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

After finally finishing their meal, Emperor Qianwu accompanied Consort Rong for a walk in the palace.

Although Consort Rong's palace was not as grand as Chang Le Palace or Wei Yang Palace, it was still a rather nice palace in the palace.

She is, after all, a daughter of the Xue family; she shouldn't be treated too poorly.

Consort Rong was really not a very interesting person.

Sometimes, without comparison, there is no harm.

Consort Zhen was a person with a great zest for life. How can I describe her in detail?

For example, she would decorate the palace with a strong sense of everyday life, with fluffy carpets on the floor, and the flowers and vases on the table would be different every time he visited.

Today it's a round bottle, tomorrow a square bottle, and the day after tomorrow a teardrop-shaped bottle.

Each bottle is paired with a different flower.

Green, yellow, red, purple, even white, all look good with those bottles.

Sometimes, when Emperor Qianwu stared at those bottles, he couldn't help but wonder, "Are these really bottles from the palace?"

Why hadn't he noticed this before?

Fuquan said that the bottles were all ordinary bottles from the palace, but Consort Zhen had revitalized them.

Emperor Qianwu had just observed that there were almost no vases in Consort Rong's palace, and even if there were, they were all bare, without any flowers in them.

Emperor Qianwu asked, "Why doesn't my beloved concubine pick some flowers and put them in a vase to enjoy?"

Consort Rong said solemnly, "Those flowers are growing on the branches, and I can't bear to pick them."

"The bottles in the palace have unique shapes and beautiful designs. I think the bottles themselves are beautiful."

Emperor Qianwu: ...

He was unsure whether Consort Rong's idea was right or wrong.

That seems to make sense, but something just doesn't feel right...

Then there's the material and color of the curtains.

There were almost no repeated colors in Consort Zhen's palace.

She changed her curtains almost every few weeks.

Today it's smoky gray, tomorrow it's smoky blue, the day after tomorrow it's lake blue, and perhaps one day it will be scarlet again, sky and water blue...

Each time, Emperor Qianwu could find a different feeling.

Emperor Qianwu asked Consort Rong why she didn't change the curtains in the palace. Consort Rong replied, "Your Majesty, tell me what color curtains you like, and I will change them."

Emperor Qianwu: ...

As the ruler of the world, he is already busy enough. Every day he is busy with matters concerning the people's livelihood. If he also has to worry about what color curtains should be used in the palaces of the concubines, wouldn't that be meddling too much?

Doesn't Consort Rong have a brain?

By this point, Emperor Qianwu had actually lost interest in Consort Rong.

However, since Consort Rong was, after all, a daughter of the Xue family, some face still had to be given.

When he saw the round table in Consort Rong's palace, he couldn't help but think of the one in Consort Zhen's palace.

The one in Consort Zhen's palace is square.

Zhou was slender. One day, Emperor Qianwu had a sudden idea and picked her up and placed her on the square table.

The beautiful woman, with a shy and bashful expression, did not reject him...

This led to Emperor Qianwu breaking the table in his excitement.

Later, they directly ordered someone to replace it with a huanghuali wood one.

The sturdiness of rosewood...

Emperor Qianwu accompanied Consort Rong on a tour of the palace, which was considered a disappearance. After a while, he got bored.

Consort Rong's palace was bare, except for a few newly delivered golden osmanthus trees.

"Does Consort Rong not usually like tending to flowers and plants?"

Consort Rong recalled the Ruyi Purple Flower that His Majesty had given to Consort Zhen earlier that day.

Could it be that it's my turn too?

She felt a little excited.

But she couldn't let His Majesty think she was "wasting her time on frivolous pursuits."

"I usually enjoy writing to calm my mind, and I also go to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay my respects and listen to her teachings."

"I compile all the trivial matters in the palace every day and report them to the Empress Dowager for her decision. I really don't have time to tend to the flowers and plants, unlike my sister Consort Zhen who is so leisurely."

This was a veiled attempt to sow discord among Emperor Qianwu.

However, Emperor Qianwu did not find Consort Rong to be dignified and virtuous as Consort Rong had imagined; instead, he thought she was rigid.

Not only are they useless, but they are also somewhat pedantic.

Logically speaking, her father was a military general. How could a military general raise such a pedantic daughter?

It's truly unbelievable!

Emperor Qianwu lost interest and naturally did not stay any longer.

He turned and left.

Consort Rong was completely stunned, but she couldn't force him to stay, so she could only stand at the palace gate and watch Emperor Qianwu leave.

Only after the bright yellow figure had completely disappeared from sight did she sigh, "Am I getting old?"

"His Majesty finally came, but he only had a meal and then left."

Jingfang and Jingmei, who were serving by her side, exchanged a glance.

Jingfang said, "Perhaps it's because His Majesty is too busy with state affairs."

No, it's just that her mistress is too boring.

His Majesty had finally come, and although the Empress was excited, she could only exchange a few words with him.

When someone initiates a conversation with her, she admonishes them not to speak while eating or sleeping.

Your Majesty! You are merely a concubine, or to put it bluntly, a mistress, not a wife.

People come here to have fun, not to listen to their mothers' lectures!

Jingmei was speechless, but she didn't dare to say anything.

……

After leaving Consort Rong's palace, Emperor Qianwu strolled around the inner palace.

Go to the Imperial Concubine's place?

No, one time wasn't enough; that soft, mushy belly and bulging waist just didn't arouse him.

Emperor Qianwu was blatantly a scoundrel, and he had the right to be.

Where is Yun Meiren?

That head of black hair was quite nice; when you couldn't see her face, you could even vaguely see her features.

Their combat effectiveness is far inferior.

Consort Rong?

Not to mention.

Who else was in the harem?

Emperor Qianwu did not visit the harem very often in recent years.

Firstly, he was a diligent and hardworking monarch; secondly, none of the women in his harem were a perfect match for him.

Since it never relieved his discomfort, he eventually stopped coming.

But now they have the Zhou family.

Emperor Qianwu's appetite was whetted.

Before I knew it, I had ended up in the Cold Palace.

A melodious song suddenly drifted from the cold palace…

The next morning, Shiliu told Zhou Mingyi.

"Your Majesty, it is said that Consort Lan regained favor last night."

Zhou Mingyi frowned and looked at Lianwu, "Consort Lan?"

Lianwu immediately replied, "Consort Lan entered the palace in her early years and can be considered His Majesty's childhood sweetheart."

"Oh?"

Zhou Mingyi immediately became interested.

Wax apple: "Although Consort Lan is not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she was raised by the Empress Dowager from a young age, simply because she looks very much like one of the Empress Dowager's princesses who died young..."

"The palace servants all say that Consort Lan is the reincarnation of that princess."

"She is nine years younger than His Majesty and six years younger than that princess, and her birthday happens to be..."

Lianwu glanced at Zhou Mingyi before saying, "It is the anniversary of the princess's death."

"Later, when His Majesty ascended the throne, Consort Lan insisted on marrying him despite the Empress Dowager's objections."

"Although Consort Lan looks like the Empress Dowager's deceased biological daughter, who is also His Majesty's younger sister, they are not related by blood. Their appearances are merely similar. The Empress Dowager initially opposed the relationship because she truly regarded Consort Lan as her own daughter."

"Consort Kelan has fallen deeply in love with His Majesty, and the Empress Dowager is happy to see it come to fruition."

Shi Liu couldn't help but say, "Isn't marrying His Majesty the ultimate honor in the world?"

Wax apple glanced at pomegranate, "Who says otherwise?"

Pomegranate:……

Zhou Mingyi, however, understood the unspoken meaning in her words.

To outsiders, being able to marry Emperor Qianwu was indeed the greatest honor in the world.

However, as an emperor, Emperor Qianwu was destined not to give a woman a single promise.

In order to produce more offspring and to maintain balance with the previous dynasty, it was inevitable that they would have three palaces and six courtyards.

The fact that the Empress Dowager could oppose Consort Lan's marriage to His Majesty shows that for a long time, she did indeed regard her as her own daughter.

"But I have never heard of that Consort Lan since I entered the palace."

Lianwu said, "That's because Consort Lan did something wrong back then, angering His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, and was banished to the Cold Palace."

Zhou Mingyi: "Could it be that he almost harmed Princess Chaoyang and Consort Chen, who was pregnant at the time?"

The wax apple looked on with admiration.

She whispered, "Yes, Consort Lan was His Majesty's childhood sweetheart. She was deeply devoted to His Majesty and tried her best to bear him a child, but she was unsuccessful."

"Who would have thought that Consort Chen would become pregnant with His Majesty's child."

"Consort Lan made a mistake..."

Zhou Mingyi nodded.

It seems that not only the Empress Dowager, but even Emperor Qianwu treated Consort Lan with great leniency and kindness.

According to Lianwu, she almost harmed Emperor Qianwu's only child, yet she was still able to live well in the Cold Palace.

To be able to regain favor now, that's truly a clever tactic!

In the following time, Zhou Mingyi inquired in detail about various matters concerning Consort Lan.

She needed to know whether Consort Lan's existence would hinder her plans.

If it gets in her way, she will show no mercy.

……

Chang Le Palace.

"What? That bitch, how could she?"

"She almost harmed my Chaoyang back then, how could His Majesty release her and still honor her as Consort Lan?"

"Has His Majesty truly disregarded the rising sun?"

Chen Mama thought to herself, "Did Consort Lan really harm you back then?"

Don't you know in your heart whether it's true or not?

Since becoming pregnant with Princess Chaoyang, Consort Chen has suffered from severe paranoia and distrusts no one in the harem.

Even Emperor Qianwu and the Empress Dowager.

Consort Kelan was His Majesty's childhood sweetheart and also the Empress Dowager's goddaughter, enjoying great favor.

At that time, Consort Chen was merely a concubine who was out of favor but had good fortune.

She was scared!

She feared that her child would be born only to benefit someone else.

Consort Lan was already Consort Lan at that time.

If her child is given to Consort Lan by His Majesty and the Empress Dowager after it is born, wouldn't she have gained nothing in the end?

That won't do!

In her anxiety and anger, Consort Chen immediately devised a wicked plan.

She plotted to harm Consort Lan's unborn child.

Consort Chen's methods were clumsy, but no one would believe that she would harm her own child.

Furthermore, the child in her womb is the first child in the harem, and also the beginning of His Majesty breaking the "curse of childlessness," so it is naturally highly valued.

Consort Lan, however, expressed her resentment, believing that Consort Chen was unworthy to bear children for His Majesty.

A combination of factors led to Consort Lan being banished to the Cold Palace.

So many years have passed, and even Consort Chen herself is convinced that Consort Lan harmed her child.

She also wanted to kill Consort Lan.

But she has a beautiful face, and it is said that she looks a lot like Princess Chang Le in her early years.

Because of her face, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were always reluctant to kill her and ordered that no one should make things difficult for her.

Over the years, Consort Lan has remained very well-behaved in the Cold Palace.

How did she end up hooking up with His Majesty again?