Marrying the Crown Prince

Indeed, Li Ziyan wouldn't have gained weight if Zhou Zhou hadn't been there to help with the affairs.

After all, those piles and piles of memorials were not something one person could possibly read through.

Look, Emperor Chenze lost weight during the New Year, didn't he?

After hearing Li Ziyan's words, the Empress Dowager gestured for Zhou Zhou to sit down.

Zhou Zhou slowly stepped forward and stopped beside her, whereupon her hand was taken. "Good girl, it's all thanks to you."

After saying that, she took off the eighteen-bead Buddhist prayer beads that were wrapped around her wrist and put them on Zhou Zhou's wrist. "I have been carrying these prayer beads with me for three years. Please don't find them unsightly."

That's right, I've worn it for three years. As for why only three years, it's because the previous string of beads I wore for over ten years was given to me by the Empress Dowager as a gift when Zhou Zhou and Li Ziyan got married.

Come to think of it, if that first string hadn't been given away, this one wouldn't exist.

However, quite mysteriously, both strings are now in Zhou Zhou's hands.

In other words, Your Majesty, besides this, will you send anything else?

Zhou Zhou lowered her eyes, looking at the Buddhist prayer beads that were wrapped around her wrist several times, and gently flicked them with her finger. "Grandmother, what are you saying? The things you gave me are all good things, how could I dislike them?"

"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager snorted lightly, speaking with an air of arrogance, "So, according to you, you're going to dislike things that aren't good?"

Faced with such an awkward question, Zhou Zhou would usually choose to pout, act cute and charming, and play the rogue, saying, "Oh, Grandmother, what did you say~."

If it were Empress Chu, she might find such a tone disgusting, but the Empress Dowager was old and experienced, and she did indeed like the younger generation to act coquettishly towards her, although few dared to do so.

But it is precisely because few dare to do so that Zhou Zhou's charm is all the more precious.

"Alright, alright, it was my fault," she said cheerfully.

After staying at Shou Kang Palace for another half an hour, the Empress Dowager grew tired and dismissed everyone.

On their way back to the East Palace, Zhou Zhou and Li Ziyan were finally alone.

At this moment, the two began to talk about what they had observed at Fengyi Palace that day.

"Judging from the Empress Dowager's expression, she seems quite pleased with Consort De's pregnancy." Zhou Zhou was somewhat surprised by this.

When Empress Chu was young, she was prone to jealousy and sullenness. Later, as Li Ziyan grew up, she focused all her attention on him and became indifferent to Emperor Chenze and the concubines in the harem.

Now, it seems that Empress Chu's attitude towards her concubines has changed again?

To be fair, if it weren't for Empress Chu's words today, which would have helped Consort De quite a bit, both openly and secretly.

Li Ziyan pondered for a moment, "Perhaps it's because no one in the harem has given birth to an imperial heir in recent years, which has put some pressure on the Empress Dowager?"

The court officials are just idle; if the concubines in the harem can't conceive, or can't give birth, they blame it on the Empress...

What? The Empress can decide where the Emperor will rest?

Of course, Zhou Zhou had not conceived in the three years since she married into the Eastern Palace. Several court officials submitted memorials to Emperor Chenze, suggesting that a selection of concubines be held to add two secondary consorts for the Crown Prince.

Emperor Chenze was tempted by this, but then he thought that perhaps the Crown Princess's inability to give birth was not her fault, but the Crown Prince's. So what was the point of marrying so many women?

Therefore, he simply tossed those kinds of folded documents aside.

Zhou Zhou sensed something was amiss after hearing Li Ziyan's words and tentatively offered a guess, "Mother...do you know anything about Consort De's background?"

She herself might have forgotten that Consort De's name was Lin Xiang, but Empress Chu should not have forgotten, since when handling palace affairs, the names of concubines would appear more or less, rather than just writing which palace and which lady.

“Your Majesty is aware that Consort De’s hometown is in the southwest,” Li Ziyan said, “but as for other matters, Your Majesty is unaware.”

He paused, then added, "However, I think Father Emperor knows all this."

Zhou Zhou was stunned for a moment, then regained his usual calm. "This... is really beyond my expectations."

Indeed, it would be hard for anyone to think of these things—knowing that she had ulterior motives for entering the palace and that all her sincerity was just an act, yet she still doted on, protected, and respected him. Few people would believe that, would they?

“As far as Father Emperor is concerned, all the concubines in the harem are the same,” Li Ziyan explained from the side.

Yes, since ancient times, most women entered the palace for the sake of their families and power.

Therefore, Emperor Chenze considered it perfectly normal for his subjects to send people into his palace.

Therefore, Emperor Chenze knew which faction was behind each concubine, but he didn't care.

Why should we care?

Dealing with court affairs and caring for the people is tiring enough. When you return to the inner palace and finally have a place to rest and relax, you still have to think about which concubine was sent in by whom and whether you can favor her.

Aren't you tired?

Anyway, once she enters the palace, she'll be his concubine. He'll favor whichever one he likes.

Whether the concubines, once they gain the emperor's favor, should try to secure some benefits for their own families is their own business; and whether they can persuade Emperor Chenze depends on their own abilities.

Zhou Zhou reached out and rubbed his forehead—there was just too much information to process.

Seeing her like this, Li Ziyan chuckled and took her hand. "It's alright, there's no need to worry about these things."

It wasn't anything important to begin with.

“No, this is a very important matter.” Zhou Zhou’s eyes were clear and bright, like the sky on a rainy day, as she quietly looked at him.

Li Ziyan asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"As Your Highness said, emperors throughout history have never cared about which family or which power sent the concubines to the harem."

"So, in the future, will Your Highness also have many women by your side, adding fragrance to your life?"

Zhou Zhou's question was so calm that Li Ziyan couldn't see through her true thoughts.

He reached out and smoothed the strands of Zhou Zhou's hair that fell over her shoulder, then wrapped them around his hand.

Sometimes it's just so strange. When you don't know someone is touching your hair, you don't feel anything at all; but when you know someone is playing with your hair, you feel a little itchy. This itch is not obvious, like a soft, white feather gently brushing against your neck.

Zhou Zhou hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist and snatched her hair back from Li Ziyan's grasp.

"It itches," she explained.

Li Ziyan smiled and replied with a muffled laugh, "Okay, I understand."

Upon hearing the answer, a faint smile appeared on Zhou Zhou's face.

Seeing Zhou Zhou's relaxed expression, Li Ziyan knew that she understood, so she reached out and took her hand, "Let's go, it's terribly cold."

"it is good."

The two walked hand in hand on the stone-paved road, flanked by tall red walls covered with yellow glazed tiles, on which a thin layer of snow covered the tiles.

When the wind blows, snowflakes and plum blossom petals fall together, red and white, swirling in the air.

This scenery is absolutely gorgeous!