Entering the palace means entering a high position; I'm His Majesty's cousin, who am I afr

Shen Jiayu looked up, about to lean closer to find those slightly cool lips.

Just then, my stomach growled.

She sighed in annoyance and nestled against Pei Yan's neck, sulking.

Pei Yan released the person, then had the palace servants tidy up a small table and served the meal.

Because Shen Jiayu was poisoned and fell into a coma, the kitchen specially prepared some light meals.

Before long, the small table was filled with several side dishes: steamed bamboo fungus, bamboo shoot strips, blanched shrimp, cold water bamboo salad, and so on. Then came a lily and lotus seed porridge that had been cooked until soft and thick.

Although it's light, it looks quite appetizing.

Shen Jiayu asked, "Has His Majesty used it?"

Before Pei Yan could speak, Qing An spoke up, "His Majesty is worried about the Empress's health. Since the Empress fell into a coma, he has been staying by her bedside. This servant tried to persuade him several times, but His Majesty refused."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiayu couldn't help but curl up her lips.

She personally served Pei Yan a bowl of lotus seed porridge and handed it to him.

The two ate their meal quietly, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Suddenly, Pei Yan raised his head, looked at her with her mouth full and eating earnestly, and said, "Ayu, shall I make you a concubine?"

Shen Jiayu didn't react for a moment.

Pei Yan said as if it were nothing important: "Consort Lan failed in her oversight, so I have stripped her of her palace authority. After your promotion, you shall assume her palace authority."

Shen Jiayu swallowed the food in her mouth and asked in surprise, "A promotion for me?"

If she is promoted again, she will be a second-rank imperial concubine.

Prior to this, only a concubine of the emperor during his time as a prince was granted the title of Consort Li. There were no other imperial concubines who were granted the title without bearing a child.

Most importantly, Consort Li was qualified to be promoted.

She had only entered the palace this year, and it had only been a little over three months since she was conferred the title of Zhaoyi and received the bestowed honors.

Now she's about to be promoted again, and not to a lower rank, but to the rank of Imperial Concubine. This is the highest rank currently conferred upon any concubine in the six palaces, below even the Empress.

They received not only promotions and titles, but also real power within the palace.

This is quite surprising.

Shen Jiayu took a deep breath and answered the previous question, "I will definitely manage the palace power entrusted to me by Your Majesty perfectly."

Seeing her eager expression, Pei Yan composed himself and said, "You can think about these things when you're feeling better. Until you're fully recovered, you don't need to worry about anything."

"Alright then." Shen Jiayu pouted, suppressed her ambition, and started eating her porridge again.

After finishing her meal, Shen Jiayu stared at the medicinal liquid in front of her with a look of deep hatred.

After mentally preparing myself repeatedly, I brought the bowl to my lips, but after a long while, I put it down again.

She lay listlessly on Pei Yan's lap: "I can't drink it."

The potent medicine that Guo Yuanpan had previously prepared had removed most of the toxins, but the remaining toxins could not be treated with such a strong medicine, as her body might not be able to withstand it. Instead, a milder medicine was used to slowly regulate her condition.

Therefore, it is still necessary to take medicine to detoxify every day.

This news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Shen Jiayu unable to accept it.

Just like now, she really can't drink it.

Pei Yan lowered his eyes to look at her. "Disobeying again?"

Shen Jiayu sat up again, openly cursed Qi Ronghua a few times, gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and drank it all in one gulp.

The next moment, a sweet candied plum was handed to me.

Shen Jiayu's eyes widened.

However, the encounter was brief. Pei Yan quickly stepped back, his expression indifferent. "It wasn't that bitter, so why can't you drink it?"

Shen Jiayu frowned and snuggled into his arms, saying, "It's very bitter. How much did Your Majesty actually taste?"

Pei Yan looked at her and didn't say she was being delicate anymore. He only said, "You'll recover faster if you take the medicine."

After taking the medicine, Shen Jiayu felt dizzy and very sleepy, so she simply closed her eyes in Pei Yan's arms. "With Your Majesty by my side, I'm not afraid."

Pei Yan's expression softened, and he responded with a sound of agreement.

Shen Jiayu fell asleep quickly, her breathing even, her sleeping face adorable.

Pei Yan stared at her for a long time, then suddenly leaned down and kissed her forehead, gently carrying her back to the bed.

*

Early the next morning.

When Pei Yan got up to go to court, Shen Jiayu also woke up.

She lay on the bed watching Pei Yan change clothes and wash up.

After Pei Yan finished his work, he said to her, "I came to keep you company after I finished dealing with state affairs today. When you get up, make sure to take your medicine properly. If I find out that you have disobeyed me, you know the consequences."

Shen Jiayu nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Pei Yan brushed some messy hair from her forehead, then got up and left.

After the imperial procession left Yihua Palace.

Hongling then dismissed all the palace servants, leaving only her and Lü'e to serve in the palace.

The two looked at each other and smiled at each other in front of the bed.

Hongling, in particular, had her eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she said, "Your Majesty, you have no idea how well I acted yesterday."

Green Calyx, usually so composed, surprisingly agreed with this statement: "If she didn't know the truth, she could easily have fooled even my sister, whom she knows so well."

Hongling immediately put on a smug expression.

Shen Jiayu couldn't help but laugh. She put a soft pillow behind her back and sat up halfway.

She first poured out the bowl of warm medicine on the bedside table, and then said, "Stop joking around, tell me the specifics of yesterday."

Lü'e was always cautious, and she would carefully check everything she entered into the inner chamber.

She discovered the fact that the vine juice had been mixed into the floral mud the moment it was added.

Upon learning of this, Shen Jiayu almost clapped her hands in approval.

She was just waiting for an opportunity, a perfect chance to deepen her relationship with her cold-hearted cousin.

Since the opportunity has presented itself unexpectedly, we should choose to play along.

Therefore, she no longer went to the Xuanzheng Hall to read the memorials.

She understood the emperor's temperament; she knew that doing so would surely invite reprimand or punishment.

This is exactly what Shen Jiayu wanted.

A trivial, insignificant punishment, in exchange for the emperor's self-reproach and guilt, is a very worthwhile deal.

As she had predicted, a coma brought her rank and power in the palace.

That's not all.

Last night, she saw that when she said, "Your Majesty is more important than Ayu" and "I don't blame Your Majesty," a slight ripple appeared in the emperor's eyes, which had been calm and unchanging for ten thousand years.

Even though it was only for a fleeting moment before it was obscured, she still managed to catch it.

To be honest, she wasn't actually poisoned.

After discovering vine juice in the flower mud, Hongling Lu'e never watered or exposed the flowers to the sun again.

Simply place it in a cool, well-ventilated place.

Only yesterday, when the emperor came to Yihua Palace, did Hongling quietly enter the palace as planned, move the hibiscus to the bedside flower spot, and water the flower.

As for the toxins in her body, it was because she had taken a medicine prepared by Lü'e, which would make people unconscious and drowsy, but would not harm their health.

Yesterday during the day, the emperor stormed off, and as she rose from her chaise longue, she secretly took the medicine under the cover of concealment.

Last night, while the emperor was bathing and away, Lü'e gave her the antidote.

Therefore, this whole ordeal was entirely beneficial to her.

Shen Jiayu lay on the bed, quietly listening to Hongling and Lüe recount what had happened yesterday.

After listening, she calmly said, "This was not done by Qi Ronghua."