The Found Stepmother, Your Dowry Is a Bit Too Much

Chapter 456

Concubine Xi felt smug, thinking the emperor had finally recognized her worth."Your Majesty!" Concubine Xi gazed at Zhu Jingchen with ardent affection.

The shyness on her face was unmistakable.

"Xi... Concubine Xi, right?" Zhu Jingchen looked at her, took a while, and then recalled her title.

"Your Majesty, this humble consort is here." Concubine Xi was delighting in the thought that her days of imperial favor were about to begin.

"Oh, I remember now—I still have memorials to review. Eunuch Liu, let's go, let’s hurry back to the Imperial Study!"

Seeing the empress’s retreating figure, Zhu Jingchen didn’t hesitate for a second and spoke to Eunuch Liu dismissively.

As for this Concubine Xi, Zhu Jingchen had long forgotten who she was. After all, he had plenty of consorts; how could he possibly remember them all?

Just moments ago, he had only pretended to be delighted to see Concubine Xi because he didn’t want to continue the conversation with the empress.

In truth, Zhu Jingchen didn’t really like any of the women in the harem. Whenever they saw him, they acted as if they wanted to devour him.

If he showed even the slightest kindness to them, they would shout it from the rooftops.

Concubine Xi could only watch as the emperor walked away before her eyes.

Staring at his departing figure, she suddenly remembered that she had come to see him about something important.

"Your Majesty!" Thinking this, she quickly chased after him.

She had planned to whisper sweet words into the emperor’s ear, persuading him to marry Princess Fuan to the Third Prince of Qinling State.

But now, she hadn’t even said a single word before the emperor left. What was she to do?

"My lady, His Majesty just said he was going to the Imperial Study," the maid beside her, seeing her mistress at a loss, quickly reminded her.

"To the Imperial Study." Concubine Xi made up her mind and hurried toward it.

She was determined to speak with the emperor about this matter today.

After all, the marriage alliance candidate for the Third Prince of Qinling State would normally be a princess, but the emperor’s princesses were far too young. At present, wasn’t Princess Fuan the most suitable choice?

Concubine Xi hadn’t initially thought this task would be difficult.

But if she couldn’t meet the emperor, that was another matter.

Still, the emperor had seemed very fond of her just now. It must have been the mountain of memorials that made him rush off to review them.

Thinking this, Concubine Xi resolved to go to the Imperial Study and keep him company.

Outside the Imperial Study

Yet when Concubine Xi arrived at the Imperial Study, full of hope, she was stopped by the guards.

"Concubine Xi, please return. His Majesty is busy," the young eunuch said, bowing with a smile.

"Eunuch, please go in and announce me. Tell His Majesty that this consort is here to see him," Concubine Xi said, feeling the young eunuch was rather dim-witted. She was one of the emperor’s consorts, yet he wouldn’t let her in.

"Concubine Xi, this is the Imperial Study. Without His Majesty’s summons, palace ladies cannot come here," the eunuch replied calmly, still wearing a smile.

After all, there were quite a few consorts coming daily seeking an audience with the emperor.

He had long grown accustomed to it.

Kunning Palace

"Steward, what should I do? I can’t persuade His Majesty," the empress said, sitting in the hall with a troubled expression.

Remembering her father’s words, the empress couldn’t help but feel anxious.

If this matter wasn’t handled properly, it could bring a catastrophe upon the entire Kingdom of Lanno. But the emperor adamantly refused to listen to her advice.

At this thought, the empress stroked her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

In truth, she didn’t wish to be the one to separate the lovers, but this matter concerned the entire kingdom.

As the empress, she had to consider the greater good.

Nanny Chang, upon hearing this, looked at the empress with concern.

Grand Preceptor Cheng had consulted the empress about this matter without trying to hide it from the nanny.

Nanny Chang also understood the empress’s predicament.

But no matter what, the emperor was dead set against entering a marriage alliance with Qinling State.

This left the empress utterly baffled. Why not sacrifice a mere Li Zhiwei for the peace of the entire Kingdom of Lanno? Was it so hard?

Besides, she didn’t believe the Prince of An truly loved Miss Li that deeply.

From what she had heard, Prince of An’s willingness to marry Li Zhiwei was originally the emperor’s arrangement.

The empress also felt grateful for Li Zhiwei’s noble act of donating her entire dowry to the court.

If she had any other choice, she wouldn’t have wished for Li Zhiwei to be the one. But who could blame the Third Prince of Qinling State for setting his sights on her?

Sighing, the empress found herself in a difficult position.

"Your Highness, maybe if you can’t convince His Majesty, you could try persuading Miss Li? Back then, she selflessly donated all her dowry to the court. Now that Lanno Kingdom is in a crisis, surely Miss Li would step up and help?" Nanny Chang suggested cautiously.

Persuade Li Zhiwei?

The empress hesitated. Doing so would be somewhat unreasonable of her.

But thinking about how Qinling State pressed down heavily on Lanno from every angle, the empress steeled herself.

"Nanny Chang, go to the Li residence personally and invite Miss Li to the palace," the empress said after pondering, deciding to approach Li Zhiwei instead.

If Li Zhiwei agreed, presumably the emperor wouldn’t object.

The empress had met Li Zhiwei a few times and was quite impressed with her.

Now, personal wishes had to come second to national interests; Li Zhiwei had no room to refuse.

Besides, it was said that the Third Prince of Qinling State was exceptionally handsome and deeply loved Li Zhiwei. If she married him, her life would likely not be hard.

The more the empress thought about it, the more feasible this plan seemed.

Moreover, the Third Prince of Qinling State was born of the principal wife of the ruler. In the future, he might even ascend the throne, elevating Li Zhiwei’s status further.

With this in mind, the empress became more resolved to convince Li Zhiwei.

The Li Residence

"Nanny Chang, what brings you here?"

Li Zhiwei was startled when she saw Nanny Chang.

Nanny Chang was the empress’s personal steward; she wouldn’t come to the Li residence without a reason. Would she?

Li Zhiwei speculated silently about what the empress might want from her.

Thinking of Cheng Qingli, and of Shangguan Mu’s visit the previous day, an inexplicable sense of dread crept into Li Zhiwei’s heart.

"Miss Li, peace be with you." Nanny Chang smiled and gave a half-curtsy. Looking at Li Zhiwei’s stunningly beautiful face, Nanny Chang sighed inwardly—even with all the beauties she had seen in the palace, she had to admit Li Zhiwei’s features were extraordinarily striking.

No wonder the Third Prince of Qinling State was so captivated by her.

Remembering the worries of Grand Preceptor Cheng and the empress, Nanny Chang beamed even more brightly and said to Li Zhiwei, "The empress thinks of you often and sent me to invite you to the palace."

Nanny Chang’s tone carried a hint of condescension.

After all, if it were an ordinary young lady, an empress summons would fill her with joy at the chance to enter the palace.

But Li Zhiwei felt a heavy weight settle in her chest.

The empress wanted to see her now, of all times?

Li Zhiwei had a strong sense that this boded no good.