Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 439 Imperial Noble Consort Mu 2
The real reason Emperor Longwu has been delaying in bestowing marriages upon his two nieces, especially Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er, is that they have been obstructing the Second Prince's enfeoffment as a prince, relying on their favor with the emperor.

The actions of the Second and Third Princes not only set a bad precedent but also jeopardized the path to titles for other princes. Censors have already voiced their concerns!

Right now, Emperor Longwu is taking advantage of the situation in Korea to resolve this potential threat, thus giving everyone a dignified exit and avoiding unnecessary trouble!
Therefore, in Mu Sheng's view, now is the best time to back down!
"Uncle, is there really no chance?" Hearing Mu Sheng's words, Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er still asked with some reluctance. Even though Mu Ping'er knew from the beginning that her son's chances of inheriting the throne were slim, she was still somewhat unwilling! She was the only Imperial Noble Consort in the Dragon Kingdom! Her son also had a chance to ascend the throne!
"Ping'er~! You and Ke'er just need to serve the Emperor well. Don't think about anything else."

Only by serving the Emperor well can you two be the greatest support for your two children!
His Highness the Crown Prince has the support of the entire civil service! He also has the support of his maternal uncle, Wei, who is known as the Dragon Tamer! And he has the support of Xia Xuan of the Royal Navy! Furthermore, the military power is firmly in the Emperor's hands!
Now, the eldest prince has been involved in politics for many years. Apart from not having the title of crown prince, he has even been fully equipped with officials in the crown prince's palace!
"Hao'er and the others have no chance!" Mu Sheng earnestly told his niece, explaining that Zhu Qihao's chances of being named Crown Prince were extremely slim. He then listed the powerful forces supporting the First Prince, Zhu Qiyu.

"And another thing, Ping'er~!! Do you think His Majesty would give me full authority to lead the expedition to Korea for no reason?" Looking at Mu Ping'er, who was still somewhat unwilling, Mu Sheng sighed and said again.

"Uncle?!" Hearing Mu Sheng's words, Mu Ping'er and Mu Ke'er stared at him nervously. Mu Sheng was their children's greatest support; he absolutely could not be allowed to have any problems!

"My Mu family wields immense power in the imperial court."

This time, His Majesty ordered me to personally expand into Korea, precisely to have the Mu family contribute and pave the way for Hao'er and Hui'er, thus reducing the Mu family's influence in the court!
Furthermore, if Hao'er and Hui'er want to expand outwards, my Mu family, as the maternal clan, will naturally have to contribute. Therefore, some of my Mu family's military influence will also be channeled towards Korea.

And now, the first batch of students from the Military Academy are about to join the army. The vacant positions in my Mu family are perfect for those from the Military Academy!

Your Majesty has achieved multiple goals with this!
"It cleared away the destabilizing factors in the court; it found good places for Hao'er and Hui'er; it weakened the Mu family's influence in the army; it injected new blood into the army without purging meritorious officials; it's a win-win situation." Mu Sheng saw through Zhu Zhanhe's scheme very clearly. Therefore, Mu Sheng had absolutely no intention of risking the entire Mu family for the sake of his two grandsons!
In fact, after careful consideration, Mu Sheng realized that Korea wasn't a bad place either! Among the surrounding countries, Korea was considered a major power! Add to that the Jurchen territory that could be explored, and it would be enough for his two grandsons to establish their own fiefdoms!

Another major reason is that Mu Sheng doesn't want to have any grudge against Emperor Longwu because of his two grandsons!

"Sister, His Majesty is being very kind to the Mu family, even finding a good place for Hao'er and Hui'er."

"We'll just have to obey!" Mu Ke'er, who hadn't said a word until now, looked at her younger sister, with whom she had spent many years, and nervously tried to persuade her.

In Mu Ke'er's opinion, since the two children have no chance to ascend the throne, it's fine for them to be enfeoffed as kings in peace!
Moreover, the Emperor has bestowed upon the two children a rather good title of prince, and with the support of their maternal clan, the two children's future is sure to be bright.

Most importantly, Mu Ke'er felt that her uncle was absolutely right: the two of them must not lose the Emperor's favor! They are the two children's future support!

"Very well. I'll listen to my uncle." It's unclear whether Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er heeded their advice. After pondering for a long time with a reluctant expression, Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er finally gave up on her obsession, irritably clutching the silk handkerchief in her hand.
"It's best that Her Highness the Imperial Noble Consort thinks this way." Seeing that Mu Ping'er had relented, Mu Sheng also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, in front of Emperor Longwu, even the powerful Mu family was utterly insignificant!
"Uncle is about to go on a campaign and is very busy, so he should go back first." After finishing her business, Mu Ping'er urged him to leave.

"Your subject takes his leave!" Mu Sheng knew his niece was in a bad mood, so he didn't dwell on it and quickly turned to leave. The reason Mu Sheng had come specifically before the campaign was to prevent any potential risks to the family! Now that things were settled, it was time for him to depart.

Watching Mu Sheng's departing figure, Mu Ping'er still clutched the silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, filled with resentment.

The room was completely silent, except for Consort Mu Ke'er, who stared nervously at her younger sister. Although they weren't blood sisters, they both came from the Mu family and had served their husbands together as they rose from princes to emperors. It could be said that their bond surpassed that of blood sisters!
"Sigh!" After a moment, a hint of resentment flashed in Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er's beautiful eyes, followed by a heavy sigh. She knew that her son truly had no chance of ascending to the position of Crown Prince! After all, the Empress still had a second son!

"Sister, since the two children have no chance, the Emperor is now going to grant them titles and lands."

Then we should ask the Emperor to give the children more benefits as compensation!
"Sister, help me!" Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er threw the gorgeous silk handkerchief in her hand aside and stared at her good sister Mu Ke'er with a serious expression.

"This~~" Hearing her sister say that, Mu Ke'er's face turned bright red! She knew that her sister's so-called help definitely meant that the two of them had to serve the emperor well and make him happy.

Although the two sisters had often served their husbands together before, they were both women in their late twenties. Now, serving the Emperor together again, she still felt incredibly shy!

Seeing her elder sister's shy expression, Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er was utterly speechless. Only now did she realize why her Emperor enjoyed teasing her sister so much! With her sister's submissive demeanor, not only her husband, but even she herself couldn't resist the urge to give her a good beating!

"Sister, for Hui'er's sake!!" In the end, Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er suppressed her inner turmoil and used her son to persuade her sister. Sure enough, this worked best! After hearing that this would help her son, Mu Ke'er, though blushing, nodded firmly.

"Then, sister, we've agreed that in the near future, the two of us will serve the Emperor well, and at the same time, we'll hurry up and select consorts for the two children."

Once the eldest uncle has finished preparing the fiefdom, the emperor will send the two children to the fiefdom.

"During this time, we must win over the Emperor so that he will give the children more preferential treatment when he bestows titles upon them." Seeing that her sister had agreed to her suggestion, Mu Ping'er quickly pressed on and said to her sister.

"I'll do whatever you say, little sister!" In reality, although Mu Ping'er is the younger sister, she holds a higher position and is more intelligent. Therefore, she is always the decision-maker, while her older sister, Mu Ke'er, is in a position of following orders.

"As for choosing consorts for the two children, it would be best to select women from the Joseon region." Immediately afterward, Imperial Noble Consort Mu Ping'er began to consider the candidates for the principal consorts of the two children! After all, they were to be enfeoffed in Joseon, and in order to rule Joseon smoothly, it would be best to select women from Joseon.

(End of this chapter)