A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Chaoyang has always been domineering and vicious.

If it weren't for the fact that they were in a public place, under the watchful eyes of everyone, she really would have pounced on Zhou Mingyi and torn her apart without hesitation.

But trees need bark, and people need face.

In front of everyone, she had some reservations and dared not do such a rebellious and unfilial thing.

Therefore, he could only hold his breath and try to kill Zhou Mingyi with his eyes.

However, Zhou Mingyi remained unperturbed and ignored the warning, which angered Princess Chaoyang so much that her face turned pale and then red.

She took the opportunity to change her clothes and then flew into a rage.

"What is that Zhou woman? She's nothing but a down-and-out. She ruined my plans before she even entered the palace."

"Now look what's happened! Relying on Father Emperor's favor, they dare to boss me around and embarrass me in front of so many people!"

"Mother, I don't care! If you can't avenge me, I'll have to do it myself!"

Princess Chaoyang was bullied by Consort Zhen, how could Consort Chen feel any pride?

However, this Consort Zhen was always cunning, and Consort Chen suffered several losses at her hands.

She naturally realized that this Consort Zhen was not as simple as she appeared on the surface.

His Majesty seems to fall for her charms!

Thinking of this, Consort Chen gritted her teeth in hatred.

"My son, do you think your mother doesn't want to help you?"

"But what could Mother possibly do in that situation?"

"That vixen spoke so righteously in front of everyone; even if your mother pleaded with your father and grandmother, it wouldn't have mattered!"

"You are His Majesty's only child, the most noble princess of our Great Zhou Dynasty, and your mother therefore believes..."

At this point, Consort Chen felt somewhat guilty.

Although he knew Consort Zhen had ill intentions, this kind of thing seemed easy but was actually difficult to do.

Therefore, although Consort Chen immediately realized Consort Zhen's intentions, she still held onto a sliver of hope.

Perhaps, Chaoyang can perfectly complete the "ancient ritual"?

Wouldn't that both enhance her reputation and severely slap that bitch Zhou in the face?

Unfortunately……

Consort Chen couldn't help but mutter, "It's just a mirror, why weren't you more careful..."

"Mother!"

Princess Chaoyang was already feeling wronged, and now that her mother was blaming her for not being steady enough and sincere enough, she felt truly aggrieved.

"How could you think that way, Mother? Have you even touched that ancient mirror?"

"I don't know what material it's made of, it's so heavy and slippery! My hands are all red from being pressed down!"

Consort Chen looked up and indeed saw that Princess Chaoyang's tiger's mouth was red.

Her daughter, a golden branch and jade leaf, grew up pampered since childhood, never having touched even the lightest "heavy" object...

Consort Chen jumped to her feet, heartbroken. "Quickly, let your mother see!"

"Someone, go and fetch the plaster!"

……

According to old court custom, after the moon-worshiping ceremony, the emperor and empress would move to the Jin Su Garden, a specially designated area in the Imperial Garden.

This Jin Su Yuan is a garden planted with century-old golden and silver osmanthus trees.

The "Guiyuan Gathering" was held.

There are no fixed seats here. The emperor, empress, and high-ranking concubines sit in the Listening to Fragrance Pavilion in the garden, while other members of the imperial family, noblewomen, and officials can freely stroll around the garden, enjoy tea, and compose poems.

The atmosphere was more relaxed and elegant than the formal banquet at Shuiyue Palace.

Tonight, inside the Listening Fragrance Pavilion, Emperor Qianwu sat in the main seat, with the Empress Dowager to his left, and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to the lower left, on the same side as the Empress Dowager.

Consort Chen and Princess Chaoyang were sitting right next to the emperor on his right.

The right side should have been the Empress's position, but the central palace was vacant and was naturally occupied by Princess Chaoyang every year.

Consort Zhen, Consort Lan, Consort Liu, and other high-ranking concubines sat below the Noble Consort according to etiquette.

Princess Chaoyang and Consort Chen continued to monopolize Emperor Qianwu's attention, not giving anyone a chance to speak.

Zhou Mingyi watched coldly, pretending to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but every now and then, she could sense a burning yet subtle gaze.

But every time I looked up, that gaze would disappear.

She pretended not to know.

At the beginning of the gathering, several young scholars from the Hanlin Academy were ordered to compose poems praising the osmanthus.

One of the young men, dressed in a blue robe and with handsome features, was particularly eye-catching.

He is none other than Zhou Mingchong, the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination, the current compiler of the Hanlin Academy, and the elder brother of Consort Zhen.

He stood in the moonlight amidst the shadows of the osmanthus trees, reciting aloud his newly composed poem, "Osmanthus Fragrance - Composed for the Mid-Autumn Festival".

The words are elegant and the artistic conception is lofty. It not only praises the emperor's virtues but also fits the season, winning the praise of many.

Emperor Qianwu nodded slightly: "Minister Zhou is quick-witted and worthy of the noble reputation of a Hanlin scholar."

Even the crown prince rarely spoke.

"Editor Zhou's poem is elegant yet contains a strong spirit, showing great integrity."

The Crown Princess glanced at him in surprise, then quickly lowered her head, her eyes thoughtful.

Princess Chaoyang was in a bad mood because of her improper behavior during the moon worship ceremony, but when she looked at Zhou Mingchong, her eyes sparkled.

She glanced sideways at Zhou Shi. If it weren't for this wretched woman, Zhou the editor would be in her princess's mansion now, being her lover.

Princess Chaoyang gritted her teeth in anger. Then she saw Zhou sitting quietly, her eyes meeting Zhou's for a moment. There was concern hidden in her calmness, and the thorn in her heart was driven even deeper.

She suddenly stood up, smiling sweetly, "Father, the fragrance of osmanthus is so intoxicating tonight, wouldn't it be a waste to just sit and enjoy it?"

"I've heard that Lady Zhen is exceptionally skilled in playing the zither. Why don't you invite her to play a tune for this garden filled with the fragrance of osmanthus and under the bright moon, to enhance our refined enjoyment?"

She turned to Consort Zhen, her smile sweet and innocent, "Your Highness Zhen won't refuse, will you? Chaoyang has admired you for a long time."

Upon hearing this, the pavilion fell silent.

Making the concubines play the zither in public to entertain the guests, while not humiliating, placed Consort Zhen in the position of a mere entertainer.

In particular, the suggestion was made by Princess Chaoyang, a junior.

What's more subtle is that the musical instruments need to be obtained on the spot, and if Consort Zhen agrees, it means she is obeying the princess's orders.

If one were to refuse, it would appear pretentious and lacking in consideration for others.

A hint of pleasure flashed in Consort Chen's eyes. She did not try to dissuade him, but said softly to the Emperor, "Chaoyang is just fond of refined things."

Emperor Qianwu looked at Zhou Mingyi, about to speak...

Consort Lan suddenly chuckled softly.

"It seems it's time to change the music in our palace. The princess has been listening to it year after year and is tired of it."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, tell me, isn't this a dereliction of duty by the Bell and Drum Bureau?"

"But I've heard that the music for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival was personally chosen by the Imperial Concubine."

"Could it be that the Imperial Concubine did not inform the Princess when she made the decision?"

She said in a slightly exaggerated tone, "That can't be, right?"

Consort Chen: "You!"

Consort Chen was about to explain when she was interrupted by the Empress Dowager.

"Alright, Lan'er was just joking. Is it really worth explaining?"

The Empress Dowager certainly doted on Princess Chaoyang, but Consort Lan was someone she had raised herself, and she looked remarkably like her own daughter, Chang Le.

Although the child made a mistake in his early years, Chaoyang was born smoothly long ago, and Lan'er paid the price for it for more than ten years.

The Cold Palace—what kind of place is that?

Therefore, the Empress Dowager naturally felt sorry for Consort Lan.

Consort Chen lowered her head in frustration, daring not to speak out.

The Crown Princess was initially worried for Zhou Mingyi, but then she suddenly noticed that the Crown Prince's aura had suddenly dropped.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously frowned as she looked at the Crown Prince.

As it turned out, the oppressive atmosphere she felt just moments before seemed to be her imagination.

She could only glare at Aoyuki...

Zhou Mingyi smiled at Consort Lan, accepting her kindness.

He then met Princess Chaoyang's seemingly innocent yet provocative gaze, slowly rose, and bowed.

"Since the princess has given the order, I should not refuse."

"But..." she changed the subject slightly, "the moon worship ceremony has just ended, and the reverence still remains. The music might disturb the lingering charm of the moon goddess."

"Furthermore, I have heard that the princess studied under a great master and is highly skilled in playing the zither. Her performance of 'The Crane Cries in the Marsh' at the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration last year still resonates in my ears."

"Why don't you ask the princess to make the first move to start the gathering, and I will follow suit without overstepping my bounds?"

She skillfully deflected the issue, offering the irrefutable reason of "paying homage to the moon goddess" while gently passing the buck back to Princess Chaoyang.

This was a more subtle way of complimenting the princess's musical skills, leaving no room for criticism and instead making the speaker appear humble and polite.

Princess Chaoyang did not expect Consort Zhen to react so quickly and was outmaneuvered.

If we insist that Consort Zhen play first, it would make us seem aggressive.

Her expression stiffened slightly, then she smiled and said, "Your Highness is too modest."

"Very well, since Your Highness is cautious, then so be it."

"It's just a pity that the music is missing."

She sat down again, gently waving a round fan in her hand. The fan was embroidered with an exquisite golden osmanthus branch, but there was no smile in her eyes.

That evening, Emperor Qianwu naturally did not come to Weiyang Palace.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Princess Chaoyang did not return to her princess residence outside the palace as in previous years, but instead found an excuse to stay in the palace.

Consort Chen, and even Emperor Qianwu and the Empress Dowager, could not obtain her.

For Consort Chen, having her daughter living in the palace gave her more excuses to invite Emperor Qianwu.

As time went on, Princess Chaoyang's "being pampered" gradually changed its meaning.

Even the Empress Dowager noticed something was amiss.

"I've heard that Chaoyang appears in the Imperial Study every morning and evening without fail for his daily greetings?"

"Did the emperor eat the soups she personally prepared every day and listen to her tell interesting stories about the outside world?"

Aunt Zhulan kept her eyes down, carefully trying to figure out what the Empress Dowager was thinking.

After a moment's consideration, he said, "Your Highness is very filial, but His Majesty is busy with state affairs every day and has never delayed because of you."

The Empress Dowager was perhaps worried that the princess would interfere with His Majesty's handling of state affairs.

After all, no matter how close a granddaughter is, can she be closer than a biological son?

Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent, Zhu Lan continued:

"Our princess is truly obedient and filial. If His Majesty is busy, she quietly grinds the ink and prepares the paper."

"Does Your Highness miss the Princess? The Princes are in the palace every day, and they come to our Cining Palace to keep Your Highness company every other day. It's almost time for dinner, so the Princess should be arriving soon."

"Perhaps I should go and invite His Highness in advance?"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, "I am old, and that girl is young and loves to make a fuss. I'm afraid she won't be able to stand being with an old woman like me."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Putting everything else aside, it's said that the Emperor has been either resting alone in his palace or in Consort Chen's Chang Le Palace these past few days?"

Aunt Zhulan said, "Yes, the fertility-enhancing medicine from the Imperial Concubine's palace has been delivered more frequently than usual."

The Empress Dowager suddenly frowned.

"I remember that since the birth of Chaoyang, Chen has not been able to conceive for more than ten years."

Zhu Lan naturally understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

The Empress Dowager then asked, "Tell me, is this Chaoyang's intention, or Chen's?"

Zhu Lan dared not speak.

The Empress Dowager sighed, her tone turning colder.

"Mrs. Chen is getting on in years and hasn't conceived again. Isn't she being a bit too domineering, actually instigating Chaoyang to use such a scheme!"

Aunt Zhulan: ...

Princess Chaoyang is undoubtedly perfect in every way, and any faults she has are all the fault of Consort Chen.

Although Consort Chen became somewhat domineering and lacked manners after giving birth to the princess, she often tried to monopolize His Majesty's power.

It was possible that the Empress Dowager had tacitly approved it beforehand.

Now that they can't have any more children, they find them annoying...

Aunt Zhulan couldn't help but complain in her heart, even the imperial family couldn't withstand this "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict"...