When it comes to having children, Empress Xiao's heart is as bitter as the Chinese herb Huanglian. She, who was normally elegant and refined, could hardly hold back her tears in front of her father: "Father, do you think I can still bear children? Father, let's just forget about it, don't waste any more effort searching for those famous doctors from Dali, it's hopeless..." She had been married for over a decade and was no longer the little girl her parents once knew. Her parents could never have imagined how painful her life had become. Her father still held onto the dream of having her give birth to a legitimate son who would naturally inherit the throne.

  "Now I've let Ye Shi move into Changxin Palace to live, if we can have a son, it's also a way for our family. Empress Xiao clutched the quilt tightly in her hand: "Father, everyone in Changxin Palace is my person, and they are strictly controlled. I dare to say something bold to you here, the Emperor is no longer the Fifth Prince who came to our house to beg for sweet potatoes back then, please remember that."

  Xiao Chengxiang's facial muscles moved slightly, but in the end he didn't say anything and just nodded in response.

  Many things Empress Xiao didn't say, he understood. This time the Emperor set up the Military Machine Office, and he was also one of the military machine ministers, but Chu Da Kai and Xiao Zhen were originally under him, now they have to share power with him. With the establishment of the Military Machine Office, the powers of the Left and Right Chancellors and the Six Ministries' Shangshu were severely weakened. He had been in the officialdom for many years, and at a glance, he understood - the greatest significance of the existence of the Military Machine Office was to suppress the Chancellors and the Six Ministries! From then on, his situation as the Left Chancellor dominating alone in the court would no longer exist.

  Among these military ministers, Yang Qi, Xianyu Wang and Xu Shizong are not to be feared. Although Yang is the chief minister, he is already old and has been a powerless Taizi Taibao for a long time, not participating in the court struggle, and later in the Military Machinery Office, he only plays a balancing role, not a big threat. Xianyu Wang is an imperial prince of the royal family, often representing the emperor, and it is unlikely that he will join the ministers' struggle for power and profit. Xu Shizong is a great Confucian scholar, in charge of a clean water yamen, with no real power at all. Even if he enters the Military Machinery Office, he has no right to speak.

  The most difficult to deal with are Xiao Zhen and Chu Da, who have been promoted by the Emperor himself. On the surface, the Emperor allows him to enter the Military Machinery Office, but in reality, he only relies on these two people who were promoted by the Emperor himself.

  Xiao Chengxiang thought of Xiao Zhan and it pained his heart. He was just a poor scholar...

  After re-examining the imperial harem, his eldest daughter, Yu Yi, had always been suppressed by the emperor. The concubine from the Chu family was not even qualified to appear in court, but unexpectedly caught the eye of the empress dowager and rose to the rank of pin within a short year, making it seem like the Chu family's prosperity was just around the corner; during the Wan Shou Festival, the emperor publicly supported Concubine Fan Yu and Consort Hui Jieyu, which was a slap in the face for the empress. Later, during the witchcraft incident, it was heard that the emperor even rebuked the empress for not managing the palace properly, something that had never happened before. Although Yu Yi was getting older and not being favored was normal, this emperor's treatment of Yu Yi was too cold-blooded, almost forgetting who had supported him in ascending to the throne... These things, Yu Yi never mentioned, but his connections within the palace had secretly reported them to him.

  The decline of the Shen family was not a delightful thing for Xiao Chengxiang, but rather made him feel shocked and had a sense of sympathy. Why couldn't the emperor tolerate the Shen family? Because they were too overbearing, and had long planned to seize power, inherit the throne, and take the empress's position, and there were even secret reports that the Shen family had thoughts of assassination. But looking at the Xiao family again, how much better were they than the Shen family?

  It's just because the Xiao family has too much power and is more difficult to deal with than the Shen family, that the Emperor hasn't made a move against them...

  "Father should also be less anxious, at least Shangguan Da Jiangjun is not the Grand Minister of Military Affairs." The Empress comforted.

  Shang Zhuguo Da Jiangjun Shangguan Yue, after several years of guarding the border, was unable to return to the capital to serve due to leading troops outside and naturally had no opportunity to advance.

  Xiao Chengxiang coldly snorted and said: "Shangguan Yue is in the northwest, acting as a local emperor, enjoying his freedom, and if he were to come back, he might not even be willing." There was another sentence he didn't say. Since the Emperor could let a military general command 500,000 troops to garrison thousands of miles away, this at least showed a kind of trust. And they, the Xiao family, were no longer trusted by the Emperor.

  Xiao Chengxiang and his daughter had met and left the palace, but their mood had not improved, and their faces were even more solemn.

  The previous day's bloody storm, the women in the harem who had lost their heirs also wept every day, and the entire Qin imperial family felt somewhat gloomy. Fortunately, however, during these turbulent days, the enthronement ceremony of Concubine Tran and Consort Hui would still take place, adding a bit of festive atmosphere.

  At that time, Lin Wan's injury had healed more than half. On the first day of December, she was knocked out of bed by the palace staff to wash and dress, and her whole head was dizzy.

  Today is a joyful occasion, but unfortunately she's just an accompaniment. The main one is Tianpin - especially after her father entered the military machine, Tianpin has a boundless future and will be promoted to imperial concubine soon.

  The first snow, everyone was in a joyful mood, and they all got up early to start decorating. The inner and outer halls were filled with light purple and pink curtains, while the palace streamers were orange-yellow. They also invited the skilled artisans from the Imperial Workshop to cut out paper decorations for the windows. As the principal wife, Lin Yuen used bright red and yellow, making it look like a new wedding. Chu Tao led the palace maids in serving Lin Yuen, dressing her up like a porcelain doll from head to toe. They even bathed her five times, scrubbing her thoroughly. Chu Tao laughed and said: "Although being a concubine is not a high position, this is the first time she's been formally appointed, so we have to make it grand to get a good omen. In the future, we'll be waiting for her to be promoted to noble lady, then to imperial consort..."

  Lin Yan was exhausted from being bullied, but they were all smiling happily.

  Just after finishing her toilet, the second rank eunuch An Gui came before the emperor and personally delivered the auspicious dress and head ornaments worn for the ceremony of conferring titles. Accompanying An Gui was an elderly nurse surnamed Fang, who had been sent by imperial order to style Lin Yin's hair.

  Mrs. Fang walked with a slight tremble, her hands thin and dry, but when she picked up the comb and placed it in Lin Yuan's hair, it was steady as can be. Lin Yuan didn't even feel a hint of pain from having her hair pulled. Mrs. Fang's fingers brushed against Lin Yuan's forehead, smiling benevolently as she said words of congratulations: "May your descendants thrive, may you live to be a hundred years old, may all go well with you, and may you have peace and good fortune..."

  Although it was a cliché that every concubine would say during her coronation ceremony, Lin Wei still liked it.

  Before long, it was time for the ceremony to begin at dawn. Lin Wan and Tian Pin arrived at the Temple of Heaven together to pay their respects. The official in charge of the ceremony, Vice Minister Li Qian, read out the imperial edict in front of them, presenting the golden seal and certificate to the newly appointed Tian Pin and Hui Jie Yu. The ceremony for appointing a pin and yu was not very complicated, just walking around the Temple of Heaven and then going to the Empress's palace to listen to her teachings. But this day's ceremony had extraordinary significance for both women, who would become consorts in the future.

  Lin Wan became the emperor's favorite, and Chu Huashang became an important pawn. Their value in the palace was no longer just a small concubine for the emperor to enjoy.

  The heavy hem of the auspicious dress was so thick that even on a winter's day, it felt like it would drag her down. Lin Wan and Chu Hua Xiang repeatedly paid their respects, kowtowed, and prayed until the sun shone brightly before they finally completed the sacrificial rites and set off for the Empress Dowager's palace.

  In the Longxinyuan Palace, the Emperor and Empress sat upright with solemn expressions. Although the Empress was ill, she still wore a formal dress, adorned in bright yellow brocade with golden embroidery of five phoenixes, and on her hair bun were sixteen branches of nine-tailed pearl-encrusted gold pins. She quietly waited for Lin and Yu to perform the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows, then spoke in a low voice: "You, Zier, Concubine Chu, and Consort Lin, have been granted by Heaven, and will serve in the palace. I hope you will diligently cultivate your virtues, restrain yourself and follow etiquette, harmonize with the palace, and prolong the imperial lineage."

  Due to her weak body, the empress's voice had a hint of hoarseness, but it couldn't conceal the majesty and dignity within. After the ceremony was over, Emperor Taizong of Tang smiled and said: "You two have been serving in the palace for a year, which is very much in line with my heart, and you have also made contributions to the imperial family of Great Qin. Now that you have been officially appointed as masters, it is indeed a well-deserved honor." He then turned to the empress and praised her, saying: "The batch of women who entered the palace in the seventh year of the Gengwu era were truly exceptional."

  The queen, with a tired expression, smiled warmly and replied: "Your Majesty is right. First, there was the father of the Chu family who did several great things for Your Majesty, then there was Lin Shi who saved your life, and now one of the Ye family is pregnant. To have these virtuous women serving in the palace is a good omen for the prosperity of the imperial household and the flourishing of the world."

  Tuoba Hong has been cold to the Empress lately and didn't want to stay in Changxin Palace for long. He helped up his two beloved concubines and said to the Empress, "Since you're ill, don't overexert yourself. I'll take them to pay respects to Mother Dowager, you go back to your chambers and rest."

  The queen's expression had a momentary desolation, which immediately disappeared. This was already normal for Xiao Yueyi, but every time she saw her husband's cold expression and gentle affection towards other women, she couldn't help feeling depressed inside and having an uneven complexion.

  Of course she can cover it up every time.

  But just as she was making a perfect smile and bowing to see off the emperor, a strong pain suddenly surged up to her heart, so painful that her face twisted. She covered her chest and started coughing.

  "Your Highness, Your Highness!" The palace maids cried out in surprise, disregarding etiquette. At first, Tuoba Hong thought she was upset from being neglected and had a stomachache, but after taking a closer look at her for a moment, he felt something was off and hastily ordered the imperial physician to be summoned.

  "No, no need to, this isn't the first time..." Empress Xiao struggled to speak. With the help of Yu Qiu and two palace maids supporting her on a soft couch, she was given a cup of clear water to drink before she calmed down slightly and caught her breath. She looked at Emperor Tuoba Hong with an apologetic expression and explained: "It's supposed to be their happy day, but I've ruined everyone's mood. Your Majesty doesn't need to summon the imperial physician either. Two days ago, I had another episode, but it only hurt for a moment before passing. After that, nothing happened. Minister Liang came to diagnose me for half the night but couldn't find anything conclusive. He just said my body is weak and told me to drink that bitter supplement with huanglian, which numbed my tongue but didn't have any effect on this illness. I think it's better not to bother diagnosing anymore; after all, it's not a big deal."

  Tuoba Hong knew that the Empress had been suffering from palace cold syndrome for years, and upon hearing her words, he simply nodded and said: "You're fine as long as nothing's wrong. Just ask Liang Shouchang to come and take a look again, and after Sheng Fei gives birth, let the woman named Lan who is by her side also come and take a look at you."