Unfortunately, the former Empress had an unfortunate fate.
Her first pregnancy allowed Emperor Jiayuan to assume power, but she was too young at the time, and the child was never born. During the most challenging period of Emperor Jiayuan's life, the former Empress sacrificed a great deal for him, which made her irreplaceable in his heart.
Though the former Empress had passed away, she had appeared in his dreams, asking him to make Virtuous Consort the new Empress. While he was deeply reluctant, he didn't want to disregard her wishes, leaving him in a state of indecision.
Shen Qi, sensing his internal conflict, suggested with a sweet smile, "Then don't appoint an Empress. If the former Empress were here, she loved you so much she wouldn't want to see you unhappy."
"Besides, you don't have to appoint an Empress, right? Isn't it possible to appoint a Noble Consort instead?"
Emperor Jiayuan raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"