Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

The concubines had no grounds to argue, finding the Emperor's words quite reasonable. Even the Empress had no further arguments; she had originally intended to eliminate this useless son, but unexpectedly, he had not only joined Consort Li's camp but had also become the legitimate heir. Fortunately, Gu Mochen had already ingested the poison, a poison that even a divine physician could not cure, ensuring his certain death at the age of 25. Gu Mochen hadn't taken the poison and was unaware of the Empress's intentions. Had he known, he wasn't sure if he could have killed his own mother on the spot. Ye Qingchen, however, knew about the poison; she hadn't thrown away the powder but carefully kept it, intending to secretly give it to the Crown Prince to taste, making the Empress regret her treatment of Gu Mochen.

Then the Emperor raised his cup to everyone and said, "Come, my beloved concubines, the Crown Princess, Prince Chen, Princess Chen, and our little Yue'er, Princess Fujia, let us raise a glass to my return to youth today, to Consort Li's help in raising the Empress's son, and to my lovely granddaughter." Everyone, whether happy or not, had to be present. Some were happy, such as Consort Li, Gu Mochen, Ye Qingchen, and little Yue'er; others were the Emperor and Zhao Quan; and still others were the younger concubines. But most of the concubines, like the Empress, were unhappy. The Crown Prince was difficult to deal with, and with Consort Li currently favored, Prince Chen was likely even more difficult to handle. Most frighteningly, the Emperor was young, and the younger concubines had ample opportunity to have children, including Consort Li herself. If she had a child, would she protect her own child or continue to support Prince Chen?

At this moment, Ye Qingchen took out a bottle of pills and said to the Emperor and Consort Li, "Father, Mother, today is a joyous occasion, but I haven't brought any valuable gifts. I have a bottle of Youth-Preserving Pills here. Although they can't reverse aging, they can make the skin rosy, elastic, rich in collagen, and fair. Please accept them as gifts. I wish Father eternal youth and Mother beauty and good health. This medicine isn't very precious; I can make it myself, so please don't find it undesirable. In addition, I also have a Longevity Talisman, which was given to me by an old Taoist priest. I am still young, so please accept it. It is said that this Longevity Talisman can add 10 years to one's life; Father only needs to place the talisman between his palms." Then Ye Qingchen respectfully held the items above his head and bowed. Zhao Quan quickly handed them to the Emperor.

The Emperor was overjoyed and quickly clasped his hands together to seal the talisman. The talisman vanished instantly, indicating his age had indeed increased. Ye Qingchen had performed a thorough divination for the Emperor, predicting he would live a long and prosperous life, well into his seventies. With this additional ten years, he would be over eighty. Moreover, although already in his fifties, he now looked like he was in his thirties. Of all the concubines, only Consort Li truly matched his age; many others resembled dowager consorts, especially the Empress, a veritable old hag, sitting there like the Empress Dowager—a stark contrast. The Emperor also seemed somewhat disdainful of the Empress and moved his chair closer to Consort Li's position. Then she continued, "Princess Chen is a gift from heaven to my son. It is because of her care that Chen'er's health has improved considerably. Heaven blesses our Great Xia! I bestow upon Princess Chen 100,000 taels of silver, 10,000 carts of gold, a box of jewelry, 5000 bolts of brocade, and 1000 pieces of pearl and jade ornaments. Oh, by the way, last year when I went hunting, I obtained a fine white tiger skin, which I gave to Princess Chen. Chen'er, this is a gift from me to Qingchen, not yours. Also, we need to make up for the betrothal gifts for Qingchen. I know you don't have any, so I will prepare them for you and give them directly to Qingchen. You don't need to take them to the Ye residence. I also had Ye Zhao accompany you on your dowry that day, and it's also your birthday, Qingchen. This year is very important! I will have Consort Li and the Princess officiate for you."

Speaking of this eldest princess, she truly has a remarkable background! She is the current emperor's own elder sister, and although she is now nearly sixty, she still retains her charm. Back in the day, the eldest princess was one of the most beautiful women in the capital, but alas, time waits for no one.

Despite her advanced age, the eldest princess held an extremely prestigious position. As the emperor's elder sister, she had a deep bond with him since childhood and treated him with utmost care and affection. However, this eldest princess had one well-known trait—she had never really liked the empress. As for the reasons behind this, only they themselves probably knew.

However, while the Eldest Princess is somewhat arrogant, she's not unreasonable. As long as someone catches her eye, she's quite easy to get along with. And our Ye Qingchen, with his handsome appearance, intelligence, and refined manners, is sure to win the Eldest Princess's favor. Therefore, we must find a way to help these two children win over the Eldest Princess; that would surely make their future paths much easier.

The Empress returned from her meal in a huff, and the Crown Princess naturally witnessed it. However, she had no right to speak before the Emperor. Moreover, while Ye Qingchen was despicable, she was still the Princess Consort of Prince Chen. What angered her even more was Ye Shiqing, who claimed to be of inestimable nobility. Her name was given to her from childhood, and it was only because Ye Zhao had always been kind to Ye Shiqing that she was considered so. If Ye Shiqing truly possessed some extraordinary destiny, wouldn't the Empress Consort's position be meaningless? This time, Ye Shiqing had accompanied the Crown Prince with Gao Yuewei, and if she were pregnant, the situation would be even more precarious. Although Ye Shiqing was not yet of marriageable age, she had never heard of the Crown Prince waiting for his consorts to reach that age like Prince Chen. Therefore, it was highly likely that Ye Shiqing would conceive during this time.

The other concubines also had their own ideas. If Consort Li adopted Prince Chen as her son, and the Emperor promoted his father again, things would be different. She was already so young and beautiful, and now she had obtained the Youth-Preserving Pill, had such a good son, and the Emperor seemed younger, showering her with even more affection. It seemed that if their sons wanted to grow up safely and become leisurely princes, they had to align themselves with her. Of course, there were also those who hoped their sons would ascend the throne. They were currently thinking of forming an alliance with Consort Li to get rid of the Crown Prince, since Prince Chen was in poor health and they estimated that he would win without a fight later. In any case, at this meal, 20 people shared 30 different thoughts. Only a handful of people were truly full.

That evening, the Emperor grew tired and dismissed everyone. He then happily went to find Consort Li. Ye Qingchen was also overjoyed, having acquired many treasures, bestowed a title upon Yue'er, and even angered the Empress. However, she suddenly remembered that the Empress was, after all, Gu Mochen's biological mother, and besides, it was Ye Qingchen who had pulled Gu Mochen into the family reunion today. Therefore, in the carriage, Ye Qingchen asked Gu Mochen, "Do you regret what happened today? Are you angry?"