Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 172 is difficult
"The plum blossoms in the palace plum garden have been blooming beautifully lately. The people in the flower room have also cultivated some new varieties this year. It is the perfect time to appreciate the plum blossoms. I thought that since it is the end of the year, the palace should also be lively and add to the festive atmosphere. I plan to hold a plum blossom appreciation banquet. At that time, I will also invite the ladies and young ladies of the imperial family to come to the palace and join us."

The Queen announced this in front of everyone.

Of course, it wasn't said that it was for arranging marriages for women of the imperial family; such a statement would be difficult to make.

Among the concubines below, Consort Chen was the first to speak up and offer her support.

“Enjoying plum blossoms in winter is just right. I was just talking to the people around me a couple of days ago about picking plum blossoms to make wine.”

"Of course you'll get your share. I have a few jars of plum blossom wine here, which have been stored for a while and are in excellent condition. I'll bring them out for everyone to try later," the Empress said with a smile.

After speaking, she looked at Xie Jiu and said, "Consort Jin, you will have to take care of the banquet for this plum blossom appreciation. I will order the small kitchen in Weiyang Palace to prepare the snacks and drinks."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my best." Xie Jiu nodded slightly.

It was rare for the Empress to be in such a good mood, so she only gave this one instruction and didn't deliberately cause trouble.

Xie Jiu pondered that Zhao Xingjin must not have revealed the inside story to the Empress, otherwise the Empress would definitely feel that she was overstepping her bounds and would be unhappy.

Thinking of all this, he sighed softly after leaving Weiyang Palace.

"What's wrong, sister?" Liu Cairen asked as she walked alongside her.

Xie Jiu clicked her tongue, "It's so annoying. Not only is life in the palace boring, but you also have to be careful every day. People age faster that way."

When she said that, Liu Cairen just smiled jokingly.

"Isn't this because Her Majesty the Empress is about to hold a plum blossom appreciation banquet, so we can relax and have some fun?"

"Could it just be a simple banquet?" Xie Jiu raised an eyebrow. "There must be some reason behind it, but it's none of our business. We'll probably just be there as extras."

Xie Jiu didn't mention that the real purpose of the banquet was to select someone to send to Xichi.

Liu Cairen naturally guessed that there was another reason behind this, which was not something she could casually comment on, so she wisely didn't ask any more questions.

He just smiled and said, "It's best if it doesn't concern us; we can relax."

After speaking, he asked another question.

“After my sister moved to Jingming Palace, it became quite far from Changle Palace. The Emperor also asked my sister to take care of Princess Wenxi, which is not very convenient.”

“I also mentioned this to the Emperor, but he said that after the New Year, Princess Zhaoqing and Princess Lingyi will move to Ruiyu Palace next to Changle Palace. He thought that the children would be more independent if they were away from the adults, so it’s not a big deal. However, I think the Empress is very reluctant to let them go,” Xie Jiu added.

Consort Liu nodded, “That’s true. It’s all within the palace, not too far away. We can just have our capable servants keep a close eye on them. It’s understandable that the Empress is reluctant to part with them. I heard that the two princesses were raised by the Empress herself.”

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We've got nothing to do anyway, and I'm feeling a bit down. Why don't you come with me for a walk in the Imperial Garden?" Xie Jiu suggested.

She took the initiative to speak, and Consort Liu naturally did not refuse. The two then headed directly to the Imperial Garden.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Sun Baolin here.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Consort Jin and Lady Liu." Consort Sun, holding the hand of a palace maid, was about to bow.

Xie Jiu quickly raised her hand to stop her, "No, you're pregnant, please don't stand on ceremony."

As he spoke, he looked Sun Baolin up and down and saw that she had a rosy complexion and was much fuller. Even though her winter clothes were loose, you could tell that her belly was already quite protruding.

It's clear that she's been taking good care of herself during this time.

"Is your sister about eight months pregnant?" Liu Cairen asked softly.

People who have never been pregnant are always curious. Sun Baolin smiled gently, lowered her eyes, and touched her belly. "Yes, I should give birth in a little over two months."

“Born at the beginning of the year, right in the middle of spring, is a good thing. The weather will get warmer as time goes on, making it easier to take care of the baby,” Xie Jiu said with a smile. “My nephew was born in March. By summer, he was wearing fewer clothes and was learning to sit and crawl very quickly. He was so lively.”

Sun Baolin had never taken care of children before, but these words suddenly brought a picture to her mind, and her maternal tenderness deepened.

"Your Majesty, I also hope that this child will be healthy and lively."

"Definitely," Liu Cairen chimed in. "You can tell just by looking at how energetic you are now."

Sun Baolin smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words as a blessing."

"You're feeling unwell, and it's cold today, so don't catch a cold. You should go back early. Consort Liu and I are planning to take a stroll by the lake, so we'll be leaving now," Xie Jiu said at the opportune moment.

Although the other party doesn't seem to pose any danger at the moment, Sun Baolin is still nothing less than a time bomb in Xie Jiu's mind, the kind that could explode and kill someone, so it's best to keep a safe distance.

Sun Baolin also just wanted to be alone and felt safer there, so he didn't say much, nodded, and watched them leave.

After they had walked a distance, Consort Liu said, "Your Majesty, where will Consort Sun's child be sent after it is born? Those below the rank of Consort cannot raise their own children. To be honest, Your Majesty, I was wondering if the Emperor intended to give the child to Your Majesty to raise, but I never expected that he would choose Princess Wenxi."

Xie Jiu gained favor and was promoted to the rank of Consort, which naturally allowed her to raise an imperial heir.

"It certainly won't be given to Consort Zhuang. I think it will probably be sent to Fangyi Pavilion according to the rules, or perhaps to Consort Wei," Xie Jiu said.

Consort Liu shook her head, “It will definitely not be given to Consort Wei. Although Consort Wei is good, the Emperor is probably not comfortable letting her raise the child. It will most likely be in the Fangyi Pavilion. Let’s wait until Consort Sun’s rank rises in the future before bringing her back to his side.”

Many concubines in the past endured this kind of ordeal.

"Leaving aside her, you are young and healthy, you should focus more on getting pregnant sooner rather than later." Xie Jiu looked at Liu Cai Ren.

"I haven't thought about these things yet." Consort Liu sighed. "It's good for a mother to gain status through her son, but Your Majesty, look at me, my rank is too low. I can't even take care of the child myself after giving birth. My heart is torn apart like a knife."

This is the truth.

After saying that, Consort Liu raised her eyes and said, "Your Majesty should give birth to a prince. The Emperor dotes on Your Majesty."

"The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. Everyone in the harem is watching me now. If I were pregnant right now, wouldn't I become a sitting duck?" Xie Jiu teased.

In fact, she knew even better that if she wanted to have a child, she would truly need Zhao Xingjin's consent.

Others don't want to have children, but Xie Jiu doesn't dare to.

I'm afraid that even if I get pregnant, the child in my womb will just be a bargaining chip.

Liu Cairen sighed upon hearing this and said nothing more.

In the palace, it's difficult not to gain favor, and it's equally difficult to gain it.

Meanwhile, inside the Weiyang Palace, the Empress was talking with Tingyun.

"Have all the invitations been sent out? Don't forget anyone."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant has checked the list carefully, there's no mistake," Tingyun said.

The Empress nodded, her gaze sweeping over the incense burner beside her. "Remember to have the kitchen prepare the snacks as well. The purple jade pearl dumplings they made the other day were very good; I enjoyed them. Have them prepared."

"Yes." Tingyun bowed.