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

Chapter 282 Bottomless Black Hole
Liang Wanying looked down on Chen Xing's naive and ignorant appearance.

It's just a birthday gift, I don't even know what nice things it is, what's there to be happy about?
"Won't Consort An open it and take a look? Let us see the gift His Majesty gave us and broaden our horizons," Liang Wanying said with a half-smile.

Chen Xing wanted to see what it was, so he carefully opened the box.

Everyone craned their necks to look, but when they saw the gift inside the box, they immediately lost much of their interest.

Liang Wanying immediately recognized it as a jade ruyi, which had a good meaning, but was not a rare item.

"A jade ruyi is good, as it symbolizes good fortune year after year." Empress Dowager Chen also felt that this thing was not rare, but she still smoothed things over.

She glanced at Murong, who was drinking tea beside her. Although Su Yi's voice was soft, she had heard it. The emperor didn't care about Chen Xing's birthday at all.

This birthday gift was arranged by Jiqing at the last minute.

Fortunately, Su Yi reacted quickly, saving face for Chen Xing and the Duke of Fuguo's mansion.

Empress Dowager Chen had spoken, and no one else dared to object. Liang Wanying was disdainful, but she didn't want to cause trouble in public.

Murong did not stay for too long. After delivering the birthday gifts, he sat quietly for a while before getting up and leaving.

Chen Xing couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Today was her birthday, and Murong wasn't even willing to sit for a little while; normally, you could hardly expect him to even glance at her.

She couldn't help feeling a little discouraged, but she also knew that this was the path she had chosen, and no one else was to blame.

Empress Dowager Chen noticed Chen Xing's low spirits and thought that he was a child who had never suffered. She recalled the day Su Yi's birthday when the emperor was late in appearing. Everyone wanted to see Su Yi make a fool of herself, but Su Yi remained calm and showed no displeasure.

Therefore, Su Yi is a person destined for great things, and is suitable for the position of Empress.

When the event ended, Lou Suyi accompanied Empress Dowager Chen as she left Yonghe Palace, and the other concubines also took their leave.

After everyone had left, Lady Chu said to Chen Xing, "Your Majesty must be careful of the Empress."

"The Empress and Consort Li are getting close, isn't that just a ploy to get back at the Empress?" Chu Shi had long since figured out the intricacies of the situation.

Chen Xing was taken aback: "Auntie, you're overthinking it. Since I entered the palace, His Majesty has never been alone with me. If I were favored, the Empress would have a reason to deal with me. In my opinion, the Empress doesn't even take me seriously."

She's just a concubine who poses no threat, why would Lou Suyi bother with her?
Recalling how close Lou Suying and Empress Dowager Chen had become, Lady Chu said disdainfully, "The Empress Dowager is originally a member of the Chen family, yet the Empress has gone to great lengths to curry favor with her, and now she's completely swayed by the Empress Dowager..."

“Auntie, you must not speak nonsense! Her Majesty the Empress once saved Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has never treated Her Majesty the Empress well enough! If you continue to make such wild guesses, you will not only be letting down Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, but also Her Majesty the Empress who has always been kind to me!”

Chen Xing interrupted Chu Shi, his expression displeased.

But Chu said, "Xingxing, you don't understand the wickedness of people's hearts..."

"Enough!!" Seeing that Madam Chu was stubborn and unyielding, Chen Xing simply ordered her to leave, "Auntie, please leave the palace!"

Seeing that Chen Xing was truly angry, Lady Chu's expression turned slightly embarrassed: "I'm only doing this for Your Majesty's own good. After all, one can never be too careful..."

Under Chen Xing's cold gaze, she sighed softly and dared not say another word.

After Lady Chu left, Yuexue said softly, "What you said makes sense. Although the Empress is treating you well right now, you should still be wary." Chen Xing smiled bitterly, "Do you even think the Empress would target me? But how many concubines like me do you think there are? Apart from the Empress, no one is valued by His Majesty. Why would the Empress target a concubine like me who can hardly even see His Majesty? You overestimate me."

Yuexue was speechless.

She was closest to the Empress and thus understood the Empress's predicament.

It is indeed difficult for the Empress to even see His Majesty, let alone be valued by His Majesty, so what reason would the Empress have to deal with the Empress?
"Honestly, I think Her Majesty the Empress is a very good person. She speaks wittily, is poised and composed, and has no airs whatsoever despite being the Empress. Even someone like His Majesty values ​​Her Majesty the Empress, which is the fundamental reason why she is so well-liked. From now on, stop parroting what others say; I don't like hearing it," Chen Xing said calmly.

Yuexue repeatedly agreed, not daring to say another bad word about Lou Suyi.

Afterwards, Chen Xing prepared some tonics and planned to send them to Consort Li.

She had visited Xihe Palace twice, but Consort Li had avoided her both times, citing illness. Today, upon hearing from Lou Suyi that Consort Li was doing well and had sent a birthday gift, she decided to go and see her.

When she arrived at Xihe Palace, she was stopped at the door by Liuliu, a maidservant of Consort Li: "Your Highness is taking a nap, Consort An, please return."

This time, Chen Xing had to admit that Consort Li didn't want to see her.

"Liuli, go and tell her that I want to see my sister, and that she must see me." Chen Xing was unwilling to leave easily this time.

Seeing Chen Xing's sincerity, Liu Li went in to report.

Before long, Chen Xing finally met Consort Li.

Chen Xing thought he could reconcile with Consort Li, but Consort Li said, "Now you should know that I don't want to see you. Don't come here again. Seeing you will remind me of the fact that I was abandoned by the Chen family. This is a knot in my heart."

Chen Xing was speechless.

She entered the harem of her own volition; she only cared about herself and never considered Consort Li's feelings.

Consort Li was once a favored daughter of heaven, and the fundamental reason why she was abandoned by her family was because of her.

"Sister, I'm sorry, I, I..." Chen Xing wanted to say that she didn't mean it, but Murong didn't want her to enter the harem at the time. It was she who insisted on entering the harem.

She couldn't refute it.

"Whether we were close sisters in the Duke's mansion or not, we are now strangers. I just want you not to disturb my peaceful days." After saying this, Consort Li got up and turned to go back to her bedroom.

Chen Xing raised his voice and asked, "If that's the case, why does my sister still remember my birthday and ask the Empress to send me a birthday gift?"

"Because I knew that Lady Chu would be entering the palace today, I deliberately asked Her Majesty the Empress to deliver the birthday gift. I wanted Lady Chu to know that even though I am a discarded pawn, I can still climb up to Her Majesty the Empress. Otherwise, do you think I was sincerely congratulating you on your birthday?" Consort Li curled her lips sarcastically and entered the bedroom without looking back.

Chen Xing's eyes were dry.

Everyone says the imperial palace is a bottomless black hole, where people can become unrecognizable. She used to think it was an exaggeration, but now she knows it's true.

The older sister who used to dote on her and cherish her is gone; only the Consort Li, who treats her as an enemy, remains.

After leaving Xihe Palace, Yuexue whispered, "Even if Her Majesty the Empress has no intention of harming Your Highness, Consort Li clearly hates Your Highness. In addition, Consort Li is on good terms with Her Majesty the Empress, so Your Highness still needs to be careful."