Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 57 Stepping on the Dragon Robe
The feud between Consort Xiao and Song Yi was quite deep.

Jiang Lanye subconsciously looked at Song Yi to see her reaction.

Song Yi's expression remained calm, and he suddenly said, "You're curious about where His Majesty went, aren't you?"

Her clear, crisp voice startled Xiao Jieyu, who was standing on the other side of the flowerbed. She quickly turned around and saw Jiang Lanye and Song Yi standing together. She immediately knelt down and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, pay my respects."

Then, she looked up at Song Yi and said reluctantly, "Greetings, Consort Yun."

These words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth.

Song Yi had only said half of what he was saying; he hadn't finished yet.

She smiled and raised her clasped hands with Jiang Lanye's so that he could see them.

"His Majesty has been by my side these past few days."

Seeing the two holding hands, Consort Xiao's face turned pale and then red.

The laundry maid she once swore she looked down upon was actually Consort Yun.
Xiao Jieyu was well aware that she was just a substitute, but when she thought about how she had flaunted her power in front of the Empress for so long, and how stupid she looked, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Your Highness Consort Yun, I was ignorant and offended you before. I hope Your Highness will forgive me for my rudeness."

Having said that, fearing that Song Yi would take her anger out on her today, she quickly added:

"At that time, I didn't know it was you. If I had known, I would have been extremely respectful to you!"

Looking at her now timid and submissive face, and recalling her unruly manner when she splashed her bedding, Song Yi couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing that Song Yi remained silent, Xiao Jieyu's unease intensified.

"Your Majesty, please tell me how to vent your anger. I will do whatever you say without hesitation. I only ask that Your Majesty grant my request."

She is Consort Yun!

Everyone in the harem knows that initially, Jiang Lanye's harem only had Consort Yun; those who entered the palace later were all her substitutes.

Consort Yun was practically an empress.

How could she have been so blind as to not recognize Consort Yun!

Thinking of this, Xiao Jieyu felt a wave of despair.

Song Yi asked coldly, "Didn't you used to love playing the piano in the middle of the night? Didn't you also like to soak my bedding?"

"It's all a misunderstanding, Your Majesty."

Song Yi turned her head and glanced at Jiang Lanye.

Jiang Lanye simply watched Song Yi quietly, without any intention of interfering.

So Song Yi said, “From tonight onwards, you must wear clothes soaked with water every night and sit in front of the zither and play all night long, without stopping the music.”

".What?"

How can this be done!

If I played all night, I'd be exhausted.

Moreover, they had to wear soaking wet clothes.

Xiao Jieyu subconsciously looked at Jiang Lanye, her voice trembling.

"Your Majesty, I truly know I was wrong."

Seeing that Consort Xiao was turning to Jiang Lanye for help, Song Yi immediately glared at him and deliberately threatened, "If you side with her, you won't be able to sleep in the bed tonight."

"Ah"

"Consort Yun is incredibly audacious; she actually dares to threaten me?"

Song Yi said, "Anyway, we can't side with others."

Jiang Lanye gave a faint "hmm" and said, "I'll do whatever you say."

Then, he looked at Consort Xiao and said, "Do as Consort Yun says. From today onwards, I will send people to watch over her every day. If she relaxes her guard even for one day, the punishment will not be so simple."

Xiao Jieyu almost burst into tears.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come to the Imperial Garden!
She ran away, sobbing and wailing, lifting her skirt.

After she left, Song Yi felt relieved and was in a good mood. She was about to take his hand and continue walking forward when he suddenly pulled her back.

Jiang Lanye pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Say what you just said again."

Song Yi guiltily looked away.

"I was only saying this to Consort Xiao. That's His Majesty's dragon bed. If His Majesty doesn't use it, who will?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lanye suddenly bent down to kiss her again.

Startled, Song Yi immediately covered his mouth with her hand and said angrily, "Jiang Lanye, what kind of bad habit is it to kiss people all the time?" Jiang Lanye did not continue kissing her.

The main problem is that whenever someone starts talking, he always unconsciously shifts his attention to her lips and can't hear what she's saying at all.

"Jiang Lanye, I want to see Xichun."

"she's fine."

Jiang Lanye answered succinctly.

Upon hearing this, Song Yi was somewhat relieved.

Since Jiang Lanye said she was very good, then she must really be very good, at least he wouldn't mistreat her.

“Then I want to go see her too. I’m sure Xichun is worried about me.”

Jiang Lanye, for some unknown reason, became displeased and said, "No."

Song Yi looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked irritably, "Why?"

"No, you're not allowed."

"You can only look to me."

Song Yi was speechless for a long time before finally managing to utter two words.

"childish!"

We can't spend too much time outside today, since Jiang Lanye is exceptionally busy.

But Song Yi had finally gotten a chance to get out, so naturally she refused to go back and kept pulling him away into the distance.

Finally, Jiang Lanye stopped, and Song Yi could no longer pull him.

"Go back, immediately."

Song Yi tried to act coquettishly towards him, but before she could even open her mouth, he picked her up and carried her.

"You! Put me down, I can walk by myself."

Jiang Lanye remained silent, carrying her as he strode towards the Golden Palace.

All the way, Song Yi kept fussing in his arms, like a fish that had just left the water, thrashing about wildly. Even though Jiang Lanye was exceptionally strong, he almost couldn't hold her, and his face darkened completely.

“Song, Yi”.

He called out in a cold voice.

Why won't you let me hug you?

Because that night when she was trying to escape, Jiang Lanye forcibly brought her back to the Golden Palace and carried her on his shoulder!

All the palace servants outside the Golden Palace saw it!

She didn't want to be seen by anyone else.

Song Yi softened her voice, reached out and fiddled with the gold thread on his dragon robe, and said, "Put me down, please, Jiang Lanye, I don't want them to see me."

Jiang Lanye didn't expect her to be so thin-skinned now.

So he deliberately added fuel to the fire, saying, "Don't be afraid. The commotion we made that night was loud enough. Everyone heard it. Today I'm just carrying you back. I won't do anything else. What are you ashamed of?"

"Jiang Lanye, can you please stop trying to control me?"

Her mood has been unpredictable these past few days; sometimes she'll suddenly act coquettishly towards Jiang Lanye, and other times she'll throw a tantrum.

In summary, it involved a combination of both soft and hard tactics.

Jiang Lanye was already used to it.

He didn't answer.

Song Yi was also tired.

She could only stand there blankly as he carried her back.

After entering the Golden Palace, Jiang Lanye placed her on the couch, then took off his outer robe and threw it on the ground.

That day, Song Yi wanted to touch everything he saw, and then rub it onto his dragon robe, which was already dirty.

Song Yi took off her shoes and socks, but refused to get onto the dragon bed no matter what.

Seeing this, Jiang Lanye kicked the dragon robe he had just taken off to the side of the bed and said with a dark face, "Step on it first."

So Song Yi, barefoot, stepped onto the dragon robe embroidered with gold thread.

Some readers don't understand the female lead's words and actions, and think she acts contradictorily. I'll address this here:
After the female lead's escape attempt failed and she was locked up by the male lead, she deliberately went crazy. One moment she was acting cute and trying to please him, the next she was angry and upset. Essentially, she was just throwing a tantrum to vent her emotions. One moment she was suicidal, the next she was afraid of dying. These were all outward expressions of her breakdown, hoping that the male lead would let her out.

(End of this chapter)