Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 295 For the Glory of the Family
Jiang Lanye looked at her, somewhat helplessly: "Yeah, nothing can be hidden from you."

Song Yi smiled. "So what do you plan to do now?"

"Drag it out."

"what?"

Jiang Lanye said seriously, "We'll drag it out until three months later, when the imperial decree is issued, no one will be able to stop it."

"I thought you had come up with a good idea."

Jiang Lanye seemed somewhat helpless, so he let her sit on his lap and, mimicking her earlier actions, reached out and carefully massaged her shoulders: "I am not omnipotent sometimes. In this matter, I would rather be a rogue than not make you my empress, my wife."

"But you can't stay angry these days, anger is bad for your health."

He said in a muffled voice, "I will try my best to control it."

Song Yi sighed silently: "I never imagined that becoming empress or getting pregnant would be such difficult things. I have no idea how many people are watching my pregnancy."

The palace maids from the Imperial Wardrobe brought over the fabrics that Song Yi had selected. Xi Chun came in and tidied them for a while, glancing frequently at the two of them, and couldn't help but speak:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have a question."

Song Yi looked at her: "What?"

"Why can't Your Majesty pretend to have miscarried this time? That way, everyone will naturally lower their guard."

Song Yi was taken aback, then chuckled twice: "Xichun, your idea is good, but obviously, the ministers of the previous dynasty are also watching my pregnancy. Since I'm going to fake a miscarriage, I naturally have to keep it a secret from everyone. When that time comes, the previous dynasty will be in chaos. Aren't there enough people to support Consort Ning as empress?"

Xichun was somewhat discouraged: "Alright, this servant just feels that Your Highness is now carrying His Majesty's only imperial heir, which should be an extremely noble status, yet so many people still want to make things difficult for Your Highness."

“When it comes to matters of interest, that’s how it is,” Song Yi shrugged. “Sometimes I have the same thoughts as you.”

"Your Highness, a letter sent by the Lord has arrived."

Consort Ning quickly sat up and walked briskly to the door: "Give it to me."

She hadn't received a letter from her father in a long time, and suddenly holding it in her hands, she felt quite excited.

Just as she was about to open it, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department suddenly arrived.

Consort Ning heard the commotion coming from the courtyard. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly put the letter away for the time being. When she went out to take a look, she found nearly ten eunuchs carrying various silks, brocades, jade and jewelry. Two of them were also carrying a large box and placing it on the ground.

She was immediately pleasantly surprised: "Father-in-law, what are you doing here?"

"This servant greets Consort Ning. Your Highness, all of these were prepared for you by His Majesty. The contents of this box are books and paintings, these are fine materials, and these are jewelry. They are all for Your Highness."

Seeing this, the palace maid beside her was overjoyed and couldn't help but lean close to Consort Ning and say:

"Your Majesty, there are so many things. His Majesty is truly generous to you."

Consort Ning smiled slightly, somewhat pleased.

Since entering the palace, although she has never won Jiang Lanye's heart and has never served him in bed, she has received more rewards than anyone else over the years, and Jiang Lanye has never mistreated her.

This is why Consort Ning sometimes feels somewhat dazed.

She couldn't believe that a man who was so generous to her had no feelings for her at all. If he really had nothing for her, why would he treat her better than others?

The head eunuch smiled obsequiously, "Your Highness, if you like all these things, please accept them. That way, I can easily report back later."

Consort Ning slightly raised her chin, immediately put on airs, and glanced at the palace maid beside her: "My palace storerooms are almost full, and now there are so many more things. It is indeed a bit of a headache. But, I will naturally accept His Majesty's kindness."

"Zhuqing, go find a few people to carefully count all these things, write them down in a register, and put them away properly."

Seeing this, the head eunuch chuckled and said, "In that case, this servant will take his leave."

"and many more."

Consort Ning casually took off the bracelet from her wrist and had a palace maid hand it to her.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give this bracelet to you, Father-in-law. You should drink more tea and such on a regular basis."

The head eunuch was not lacking in these things, but since Consort Ning insisted on giving them to him, he couldn't refuse and had no choice but to accept them.

"Has His Majesty been reviewing memorials in the Qingliang Palace these past two days?"

He had just tucked the bracelet into his sleeve when he heard Consort Ning's question. He couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, "His Majesty seems to have been very busy these past two days, with memorials being sent to Qingliang Palace in a steady stream."

"I understand. You may leave."

"The slave retire."

Consort Ning smiled slightly and murmured, "Tell me, at such a crucial moment, what is His Majesty's intention in suddenly sending me so many things?"

A palace maid whispered, "I wonder if the previous dynasty exerted too much pressure, so His Majesty changed his mind and decided to make Your Highness Empress?"

Hearing the palace maid's speculation alone stirred up a surge of emotion within Consort Ning.

She also felt that this would be the case; Song Yi was only suitable to be his favored concubine, but the one who could truly rule the world was her.

Consort Ning turned and went inside, took out the letter she had hidden earlier, and unfolded it.

She had assumed that since she hadn't seen her father for a long time, this letter would be about her well-being in the palace. However, after reading it, the smile on her lips gradually disappeared.

Seeing this, Zhu Qing looked at her somewhat uneasily: "Your Highness?"

Consort Ning took a deep breath, folded the letter, and crumpled it into a ball without any pity.

She remained silent for a long, long time before finally letting out a mocking laugh: "I thought that after not seeing you for so long and not exchanging letters, my father would care about me. But in the end, what he cares about most is the so-called family honor."

"Why do you say that, Your Majesty?"

She closed her eyes: "Father said that this time, the empress must be me. It concerns the family. Our clan must produce an empress."

"But such matters are not up to Your Highness to decide. Isn't it putting you in a difficult position by making such a request of Your Highness?"

When she opened her eyes again, there were tears glistening at the corners of them.

"Zhuqing, do you know? I wasn't selected through the imperial concubine selection process; I was directly sent to the harem. My half-sister in the mansion spends her days with our parents, while I entered the harem at a young age. Whenever I look at the gorgeous yet cold jewelry I wear, I'm never as happy as I used to be."

What she wanted, her parents never truly gave her.

From the moment she was born as the legitimate daughter, it seemed as if she was destined to enter the palace and win a good honor and future for her family.

(End of this chapter)