The wives of the concubines are empresses

The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace bent down and touched her eldest grandson's head.

"Our Cang'er is so filial that he even remembers to prepare flowers for the Queen Mother."

Shangguan Mucang smiled shyly when he was praised, and the Queen Mother of the Eastern Palace smiled even more happily when she saw his little look.

"Go pick some flowers. Grandmother will take you to give flowers to the Queen Mother."

Shangguan Mucang nodded happily, ran towards the chrysanthemums happily, bent down and picked them.

Outside the imperial study, Shangguan Wanjun was still busy reviewing memorials. The emperor's husbands were receiving training today, and no one could help her for the time being.

Su Yude walked in at this time: "Your Majesty, I saw the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace and the eldest prince coming."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wanjun paused in her hand, which was holding the red pen and preparing to approve the document, and the sound of announcing the news outside also sounded at this time.

"The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace has arrived, and the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Shangguan Wanjun quickly put down the red brush and stood up, and Minglan also quickly reached out to help her walk to the center of the main hall.

"Your son pays homage to the Queen Mother. May your Majesty be well."

"My son, please don't be so polite." The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace personally bent down and helped her up. Shangguan Wanjun smiled at her gently.

"Thank you, Queen Mother. Why are you and Cang'er here?"

It's rare for a grandparent and grandchild to come to see her together.

The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace looked down at Shangguan Mucang with a kind and doting smile.

"Cang'er, didn't you say you had something for the Queen Mother? Hurry and take it out."

When Shangguan Wanjun heard this, she was curious about what her son would give her, only to see Shangguan Mucang holding a chrysanthemum in both hands and giving it to her.

"Mother Queen, these are the chrysanthemums I picked in the Imperial Garden. Do you like them?"

His voice was clear and pleasant, and Shangguan Wanjun felt it was like the sound of nature. She wanted to bend down and talk to her son at eye level, but her belly was too big to be convenient. So she held her son's hand and took the chrysanthemums from him with one hand.

"Thank you, Cang'er. Mother likes it very much." She held it to the tip of her nose and sniffed it, her smile full of sweetness.

The Empress Dowager Donggong looked at her eldest grandson with a smile on her face: "Didn't the Imperial Grandmother tell you that the Queen Mother would definitely like the things our Cang'er sent? See, the Imperial Grandmother didn't lie to you, did she?"

Shangguan Mucang is also someone who can read expressions and know how to speak.

"The Empress Dowager didn't lie. Cang'er can testify to this." These childish words made the Empress Dowager Donggong smile happily.

"Your little mouth is really good at talking, just like your mother when she was little."

Shangguan Mucang smiled and raised his head. The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace glanced at him and then looked up at the desk.

"There are still so many memorials today."

"Yes, they have all gone to Fengyi Palace, so I am slowly handling it by myself."

"My dear, you have worked hard. Remember to balance work and rest. Especially since you are pregnant, you must pay more attention."

"Mother, I will."

"I'm relieved that you can do your work, and Queen Mother won't bother you any more. I'll take Cang'er to Fushou Palace to play for a while. You can focus on state affairs quietly. Remember what Queen Mother said."

"I understand, your Majesty, and I respectfully bid you farewell."

No matter how old the parents are, or how old the children are, they will always be worried about their children. Being a parent is really not easy.

After respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace, Minglan helped Shangguan Wanjun back to sit at the desk.

"Your Majesty, this flower..."

Shangguan Wanjun looked down at the chrysanthemum in her hand and smiled: "Just put it here."

She placed the chrysanthemums in front of the memorials she was reviewing, so that she could see them from time to time when she looked up. It was a kind of comfort in her busy life.

After she finished reading each batch of books, Minglan would bend down to pick them up and place them in their designated place.

Before lunch, Tutor Li came to the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, I have compiled some books for the eldest prince's enlightenment. Please take a look."

Liu Cheng stepped forward and took it and presented it to Shangguan Wanjun, who raised her hand and took it.

"Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Thousand Character Classic, Thousand Family Poems, Rules for Disciples, Augmented Collection of Wise Sayings, Young Learners' Classic of Qionglin, and Prosody Enlightenment are all classics. They're quite good. Let's leave these for now. I'll leave the prince's education to Taifu Li."

"I don't dare to accept this responsibility. This is all within my responsibility."

Seeing his respectful attitude, Shangguan Wanjun smiled with satisfaction and took off the bamboo bracelet from her wrist and handed it to him.

"This bamboo bracelet is a reward of silver. Master Li, please keep it."

Liu Cheng respectfully took it and walked towards Master Li, who hurriedly and respectfully thanked him.

"I thank you Lord for your kindness."

"Go back."

"My minister retire."

Watching his tall and straight back as he left, Shangguan Wanjun lowered her head thoughtfully, then she picked up the red brush and began to write her comments.

Seeing the contents of the memorial, Shangguan Wanjun suddenly smiled. Liucheng Minglan looked at her in confusion, and only heard Shangguan Wanjun mumbling to herself.

"I haven't seen such a weird memorial for a long time. Not only is the handwriting ugly, but the sentences are also incoherent. I don't know what the writer is like." Even though the handwriting is so ugly and the sentences are so incoherent, she still admires the person who wrote it.

Shangguan Wanjun sighed in her heart: I don’t know whether this person is pretending to be stupid or hiding his incompetence, or for some other reason.

Three days later, it was time to select and eliminate concubines. Hideko and the others were very nervous, and so was the Amber family.

"My Lord, the selection of concubines is about to come to an end. You should think of a solution as soon as possible." If their Anbo Mansion does not send someone to the palace, they will not have a share of the future glory and wealth.

The Empress didn't like them in the first place. What would they do if the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace passed away one day and there was no one in the Anbo Mansion's court or harem?

It would be best to send her into the palace and have a child with the empress, so that the prosperity and wealth of their Anbo Mansion can last longer.

Listening to his wife's words, Uncle An was also very distressed and depressed.

"What can I do? The Queen Mother has given in, and the Emperor is watching us covetously. We are no longer human beings here."

Mrs. Zhang was also very anxious. She didn't want to live a hard life, nor did she want to live as poorly as usual.

"Father-in-law, how about we adopt a handsome young man from our clan?"

Mr. An's eyes lit up when he heard this: "That makes sense. Let's get ready for this quickly."

Shangguan Wanjun monitored every move of the Anbo Mansion, and she also had people of hers in their mansion. When she learned that they were looking for a handsome young man from the clan, Shangguan Wanjun sneered.

"What's the point of just being good-looking? Good looks can't completely make a living." These people are so superficial. Good looks are all the same, but interesting souls are rare.

Hey, just wait, I will definitely not do everything you wish.

Shangguan Wanjun, with her big belly, came to the elimination site with a group of people. At this time, hundreds of people had been eliminated. The officials of the Ministry of Rites had been very exhausted during this period. They also had to resist the bribery and solicitation from people from all sides, which was a double torture both physically and mentally.

Liu Cheng went forward and asked the officials of the Ministry of Rites, "How is the selection of the concubine going?"

"Eunuch Liu, there are still 1,100 people."

When he heard the number, Liu Cheng's eyes moved slightly in shock, and he turned around and came to Shangguan Wanjun to report.

"Your Majesty, there are still 1,100 men."

Shangguan Wanjun was also shocked when she heard the number.

"Why are there so many?" It's difficult. Why is it more difficult for her, a female emperor, to choose a concubine than for a male emperor? What is the problem?