"Thank you, Your Majesty, for planning for me."
"As long as you are ambitious, capture Yan Xi's heart, and give birth to a plump legitimate eldest grandson for this palace as soon as possible, then it will not be in vain for this palace's efforts, nor will it be a waste of my Liu family's century-old foundation."
The Empress's eyes were full of calculation and a thirst for power. It was just that for their Liu family, there was no truly outstanding man in this generation, and to maintain the Liu family's current status, they could only rely on women.
She had schemed multiple times to place Liu family women one by one into the backyards of various princes, but unfortunately, that slut, the Imperial Noble Consort, was too vigilant against her.
Crying and begging His Majesty, she managed to get His Majesty to agree to her son's marriage, allowing her to handle it herself without anyone interfering.
Originally, she planned to bestow Wang Qin upon Prince Jing as his legitimate consort. Although Prince Jing had a leg ailment, he was still a prince, and it was not considered a slight to Wang Qin to be his legitimate consort.
She had not expected the Empress Dowager to directly bestow upon Chu Chenyi the legitimate daughter of Marquis Pingyang as his legitimate consort.
Moreover, the Empress Dowager had always advocated for Chu Chenyi to be made Crown Prince. It was only because his leg was crippled that she had temporarily abandoned this idea, and her third prince had then begun to shine.
However, the Empress Dowager had been constantly seeking out famous doctors over the years, hoping to cure Chu Chenyi's leg. If she hadn't been prepared early on, ensuring Chu Chenyi would never be able to stand again, the position of Crown Prince would never have fallen to her third prince.
His Majesty had long favored making the third prince the Crown Prince, but for some reason, he had abandoned this idea again.
She had hinted and implied several times, but His Majesty still did not mention it, which made her anxious, and she had impatiently pushed Wang Qin onto Prince Jing as a side consort. Who would have thought she was so useless? In such a short time, she had been manipulated to this extent. She was too lazy to bother with her anymore.
"Yes, Han'er has noted it all."
The Empress nodded with satisfaction, "You may withdraw. This palace is a little tired. Nanny Wang, help this palace to rest."
"Your Majesty, I bid you farewell."
Liu Meng Han knelt and respectfully saw the Empress off.
After the Empress's back disappeared, the gentle smile on Liu Meng Han's lips slowly faded, replaced by a look of intense malice.
"Miss, let's go back. We still need to practice singing and dancing."
"Let's go back. This is my only chance to turn things around. I must seize it tightly."
On Liu Meng Han's beautiful face, there was a greed for power.
...
"You two really have guts. You retorted against the Empress so satisfyingly. You didn't even see the Empress's expression, how ugly it was."
The Imperial Noble Consort, holding them both, discussed the Empress's embarrassing situation without reservation, wishing she could tell everyone in the palace.
"Thank you, Imperial Noble Consort, for helping us out just now," Feng Jin said, stepping forward.
"I should be thanking you. You made the Empress lose so much face. If the Empress is unhappy, then I am happy."
The Imperial Noble Consort's smile was unconcealed. Why else would the Empress always try to marry off Liu family daughters to her son as legitimate consorts? This time, she had painstakingly arranged for a side consort position, but who would have thought her plans would not work out and she would end up losing so much face.
"Imperial Noble Consort, Princess Consort Jing, and Princess Jianing, why have you come together?" Nanny Yun saw the three of them and stepped forward to bow.
"Nanny Yun, greetings. The Empress summoned them to the palace to talk today. I saw they were very restrained there, so I brought them along to pay respects to the Empress Dowager."
"Has the Empress Dowager woken from her nap? I specifically asked the Imperial Kitchen to make some pastries the Empress Dowager likes."
The Imperial Noble Consort wore a gentle smile, very sincere, without a hint of deliberate flattery.
"Thank you, Imperial Noble Consort. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has just risen. Please come in with me."
The Imperial Noble Consort had come to pay respects to the Empress Dowager every day for years without fail, accompanying the Empress Dowager, chatting, and bringing new things to make her happy.
Nanny Yun could see that the Imperial Noble Consort genuinely cared for the Empress Dowager, and she also sincerely respected the Imperial Noble Consort.
"Thank you, Nanny."
Nanny Yun led the three towards the inner chamber.
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Noble Consort, Princess Jianing, and Princess Consort Jing have arrived."
"Let them in," the Empress Dowager's majestic and kind voice rang out.
"We pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The three said in unison.
"All rise," the Empress Dowager waved her hand.
"I was wondering why the magpies kept chattering. So it's the three of you coming to see this old one."
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, I made some of your usual favorite pastries. How do they taste?"
The Imperial Noble Consort placed several plates of pastries on the table in front of the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager picked up a piece and tasted it, "The flavor is good. You are thoughtful."
Then the Empress Dowager's gaze fell upon Feng Jin and the other: "Why have you two come to the palace together?"
"Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, it was Her Majesty the Empress who summoned us to the palace to talk," Feng Jin replied, standing.
The smile on the Empress Dowager's face instantly faded. She put down the pastry and said in a displeased tone, "She wouldn't be so kind as to summon you to talk. I'm afraid she's come up with another way to make things difficult for you."
Feng Jin and Lin Yu Wei lowered their heads together, remaining silent. After a moment's pause, Lin Yu Wei replied, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Empress is merely... instructing us."
"Instructing? She's using the pretense of instruction to make things difficult for you." The Empress Dowager was well aware of the Empress's temperament. She usually turned a blind eye to her making things difficult for other consorts, as long as she didn't go too far, and she hadn't blamed her. Now, she wasn't even sparing the younger generation.
"Tell me, what did the Empress do?"
The Empress Dowager turned her gaze to the Imperial Noble Consort and inquired.
"Her Majesty the Empress merely..." The Imperial Noble Consort recounted the entire incident to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly and slammed her palm onto the table, "What immense audacity! To bestow Wang Qin upon Chen Yi as a side consort, this is disregarding this old one!"
Previously, the Empress had hinted at bestowing Wang Qin upon Chu Chen Yi as the legitimate consort, but she had refused.
It was precisely because she worried the Empress would not give up that she had hurriedly betrothed Chu Chen Yi, hoping that an early marriage would dispel the Empress's intentions. She hadn't expected that today, she would forcefully make Wang Qin Chu Chen Yi's side consort.
Causing these minor troubles, having them come to the palace together, was merely to use her status as Empress to bully Feng Jin and the other.
Such behavior, such a narrow-minded disposition, how could she be worthy of being the Empress?
"Your Majesty, please do not be angry. Please do not harm yourself over these matters. It is all my fault for telling you about this. I deserve to die. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The Imperial Noble Consort panicked instantly and hurriedly knelt to admit her fault.
"You may rise. This is not your fault. You have merely told the truth," the Empress Dowager waved her hand, and Nanny Yun quickly helped the Imperial Noble Consort up.
The Empress Dowager sighed, "The Empress is not virtuous. How can the inner palace be peaceful? If she continues like this, with the empress's family dominating politics, it is not far off."