Chapter 105 - 103: The Ruthless Emperor
"Lady, Noble Princess Consort Xiao is becoming increasingly unbridled. What should we do?" Inside Weiyang Palace, a delicate woman asked worriedly, now the Emperor has three Princes, one of them being from Princess Consort Liu, the mother of the Second Prince.
Princess Consort Liu was once a concubine to Ye Qiu when he was the Crown Prince and later rose to the position of Second Attendant after giving birth to a son. After Ye Qiu ascended the throne, she was granted the title of concubine and resided in Qingyu Palace. Before Noble Princess Consort Xiao entered the palace, Liu was greatly favored by the Emperor and even saw Empress Li as a rival. However, after Noble Princess Consort Xiao arrived, Liu’s status was suppressed to the point she miscarried and became unable to conceive. Ever since, she aligned herself with Empress Li, regarding Noble Princess Consort Xiao as a thorn in her side, wishing to rid of her swiftly.
"What can I do?" Li Yanlan revealed a bitter smile, "The Empress Dowager dotes on her, the Emperor loves her, and now I have no more extravagant hopes either. I only wish for Ah Jun to grow up safe and sound."
No one understands her current predicament better than she does. She suspects that Cining Palace and Ganquan Palace are just waiting for her and the Crown Prince to slip up, and then they would have grounds to depose them. She even feels fortunate that the border still requires the support of the Li family; otherwise, her position as Empress would already be at substantial risk.
"Empress, you cannot be so devoid of ambition!" Princess Consort Liu hurriedly interjected. If anything happened to the Empress and the Crown Prince, wouldn’t Noble Princess Consort Xiao target her and her son next? She could not just sit idly and wait for doom!
"You, I have an idea..." Liu glanced around cautiously and started to speak, but before she could finish, an eunuch from outside came to report.
"Informing the Lady, Crown Prince and Second Prince have come to pay their respects."
Li Yanlan signaled Liu to be silent, then with a smile said, "Let them in, please."
"This son pays respects to Empress Mother." The visitors were two boys, aged seven and five. The older one had a hint of valor in his eyes and a serious demeanor; this was the current Crown Prince, Ye Huaijin. The younger one, with more delicate features and a plump face, with big eyes carrying a mischievous glint, was Prince Ye Huaixin, borne by Liu.
"Get up, why didn’t you go to your lessons today?" In front of her sons, Li Yanlan showed a hint of joviality.