novelraw Chapter 609: The Cannon-Fodder Noble Consort Who Failed in the Struggle for the Throne (21)
Chapter 609: The Cannon-Fodder Noble Consort Who Failed in the Struggle for the Throne (21)
"Raising a backup heir, how could it be that easy?"
In the inner chamber, having just kicked out that dawdling emperor.
Allowing the palace servants to insert the kingfisher feather inlaid golden phoenix buyao hairpin, freshly delivered today from the Directorate of Jewelry, into her hair, An Ning couldn't help but feel amused as she gazed with satisfaction at the palace-attired woman in the mirror, whose eyes sparkled brightly and whose expression was full of unbridled boldness.
Never mind how much it would cost, to be honest, none of the royal family members were easy to deal with.
Especially now that the Fourth and Fifth Princes had grown up over the past few years, and they certainly didn't lack ambition, yet those who could truly shake the Crown Prince were still few and far between.
But then again, if the disparity hadn't been so vast and impossible to ignore, there wouldn't have been the move to depose the crown prince back then...
With the original owner's innate talent, even with the help of elixirs, her aptitude and ability might not necessarily compare to the Crown Prince himself.
Besides, aptitude is one thing, but whether one can be a good emperor, especially one who successfully seizes the throne amidst difficulties, also has a lot to do with one's own character...
You can't rely entirely on the emperor playing favorites!
As for her persona in this lifetime, it was destined not to influence much anyway. Having the rare chance to just relax, An Ning had even less desire to exhaust herself mentally and physically, acting like some kind of secret fairy godmother who hides her identity and secretly helps her own son ascend to the throne.Moreover, mother-son affection within the imperial family?
An Ning couldn't help but shake her head.
Just look at how much conflict there had been over the years between Beauty Qi and the Crown Prince, and how strained their relationship had become—that alone speaks volumes.
It's a thankless task, or rather, the gains don't match the effort, so why not just stay as the free and unrestrained Imperial Noble Consort she is now?
As for the Empress Dowager position the original owner desired, and not being wantonly mocked as a loser, there's more than one path to that...
"Ah, this..." the system couldn't help but scratch its head, muttering softly, "Isn't it just that the Qi family wants too much? If they could just give up and accept their lot, the status of being the emperor's maternal family would be enough to ensure wealth and honor for several generations."
Why not know when to stop?
"You say that," An Ning couldn't help but want to laugh:
"Throughout history, all those powerful ministers who were purged—didn't they understand the concept of knowing when to stop?"
With supreme power right before them, who wouldn't want to fight for it!
Unless one truly has no ambition and loves to just coast along, otherwise, from the very beginning, it's an irreconcilable conflict...
Once they become political enemies, who cares about blood ties!
Besides, with the original owner's personality, she was destined not to invest too much in a child, and she couldn't even fake it. If she really gave birth to a smart one, that child might be secretly calculating things in their heart!
In short, raising a backup heir is high-risk, high-cost, high-trouble, and the gains don't outweigh the losses.
Better to let Xiao Qi live a few more years, at least until the Empress passes away, and then she can ascend to the position herself—wouldn't that also make her Empress Dowager?
As for whether the emperor might grow tired of the old and favor the new during this period? Lying back down on the soft bed.
This point, An Ning wasn't worried about in the slightest.
Not because she was overly confident in herself.
True love might not last forever, but an emperor's concern for his own "life" absolutely will. Especially an emperor who is confident yet suspicious.
Gazing at the radiant great beauty still reflected in the mirror, An Ning couldn't help but blink:
"Just wait, even if there's the slightest, even a one-in-ten-thousand possibility, forget about others, Xiao Qi's own subconscious wouldn't allow himself to lose this 'love'!"
Or rather, this attachment.
After all, it was because of this love that he returned to the mortal world and even persisted until now!
As long as he still wants to live, and hasn't grown senile.
The system: "..."
It can be like this!
What is this called, the highest level of pua is self-pua.
Of course, that was indeed the reality. One year, two years, three years passed, and as they watched the princes get married one after another and each have their own children. The Crown Prince's legitimate heir was already over ten years old, reaching marriageable age.
The current emperor was still alive and well. Although he had been sickly a few times, he stubbornly held on through "willpower," or rather, the companionship of his beloved by his side.
And An Ning remained that proud, bold, and unrestrained Imperial Noble Consort, who every day found new ways to dress in splendid robes and beautiful ornaments, strutting arrogantly under the envious, green-eyed gazes of everyone.
The Crown Prince: "..."
All the court ministers: "..."
True love is truly terrifying!
Maybe they should just stage a rebellion, but then they thought of His Majesty's methods...
More importantly, it hadn't reached the final step yet. Over the years, although His Majesty had been wary of him, he hadn't pressed him step by step.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Ye couldn't help but shake his head.
Judging by the odds of success, it wasn't worth it!
Forget it, better to take good care of his health and practice his swordsmanship more.
And he didn't know if it was because His Majesty and the others practiced swordsmanship so much, but he felt his own physique was pretty good.
At least much better than his younger brothers, so outlasting His Majesty shouldn't be a problem.
On this side, the Crown Prince briefly considered the matter and quickly gave up. On the other end, Beauty Qi, who had been waiting bitterly, was practically driven mad.
True love, true love my foot!
She had endured for decades, watching that woman live in splendor and boldness for decades—was she supposed to endure for a lifetime?
You must know, she was several years older than His Majesty!
Taking a deep breath, Beauty Qi immediately spoke with earnest gravity:
"Ye'er, seeing how His Majesty has grown increasingly wary of you over the years, could it be that you're really just going to watch if, by any chance..."
However, as soon as her words fell, Crown Prince Xiao Ye's brows immediately furrowed tightly. He looked around, and only after confirming no one was nearby did he coldly say:
"Mother, please watch your words. His Majesty is not only your son's biological father but also the sovereign your son reveres. To be able to serve at his side for a long time, your son is overjoyed."
"These words, Mother should refrain from speaking further!"
As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for the other to respond, the Crown Prince had already turned and strode away in a huff. And not long after that day, the only two trusted confidants by Beauty Qi's side met with mishaps one after another. The Crown Princess intervened, replacing them with two ordinary-looking, taciturn minor palace servants.
It must be said, after this incident, both mother and son felt utterly chilled towards each other.
One felt that for the sake of her own dignity and the position of Empress Dowager, she didn't care about her son's life in the slightest, nor the lives of the entire extended family behind him.
The other felt that her son hadn't considered her at all, especially recently, as she grew older...
If she waited any longer, she was afraid she would remain a low-ranking Beauty for the rest of her life. With only one step left, how could she accept it!
What humiliation.
An Ning, who occasionally heard the system's gossip: "..."
The imperial family—standard procedure. Besides intentionally or unintentionally kicking Xiao Qi a couple more times at night, An Ning quickly put it out of her mind.
The current emperor: "???"
He subconsciously touched his waist—not fat, no extra flesh, the physique gained from exercise hadn't changed...
Being given the cold shoulder? Impossible!
In the entire palace, who could give Yue'er the cold shoulder?
Is the Imperial Noble Consort someone who gets the cold shoulder?
Staring fixedly for a few moments at the fragrant, sleeping face of the person in his arms, until the very end Xiao Qi couldn't figure it out. He could only continue to attribute it to the Empress's critical illness, which had made the palace rather chaotic lately.
Yue'er was probably bored staying here!
After all, in recent years, because they needed to recuperate, the two of them spent most of their time outside, either in gardens or at the hot spring retreat palace.
Closing his eyes, gently pulling the quilt over her, Xiao Qi thought to himself...
"In a while, I must take Yue'er out for some fresh air."