On the other side, in the side hall of the Shulan Chamber—

Hearing the turmoil coming from the main hall, the faint soothing voices, and the faint cries of the baby, Zhao Chongrong instinctively placed his hand on his lower abdomen, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

Once upon a time, there had been a child here too. A little princess, already five months old, but in the end, she couldn't be saved. Zhao Chongrong's health had been a bit delicate in earlier years, and although she had managed to conceive, she couldn't hold onto the pregnancy, leaving her unable to conceive again in the future. And in this harem, she wasn't the only one unable to bear children.

Listening to the commotion from the main hall, Zhao Chongrong felt even more uncomfortable. With her modest family background, she needed a child to secure her position. Without one, even though she was Zhao Chongrong, no one in the palace would take her seriously, and the internal affairs department would treat her even more negligently. Zhao Chongrong thought to herself, even if it were just a princess, it would provide her with some support in her later years. Unfortunately, it seemed that even this modest wish was not to be granted by the heavens.

As everyone temporarily lived together, and with the previous visit of the Empress, Zhao Chongrong had caught a glimpse of the little prince when the nursemaid brought him out. At that time, Gu Shao was fast asleep, unaware of it all. Zhao Chongrong saw him—a very beautiful child, well-formed, but perhaps due to being born prematurely, he appeared somewhat delicate. Reflecting on her own situation, Zhao Chongrong felt increasingly resentful. Even a woman like Lady Rong had a child, while she had nothing. The more she thought about it, the more she felt unwilling to accept it. The lamps in Shulan Chamber remained lit until late into the night.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Consort Rong had reluctantly grown accustomed to Gu Shao and to her role as a mother, gradually overcoming her initial rejection of her son's closeness. It was no wonder, considering the little fellow was an insufferable clingy one; he'd melt Lay Rong's heart even when she tried to maintain her composure. If she turned away for a moment, he'd start whimpering, as if on the verge of tears, making others think the nursemaid was mistreating him. Back in her maiden chamber, her family had indulged her, and even after marriage, the Emperor had to tolerate her whims. Only this little creature before her saw her as a refuge—a refuge indeed!

Consort Rong had never imagined that one day these two words would be associated with her. She felt both curious and incredulous, but more than anything, she felt uneasy and anxious. Did she really have such ability? Consort Rong scrutinized herself for the first time in her life. In terms of appearance, she was indeed top-notch. However, when it came to knowledge, talent, or even temperament, Consort Rong couldn't honestly say anything good about herself. In the household of Duke Zhen, everyone was a military general, and not even his only daughter could escape. Consort Rong used to get headaches just from looking at books when she was young, so she only roughly recognized a few characters. Her father didn't care; in his eyes, even if his daughter was like this, no one dared to despise her. If she didn't want to study, then so be it. Consort Rong never thought it was a problem before, but now that she had a child, she suddenly felt a sense of crisis. In the entire palace, Consort De read the most books, which greatly benefited the Crown Prince. As for herself... what could she do for her child? Additionally, Consort Rong had never been exposed to the clandestine methods of the inner palace. Although her father had two concubines, they were all honest and modest. Furthermore, since the children were all controlled by the main wife, they had no room to maneuver. Therefore, Consort Rong had been raised in a somewhat simple manner. After marrying Emperor Jingwen for several years, Consort Rong had gained a lot of insight and realized that the deep palace was not as simple as it seemed. Even Empress, Consort De, and Consort Xian had all lost children successively. Was it really due to maternal weakness? This was a lie that even ghosts wouldn't believe.

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Especially Consort Shu's first child, who had been raised to the age of five with great difficulty. Before he even turned six and had the chance to be listed for education, without even receiving an official title, he was gone overnight. Consort Rong entered the palace late and had never seen that child. One never knows the pain until the knife falls on them. Previously, Consort Rong didn't think much about it, as Consort Shu had given birth to several more children afterward, and it seemed like it didn't have much impact. Until Consort Rong became a mother herself, the thought of if something were to happen to the child in front of her... just the thought of it made her tremble uncontrollably. No, it couldn't happen! Her child would surely grow up safe and sound, better looking and living longer than anyone else! "Mother Consort will never let anything happen to you!" Anyone who dared to harm him, she would not spare them! Seeing the woman in front of her seemed to be thinking about something, and suddenly filled with a murderous aura, Gu Shao was stunned. Oh no, did he overdo it? Seeing that she seemed to have frightened the little one in her arms, Consort Rong quickly regained her tenderness. "Whatever you want, Mother Consort will find a way to get it for you." Is there anything better in this world than that position? "Although it may be unfair to the Crown Prince to say this, my son deserves nothing but the best." Guilt flashed briefly, but Consort Rong chose to ignore it selectively.

The prince's favor couldn't outweigh so much. For some reason, Gu Shao couldn't shake the feeling that his mother was becoming more and more like a villain. "With the power of your maternal grandfather, plus the assistance of your six uncles, Mother Consort will spare no effort to get you onto that throne." There was only Consort Rong around, and the little one was too young to understand, so she spoke in almost a whisper, with almost no restraint. Gu Shao: "......" NoNoNoNoNo...!!! He didn't want this!!! Being an emperor, a miserable profession where you wake up earlier than the chickens, sleep later than the dogs, work 996 with no weekends off, and the emperor never takes a break all year round. Most importantly, it's too stressful. The rise and fall of an entire country depend on the emperor alone, and the pressure is unimaginable. In modern times, managing a company was exhausting enough for Gu Shao; he would rather quit, let alone being an emperor. In ancient times, emperors often had short lives. A wise ruler could be worn out, and a foolish one could be overthrown and killed. It's a high-risk occupation. Gu Shao had always been a laid-back person, never dreaming of lying on a beauty's lap and ruling the world, after all, wealth and glory are ultimately fleeting, and you can't take them with you when you die. Besides, being an emperor wasn't really that useful. Apart from having more beautiful women around, none of the other aspects could compare to modern times, and Gu Shao himself wasn't a person of great desires. In modern times, there's everything you could want. Gu Shao dared to say that what he enjoyed in modern times, the emperor couldn't enjoy.

Gu Shao once stood on the shoulders of giants and naturally looked down on the ancient emperors, who were just tall figures compared to him. As someone who had enjoyed intelligent toilets, Gu Shao couldn't help but wonder, would he still have to wipe his bottom after becoming emperor? Even if someone else helped, wouldn't it still need wiping? So, he refused. Gu Shao thought being a prince was just fine. Being above everyone else but below the emperor, still at the top of the pyramid but with less pressure. If he could encounter an emperor who was cautious and guarded, that would be even better. Once all the burdens were lifted, there would only be eating, drinking, and having fun left. When he was broke, he could just ask his brothers for money. They wouldn't refuse, especially if they were somewhat respectable, or he could just demand all the money his old man had saved up during his lifetime. Gu Shao thought the prince was not bad. He was simple and shy, easy to talk to. He couldn't resist when maids knelt before him by his mother's side; he was a soft touch. Completely oblivious to his son's urgency and panic, Consort Rong couldn't help but exclaim, "Suxin, go ask Zhao Chongrong to bring me two books." If she was planning so much for her son, Consort Rong felt she should also make an effort. Suxin's eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost, but quickly lowered her head and hurriedly left after acknowledging the order. Half an incense stick later, Consort Rong was full of ambition as she opened "The Great Learning" in front of her. After a full incense stick, Consort Rong's expression began to stiffen.

Two incense sticks later, Consort Rong started feeling dizzy. After three sticks of incense, Consort Rong decisively closed the book. "Oh dear, I have a headache," Consort Rong said as she reclined again, under the teasing gaze of the maidservant. Just before falling asleep, Consort Rong turned her head and couldn't help but advise, "Little one, when you grow up, please don't follow your mother's example." You're going to be an emperor! "Ah, ah," blinked Gu Shao innocently, his face looking as obedient as possible, but inside, he couldn't help but sneer. Sorry, Mother, but your habit of getting headaches whenever you read is hereditary—I've inherited it! Not only will I inherit it, but I'll also make it flourish.