The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

After leaving, Xiao Yu instructed Yang An: "I remember, a few days ago, a pair of exquisite bracelets were presented as tribute?"

Yang An agreed, thinking to himself that the bracelets were not only exquisite, but there were probably only a handful of them in the entire harem.

He remembered that the emperor only glanced at the bracelet and did not say who it was to be given to. He was surprised at the time, thinking that the emperor had not taken a liking to it and had not found a suitable person to wear it.

As expected, Xiao Yu said, "Send it to Lan Yue Pavilion."

For some reason, he felt that she would look very good wearing it.

Yang An agreed, a hint of surprise in his eyes. This Ning Cairen was indeed a capable woman.

He stole a glance at the master sitting on the imperial carriage. However, given Ning Cai's beauty, it was only natural that the emperor would notice her.

After all, his master was very particular about women's appearance. For example, Consort Rong, whose family background wasn't particularly good, how was she able to be on par with Consort Zhuang?

It's not just because Consort Rong has the eldest prince, but also because her beauty is something the Emperor finds very appealing. Furthermore, the Emperor doesn't want Consort Zhuang to have too much power in the harem. Of course, this is something he figured out himself while working alongside the Emperor.

After Ning Shuyan returned to the palace after paying her respects, Yang An came over.

He bowed respectfully. "This is a bracelet that His Majesty ordered me to give to Your Highness, as well as some lychees that were delivered to the palace today. His Majesty also instructed me to bring some to Your Highness."

Ning Shuyan looked at the lychees her father-in-law was holding and smiled, "These lychees look very fresh."

Yang An smiled and said, "These lychees were sent to the palace and distributed to the various palaces while they were still fresh. Apart from high-ranking officials, only Your Highness and Consort Cheng have received this favor."

Ning Shuyan smiled and said, "Please convey my thanks to the Emperor on my behalf, Eunuch."

After saying that, she gave a look, and Ziying quickly took out a purse and gave it to Yang An. Yang An did not refuse, and accepted it with a smile before leaving.

Ziying looked at the lychees and smiled, "These lychees are rare, yet His Majesty shared some with Your Highness. It seems His Majesty still cares about Your Highness quite a bit."

Ning Shuyan peeled a lychee, looking at the pearly, translucent flesh, and said, "If this is considered caring, then he cares about many people, not just me."

Ziying felt that something was off, but at the same time, everything seemed to make sense. So she chuckled to herself and stopped talking.

Qiu Le said, "While it might not be a matter of being overly concerned, at least Your Majesty has been remembered by the Emperor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Lan Yue Pavilion again last night."

Ning Shuyan knew that the Emperor's visit to Lanyue Pavilion last night was entirely due to his interest and the scar she had left on his back. It was this scar that would ensure he would never forget her.

The lingering sweetness of the lychee still lingered in her mouth after she swallowed it. Remembering what Eunuch Yang had said about Consort Cheng also having lychees, she said, "Consort Cheng, the Emperor seems to treat her differently. Among the new concubines, she is considered the most favored."

Qiu Le said, "When I first entered the palace, I heard that when the Emperor was a prince, it was Consort Cheng's grandfather who was in charge of teaching the Emperor martial arts and swordsmanship. I suppose the Emperor must have respected Grand Tutor Cheng very much."

"That must be it. No wonder Cheng Meiren is so arrogant."

If Grand Tutor Cheng were still alive, Consort Cheng would probably have been granted the rank of one of the Nine Concubines.

That night, the Emperor did not summon Ning Shuyan to his bedchamber, something Ning Shuyan had already guessed. The Emperor rarely summoned the same concubine to his bedchamber for more than three consecutive days.

Two days later, the emperor summoned Consort Cheng to his bedchamber.

Ning Shuyan wondered, with Cheng Meiren's proud and arrogant nature, what would she be like in bed? If she were completely devoid of charm, the Emperor wouldn't favor her so much.

I wonder what Consort Rong, who shares the same palace with her, thinks? In the past, besides Consort Zhuang, she received more favor, but now Consort Cheng has come to share the spotlight with her. When she saw the imperial sedan chair arrive at the palace to pick up Consort Cheng, she must have been extremely jealous.

Consort Cheng did not originally live in Qiulan Palace; she previously lived in Xiling Pavilion. However, it was rumored that a favored concubine of the late emperor who had died unjustly had lived in Xiling Pavilion. After living there for two days, Consort Cheng made a fuss about moving to another palace, so she moved to Qiulan Palace.

As for the Empress, why did she arrange for these two to be in the same place? If she was worried about the favored concubine becoming too powerful, shouldn't she have placed them in Consort Zhuang's Yihe Palace?

No! Ning Shuyan suddenly remembered that Consort Zhuang, despite her favor with the emperor, had no heir. Consort Rong, however, had an heir, and if her favor with the emperor did not diminish, that would be a real threat to the Empress.

It must be said, the Empress was truly cunning.

Sure enough, the next day, Consort Rong entered Fengqi Palace with a stern face.

Seeing this, Consort Zhuang smiled and said, "Now the most lively place is Consort Rong's Qiulan Palace. In comparison, my palace seems rather deserted." She covered her mouth with her handkerchief and smiled meaningfully.

Consort Rong frowned, her expression somewhat stiff: "If you are envious, you can ask the Empress to let Consort Cheng move to your palace."

Consort Zhuang snorted coldly, "My sister doesn't have that kind of luck. Let your elder sister enjoy this blessing." As she spoke, her smile deepened, and she lightly tapped her newly done nail polish.

Consort Cheng looked at Consort Rong with great displeasure: "If Your Highness Consort Rong feels that sharing a palace with me is an eyesore, you can simply inform the Emperor and Empress and ask me to move to another palace. In any case, I don't care to live in Qiulan Palace."

Consort Rong turned to look at her, her gaze sharp and arrogant, and said, "Relying on the Emperor's favor, you dare to speak to me like that? How insolent!"

"Who has been so insolent again?" came the Empress's voice. She was seen slowly walking out, supported by Du Ruo.

Everyone quickly bowed and greeted her: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects."

After the Empress sat down, she smiled and said, "No need for formalities."

His gaze then fell upon Consort Rong, and he said in a gentle tone, "Consort Rong, you are a senior member of the palace. You should give way to her in all things. Consort Cheng is young and has only been in the palace for a short time, so it's inevitable that the Emperor will show her some favoritism."

Ning Shuyan's lips curled slightly. Her words seemed to be speaking well of Cheng Meiren, but in reality, they were also stirring up hatred for her.

Consort Rong reluctantly replied, "Yes, but Consort Cheng is from my palace. If she has broken the rules, am I not allowed to say a word or two?"

Consort Cheng quickly replied, "Then may I ask, Your Highness Consort Rong, if you find me disagreeable, does that mean I have broken the rules?"

Consort Rong was speechless for a moment, her beautiful face turning extremely gloomy. After a while, she said, "I really don't know how the Cheng family raised their daughter, to be so arrogant."

Ning Shuyan was slightly surprised; this Consort Rong was beautiful but not very bright.

The Cheng family can't teach their daughters? The Cheng family's deceased tutor was the emperor's teacher!

She looked up at the Empress, who, as expected, had a stern face. She snapped, "Enough! Consort Rong, stop talking nonsense!"

Consort Ying, who was always gentle, sat below Consort Rong and tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to calm down.

Consort Rong held her breath, feeling uneasy, but she could only suppress it fiercely.

Consort Zhuang smiled broadly, her joy evident in her eyes and brows. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "The tea Your Majesty the Empress prepared today is quite good, with a slightly sweet aftertaste."

The Empress glanced at her indifferently, seeing through her words but saying nothing, and also picked up her teacup, saying, "The tea is the same as usual, Biluochun, but Consort Zhuang can taste its sweetness."

Isn't that right? When you're in a good mood, anything tastes good. She's thoroughly enjoying this wonderful show.

Consort Rong gritted her teeth and slightly raised her chin. Her gaze was cold as she looked at Consort Zhuang, showing no sign of weakness.