I'm the Farmgirl You Can't Mess With

Chapter 1318: Side Story: Concubine Zhao (2)

Editor: Atlas Studios

He grabbed her hand and said in a low voice, “Royal Father is my father, and the Crown Prince is my elder brother. Also, I have four younger brothers. Has it occurred to you that my father would be sad when you asked me to fight for the throne? That my elder brother would be hurt, and that my younger brothers would be led astray with me setting such an example?”

Concubine Zhao pushed him away and asked sternly, “What do they have to do with me? I’m your mother. You were born by me, so you should listen to me. Otherwise, what’s the point of me giving birth to you?”

Qi Wensu laughed bitterly and stood up. “You’re right. They’re just strangers who aren’t related to you by blood. You’re just Royal Father’s concubine, and my brothers are completely unrelated to you. But it’s different for me. Royal Father is my father, and my big brother and younger brothers are related to me by blood. Because of this, you and I have a fundamentally different stance. Why should I force you to think from my standpoint?”

Concubine Zhao’s expression changed. She looked at her son with heartache. “Are you looking down on me for being a concubine?”

“No.” Qi Wensu looked at her in amusement. “I’m your child. How can I possibly look down on you?”

At this moment, Qi Wensu already knew that his Mother Consort did not at all share the same worldview. As such, it’s useless to continue discussing this. Hence, he said with a smile, “Mother Consort, since Royal Father has already issued a decree, just abide by it. Don’t worry, I’ll visit you often. If you lack anything in the palace, just let me know. I’ll get someone to bring it to you.”

He was gentle and kind. If it weren’t for the fact that the corners of his eyes were still red, one wouldn’t have been able to tell that he was the one who had questioned her angrily just now.

Instinctively sensing that her son was getting further and further away from her, Concubine Zhao grabbed his hand as if she was clutching onto her last life-saving straw and asked in panic, “Are you going to leave me alone in the palace? I’m your biological mother. You can’t leave me to fend for myself.”

“Mother Consort, you’re thinking too much. I wouldn’t do that. But since it’s Royal Father’s intention to let you stay in the palace, you can only stay in the palace and pray for the Empress Dowager.”

“Wouldn’t that make me no different from that crazy woman in the harem?” Concubine Zhao screamed hysterically. “I don’t want to end up in the same state as that lunatic Madam Wu.”

“How can it be the same? Her son can’t even enter the palace to see her, whereas I can enter the palace to visit you from time to time.” Qi Wensu forced a smile and said, “Mother Consort, don’t worry. I will definitely provide for you.”

Qi Wensu pulled her hand away and strode away after making such a promise. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to hold back his anger if he stayed. Since that was the case, he might as well leave as soon as possible to preserve their relationship.

As Concubine Zhao watched her son walk further and further away, she felt a void in a corner of her heart.

The corners of her lips trembled as she told herself in a low voice, “I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t do anything wrong! Why can’t my son take the throne when he, too, is a son of the Emperor? We’re both women. Why can’t I be the Empress Dowager?”

However, the palace servants outside did not indulge her and sent her straight to the temple hall.

If not for Prince Qin, they would have been even more impolite.

Seeing Concubine Zhao get sent to the temple hall, Princess Consort Qin heaved a sigh of relief. She was really afraid that this mother-in-law would cause chaos at home if she came to live with them.

Not only was this little mother-in-law highly ambitious and short-sighted, but her actions were also crude and infuriating. After Princess Consort Qin married over, before her proper mother-in-law could reprimand her, Concubine Zhao was already putting on airs.

This was nothing. Marrying into the royal family and having two mothers-in-law, Princess Consort Qin had long been prepared to suffer. However, Concubine Zhao was actually brainless enough to teach her to befriend the wives of the ministers in the presence of the palace servants.

To think such a person was able to survive in the palace. Princess Consort Qin couldn’t help but admire the Empress who hailed from an aristocratic family for her manners and magnanimity. This also helped her to develop an understanding of the Qi royal family.

If even such a person could survive in the harem, it was no wonder that nobody had ever heard of a prince dying or a concubine suffering a miscarriage in the Emperor Emeritus’s harem.

Princess Consort Qin didn’t know her little mother-in-law still had complaints about such a harem environment. Concubine Zhao felt that it was precisely because there wasn’t intense conflict that many of her chances and her son’s chances of becoming the Emperor were cut off.

However, it had never occurred to her that if she lived in such an environment, she would probably die in the very first round.

Seeing that her husband was a little depressed, Princess Consort Qin went forward and said gently, “Your Highness, I’ve prepared some things for Mother Consort. I’ll send it to the palace tomorrow.”

Qi Wensu shook his head. “There’s no need. Let’s wait for some time until Mother Consort’s emotions stabilize. At that time, you and I will bring the children into the palace to visit her.”

Princess Consort Qin smiled and agreed.

If Qi Wensu didn’t enter the palace, Concubine Zhao wouldn’t even be able to send a message out of the palace. She didn’t expect herself to end up in such a state, a state that was worse than even the childless concubines.

The concubines who had children had all been sent to live with their child. Those who were childless were also taken good care of.

The new Emperor was filial. Even though the Emperor Emeritus only took the Empress Dowager with him, he was very respectful to the Emperor Emeritus’s concubines who were childless. Every quarter, the new Empress would take special care of these Imperial Noble Consorts.

Although Concubine Zhao was also included, because she was personally ordered by the Emperor Emeritus to pray in the temple hall, even with the new Empress and her biological son taking care of her, there were still many snobbish servants around.

Even if she only lived in the temple hall and did not lose her freedom and could go around the palace at will, everyone knew that she was an unfavored concubine at this point. She was the only concubine who could not leave the palace even though she had given birth to a prince.

Nobody knew if it was out of regret or fear, but Concubine Zhao’s grip on Qi Wensu tightened. As long as he didn’t come to visit her one day, she would lose control of her emotions.

Exhausted from her antics, in the end, Qi Wensu only brought his children into the palace on the first and fifteenth of every month.

Later on, when he was posted elsewhere, he even brought his wife and children with him. As a result, Concubine Zhao no longer had any visitors and only received gifts from him during the festive seasons every year.

Concubine Zhao thought that Qi Wensu was hiding from her and taking revenge on her. Otherwise, why would he bring his wife and all his children with him?

However, Qi Wensu only did that under the influence of his elders. Seeing as his Fourth Uncle and Uncle Fan brought their wives and children along when they were posted elsewhere, he naturally had to bring his family along when he was posted elsewhere.

Therefore, when he received Concubine Zhao’s resentment-filled letter, he rubbed his forehead with a headache and said to his wife, “In the future, you can just read these letters yourself. If she needs something, get someone to send it to her. If she writes something nasty, ignore her.”

Princess Consort Qin agreed.

Concubine Zhao, who had been waiting in the palace for a long time for her son’s letters, became more and more desperate. She could only flare up at the benevolent Bodhisattva every day. “Aren’t you a Bodhisattva who saves people from their suffering? I pray to you every day, but you’ve never once given me salvation or satisfied my wants.”

It was really difficult to remember people who were not by their side. Moreover, considering Concubine Zhao’s temperament, Qi Wensu’s family was living rather well without her around. At least, Concubine Zhao’s influence on them was very limited.

Qi Xiuyuan, who was concerned about his sons, naturally received this news. He threw down the letter and said to the commander of the secret guards by his side, “Now that Wensu has grown up, I’ve done all I can for him. There’s no need to send such information over going forward.”

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