The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Upon hearing this, Murong Chuan, annoyed, angrily flicked his sleeve and said, "When did my harem become anyone's business?"

Qiu Lingyu smiled and comforted the child who was startled by Murong Chuan's sudden loud voice, saying, "The Empress has always been in charge of the inner palace. You were originally assigned to Yue Leyun's place because my sister is virtuous and kind. Otherwise, the whole court would have been talking about Your Majesty long ago."

Although I've only been married into the family for a month, Yue Leyun has already sent many old women to teach me these things. If I don't remember them, I'll be punished, Your Majesty. Please don't make things difficult for me.

Murong Chuan was furious, but the culprit was the empress he had personally appointed, someone he couldn't touch at the moment. He was so angry that he paced back and forth in the room.

Qiu Lingyu ignored her and placed Rouge in the cradle to play with her. The six-month-old baby could already laugh, and every time Rouge played with her, she laughed heartily, which softened Qiu Lingyu's heart.

Hearing Rouge's laughter, Murong Chuan seemed to sense something and was about to go forward to see his daughter, whom he had never looked at closely since birth. However, just as he took a step, he suddenly heard a loud shout from outside.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Prime Minister's residence is in turmoil. It is said that the eldest grandson of the main branch of the family has gone missing."

Upon hearing this, Murong Chuan immediately looked at Qiu Lingyu. Qiu Lingyu, who was prepared, also stood up abruptly upon hearing this, her eyes filled with surprise and fear. When she saw Murong Chuan looking at her, she asked, "What? What happened?"

Murong Chuan frowned: "You didn't do it?"

Qiu Lingyu shook her head anxiously, saying, "You told me yesterday that I wasn't fully prepared, so how could I act rashly? But how could a child just suddenly be gone? Your Majesty, are you sure it's really lost?"

Murong Chuan frowned; he too had his doubts.

The child is his. Although the people in the Prime Minister's mansion may say that this is the eldest grandson of their family, the Yue family knows that this child is not their own flesh and blood. Can they really treat him like a real young master?

Thinking of this, he said to Qiu Lingyu, "You stay here and don't leave. I'll go take a look."

Qiu Lingyu stood up and took two steps to catch up, saying, "Your Majesty, you must find the child. That is her child with you."

Murong Chuan nodded and strode away. Watching his retreating figure, Qiu Lingyu sneered, looking at the child in her arms and whispering, "Look, this is your father. Your mother died for him, and he couldn't even manage to bury her properly. Hah, how laughable. This is love, huh? You shouldn't be as foolish as your mother in the future. He's just a man; why be so obsessed?"

The child was suddenly lost, and the entire Prime Minister's residence was mobilized to search for him, but they couldn't find him. Yue Leyun was so angry that she went into labor. Fortunately, it was almost time for her due date, and after a whole day of trouble, she finally gave birth to the child. However, unfortunately, it wasn't the boy she had expected, but a princess.

Murong Chuan's face was expressionless, but he was also utterly disappointed. He had given up his son in exchange for his current secure throne. Although he had many complaints about Yue Leyun, he still hoped that she could give birth to a son so that his empire could be more stable.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a daughter.

Without even glancing at the child, Murong Chuan comforted Yue Leyun for a few moments before leaving under the pretext of searching for the eldest grandson of the Prime Minister's eldest son, leaving Yue Leyun feeling utterly dejected.

Prime Minister Yue was furious. This grandson was a fake anyway, and it was fine to keep him in the mansion. But his sudden disappearance sent chills down his spine. He contacted the woman in the palace, only to find that she had gone into premature labor.

The emperor also punished the Yue family for this. Although he did not remove Yue's position as prime minister, he demoted Yue's eldest son from a second-rank official to a third-rank official.

After two days of living in fear and trepidation, the child still hadn't been found, so Prime Minister Yue had no choice but to go to the palace to discuss the matter with Yue Leyun.

Yue Leyun directly pointed the finger at Qiu Lingyu, but Prime Minister Yue did not believe it, saying, "A princess from a foreign land has only been married for a little over a month. How could she possibly have the ability to steal a child who can walk and cry? Especially the guards in the mansion, they are now comparable to those of the former General's Mansion."

Prime Minister Yue was very confident, but he couldn't dispel Yue Leyun's suspicions. She said, "No, it must be her. In the entire capital, who else dares to oppose me besides her who suddenly appeared?"

Prime Minister Yue frowned: "But if it was her, how did she manage to deceive everyone? And why did she steal our child? Besides you and me, who else knows the child's identity?"

Yue Leyun shook her head and said, "Dingxiang by my side is my confidante. She would never betray me. But Father, have you told anyone else?"

Prime Minister Yue shook his head: "Besides me, no one else knows. Your sister-in-law always thought that it was her child, and your brother only knew that it was a child that someone else didn't want, and that he only brought it back to appease your sister-in-law."

Yue Leyun rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, saying, "If that's the case, then it must be her. She wants to take revenge on me, so she plans to harm my family and then get to the point of hurting me. After all, in the palace, she can't touch me in the slightest."

Prime Minister Yue was somewhat convinced and nodded, saying, "In that case, there's no need to worry about the child. But Yun'er, do you really know this foreign princess well? I once glanced at her and felt that she bore a striking resemblance to the granddaughter of the Shangguan family."

Upon hearing this, Yue Leyun sneered: "It's not just a resemblance, it's an exact resemblance. Father, you need to send someone to the Northern Desert to investigate whether this princess is real or fake, and what her relationship is with the Shangguan family. I don't believe that there could be someone in the world who looks so unrecognizable without any connection to her."

She didn't care about the previous Qiu Lingyu; that person was stupid and could be bullied and harmed at will. But the one in front of her was different. She seemed to have no desires or ambitions, but she was extremely difficult to deal with, especially since she also held the identity of the Northern Desert Princess and had her people in her hands. She had no way to make a move.

Prime Minister Yue nodded and said, "I will investigate as soon as possible. As for you, how are you? After giving birth to a daughter, what is the Emperor's attitude?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Leyun's eyes darkened, and she said sarcastically, "The Emperor naturally hopes for a son. When Qiu Lingyu gave birth to a son, the joy in his eyes was genuine. Now that a daughter has given birth to a daughter, I'm afraid he'll have to keep trying, otherwise his position as Empress will be in jeopardy."

Prime Minister Yue said, "No, with your father here, the Emperor will not depose the Empress. He promised me."

Yue Leyun shook her head and said, "He does have feelings for me, but how long can an emperor's feelings last? If I can't give birth to a prince, he will definitely despise me. If that princess serves him again and gives birth to a son, then I will really be in danger."

As she spoke, she looked at Prime Minister Yue and continued, "Father, that princess has not yet been able to serve the emperor. The emperor has mentioned her to me, and he even went to see her this morning. If it weren't for the incident in the manor, she would probably have already done it by now."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Yue frowned slightly and said, "Yun'er, you have chosen this path, and it is so difficult. No emperor would stay with only one woman. After all, producing offspring for the royal family is the emperor's top priority. Even if the emperor himself does not take in many concubines, I, as his subject, will still offer suggestions. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the people."

Upon hearing this, Yue Leyun shook her head violently and said, "It's different. If it were any other woman, I could control her, but not this princess. Do you know how Qiu Lingyu won the Emperor's heart?"

Prime Minister Yue was taken aback, and then Yue Leyun recounted the story of Murong Chuan and Qiu Lingyu. While Prime Minister Yue was still in surprise, Yue Leyun said, "Father, in this life, I love no one but the Emperor. I also dream of living in harmony with the Emperor and becoming a virtuous and kind Empress of Yue."

But if the Emperor's heart is not with me, then what is the point of me being the Empress? How am I any different from the Empresses of the past? When Father's power is gone, will the Emperor also destroy our Yue family?

"I can't let my in-laws and me go down that path, so Father, you must work together with me. I must always keep the Emperor's heart at bay and not let anyone snatch him away. Therefore, this princess cannot be allowed to live."

Prime Minister Yue was greatly alarmed and hurriedly advised, "No, the people of the northern deserts are like wolves. If their princess were to be harmed in the palace, it would inevitably lead to war between the two countries. Yue has lost the Shangguan family at this time. If war breaks out, Yue will surely be defeated."

Yue Leyun didn't believe it: "Does the Yue Kingdom have no capable people besides the Shangguan family?"

Prime Minister Yue sighed and said, "The bravery of the Shangguan lineage is unmatched by others, especially the momentum they have accumulated over generations. When the foreign tribes hear of it, they are terrified and lose without a fight."

Now that the Shangguan family has been purged by the Emperor, the remaining 100,000 troops are like a lost leader. Even if other generals are sent now, it will be difficult to win over the troops. It will take time to integrate them. At this time, it is not advisable for Yue to be in war.

"Yun'er, I know you're heartbroken, but this isn't the time to fight for power. Right now, you need to take care of your health, spend more time with the Emperor, and give birth to a prince as soon as possible. That's your bargaining chip."

Yue Leyun remained silent. Prime Minister Yue sighed, stood up, and bowed to her, saying, "The proper etiquette cannot be disregarded. You are now the Empress. My words just now were mostly advice. I hope you will take them to heart. I will take my leave now."

After Prime Minister Yue left, Yue Leyun gripped the bed sheet tightly, looking at the baby cradle beside the bed. Inside was her daughter, who was only two days old and was sleeping soundly, occasionally blowing bubbles.

As Yue Leyun watched, tears suddenly streamed down her face, falling drop by drop onto the bed. She cried out sorrowfully, "Why? Why aren't you my son? What use are you to me like this?"

The maid Dingxiang beside her stirred slightly, squatted down, and whispered to her, "Your Majesty, do not be sad, lest you harm your health and benefit others. What Your Majesty should pay most attention to now is where the Emperor will stay during this month, since Your Majesty is currently in the middle of your postpartum period."