The Cannon Fodder in Quick Transmigration Refuses the Usual Path

Chapter 602: The Arrogant Imperial Noble Consort Who Failed in the Succession Struggle 14

"By the way, how have Second Brother and Third Sister been lately?"

As the conversation flowed, An Ning, sitting at the head of the table and fiddling with a pastry, casually asked this question.

Second Brother Shen Heng and Third Sister Shen Zhu. The age gap between the three siblings wasn't too large, and they had all married off several years ago.

Given the original owner's temperament, it was naturally impossible that she had been particularly close to her younger siblings in the past.

Especially over a decade ago, when she was unexpectedly selected to enter the palace. Forget about her father, who cried pitifully, those two younger ones were so frightened their entire faces turned pale.

A deathly pale, ashen kind of pale.

It was practically written all over their faces: with their sister's terrible temper, wasn't entering the palace just delivering herself to be served up on a platter?

Maybe they should wash their own necks first...

Perhaps due to years of oppression under the original owner, this tyrannosaurus rex, the two younger ones below had developed a strong sense of crisis.

Now, not to mention other things, just the earlier incident with the deposed crown prince was probably enough to scare these two timid souls half to death.That's why An Ning was casually asking.

Honestly, even though it was just a casual mention, given her eldest daughter's temperament, the fact that she could remember her younger siblings gave Lady Yang a small sense of relief at this moment.

Yue'er has grown up!

Thinking of this, Lady Yang's eyes immediately brightened considerably. She soon smiled warmly and said gently:

"Your Highness, please rest assured. As for your Second Brother, well, his abilities are just so-so, nothing more than a sinecure position. As long as His Majesty is still here, no one has the spare time to make things difficult for him."

"As for your younger sister, you know that He family boy. Although his background is decent, he lost both parents early on. He's quite straightforward in character. Now, everything in the Count's household is managed by your sister. They also had children early on."

Not to mention His Majesty is still on the throne now, even if they completely lost power, the likelihood of anything happening in the short term isn't great.

This was Lady Yang's cleverness.

Years ago, when the original owner first entered the palace, within a couple of years she was honored as Imperial Noble Consort, enjoying exceptional favor. Not only that, her child was enfeoffed as Crown Prince, and the family was granted a noble title early on.

Even just to climb this celestial ladder, there were truly many who came to propose marriage for this Third Sister of the original owner, countless more with better family background and ability than this He family's Count.

But without much hesitation, Lady Yang ultimately chose this Third Brother-in-law He, who was practically without support, and was even whispered about in his early years as a jinx who brought misfortune to all around him.

No other reason. What she sought was precisely a decent family fortune, deceased parents, and pitifully few close relatives.

Quietly biting into the crystal grape she had just put in her mouth.

It seems the criteria mothers-in-law use to select sons-in-law aren't so different across the ages.

Of course, An Ning understood more deeply the underlying reason for the other party's actions, beyond the above.

Unlike Xiao Qi, the Imperial Father, who was still full of confidence in his early years, determined to teach his son of ordinary innate talent into a capable person.

Perhaps having prior teaching experience.

In An Ning's view, from the very beginning, the first person to worry about the stability of the Crown Prince's position was the original owner's mother before her, Lady Yang.

As for why Lady Yang didn't secretly oppose earlier, or advise the original owner to decline the Crown Prince position.

First, the current emperor's edict came down too quickly, leaving no room for outsiders to interfere, let alone oppose. Second, it was the original owner's own situation.

Throughout history, favored consorts and the sons of favored consorts, whether they are Crown Princes or not, whether they can ascend the throne or not, their outcomes are mostly not very good.

With or without the Crown Prince position, under the current emperor's years-long consistent favoritism, the difference actually wouldn't be too great.

Since that's the case, it's better to be straightforward and give it a fight.

With the He family's situation, even if the Crown Prince encountered trouble one day, the possibility of Third Sister quietly disappearing in the short term would be somewhat smaller.

Before the window inlaid with various colored glass, warm sunlight soon streamed through.

It seemed like a casual mention, casually heard. Under the sunlight, An Ning propped her chin with one hand, giving an almost imperceptible nod, clearly not taking it to heart.

Seeing this, Lady Yang wasn't surprised.

To be honest, with her Yue'er's temperament, it was already not easy for her to remember her younger siblings at this time.

Looking at her eldest daughter before her, who was clearly past thirty, of an age where her own child was about to marry, and had experienced turmoil earlier. Yet at this moment, she still seemed like a child, her brows and eyes still carrying that familiar willful, unrestrained air, as if completely unaffected.

This temperament...

Giving her husband beside her a hard pinch, Lady Yang couldn't help but sigh:

No wonder the current emperor couldn't rest easy, even to the point of being "angered back to life" until now.

If it were her...

***

Well, she would be even more uneasy.

In fact, looking at her daughter now, Lady Yang couldn't help but suspect if it was precisely because the current emperor had worried so much over their daughter all these years that he couldn't let go, just as those people said, loving so deeply...

Of course, since the benefits all landed in her own daughter's bowl, dwelling on it too much now was meaningless.

Instead, because of this incident, Lady Yang thought to herself, with the "returning from death" causing such an uproar, regardless of how the current emperor was while alive, even if something unfortunate truly happened. For the sake of filial piety and to avoid criticism, the new emperor wouldn't be able to openly do anything to her daughter in the short term.

As for other matters, it would depend on how many contingencies the current emperor had prepared, or what the new emperor's character was like.

Her own daughter... *sigh*!

At this moment, Lady Yang only regretted not giving birth to a smarter daughter.

"By the way, Your Highness, has His Majesty mentioned to you how Prince Ning will be settled afterwards?"

Playing idly with the water-blue bead bracelet in her hand, An Ning nodded somewhat indifferently after hearing this, her interest somewhat lacking as she said:

"Marry early, and after marriage go directly to his fief. His Majesty said he would arrange all the accompanying officials and attendants at that time."

Pretending not to hear her daughter's blurted-out complaint, "personally arrange"... It seems he had a very clear understanding of this son's, her own grandson's, abilities.

Lady Yang couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

But this was also good. Although her grandson was of mediocre ability, he wasn't someone with grandiose aims but puny abilities. With His Majesty's arrangements, he would eventually be able to establish himself in his fief.

Then, if His Majesty were to pass away, even just out of consideration for this, the new emperor should have some reservations regarding Yue'er.

Then, if His Majesty were to pass away, even just out of consideration for this, the new emperor should have some **reservations** regarding Yue'er.

It's just that all aspects of the fief ultimately couldn't compare to the capital. Judging by Yue'er's demeanor, she probably wasn't very interested.

After all, she was her birth mother. Lady Yang understood the daughter before her very well. But before mother and daughter could continue, a familiar voice came from the outer room...