If you had the chance to be reborn, where would you want to be born?
Good news: Ruan Rensui has been reborn!
Still in the familiar place, still with the familiar mother!
He is once again born in the first ring of the imperial city, as the first son of the current emperor!
If being born is an exam, then he has undoubtedly surpassed most people in the world!
That’s the good news.
Now, let’s talk about the bad news.
It feels like there’s a lump of cotton in his lungs, and his mouth feels like it’s blocked with a—ball of warm water.
Ruan Rensui suspects that someone has covered his nose and mouth, and he’s about to suffocate to death.
Just as he was about to lose his breath, a heavy sensation of falling from a great height hit him.
His nostrils and mouth suddenly cleared, and the airflow rushed into his lungs.
He gasped for air—
At the same time, a joyful, uncontrollable noise echoed around him.
“Your Majesty, you have given birth to a prince!”
“It’s a prince, Your Majesty!”
“It’s Prince Your Highness!”
“This is the first son of the emperor!”
Ruan Rensui: Huh???
He struggled to move his legs, feeling utterly confused.
The delivery room had turned into a sea of joy.
Ruan Rensui’s head was buzzing.
He felt the temperature in the air and heard the cheers around him, yet his mind still felt distant and unreal.
It wasn’t until the midwife quickly cleaned him up and wrapped him before carefully presenting him to the freshly delivered Consort De that he finally saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face.
Familiar, because he had seen that face countless times before.
Unfamiliar, because in his memories, his grandmother had gray hair at the temples, but now she looked quite young.
Madam Xia, looking at her newborn grandson in the midwife’s arms, felt as though the heavy stone that had been blocking her chest had finally been removed.
Her daughter’s future, the future of the Xia family…
In that brief moment, she thought of many things.
Eventually, she carefully helped her daughter sit up, her heart boiling with emotion, her eyes filled with tears: “Shen Shen, come and see your child. It’s a prince!”
Ruan Rensui saw his mother, much younger than in his memories.
At that moment, Consort De looked a little girlish, without the motherly kindness she would later have when he grew up.
Because she had just finished giving birth, there was still a trace of sweat on her forehead and temples.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, which made her face, pale as a smooth white pearl, stand out even more.
She was undoubtedly beautiful.
Thinking about it, Ruan Rensui calculated that his mother was only eighteen at this time!
Since he could remember, Consort De had always seemed to be in her late twenties, and as time went on, she gradually became the middle-aged woman he remembered.
Now, seeing her young self again, he felt both curious and affectionate!
Not just his mother, but everyone around him felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
His grandmother, much younger and not showing any signs of aging, the two maids who had served his mother and followed her into the palace, and…
His gaze fell on the unfamiliar face of a woman in official court attire behind Madam Xia.
When he looked at that slightly unfamiliar face, Ruan Rensui’s heart trembled suddenly—he was both shocked and surprised!
This… this is Fei Shangyi!
Or rather, this is the young Fei Shangyi, before she had controlled the authority of the Shangyi Bureau!
What was she doing here?
From the looks of it, she seemed very close to his mother?
If not, why would she be here with his grandmother, guarding his mother during childbirth?
But this doesn’t make sense!
Ruan Rensui thought to himself, Fei Shangyi had always been close to the Virtuous Consort and the Grand Princess, right?
When did she get involved with my mother?!
Something’s wrong!
It must be known that Fei Shangyi was no ordinary woman.
The Fei family, to which she belonged, was well-known in the current dynasty.
The family had passed down poetry and books, and Fei Shangyi herself was recognized for her wisdom from a young age.
She was selected by the empress dowager, who had once been a regent for many years, to serve in the palace as a lady-in-waiting, teaching the princes and princesses to read.
The empress dowager highly appreciated her, and the emperor also valued her.
Later, she was appointed as the head of the Shangyi Bureau, overseeing matters in the inner court.
However, ever since Ruan Rensui could remember, Fei Shangyi had always been close to the Virtuous Consort and, by extension, the Grand Princess, who even helped her cousin find a match—though this all happened later.
The Grand Princess was the eldest daughter, the first child of his father, while Ruan Rensui was his father’s second child, the first son.
According to the order of succession, the Grand Princess was first, but in terms of male heirs, he was first.
In his previous life, the two siblings had fought for the throne for years, and the relationship between the Virtuous Consort and Consort De was quite delicate.
It wasn’t that they were completely estranged, but they certainly weren’t close.
However, at this moment, Fei Shangyi, who had always been close to the Virtuous Consort and the Grand Princess, was now in his mother’s delivery room.
How could this not be strange?
Ruan Rensui felt uneasy.
He suspected that this might be the Virtuous Consort’s doing, and perhaps Fei Shangyi was trying to harm his mother.
But right now, he was just a newborn, and even though he had so many things he wanted to say, how could he express them?
But surely, there must be a way to warn his mother?
Fei Shangyi, there must be something suspicious about her!
Ruan Rensui’s mind was frantically searching through past memories.
In his previous life, what exactly happened between Fei Shangyi and his mother?
Damn it, why hadn’t his mother ever mentioned this?
This feeling of knowing something is wrong but not knowing exactly what is so frustrating!
Ruan Rensui was still having a mental breakdown, while Madam Xia and Consort De were wiping their tears.
Over the past year, Madam Xia had experienced too many setbacks and hardships.
At this moment, seeing her grandson born as the emperor’s son, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Shen Shen, you really made us proud!”
Madam Xia smiled with joy, looking at her grandson’s rosy little face.
She loved him so much, and no matter how much she looked at him, she couldn’t get enough: “This is the first son of the emperor, the first son! His future will be boundless!”
The palace attendants brought a cushion for the consort to lean on.
Consort De, as a first-time mother, had a face full of affection, joy, and a touch of sarcasm: “I’m not like the Virtuous Consort, who carried a child for ten months and gave birth to a useless girl!
She still forced a smile and told me that princes and princesses are the same. Does she really believe that? How could they be the same?”
Ruan Rensui:
Ruan Rensui’s vision went dark.
No, Mother, don’t speak so definitively…
When I arrived, the Grand Princess had already been named heir, and both of us have to live according to other people’s wishes!
But unfortunately, no one could hear the voice in his heart.
“Ridiculous.”
Madam Xia immediately echoed her daughter’s words, “What’s the point of comparing you to her?”
She then sneered: “Even if the Virtuous Consort failed, at least she gave birth to a princess. Look at that one, still hasn’t shown any signs of movement!”
After saying this, she covered her mouth and laughed smugly.
Consort De’s maid pretended not to understand, adding fuel to the fire: “Who is Madam referring to?”
Consort De snorted coldly, her pretty face icy: “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s our revered Empress!”
Ruan Rensui:
Ruan Rensui’s vision went dark again.
He kept his gaze steady, unable to speak, and as his sight wandered, he suddenly saw Fei Shangyi.
She stood stiffly behind Madam Xia, with no expression on her face, completely blank.
Only her eyes revealed a hint of faint despair, as if she had lost all hope in life.
In that instant, Ruan Rensui somehow understood Fei Shangyi’s thoughts.
Help!
How could there be such a foolish person?!
In life, the worst thing is to pop the champagne too early, but you haven’t even reached halftime yet, let alone the first half, so why open the champagne?
The Empress is only fifteen years old this year, and she hasn’t even consummated the marriage with the emperor yet.
How could she have a child?
This dynasty emphasizes the legitimate firstborn.
If the Empress gets pregnant in the future, no matter the gender, wouldn’t that child be stronger than this so-called first son?
The Virtuous Consort’s first child was a princess, but the emperor was just as happy, treating the princess like a jewel in his palm.
Why suddenly start belittling people like this?
“She gave birth to a useless girl,” you are the useless one!
You and your daughter are the useless ones!
You haven’t even grown up yourself, yet you’re discriminating against your own kind!
If the Empress Dowager hears this, do you think she wouldn’t slap you both across the face?
Why am I even here?
Why am I stuck with them, ahhhhhh!!!
The crown prince is watching me?
Why is he looking at me?
He’s looking at his foolish birth mother and grandmother!!!
Damn it, Ruan Rensui actually understood Fei Shangyi’s thoughts!
But this “understanding” made him even more sorrowful.
In the previous life, I fought tooth and nail against the Grand Princess for more than twenty years…
Forget it, let’s be honest— in the previous life, I was repeatedly defeated by the Grand Princess for over twenty years.
I tried to put on a façade of brotherly love, tried to act like a wise and noble ruler, but in the end, I lost the top spot in the succession battle and suffered a crushing defeat.
What was it all for?
I used to feel disheartened, but later, I regrouped.
I chose a path I had never thought of before, and surprisingly, I found another version of myself.
Thinking back now, from the very beginning, my talents were not as outstanding as the Grand Princess’s.
In both action and governance, I was always inferior to her.
Even after my defeat, when I was downhearted, the Grand Princess didn’t kick me when I was down.
Instead, she pointed out the way forward and encouraged me to pick myself back up.
Just based on this, that “Big Sister”— I wholeheartedly accepted it.
She has the broad heart to embrace others, and the demeanor of a wise ruler.
An older sister who is both capable and virtuous sitting on the throne, rising to the imperial position in the future, what’s wrong with that?
For this country and countless subjects, the Grand Princess ascending to the throne is also a good thing.
Why fight?
Step back and the sea is vast, in an instant, the world is clear.
I’ve figured it out, I understand now, and I’ve relaxed.
Everyone, I won’t fight for the throne anymore!
When my father was the emperor, I was the crown prince.
Even if I’m not the heir now, I’ll still get my share!
When my sister becomes the emperor, I’ll be promoted to a prince.
With my sister’s character, she’ll never leave me out!
When my nephew becomes the emperor, I’ll be promoted to an imperial uncle, and as long as I don’t rebel, I’ll walk around the world with ease!
You all go ahead and struggle, I’ll be lying down now!
Teacher, our Ruan Rensui is not participating in the succession battle anymore.
He’s going to start living a relaxed life now!
Before I start lying down—
— Mother, please don’t do this!
How am I supposed to lie down if you act like this?!
Don’t start mocking people, we really can’t afford to offend anyone.
Based on the experience I gained from living almost thirty years in my previous life, I can tell you that in this palace, really, everyone is smarter than us mother and son.
My brain is too messy to compete with the Grand Princess, and your brain is even worse, so how can you compete with the Virtuous Consort?
You’ll just get beaten!
I’ve been reborn twice, trust me!
Ruan Rensui was mentally screaming in his mind while Consort De and Madam Xia cried and laughed.
Madam Xia choked with emotion and said, “If your father were still here, seeing the little prince, he wouldn’t know how happy he would be!”
Consort De said resolutely, “Mother, don’t worry. The days ahead are long. I have the eldest son. It’s not impossible to drag Zhu out of her position!”
Madam Xia’s eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her daughter.
“Shen Shen, you’re so sensible. I don’t even know what to say!”
Consort De, holding her son, was full of ambition.
“Empress, let’s see what happens!”
Ruan Rensui:
Fei Shangyi started emitting an aura of faint despair again.
Help, I really want to escape!
Ruan Rensui understood her feelings and sank into despair with her.
He stared blankly, numb, at the canopy above with a pattern of a hundred children bringing blessings.
He only felt a wave of sadness wash over him.
In this huge palace, everyone looks down on us mother and son, and yet we still aren’t making any progress…