I Had to Marry at Least Eight or Ten Princess Consorts

Ye Tangtang wrapped her two little arms around her gorgeous mother's waist. "Mommy, let's go to sleep together o'ᆺ'o."

"Tang Tang, you're a girl. What on earth goes on in that little head of yours?"

Ye Tangtang opened her big, innocent eyes, her curled lashes fluttering like a row of tiny fans.

"Mommy, I wasn't thinking about anything. I just wanted to sleep with Mommy."

Shen Qingqing pinched her daughter's fair, tender little cheeks.

Had she not known what Tang Tang was thinking, those innocent eyes really would have fooled her. She looked so sweet, harmless, and adorable, so why was her head full of such nonsense?

Helpless, Shen Qingqing could only take her daughter by the hand and go to bed with her. This time, however, she did not dare undress.

"Mommy dearest, aren't you supposed to take your clothes off to sleep? Why aren't you taking yours off?"

[Awooo, awooo~ If Mommy doesn't undress, how am I supposed to look? So fair, so soft, so big... hehehe.]

Shen Qingqing: "..."

"Mommy isn't used to sleeping without clothes. Come here and sleep, Tang Tang."

"Okay."

Ye Tangtang nestled in her mother's arms, wrapped her little paws around her waist, and nuzzled against her chest.

Shen Qingqing patted her daughter's little bottom. At last, she had settled down for a moment. Her daily racket gave her a headache.

Early the next morning, news that Lady-in-Waiting Shen had been elevated to Beauty Chen spread throughout the palace.

Being made a Beauty was nothing remarkable, but His Majesty had actually bestowed an honorific on her. Those were normally reserved for consorts.

What was more, she had come out of the Cold Palace with a little burden in tow. Supposedly, the child was some Ninth Princess, but no one acknowledged her.

Yikun Palace.

"Your Highness Consort Shu, Shen Qingqing... she's out. She's barely returned and already caused such a stir. She was made a Beauty outright, and even received an honorific."

The woman sat on a chaise longue, unhurriedly blending incense. She spoke softly. "Why are you so anxious? She's only a Beauty. Twelve years, and she... still managed to get out."

"His Majesty went to see her last night, though for some reason he didn't stay. He hasn't set foot in the imperial harem for years, yet Lady-in-Waiting Shen lured him over the moment she returned."

Consort Shu raised her head, a smile touching her exquisite face. "He didn't stay..."

"No, Your Highness. Why aren't you worried? That vixen is out again."

"Worried? What good would worrying do? Someone else ought to be far more worried than I am."

Consort Shu gently stirred the incense ingredients, the corners of her lips curving upward. What was coming could not be avoided.

When Ye Tangtang opened her eyes, it was already broad daylight. Her beautiful mother was gone, and she was hugging a pillow instead. Where had her soft, sweet-smelling mother gone?

"Mommy."

Shen Qingqing opened the door. Today, she wore a pale pink dress that made her look even fresher and lovelier, like a young woman in her early twenties. No one would have guessed she had a child this old.

"Tang Tang, you're awake."

Ye Tangtang gazed at her gorgeous mother, held her face, and planted a kiss on it. Her beautiful mother was simply too pretty.

[So gorgeous! I have to make a little heart for Mommy (,,•́ . •̀,,)]

Shen Qingqing shook her head helplessly and dressed Ye Tangtang.

"Mommy, I can dress myself."

Ye Tangtang stuck out her tongue. She did have hands and feet, after all, but the clothes her mother put on her looked better.

"Tang Tang, today your imperial father issued a decree announcing to the world that you are his Ninth Princess. From now on, our Tang Tang will be a real little princess."

Her Tang Tang had been born in the Cold Palace, her existence unknown all this time. For once, Ye Yubei had done something decent.

Ye Tangtang said, "What? I'm a princess now? Mommy, does that mean I can spend every day eating, sleeping, and lazing around?"

Shen Qingqing: "..."

"Yes."

All she wanted was for her daughter to be a carefree little princess.

"Yay! That's wonderful!"

Ye Tangtang nearly jumped for joy.

[Keep it low-key, keep it low-key. In Mommy's eyes, I'm a good girl, quiet and dignified. I can't ruin the image Mommy dearest has of me.]

Shen Qingqing: "..."

An image? Did she even have one?

Ye Tangtang flitted about like a colorful butterfly before stopping in front of the bronze mirror. Today, she wore a little pale blue dress with a fluffy vest over it, dotted with pearls. Her hair was pinned up on either side, making her look playful and adorable.

[Little Useless System, look how pretty I am today! When I grow up, I'll definitely be a beauty who brings disaster. I'm going to marry lots of Princess Consorts, at least five. No, five is too few. That scumbag dad of mine has such a huge harem. I should have at least eight or ten Princess Consorts.]

Shen Qingqing was left speechless yet again. "..."

Her daughter was no ordinary philanderer.

The system: [You're going to marry Princess Consorts? Your kingdom will fall in another three years, and you're still thinking about Princess Consorts? Keep dreaming your grand spring-and-autumn dreams.]

[Little Useless System, how dare you talk to me like that! I'm not doing any missions. I won't do a single thing today. You can cry yourself to death.]

The system: "..."

Damn it, fine, I'm scared.

What else could she do besides threaten me with that Ծ‸Ծ!

[Beautiful darling Tang Tang, I misspoke just now. You're so pretty, and you're a princess, too. Eight or ten would be far too few. You ought to marry at least twenty-something.]

Ye Tangtang: [That's more like it.]

[Then, beautiful darling Tang Tang, when are you going to do what you promised me yesterday?]

Ye Tangtang: [Depends on my mood.]

The system: [Dead.]

Damn it, could I throw this thing away?

This banquet was held to announce the Ninth Princess's identity to the world. Ye Yubei attended in person, giving Ye Tangtang some face.

Ye Tangtang followed behind Shen Qingqing. It was her first time seeing such a grand gathering. There were so, so many people. With her severe social anxiety, the sight naturally scared her to death.

"So this is my ninth sister. You're so adorable! I'm your fifth brother. Come on, let me hear you call me Fifth Brother."

It was Ye Linxuan's first time seeing such an adorable little sister. She was fair and tender, her cheeks like little white dough balls, and he could not resist pinching them.

[Fifth Brother! Is he the fifth brother who fights tooth and nail to go earn glory on the battlefield, gets defeated by the male lead, and then dies a horrible death? He doesn't even leave an intact corpse behind. That's awful. Let me spare him two seconds of sympathy first.]

Ye Linxuan looked around. No one was speaking, so why could he hear someone talking? Were they talking about him? He would not even leave an intact corpse behind??

"Hello, Fifth Brother."

The girl's soft, sweet voice rang out, and only then was Ye Linxuan certain it was Ye Tangtang's voice. Was what she had just said true?

Was he really going to die?

"Hello."

Ye Linxuan no longer had any heart for conversation. He... he was going to die...

Consort Xian said, "What's wrong? I told you to get close to her. Why have you stopped talking? Your imperial father treats her very differently."

"Mother, I... I don't want... don't want to go anymore."

Still badly shaken, Ye Linxuan sat where he was and drank a cup of tea to steady his nerves. His mother had told him to earn glory on the battlefield, and he was due to leave in two months. Was he really going to die?