SFL Chapter 19

Su Qianhuan, being the legitimate daughter of the Su family’s Head and Su Mother , leaned more towards the Fourth Prince in her heart.

However, Su Qianluo, another daughter of the Su family, received increasing favor from the Third Prince, and now with her pregnancy, both the Emperor and Empress were delighted. On the other hand, in the Fourth Prince’s camp, the people in the harem were contentious. In order to balance the various factions supporting him, there were times when even Su Qianhuan, the Fourth Prince’s consort, had to personally bow to those women. The Su family and their supporters saw all of this, and their perception of the Fourth Prince deteriorated.

While it’s true that the Su family and the Fourth Prince’s marriage was just a political alliance, the Su family found it hard to maintain their dignity, which made their affiliated factions somewhat resentful.

Comparing the Fourth Prince to the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince seemed even less appealing.

As a result, some began to consider connecting with the Third Prince’s consort, Su Qianluo, for a change of allegiance, even without taking any actions. Those who remained in the Fourth Prince’s camp also became passive.

The Fourth Prince sought an explanation from the Su family through Su Qianhuan, but what kind of explanation could the Su family provide?

These officials and princes had private dealings. Such relationships could never be exposed. The Su family’s affiliates were colleagues and couldn’t possibly take action against these individuals.

Not to mention those following the Su family. Su Qianluo, coming from the Su family’s second branch, had a father who held the rank of fifth-grade official. While he wasn’t particularly influential, he could at least remain neutral and not interfere with his own daughter’s marriage.

As the Su family remained indecisive and failed to provide a satisfactory response to the Fourth Prince, Su Qianhuan in the Fourth Prince’s harem fell from grace.

Unlike her, not far from there, the Third Prince’s residence was bustling with activity. After the news of Su Qianluo’s pregnancy spread, the Empress was overjoyed, and every few days, she sent a pile of gifts. Even the Emperor himself sent gifts, although slightly less frequently. They were all beaming with happiness, as if they had just become grandparents. This made the Eldest Prince and Second Prince feel bitter.

By the time the news of Su Qianluo’s pregnancy had spread, she was already three months along, and the baby was safe.

While Mu Yunfeng couldn’t directly share his wife’s pregnancy experience, he was able to spend more time with her. He made sure to return home promptly after work every day.

This display of devotion and affection from Mu Yunfeng was enough to make the married women in the capital envious and teary-eyed. This was especially true for the First Princess Consort, the Second Princess Consort, and Su Qianhuan, who had similar statuses to Su Qianluo. The emotions in their hearts were complex and difficult to express.

Comparing the circumstances of the two women after their marriages, it felt like one was in heaven and the other in hell. Su Qianhuan deeply regretted her actions.

She envied Mu Yunfeng’s exclusive favor toward Su Qianluo, and she regretted her escape. It was clear to discerning eyes that the Third Prince’s affection for the Third Princess Consort wasn’t just a surface act, nor was it based solely on the family background of the Third Princess Consort.

If she hadn’t escaped in the first place, she would be the one enjoying the Third Prince’s exclusive affection instead of her cousin Su Qianluo, who was inferior to her in many ways.

Now, seeing the person she once looked down on obtaining the dream marriage that she had longed for, and comparing it to the cold treatment she received in the Fourth Prince’s residence, Su Qianhuan felt as if something was gnawing away at her from the inside.

“Fourth sister, now it’s your doing that the Third Prince’s Consort is most grateful for. Without you back then, there wouldn’t be the Third Prince’s Consort today. Don’t you think so?” The First Princess Consort and the Second Princess Consort smiled at Su Qianhuan.

Although Su Qianluo’s favor made them envious, they knew they hadn’t encountered a husband as good as the Third Prince. However, Su Qianhuan was different. She must remember that the Third Prince’s Consort was married on her behalf. Yet, Su Qianluo had lost the Third Prince and settled for the Fourth Prince, which made them very happy.

In comparison, Su Qianhuan felt miserable because of their joint teasing. Seeing Su Qianluo, who was full of happiness without a trace of sorrow, only made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

She couldn’t help but think that she should be the Third Prince’s Consort. Su Qianluo’s current favor should belong to her.

This thought was abrupt, but it lingered in Su Qianhuan’s subconscious mind.

With these new thoughts in her heart, she found herself looking at the Fourth Prince’s face with a degree of revulsion upon returning home.

To be frank, Su Qianhuan had once been swayed by the sweet words of the Fourth Prince. But he was just all talk, nowhere near the Third Prince, who proved his affection through action.

Meanwhile, Su Qianluo, who was currently the subject of admiration and jealousy among the married women and young girls in the capital, was experiencing morning sickness.

During this time, pregnant women typically lost their appetite. Even if their stomachs were empty, they couldn’t eat anything. Mu Yunfeng had arranged for a palace physician to prepare nutritious liquid food for Su Qianluo. Though she would still vomit after eating it, some would stay in her stomach.

Due to Su Qianluo’s morning sickness, Mu Yunfeng had changed his own diet. He accompanied Su Qianluo, having food that suited her palate, such as sour pickles. After taking a bite, even Mu Yunfeng’s face twisted, but Su Qianluo, the pregnant woman, found solace in this unique sour taste.

Seeing Mu Yunfeng’s efforts, Su Qianluo felt guilty and said, “Why do you have to go through this with me? You’re not pregnant.”

“Your pregnancy is much harder than anything I could do,” Mu Yunfeng replied, serving Su Qianluo a bowl of porridge. She took it and sipped it slowly, her eyes welling up with tears.

In this world, there are very few men who are as considerate as him towards their pregnant wives. Despite their status, even though they are surrounded by attendants, a husband’s companionship is irreplaceable.

Maybe it was due to her pregnancy, but Su Qianluo felt her heart soften completely. Under Mu Yunfeng’s somewhat rough but tender care, she was overwhelmed.

[System prompt: Romance target: Su Qianluo. Current favorability rating with the host: 95%.]

The system’s voice rang in Mu Yunfeng’s ears, but he ignored it. He wiped Su Qianluo’s tears and smiled, saying, “Don’t cry, or what will we do if the baby turns into a crybaby after being born?”

This remark made Su Qianluo stop crying, and she laughed, “How could that happen? You know, this is our child.”

Not to mention that Mu Yunfeng, being a father, had a fierce reputation and could easily stop a child’s crying in the homes of certain officials. Su Qianluo was not a fragile mother; their child couldn’t be a crybaby.

“What about the court in these times when you’ve been home with me?” Su Qianluo asked with concern.

Lately, there had been an increasing number of petitions for the emperor to designate an heir. Unlike Mu Yunfeng, the First Prince, Second Prince, and Fourth Prince were all very active in pursuing their claims. While they hadn’t joined forces, the combined influence of their factions was enough to shake the court.

“Don’t worry. We have the Marquis’s residence. Even if I’m not there, it won’t affect their efforts on my behalf. Right now, the most important thing for me is to be with you. It’s more important than anything else,” Mu Yunfeng reassured her. He could regain a lost throne, but missing out on his wife’s pregnancy and the birth of their child was something he could never get back.

The Marquis’s residence that Mu Yunfeng mentioned was the maternal family of the empress and also Mu Yunfeng’s own maternal family.

The Marquis’s residence was wholeheartedly supported by Mu Yunfeng, even though Mu Yunfeng, during his tenure in the Ministry of Justice, had apprehended some of the dandyish scions from their family, showing no favoritism towards his maternal relatives.

This kind of “inhuman” treatment had led some to attempt to sow discord between the Marquis’s residence and Mu Yunfeng. However, the Marquis’s residence was far from naive. They wouldn’t let a few wayward youths in their family create a rift with Mu Yunfeng, especially when they had an empress and adult prince of their own.

Mu Yunfeng had dealt with the rot within various families but never reached the core positions of these families. If the core positions of these families were infiltrated, it would lead to the decline of the entire family.

The Marquis’s residence had been carved deeply by Mu Yunfeng, causing them both tears and pain, and some individuals held resentment against Mu Yunfeng. However, despite all this, the Marquis’s residence continued to stand behind Mu Yunfeng. This was different from court officials who hoped for their own merits in serving the emperor. The Marquis’s residence was a natural ally to Mu Yunfeng.

Although Mu Yunfeng treated his maternal family and those outsiders equally, in the political arena, the Marquis’s residence would support Mu Yunfeng as needed.

As the forces behind all four adult princes became active, the emperor’s stance gradually softened. He was not thrilled that the court officials clamored for an heir while he was still in his prime. But he understood the importance of having a legitimate heir to secure the people’s trust. The delay was to assess the various powers in the court.

As he grew older and his sons reached adulthood, even those loyal ministers who had previously been unwavering in their support of him began to have their own interests. The struggle in the court was merely the surface; there were also individuals undermining those of different factions at the lower levels.

In this context, Mu Yunfeng’s camp consisted of the fewest and least active individuals. Those who had stayed with Mu Yunfeng until now had their own accomplishments and followed Mu Yunfeng’s orders. If Mu Yunfeng didn’t ask them to act, they remained still, which made them appear no different from the officials who remained neutral.

The emperor inquired, “I now have four sons who have reached adulthood. Who is most suitable to be the crown prince?”

The court officials were elated and started recommending their favored prince.

“The First Prince, being the eldest and having the longest court experience, displays the most stability. He should be the candidate for crown prince.”

“The Second Prince has a well-regarded reputation among the literati across the nation and possesses the characteristics of a wise ruler. He could be a suitable crown prince.”

“The Third Prince, as the legitimate son of the empress, has recently achieved significant political accomplishments, not inferior to the First Prince and the Second Prince. I recommend the Third Prince for the crown prince position, which is both fitting and legitimate.”

“As for the Fourth Prince…”

The supporters of each of the four princes presented their views in a mixed chorus on the court. When the emperor had not made his preference for a successor clear, the opinions of the court officials had significant influence.

The officials supporting the four princes would not have invested in them if they saw no hope of their ascent. Each prince’s backers could point out many merits.

“All right, that’s enough. Stop for now. The rest of you, speak,” the emperor told the officials who had stood in line, instructing the neutral officials to share their opinions.

The neutral officials, mostly career civil servants, provided objective assessments from the emperor’s perspective.

The Six Ministers were close to the emperor, and it was impossible to sway them. However, this didn’t stop them from having preferences. For instance, the Ministry of Justice preferred Mu Yunfeng over the First Prince and the Second Prince, who had close ties with the aristocracy. Mu Yunfeng was seen as a prince who upheld justice.

When it was the Ministry of Revenue’s turn, its head expressed a sentiment of desolation. “Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince is not the Third Prince, would the Third Prince be able to earn so much for the national treasury?”

The courtiers were initially shocked and perceived the statement as a direct threat. They thought, ‘Is this a blatant threat from the Ministry of Revenue? Who does he think he is, controlling the finances?’

However, it soon dawned on the courtiers that the Ministry of Revenue’s head wasn’t addressing the emperor with his words. After all, the Third Prince, who was currently managing the national treasury, was the emperor’s son. As long as the emperor remained in power, the Third Prince could continue to oversee the Ministry of Revenue.

But, if one of the Third Prince’s brothers were to become the emperor, they would undoubtedly replace the Third Prince with someone loyal to the new emperor in this significant role.

This led to a crucial question: Who among them could replace the Third Prince in this role?

While managing the Ministry of Revenue and the national treasury wasn’t overly complicated, achieving the results and accomplishments of Mu Yunfeng was an impossible task for them.

The meaning behind the head of the Ministry of Revenue’s words was to tell them that once the Third Prince failed to become the Crown Prince, they’d have to deal with budget shortages again.

The officials who no longer had to worry about budget allocations were instantly taken aback.

They had never imagined that, even though they belonged to different factions, the collective weight of so many people could still be controlled by Mu Yunfeng’s side.

In the eyes of the emperor, there was a flicker of a smile. He hadn’t even acted yet, but Mu Yunfeng had already cleared the obstacles from his path.