Chapter 199:

Prince Dawa had left, and the people of Nanqin seemed to have a more direct view of the true Dawa people.

Thinking of Dawa women, Nanqin people felt that the late princess must have been exactly like them. Dawa valued the beauty of strong and healthy women, which was completely opposite to Nanqin’s standards. Presumably, this princess had been unable to marry in Dawa, so she had come to Nanqin instead.

She might have been considered beautiful in Nanqin, but certainly not in Dawa.

Layue listened to these rumors with a simple smile, without offering any further comments.

“Reporting to my Lady, a message has come from the Shen residence: the Lady Shen is with child,” Jinxin rushed in hurriedly to inform her mistress. This news had just been officially delivered through the internal affairs office.

Upon hearing this, Layue’s eyes immediately widened.

“Has it been confirmed?”

“It has indeed!”

If that was the case, this was truly a joyous occasion.

“It has been more than two years since my sister-in-law entered the family without conceiving. In my spare time, I have thought about it, worrying there might be some issue—not that I suspected her. Even I myself have not become pregnant early, yet life inside the palace always differs from outside. My sister-in-law is no longer young, and I have been concerned she might not withstand the pressure. Now, fortunately, she is finally expecting.”

Indeed, it had already been more than two years without pregnancy, which was not a good situation to be in. During the New Year, Grandmother had visited the palace and subtly expressed the idea of taking a concubine for her brother. At that time, Layue had stopped it.

Pregnancy was not solely the woman’s responsibility. Through much experience, Layue deeply understood that family harmony brings prosperity. Having too many women in a large household was not a good sign. Were there not countless examples of this in the capital?

If such a situation led to chaos at home, it would be most undesirable.

Moreover, the relationship between her brother and sister-in-law, judging from everything she had heard, was very harmonious.

If a concubine were taken in, it might damage their affection, or worse, if the concubine actually became pregnant and grew arrogant due to favor, it would only bring unnecessary troubles.

Besides, medical experts had already examined them both and confirmed they were in good health. A child would surely come eventually.

Therefore, this news was indeed cause for celebration.

“Jinxin, go to the storeroom and check for items suitable for pregnant women. Prepare plenty to be presented to the Shen residence tomorrow,” Layue instructed.

Jinxin asked, “My Lady, shall we inform the Emperor first?”

Layue smiled, “I have my own plan. Besides, this is a small matter; the Emperor won’t mind.”

“Yes, my Lady, I understand.”

After Jinxin left, Layue happily recalled childhood memories of her siblings, feeling increasingly cheerful.

To many people, Shen Shuping might seem like a simpleton, a man without schemes. Yet in Layue’s eyes, he was the best elder brother. Even when he was scolded, he always made sure to protect both herself and her younger sister, Yi Yi.

Speaking of Yi Yi, Layue furrowed her brow again.

Yi Yi was already twelve this year, and would be eligible for the selection next year.

At this thought, she felt a tinge of melancholy. No matter what, she did not wish for her sister to enter the palace.

She had always been determined to protect her sister, but sharing a husband between two sisters was never easy.

In her previous life, Yi Yi hadn’t even passed the initial selection. Would this life follow the same path? After experiencing so much, Layue dared not assume.

She did not want Yi Yi to enter the palace, or more specifically, to become another Chen Yulan.

At the time of her rebirth, she had been willing to give everything for her Shen family. But now, she had three children of her own. Her attachments had multiplied.

To prevent this from happening, she must approach Emperor Jing. Yet Layue could not be certain whether he would agree. After all, hadn’t he agreed to spare Ruo Wan before? Now that she was Empress, would the Emperor perhaps want someone to counterbalance her?

Thinking it through, she felt unhappy.

She realized she was indeed tying herself up in knots, creating her own troubles.

Still, since she had thought of it, Layue was not someone who could ignore potential dangers.

After a moment’s thought, she summoned Jinxin, inquired where the Emperor was, and prepared herself to go see him.

Just as she was carefully applying her makeup before the mirror, she heard the announcement: “His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”

Seeing her applying makeup, Emperor Jing raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Were you planning to see me?”

Layue naturally replied, “Indeed! Your Majesty and I truly share a telepathic connection.”

This girl—whenever she had a request, she would always sweeten him up with flattery. Seeing her like this, he imagined that if he had arrived a little later, she would certainly have dressed up beautifully, brought a hand-prepared food box, and come to “visit” him.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jing felt a bit cheated.

If he had delayed a little longer, the situation would have certainly been different.

“Yue’er must have something to ask of me again?”

Reflecting on the events of the day, the Emperor smiled—was it about her sister-in-law’s pregnancy?

Layue nodded as she held his arm, “Your Majesty is so clever, you guessed it right away.”

She flattered him smoothly.

The Emperor chuckled.

“You! Then go ahead and tell me. Let’s see if I can offer you some advice.”

“Of course Your Majesty can. You are the Son of Heaven, the ruler of the nation. Whatever the matter, as long as you take action, it will be resolved effortlessly.”

Hearing her flattery escalate, Emperor Jing smiled and tapped her head, “Alright, alright. You little girl, you sure know how to make a man feel like an omnipotent deity.”

Layue smiled.

“Your Majesty, next year will be the triennial selection again.”

She pouted at him.

The Emperor paused, then smiled, “Indeed.”

He was actually happy she was jealous.

Layue poured him tea, “Your Majesty, my younger sister, Shen Yi Yi, will be thirteen next year.”

She looked at Emperor Jing without saying more, her expression full of entreaty.

If she had spoken outright, he might have teased her a little. But she remained silent, wearing this expression instead. Looking at her, the Emperor found her somewhat pitiful. Thinking of how much she had done for the Shen family, although she had never sought official positions or other favors for them, he knew that Layue valued family bonds the most.

“So, what does Yue’er have in mind?”

Saying this meant handing the initiative to Layue.

Layue was clever enough to understand. She leaned into his arms, pouting, “Of course I don’t want Yi Yi to enter the palace. You know, she’s my real younger sister. I cannot bear the thought of sisters sharing the same husband. I couldn’t do it. Thinking of Yulan before, I feel terribly afraid. She is my beloved sister whom I have protected since childhood. I don’t want us to go down the same path we did with Yulan. I only wish for her to find a good family—not necessarily rich or noble, but a harmonious marriage with a happy life.”

Hearing the anxiety in her voice, Emperor Jing, unwilling to see even a hint of worry in her, gently stroked her back, “Don’t be sad, Yue’er. If you don’t want it, I won’t do it. Not only will there be no Shen Yiyi, there will be no one else either, alright?”

Layue looked at him with teary eyes.

After a long moment, she lowered her head, her voice tinged with sadness, “How could that possibly be?”

“What’s impossible about it? The current rules themselves are somewhat inappropriate. Most thirteen-year-old girls are still children. How can they serve in the palace? Even if they do enter, their childish nature makes them unable to endure the slightest grievance, and their pride often leads them to make mistakes. I have been considering this matter. Soon, I intend to raise the minimum age for selection to fifteen. What do you think?”

Layue didn’t know whether this was a test or a genuine consultation. She carefully examined Emperor Jing’s expression and saw no hint of insincerity. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “That would actually be very good. But what will the court ministers think?”

The Emperor sneered, “What do they think? Do their opinions matter? It is We who are selecting consorts, not them. If previous measures have failed to make them feel Our authority, We would not hesitate to let them taste the bitterness of downfall.”

That was truly an authoritative statement.

Layue beamed with delight, “That would be wonderful!”

Although it was only a slight increase in age, Layue still felt genuinely happy. It felt as if the Emperor was willing to do anything for her.

Seeing her joy, the Emperor continued, “I also plan to extend the selection cycle to every five years. Eligible girls will be between fifteen and eighteen. Those who miss the selection can marry freely.”

That would indeed be a groundbreaking change.

Layue didn’t know what the Emperor truly intended. Perhaps he had finally decided to settle down?

Otherwise, why would he say this?

Thinking of this, Layue’s smile became more genuine, her dimples faintly visible, making her even more endearing.

“You are so good to me, Your Majesty!” Layue gave him a light peck on the cheek.

Regardless of whether this decision was made for her or not, she wanted to thank the Emperor.

The Emperor was indeed pleased.

He continued, “As for your sister Yi Yi, if she doesn’t want to enter the palace, she won’t have to. There are plenty of talented young men outside the palace. There’s no need for them all to squeeze into the palace. Besides, it’s better for her to grow up a little more. Thirteen is still too young to marry. She’s still a child!”

Indeed, the Emperor was a man of double standards. When he had taken her into the palace, she had also been just thirteen. Yet he had had no hesitation then.

Tsk tsk!

“Your Majesty, do you happen to know any of these talented young men?” Layue deliberately steered the conversation this way. She hoped the Emperor would agree to everything, so that she could feel truly at ease.

As expected, the Emperor thought for a moment and then looked at Layue, “What do you think of Zhou Nan?”

“Who?” Layue was taken aback.

“Zhou Nan. Your brother Shen Shuping’s immediate superior, Commander Zhou Nan, the one who escorted us to the sacrificial ceremony,” the Emperor reminded her.

Layue almost choked on her breath.

Looking at the Emperor, she asked, “How old is he?”

He must be almost as old as the Emperor himself, right?

That would be a classic case of an old man chasing a young girl—absolutely unacceptable!

Seeing Layue’s reaction, the Emperor already understood her thoughts, “Your sister is twelve? So Zhou Nan is only about fifteen years older than her. Not that much.”

“Fifteen years isn’t much?!” Layue widened her eyes, shaking her head furiously like a drumbeat.

“Your Majesty, please think carefully. He’s so old, how could he possibly be suitable for my little sister? Besides, I’ve never heard of him marrying before. A man of that age still single—could there be something wrong with him physically? Maybe he’s not capable of… We really need to think this through carefully.”

Hearing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “You’re imagining things again. I can assure you of his character. But since you don’t like the idea, let’s think of someone else.”

Layue nodded vigorously.