Quick Transmigration: Leisure

It was late at night.

There are still many people troubled by their thoughts and tormented by their pain.

Because of the elopement, Xia's father was furious. Apart from the four guards who were imprisoned and the two maids who were left to serve him, the rest of the people were either implicated or quietly left the courtyard under the arrangement of the second wife.

They were worried that the young lady might do something foolish after waking up.

Nianzhen and Nianzhu were always on night duty together, half-lying not far from the young lady's bedroom, one keeping watch for the first half of the night and the other for the second half. In addition, they also had to take care of the trivial matters in the courtyard during the day.

So, when Xia Youmi was pondering the characters and plot in the middle of the night, her attention was diverted by a slight gasp.

"Nianzhu, go see Physician Qi tomorrow."

"Miss, is there anything else that's bothering you? I'll go right now!"

"I'm fine!" Xia Youmi raised her voice before Nianzhu and Nianzhen could get up to check on her. "I'm just showing you yourselves. I've treated both internal and external injuries. I'm much better now. After I pay my respects to my father tomorrow morning, we'll discuss sending some helpers."

"Don't exhaust you all," Xia Youmi added.

"Yes!"

Nianzhu's eyes were brimming with tears, and she had a thousand worries she wanted to express, but Nianzhen persuaded her to stop for the time being. The two of them simply kowtowed silently to express their gratitude.

When the imperial decree of marriage was issued, twenty days were allotted for preparations to be made for the marriage.

The plan to elope took one day, leaving the city took one day, being caught and brought back took one day, and being sick for two days left, leaving fifteen days.

These past few days, the two maids have been the ones who have suffered the most.

They not only lacked the martial prowess of guards, but also received none of the treatment due to Xia Youmi's status as a master. Although their relationship with Xia Ji was strong enough to allow them to remain in the courtyard to serve him instead of being imprisoned, they were still treated with respect.

However, he was physically and mentally exhausted, and also suffered some external injuries during the interrogation by the Fourth Prince.

Xia Youmi was previously in a daze, her mind filled with shattered hopes for the future.

But now, she is keenly aware that nothing is more important than taking good care of her health.

Whether or not she entered the prince's harem was not up to her.

Therefore, we must first treat the illness and fill our stomachs before considering how to deal with it.

The princes' harem had only three ranks: principal wife, secondary wife, and princess. The difference in status and power was significant, but all were titles that could only be obtained through a proper selection process.

All other marriages—whether found, stolen from elsewhere, given as gifts, or encountered by chance—are not recognized unless they are arranged by imperial decree.

Even if someone is deeply loved, as long as they don't become the supreme emperor, it doesn't matter.

Women without status could only be called maids who received slightly better treatment.

This bizarre rule originated from the emperor two generations before him, who also rose to power through a reverse takeover. His brothers had all fought their way through, leaving only him, thus allowing him to rightfully ascend the throne. However, due to that tragic experience, coupled with the persecution he suffered from those below him vying for power, he was ultimately left with a difficult fate.

And when the Xi dynasty was at its peak,

Numerous foreign powers tried every means to infiltrate the backyard of his descendants, attempting to shake the foundations of the Xi Dynasty from the bottom up.

One by one, the princes they nurtured were ruined by estrangement and by the so-called father-son relationship within the imperial family.

in this way,

While consolidating his power, he established numerous golden rules and ironclad regulations for imperial succession.

For example, apart from the emperor, the only officially recognized newborn children in the princes' harems could be those whose ancestors for eighteen generations had been investigated by the imperial court.

Furthermore, the sons and heirs of the emperor are not allowed to be granted the title of king before the new emperor ascends the throne.

In other words, everyone calls each other "Prince So-and-so" according to their order.

Only when one of you brothers is chosen as the next in line can the new emperor bestow titles and ranks upon his brothers according to their seniority and political achievements.

The new emperor encountered some difficulties in implementing the new regulations.

but,

The current emperor is a beneficiary of the new regulations.

He fully appreciated the benefits his grandfather's rules brought to his smooth rise to power. Therefore, these rules were firmly enforced during his thirty-five years in power.

It reached the point where even young children could recite it.

The eldest prince, at the advanced age of forty-five, had risked his life and made numerous contributions, yet he was only called a prince.

Although there are special positions in the court to record the merits and demerits of each prince, once the new emperor ascends the throne, he will not ignore all the previous efforts because of his personal likes and dislikes.

But for the prince, it was ultimately a frustrating situation.

But those who were dissatisfied with the patriarchal and imperial system could only endure it. If they couldn't bear it, they would give up their inheritance rights and become lazy, living a life of revelry without anyone to restrain them.

They endured their frustrations and continued to work diligently, which ultimately proves that they still have some ambition.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the current emperor has no legitimate son born to the empress, so everyone is on the same starting line.

From the 45-year-old eldest prince to the 10-year-old seventeenth prince, they were all quite presentable.

The old emperor had three more years until his death.

According to the laws of this dynasty, only the fifteenth prince and above who have served in the military can be considered to have the right of succession.

Xia Ji returned to the capital to marry off his daughter, and subsequently remained in the capital as an official.

Poor Sixteen and Seventeen, when they reached the age where their father was no longer leading the team, their mothers dared not let them go out to gain experience.

If a son is lost at a critical juncture of generational change, the chance to leave the palace and become an ancestor will be lost.

Of the remaining fifteen princes, the second and third, and the twelfth and thirteenth were twins. Theoretically, they would only have a chance to inherit the throne if all the princes died.

Excluding the two who are too young, not yet married, and without the support of their in-laws, we have the Fourteenth Prince and the Fifteenth Prince.

The remaining nine princes—the eldest, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh princes—are the most capable pieces on the current emperor's chessboard.

They each have their own skills, strengths, and weaknesses.

among them,

At the center of the storm of conflict were the fourth, fifth, and sixth wives. The three mothers were completely at odds, but cleverly, they all gave birth to children in the same year.

So we kept comparing until we got bigger.

As the eldest son grew older and his health weakened, he unconsciously developed a bitter disposition, and his fighting gradually subsided.

He was five years older than the second son and fifteen years older than the fourth son and the others. Perhaps, leaving a concubine position for Xia Ji's daughter was his last attempt.

As for,

The gap in the princes' ages is naturally related to the secrets of the inner palace. Only by eliminating those who should disappear can the cries of newborns be heard.

The current emperor is quite patient; he has not relaxed his efforts even at the age of seventy.

He was a diligent official who was able to act without being entirely driven by personal likes or dislikes.

He entrusted all matters to his ministers for discussion, and never forgot to test the princes in every situation.

Under such self-discipline and strict discipline, princes of different temperaments either learned to endure as well, or they became abnormal in silence.

Several princes secretly trespassed on the old emperor's sensitive areas.

For example, he would treat the women who were selected to enter the household coldly, and favor the women in the house, that is, the various concubines and maids he could come into contact with.

Some even secretly gave birth to children and then adopted them to legitimate princesses, attempting to deceive the authorities.

Each government office and department has its own methods for relieving stress.

but,

The reason why the fourth prince was the one who eventually rose to power was not only because he was capable, but also because his mother was shrewd and his maternal and paternal families did not hold him back.

Ultimately, he pleased the old emperor and exercised absolute restraint.

He strictly adhered to the golden rules and ironclad regulations to discipline himself.

The old emperor actually had a lot of dirt on him, and he wrote a book on each of his sons equally.

But only the fourth one is the thinnest.

His backyard was also the most orderly, with everyone there having been elected to the government.

Even when the princess of the manor was embroiled in a scandal of running away from her arranged marriage, he could still manipulate the situation to build up his image.

He's ruthless and capable enough; the old emperor liked him.