"Let's hear from Miss Xiao."
The room fell silent as everyone turned to look, curious to see what the daughter of a once-prominent but now-declining family might say.
"Then, with respect, I shall accept the invitation," Miss Xiao replied, standing gracefully to bow, showing confidence.
"In my opinion, though Her Majesty oversees the Mid-Autumn banquet, the reception of foreign envoys falls under the jurisdiction of the former court. The rear palace should not interfere in state affairs, so Your Majesty could delegate this task, allowing the Ministry of Rites to draft a protocol. If Her Majesty personally attends to every matter, wouldn't that make the ministers' positions and salaries meaningless?"
"Of course, since Your Majesty asked, I should offer a formal suggestion. I actually agree more with Miss Shen. Our great nation should not need to yield, but as a powerful nation, we should demonstrate tolerance and magnanimity."
"For Nan Qi, the Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes reunion. In Liao, however, the 15th of August is a day of mourning for the Tuoba clan's founding ancestor. Although they express sorrow, longing for reunion in another life, isn't this similar to our own wish for reunion? One is for the living, the other for the departed; life and death are two parts of one whole, so why not celebrate together?"
When she finished, the expressions of those present subtly changed.
No one expected her response to be so thoughtful, even Ye Yun, who suddenly felt her views on family status wavering.
However, she kept her composure and simply smiled, speaking as if casually.
"All of you have given excellent answers, each with unique merit. It appears that Nan Qi truly has no shortage of talented women, which is a great fortune for us."
The young ladies, including Miss Xiao, attempted to read Ye Yun's tone and expression, but the Empress's mind was far beyond the grasp of these teenage girls.
In the end, as they left the palace, none had a clear idea of the Empress's intentions.
They could only wait for the outcome.
That same day, Ye Yun discussed the banquet events with Ning Chen.
The couple deliberated for almost five days.
During those days, Ning Chen even deployed his secret guards to investigate the young ladies.
He truly did not want an unsuitable woman to enter the Crown Prince's household.
After ten days, the decision was made.
The imperial decree named Miss Shen as the Crown Princess, Miss Xiao as a side consort, and Miss Wu as a concubine.
Upon hearing this result, Miss Xiao felt both unsurprised and slightly disappointed.
Yet, her wish was fulfilled.
In truth, Ning Chen and Ye Yun had spent days discussing this. They felt Miss Xiao was fully qualified to be the Crown Princess, except for her family background.
However, a Crown Princess must be more than qualified; she would also be the Crown Prince's wife.
While Miss Xiao was intelligent, she was overly calm, rational, and goal-driven. She lacked Miss Shen's sincerity and candor.
Such a woman would need someone to firmly guide her, or she might easily cause complications.
Miss Shen, being intelligent and decisive, was an excellent choice.
The Crown Prince had no objections to this decision.
As Ye Yun had foreseen, after entering the household, Miss Shen managed affairs decisively, with clear rewards and punishments, making her a fitting matriarch.
Miss Xiao, clever and unambitious, provided a balancing influence.
Of course, everyone has their preferences. The Crown Prince showed a slight preference for Miss Xiao, though he was also pleased with Miss Shen.
Ye Yun only had one rule for her daughters-in-law: neither was permitted to harm any offspring.
Miss Shen, straightforward and fair, readily agreed. Miss Xiao, wise enough to recognize a boundary she should not cross, also adhered to this rule.
As a result, peace reigned in the Crown Prince's household.
Still, the Crown Prince had one unfulfilled desire: he never experienced the deep bond shared by his father and mother.
Despite years together with Miss Shen, Miss Xiao, and others, he never developed unique feelings for any of them.
This was a regret of sorts.
After all, women like Ye Yun were exceedingly rare; even someone as exceptional as Miss Xiao could not compare.
However, in his lifetime, the Crown Prince had two empresses. Miss Shen bore two daughters before passing away, and Miss Xiao succeeded her.
Miss Xiao bore him one son, who was later named the next Crown Prince.
Ning Yu Jing led a relatively smooth life. Before he ascended the throne, his parents paved the way for him. Once he took the throne, he ruled strongly. Both of his empresses were satisfactory, and no child in his harem ever lost their life due to infighting.
He never faced the hardships his father had, yet he also never experienced the same irreplaceable love. But his life was complete in its own way, which is a rare thing for royalty.
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The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 3)
HistoryczneNote: This is a translated novel by me (Xiao Bai) Title: 贵妃她千娇百媚 Ye Yun was supposed to be the prince's concubine, but due to the sudden death of the late emperor, her entry into the palace was delayed for over a year. She entered the palace with th...
