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

Fuquan immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty has a good memory."

"Her Majesty Consort Zhen was kind to me and bestowed that box of incense upon me."

Emperor Qianwu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Styrax is precious, and this was the only box of it on the list of tributes from the Western Regions.

The Empress Dowager doesn't like using incense; in previous years, she either gave it to Consort Chen or to Chaoyang.

Only this year, the Zhou family truly satisfied Emperor Qianwu.

Whether it's her body or her personality.

Therefore, the box of incense was sent to Weiyang Palace.

Unexpectedly, she was considerate of the servants around him.

Eunuchs were not ordinary men and often had body odor, so they frequently used fragrances to mask it.

Fu Quan was his personal eunuch, so the spices he used were naturally better than those used by ordinary eunuchs.

But this safflower is so rare, how could she be willing to part with it?

Emperor Qianwu was suspicious.

Zhou Mingyi's actions can be understood as her kind nature and compassion for her servants, since Fuquan was his man and she extended her affection to him as well.

It can also be interpreted as her deliberately trying to bribe Fuquan.

However, Zhou Mingyi laid the groundwork several times, allowing Emperor Qianwu to hear her "true feelings," and thus her gentle and kind persona gained the upper hand in Emperor Qianwu's heart at this time.

Emperor Qianwu's expression softened slightly.

"In your opinion, does Consort Zhen have any disloyalty towards me?"

Fu Quan's brow twitched slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Oh dear, Your Majesty is truly putting this servant in a difficult position! The Empress is your bedmate, so Your Majesty naturally knows her character better than anyone else. How could this servant know, and how dare I speak such nonsense?"

Emperor Qianwu was very satisfied with his reaction.

There was no intention to speak up for Consort Zhen.

"but……"

Fuquan abruptly changed the subject, causing Emperor Qianwu to raise an eyebrow, his brows lowering.

"Your Majesty is gentle and kind, and is truly very considerate of lowly servants like myself."

"Your Majesty, you know that Shiliu in her palace. She's always been outspoken and blunt, but she also speaks without thinking. If it were anyone else, they would probably have been thrown out of the palace long ago!"

"Only the Empress still remembers her kindness from the past."

Too much talk leads to mistakes, and after saying this, Fuquan fell silent.

However, his words can be interpreted in many ways.

It all depends on what Emperor Qianwu is willing to think.

If Emperor Qianwu were more inclined to believe Zhou Mingyi, he would think that Zhou was gentle and compliant, with a simple and sincere mind. If she treated her servants this way, she would certainly not do something as immoral as having an affair with the Crown Prince.

Fuquan quietly observed Emperor Qianwu's expression, lowered his eyes, and silently prayed for Consort Zhen.

Although Fuquan was not a man, his heart was made of flesh.

Since entering the palace, the Empress has always been gentle and kind to him, and has never looked down on or treated him poorly because he was a person without roots.

Such a wonderful lady will naturally be rewarded...

When Emperor Qianwu arrived, Consort Chen was overjoyed. The mother and daughter diligently served him his meal. Consort Chen then tentatively asked, "I specially ordered someone to change the incense in the bedchamber to pear blossoms. Perhaps Your Majesty could find some relief from the smell?"

Emperor Qianwu glanced at her.

Nodding, he walked towards the inner hall, and Consort Chen hurriedly followed.

Princess Chaoyang gracefully withdrew from public life, even giving Consort Chen a playful wink.

Consort Chen couldn't help but blush.

Her appearance reminded Emperor Qianwu of her when she was young.

Although Consort Chen was not exceptionally beautiful, she had her own charm when she was young.

This time, Consort Chen got her wish.

However, Emperor Qianwu was powerful, and Consort Chen fainted after only one encounter.

Emperor Qianwu did not feel relieved. He glanced at the discontent beneath him, then looked at Consort Chen, whose eyes were closed, face was flushed, waist and abdomen were swollen, and a lump of soft flesh. His brows furrowed.

He also wanted to give Consort Chen more face and to consummate their marriage more often.

She fainted after just one time, and her waist wasn't slender or flexible enough to handle his forceful demands.

Could it be that he intends to continue doing that kind of thing to the unconscious Consort Chen?

If he were an ordinary man, it wouldn't matter.

But he was an emperor, possessing the wealth of the entire world.

He would never wrong himself.

Even though this woman bore him his only child.

He could give her the highest possible status and honor, but even in bed, he couldn't help but think of Zhou Shi.

Zhou was beautiful, with fair skin like jade, slender and soft. Her slender waist, which could be easily encircled, could completely support him, making him unable to resist.

"Someone, bring some hot water."

After cleaning, Emperor Qianwu left.

Unable to find relief, he immediately went to Yun Meiren's place.

He does want to go to Weiyang Palace.

But he just ordered Consort Zhen to stay in the palace today. Although he did not explicitly say that she was confined to her quarters, it was a clear indication that she was under house arrest.

Recalling Zhou's incredulous and aggrieved expression, Emperor Qianwu felt a tightness in his chest.

He recalled that beautiful woman, Yun, who also had a cascade of beautiful hair.

Yun Meiren was slender with a delicate waist. She lay on the couch, her black hair covering her jade-like body, which was indeed quite alluring.

But she was too weak; she fainted after only two attempts.

Emperor Qianwu lay on his couch, staring at the ceiling with an unhappy expression.

suffocated.

Since the Zhou family came into his life, how long has it been since he felt this frustrated?

Are you suggesting I go find a third woman?

Emperor Qianwu had the delusion that he was a stud pig.

Speaking of breeding pigs, he is still unable to breed them.

I felt even more frustrated...

Forget it, none of them are as good as the Zhou family anyway.

Why can't everyone withstand it?

……

Weiyang Palace.

"Your Majesty, my servant and Sister Lianwu only wanted to get a bowl of your usual bird's nest soup, but the Imperial Kitchen said they didn't have any!"

"What do you mean there isn't any? Consort Chen's palace serves blood-red bird's nest every day; we just need ordinary white bird's nest..."

"His Majesty only ordered you to stay in our palace, he didn't say you were confined. Our Lady isn't a criminal, so why are those people so snobbish?"

Shi Liu chattered on and on, filled with righteous indignation.

Lianwu hesitated to speak, but kept secretly observing Zhou Mingyi.

Zhou Mingyi remained calm. She sat by the table and lit several lamps, making the hall brightly lit.

Her hands were flying across the needle and thread, and she looked completely at ease.

Pomegranate was utterly puzzled, but Lotus Mist vaguely realized that perhaps their mistress wasn't what she thought she was...

But she couldn't explain it, and she didn't dare to.

After a long pause, Zhou Mingyi finally looked up. "His Majesty ordered me to stay in the palace, but he doesn't come to see me. To outsiders, this is equivalent to being confined to my quarters."

Shi Liu immediately replied, "Your Majesty is saying this, but you don't seem to be in a hurry at all..."

But remembering what she and Lianwu had seen that day, Shiliu dared not speak again.

Could it be that her mistress really did have an affair with the Crown Prince back then...?

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

"Without His Majesty's arrival, those people, relying on their master's power, are bullying our Weiyang Palace."

"This servant knows that you are deeply devoted to His Majesty and would never do anything to betray him, but why don't you tell His Majesty?"

Zhou Mingyi glanced at her; it seemed her acting had deeply resonated with the audience.

She looked at the wax apple again; the girl was frowning and didn't say a word.

"What good would it do if Your Majesty didn't believe me?

Shiliu grew anxious, "But Your Majesty..."

Zhou Mingyi interrupted her, "Alright, Your Majesty is wise and mighty. Things I haven't done won't just appear out of thin air."

"Since there's no bird's nest, go and stew a bowl of lily porridge for me."

Shi Liu could only reply, "Yes."

After Shiliu left, Zhou Mingyi looked at Lianwu and asked, "Did you give that box of styrax to Eunuch Fuquan?"

The wax apple immediately said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Eunuch Fuquan really likes that box of spices."

She hesitated, then Zhou Mingyi smiled and said, "Just say what you want to say."

Lianwu glanced out the window, then immediately lowered her head. "This servant has nothing to say. This servant knows that Your Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely be safe and sound."

Zhou Mingyi: "Then I'll take your kind words."

……

Consort Chen and her daughter plotted against Xie Jing, but Xie Jing wasn't stupid.

Zhou Mingyi grasped this point perfectly.

It's true that Xie Jing was completely captivated by her.

In her previous life, Zhou Mingyi didn't stay in the Eastern Palace for nothing.

By chance, she learned that beneath Xie Jing's gentle and refined facade lay an ugly face and many filthy thoughts.

But she also knew Xie Jing well; no one was of any importance to him to disregard his own future.

This is actually commendable.

Just as no one could change her mind about entering the palace and seizing what she wanted.

Even if Consort Chen and her daughter specifically told him, Xie Jing would simply pretend not to know.

She handled that matter discreetly, cooperating seamlessly with Qingliu. Moreover, with the system acting as a cheat, no one else besides her, Qingliu, and Xie Jing would know about it.

If someone claims to have witnessed her entanglement with the Crown Prince that day, then it must be that Consort Chen and her daughter hired someone to give false testimony.

No matter how well a false certificate is forged, it can never become true.

Therefore, Zhou Mingyi remained remarkably calm.

A few days later, when Consort Chen and her daughter saw that the Crown Prince had indeed not made any move, they knew that Xie Jing would not be fooled.

They promptly gave false testimony.

Facing the so-called witness, Zhou Mingyi showed no fear whatsoever. Her pretty face remained cold, and her eyes were sharp.

Her striking beauty made people subconsciously overlook her stunning appearance; she exuded an aura of unapproachability.

"You said you saw me and the Crown Prince entangled in the waterside pavilion. How was I entangled with him?"

"Where is the Crown Prince's hand placed on me?"

"How was my demeanor? What clothes did the Crown Prince and I wear? What accessories did we use? Did we say anything?"

"Where were you standing at the time? Since you witnessed my affair with the Crown Prince, why didn't you report it to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager?"

Faced with Zhou Mingyi's question, the palace maid trembled with fear and subconsciously looked at Consort Chen and her daughter.

Emperor Qianwu gazed at the slender woman standing in the hall; her back was ramrod straight, and her eyes were clear and sharp.

This was a posture that Emperor Qianwu had never seen before.

He couldn't help but recall that she was Zhou Yanjin's daughter.

She was always gentle and compliant, perfectly suited to him, and Emperor Qianwu always felt immense satisfaction whenever he was with her.

So much so that he had long forgotten that before she entered the palace, he had ordered people to investigate her, and that she had never hidden her true nature.

Zhou Yanjin and her husband died young, and she had to support herself from a very young age to pay for Zhou Mingchong's education.

She is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and her nature is resilient; she is by no means a weak woman.

She is like a plum blossom braving the frost, standing tall and proud.

How could a woman like that do such a despicable thing?

Moreover, the so-called witness's demeanor had already convinced Emperor Qianwu that Consort Chen was behind this whole affair.

Emperor Qianwu's patience ran out.

"Rumors and slander against the palace ladies, disruption of the palace, and treacherous intentions—the palace maid Chunhui is hereby sentenced to death."

The palace maid named Chunhui immediately widened her eyes.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, please save this servant!"

"Every word I have said is true, I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty! I truly saw it; that day, Consort Zhen was wearing a green dress, and the Crown Prince… the Crown Prince…"

She stammered, unable to find the right way, her expression flustered, and she spoke without thinking.

They even dragged Consort Chen into it.

Consort Chen avoided it like the plague, and hurriedly said:

"Gag her, lest she offend the princess and the empress dowager's ears. Drag her away!"