Transmigrating into a book to save her best friend, her sickly husband vies for her affections every

Once a secret is known to one person, only more people will know it, like a wildfire that cannot be extinguished.

When Consort Xian saw her son suddenly appear in the room, she was first filled with joy and surprise, and then slowly sat down as she was about to get up.

No one knows a son better than his mother; she knew Zhao Siwei's personality all too well.

They seem carefree and indifferent, but it's all fake, all an act.

Everyone in the deep palace has their own rules for survival.

Zhao Siwei's method was to play dumb and act like a spoiled prince. Apart from listening to his father a few times, he would ignore everyone else's words. This was something that Zhao Fucang liked very much.

A father naturally likes a prince who is loyal only to him.

But now, in the blink of an eye, even a prince is more powerful than his father. She doesn't even know how Zhao Siwei managed to get the old fogies in the court to give him a thumbs up.

Even the thorny political affairs that Zhao Fucang complained about to her were easily resolved by Zhao Siwei in just a few words.

Even his son embodied the virtues of integrity and uprightness.

Zhao Siwei cares about her mother the most, but she's a little insecure now.

After all, Zhao Siwei is growing up and will have more and more people to care about, so her position as his mother will have to be moved out.

She just wanted to help Zhao Siwei in her own way, but Zhao Siwei refused to accept it.

What is Ting Yao? Clearly, Xu Tutu is the one who can truly help him secure his high position!

What is Zhang Zhan anyway? He should have died long ago, but they kept him around and he even developed a rebellious streak!

Consort Xian asked fiercely, "Are you here to kill me too?"

She sat on the edge of the bed, the curtains hanging outside, her son's vision blurred, whether from not being able to see clearly or from her crying.

This is also her true feeling towards her son now.

It's as if she raised a fake son; she watched the child grow up little by little, but in the end, she couldn't understand him at all.

Even though she and her son were each other's only support, everything she did was for Zhao Siwei!

But the son just loves to go against her.

I've always loved going against him since I was a child!

Choosing a study companion is a very important matter for a prince. If he chooses well, he can avoid many detours over the years. Unfortunately, Zhao Siwei, who had chosen the previous prince, caused trouble and got rid of him. He went out to play and came back with a burden, and he still looked very satisfied.

Well, she begged Zhao Fucang to find another study companion for Zhao Siwei. It's normal for a favored prince to have multiple study companions; it's a matter of prestige.

But this kid just wouldn't have it. He said, "Are you going to find another Zhang Zhan to support? Is he trying to show off his high salary?"

That bastard is infuriating!

How many prestigious families would love to send their young masters to serve as study companions to the prince? They'd be happy to pay him to do so.

Studying together and getting to know each other inside and out is like cultivating a trusted confidante from a young age. Later, you can bring back the girl from the family who accompanied you to study through marriage. Wouldn't that give you wings?

That's good, they don't listen at all, they don't listen to anything.

She accepted it all. Zhang Zhan it was. Although he was a child without a mother and whose biological father became his stepfather, he was intelligent.

Excellent! They were all raised to adulthood, and then Zhao Fucang used them all for the Crown Prince with just a word. Why? Why?

As a son, Zhang Zhan dared not disobey his father, and surprisingly, he did not refuse. Thus, he stepped on Zhao Siwei's shoulders and went to the Crown Prince's side in the Eastern Palace, enjoying immense prestige.

Everyone would laugh at Zhao Siwei for this, saying he was just doing someone else's work for them.

What else could Zhang Zhan dare to say? He was scheming and plotting. His presence before the Emperor served two purposes: first, to help monitor the Crown Prince; and second, to show Zhao Fucang that Zhao Siwei was still an obedient son who would not disobey his father, the Emperor.

Only Zhao Siwei's stupid son would believe that.

It's said that Zhang Zhan would at least have some conscience if he were to offer his younger sister to Zhao Siwei.

As a result, there was no reaction at all.

The more I think about it, the angrier and more heartbroken I become. Is this really a son?

She went to great lengths to win over Prince Fan, simply because she knew about his quirks.

Even if Zhang Zhan follows Prince Fan, so what? Aren't there plenty of similar things in the capital?

If Zhang Zhan truly remembers Zhao Siwei's kindness, then he should help him better win over Prince Fan.

He's always been good at social maneuvering, so why can't he do something practical for Zhao Siwei?

That's good, they've killed Prince Fan directly!

Prince Fan! Zhao Fucang felt guilty towards his younger brother who was allowed to stay in the capital. Therefore, Zhao Fucang would tacitly agree to any request Prince Fan made that he could.

So what if Zhang Zhan is Zhao Fucang's biological son?

Anyway, it was something that couldn't be presented in public. What could Zhao Fucang say if it was given to Prince Fan? After all, without his younger brother's help, he wouldn't have become emperor at all.

If you really like Zhang Zhan, how could you leave him outside to suffer and be bullied for so long!

It also created a stumbling block on Zhao Siwei's path to seizing the throne.

Is it necessary to concern ourselves with what Fan Wang might be up to?

Once Zhao Siwei ascends the throne, whether Prince Fan lives or dies will be a matter of a single word.

Wouldn't it be better to avenge Zhang Zhan later?

Rather...

Okay, she, as the mother, will back down. I wonder who let Zhao Siwei know that Zhang Zhan is his younger brother.

So be it. Killing Prince Fan is fine, but at least we got Zhang Zhan, who is devoted to him, in return. It's a worthwhile trade.

At least Zhang Zhan would not stand in Zhao Siwei's way because of this favor, and might even help him clear the road ahead.

This is enough.

Even though Zhang Zhan was not favored, he secured his position as heir apparent with the help of the Xie family patriarch and matriarch. The Pingyang Marquis's mansion held real military power, which would all eventually fall into Zhang Zhan's hands.

In essence, isn't Zhao Siwei the mother and son?

The path is not made by walking, but by choosing.

Zhao Siwei didn't make a choice; she only recognized Zhang Zhan because of this. As a mother, she was most grateful that her son only had this one friend.

Otherwise, who knows what other things might happen that would harm themselves for the sake of other friends.

Now Zhang Zhan can't kill her, and she can't touch Zhang Zhan either.

With Zhao Siwei in between, it's impossible to say that all grudges have been put aside.

Anyway, she could let it go, but Zhang Zhan insisted on fighting her to the death. He really has no sense of the bigger picture!

Never mind, the most pressing matter right now is for Zhao Siwei to be well.

As for her grudges with Zhang Zhan, she can just give Zhang Zhan some benefits after she becomes Empress Dowager.

However, what Zhao Siwei is about to do is something that Zhang Zhan probably cannot help with.

However, Zhang Zhan was clearly not enough. He was not the legitimate heir of the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, so the Pingyang Marquis's military strength was still insufficient to completely serve Zhao Siwei.

At most, Marquis Pingyang can only take good care of Zhang Zhan. After all, since Zhao Fucang has not yet acknowledged or denied the relationship, the Marquis's mansion has to handle this hot potato.

Ultimately, there's not enough time to wait.

Zhang Zhan could not obtain the military strength of the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion, and Zhao Siwei was unwilling to marry the Marquis of Pingyang's legitimate daughter.

Then, the powerful family of the Marquis of Pingyang could no longer hold on to their wealth.

Therefore, she turned her attention back to the Duke of Xia Xu's mansion.

Xu Tutu has always liked Zhao Siwei; she likes him very much, and everyone knows that.

And doesn't Zhao Siwei dislike Xu Tutu? Even if there are no romantic feelings between them, as long as he doesn't dislike her, it's acceptable to marry her and keep her as a pet.

If it weren't for that unexpected incident at the palace banquet, Xu Tutu would definitely be Zhao Siwei's principal wife.

If she finds out who did it, she'll kill that person!

Before Xu Tutu's matter was resolved, Zhao Fucang made a ruthless decision to select a concubine for Zhao Siwei.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans, and Ji Tingyao caught Zhao Siwei's eye.

The Ji family had always kept a low profile in the imperial court, with little presence. But now, upon closer inspection, it's clear that each member is a shrewd and capable individual.

Anyone who knows the Ji family will praise them.

Ji Tingyao must have bewitched Zhao Siwei.

It's really her fault. She was afraid that Zhao Siwei would become obsessed with women, so she didn't place any beautiful palace maids in his palace for him to enjoy. Ji Tingyao managed to find a way to do just that.

That's enough, that's all.

After all, Ji Tingyao's father was someone who could speak in the imperial court, and now that war has broken out again, the Bai family has suddenly been given important positions.

To put it bluntly, Zhao Siwei married Ji Tingyao not only because he liked her, but also because Ji Tingyao wanted the Bai family behind her.

But, but Xu Tutu can also be taken.

Bai Shi has already spoken in the palace, saying that even if Xu Tutu were to become a concubine, she would do so willingly.

At that time, the principal wife will have the Bai family behind her, and the concubine will have the Xu family behind her.

If one can rise to power so easily through marriage, then the Crown Prince is nothing!

That would mean complete peace of mind. As long as the Bai family achieved a great victory, Zhao Siwei's status in the court would rise even higher, and Duke Xu would arrange everything for Zhao Siwei.

It's truly a complete loss...

Why did everything turn out this way?

What went wrong!

In order to secure her position in the harem and ensure her son's peace of mind, she racked her brains every day, which eventually led to a falling out between mother and son!

Zhao Siwei raised his hand to lift the curtain, but hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering his hand.

He truly didn't know how to face his mother.

He could not forgive what his mother had done in his previous life.

Zhang Zhan was his only friend and a younger brother he could trust.

He now fully understands why Zhang Zhan acted the way he did in his previous life.

Zhang Zhan simply thought he was useless, too stupid, and too soft-hearted.

So all I wanted was to seize everything for him and personally support him to take the throne.

Although the ending was the same, Zhang Zhan's outcome was not what he wanted.

How could Mother Consort hand Zhang Zhan over to Prince Fan!

Prince Fan was Zhang Zhan's nightmare for two lifetimes!

It would be better to let Zhang Zhan and Meng** die on the same day!

The inner palace is a place that devours people without spitting out their bones; if you stay there too long, you'll become a walking corpse.

Consort Xian was changed day by day in this way.

Zhao Siwei gazed at the hazy figure behind the curtain.

"Now that I'm here, is there anything else Mother wants to say to me?"

Consort Xian: "You should ask your father what he thinks."

She was just a concubine with no support; what ideas could she possibly have of her own?

Aside from vying for favor, weren't all their actions carried out with Zhao Fucang's tacit approval?

Thinking of this, Consort Xian laughed, "The heart of an emperor is the most ruthless. I am nothing but a pawn in his hands. Zhao Siwei, do you think you can't see that you've been hiding your talents and foolishly pretending to be stupid? Your father is still worried about the unrest on the front lines..."

Consort Xian's voice suddenly stopped, and there was a sobbing sound, but it wasn't hers.

She was stunned.

A sob came from Zhao Siwei's throat.

"Mother, why did you—"

Consort Xian interrupted her son's impending words of resentment.

"For you, for me, that's all. What else could I possibly do for someone else?"

"You're too soft-hearted, too kind, so I have to be even more ruthless. Otherwise, how can I protect you and Zhang Zhan as you grow up?"

Consort Xian's eyes welled up with tears, but with the curtains separating her from the others, she didn't have to worry about her son seeing her disheveled state.

There are some things she did without seeking forgiveness. If she had to do it all over again, she would still choose to give Zhang Zhan to Prince Fan at his suggestion.

But there were some things she did as well.

"Yes, I did something to wrong Zhang Zhan, but that was the only time. Apart from that one time, what other things have I done to hurt Zhang Zhan? Tell me! Can you even name them?"

"Before I knew his identity, I felt sorry for him and didn't even intend to use him. At that time, what did you think was the reason you held a place in your father's heart?"

"It's all thanks to my flattery of the Emperor. Other concubines have their maternal families to support them, but we only have your father. So, in your father's eyes, I'm just a caged bird!"

"No, whatever he wants me to be, that's what I have to be."

"She is the emperor, the most honorable man in the entire dynasty."

"But he was also the most pathetic man in the entire capital. He ascended the throne with the help of his first wife, Empress Yan, and then the power of the other concubines' families allowed him to consolidate his power. He desperately needed a woman to let him experience the power of imperial authority."

"And my appearance just satisfied his vanity as an emperor. He enjoyed the way I looked up to him, my deep-seated fear of her, and my groveling!"

Consort Xian pointed outside the curtain and refused to come in to see her son.

"You and Zhang Zhan both grew up smoothly thanks to my favor. You and Zhang Zhan lived in luxury because I humbled myself before His Majesty!"

"I only did something you consider wrong, and you want to kill me? Are you even human? You're worse than pigs and dogs!"

"Why are you treating me like this? You and Zhang Zhan would both die without me! Have I ever asked Zhang Zhan for anything in return? Never! I've taken care of him several times when he was sick!"

"My son and I received some good things, and we gave him everything we had left! We were just afraid he wouldn't be able to live comfortably outside the palace and wouldn't be willing to spend money!"

"I... I only made this one mistake, and you want to kill me and abandon me? I am your mother! Zhang Zhan is just your half-brother!"

"Aren't there plenty of half-children between you and the Emperor? Aren't they all the same?"

"I... I regretted it too. I really did regret it. When you rescued him from Prince Fan's residence, didn't you see my carriage at the palace gate? Have you forgotten all that? I regretted it. I wanted to save him. Even if you hadn't gone, I would have brought him back..."