The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

Early in the morning, Qi Yitang's mind was still foggy, and she blinked groggily, "...?"

What?

She mumbled something, turned over, and tried to bury her face in the pillow to continue sleeping, but Xie Ling persisted, asking stubbornly, "Tangtang, answer me."

Qi Yitang's drowsiness was mostly worn away by him, and she barely woke up.

Are you kidding me? He's such a big emperor, surrounded by eunuchs, guards, and secret agents, how could he possibly fall into the water?

Xie Ling frowned slightly, and repeated it again with an almost childlike seriousness.

"If you could only save one, who would you save?"

This is practically a life-or-death dilemma. On one side are your parents, on the other your lover.

Choosing a lover would be disrespectful to one's parents, while choosing one's parents would be letting down the person who gave her their whole heart...

Qi Yitang thought she would be conflicted, but for some reason, her mind raced before her mouth could process the answer, which had already slipped out of her lips.

"I'll save you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qi Yitang was stunned. She had actually... put her parents after Xie Ling.

Why? Is it because of their past favoritism?

Even without the comments, she knew that her parents and brother still loved her, and that she always had what belonged to her, only that half of it had been given away.

However, even if she sees the comments and awakens to the truth, her mind won't suddenly become smarter.

They have the same petty temper and the same grudge-holding attitude.

What Qi Yitang resented most was the day before he entered the palace.

Her plan to elope with her fourth brother failed, and they were caught red-handed by their father, who blocked both the front and back doors.

Her father didn't punish her, but he severely beat her fourth brother, the blows of the paddle landing repeatedly until his flesh was bloody and mangled. Qi Yitang cried and begged, saying she accepted her fate and would go to the palace, and only then did her father finally let her fourth brother go.

The day before entering the palace, thinking that she would never be able to return, Qi Yitang walked through every corner of the mansion with tears in her eyes.

Finally, sitting by the pond in the backyard, watching the fish swim to and fro, a wave of sorrow washed over me—

Her later life might be worse than that of a fish trapped in a pond.

Her cousin came to comfort her then, speaking gently and softly. Now it seems like she meant well, but at the time she was angry and felt that it was all just empty talk from someone who didn't understand her situation. She was so annoyed that she pushed Ning Nishang away and told her to leave her alone.

But she forgot that there was a pond behind her. Ning Nishang lost her footing and fell into the water with a splash.

Qi Yitang was terrified. She only wanted her to stay away, she didn't mean to hurt her.

Seeing Ning Nishang thrashing about in the water and about to sink, she suddenly jumped in without thinking, swallowing several mouthfuls of murky, icy water before finally managing to pull her out.

But as soon as they got ashore, everyone gathered around, and my cousin's maid screamed that she was the one who pushed them.

No one noticed that she was soaking wet and shivering.

Her parents' faces were full of disappointment. Her third brother frowned and scolded her for being ignorant, saying, "You should learn from your cousin's gentleness and generosity, otherwise you will suffer if you enter the palace."

Knowing she would suffer, why send her to the palace? It's all utter nonsense!

Even now, thinking back to that time of being isolated and helpless, Qi Yitang's heart still aches.

Of course, if she hadn't awakened, and her parents and relatives had been killed by Xie Jingyu because of her, just like in her previous life, then all that favoritism and sadness would have been insignificant in the face of death.

But with her protecting her throughout her life, and the whole family doing well, Qi Yitang's "affected" side came out again.

Although it was true that she pushed him, she also went down to save him, so her third brother couldn't say that about her no matter what.

He was not a good older brother.

Even after she apologized, Qi Yitang still held a grudge and secretly lowered her affection for Third Brother by nine points.

There were ten points in total, only Xie Ling got a perfect score, and Fourth Brother barely got nine and a half.

Pulling herself out of her memories, Qi Yitang cupped Xie Ling's face in her hands and said earnestly, "Yanzhi, if I could only save one, I would save you."

He was the only person in the world who gave her all his favor, making everything unique to her and never giving her any of the things that other concubines had left over.

The greatest suffering she endured after marrying Xie Ling was probably in... bed.

Because he has such good stamina, I can't keep up with him. Just like what the comments said, he's the kind of person who can be coaxed but won't stop.

In the depths of Xie Ling's dark eyes, a glimmer of light seemed to rise little by little, spreading across his brows and settling at the corners of his mouth.

The corners of her lips couldn't be suppressed; her joy and ease were clearly visible.

Just as he was about to say something, Qi Yitang leaned back against his chest, poking him with her fingers, "But if I save you, you have to save me too, because I'm not actually a very good swimmer."

They might not drown, but rescuing them would be extremely difficult.

Who to save is an attitude, whether or not one can save someone is a matter of ability, and Qi Yitang distinguishes between the two very clearly.

Xie Ling seemed amused, a low laugh escaping from her throat, carrying a warm resonance in her chest.

He reached out and encircled her, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice still carrying the lingering laughter.

"Okay. Let's help each other. I promise I won't let Tangtang drink dirty water."

……

Qi Yitang indeed had a very happy birthday.

For several days in a row, she would often recline on the chaise lounge by the window, admiring the colorful glass lantern.

Sunlight refracted through the glass, creating colorful specks of light that fell on her face and body. She followed these specks of light, moving around like a cat chasing after them.

Yunzhu and Yunying, who were serving her, remarked that the Empress had become increasingly cheerful over the past six months, and that she and His Majesty were as sweet as honey.

The lingering melancholy in her eyes has completely dissipated, and she is now like a flower refreshed by spring rain, relaxed and vibrant.

However, Yunzhu occasionally harbored a slight worry in her heart.

His Majesty's affection for the Empress is undeniable, but it would be even more perfect if the Empress could conceive soon and have a son or daughter.

But then I thought, if His Majesty and the Empress aren't in a hurry, then it seems like we servants have no right to worry about it.

Besides, there's a long road ahead, so what's the rush?

A few days after her birthday, Xie Ling announced the imperial edict establishing Qi Yitang as empress to the world, and to hold a grand ceremony for her coronation.

The ministers were not surprised.

His Majesty is excellent in every way. He is considerate of his subjects, works tirelessly day and night, and never neglects state affairs.

But whenever it comes to Consort Qi, he seems to lose his mind.

Not only were her food, clothing, and daily necessities on par with those of an empress, but even her residence, Yaotang Palace, was three times more luxurious and spacious than Jingren Palace, the residence of empresses throughout history. Whenever there was a banquet or court assembly, Consort Qi would always sit next to His Majesty.

With this kind of attitude, who wouldn't see that she'll eventually take that position?

On the day the imperial edict was proclaimed, the court officials knelt down and shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

I thought this was the end of it, but little did I know that the Emperor's intentions went far beyond this.

At the same time as establishing the empress, Xie Ling also issued an edict to dismiss the harem. Except for the empress, all the other concubines were to return to their respective families, be granted gold, silver, land and houses, and be allowed to choose a good match to marry.

He wanted to be with only one person for life, leaving the harem empty and never taking any more concubines.