Beauty Portraits: I Build a Harem in Another World

Page 50

After all, the current court elders are actually the same group of people who were with the old prince Qin Ziming when he ascended the throne. They also know the bloody battles that took place during the struggle for the throne. The reason why everyone respects Empress Xia Lin so much is not only because Empress Xia Lin's talents are indeed outstanding, but also because of her strength... You must know that Empress Xia Lin, before she transferred her bloodline inheritance, possessed the strength of the eleventh level of the Saint Realm!!

What can a necromancer of the eleventh rank do?

To put it bluntly, it was an era that felt like living in hell for any enemy...

Unfortunately, Consort Liu also lived in that era, and she even managed to give birth to the eldest prince, Qin Yu, before Empress Xia Lin!

To be honest, Consort Liu didn't even know how she survived, because when she was a palace maid, she had seen too many women who tried to compete with Empress Xia Lin for the throne and what they ended up with...

Therefore, Consort Liu always behaved herself properly and honestly. Although she was the mother of the eldest prince, she never dared to compete with other concubines for anything, and she never showed the slightest dissatisfaction. Moreover, she always referred to herself as a servant when facing the Empress, because she knew very well that she had absolutely no chance in front of Empress Xia Lin. In fact, with just a word, she could disappear from this world completely!

That's why, even though her son later performed exceptionally well and seemed to be favored by the old emperor, Consort Liu always tried her best to suppress him... Of course, normal competition among the three crown princes is acceptable. You can perform better than anyone else, but you absolutely cannot use any abnormal means to win or threaten others, such as framing, poisoning, or assassination. Don't even think about such things!

why?

Of course, it's because of Queen Charlene. She's not some weak, unarmed, kind-hearted woman. If you dare to mess with her, our whole family will be wiped out instantly!

The person is dead, what's the point of fighting for these things?

Therefore, Liu Cairen always told her son that he must earn that position through his own talent and ability; if he could, that would be great, but if not, so be it...

Therefore, even though Empress Xia Lin never appeared in public again under the pretext of cultivation, and many years passed in the blink of an eye, Consort Liu still dared not act recklessly. The only bold thing she did was to find a way to send Xia Ming to the side of the Second Princess Qin Lan.

However, she did this without any intention of harming the second princess. She just wanted to know more about the second princess's behavior and thoughts so that her son could gain an advantage.

However, the matter was later discovered by the Third Prince Qin Feng, which caused Qin Yu to be beaten for no reason, and then it was left unresolved.

This is the effect of status and position. After all, Liu Cairen was just an ordinary palace maid before, and her family background was just an ordinary person. Naturally, there was no one in her family who could help her and her son, and no one even spoke up for them.

Even if Consort Liu wanted to 'complain' to the old emperor, she couldn't, because her rank was too low. She wasn't qualified to have an audience with the emperor at will. Unless the old emperor remembered her and summoned her, she simply couldn't enter the emperor's bedchamber...

Chapter 131: Yes, you're just a tool.

However, to be fair, the old emperor has never summoned Consort Liu to his bedchamber in all these years!

If that was the case when I was young, it's even less likely now that I'm older...

This means that Consort Liu had long been ignored by the old emperor, and her life was actually quite pitiful, but what could she do?

After all, she was just an ordinary palace maid. It was only because the old emperor got drunk that day that he forced himself on her, and most importantly, he conceived the eldest prince, Qin Yu, right away. She was helpless, you know.

Fortunately, after giving birth to Qin Yu, she was no longer a palace maid. She was promoted to the rank of "Talented Lady" and enjoyed endless wealth and honor for the rest of her life. At the very least, she would never have to worry about food or clothing. Compared to the fate of a palace maid before, it was many times better...

However, one thing is certain: Consort Liu cannot offer any help to the eldest prince, Qin Yu.

Therefore, Qin Yu has always had to rely on himself to deal with all the ministers and try his best to maintain his excellent performance so that he can make more of a good impression on the old emperor. Perhaps one day the old emperor will come to his Tianling Garden and have a chat with his mother or something...

But now he realized that all of this was completely useless, because Qin Ziming had suddenly died!

And most importantly, the final result is always cruel and merciless, because no matter how hard he tries, he can never overcome the identity he was born with; he is just the child of an ordinary palace maid...

But what hit Qin Yu the hardest wasn't that he lost to fate, but that he lost to someone he shouldn't have lost to, someone he had never thought of before, and someone he had never taken seriously!

At the beginning, Qin Yu thought his only opponent was the second princess, Qin Lan. He had learned too many stories about Empress Xia Lin from his mother, Consort Liu, since he was a child, and he knew too much about Empress Xia Lin's strong side. So even though he knew that there had never been a female emperor in the Great Qin Empire, what if Qin Lan inherited Empress Xia Lin's mantle?

Therefore, Qin Yu has always worked very hard. He tries his best to be better than his second sister Qin Lan in every aspect. He wants all the ministers to understand that he is no weaker than the second princess Qin Lan except for his mother. So are you sure you want to choose a woman to be the emperor?

If that's the case, then he'll accept his fate!

The problem is that he now realizes that the Second Princess Qin Lan was just a decoy, and the real 'destined one' was the Third Prince Qin Feng, the brother he used to think was incompetent, useless, and utterly idiotic.

Qin Yu understood this after seeing Qin Feng, who had rushed back from Daocheng. He had lost miserably, inexplicably, and unjustly! Mei misses me, but I'm busy. Lin is here...

After all, they all lived in the same palace. Qin Yu and Qin Feng had met quite a few times in the past, but he really couldn't see any difference between his third brother and the idiot.

For so many years, Qin Feng has always spoken illogically, acted without thinking, and couldn't even learn anything. If it weren't for the large group of palace maids and guards always protecting him, Qin Feng would probably be no different from those mentally challenged people outside!

But who could have imagined that Qin Feng, who had been a useless person for eighteen years, would suddenly 'wake up'?

Not only has he woken up, but Qin Feng is now more normal than any other person. Most importantly, even though he lived in a daze for eighteen years, Qin Feng has no aftereffects or adverse reactions. On the contrary, he is more outstanding than others in every aspect, even more outstanding than Qin Yu...

In terms of strength, Qin Yu was far inferior!

In terms of popularity with women, how can he compare to Qin Feng, who has been surrounded by women since childhood?

In terms of seniority... well, Qin Feng didn't attend court much to discuss politics, but he directly led troops to Inazuma and even quelled the Inazuma rebellion!

Finally, in terms of influence, Qin Yu was the eldest prince and the first to return, but which of the powerful ministers paid him any attention?

But as soon as Qin Feng returned, all these guys showed up without missing a single one. What does that mean?

Especially after seeing Qin Feng 'resurrect' Empress Xia Lin in front of all the court officials, the eldest prince Qin Yu understood that his chances of vying for the throne were extremely slim, almost zero.

So he didn't say a word after that. Now, back at Tianling Garden, he was silent in front of his mother, Liu Cairen. Although he was really unwilling, what could he do?

To reiterate, he didn't lose because he didn't try hard enough, but because he lost at the starting line. The gap was so huge that he couldn't catch up no matter what he did... One was just an ordinary palace maid, and the other was the high and mighty empress. They were worlds apart!

Meanwhile, Consort Liu had also received the news that Empress Xia Lin had finally stepped forward. She knew that her son had completely lost hope, so she was extremely saddened at this moment, but she didn't know how to comfort her son.

Although she hadn't had high hopes from the beginning, when the moment actually arrived, everything was still so hard to accept!

Most importantly, no one knows how Queen Charlene will treat them next!

However, just as the mother and son were silently facing each other, a palace maid at the door suddenly shouted, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived! Greetings, Her Majesty the Empress!"

Empress Charlene?

Why did she come to Tianling Garden?

The eldest prince, Qin Yu, quickly stood up, and Consort Liu also quickly wiped away her tears. The two of them came out together and knelt down to pay their respects. There was nothing they could do; it was simply a difference in status that could not be bridged.

"Get up!" Queen Charlene didn't even glance at them, walking straight in and sitting down in the main seat without any ceremony. Then she tilted her head and looked Qin Yu up and down. "I woke up after a nap and suddenly I don't recognize many people. But this should be Ling'er, right? He has quite the charm of Ziming when he was young!"

"Your Majesty..." Upon hearing Xia Lin's words, Consort Liu quickly knelt down again. "My Ling'er has no such thoughts right now. This servant begs Your Majesty to allow me to accompany Ling'er back to Liaoxi after His Majesty's burial. My son and I swear we will never return to the capital!"

"That's quite a clever move of yours," Charlene chuckled. "But that's exactly what I like about you, which is why I haven't made a move against you before... Let's just leave it like this; it'll save me the trouble!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing Xia Lin's agreement, Consort Liu quickly reached out and pulled her son, then kowtowed with tears of gratitude on her face. After all, Xia Lin's words meant that she was willing to spare them, mother and son!

"Ling'er, you don't need to feel wronged." Xia Lin had actually seen the resentment still on Qin Yu's face, but she didn't take it to heart. "In fact, your appearance was an accident in itself, and your father originally planned to get rid of you. It was only because I stepped in that you were saved... If you still have your memories, you should know that I treated you well when you were a child. Besides, I was the first person to hold you after you were born!"

"Huh?!" Qin Yu was indeed a little surprised. Why had his mother never told him about this?

"I forbade her to tell you!" Seeing Qin Yu's puzzled expression, Xia Lin directly and without hesitation told them the answer, "Because I knew what was going to happen, so I needed someone to stand up and protect my Feng'er from the wind and rain..."

"So... I was just a shield!"

"That's right, you're the shield, but that's your fate as the eldest brother... Overall, you've done a great job these past years and fulfilled your responsibilities as the eldest brother. Therefore, I'm willing to give you this opportunity to go to Liaoxi and be your carefree prince. At least you can live a life free from worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life!"

"Thank you, Queen!"

"I'll say it again, don't be unconvinced, because you'll soon see how far the Great Qin Dynasty will go under your brother's leadership!" Having said that, Xia Lin stood up and chuckled, "Then you'll understand why your father and all of us chose to stand with your brother instead of you, who seems more outstanding. Because some things are simply beyond your current comprehension!"

"..."

Chapter 132: How Did the Fifth Princess Qin Ling Come About?

Well, actually, let alone Qin Yu, Qin Feng, who didn't say a word from beginning to end, was also completely confused.

It turns out that it was her mother, Xia Lin, who intervened to save Liu Cai Ren and her unborn son, Qin Yu.

Moreover, when Qin Yu was born, Xia Lin even went to hold him.

Because she knew from the beginning that her own son Qin Feng would be muddle-headed and ignorant of the world, she needed Qin Yu to take the lead and draw the fire.

But that doesn't seem to be a problem, since the eldest prince naturally receives more attention...

All I can say is, Mom really knows how to have fun!

But the problem now is that those people from the Western Vatican don't want to get rid of the princes of the Great Qin Empire. Their target is only Qin Feng, who has obtained the inheritance of the Kelvin family. What does this have to do with Qin Yu?

Fortunately, Qin Feng and Xia Lin's relationship was not as reserved as it had been when they were first resurrected, so after leaving Tianling Garden, he directly expressed his doubts to his mother, "Mom, why did you let Qin Yu go so easily?"

"Don't you think he looks a lot like your father?" Charlene turned around and smiled.

"What the hell? Is that a reason?" Qin Feng was stunned on the spot. Does it have to be like this? Qin Yu is the old emperor's own son. Who else could he be like but him?

"Of course not for that reason, but..." Charlene suddenly sighed softly, "I owed your father back then!"

"How to say?"

"Because I am a very selfish woman. The reason I married your father was to use the Qin Empire to avenge my Kelvin family. So I killed many, many people back then, all to help your father seize the throne."

"Then?"

"Then I rendered all of your father's concubines infertile."

"Huh??" Qin Feng's jaw dropped to the ground with a thud. Mom, are you really that ruthless? Wait, that's not right... If all the concubines were rendered infertile, what about Consort Wang? Even if Qin Yuan's appearance was an accident, what about Fifth Prince Qin Ling?

Could it be that Qin Ling, the fifth child, is not her father's biological daughter?

This is this...

"Heh." Xia Lin clearly had no idea what Qin Feng was thinking. "Your father promised me that only the son I had would be the next ruler of this empire. So naturally, I wouldn't allow him to sow his seed everywhere and create a lot of difficulties for you. It's just like back then... If it weren't for me, he would have had almost no chance of becoming emperor among that large group of brothers and sisters!"

"..."

"So Qin Yu's appearance was really just an accident. I originally wanted to get rid of him, but after thinking about it, I decided to leave an heir for your father..."

"What do you mean by that? You're making it sound like I'm not his son!" Qin Feng was immediately shocked. Mom, you can't do this!

"What are you thinking! Of course you're his biological son!" Xia Lin knew exactly what Qin Feng was thinking, and rolled her eyes at him. "But you've also inherited the bloodline of my Kelvin family, so in a sense, your bloodline leans more towards my Kelvin family. Moreover, rebuilding and revitalizing the Kelvin family is your inescapable responsibility and obligation, even more important than being a good emperor and governing the Great Qin Empire, so..."

"Wait a minute, Mom, being the emperor and revitalizing the Kelvin family aren't mutually exclusive, right?"

"..."

Xia Lin was completely stunned when Qin Feng said this.

This is not surprising. She has only been resurrected for a short time. Although she has realized that she is in the future, more than ten years later, and has a general understanding of what has happened in recent years, her mindset is still stuck more than ten years ago, when she made those decisions. This is something that cannot be changed in a short time.

At least she needs a very long time to adapt to the changes in the situation more than ten years later. Therefore, in Charlene's view, revitalizing the Kelvin family and managing the Qin Empire well and being a good emperor are inherently conflicting issues, and she can only choose one of them!

What? Everyone thinks this problem doesn't exist?

Okay, then I'll just ask one question... What kind of emperor can be considered a good emperor?

Clearly, maintaining external deterrence ensures that the empire's territory will not be invaded, and may even allow for some expansion without getting bogged down in war. Internally, a developed agricultural sector, a prosperous economy, a solid industrial base, an incorruptible and efficient bureaucracy, and a peaceful and happy populace all contribute to this.

Only emperors who can barely meet these conditions can be considered good emperors, right?

Do you think an emperor who leads troops into battle every day is a good emperor? Was Genghis Khan a good emperor? Absolutely not, and in the end, the Mongols were still destroyed!

Even if we don't talk about Genghis Khan, let's talk about Qin Shi Huang. He led his army to destroy the six kingdoms and unified the Xia Dynasty, which created a completely new history. And then what?

Can he be considered a good emperor?

Obviously, that doesn't quite apply, even though he did many things that would benefit future generations, such as the Great Wall and the unification of currency. But so what? The mighty Qin Dynasty still collapsed in its second generation...

What is needed to revitalize the Kelvin family?

Actually, it's very simple. All other issues are secondary. The most important and necessary thing to do is to launch an expedition to the Western Continent and destroy the Church of Light, or at least cripple it!

Because as long as the Church of Light continues to have influence, the Kelvin family will suffer the same fate no matter how many times they rebuild. In fact, the Church of Light will continue this holy war indefinitely, just like they have never given up on the idea of ​​killing Qin Feng!

But that's the problem: was it easy for the Qin Empire to launch a campaign to the western continent?

Putting aside the question of who would be willing to give way to you with so many countries in between, aren't you afraid that someone might stab you in the back?

Let's leave that aside for now. Let's talk about how a large-scale expedition spanning the entire continent would require a huge amount of national strength, financial resources, and manpower.

Zhuge Liang's seven Northern Expeditions back then directly destroyed all the vitality of the Shu Kingdom, while the Qin Empire, although not the Shu Kingdom, could withstand several such setbacks.

It can be said that any emperor with even a slightly normal level of thinking would not make such a decision, let alone a "good" emperor. To be a good emperor of the Qin Empire, one must prioritize the development of the Qin Empire's national strength. Sending troops to wage war is not impossible, but it must be planned, purposeful, and able to achieve certain strategic goals. As for the expedition to the Western Continent, let's leave it to the Rangxi Empire!

However, to be fair, the reason why the once powerful Xi Empire has declined to its current state is precisely because they were ambitious and went to the Western Continent, wanting to realize their grand ambitions.

It's important to understand that war is never a trivial matter, especially an expedition; a single misstep can lead to utter destruction...

This is precisely the biggest reason why Charlene believes there is a fundamental conflict between being a good emperor and revitalizing the Kelvin family!

Moreover, as a normal empress, what she needs to do now is to properly nurture her son Qin Feng, guide him in managing the country, help him handle palace intrigues, remind him not to indulge in sensual pleasures, and recommend him to discover and appoint talented individuals...

Only in this way can the Qin Empire grow stronger day by day, and eventually stand proudly in the Eastern Continent!

Next, she will help Qin Feng raise the next generation of successors. That will be about all the tasks she has accomplished in this life!

But now things are completely different. As the last surviving member of the Kelvin family and its only bloodline, Qin Feng must rebuild the Kelvin family. This means that in addition to his destined confrontation with the Church of Light, he also has another task: he must sow many seeds...

Family, family, to put it bluntly, it's all about having lots of people! Mei, are you thinking of me? Lin, are you free?

Just imagine, if the Kelvin family had more members than the Church of Light, would this holy war even be a chance to continue?

Moreover, the person who was worried at that time was probably the Pope of Light!