Jin Wang Dotes on His Concubine - C.217.1

Time flew by, and moments passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, more than four years have gone by.

During these years, under the rule of Emperor Jin’an, there have been significant improvements in governance, and the nation experienced great prosperity and peace. Everything was flourishing.

Gradually, everyone seemed to have become accustomed to the emperor’s increased favour towards the empress. This was because, even if it went against reason, once it happens often enough, it becomes normalized and people get used to it.

Actually, Emperor Jin’an did have his reasons whenever he discussed this matter during court sessions. Throughout history, disputes over the crown prince have often led to chaos, instability in the court, and upheaval in the country, which is not in the best interest of the people. But the crown prince has outstanding talents, both in virtue and knowledge, so it didn’t matter if he had a large harem and numerous heirs. Most importantly, he didn’t want the past to repeat itself.

This past refers to the time when Hui Wang, when he was young, was designated as the crown prince. He displayed remarkable talents, but unfortunately, this period didn’t last long. This was partly due to external factors, but it could not be denied that many people had hindered his progress.

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As for the abundant quantity of concubines in the palace, it was simply for the continuation of the imperial bloodline. If it were deemed that having too many sons was undesirable, there would be no need to increase the number of concubines.

Emperor Jin’an already had three sons, which was sufficient.

Since then, no one has dared to raise this matter again. To put it mildly, it could be seen as an idle concern, but on a larger scale, it could be interpreted as having ulterior motives. Of course, there were still one or two small shrimps who suggested that Emperor Jin’an should increase the number of concubines, but he ignored these proposals, and without any other supporters, they couldn’t gain any traction.

During this time, a significant event occurred: Imperial Concubine Liu in the palace passed away from an illness. This event didn’t cause any ripples in the imperial court, and no one even mentioned it.

Only Noble Lady Xu caused a commotion for a while, alleging that the empress had maliciously caused the death of Imperial Concubine Liu. However, the spread of these words was limited to the palace she resided in, as Emperor Jin’an had ordered her to be thoroughly confined after spreading such accusations.

Regarding this matter, Yaoniang felt very wronged but chose not to explain anything.

She had been puzzled in the past about why Imperial Concubine Liu was so intent on opposing Noble Lady Xu, even going so far as to please Yaoniang and ruin many of Noble Lady Xu’s attempts to gain favour. Later, Yaoniang learned that Imperial Concubine Liu had never given up her desire to leave the palace.

This was an unspoken understanding, and with Emperor Jin’an’s tacit approval, Imperial Concubine Liu passed away.

Meanwhile, in a distant southern city far from the capital, a young couple had appeared.

…

Days continued to pass. Soon, it was the sixtieth birthday of the Emperor Emeritus.

Several months ago, Emperor Jin’an had ordered preparations for the celebration. Sixty years of life was a rare occasion, even for the imperial family, and it was a momentous event.

The Forbidden City was brightly lit throughout the night, all in preparation for the upcoming palace banquet. The grandeur of this event would likely surpass the celebration of the Emperor Emeritus’ fiftieth birthday.

During this period, Yaoniang had been incredibly busy, and it felt like she hadn’t had a moment’s rest since the previous New Year. Just when she thought she could take a breather after the New Year, preparations for the Lantern Festival began. February arrived without respite, and now preparations for the former emperor’s sixtieth birthday were underway.

Although Yaoniang had been involved in organizing palace banquets of various sizes over the past few years, an event of this magnitude was a first for her, and it brought added pressure.

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Before dawn, both Yaoniang and Emperor Jin’an had already risen. While getting ready, Yaoniang asked the palace maids around her about the whereabouts of their children. Their eldest son, Xiaobao, had moved to Fifth Ganxi Institute after turning eight, along with Erbao. Originally, as the crown prince, Xiaobao should have resided in the Eastern Palace, but for Erbao’s sake, he set the Eastern Palace aside.

Regardless of where the crown prince resided, that place was considered the Eastern Palace.

As for Sanbao and Sibao, they still lived with Yaoniang in the Kunning Palace. However, Sanbao was about to change residence soon. Then there would be just Sibao left as the only girl, and Yaoniang was uncertain about where to arrange her. This was why it was said that it also wasn’t good to have too few daughters.

Just as Yaoniang and Emperor Jin’an emerged from their sleeping quarters, Xiaobao arrived with Erbao.

It was still dark outside, and the eunuchs held lanterns to light their way as they walked together.

Xiaobao wore the attire of the crown prince, and at just ten years old, he exuded a prince’s air of majesty. However, this dignity did not hold up under close scrutiny; upon closer inspection, one would realize that this so-called princely majesty only made Xiaobao more endearing, with no other purpose.

In fact, this was the case. At ten years old, he had not shed his baby fat, and his fair face was still plump. Even if he tried to imitate Emperor Jin’an by keeping a stern face and furrowing his brow, he still gave the impression of a child trying to act like an adult.

Especially his lips, which slightly resembled Yaoniang’s, added to his charm. However, while such a lip shape looked alluring and captivating on Yaoniang, on his face, it only appeared as a faint smile, leading everyone in the palace to describe the crown prince as approachable. In truth, it was a misunderstanding. Xiaobao could only hope that as he grew older, he would gain more majesty.

Beside him was Erbao, who, compared to the slim and slender Xiaobao, did not seem like he was born to the same parents. At just eight years old, he was already taller than ten-year-old Xiaobao, and not only was he taller, but he also had a larger build. This was most likely due to his huge appetite when he was still a toddler.

“Are Xiaosan and Xiaosi still not awake?” asked Xiaobao after offering greetings to Yaoniang and Emperor Jin’an.

Before Yaoniang could reply, a soft and tender voice of a young girl behind Xiaobao spoke up, “Who said I’m not awake? I’ve been up for a while; it’s third brother who’s being lazy.”

A girl of about five years old walked in, dressed in a bright red short jacket with a mandarin collar and wide sleeves. She wore a sky-blue skirt with golden phoenix patterns at the hem and had double buns on her head. Her chubby face resembled a peach, with large almond-shaped eyes inherited from Yaoniang. There was a dimple at the corner of her mouth, which added to her cuteness and playfulness when she smiled.

Not far behind her was a little boy in a similar red outfit, but with a different pattern, and his sleeves trailed slightly. Looking closely, he bore a striking resemblance to Emperor Emeritus, with his fair skin and handsome features. However, he seemed tired, yawning as he walked, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

He was Zhao Yu, the twin brother of Sibao. He was also known as Sanbao.

“Big brother, you have no idea how much third brother hates being woken up. I had to call him for ages, but he still won’t get up,” said Sibao, tugging at Xiaobao’s sleeve. Despite her attempt to complain, her voice was soft and tender, and her snow-white appearance made her impossible to dislike.

“It’s because you woke me up too early. I had it all figured out, and planned to get up at 3 a.m. during the hour of yinshi, but you had to disturb me,” Sanbao replied helplessly.

“All right, all right, come and have breakfast. Father Emperor and Mother Empress still have a lot that needs to be done today. Xiaosi, you follow your big brother and don’t cause trouble.”

“I haven’t caused any trouble, ever. I’ve never caused any trouble,” Sibao pouted, blinking her large eyes innocently while looking aggrieved.