The second year of her reign as Empress, Wang Qingyao found the palace increasingly lonely.
Yinzhu and Jintiao were married and lived contentedly outside the palace as noblewomen.
Zhizi had become the head eunuch in charge of the entire harem, responsible for instructing newly admitted palace maids.
Nian Momo had grown old. She never imagined that the orphaned daughter of the Wang family's second branch would one day soar to the heavens and become Empress. She, the head eunuch of the courtyard, was also bestowed with a mansion, land, and a considerable fortune, allowing her to live out her remaining years in peace.
Zhenzhu continued to protect Wang Qingyao closely, though there was truly no danger. Wang Qingyao had her select several talented girls from among the palace maids, forming the first female guard unit since the founding of the Great Sheng dynasty.
Bian Siyue had gone to travel with Feng Fugu, the Imperial Preceptor.
As a concubine in the new Emperor's former residence, she should have been granted a title, perhaps a consort.
However, Bian Siyue was not truly a concubine, so Wang Qingyao arranged for an "accident" and helped her leave the palace under a new identity.
As for Huang Shiyu, Wang Qingyao asked her about her plans. She could stay in the palace or leave; with the protection of the Emperor and Empress, she could do as she pleased.
Huang Shiyu chose not to remain in the palace. She opened an embroidery shop in Duanjing, and within a decade, it had surpassed all other embroidery shops in the capital, becoming the renowned royal embroidery shop of the Great Sheng, earning a fortune daily.
Of course, Wang Qingyao also arranged for an "accident" for Huang Shiyu, faking her death and giving her a new identity.
The new Emperor had only two concubines, and both had met with "accidents."
The court officials privately discussed the Empress as wicked and arrogant, incapable of tolerating others. However, the Emperor and Empress shared a deep affection, and no one dared to speak ill of the Empress to the Emperor.
But what Emperor only stayed with one woman?
In the fifth year of Chenghe, the harem still consisted only of the Empress. Finally, some officials proposed filling the harem.
The Emperor said, "Do you think I'm not busy enough? Where would I find the time to attend to so many women?"
"The imperial lineage is thin; it needs to branch out."
The Emperor replied, "The lineage is thin, not nonexistent. Are you cursing the Crown Prince?"
"This minister dares not."
One minister, emboldened, said, "This minister believes that Her Majesty the Empress is too lonely and needs company. His Majesty works tirelessly and cannot always be by Her Majesty's side. We ministers are thinking of Her Majesty's well-being."
This was indeed true.
Wang Qingyao was almost bored to death.
With only her in the harem, forget palace intrigue; it was hard to even gather a table for Mahjong.
However, she had no intention of kindly persuading Ling Yun to take more consorts. More women meant more conflict, and she didn't want to spend her life in constant struggle.
But the boredom was real.
After five years of idleness, Wang Qingyao felt it was time to find something to do.
Thus, in the following years, Wang Qingyao established schools for women, founded orphanages, and improved the national legal system, dedicating herself to raising the social status and survival opportunities for women.
The new laws of the Great Sheng stipulated: Men over forty who had no children could then take a concubine.
Husbands who beat their wives would be imprisoned, receive fifty heavy blows, and be fined one hundred taels of silver.
Women under eighteen were prohibited from marrying.
And so on.
All these were proposed by Wang Qingyao.
The Empress's reputation among the populace, especially among women, was unparalleled. The court officials no longer dared to urge the Emperor to take more consorts.
Because the Emperor himself had to abide by the national laws.
Wang Qingyao was deeply moved by Ling Yun's actions and, on several occasions, wanted to tell him about her clairvoyant eyes. But in the end, she gave up.
No man would be indifferent to his wife being able to see other men naked.
Wang Qingyao decided it was best to keep this secret and take it to her grave.
---
After Ling Yun ascended the throne, he upgraded Xiao Mo's title from Marquis of Fuping to Prince of Fuping.
He originally intended to arrange a marriage between Xiao Mo and Feng Jiangduo. At this time, Consort Dowager Fang agreed, but King Dingnan disagreed again.
Ling Yun could not use his power to force the issue, so the marriage proposal had to be abandoned.
Fortunately, Feng Jiangduo and Xiao Mo were mentally prepared and did not care about such formalities.
The Xiao family's business was stable, and Xiao Mo did not need to constantly oversee it.
Feng Jiangduo was also a free-spirited and unrestrained person.
In the fourth year of Chenghe, they traveled together, enjoying the scenery and performing acts of chivalry, traversing the entire Great Sheng.
For many years afterward, the legends of the Prince of Fuping and the Princess of Nange continued to circulate among the people.
They did not marry until Xiao Mo was thirty-one years old. Consort Dowager Fang fell gravely ill, and after repeatedly sending messages pleading with King Dingnan, he finally agreed.
To ensure they married before Consort Dowager Fang's death, the wedding was somewhat hasty and simple.
However, would people who had loved each other for years care about such things?
Consort Dowager Fang did not die. Everyone in Duanjing said that the wedding of the Prince of Fuping and the Princess of Nange had brought her good luck, and she had managed to cling to life.
After recovering, Consort Dowager Fang's attitude changed completely. Not only did she treat Feng Jiangduo like her own daughter, but she also began to focus on health and exercise, and even attended various banquets.
Xiao Mo inquired about it.
She said, "I want to outlive King Dingnan."