"Enough. You've suffered because of me, really. I've been laughing and chatting with you often lately, and the Noble Consort can't stand the sight of me—she probably thinks of you as one of my close confidantes."
Though the girl had just argued fervently before the Emperor, she was still just a young woman, and the Empress couldn't bear to let her be frightened… frightened or not, Her Majesty felt that her sister-in-law was endearing and pitiable, which meant she was indeed afraid.
She quickly soothed her, saying, "And even if she hates you, I'm still here in the palace, and so is the Empress Dowager. Don't be afraid." It was all that damned Emperor's fault!
Lin Zhen nodded hurriedly.
The Empress was very kind to her as well.
"But her bringing up Consort Shen… that bodes no good."
"You mean she'll try to win over Consort Shen?"
"As long as she elevates Consort Shen to contend with you, your household won't have a moment's peace. That Shen woman is no easy person to deal with."
If the Noble Consort were to show favor to Consort Shen—summoning her to the palace to give her face, or showering her with gifts to spite Lin Zhen—then Consort Shen, having borne Prince Fu's eldest son, could immediately carve out another faction within the Prince Fu estate.
The Empress knew well what the Noble Consort would do to manipulate people, but Lin Zhen only smiled and said, "That wouldn't be so bad." If the Noble Consort really did show favor to Consort Shen, that would be quite good.
If the Noble Consort wanted to win over Consort Shen, she'd have to offer something good—whether promising Tiansheng a bright future or showering Consort Shen with gifts, wouldn't that all benefit the Prince Fu estate anyway?
Good water wouldn't flow into another's field.
Thinking about it that way, the Prince Fu estate wouldn't lose out.
Lin Zhen felt she should go back and drop a hint or two to Consort Shen, telling her to demand a high price from the Noble Consort.
"What if the position of heir to the princedom…"
What if Consort Shen coveted the position of heir, colluded with the Noble Consort, and whispered in the Emperor's ear to support Tiansheng's succession?
After all, the Emperor hadn't yet confirmed the succession of Prince Fu's heir.
"She won't. She's troublesome, but she wouldn't do something like that." Lin Zhen said calmly.
"How do you know?" Lin Zhen had only recently entered the household; she shouldn't have deep dealings with Consort Shen.
"I don't trust her, but I trust His Highness." Lin Zhen had said much already, and now a palace attendant smilingly presented her with the fruit nectar she liked… The Princess Consort Fu had thoroughly embarrassed the Noble Consort, and all the attendants in the Empress's palace were immensely satisfied.
Seeing the smiles on these attendants' faces, she merely smiled and accepted the drink, then said softly to the Empress, whose expression had softened, "A man as good as His Highness was willing to spend so many years with her, and even before he passed, he was still concerned about her future. That tells me she…"
Her expression grew complicated for a moment, and seeing the Empress also sigh as if recalling something, she said gently, "Though she's made some mistakes, I believe she's certainly not a bad person."
The woman Prince Fu had loved for so many years—how could she resort to such unscrupulous means for the position of heir?
"You're actually willing to trust her." The Empress murmured.
"The reason she was never elevated to principal wife was because—"
"Your Majesty." Lin Zhen quickly stopped her.
"Very well. Since you trust her, I'll trust her once more as well." The Empress said no more… As for the succession of the Prince Fu estate, although the Empress Dowager didn't care for Ping'an, born of the late Princess Consort Fu, she also greatly disliked Consort Shen for certain reasons.
Even if the Noble Consort begged the Emperor, the Empress Dowager wouldn't allow the Prince Fu estate to fall into someone else's hands… unless Prince Fu's eldest son were to be completely raised by Lin Zhen.
She calculated silently for a moment, then no longer tried to hold Lin Zhen back, turning instead to other topics of conversation.
When Lin Zhen returned to the estate, she not only carried the land deeds the Empress Dowager had given her, but also brought many gifts from the Empress. Her heart was quite pleased.
After all, the Earl Dongyang estate had finally been put to good use.
They hadn't even needed to pull out the account books before they'd already capsized before the Emperor.
Word had it that the Emperor's rebuke of Earl Dongyang for lax household management had already reached the Earl's residence, and the capital was abuzz.
The Earl Dongyang estate had gone to the Noble Consort for help, yet still couldn't suppress the Prince Fu estate. Not only had the Princess Consort Fu gained the Emperor's favor and could now enter the palace freely, but the Earl Dongyang estate had been thoroughly scolded by the Emperor… and fined six months' salary to boot.
Court officials' salaries weren't much, and the Earl Dongyang estate likely didn't care about the silver, but the humiliation was what truly mattered.
In any case, Lin Zhen was in good spirits. After returning home and finishing dinner, she took the little one out for a stroll, walking with the happy child toward the garden.
"Mother, this, this…"
The little one frolicked not far ahead of Lin Zhen, and upon spotting pretty flowers, waved at her.
Lin Zhen smiled and went over, just about to seriously study the flowers with the little one when she noticed a small child sitting in a pavilion not far away.
The child was fair and clean, looking about five or six years old. Though young, he was reading a book with a very serious expression.
Hearing the playful sounds outside the pavilion, the child turned his head. Seeing it was Lin Zhen and Ping'an, he instinctively rose from the small stone stool, hesitated for a moment, then descended from the pavilion and approached, offering a salute to Lin Zhen.
"Greetings, Princess Consort." He said in a small voice.
"So it's Tiansheng." This was the eldest son of Prince Fu and Consort Shen, whose childhood name was Tiansheng.
Though he was still young, there was already a delicate, refined quality to his features, and he had indeed been well-raised by Consort Shen.
Even though he knew Consort Shen and Lin Zhen were not on good terms, he had been taught since childhood to come and pay respects to his elders.
He addressed her as "Princess" and was unwilling to call her "Mother." Another person might have been displeased by this, but Lin Zhen did not mind in the slightest.
"Are you studying?" Lin Zhen glanced at the book in Tiansheng's hands and asked gently.
The child lowered his head and gave a small nod.
Ping'an hugged the flowering branch and looked at Tiansheng for a while… Though he and his elder brother rarely interacted due to their respective mothers' circumstances, there was no hostility between them.
The little one tilted his head. Seeing his mother give him an encouraging nod, he set down the branch, gathered his courage, walked up to Tiansheng, and cupped his small fists in greeting. "Greetings, elder brother."
Mother said Ping'an should be polite.
Having seen his elder brother, Ping'an should greet him first.
Tiansheng, who was clearly ill at ease in front of Lin Zhen, widened his eyes slightly as he looked at his younger brother, who was much smaller and thinner than himself.
He was a stranger to his younger brother—after all, for a long time he had lived with his father at the hot spring estate, only returning to the capital later.
Little Tiansheng was also unfamiliar with this younger brother and had no idea how to treat him.
He had overheard the gossiping nursemaids in the manor saying that his younger brother was of nobler birth than him, and that in the future he would have to live under his brother's authority.
He had also heard the late Princess say harsh things to his mother—calling her a lowly concubine, saying he was his brother's servant—which had made his mother cry behind his back.
But Tiansheng did not dislike his little brother; he simply did not know how to get along with him.
In the past, his younger brother had also avoided him and kept his distance.
The two brothers had always watched each other from afar, never having been this close before.
And when a little one even smaller than himself drew near, Tiansheng was at a loss for a long moment, then cupped his fists toward Ping'an as well and said softly, "Younger brother."
He had expected his legitimate mother to reprimand him, to make him understand his place and the hierarchy of status. But when he looked up, he only met a pair of eyes brimming with a smile.
There was no malice in her, no contempt—she simply said with a smile, "Though studying is important, you should also get some exercise."
The garden was stuffy and hot, so Lin Zhen continued, "Why not go back to your room to study?"
Ice basins had been distributed throughout the manor, so it would at least be cooler there.
"…Mother doesn't let me study all the time." Tiansheng was afraid she would accuse Consort Shen of neglect, so he hurriedly defended his mother.
Consort Shen didn't allow him to bury his head in books for long stretches—after reading for a while, he had to move around, so as not to exhaust his vital energy.
"Then you should listen to your mother."
"I want to…" Tiansheng pressed his lips together, not saying more to the legitimate princess before him.
He simply wanted to study more, to amount to something, so that his mother would feel proud and happy.
Seeing that he said nothing more, Lin Zhen smiled and said, "Once you go to the palace study in the future, there will be plenty of time for you to read." These words made the boy, who had been looking down, raise his head and stare at his legitimate mother in astonishment, wondering if he had heard wrong. "The palace?"
He was, after all, a member of the imperial clan, so he naturally knew that the palace study was for children of noble birth—being able to study there was a great honor.
But he was only a concubine's son.
"Can I?"
He took two more steps toward Lin Zhen.
"Tiansheng!" A frantic voice came from further away.
Lin Zhen looked up and met Consort Shen, who was rushing over urgently. She was still dressed in plain mourning clothes, and as she drew closer, the lingering scent of incense smoke clung to her.
Consort Shen almost frantically wrapped her arms around her son, staring at Lin Zhen with wary eyes, as if Lin Zhen were standing there intending to harm the child.
"Angry!" Ping'an hadn't paid much attention before, but seeing Consort Shen treat his mother this way, he immediately became upset.
Mother had been kind and gentle to elder brother, yet elder brother's mother showed no gratitude.
The little one let out a babyish cry.
Consort Shen froze, meeting a pair of round, dark, glistening eyes.
Those eyes, when angry, were full of vitality—completely unlike the lifeless eyes she had once seen.
She was stunned.
"Shen, come here. I have something to say to you." Seeing that Ping'an was upset, and that Tiansheng, though hesitating and seemingly aware that his mother's attitude was inappropriate, still clutched Consort Shen's sleeve, Lin Zhen spoke coolly.
Since entering the manor, she had always been courteous to her, but now her expression was as heavy as water.
Consort Shen had wanted to sneer and ask if she was finally dropping the act.
But meeting Lin Zhen's warning gaze, she felt a shiver run through her heart and didn't dare utter any sharp or cutting words. She released the child she had been holding and followed Lin Zhen to the side.
"Mother." Ping'an grabbed at Lin Zhen's hem.
"Mother will be back in a moment." The little one clutched at her, looking terribly worried, and Lin Zhen smiled to reassure him.
After soothing her son, she led Consort Shen to a place where the two children could see them but not hear their conversation. Lin Zhen turned around.
"I have already gone to the palace and obtained the Empress Dowager's permission. In a few days, Tiansheng will enter the palace to study." She came straight to the point.
Seeing Consort Shen freeze, staring at her in disbelief, Lin Zhen paid no mind to what she might be thinking. She looked at Consort Shen with a stern expression and said, "Also, let me make this clear to you once and for all. Shen, I don't care how much you quarrel within the prince's residence, and you may dislike me all you want. But I only need you to remember one thing. Tiansheng and Ping'an are the prince's only bloodline—just the two brothers. A single tree does not make a forest; their lives stretch far ahead, and they should be close and support each other. From now on, when the children are not around, you may do as you please. But when the children are present, even if you have to put on an act, you will appear harmonious and amicable with me. Don't let them develop resentment because of us, or grow apart as brothers. Do you hear me?"