Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Empress Dowager Li asked, "Your Majesty, do you think three sons are too many? Not to mention the miscarriages, do you know how many descendants your father had? How many reached adulthood? How many died young? And can you guarantee that all three of your sons will be successful and establish themselves?"

"Emperor, you are the emperor. I am not forcing you to enter the harem. If you don't like these, you can choose again. Just look at your ancestors in recent generations. Which one of you has never chosen a concubine in four years since ascending the throne? Emperor, it's really time to hold a general election."

Emperor Shenwu frowned slightly: "Although there have been no general elections in recent years, there have been quite a few people entering the palace sporadically."

Empress Dowager Li sighed, "You haven't been favored much by those who entered the palace sporadically. It shows that there are still women who are not selected for the imperial examination who are more outstanding and dignified. I will not force you to establish a queen. The three concubines have managed the harem well in the past few years. The rest is up to you. At least choose some who are pleasing to the eye and can accompany the emperor. Having many children is the right way for a royal family."

The Emperor was silent for a moment. To him, choosing or not making the choice made no difference. "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your concern. I will consider it."

Empress Dowager Li knew when to stop and sat for a while before returning to the Cining Palace.

Emperor Shenwu threw the memorial in his hand and said softly, "The general election is inevitable, and I'm afraid the Li family girl will be among them again."

Li Xiang, standing by, remained motionless, feeling like a wooden stake. Emperor Shenwu recalled his father's comments about his mother: while the rules were numerous and annoying, they generally worked well. He hoped his mother would do the same this time.

After leaving Qianzheng Hall, Matron Li, who was beside Empress Dowager Li, said, "Your Majesty, why are you so lamenting? Your Majesty has no shortage of beauties in the harem. I'm afraid you'll be displeased by such admonitions."

Empress Dowager Li said, "You don't understand. Your Majesty and I have never been close since childhood. Now it's too late to mend the relationship. All I can do is talk to Your Majesty about the rules. Just look at how the Emperor has never addressed me as his son since he ascended the throne."

Nanny Li curled her lips slightly and said, "In fact, Queen Dowager, you have always been the emperor's friend. Your Majesty has been completely ignored by your mother since he was a child. No wonder the two of them are not close."

Empress Dowager Li had three sons and one daughter. She married the late emperor after she came of age. Her first child was a prince, and also the late emperor's eldest son. Naturally, the empress dowager had high hopes for her eldest son. However, when he was in his teens, he was assassinated and his right hand was disabled. A person with a disability cannot inherit the throne, let alone the most important right hand. So Empress Dowager Li turned her attention to the fifth prince, who was also her and the late emperor's second legitimate son. Although the fifth prince had flaws in his temperament, he was also a legitimate son. If he didn't become the crown prince, who would?

Empress Dowager Li completely forgot that she had a son. She remembered that once the young Zhou Xuheng ran to his father's place and stayed there for more than a month, but she knew nothing about it in Fengju Palace. This shows her and the palace people's attitude towards this son.

At that time, she was devoted to the fifth prince and her youngest daughter. She was very surprised to find her son in Qianzheng Hall, and then she became angry. She thought that he had quietly run out of Fengju Hall and disturbed his father from handling government affairs in Qianzheng Hall. He was extremely naughty and ignorant, and she wanted to punish him severely.

At that time, the late emperor looked at her and said quietly, "Heng'er said he wanted to play hide-and-seek with his mother, to see when she would notice he was missing. But for over a month, no one from Fengju Palace has come looking for my Seventh Prince. Queen, who do you think should be punished?"

Zhou Xuheng was five years old at the time, and after that, he spent more time in Qianzheng Palace, rarely returning to Fengju Palace. A few years later, she and the Imperial Concubine's faction were fiercely fighting against the Fourth Prince, whom she had fathered. She didn't particularly care when the Seventh Prince arrived at the border. After all, only if the Fifth Prince was appointed Crown Prince would they have a future.

Unexpectedly, when he returned with military achievements a few years later, everyone found that the Seventh Prince had grown to the point where everyone looked up to him. As expected, the Fifth Prince was reprimanded and imprisoned, the Fourth Prince was demoted to a commoner and exiled 3,000 miles to the southwest. Half a year later, the Seventh Prince Zhou Xuheng was made Crown Prince.

Nanny Li stopped thinking and looked at the Queen Mother carefully again: "So this time the Li family..."

Empress Dowager Li took it for granted: "The Li family is also a wealthy and noble family, so it's natural that they will participate in this election."

In Taoyuan Town, General Huwei's Mansion, in Qingwu Courtyard, several maids were whispering to each other.

Lan Qingwu had been plagued by anxiety and nightmares for the past few years, fearing that she might make a mistake and bring disaster upon her clan and... her future husband's family. Now, she was trapped in another dream, unable to wake up. In the dream, her parents in her old world were forcing her to marry.

And now the mother of the Great Sheng Dynasty was sighing: "Alas, this girl has also encountered such a thing. First, she had intermittent fevers, and then she had to recuperate for such a long time. At the age of sixteen, she finally got engaged, but encountered the national mourning, and was forced to observe a three-year mourning period. Just after three years, she encountered the incident of her grandmother. Another year, and now she is nineteen years old. Sigh, it is really worrying."

Aunt Liu, who was standing beside my mother, said, "Madam, don't worry. When the young man from the Lin family returns after passing the exam, we'll be able to take care of the young lady's affairs."

Mother frowned and continued, "Speaking of this, it's not appropriate to go to great lengths during the mourning period. After all, the engagement with the Lin family is only verbal, and I feel uneasy."

Aunt Liu comforted her, "Don't worry, ma'am. The Lin family has gone downhill. If it weren't for our Lan family's generosity, we wouldn't have been able to wait until Lin Shaojie passed the imperial examination."

Mother said, "It's a shame that the Lin family refused to get married last year when my mother-in-law was in mourning. Even the master agreed, but they refused because they didn't want to make Qingwu look unfilial."

Aunt Liu said, "Madam, you know that scholars are well-mannered and well-mannered. They're afraid of being criticized. Fortunately, the Lin family has a family rule that prohibits taking concubines. The young lady's temperament is relaxed and independent, so she's just right for you."

The mother nodded: "That's all that's good about it."

In her dream, Lan Qingwu didn't want to listen anymore. She turned around and saw the young Yun Heng reaching out his hand to her, "Ruo Ruo, come with me."

Lan Qingwu woke up from her dream. She sat up and saw that it was still early. She was surprised that she had such a messy dream after just a short nap. She was about to call for help when she heard a noisy noise outside. Ruhan and Ruping came in. Lan Qingwu looked at them. Ruping was still calm, but Ruhan's eyes were red. "Miss..."

Lan Qingwu's heart sank slightly. "Ruping, tell me, what happened?"

Ruping moved her lips slightly and whispered, "Miss, the Lin family is here to cancel the engagement." After hearing that Lin Shaojie had passed the imperial examination, they couldn't wait to cancel the engagement.

It wasn't winter yet, but Lan Qingwu felt icy cold all over, as if he'd fallen into an ice cellar. After a while, Lan Qingwu hugged his knees and whispered, "So all my good luck went into reincarnation."

The news quickly spread throughout the Lan family. Some, inevitably, gloated over the misfortune. Lan Qingtong, the fourth daughter of the second house, was always arrogant and domineering. She turned to Lan Qingyu, the third daughter of a concubine, and said, "She's beautiful and the eldest daughter of a legitimate wife, but what good is that? She's just unlucky. She spends all day saving this beggar and buying this girl, and yet she's destined to be broken off. Even if she were to be reborn as a bodhisattva, she wouldn't be able to change her fate of entering a temple, and we wouldn't have to stay home with her."

Lan Qingyu has always been timid. After hearing what she said, she blushed and dared not speak.

Second Miss Lan Qinghe frowned and said, "Qingtong, don't talk nonsense. There was nothing wrong with my elder sister saving people. Besides, it was the Lin family who betrayed us this time."

Lan Qingtong sneered, "Second sister, you're so kind as to sympathize with her, but don't you think about the fact that she can't get married, and you're already seventeen. If she can't get married, you'll have to stay home. Third sister and I aren't in a rush anyway, so why not sympathize with yourself first?"