When her son was chosen to marry the princess, Lady Huang of the Jiang family’s second branch could hardly contain her joy.


    As she stood at the entrance weing guests, her younger brother, Huang Xicai, timidly squeezed his way to her side. “Sister, have you heard anything about the matter I asked you to look into? What’s the situation with our Yanyu? Has the Empress really kept her in the pce as a maid?”


    Was it just a pretense to train her, or something else?


    After all, they were somewhat rted. Surely the Empress wouldn’t be so cruel?


    If Yanyu were to be released from the pce at the age of twenty-five, his daughter would be ruined.


    Lady Huang pushed him away, rolling her eyes impatiently. “I told you before, the Jiang family doesn’t send daughters into the pce. With the Empress already there, why would we need to send another topete for favor? Over this, your brother-inw even scolded me. How could you be so foolish as to offend the Empress? Thankfully, my son is capable, and the Empress didn’t hold it against us. Otherwise, if he hadn’t been chosen as the royal son-inw, I’d have skinned you alive.”


    She wasn’t one to sacrifice herself for her brother’s family.


    “I didn’t mean for you to offend the Empress,” Huang Xicai said, pointing to the princess’s bridal sedan that had just arrived at their doorstep. “The princess’s mother is Consort Liang, isn’t she? Our Yanyu is serving in Consort Liang’s pce. Sister, now that the princess is your daughter-inw, couldn’t you ask her to go to the pce and bring Yanyu out? I won’t let herpete for the Empress’s favor anymore, alright?”


    Originally, he had thought that during the triennial selection of pce maidens, at least a hundred would be chosen. Why couldn’t his daughter be one of them?


    Moreover, the Huang and Jiang families were rted by marriage. Yanyu entering the pce could have been a support for the Empress. Wouldn’t it be better to have someone from the family by her side?


    So how did she end up being sent as a maid?


    Lady Huang rolled her eyes again. “Do you think the pce is your home? You cane and go as you please? If you dare bring this up in front of the princess, I’ll skin you alive.”


    She couldn’t bear the embarrassment.


    The princess’s procession had already disappeared from sight, but the sound of music and celebration still filled the air. The streets were crowded with people eager to witness the grandeur of the princess’s wedding.


    Consort Liang finally stopped crying and smiled happily, kneeling to kowtow to Jiang Xinyue and the Emperor. “Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty and the Empress. Mingyu’s marriage to a good man is the greatest wish of my life. Now that it hase true, I am truly overjoyed.”


    When she passed away, she wouldn’t have to worry about the princess being mistreated.


    The Yu family had fallen from grace, but in the future, the Crown Prince would be her support.


    As long as she and her daughter remained loyal to the Empress, the Crown Prince would remember their kindness when he grew up.


    Consort Shu watched Consort Liang with envy, touching her own empty belly. She would never have the chance to have a child.


    The Emperor would never favor an aging concubine like her.


    No!


    With the Empress by his side, the Emperor might never set foot in the harem again. No one would have the chance to conceive.


    The Emperor’s heart was unpredictable. No one could say for sure whether the Empress would still hold his exclusive favor in ten years.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But one thing was clear to them all: the Emperor’s feelings for the Empress were different.


    Even if other concubines gained favor in the future, no one could ever shake Jiang Xinyue’s position.


    Once the Crown Prince was established in the Great Yan Dynasty, unless hemitted a heinous crime like patricide, he could not be easily deposed, not even by the Emperor.


    The early establishment of the Crown Prince had already demonstrated the Emperor’s resolve.


    He had given the Empress and the Crown Prince a guarantee. Even if one day he were to lose his mind and favor another concubine, no one could rece the Crown Prince’s position.


    As long as the Crown Prince remained, the Empress’s position would be as solid as Mount Tai.


    As long as the Emperor retained his senses, he would understand that among his few remaining sons, only the Crown Prince was fit to rule. No matter how foolish he became, he would never allow anyone to harm the Crown Prince.


    Thinking this, Consort Shu’s mood brightened. She turned her gaze to the Crown Prince, who was being held by Nurse Lü, and pped her hands yfully, reaching out to hold him. “Your Highness, will you let Consort Shu hold you?”


    The little Crown Prince gave a bright smile, stretching out his tiny arms and lunging toward Consort Shu. “Auntie… smells nice… smells nice…”


    Jiang Yuan was skilled in making incense. Ever since Jiang Xinyue gave birth to the Crown Prince, she had been using light, fresh fragrances that were safe for children.


    Even Jiang Xinyue and the Crown Prince’s clothes were often scented with the incense she made.


    This was her passion, and Jiang Xinyue made sure to support it fully. Every month, she sent valuable materials to Consort Shu’s pce for her to create incense, and the results were even better than the imperial rewards.


    The Crown Prince particrly liked Consort Shu because she always smelled so pleasant.


    Jiang Xinyue wasn’t worried about anyone tampering with the incense. With Jiang Yuan’s keen sense of smell, even the slightest change in ingredients would be detected. There had never been a mistake.


    She was also thinking that after she gave birth to her seventh child, she would send some pce maids, aged eighteen to twenty, who were interested in learning the art of incense-making to Consort Shu’s pce to learn from her.


    It would be up to Consort Shu whether she wanted to teach them just the basics or share her full expertise, giving these maids a skill to rely on after they left the pce.


    Of course, if Consort Shu wasn’t willing, Jiang Xinyue wouldn’t force her. There were also incense-making officials in the pce, and she could arrange for the maids to learn at the Bureau of Pce Affairs.


    This idea hade about because Consort Shu had onceined in Kunning Pce, saying that she had all this knowledge but neither the princess nor the second princess showed any talent for incense-making. She had even joked that Jiang Xinyue should find her some students.


    That was how the idea had taken root.


    After bing Empress, Jiang Xinyue had ordered a review of the pce maids’ records and discovered that many of them, upon reaching the age of twenty-five, didn’t want to leave the pce.


    But pce rules were strict, and they had no choice but to leave.


    Those who didn’t want to leave surely had their reasons—either they had no family outside or no home to return to.


    For those from wealthy families, it wasn’t a big deal. They could afford to feed one more mouth, even if they were asionally scolded.


    But for those from poor families, their aging daughters, having returned from the pce, might be sold off again.


    As for where they were sold or what they were made to do, that was anyone’s guess. But it was unlikely to end well.


    Jiang Xinyue felt that these maids had spent their best years serving in the pce, only to face such a bleak future. It was truly pitiful.


    That was why she had Shi Ruojun learn martial arts, Zhang Xiuzhu enter the imperial kitchen, and Consort Shu make incense…


    She wanted them to stand tall and be role models, showing women bound by feudal traditions that life wasn’t just about marriage.


    They too could shine brightly.


    Why rely on men?


    By relying on themselves, they could undoubtedly lead even more extraordinary lives.