A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Granny Chen glanced at Consort Chen discreetly and quickly said:

"Does Your Majesty still remember Consort Song, who fainted from fright when Consort Jin was executed?"

Consort Chen looked on with surprise and uncertainty. "You mean that cowardly Consort Song?"

When Consort Jin was executed, Consort Chen did not go to watch.

What's so interesting about beating someone up?

Consort Chen had been in the palace for many years and had long since adapted to the palace rules.

As the only concubine to bear a child for His Majesty, Consort Chen rose to prominence and wielded great power due to her daughter's status.

Occasionally, to achieve their own goals, using torture on palace servants was a basic practice.

The execution scene was nothing to see; it was bloody.

She was used to it and wouldn't bother to look at it.

Of course, when she first heard about this, she even mocked Consort Song, saying she was timid.

If you're timid, just stay in your own palace. Why are you wandering around outside?

However, a cowardly low-ranking concubine was not worth Consort Chen's attention.

She quickly forgot about this Lady Song.

However, she quickly realized, "You mean, the thing about Consort Jin was done by that Consort Song?"

"How many Song Dynasty concubines are there in the palace?"

Granny Chen's lips twitched. "Then naturally there's only one."

Consort Chen fell into deep thought.

His expression shifted rapidly, "You mean Consort Song has been pretending all along?"

Granny Chen said, "According to the information I received, that should be the case."

"His Majesty's men arrested Consort Song's maid on the spot..."

She stole a glance at Consort Chen. "It's said that the palace maid was putting poison into Consort Zhen's well at the time, probably... trying to take advantage of the situation."

Consort Chen suddenly laughed, "Hmph! How did His Majesty deal with her?"

Granny Chen: "Throw him into the Cold Palace and give him a white silk noose."

Consort Chen was taken aback. Suddenly, she realized that being forced to apologize to that vile woman Zhou Mingyi wasn't such a shameful thing after all.

If she had not given birth to an imperial heir, perhaps, for the sake of his new favorite, His Majesty would have banished her to the cold palace and given her a white silk noose.

But ironically, she has the rising sun.

Therefore, His Majesty only allowed her to apologize to Lady Zhou.

It's just an apology, nothing serious, she didn't lose a single piece of her flesh.

Although it's embarrassing.

Isn't losing face better than losing your life?

This precisely proves her and Chaoyang's place in His Majesty's heart.

That Zhou family member is nothing special!

She had drugged herself and almost ended up faking a pregnancy to compete for favor.

Everyone knows what happened to the previous Jin Meiren who faked a pregnancy to win favor.

Although she didn't use poison, her intentions were malicious.

She didn't believe that His Majesty actually believed her story.

When His Majesty questioned her, she naturally tried her best to deny it.

She said she was doing it to help the Zhou family; her medication was an fertility aid, but it had some side effects…

His Majesty knew perfectly well that she wanted to harm Lady Zhou, yet he still made her apologize to Lady Zhou, thus tacitly accepting her explanation.

If this isn't love, what is it?

Thinking this way, Consort Chen suddenly felt much better.

She slightly raised her chin; His Majesty still cared about her.

Even if it's just for the princess's sake.

With the princess around, Chen Shi had enough confidence, something no other concubine could possess.

Only at this moment did Consort Chen truly relax.

She no longer believes in the so-called "chosen one".

That Zhou family was nothing more than bluffing.

Even if Zhou were to become empress, what difference would it make if she didn't have a real heir?

It's all just empty talk.

……

Inside Consort Rong's palace.

Hearing that Consort Jin was framed by Consort Song and that she had mistakenly taken medication, causing her to have a false pregnancy, her expression paused slightly.

A palace maid beside Consort Rong said, "In that case, Consort Jin is truly innocent!"

Consort Rong is painting a picture of Guanyin, which she intends to present as a birthday gift to the Empress Dowager.

Hearing the palace maid say this, she paused slightly in her writing. "She is not innocent."

Upon hearing this, the palace maid was startled.

"But Jin Meiren didn't fake a pregnancy to win favor!"

Consort Rong chuckled lightly, "Hidden bloodstained trousers means she has ulterior motives."

"Moreover, it was Princess Chaoyang who discovered it herself."

The palace maid seemed to be deep in thought.

Consort Rong remained silent.

What does the conflict between Consort Zhen and Consort Chen have to do with her?

As long as her father lives, her position in the palace will remain unchanged.

His Majesty has no heir. Since ancient times, new beauties have always been more beautiful than old ones. It's not that Consort Rong doesn't want to compete, but she knows that even Consort Liu's appearance cannot compare to that of the newly arrived Consort Zhen.

As long as her father is around, she can stay put, not cause trouble, and keep the Empress Dowager happy so she can maintain a firm grip on power in the palace.

Even if Consort Chen were to seize back power in the palace, it wouldn't matter.

As long as her father is around, she will never completely fall out of favor.

Of course, the most important thing is to firmly grasp the power of the palace in one's own hands.

Therefore, the more jealous Consort Chen became, the more she had to appear indifferent and uncompetitive.

Perhaps, after His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have completely given up on the matter of having an heir, they might still be able to bestow upon her the title of Empress.

In this way, even if a new emperor ascends the throne, she will be the rightful empress dowager and have someone to rely on in her later years.

It made no difference to Consort Rong who became emperor.

Therefore, her goal was to win the favor of Emperor Qianwu and the Empress Dowager, and strive to become a virtuous and magnanimous empress.

"Your Majesty, it's late. The candlelight will hurt your eyes. You should rest early."

Consort Rong: "It's alright, this Guanyin painting will be finished soon."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Could you take a look and see if the expression of Guanyin Bodhisattva is dignified enough? Perhaps my painting skills are inadequate."

Consort Rong frowned, tore the portrait down, and said, "Take it to be burned for me."

The palace maid dared not say anything more and immediately did as instructed.

……

Inside the Yunmei Palace.

Lu'er trembled with fear, "My beauty, Consort Song... Consort Song, she..."

Yun Meiren looked in the mirror, touching her beautiful hair with a look of infatuation.

It was as if that hair wasn't her own, but rather that of her lover.

"What's wrong? Why are you stuttering?"

Lu'er swallowed hard. "Consort Song tried to drug Consort Zhen, but His Majesty caught her red-handed. It's said she's been banished to the Cold Palace... and given a white silk noose..."

Lu'er trembled as she spoke.

Yun Meiren didn't react much.

"They say hanged ghosts have very long tongues?"

Lulu: ?

"beauty……"

Yun Meiren finally snapped out of her daze, "Consort Song is so foolish!"

"How could you do such a thing?"

Lu'er thought for a moment, "Perhaps they think that since Consort Chen drugged him, they can just come and apologize..."

Yun Meiren scoffed, "If His Majesty hadn't died without an heir, how could someone like this have survived until now?"

"But that Kim family member was even more stupid; how could she be killed by such an idiot!"

Lulu: ...

Yun Meiren suddenly turned around, "But you said..."

Her eyes gleamed with a sharp light. "When will Consort Zhen finally start losing her hair after taking so many medications that are bad for her hair?"

Lulu: ...

She subconsciously touched the sides of her head where she had put a hairpin, and felt a chill on the top of her head.

"This...this servant does not know."

Yun Meiren found it boring. "By the way, are my sesame balls ready yet?"

Yun Meiren really went to the Imperial Hospital and had them customize a batch of sesame pills according to her constitution.

These sesame balls were practically her lifeblood; if she missed even one a day, she wouldn't sleep and had to make up for it.

After she finished eating, he insisted on asking her if her hair had grown back.

Lu'er was heartbroken.

How can you tell if someone has a lot of hair in just one or two days?

But Yun Meiren was simply insane. Lu'er didn't dare to provoke her and could only give her a perfunctory reply, saying that it seemed like there was too much hair, and that fine downy hairs were sprouting on the top of her head!

Yun Meiren was overjoyed.

The death of Consort Song had absolutely no impact on Consort Yun...

Weiyang Palace.

Shi Liu couldn't help but feel indignant on behalf of Zhou Mingyi, "His Majesty is truly biased. Both Consort Chen and Consort Song made mistakes, but one only had to make a casual apology, while the other had to pay with her life."

Zhou Mingyi glanced at her and said, "Everyone must be responsible for their own words and actions."

"The medicine that Consort Chen administered was indeed not poison, and I am fine."

"But Consort Song is different. She knew that Consort Chen had drugged me, yet she still went against the grain and crossed His Majesty's bottom line."

"His Majesty is wise and mighty, but he is also a father."

Shi Liu immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong. I spoke without thinking again."

"This servant knows that both thunder and rain are expressions of the Emperor's favor. His Majesty loves the Empress dearly, but Princess Chaoyang is His Majesty's only child, and His Majesty cannot disregard the princess."

Zhou Mingyi raised an eyebrow. "It's good that you know. Don't say things like that again."

"Her Highness is young, and it's inevitable that she's a bit spoiled."

"I am her stepmother. As an elder, how can I stoop to the level of a child?"

"If my parents were still alive, I would probably be just like her."

"Consort Chen also deeply loves His Majesty and cares too much about him, which is why she targeted me."

"His Majesty has his own difficulties, and I should be understanding of him."

The wind chimes outside the hall tinkled softly, and Zhou Mingyi felt exceptionally hypocritical.

But when it comes to acting, you have to be fully focused.

It wouldn't be good if my public image were to collapse by accident.

……

Perhaps because he felt guilty, Emperor Qianwu had not visited Weiyang Palace for a while.

Everyone in the palace was trying to figure out what Emperor Qianwu was thinking.

Having eaten pomegranates and wax apples first, I inevitably felt a bit disappointed.

"Your Majesty, this servant went to the Imperial Kitchen to collect today's meals. We clearly ordered bird's nest for Your Majesty long ago, but the people at the Imperial Kitchen said they didn't have it."

"He also said that His Majesty instructed that everyone in the inner palace should be frugal and avoid extravagance and waste."

"It's just a bowl of bird's nest. Consort Chen eats it every day, three times a day, and it's always the precious blood bird's nest. We only have ordinary white bird's nest in our palace. How is that extravagant?"

The more Shiliu talked, the more aggrieved she felt.

Zhou Mingyi frowned.

"If it's not there, then it's not there."

"It's not a big deal if you skip a day."

She knew that Emperor Qianwu's absence might be due to Consort Chen exerting pressure behind the scenes, and palace servants often changing their allegiance based on the prevailing winds—this was a common occurrence in the palace.

Not to mention the vast harem, even in her previous life in the Eastern Palace, Zhou Mingyi knew how formidable it was.

Compared to the intensity of the power struggles within the Eastern Palace, Emperor Qianwu's harem was practically like children playing house.

She didn't take it to heart.

Even the usually composed Lianwu frowned, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"you say."

Lianwu quickly lowered her head, "The palace servants are all saying..."