inevitably provoke backlash from the imperial clan and the court and country. Yet her natal family was weak at court and was destined to be unable to help her.

Therefore the empress had all along truly been working hard to be a tolerant and magnanimous virtuous empress, very carefully cultivating her reputation for virtue.

While her image of being benevolent and virtuous toward the rear palace consorts sank deep into people's hearts, it also made those ambitious consorts fail to regard her with respect. Concubine Hui, who had risen to the skies in one step because of her pregnancy, was one of them.

Though she would not do anything because of the other's disrespect, knowing that Concubine Hui, who believed herself most favored, had practically nothing special before Emperor Zhengning, the empress naturally felt pleased.

The empress had just arranged the evening meal when the eight-year-old Eighth Princess, He Xinwan, returned from school. Seeing that Emperor Zhengning and He Shu were also in the empress's palace, she instantly broke into a smile full of delight.

After properly performing her greetings, she immediately took Emperor Zhengning's arm and acted spoiled. "Imperial Father, I heard that a spring outing fair will be held outside the palace in a few days. I want to go out of the palace and play too."

The empress's face was full of disapproval. "Wan'er, no nonsense."

Emperor Zhengning smiled carelessly and patted the Eighth Princess's hand. "Those occasions are crowded and unsafe. If you really want to go out and play, after the spring outing fair is over, your father will permit you to leave the palace and visit your eldest sister and second sister."

There were three married princesses in the palace: the First Princess, the Second Princess, and the Fourth Princess. Among them, the First and Second Princesses were legitimate princesses born to the empress and were full siblings of He Shu and the Eighth Princess, so their relationship was closer.

Hearing this, the Eighth Princess shook Emperor Zhengning's arm in dissatisfaction. "I've grown tired of visiting my sisters' homes. There's nothing interesting there. I just want to see the spring outing fair. My brother can come with me."

Hearing this, the empress instantly became alert, though she showed nothing on the surface, and spoke before Emperor Zhengning could open his mouth.

"Who told you about the spring outing fair? Why did you think to ask your older brother, the crown prince, to accompany you?"

The Eighth Princess replied carelessly, "Everyone knows my brother, the crown prince, is Imperial Father's only son and the one most carefully protected. With him there, my safety surely won't be a problem."

Having entered and left the court since the age of three to assist Emperor Zhengning in handling government affairs, apart from necessary rest, He Shu had to spend most of her time in the Imperial Study and the training ground, and the remaining time had to go to the properties under her own name. So He Shu did not have much contact with these sisters, and her sisters regarded her with more awe than closeness.

As the youngest of the legitimate princesses, the Eighth Princess was truly doted on by her parents, and her temperament had inevitably been raised somewhat spoiled. Though her relationship with He Shu was not close, it did not stop her from matter-of-factly making self-righteous arrangements for the other.

After all, in her view, He Shu was always kept close by Emperor Zhengning to study letters and practice martial arts and basically had no chance to go out and play. He Shu would surely look forward to a chance to leave the palace, see the excitement, and broaden her horizons.

What the Eighth Princess did not know was that by avoiding the empress's first question and giving an answer that seemed to be her own analysis, she made the empress and Emperor Zhengning even more wary.

Knowing that the Eighth Princess who said this had no complicated intentions herself, He Shu, the person concerned, took up the conversation as if she had noticed nothing, smiling and speaking in a gentle tone.

"Well, Wan'er, look at you, growing so clever at such a young age."

Seeing the Eighth Princess look smug under her praise, He Shu continued, "Was it Grand Tutor Liu who told you, or was it Miss Wang or Miss Zhang and those study companions?"

The Eighth Princess replied very naturally, "It was my Third Cousin from the Jiang family. She said this year's spring outing fair will be held in the hundred-li peach grove around the hot spring mountain outside the city. Every early spring, that place is covered early with peach blossoms. It's especially beautiful."

The empress's expression instantly darkened. Whether or not anyone else had prompted the Eighth Princess to say this, the empress could not tolerate her own niece secretly urging her daughter to invite the crown prince out of the palace.

In the eyes of outsiders, especially the Jiang Family of her natal home, she was not only the empress but also the mother of Emperor Zhengning's only son, the crown prince. Her position as mistress of the central palace was as firm as a rock, impossible for anyone to shake.

No one knew the sorrows and contradictions in her heart that she could not voice.

If He Shu had not been so outstanding and brought her such credit, displaying at a young age a startling talent for governing and managing affairs and winning her husband's trust and heavy use, those secret fears hidden in her heart would long since have become an unbearable burden.

The intention of her natal niece in urging her daughter to invite the crown prince out of the palace to play could fool the Eighth Princess, but not the three adults present.

If He Shu were truly a son, though the empress would not be pleased, out of a desire to support her natal family, she might still give them some face.

But in the present situation, the Jiang Family's calculations were no different from poking her lungs. He Shu was originally a daughter, so how could she marry a wife and take concubines?

"The Jiang Family truly has no sense of propriety. They dare to try to put my child in danger for their own selfish desires. I will send someone to warn them at once."

Emperor Zhengning patted his wife's hand. "Forget it. It is only human nature. There must be more than just the Jiang Family with such ideas. Since we know, we need only prepare a response early. There is no need to make a fuss."

The empress naturally understood this as well. It was just that when she thought of how her natal family not only could not help her but also showed such an ugly greedy face, she could not help feeling depressed.

The Eighth Princess looked blankly at her imperial father, then at her empress mother, not understanding what they were saying.

"Imperial Father, Empress Mother..."

Hearing her speak, the empress directly cut her off.

"Do not even think about leaving the palace. Go read and write properly. Your studies at the Palace School will be paused for a while. Today's matter reminded me that some study companions are no longer young. It is time to replace them."

Emperor Zhengning had no son. To keep the Palace School useful, he sent all princesses who reached the age of five there to study.

When choosing study companions for the princesses, so that those companions could look after the princesses and also serve as good examples, the girls selected were all several years older than the princesses.

Hearing that the empress would not only stop her from leaving the palace but also send away the study companions close to her, the Eighth Princess immediately lost her temper, crying and shouting without letting the matter go.

Unfortunately, in matters concerning He Shu, the empress was incomparably alert and cautious. Not only her natal family but even her most beloved youngest daughter had to step aside.

So the empress not only did not soothe or console the Eighth Princess, but directly summoned the palace attendants serving at the Eighth Princess's side and had her taken back to reflect on her faults.

After all, the empress knew very well that with her having no son, her third daughter, who occupied the crown prince's position, could attend court and manage government, and was especially good at making money, was her greatest reliance.

He Shu was the empress's greatest support, ensuring that the empress could keep everything she had and shielding the empress's other three biological daughters and natal family. He Shu was far more reliable than Emperor Zhengning.

So even though Emperor Zhengning had passed He Shu off as a boy at birth and arranged for people to raise her at his side, the empress was not as close to He Shu as she was to her other daughters. Even so, the empress valued and cared for He Shu most of all.

Knowing that the empress's reason for deciding to clear out some of the princesses' study companions was to prevent certain companions with designs from using the princesses to seize a chance to approach her, He Shu not only did not stop her, but also thought this was a very good opportunity.

"Imperial Father, Empress Mother, leave the matter of changing my younger sisters' study companions to me."

Hearing her words, Emperor Zhengning, who understood her way of doing things best, immediately became interested.

"What are you scheming now?"

"Imperial Father, do not make it sound as if I am about to do something bad. I simply think it is a pity to waste the Palace School's educational resources, so I plan to have a group of motivated girls selected to come in."

Once those girls were trained, they could serve as her Woman Officials in the future. That was far more meaningful than wasting resources training study companions who, influenced by their family backgrounds or burdened with missions assigned by their clans, were always thinking of becoming consorts to her father or to her, the crown prince.

Emperor Zhengning quickly understood her meaning and nodded while stroking his chin, which bore a tuft of beard.

"Yes, your idea is good. A capable woman like your third sister is more reliable than a man."

The Third Princess, He Xinyue, had lost her birth mother early and had been raised at the empress's side since childhood. Of all the concubine-born daughters, the empress cared most about her. Hearing her husband mention her, she hurriedly took up the conversation.

"Your Majesty, the Third Princess is already eighteen, yet her marriage is still unsettled. The Fourth Princess, a year younger, is already married, while the elder sister still does not even have a betrothal. It is truly outrageous."

He Shu's situation was special. The empress not only was utterly unwilling to mention her marriage herself, but could not bear to hear others mention it either. The Third Princess's situation, however, was clearly different.

Bringing this up made Emperor Zhengning's head ache as well. "We have mentioned it to her openly and indirectly so many times, and she buys none of it. She even demands that we not interfere in her marriage. What can we do but let her have her way?"

Early in his reign, he had already had the experience of a daughter not yet four teaching him to kill the chicken to frighten the monkey with his left hand and make people pay money to atone with his right, thereby achieving the goals of rectifying the court and filling the national treasury, and smoothly accomplishing the feat of teaching him to sit firmly on the throne.

So Emperor Zhengning had long recognized the fact that the more capable his daughters were, the more opinions they had. He had now become especially laid-back; it was only the empress who still could not let it go.

The empress did not care about politics, but she cared very much about the rights she should enjoy as a mother in her daughters' marriages, especially when her husband chose to give up on the matter.

"How can we let her have her way in such a major life matter? For us as parents to just watch and do nothing would be too unreasonable."

"There is nothing unreasonable about it. She is a princess. As long as she is willing, even ten years from now when she is twenty-eight, she can still choose an eighteen-year-old young man as her consort."

After saying this so naturally and smoothly, Emperor Zhengning realized that such words were truly inappropriate for someone of his status. He could only raise the teacup before him and strategically take a sip.

Hearing these absurd words, the empress's sharp gaze instantly fell on He Shu. She knew very well that this was absolutely not Emperor Zhengning's own idea, but had come from someone else.

He Shu glanced gloomily at Emperor Zhengning and replied with a dry smile.

"Empress Mother, Imperial Father is not wrong. The Third Princess is capable and influential. There will be plenty of fine young men eager to court her."

The empress replied irritably, "If they are all lining up to be picked, what fine young men could there be? You and your imperial father just put one over on me together. Every one of you grows more opinionated with age. I cannot manage you anymore."

Fortunately, just then a palace attendant came to report that the evening meal had been laid out, so the matter was temporarily set aside. Otherwise, He Shu would have had to spend a great deal of breath soothing her mother, who was going through menopause and was especially sensitive in certain matters.

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