The Second Princess stood up and bowed sweetly, "Your daughter takes her leave."

  Once the little princess had left, Rong Fei sighed. "She is, after all, a princess. When I grow old, who will protect the two of us? If the imperial son-in-w she marries proves to be useful, then all will be well. But what if he’s not?"

  "Your Highness is right to consider the Princess’s future. But… these days, even Guifei…" Liuyun trailed off. After all, how could Guifei tolerate it if Rong Fei bore a son before her?

  "Of course I know that. But what can I do?" Rong Fei massaged her temples. "If Li Fei truly gives birth to a son this time… that would be most unfavorable."

  "There are plenty of people who don’t want Li Fei to give birth to a prince," Liuyun said in a low voice. "Don’t be fooled by how Guifei and Xian Fei don’t get along. Would Xian Fei want to see Li Fei give birth to a son? If she does, she’ll surely be promoted to First Rank Consort, and her son would instantly become the most distinguished. In a few years, when the court begins to press His Majesty to establish a Crown Prince, what do you think will happen? With His Majesty’s favor, if Li Fei’s son becomes Crown Prince…"

  "Yes," Rong Fei narrowed her eyes. "None of them would want that. Guifei, Xian Fei, Min Fei… and even the Empress. Do you really think she’s as magnanimous as she appears? She’s just pretending. When it comes down to it, if Li Fei has a prince, she may hold the title of Empress, but she’ll still have to bow her head."

  She lowered her voice. "If that day comes, with His Majesty doting on Li Fei like this, who’s to say he wouldn’t repce the Empress to elevate the prince’s status?"

  "There are ways to deal with Li Fei," Liuyun said softly. "I’ve heard that her constitution is weak and cold. This pregnancy of hers isn’t particurly stable."

  "Don’t rush. This matter cannot be traced back to us. Let’s wait," Rong Fei replied, frowning slightly.

  "But… since she’s weak, let that rumor spread," Rong Fei added, gncing at Liuyun.

  "Yes, Your Highness. I understand."

  "It’s te. You should rest now. We still have to attend morning greetings tomorrow."

  Over at Fengyi Pace, Wumian had no such troubles. She slept early and peacefully.

  In the morning, she learned that the Emperor had stayed the night at Hanliang Pace and chuckled, "Ah, true love."

  Before the other consorts came for morning greetings, Jinbo entered and reported, "Your Majesty, His Majesty sent a great many gifts to Li Fei this morning. Clothes, jewelry, and many other things."

  Wumian waved her hand casually. "Mm, truly favored."

  "Is it really wise for His Majesty to vish her with rewards at this time?" Linshui asked.

  "Perhaps His Majesty is confident he can protect her. Or perhaps…" Wumian smiled, "he believes that by publicly showing his favor, no one else would dare move against her."

  As she finished her morning preparations, Wumian stood and took Linshui’s arm. "Men rarely consider things from a woman’s perspective. They probably think, 'I’ve already made my stance clear, so why are you all still like this?'"

  "Regardless of how favored she is, she can’t surpass Your Majesty," Feixu said.

  "Exactly. I am the Empress. As long as she doesn’t try to trample over me, there’s no need to fret. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—we shall see who ughs st." Wumian smiled faintly.

  After all, how easy was it to push down an Empress? In a flourishing dynasty like this, the dignity of the royal family would not allow it. Only in chaotic times, when everything had crumbled, could such a thing happen.

  The only exception would be if the Emperor himself truly wished to depose her—but that was easier said than done. And Ying Qionglou was not that sort of man.

  Even when he favored Li Fei and Guifei before, he had never shown Wumian disrespect. He merely stayed away from her pace; that was all.

  Later that morning, there was one thing worth noting: the eldest princess would be inocuted against smallpox this autumn.

  Preparations need to begin now.

  "A light diet will be best from now on. The Imperial Kitchen has already been instructed," Wumian told Guifei.

  "Your Majesty’s concern is greatly appreciated. Both the Princess and I are grateful."

  "That’s good. When the time comes, the eldest prince will undergo inocution as well—after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the weather is cooler and easier to manage. Once they’ve been inocuted, we can breathe easier."

  In truth, smallpox inocution had long existed, but it wasn’t until Ying Qionglou himself had it done after the previous Emperor’s death that it became widely accepted. Now, every child in the pace followed suit.

  For royal children—especially princes—this was a critical hurdle.

  Take the second prince, for example. He was still young, but when he reached the age for inocution, it was uncertain whether his fragile health would endure.

  Raising children in this era was no easy matter.

  Later that morning, news came from the Zhao family: Zhao Dongshi had officially moved out to live with Su Shi.

  He still had money, so they would not want for anything—for now.

  The Sun family was satisfied with this arrangement. At least the Zhao family had shown sincerity. Even if everyone assumed Zhao Dongshi would return home in a few years, this was a gesture of goodwill.

  And sometimes, that was all people needed—a show of intention.

  Whether Zhao Dongshi and Su Shi were happy with this outcome… well, who cared about that?

  The new pace women were gradually being summoned to the Emperor’s bedchamber. Qu Yunu and Fan Yunu had both recently gained favor and were promoted to the rank of Baolin. The tter also granted titles—Fang.

  When it came to conferring ranks, the Emperor was never stingy. Titles, however, were rarely given so easily.

  So far, out of all the newcomers, only these two had been granted titles. It was clear His Majesty was quite satisfied with them.

  Wumian studied Fang Baolin carefully. This girl truly was a beauty—it was clear the Emperor had a fondness for appearances.

  But that wasn’t surprising. If she were surrounded by a group of handsome men, she wouldn’t be able to choose only one either.

  "You two must serve His Majesty with even greater diligence from now on," Wumian said with a smile, beckoning them to rise from their formal bows. "The prosperity of the royal lineage depends on you."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty," the two young women replied respectfully. "We will surely serve both His Majesty and Your Majesty with utmost care and devotion."

  Guifei suddenly spoke up, frowning slightly. "Why does this Qu Baolin look rather familiar?"

  Rong Fei gnced over. "Really? Now that you mention it, she does seem a bit familiar."

  "Mm, her face does remind me of someone," Xian Fei added, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.

  Min Fei, who had been silent, let out a quiet, mocking ugh. "Are you dies getting old and mistaking her for someone from the past?"

  She then turned to Qu Baolin and remarked coolly, "When you draw your brows, remember to angle them lower. You're still young—you don’t need such sharp brows. Whether you're beautiful is secondary. If you resemble a certain 'someone,' then you’ll never rise in this pace."

  Qu Baolin was startled and clearly confused, her face filled with unease. "Yes… Many thanks to Min Fei for her guidance."

  Zhang Meiren, who had been quietly observing, sighed and shook her head. "It’s true. The arch of your brows is too high. Fix it."

  Terrified, Qu Baolin immediately wiped at her brows. "Yes… Thank you, Meiren."