Chapter 116:

Since Consort De was banished to the cold palace, the affairs of the imperial harem have all been placed on Consort Hui’s shoulders. Thinking about it, she is indeed the biggest winner in this matter.

Originally, Consort Qi had handed over the management of palace affairs due to her pregnancy. Strangely, after her miscarriage and recovery, Emperor Jing did not return the responsibilities to her. Now, all matters are under the control of Consort Hui Fu Jinyao.

Naturally, some people understand that although Consort Qi lost her child, the Emperor only offered some material compensation. There was no promotion in rank or return of palace duties.

It is clear that this is actually a demotion in disguise. Recalling how Consort Qi, despite her frail condition, was in such a hurry to humiliate Concubine Chun, everyone secretly scoffs. It seems that the seemingly kind and gentle Consort Qi might not be as benevolent as she appears.

But what of it? No one could have imagined that Yue Feng was actually a woman.

In the Southern Qin Kingdom, some men appear overly delicate and feminine. Because of this, Yue Feng didn’t raise any suspicions. Moreover, some families had heard since childhood about this child’s mischievous antics of climbing onto roofs and tearing off tiles—how could they ever think it was actually a girl?

Of course, even her cousin Chen Yulan didn’t know the truth and, because of this matter, ended up losing her life.

Minister Chen was reprimanded by Emperor Jing for failing to properly discipline his daughter and for her heinous behavior, resulting in several demotions.

Many people speculate that the Chen family will never recover their former status.

Not only the Chens, but also the Lians suffered even more severely. At least the Chens merely faced demotions, while the Lians were found guilty of numerous sordid deeds.

There were even rumors of an incestuous relationship between a brother and sister-in-law.

Now, all members of the Lian family have been placed under house arrest.

Layue heard such news inside the palace and felt somewhat relieved.

The “uncle” in the rumors about the illicit relationship with his sister-in-law was none other than the man who had once secretly met with Bai Xiaodie.

Seeing how badly they were doing, Layue felt it was truly… wonderful.

Rubbing her belly, Layue murmured softly, “My baby, it’s not that your mother is cruel. They really weren’t good people. But you mustn’t follow your mother’s example.”

Now six months pregnant, she appeared as large as someone eight months along. According to the imperial physician’s recent diagnosis, she was definitely carrying twins. Because of this, the Emperor became even more cautious, visiting her daily to check on her well-being.

Layue didn’t know whether it was just her imagination, but she felt that since the poisoning incident at Changchun Pavilion, the Emperor had become much more decisive.

He had also become less tolerant of the affairs in the harem.

Now, Qi Consort, unable to interfere in palace matters, obediently remained in Qingxiang Palace and rarely ventured outside.

With the New Year just half a month away, a shocking new piece of news spread through the palace.

The small neighboring country of Diwa, near Southern Qin, would send its princess, Luolisha, with tribute gifts to the court during the New Year celebrations.

Actually, this was something many had heard of before. Although this dynasty had not experienced such a situation, the previous dynasty had. The so-called princess bringing tribute gifts was actually a diplomatic strategy. If Emperor Jing took a liking to Luolisha, he could choose to keep her at court—a long-standing informal tradition.

Moreover, it was said that Princess Luolisha of Diwa was an extraordinary beauty. The palace consorts were furious, hoping desperately that something would go wrong with this plan.

Yet, as it seemed Emperor Jing had already agreed, and Princess Luolisha had already been on her way for seven or eight days, the palace consorts were now filled with despair.

In Qing’an Palace,

Layue sat on a small couch wearing a crimson brocade jacket. Thanks to the underfloor heating system, the room was warm.

Zhu Yuning sat beside her, observing Layue’s expression and smiled, “You seem so carefree.”

Layue smiled leisurely, “What else should I do? Cry, throw tantrums, or threaten suicide? Not only would the Emperor dislike that, but I myself would despise such behavior.”

Zhu Yuning shook her head, “Not necessarily crying, throwing tantrums, or threatening suicide. But you are unusually calm. I think, aside from you and me, no one else in the palace can be this relaxed.”

Although Layue liked Zhu Yuning, she remained cautious because of her affection for the Sixth Prince. Although later Qiaoning brought word, repeatedly confirming that the Yue family had no connection with the Sixth Prince, Layue still felt uneasy. Besides, there was also Madam Zhou present.

Softly lowering her head, she said, “Sometimes, the more you care, the more you must pretend not to care, so as not to get hurt.”

Her gentle tone made the listeners feel a pang in their hearts.

Lifting her head, she forced a slightly strained smile, “I’m just kidding. Who am I, a mere concubine, to stop the Emperor from taking in anyone else?”

But it was precisely her somewhat desolate tone and strained smile that left the people in the room silent.

Zhu Yuning sighed, “Why put yourself through this?”

Madam Zhou nearby also sighed, “My lady also has the little princess to consider. You mustn’t be too anxious. The child in your womb can feel it too.”

Layue nodded, “Yes, I understand.” Patting her belly, she murmured, “Be a good baby. Mama needs to stay cheerful so you can be happy too.”

Zhu Yuning looked at Layue with envy, her expression slightly distant, “It’s truly wonderful to have your own child!”

Layue smiled but didn’t say anything like “you should have one too.”

They were both consorts of the Emperor. If she had said that, what would Emperor Jing think?

Fortunately, Zhu Yuning didn’t desire to bear children for the Emperor either. After a moment of distraction, she returned to reality.

“You really are a great mother,” she teased with a smile.

Seeing her quickly recover, Layue smiled too, “Before all this, I always felt like I was still a child myself—how could I give birth to a child? But once I decided with the Emperor to have a little princess, I suddenly felt my heart settle. Every day I hoped to wake up and feel nauseous. That would mean I was pregnant, right? But who would have thought, I didn’t experience any of that at all. In fact, I could eat quite well.”

Madam Zhou, who knew the lady’s appetite well, smiled faintly from the side.

Come to think of it, she was indeed somewhat different from other pregnant women.

But perhaps it was because she was carrying twins.

“Your younger sister’s baby must be well-behaved, not troubling their dear little mother,” Zhu Yuning teased.

“From the moment the imperial physician confirmed my pregnancy, I felt there was nothing better in the world. I will make pretty flowered clothes for my baby, teach him the ways of life, and be there to accompany her,” Layue said warmly.

Madam Zhou, however, didn’t see it that way. “My lady, this is the Imperial Concubine Li we’re talking about. Isn’t it inappropriate to speak like this in front of her? Isn’t this just showing off?”

Madam Zhou sighed again at her lady’s naivety.

No wonder the Emperor sent me here. This innocent girl wouldn’t even realize if someone plotted against her.

After spending these days together, Madam Zhou had grown quite fond of Shen Layue. Unlike other consorts who became arrogant once favored, she remained genuinely kind and pure.

No wonder the Emperor, accustomed to scheming and calculation, found her endearing.

Perhaps because they had been chatting, time passed quickly. When Zhu Yuning left in the evening, Layue tapped her fingers on the table, pondering this so-called Princess Luolisha of Diwa.

Indeed, after being with Emperor Jing for so long, she had picked up his habits—tapping things with her fingers when deep in thought.

This Princess Luolisha was someone who didn’t exist in her previous life.

Well, not exactly nonexistent—she was a real person, but she had never come to their Southern Qin Kingdom, nor had she offered herself to Emperor Jing.

Yet in this life, things had changed.

Layue felt a slight bitterness in her heart, but the corners of her mouth still lifted slightly.

For some reason, the more things deviated from her previous life, the more unexpected twists emerged, the happier she felt!

If everything remained exactly the same, it would mean the same tragic fate awaited her Shen family in the end. But if things changed, then everything would be different. Different—just thinking about it made her heart flutter with hope.

Therefore, despite her inner bitterness, she felt a quiet sense of peace at Luolisha’s arrival.

When the Emperor entered, he saw her frowning one moment and smiling the next.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Thinking about you!” She was telling the truth.

“You’re frowning because you’re thinking about me so much. You must really miss me, huh?” He raised an eyebrow.

Layue giggled, “Actually, I was thinking about Princess Luolisha.”

The Emperor hadn’t expected such honesty. No woman in the palace wanted Luolisha to enter the harem, but the Emperor was no ordinary man. He had his own considerations. Keeping Luolisha would certainly bring more benefits than drawbacks.

Last night, he had stayed with Consort Hui, who had also subtly inquired about the matter, though not as directly as Layue.

“Yue’er, you should understand that I have my own difficulties.”

Difficulties?

Layue chuckled.

“Today, this humble concubine is in a bad mood. I fear I might disturb the Emperor in his sleep. Please stay elsewhere tonight.” She slightly lifted her head, her little face tightly set, pretending to be upset.

The Emperor was momentarily stunned, then looked at her and laughed, “I won’t be disturbed. It doesn’t matter.”

Layue pouted, took a big gulp of water from the table, and carelessly wiped her mouth. She slouched slightly, clearly sulking.

Madam Zhou quietly moved toward the door, lowering her head.

This girl truly didn’t care!

She even dared to show her displeasure to the Emperor!

What a child she was.

The Emperor gave Madam Zhou a sharp glance, and she quickly withdrew, leaving the two of them alone in the room.

The Emperor pulled the sulking girl onto his lap. Although she pushed him away slightly at first, she soon calmed down.

You said you wouldn’t be upset. Look at that pout—it could hold an oil bottle! Look at that little face—don’t frown, be good! You’ve been with me for so long now. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? I would never be swayed by beauty.

(Note: The term “朕” (zhèn) is an archaic Chinese imperial pronoun used exclusively by emperors to refer to themselves. In modern English translation, it is typically rendered as “I” or “We” for readability, unless the context specifically requires retaining the imperial tone.)

Layue glared, “Liar! How could you not be swayed by beauty? You were clearly captivated by me!”

She said it so sternly, but the Emperor couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her words.

Then he spent a long time coaxing her with sweet words, while Layue secretly thought, could it be that the Emperor actually likes this side of me?