Five years after her death, she awoke on the dragon bed.

Chapter 211 is a madman!

Upon hearing this, Consort Ning looked at the blooming periwinkles on the table and chuckled, "Sister, you think too highly of me. I know I have little chance of becoming Empress. I wonder which lucky one will become His Majesty's wife. It's truly enviable."

Consort Tao was surprised that Consort Ning would be so direct. She thought Consort Ning would hypocritically say that she didn't care that His Majesty was going to take a wife.

Speaking of which, who wouldn't be jealous of this woman who is about to ascend to the position of empress?
"Did I frighten you, sister?" Consort Ning seemed to realize she had been too direct and said with a wry smile, "Sister, you don't know how high my father's expectations are for me. He hopes I can gain His Majesty's favor and bring honor to our family. Unfortunately, I'm not capable enough, and I haven't even had the chance to serve him in bed. My mother just came to the palace yesterday and asked me if I had any chance of ascending to that position..."

Seeing Consort Ning's bitter smile, Consort Tao felt a rare pang of sympathy.

Consort Ning's family background was also remarkable. She came from a family of generals with outstanding achievements. Born into such a family, she should have been able to forge ahead without hesitation.

As the emperor's woman, she naturally had to compete for the position of empress. If she failed, her family would surely consider her a useless pawn.

"There can only be one Empress position. Even if you can't sit in that position, it's not your fault. Don't be sad. Anyway, once you're in the palace, you won't need to deal with your family all the time," Consort Tao comforted Consort Ning.

Consort Ning forced a smile: "Mother is right. I'm incompetent. Even though Consort De and I have served His Majesty for several years, we've never been able to get His Majesty to even glance at me—"

Seemingly realizing she had been somewhat out of line, she smiled and said, "I've been talking about such trivial things, please don't laugh at me, sister."

Tao Zhaoyi quickly replied, "Every family has its own troubles. I'm a little better off than my sister. My family doesn't ask much of me. As long as I'm safe and well, my family is at ease."

Her stepmother was Princess Guangyi. Before she entered the palace, Princess Guangyi had specifically instructed her not to be too obsessed with winning the Emperor's true affection.

She didn't think much of it at the time, believing that with her status and beauty, winning the emperor's favor would be a piece of cake.
Only after entering the palace did she realize how cruel reality was.

She can hardly even get a meeting with His Majesty, let alone gain his favor.
She was strong-willed and unwilling to live a mediocre life. She hoped to become a favored concubine and gain favor with her stepmother.

“No wonder my sister has such a likable personality. I value my family too much, which is why I live so cautiously…” Realizing she had brought up an old topic again, she laughed, “Let’s not talk about this anymore, sister, try some of my snacks.”

Afterwards, Consort Tao and Consort Ning chatted happily, and when she was about to leave, she was still a little reluctant to part: "I didn't expect that my sister and I would get along so well."

"I never expected that my sister and I would have so much in common. The inner palace is so tedious, sister, come and talk to me more often when you have time." Consort Ning personally saw Consort Tao off.

Tao Zhaoyi readily agreed: "Then I'll go back now, and I'll come to see you again next time."

Consort Ning's bright smile instantly brought her otherwise ordinary features to life.

"Sister should smile more; she looks so beautiful when she smiles." Consort Tao smiled and waved goodbye to Consort Ning before leaving, completely satisfied.

As Consort Ning watched Tao Zhaoyi's retreating figure, she couldn't help but sigh, "I never expected that I and Sister Tao would be able to get along so well. In the past, I always thought she was quite scheming, but now it seems that I was overthinking it."

Linglong smiled and echoed, "It's rare to see Your Majesty so happy. As Consort Tao said, Your Majesty should indeed smile more."

Consort Ning touched her face: "No matter how pretty my face is, it's still just this. How can it compare to the other sisters in the harem? But Sister Tao's personality is compatible with mine, which is an unexpected delight..."

The two, master and servant, returned to Jingren Palace, and their voices gradually faded away.

Since no one could get any information, they all quieted down and waited for Murong's imperial edict to be issued.

Many officials in the court also wanted to know who would become empress and tried to find out, but all their efforts were in vain. Qi Yan, however, was worried about Lou Suyi.

Now that the harem is under the control of Empress Dowager Chen, and Su Yi has saved Empress Dowager Chen, Empress Dowager Chen will naturally protect Su Yi.

However, if the empress ascends to the throne, the power to manage the harem will certainly fall into her hands. At that time, if the empress has no children, she will most likely set her sights on the little prince born to Su Yi.

No matter what he thought, he felt a pang of worry for Su Yi.

In contrast, Xie Zhijie was eager for Murong to establish an empress as soon as possible. He also played a significant role in the ministers' joint petition.

Once Murong appoints her as Empress, Su Yi's life in the palace will not be easy. If the newly appointed Empress can also take away Su Yi's child, Su Yi will have no more ties in the palace and can leave at any time.

This was his plan, and also the reason why he was so eager to make this happen.

Although he didn't know who Murong would ultimately appoint as empress, he felt confident that he could achieve his goal of getting Su Yi out of the palace.

Seeing that Xie Zhijie was in a good mood, Qi Yan deliberately walked alongside him as they left the palace: "Lord Xie seems to be in a good mood?"

"Yes, His Majesty will soon establish an Empress. As his subject, I am happy for His Majesty." Xie Zhijie made no attempt to hide his joy.

Qi Yan's eyes flickered slightly: "It seems that Lord Xie deserves some credit for forcing His Majesty to appoint an Empress as soon as possible this time."

"I facilitated this for the sake of the Great Xia Dynasty. Even His Majesty praised me. You, Marquis, have no right to lecture me," Xie Zhijie said slowly.

Qi Yan scoffed upon hearing this: "Do you think that once His Majesty establishes an empress, Su Yi will have a chance to leave the palace? Perhaps Lord Xie has forgotten that Su Yi is already His Majesty's woman, and she can never leave the palace in this lifetime."

Xie Zhijie only replied with four words: "We'll wait and see."

He only knew that Su Yi loved freedom and enjoyed lively gatherings, and that a dense harem was not suitable for her vivacious nature.

Furthermore, Su Yi rarely sees Murong throughout the year, so he did all this to rescue Su Yi from her dire situation.

The two parted on bad terms once again.

Overjoyed, Xie Zhijie took pity on Lou Suya and went to her courtyard, where she was being held, and decided to release her. Of course, there were conditions.

Lou Suya was a little scared when she saw Xie Zhijie. She felt that Xie Zhijie was a madman who looked gentle and refined on the surface.

"I won't keep you locked up anymore, but you have to do one thing for me. If you agree, I'll set you free." Xie Zhijie sat opposite Lou Suya and negotiated with her.

Lou Suya has been malnourished lately and looks ten years older. She desperately wants freedom: "Tell me."

"If you have time in the future, you can try to enter the palace and persuade Su Yi to leave. If she agrees to leave, I can help her." Xie Zhijie put forward the negotiation request.

Lou Suya's expression changed drastically: "Aren't you going too far?!"