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

Princess Xuan forced a smile and said to Xiao Yu, "Since Your Highness likes it, I will naturally not object. I will listen to the Emperor and Your Highness."

Princess Qin Ruolan of Xuanwang had a completely dignified and generous appearance on her face.

That was all she could say. If she disagreed, wouldn't everyone present call her a jealous woman? As a princess, it was only natural for her to allow her husband to take a concubine. Besides, the emperor's question, though seemingly directed at her, didn't actually leave her no room for refusal, nor was it possible for her to refuse.

But she was furious! Prince Xuan had clearly said he wouldn't take any more concubines after marrying her, yet the palace was still overflowing with concubines, and now even a dancer was allowed into the palace…

"In that case, you may go and pack your things, and then enter the palace with Prince Xuan," Xiao Yu said calmly.

The dancer, with a hint of joy on her face, knelt down to thank Xiao Yu before leaving.

That's true. Being a prince's concubine is better than being a dancer.

Prince Xuan turned to look at Qin Ruolan, wanting to reach out and hold her hand, but Qin Ruolan pulled her hand away, picked up her wine cup, and drank it down in one gulp.

Prince Xuan sighed inwardly, deeply regretting his carelessness earlier.

He didn't know why he fell in love with Ning Shuyan at first sight. After seeing her that day, his mind was filled with her image and her beautiful face.

He recalled a scene from three years ago when his mother told him to choose a queen. He went straight to Qin Ruolan, the woman he loved, and declared that she was the only queen in his heart.

The Emperor took a liking to Ning Shuyan and immediately suggested that she become his concubine. He only glanced at her briefly; she had her head down and didn't get a good look, unaware of her beauty. Therefore, she resolutely refused. Fortunately, her mother was there, and the Emperor didn't blame her.

If Ning Shuyan were simply Xiao Yu's concubine, then she would have been a mere glance and forgotten.

But! That stunningly beautiful face... she should have been his woman, but by some twist of fate, she became Xiao Yu's concubine!

Prince Xuan knew this was a warning from Xiao Yu, and a bitter smile crossed his lips.

Xu Meiren sat next to Ning Shuyan and chuckled softly, "It's said that Prince Xuan swore he would only marry Princess Xuan in his life, but men's words are all lies. Look, he has several concubines in the Prince's mansion, and today he even took a fancy to a dancer."

She spoke very softly, and with the sound of string and bamboo instruments, only Ning Shuyan could hear her clearly.

Ning Shuyan smiled and said, "Judging from Princess Xuan's expression, she must be unwilling as well."

"What woman would want her husband to take a concubine? Let alone her, even we feel saddened when we hear that the emperor is selecting concubines." She chuckled as she spoke.

Consort Xu also came from the Prince's residence and rarely spoke. But after chatting with her today, I realized she has a rather pleasant personality.

Ning Shuyan glanced at Princess Consort Xuan and Prince Xuan briefly before quickly averting her gaze. It seemed the two were bound to have some conflict after returning to the residence.

Fortunately, she didn't become Prince Xuan's concubine. Prince Xuan claimed to be deeply affectionate, but compared to Xiao Yu's seemingly fickle nature, she would rather choose the latter. At least he was a scoundrel openly and honestly, unlike Prince Xuan who was extremely hypocritical.

Ning Shuyan watched as Xu Meiren drank the nourishing soup in the bowl beside her, and she also picked up a spoon and took a few sips, but the taste seemed a little strange. However, Zhou Meiren drank it with relish, which made sense, since she had never been able to stand tonics.

Seeing Ning Shuyan's actions, Qiu Le quickly moved the soup bowl further away and, taking advantage of the moment when no one was looking, touched some of the soup.

With Consort Rong absent, Consort Zhuang was now the head of all the concubines, second only to the Empress. She gracefully rose, raised her wine cup, and said, "Your Majesty, I offer you a toast, wishing you good health and a prosperous and peaceful nation."

Xiao Yu smiled and picked up his wine glass: "Alright!"

Consort Zhuang sat down with a smile, but her eyes reddened slightly and were filled with tears, as if she were thinking of something. She sniffed and looked sad.

Seeing this, the Empress asked with concern, "What's wrong, Consort Zhuang?"

Consort Zhuang quickly raised her eyes, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty, I have been impolite. It is only during festivals that I miss my family even more, and I was just thinking of my father."

Consort Zhuang was always arrogant and domineering, but now, with tears streaming down her face, she looked quite pitiful.

As expected, Xiao Yu said softly, "Minister Nangong serves the country and suffers in the army during the festival, which is truly not easy. When he returns to the court, I will reward him handsomely and let you and your daughter meet him."

Consort Zhuang's face showed a slight joy, and she said gratefully, "Yes, Your Majesty."

She was overjoyed. A great reward? The Emperor must be going to reward her father and herself... Did the Emperor want to make her a Noble Consort?

Thinking this, Consort Zhuang couldn't hide her joy as she ate the dishes on the table with great interest.

The Empress watched the singing and dancing in the hall with indifference, but the faint smile on her face revealed a thoughtful expression.

After the palace banquet, Xiao Yu naturally went to the Empress's palace.

Back at the palace, Qiu Le asked, "Did Your Highness find anything wrong with the soup just now?"

"I do find it a bit strange, but I've never been able to tolerate these kinds of tonics. Have you noticed anything wrong?"

Ning Shuyan saw it; Qiu Le's fingertips touched the soup.

Qiu Le frowned slightly: "I tasted the soup, and there's nothing wrong with it. But the taste is indeed a bit strange." As she spoke, she quickly took Ning Shuyan's hand and felt her pulse.

She finally felt relieved: "It's alright, I guess I was just overthinking it."

After more than ten days, Ning Shuyan thought it was about time to have Ping An take his pulse. The matter of Physician Ji could not be delayed any longer, so she summoned him to have Ping An take his pulse.

Physician Ji carefully took her pulse and respectfully said, "Your Highness is in perfect health."

Ning Shuyan naturally knew that she was in good health.

She looked at Physician Ji and went straight to the point: "I heard that Physician Ji's family is facing some difficulties?"

Imperial Physician Ji looked at Ning Shuyan with some surprise, wondering how she knew. However, she naturally dared not stare at the concubine, and quickly lowered her eyes and whispered, "Yes, but they are all minor issues."

Ning Shuyan gave a wink and saw Ziying take out five silver ingots.

Ning Shu said, "This is fifty taels of silver. I hope it can help Physician Ji."

Although Imperial Physician Ji was just an imperial physician, he understood the intricacies of the inner palace. Why would Consort Ning help him for no reason?

After his initial surprise, he immediately bowed and refused, saying, "I cannot accept a reward without merit. Your humble servant dares not take the money from you, Your Highness."

This surprised Ning Shuyan somewhat; she hadn't expected Physician Ji to refuse. She slowly said, "Don't you want to save your father?"

"Yes!" Physician Ji answered without hesitation.

"But as a royal physician, my only master is the Emperor. I would like to know what Your Highness desires from me?"

Ning Shuyan gently stroked the white jade table with her slender hand and chuckled softly, "So, is that how Imperial Physician Ji sees me? Do you think all the women in the harem are ruthless and driven by self-interest?"

"Isn't that right?" Imperial Physician Ji almost blurted out those words. Although he was an imperial physician, he was still somewhat aware of the intrigues and power struggles within the imperial harem.

He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "A physician should have a benevolent heart. As a royal physician, I cannot do anything that is against morality and reason."