The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 426 Extra (Establishing a Lifetime 12)

Jiang Yuxian visibly swayed, his face instantly draining of all color. "What does Third Brother mean by that?"

Jiang Yuyan paused for a moment before speaking slowly, "It's nothing, just a casual remark. Let's go back to the palace."

Just saying...

Jiang Yuxian clearly didn't think that Jiang Yuyan was the type to speak carelessly.

They returned to Jiang Yuyan's palace together, where palace servants brought them wine.

Originally intending to just have a few casual sips, Jiang Yuxian found his emotions inexplicably surging as he drank.

In the past, the two of them would always get together and drink all night long during festivals, but today, he got drunk after only one pot of wine.

Jiang Yuxian, her eyes red and brimming, held Jiang Yuyan's hand and asked, "Third Brother, you won't lie to me, right?"

Jiang Yuyan's other hand was in his hand, "When has Third Brother ever lied to you?"

"Third Brother, I don't want anything, I just want Wanwan, just Wanwan..."

Jiang Yuxian's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. "Third Brother, I have nothing left. If I lose Wanwan too, I really don't know how I will go on living."

Jiang Yuyan held his fingertips, which trembled slightly. He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Third Brother, I've never thought of competing with you for anything. If you can become the future Crown Prince, I'll be truly happy for you. If you really mind, after you ascend the throne, please grant me a more distant fiefdom so I can take Mother and Wanwan with me. I swear, I will never enter the palace without an imperial edict..."

As Jiang Yuxian spoke, he lowered his eyes and leaned his head against the arm that Jiang Yuyan was holding his hand on.

"Seventh brother, you're drunk..."

Jiang Yuyan beckoned to the eunuchs serving him, and Wu Jixiang came in, saying, "Send the Seventh Prince to the side hall to rest."

"Yes, Third Prince."

After Wu Jixiang responded, he beckoned two eunuchs to come in, and the two of them escorted Jiang Yuxian to the side hall, one on each side.

Jiang Yuyan stared blankly at the leftover food the two had eaten for a while.

The words his mother had spoken to him when she summoned him to the palace that morning kept replaying in his mind.

"Mother knows that you and the Seventh Prince are close friends, and also knows that the Seventh Prince likes the child from the Shen family. But Mother heard that when that child was born, there were auspicious clouds in the sky, indicating that she has the destiny of a phoenix. When Mother was serving your father breakfast today, I inadvertently mentioned the child from the Shen family. Mother's idea is to betroth her to you as your consort. What do you think?"

Jiang Yuyan was shocked when he heard these words.

I remember that year when Rongcheng suffered a severe drought, Jiang Wenying took him and Jiang Yuxian to Rongcheng for disaster relief, and they stayed at the Shen family's house.

That year, Shen Qingwan was eight years old, and he was nineteen; they were eleven years apart.

He only saw her as a little girl with a similar fate to his. He inadvertently learned that Shen Qingwan's mother preferred to love her niece rather than her own daughter, just like him. He had never been liked by his father, the Emperor, since birth.

Their shared fate inexplicably made him feel a sense of closeness to the little girl, especially the way she carefully held the pastries he had casually given her, which was deeply imprinted in his mind. But he never even considered her a younger sister; she was just a fleeting passerby in his life.

Yet, Jiang Yuxian kept mentioning this passerby in his ear.

This allowed him to gradually gain some understanding of the little girl.

It wasn't until Jiang Yuxian begged his father, the Emperor, that the Shen family was allowed to move to the capital this year.

That day, Jiang Yuxian excitedly arrived at his palace early in the morning. He knew how excited he was to see Shen Qingwan again.

But as he watched Jiang Yuxian leave the palace, he found himself, almost unconsciously, mounting a horse, carrying the pastries she loved, and following behind Jiang Yuxian to the Shen residence.

He watched the two of them from afar, gazing at each other with affection, and felt a strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

Even after Jiang Yuxian left, he didn't have the courage to stand in front of Shen Qingwan. He could only watch her from afar as she stood in the courtyard of the Shen residence, wearing a simple yet elegant long dress.

The little girl in his memory has now grown into a beautiful young woman, with a pair of pitiful eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, a high and delicate nose, a small and exquisite mouth, and skin as smooth as cream.

He already had a concubine in his household, but none of them could make his heart flutter again.

that day.

He didn't dare to personally deliver the pastries to her, because he knew that this was the woman his seventh brother liked.

They grew up together from childhood, and among the many princes, the two of them had the best relationship.

How could he steal a woman from his brother?

So he randomly beckoned to a passerby, gave the person a silver ingot, and asked him to deliver the pastries to Shen Qingwan.

He watched from afar as she walked out of the Shen family mansion carrying pastries, but he didn't dare to approach her.

His seventh brother had helped him so much. He had always been the Emperor's most beloved son. If he wanted the throne, what could an unfavored prince like him use to fight for it?
He flatly refused his mother, "Mother, Shen Qingwan is the person Seventh Brother prefers. Your son already has three concubines. Shen Qingwan is not of noble birth. For the position of consort, your son prefers Consort Li."

"But... such rumors are certainly not baseless. So what if she comes from a humble background? If she really has the destiny of a phoenix, it's better to believe it than not. Now that Consort Pang and Consort Song have already helped you, it's easier to manage their rivalry in the household if the Fujin (wife) comes from a humble background. They will also be more willing to work for you to please you and make their fathers willing to do things for you."

"Mother..."

Jiang Yuyan had to admit that he was somewhat swayed by his mother's words.

"The child from the Shen family has a bad background, so he won't threaten Consort Pang and Consort Song's current positions. If you really marry a woman from the same background as them as a consort, have you thought about the consequences if the two of them join forces because of their dissatisfaction?"

Jiang Yuyan's brow twitched involuntarily. "But that's the person Seventh Brother likes, and Shen Qingwan is eleven years younger than me. Mother, how can I marry her?"

"As long as you agree, leave everything else to your mother. If this child doesn't have the destiny of a phoenix, it's up to you whether you marry her or not. But she's said by a high monk to have the destiny of a phoenix, and coincidentally, she's the one the Seventh Prince has taken a liking to. Son, don't forget how much your father loves this son. That's how much he has a chance of inheriting the throne."

Jiang Yuyan rubbed his fingertips for a while, then spoke again, "Your subject will obey Mother..."