Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Prime Minister Jiang stood behind the Empress Dowager, slowly massaging her temples with his hands. Upon hearing this, his movements slowed down.

"His Majesty is kind-hearted and compassionate; even if he harbors some dissatisfaction, he will not show it," said Prime Minister Jiang.

The Empress Dowager was still somewhat worried.

"Although Xiao'er is not my biological child, I treat her as my own, and I never want her to be sad or upset. I think we should find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with Xiao'er."

Now, winter has passed, but spring has yet to arrive. There is still a chill in the air, and the wind blowing in from the window made the Empress Dowager cough softly a few times.

Prime Minister Jiang immediately went to close the window.

She held the Empress Dowager's hand with some tenderness and said with concern.

“You are so incapable of taking care of yourself! You always make me worry. I brought a few guards and servants from my residence and placed them in your palace so they can keep an eye on you at all times, saving me from constantly worrying about you while I am outside the palace.”

The Empress Dowager felt extremely comforted. Over the past ten years, she had known, gotten to know, and pledged herself to Prime Minister Jiang. Prime Minister Jiang had always been reliable and considerate towards her.

Prime Minister Jiang chatted with the Empress Dowager for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, he left before the palace gates were locked.

After Prime Minister Jiang left, the Empress Dowager became somewhat bored and read a storybook for a while.

At this moment, the expensive spices emitted a light woody fragrance, which slowly drifted to the Empress Dowager's nose, making her feel somewhat drowsy.

Pregnant men are most prone to sleepiness, and the Empress Dowager did not mind. With the help of her attendants, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The master and his attendants quietly withdrew, but at that moment, two people slowly emerged from behind the screen in the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

One is His Majesty, and the other is Xia Jin'an.

It is not surprising that His Majesty is here. Although the Empress Dowager is the most honored person in the harem, in the end, her power is given by His Majesty. The Imperial Household Department is also His Majesty's people, so it is very convenient for him to place a few of his own people.

Prime Minister Jiang understood this as well, and just in case, he wanted to place his own people in the Empress Dowager's palace.

Jiang Yuxiao stood by the bed, looking at the sleeping Empress Dowager, then her gaze shifted to the Empress Dowager's slightly protruding belly, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Imperial Physician Xia, why is the Empress Dowager's child still perfectly healthy?"

In order to allow Xia Jin'an to stay in the palace legitimately, His Majesty gave her the official position of Imperial Physician. Although it was only a ninth-rank official, she had no say in the Imperial Medical Academy.

But Xia Jin'an felt a sense of relief, thinking that he finally had a place to settle down. This place was not given to him by others, nor was it given to him by others; it was something he earned himself with dignity.

Xia Jin'an bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is quite careful with this child, personally overseeing all his food and drink."

Xia Jin'an wasn't without any chance; he did want to take the life of an innocent child!

His Majesty's tone carried a hint of coldness: "The Empress Dowager seems to care quite a bit about this child."

His Majesty, seemingly lost in thought, asked, "Imperial Physician Xia, if this illegitimate child were to be born normally, approximately in which month would it be born?"

Xia Jin'an calculated with her fingers and said, "October."

"It's a good month!"

Because the Imperial Astronomical Bureau chose the date for Le Xingxi's entry into the palace, which was also October of this year.

In March, Le Xingxi tearfully bid farewell to his master, solemnly bowed to Buddha, and officially announced the end of his two-year Buddhist practice, bidding farewell to his identity as a monk.

After leaving the temple, Le Xingxi began to grow his hair. When his hair grew long enough, His Majesty would issue an imperial edict to appoint him as the Imperial Consort and would then bring Le Xingxi into the palace in a grand ceremony.

Upon hearing this news, some were overjoyed while others were saddened!

Le Xingxi's biggest worry is Le Wentao.

Everyone thought he would go crazy.

However, to everyone's surprise, Yue Wentao held back. He didn't even return to the Yue residence to mock Yue Xingxi in a sarcastic way; he just devoted himself to serving the Empress Dowager.

Since the Empress Dowager fell ill, he visited her three times a day, sometimes even staying up all night to stay by her side and attend to her illness until she recovered somewhat, at which point he would leave with a worried expression.

Everyone in the palace praised Yue Wentao, and even His Majesty paid close attention to him, visiting his palace several times!

Le Xingxi, who knew Le Wentao well, was extremely uneasy. Le Wentao was not the kind of person who could swallow his anger. He must have something big on his mind!

Xia Muning also noticed that Zhong Tian had been very busy lately, often returning home late at night. Every time he came back, he had thick dark circles under his eyes. He would hug Xia Muning, exhausted, and sleep soundly.

Spring has arrived, bringing vibrant colors to the city, but no one appreciates them. Autumn has come, bringing abundant harvests, but no one savors them. It seems everyone is waiting for October, this special month, knowing that something significant will happen this month.

October arrived as promised.

The first thing was that Xia Lan had returned from exile in Daming Prefecture. Zhong Tian was able to return because of the Emperor's special pardon, while Xia Lan had not made any contributions and had no choice but to stay there obediently. As soon as Xia Lan returned, she went to Zhong Tian and cried to him about how miserable her life in Daming Prefecture had been!

Nakata remained completely unmoved!

The second thing was to issue an imperial edict appointing Le Congxi, the son of General Le, as the imperial consort, and to announce to the world that he would enter the palace immediately!

Before entering the palace, Le Xingxi would hold a banquet in her own residence, while the coronation ceremony would be held in the palace.

Nakata received an invitation from the Naka family.

……

Le Xingxi sat in front of the mirror, listening to the bustling noise outside.

The once bustling general's mansion is now even more crowded with guests, all wanting to share in its wealth.

The glass mirror clearly reflected Le Xingxi's face. Today was a joyous day, but his eyebrows were tightly furrowed, showing no joy whatsoever.

Tomorrow, His Majesty will come to fetch him to the palace. He will soon become the revered Imperial Consort!

He tried to smile, but his reflection in the mirror looked worse than he was crying.

He touched the clothes around his waist, which had been embroidered by the palace embroiderers day and night for half a year based on his figure.

It was brought here yesterday, and they said they wanted to try on the clothes to see if they fit.

Le Xingxi had placed a small dagger inside the lining of her clothes. The clothes were so intricate and exquisite that only Le Xingxi herself could detect it; no one else could find it!

If he is forced to enter the palace tomorrow, and His Majesty does anything improper, he will perish together with His Majesty.

He believed in Zhongniang, but Zhongniang hadn't taken any action yet, perhaps because the task was too difficult and she had backed down! He shouldn't blame her; he was just a little sad.

Suddenly, there was a knocking sound at the window.

Le Xingxi wiped away his tears, opened the window, and saw Zhongniang, whom he had been longing for, standing outside. But why was she dressed so strangely?