Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Su Nuannuan smiled slightly and replied calmly, "Your Majesty is absolutely right, but a family cannot prosper overnight."

Which family in this world has been incredibly powerful from the very beginning?

Moreover, I believe that even without a powerful family as a backing, Father and Brother can live a good life on their own.

As for me, I have no need to rely on my family's support. When Jingcheng and Jingyao grow up, I only hope they will have a simple and harmonious maternal family. After all, with more people, there will naturally be more troubles and disputes; this is, in itself, a peaceful and tranquil way of life.”

The emperor frowned and said in a slightly heavy tone, "However, without the support and assistance of the family, Jingcheng's future path will likely be much more difficult."

Su Nuannuan, however, did not take it to heart. She gently shook her head and comforted him, "Your Majesty, do not worry. Jingcheng will be a carefree prince in the future, so how could he have no way out?"

The emperor pressed on with great interest: "Oh? Could it be that my beloved consort has already decided to let Jingcheng be a mediocre and idle prince for the rest of his life?"

Su Nuannuan's eyes sparkled, and she said with a coquettish smile, "Your Majesty, I think being a carefree prince isn't so bad. Just think about it, he has money and power, plus the Emperor's protection. Who in the world would dare to bully him so easily?"

"If Jingcheng is not content with the status quo and does not want to be a carefree and leisurely prince, what should he do?" The Emperor stared intently at Su Nuannuan, as if trying to find more meaning in her answer.

The person being asked—Su Nuannuan—responded without hesitation: “If that’s the case, then let’s follow his maternal grandfather’s example and guard the frontier. In this way, we can also make great contributions to our Azure Kingdom and contribute our own strength.” Her tone was firm and decisive, as if she had already thought this through carefully.

"Haha, so my beloved consort has planned Jingcheng's entire life so meticulously." The Emperor couldn't help but laugh, his eyes showing a mixture of surprise and doting affection.

Su Nuannuan smiled slightly, winked playfully, and said, "That's for sure. Choosing between being a prince or a general isn't actually that difficult, is it?"

"Of course, if it's really hard to choose, you can always have both the identities of a prince and a general. That's not a bad choice either, right, Your Majesty?" After saying that, she looked at the emperor with a smile in her big, watery eyes, waiting for his reply.

The Emperor shook his head helplessly, gently tapped Su Nuannuan's forehead with his finger, and sighed, "You, you, in this harem, only you dare to scheme against me like this." Although there was a hint of reproach in his words, there was more indulgence than reproach.

Li Desheng, who was serving nearby, felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing Consort Zhuang's words. He cautiously observed the Emperor's expression, fearing that the Emperor might be angered by Consort Zhuang's overly frank scheming. However, to his surprise, the Emperor not only did not become angry, but instead showed a peculiar tolerance towards Consort Zhuang's words.

Seeing that the Emperor was not angry, Su Nuannuan's smile grew even brighter. She stood up gracefully, curtsied to the Emperor, and said sweetly, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your praise."

"Do you think I'm praising you?" The Emperor's voice carried a hint of authority as he stared intently at Su Nuannuan.

"Otherwise what? Your Majesty." Su Nuannuan blinked her bright eyes and replied innocently.

Her charming and lovely appearance made it difficult to get angry, but at this moment the emperor felt somewhat helpless.

Upon hearing Su Nuannuan's words, the emperor was utterly speechless, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Standing to the side serving, Li Desheng secretly marveled, "Your Majesty, you are truly courageous."

"Remember to inform me when the gourd strips are dried so I can taste them," the emperor slowly stood up and instructed Su Nuannuan.

He had originally hoped to have a more intimate conversation with Consort Zhuang, but unexpectedly, the conversation turned into such an awkward one.

The Emperor had effectively killed off Consort Zhuang's conversation that day, and he no longer intended to stay there, so he turned and left.

However, before taking a step, he couldn't help but turn back and remind him, "Don't forget, I'm waiting to taste your gourd strips!" There seemed to be a hint of anticipation in his words.

"Your Majesty, I will certainly remember. I respectfully see you off." Su Nuannuan bowed slightly, performing a standard curtsy.

Seeing Su Nuannuan's respectful attitude, the Emperor felt for a moment that he might not be welcomed by Consort Zhuang. But when he looked at Su Nuannuan's expression again, her beautiful face still held a faint smile, making him wonder if he was overthinking things.

Anning Palace

"Your Majesty, Consort Zhuang is drying gourd strips in her palace!" Yingchun came in with a plate of snacks and reported this news to the Empress.

Upon hearing Yingchun's words, the Empress looked puzzled and asked softly, "Gourd strips? What exactly are those?"

It's no wonder the Empress was so curious to ask such a question. After all, she came from a prestigious family and was a noble lady of high birth. How many opportunities would she have to come into contact with such ordinary things?

Yingchun quickly put the pastries in her hand aside, then walked up to the Empress and patiently explained, "Your Majesty, the so-called gourd strips are actually made from the large gourds used to make water ladles."

Consort Zhuang, having somehow acquired special tools, shaved all the gourds into long, thin strips, saying that after drying them, they could be stored for consumption in winter. Moreover… she heard that the Emperor had just left Cuiwei Palace.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress was slightly taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "In this vast harem, I'm afraid only Consort Zhuang lives the most unrestrained and carefree life." A hint of envy was evident in her words.

Yingchun quickly chimed in, "That's right, Your Highness. Consort Zhuang is always free-spirited, yet she still abides by the palace rules. It's truly admirable!"

After the Emperor left, Su Nuannuan slowly turned her gaze to the two gourd racks in the courtyard. Sunlight shone on them, casting a faint silvery glow. She frowned slightly, seemingly not entirely satisfied with the number of gourds on the racks.

Then, she turned around and whispered to Li Quan, who had just walked over, "Li Quan, hurry up and go out of the palace to see if there's anywhere we can buy some fresh gourds. With the few gourd strips we have in our courtyard, once they're dried, there won't be many left, and we won't be able to eat them more than a few times."

Upon hearing this, Li Quan quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. But Your Majesty, according to regulations, all items purchased from outside the palace must first be inspected by the Imperial Household Department. Otherwise..." However, before he could finish speaking, Su Nuannuan interrupted him rudely.

“This matter cannot be entrusted to the Imperial Household Department! Those guys are simply a bunch of insatiable vampires! They dare to overstate the price of an ordinary egg by one tael of silver! If they are put in charge of purchasing these gourds, heaven knows how much silver they will embezzle from me.”

So, in a little while, go directly to the Hall of Diligent Governance to see the Emperor and tell him that you wish to purchase some gourds for drying gourd strips, and ask for his approval. As for the specifics of how to approach the Emperor, that's something you'll have to carefully consider yourself. Remember, make sure you get things done properly!

Just now, I was so focused on getting the Emperor away quickly that I forgot about this matter! Now I have no choice but to trouble you to make this trip again.

"Your Highness, in my opinion, this matter doesn't need to go to such great lengths. We can simply entrust the Third Young Master to purchase the goods and send them to the palace. Although this might cost some money for bribing officials, it would save a lot of manpower and time."