Having lived in this era for many years, she had heard countless stories about eccentric mothers-in-law, but personally supervising her son’s marital relations… this was truly the first time she’d encountered such a thing!
But this was an age of imperial authority. As a Cefei and a subject, she had no right to refuse.
She could only look at Xiao Chengyan, seeking rescue.
She hoped he had enough shame and integrity not to agree!
Xiao Chengyan looked at the young woman’s embarrassed, flushed face and coughed lightly. “Mother Empress, Nong Er hasn’t been feeling well these past few days… Regarding heirs, your son has plans in mind.”
The Empress could detect the protective tone in her son’s words and raised an eyebrow.
Her son who had previously insisted on refusing concubines – had he softened his stance in less than two months?
She pondered thoughtfully, seeming to understand the fundamental reason behind her son’s “one lifetime, one love” stance. Rather than truly being deeply in love with Zi Sangli, it seemed he simply detested dealing with conflicts between wives and concubines!
It appeared the life-and-death struggles in the harem had left quite a shadow on her children!
She sighed slowly and ultimately didn’t press further.
“Nong Er comes from a noble family. Serving as your Cefei is already a compromise, my son. You must treat Nong Er well! All parents in this world love their children, and you must not disappoint Lord Lin’s heart.”
Xiao Chengyan nodded.
He knew that treating Lin Nong well was both what a man should do and a way to win over the Lin clan.
“Your son understands.”
The two left the palace.
Halfway back, Xiao Chengyan was summoned by the Emperor’s men.
Lin Nong wasn’t required to pay respects.
Xiao Chengyan told her, “Go to Chonghua Gate first and wait for this Wang in the carriage.”
Lin Nong nodded. “Yes, this subject will brew a pot of good tea so Wangye can have a warm drink when you board the carriage.”
Xiao Chengyan smiled, gently patted her hand, and quickly departed.
The Emperor’s summons wasn’t about government affairs.
He merely urged Xiao Chengyan to consummate the marriage with his Cefei soon and produce heirs.
Those in high positions were difficult to read.
But as a son, Xiao Chengyan could understand somewhat.
The Emperor valued him and his eldest imperial brother, but because he himself was born of a concubine and had no powerful maternal family to protect him during his youth, suffering much bullying, he particularly favored Shufei and Prince Qin who came from humble backgrounds.
He cultivated Prince Qin, gave him power, made court officials gravitate toward Prince Qin. Previously, he watched from above as Prince Qin contended with the eldest imperial brother, and now he watched as Prince Qin competed with himself. Even knowing about Prince Qin’s underhanded schemes, he never warned or stopped them.
Perhaps he was indeed biased, but as a monarch, he was also breeding contenders.
He would see who could ultimately overcome all obstacles and emerge victorious.
Then, that person would be his successor, the Crown Prince of this dynasty!
Only a Crown Prince tempered through such trials would be qualified to stand at the pinnacle.
And now, the Emperor was in his prime and didn’t want any son to become too powerful!
So after the eldest imperial brother fell, the Emperor immediately began supporting him, hoping he and Prince Qin would be evenly matched, including… in heirs!
“Your son understands.”
Father and son played another game of chess.
A rare game between them.
Just as they reached the midpoint, a palace servant hurried in to report: “Qin Wangfei has miscarried, and it seems to involve Chen Wang’s Cefei. Everyone is currently at Consort Shu’s Changchun Palace!”
…
Lin Nong was brought to Consort Shu’s Changchun Palace.
No one had informed the Empress.
Lin Nong stared into Consort Shu’s eyes.
Even with her superb acting skills, a glimmer of calculation still leaked through.
The evidence, both testimonial and physical, had been laid out, and the confrontation began as soon as the first word was spoken.
The Imperial Physician stated that Qin Wangfei had suffered a miscarriage due to exposure to musk, and a sachet that should have belonged to Lin Nong was found on her person.
An attendant servant testified, claiming to have smelled the same scent on Lin Nong.
“This humble servant was accompanying Qin Wangfei after paying respects to the Empress when we happened to cross paths with Chen Wang and Lin Ceifei. At that time, Lin Ceifei was wearing an orchid-patterned sachet with a very strong fragrance!”
Shufei waved her hand.
Her attendant presented the sachet to the servant girl.
The girl immediately nodded in recognition: “Yes! This is the very sachet! One of the orchid stamens is purple—it’s quite unusual, so I couldn’t possibly be mistaken!”
The stunning palace beauty, seething with anger, slammed the table heavily: “Lin Shi, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“Your Highness Shufei, please calm your anger! Do not harm your health over such lowly individuals!” A consort nearby fanned herself leisurely: “Although His Majesty has seven sons, his grandchildren are few—only one illegitimate son under Prince Qin. Now that Qin Wangfei was pregnant, and the Imperial Physician diagnosed it as a male fetus, His Majesty and Shufei were overjoyed, eagerly awaiting the birth of the imperial grandson. Lin Shi…”
She glanced at Lin Nong with contempt and malice.
“How could you be so vicious as to murder the imperial grandson?”
Lin Nong never expected that as a minor figure, merely entering the palace to pay respects, she would still fall victim to such a scheme.
The air was thick with the scent of blood.
The miscarriage seemed genuine.
But it was likely that the pregnancy was already doomed.
If she were to be convicted of harming the imperial grandson today, Shufei and the Prince Qin couple would surely insist that Xiao Chengyan and the Empress were the masterminds behind it, and the Lin Family would also be implicated, falsely accused of instigating her to commit the crime!
By then, not only would her own life be in danger, but Xiao Chengyan and the Lin Family would also face disaster!
What a cunning Shufei!
What a Prince Qin and Qin Wangfei!
Indeed, birds of a feather flock together—none of them are any good!
“This humble concubine does not understand what the two consorts are referring to. This humble concubine holds no grudge against Qin Wangfei—why would I harm her and the child in her womb?”
Her hearing was sharp.
She faintly detected footsteps approaching the main hall.
She shifted her tone.
“Does the consort mean to imply that legitimate and illegitimate offspring are not the same? Such words are highly disrespectful! His Majesty was born of a concubine, yet he is wise and mighty, bestowing blessings upon the realm. In the future, he will surely be remembered by posterity as an enlightened ruler for the ages!”
“Whether the eldest son of the Qin Prince Manor is legitimate or illegitimate, he is still the flesh and blood of Prince Qin and His Majesty’s beloved eldest imperial grandson. If it were not so, His Majesty and the Empress would not have arranged this marriage for this humble concubine and Wangye, allowing this humble concubine to bear children for Chen Wang!”
“Shufei is kind-hearted, and Prince Qin is benevolent—surely they would never personally tell the consort that they look down upon illegitimate offspring and only regard legitimate heirs as human?”
The consort was startled.
How could she not know that the Emperor held reservations about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs?
Thinking Lin Nong appeared weak and incompetent, she had believed that a little guidance and provocation would lead Lin Nong to utter disrespectful words. Instead, the Emperor himself overheard Lin Nong praising him as an enlightened ruler for the ages, while she had dug her own grave and been branded as someone who looked down on illegitimate offspring!
Panicked, she exclaimed: “This consort never said such a thing! How dare you slander this consort like this!”
Lin Nong remained composed and unyielding: “Indeed! Legitimate and illegitimate are the same—both are His Majesty’s grandsons and the bloodline of the imperial family!”
“Since Prince Qin already has an eldest son, why would I bypass the imperial eldest grandson to harm the fetus of unknown gender in Qin Wangfei’s womb? Moreover, I only entered the palace upon Empress’s summons, how could I have known I would encounter Qin Wangfei? And how could I have silently slipped the sachet onto her person?”
The palace consort sneered: “When sinister and malicious people plot murder, what methods can they not conceive? Even if you had no means, your accomplices might have!”
Lin Nong directly countered with a bold retort: “The rear palace is under the Empress’s governance. Is Your Ladyship implying that Her Majesty intends to harm Prince Qin’s bloodline?”