"Mother... I refuse to allow you to burden yourself with this misfortune." Zhang Qijie spoke with conviction.
"Lady Zhang."
Zhang Qijie seemed to stand by her words, which was quite rare among palace women. However, in her current situation, being an Imperial Consort meant she could always be chosen to be the next Empress. And that fact terrified her more than anything. Being selected to be the next Empress by the Empress Dowager was one thing. But being selected by the Emperor himself felt like a brick was thrown at her chest. But it didn't matter who selected who to be the next Empress, it was clear that no woman would volunteer.
"Because of the loss of Empress Chen, the state of the political world can't be avoided. An Emperor without a wife will prove detrimental. This is something that can never be avoided, no matter how tragic it may be."