"Really? I'd like to ask you, which is more important in this world, love or a lifetime of glory and wealth?" The Grand Empress Dowager stared intently at Mu Fengqie as she spoke.
Mu Fengqie pondered for a moment and replied seriously, "I think love is more important. Those things like glory and wealth are just external possessions.
People spend their whole lives pursuing wealth, but they don't know that the rarest thing in this world is love. It's really hard to have someone who loves you whole - heartedly."
"You're quite an insightful girl," the Grand Empress Dowager said, looking at Mu Fengqie with satisfaction. "What's your opinion of the current emperor?"
Mu Fengqie was taken aback. What on earth did this Grand Empress Dowager want to say? All these topics seemed irrelevant, and now she was bringing up the emperor.
"The emperor is in his prime and rules the country well. However, his harem is in a mess, and he has few heirs, which is not good for the country's stability." Mu Fengqie said all the nice things that came to her mind. She couldn't possibly say in front of the Grand Empress Dowager that the emperor was not capable of governing, could she? That would be like seeking death!
"Girl Fengqie, I'd like to discuss something with you," a glint flashed in the Grand Empress Dowager's eyes.
"Please go ahead, Grand Empress Dowager," Mu Fengqie's intuition told her that this was definitely not a good thing. It might be called a discussion, but whether it would really be one in the end was hard to say.
"I'd like you to temporarily help the emperor manage the harem," the Grand Empress Dowager dropped a bombshell that left Mu Fengqie stunned.
Manage the harem? Isn't this what the empresses of past dynasties did? Even if not the empress, it should be the women in the emperor's harem. How could it ever fall to her to manage the emperor's harem?
"Grand Empress Dowager, you're over - thinking. This kind of thing doesn't fall to me. There are plenty of capable women in the emperor's harem, and besides, I have no position to interfere." Mu Fengqie thought that after saying this, the Grand Empress Dowager would understand, but who would have thought that this Grand Empress Dowager was feigning ignorance!
"I know, but among all of them, you, Mu Fengqie, are the most capable. Since you've recently been brought into the palace by the emperor, you can show those women what a mother of the nation should be like."
Mu Fengqie looked at the Grand Empress Dowager, not caring at all, and simply stated her own situation.
"Grand Empress Dowager, I'm afraid I can't comply. I'm already a married woman and I'm pregnant. If you insist, I'm willing to open a class in the harem to teach the ladies how to be good wives." As for how she would teach and how they would learn, that was another matter.
The Grand Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. She didn't expect that Mu Fengqie would actually reject such great glory and wealth. What's wrong with a position second only to the emperor?
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, girl Fengqie," just as Mu Fengqie was about to leave, the Grand Empress Dowager continued, "I still hope you can consider what I just said. You should know that the emperor is the lord of the world. So what if you're pregnant? It would be as easy as pie to arrange an identity for you."
Mu Fengqie's body stiffened when she heard the Grand Empress Dowager's words. She understood what the Grand Empress Dowager meant. She sneered sarcastically. It was just the same as before, always threatening others. There was no originality at all.
"I understand, Grand Empress Dowager. Don't worry. I'll definitely teach the ladies well so that they can share the emperor's burdens!" After saying that, Mu Fengqie strode out without even glancing at the Grand Empress Dowager behind her.
"Oh, by the way, Grand Empress Dowager, although you're out now, it might be quite difficult for you to regain control of the harem. After all, everyone knows what you did back then. You blatantly favored the third prince, which made the current emperor sad many times.
When the emperor ascended the throne, you hid in the ancestral hall, thinking you could escape and survive. But have you ever thought that maybe the emperor didn't even take you seriously?" Mu Fengqie sneered sarcastically, guessing the Grand Empress Dowager's thoughts accurately.
Wasn't it just out of fear of death?
The Grand Empress Dowager stared at Mu Fengqie with a pale face. After Mu Fengqie left, she slumped into the chair and gasped for breath. But after she recovered, her eyes were filled with venom.
When Mu Fengqie came out, she saw Zhu Fei anxiously waiting at the door. As soon as Zhu Fei saw her come out, she immediately stepped forward to check on her. Only after making sure that she was okay did she let out a sigh of relief.
"Come on, I'm fine. Let's go back," Mu Fengqie said with a smile as she looked at Zhu Fei.
However, Mu Fengqie's face immediately fell when she got back. "Zhu Fei, find a way to get Zhu Yan and Lou Ming into the palace." Today she had provoked the Grand Empress Dowager. Who knew if the Grand Empress Dowager would go crazy and send someone to harm her child in the future.
"Yes," although Zhu Fei didn't know why Mu Fengqie suddenly wanted to call Zhu Yan and the others into the palace, she knew that Mu Fengqie must have her reasons. She just needed to obey.
Mu Fengqie sat alone in the room writing and drawing. Since she had promised the Grand Empress Dowager, she would surely keep her word. Wasn't it just teaching women how to take care of their husbands? She was good at this. She had a whole bunch of theories from the 21st century. She could talk to those women for a whole year and still not finish.
Soon the Grand Empress Dowager's edict came out. For a while, the concubines in the palace had different thoughts, but they all had the same thought in their hearts: Why did this old woman come out? Why didn't she just stay in the ancestral hall copying scriptures? Why did she come out to cause trouble?
Yuan Yuchuan frowned tightly when he heard about this. When he ascended the throne, the Grand Empress Dowager had shut herself in the ancestral hall and didn't care about anything. She didn't care about his situation after he became the emperor at all. Now that his court was finally stable and there were concubines in the harem who were pregnant, this Grand Empress Dowager came out.
The purpose was obvious.
For a moment, Yuan Yuchuan's face turned ashen. When his third brother was still alive, his mother and the empress dowager had always favored his third brother. Now that he had finally ascended the throne, this Grand Empress Dowager was coming out to cause trouble again!
"Someone, go and bring Mu Fengqie to me. Tell her that I have something to ask her," Yuan Yuchuan ordered. He wanted to know what the Grand Empress Dowager had said to Mu Fengqie. If it was about asking him to abdicate... then don't blame him for being merciless!
When Mu Fengqie saw the eunuch coming, she knew what Yuan Yuchuan wanted. Without saying a word, she followed him.