Only the Ju Noble Consort who had been favored for twenty years without decline could say such words and plead in such a coquettish tone.
Wen Zhiyun, who had been massaging the Imperial Court for half a year, often saw the two of them being intimate like an ordinary affectionate couple, either adding fragrance with red sleeves or whispering privately.
The Noble Consort had also implicitly expressed her dissatisfaction with the status of a concubine, but the Imperial Court always responded with silence, so the Noble Consort would tactfully change the topic.
It was still the first time she had been so straightforward like today.
Wen Zhiyun shrank behind the gauze curtain, wishing he could hide his figure.
The Imperial Court seemed to respond with silence as usual.
But this time, the Noble Consort did not let it go tactfully. Instead, she turned around resentfully, "Brother Abyss, I'm thirty-seven this year."
"We've known each other since we were seven and got married when we were seventeen. It's been thirty years now. I always thought I would be your official wife and have children with you until we grow old together, but look at me now, look at me."
"My temples have white hair and my eyes are full of wrinkles. I'm old, Brother Abyss."
"In a few more years, I will get sick and die, but I can't even be buried with you. We can only gaze at each other from afar in the imperial mausoleum..."
Low sobbing sounded, perhaps containing true feelings, making people feel sad when they heard it.
The taciturn Imperial Court stretched out his hand and hugged the no longer youthful Noble Consort into his arms, stroking her back gently like a child.
Once, again, and again.
After a long time, the man's low voice sounded, "I need to think more about this matter."
The topic that had always been avoided could mean he was shaken since he was willing to consider it.
The Noble Consort Mrs. Ju broke into a smile amidst her tears, "Brother Abyss said he would not let me down."
The two hugged tightly, ineffable emotions spreading throughout the hall.
The only one left at a loss was Wen Zhiyun curled up behind the gauze curtain.
It was already nerve-wracking to eavesdrop on the conversation between the emperor and noble consort. Finding out that the Noble Consort Mrs. Ju might be elevated to the position of empress made him even more worried.
He and Zheng Ruqian were both ignorant of politics, but he knew this must have something to do with his younger fifth brother.
He wanted to tell Chang Yan immediately but couldn't step out from behind the gauze curtain.
After much hesitation and deliberation,
Wen Zhiyun clenched his fair and tender fist and hit himself on the neck.
The clever amount of force made him dizzy and he was careful not to make any loud noise as he was about to collapse.
He didn't know how much time had passed before Wen Zhiyun was shaken awake.
When he opened his eyes, it was the anxious face of the young master Wu, the son of the housekeeper Wu. "Doctor Wen, Doctor Wen, what's wrong with you? Wake up!"
"Young Master Wu..." Wen Zhiyun said hoarsely, "What happened to me?"
"You were found passed out in the main hall. The Imperial Court didn't punish you. He only said to let you rest and recuperate before coming back to massage again." Young Master Wu looked puzzled. "How could you have fainted? Could there have been an assassin, or are you feeling unwell?"
Wen Zhiyun stared at him without speaking.
That tender and delicate little boy was only fourteen years old yet had to work hard days and nights in the Imperial Hospital. It showed his diligence and dedication.
Young Master Wu's heart softened. He waved his hand, "Alright alright, I'll just say you're not feeling well later. Go back and rest well at the Imperial Hospital now."
"Thank you, Young Master Wu," Wen Zhiyun said timidly and walked away carrying his medicine box.
As soon as there were no more eyes following him, he quickened his pace and returned to the Imperial Hospital as fast as he could.
With the support and shelter of the Yan Family and Chang Yan's careful planning, the two brothers were able to meet in the dark night.
"Little Five..." As soon as Wen Zhiyun opened his mouth, his eyes turned red. "You've suffered too much. What should you do?"
Chang Yan looked at him blankly, completely confused.
"I heard in the main hall today that the Imperial Court wants to make the Noble Consort Mrs. Ju the Empress," Wen Zhiyun said with difficulty. "The Crown Prince already has the advantage of being the eldest. Now if he also gains legitimacy as the heir, then it would be a done deal. The other princes wouldn't stand a chance anymore."
The system of legitimacy and primogeniture had lasted for hundreds of years in the Dayu Dynasty. Usually the eldest son born of the official wife was the most valued and also the commonly seen legitimate heir.
But there were always exceptions. Whenever the first child was not born by the official wife and occupied the position of the eldest illegitimate son, the legitimacy would lose its status of being the eldest.
Like Zhu Changhong was the eldest illegitimate son.
And Chang Yan was the legitimate son.
There were also historical records of counting the legitimacy and illegitimacy separately. No matter if there was an eldest illegitimate son or not, the first son born by the official wife would still be the legitimate eldest son.
But in the Dayu Dynasty, legitimacy and primogeniture were deliberately distinguished.
Zhu Changhong relied solely on his status as the eldest son to win the support of the Fang Family and became the popular candidate for Crown Prince in the minds of Fengjing citizens. If he also gained legitimacy, the other princes would truly have no chance at all.
"Establishing the legitimate heir and the eldest son, legitimacy and primogeniture take priority." Chang Yan spoke lightly and contemptuously. "It seems the Noble Consort Mrs. Ju couldn't hold herself back anymore."
"If the Crown Prince becomes the legitimate heir, what will you do?" Wen Zhiyun asked with red-rimmed eyes. "Little Five, what can I do for you?"
With the Imperial Court overhauling the rear palace, the Imperial Hospital’s reach was not long enough no matter how hard they tried.
Was it because the Noble Consort Mrs. Ju couldn’t restrain herself that she also noticed the Second Prince was not to be underestimated?
Rather than passively waiting to be attacked, she decided to take the initiative to strangle him.
When it came to old cunning and scheming, it still had to be the Ju Family.
The previous emperor’s resolute and decisive personality led him to fight wars everywhere, resulting in an empty national treasury and people living in misery.
Only in his later years did he regret his autocracy and decided to relinquish power and raise the authority of aristocratic families to check the emperor’s power, in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
But how could a wise emperor allow his descendants to be marginalized and the in-laws to run amuck?
When the aristocratic families possessed their own rights while also being able whisper into the emperor’s ears and having blood ties with the next emperor, how terrifying would that be?
"The combination of being an aristocratic family, imperial in-laws and the grandmother of the imperial heir apparent is too enormous, leading to countless atrocities." Chang Yan spoke indifferently, as if an outsider. "So when the founding emperor established the crown prince, he required that he could not marry a girl from the Ju Family and take her as his wife. At the same time, he gave him a girl from a medical aristocratic family to occupy the position of empress."
It was just an unlucky coincidence that the Yan Family girl was Chang Yan’s mother.
With deep affection stemming from a childhood friendship, the Noble Consort Mrs. Ju couldn’t let go of this feeling. She became a consort with tears and the entire Ju Family maintained a low profile, even willing to withdraw from the top aristocratic families.
When the previous emperor was still alive, the current Imperial Court was still able to treat his wife and concubines fairly. He established Mrs. Yan as the empress and Mrs. Ju as the noble consort when he succeeded to the throne.
As time went by, the childhood friendship eventually overwhelmed everything. The Noble Consort Mrs. Ju started getting exclusive favors and even gave birth to the eldest son first.
Even ordinary aristocratic families required the official wife to give birth to the legitimate eldest son before allowing concubines to have children.
But Chang Yan was four years younger than Zhu Changhong.
In this was the non-competitive personality of the Yan Empress, but it was also the current Imperial Court's preference towards the childhood sweetheart.
In the end, the girl from the medical aristocratic family withered in melancholy and died.
