Chapter 2014 - 1952: Not Unable, Simply Unwilling

Consort Lan was somewhat annoyed, feeling that Wufu was watching her make a fool of herself. In the past, she would have already swept her sleeves and left, but now, that was out of the question.

Especially with a rival still present, she could not afford to be willful.

"Princess Consort, these days you assist the Empress Dowager in managing palace affairs, and you still have to look after the Crown Prince. Look at that little face of yours, you’ve lost a whole circle of flesh, how pitiful." Consort Lan clicked her tongue and sighed. "The former emperor is gone, I idle about all day with nothing to do, so I could share some of your burden. How about this: since I’m free anyway, why don’t we have His Majesty moved to my palace and let me raise him?"

Wufu lifted her brows. At last, they had come to the real point.

"At most, in another year the Princess Consort will have her own child. By then you’ll be even less able to juggle everything. As for me, people say I’m old and withered, no more hope ahead of me. My heart feels empty, and I just want to raise a child to enjoy at my knee. Princess Consort, just take pity on me." Consort Lan braced herself; she didn’t care that the Virtuous Consort was present, and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

The Virtuous Consort cast her a sidelong glance and lowered her gaze. She truly could throw all decorum aside.

Wufu took a sip of tea but did not answer her. She only turned to the Virtuous Consort. "And you, Virtuous Consort? Are you of the same mind as Consort Lan?"

The Virtuous Consort started, then gave a bitter smile. "The former emperor is gone, the prince is gone; we concubines have lost our prospects. I’ve counted every floor tile in my palace. I merely want someone to talk to. The Princess Consort is a cheerful, clever person, and you live in the palace as well. I only wanted to chat with you, that’s all."

Her words were much more tactful than Consort Lan’s.

"Once you enter the palace, its gates are as deep as the sea. I understand." Wufu looked at the two of them and said, "If you ask where in the world the loneliest, emptiest women are, they are none other than the women of the Harem."

Those words made both their hearts ache.

"But no matter how tragic you make it sound, His Majesty will never be entrusted to either of you to raise." Wufu said.

The expressions on both their faces changed.

"Princess Consort..."

"Everyone’s time is limited, so I won’t beat around the bush with you." Wufu waved her hand to cut them off and said, "I know what you mean. You both want to raise His Majesty and become the future Empress Dowager. But let me tell you: that is impossible. It’s not that I don’t trust you; it’s that I don’t trust the families behind you."

"Princess Consort..." Consort Lan shot to her feet. "The Xiang Family has never harbored any thought of usurping the throne."

"Don’t be hasty." Wufu looked at her. "It’s a good thing if they don’t. If they do, that’s a dead end for them. Do you think seizing the throne is so easy? You may not have such intentions now—but in the future? As your clan grows stronger bit by bit, more prosperous year after year?"

"Is Princess Consort speaking of herself?" Consort Lan gave a cold little laugh. "In the end, isn’t it simply that you’re afraid your own interests will be broken?"

Who doesn’t want to be Empress Dowager, who doesn’t want to be more exalted!

Wufu gave a chilly sneer. "Consort Lan thinks that if we wanted to plot, we’d still need to? That we’d have to scheme at all?"

Consort Lan was taken aback.

"To say something that borders on treason: if we wanted it now, this realm would already belong to the Prince. If we wanted it, His Majesty would not still be alive today, he wouldn’t even live to come of age—as long as we wished it." Wufu said coldly, "If we wanted to take it, why bother with such roundabout twists and turns? Just kill him outright. Tell me, which candidate do you think the court officials would find most suitable to ascend the throne?"

"You, you..."

"And you, Virtuous Consort, what do you think?" Wufu turned her gaze to the Virtuous Consort again.

The Virtuous Consort fell silent. Everything Wufu said was the truth.

"Don’t assume everyone is like you. Some things are not as naturally taken for granted as you imagine." Wufu snorted. "This realm, this exalted status—it’s not that we lack the ability to take them, it’s that we don’t want them."