Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 273

Zhao Xingjin has arrived.

He couldn't sleep either.

Not only did she have trouble falling asleep, but her mind was also filled with images of Xie Jiu during the day, her cautious, happy yet hesitant demeanor.

His unclear attitude made this sensitive woman feel uneasy.

Zhao Xingjin realized this and could no longer lie still, so he got up and went to Jingming Palace.

Chunrong, who was on night duty, said that Xie Jiu was already asleep, so Zhao Xingjin didn't dare to make any noise. He took a tinderbox from Yang Zhian, lit it, and quietly went into the inner room.

But when he lifted the curtain, he found the person on the bed still awake.

"emperor?"

A look of surprise flashed across Xie Jiu's face.

Zhao Xingjin was also stunned for a moment, then turned around and lit the candle by the bed before sitting down.

Did I wake you up?

"No, I can't sleep." Xie Jiu smiled helplessly. "Perhaps I'm too happy. I've been lying here for a long time and I'm not sleepy at all."

Zhao Xingjin's gaze fell on her lower abdomen.

The place is exactly the same as before, but Zhao Xingjin feels it is very different now.

"I can't sleep either, I'm thinking of you."

He paused, his gaze softening involuntarily. "With the child."

This surprised Xie Jiu.

She had no idea what Zhao Xingjin had gone through during the half-day they had been apart, but now, arriving late at night, he seemed like a completely different person.

If Zhao Xingjin still showed obvious struggles and complexities during the day, at this moment, he truly resembled a father looking forward to his child.

Clearly, Xie Jiu was pleased with this change.

A slight smile curved her lips.

Unable to resist, she leaned over, knelt beside him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Your Majesty, I also miss you very much."

Their eyes met, and the woman's eyes seemed to hold a spring, reflecting the warm candlelight, making her incredibly gentle.

Zhao Xingjin's heart began to pound uncontrollably like a flame. He wrapped his arms around Xie Jiu's waist, pulled her closer, and held her in his embrace.

At this moment, for some reason, both of them felt a sense of calm, and the lingering restlessness from the previous night vanished in an instant.

Xie Jiu had to admit that even the most independent and strong person needs to stop and rest occasionally.

She needs a shoulder to lean on temporarily to help her through the fragile ten months of pregnancy.

At this point, Zhao Xingjin had clearly fully accepted her pregnancy and was beginning to look forward to the child, which was a good thing for Xie Jiu.

It was all worth it for her to act so weak during the day, carefully creating an image of vulnerability, anxiety, fear, and anticipation.

Clearly, it worked.

The next morning.

The news that the Emperor had gone to Jingming Palace late last night and stayed overnight had spread throughout the palace.

Consort Jin's favor surpassed that of any other place in the harem.

The Empress Dowager paused while eating breakfast, then put down her bowl and chopsticks.

"Aunt, what's wrong? Did you not like breakfast?" Consort Jiang keenly noticed the Empress Dowager's change.

"I can't eat anymore." The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Consort Jin is pregnant, so it will be inconvenient for her to serve the Emperor in the future. You need to take good care of him."

Consort Jiang lowered her eyes and responded softly.

After having breakfast with the Empress Dowager and returning to her residence, Consort Jiang ordered someone to prepare a plate of snacks and went to Chengming Hall.

Zhao Xingjin naturally understood her purpose.

After talking with her for a while, they rewarded her with many things.

The next day, Consort Jiang was summoned to the Chengming Hall to serve the emperor. Furthermore, Zhao Xingjin promoted her to the rank of Fifth-Rank Beauty.

This was meant to comfort the Empress Dowager, and Consort Jiang understood this, feeling both happy and sad.

Who wouldn't want the emperor to genuinely love and favor them?

But compared to sincerity, favor is still more important.

Even if something exists, even if it stems from other factors, it's still better than nothing.

Looking at her beautiful face in the mirror, Consort Jiang secretly encouraged herself, believing that with time, she would surely win the Emperor's heart.

In the following months, until the end of the year, Guo Cairen and Jiang Meiren were the two who had the most nights with the emperor in the harem.

The others were about the same; being able to see Zhao Xingjin once or twice was considered good.

But in terms of liveliness, Xie Jiu's place is the most lively. Zhao Xingjin comes almost every day, even if he only sits down to drink a cup of tea. When he's busy, he might not see him for more than two days.

With such frequency, the people in the palace dared not neglect Jingming Palace in the slightest.

Pregnant and favored, nothing could be more glamorous.

Consort Zhuang had always disliked Xie Jiu, but now she only dared to complain behind his back, while outwardly avoiding and yielding to him.

Not to mention others.

Although Xie Jiu didn't want to say it, she could indeed be considered the overlord of the harem now.

"Your Majesty, New Year's Eve is in five days, and His Majesty has not yet said that he will release the Empress. Do you think the Empress will be absent this New Year's Eve?"

Qingfang peeled the tangerines, separated them into segments, and handed them to Xie Jiu.

"Not necessarily." Xie Jiu picked up a small silver fork to enjoy her food, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. "But if she causes trouble again, then it's hard to say."

Just then, Chunrong strode in from outside.

Fearing that the chill brought in from outside would catch on Xie Jiu, he simply stood by the stove.

"Your Majesty, everything has been taken care of."

"Alright." Xie Jiu sat up, a slight smile curving her lips. "The entire Anguo Duke's mansion has been anxious ever since the Empress was placed under house arrest. Now that it's almost New Year's Eve and the Empress still hasn't been released, they must be even more worried. I must help them."

Qingfang asked, puzzled, "Why don't I understand? What did Her Majesty ask Chunrong to do?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Xie Jiu smiled. "But I'm just giving them a little guidance; whether they do it or not is their business."

Upon hearing this, Qingfang didn't ask any further questions.

As Director Xie had said, she soon found out what Xie Jiu had arranged.

The next day in the court, many members of the Duke of Anguo's faction suddenly stood up to speak out for the Empress, suspecting that there was another reason why the Empress had been "ill" for so long.

Even more stubborn ones directly accused Zhao Xingjin of favoring Xie Jiu too much, suggesting that he was neglecting his wife in favor of his concubine, and that unrest in the empress's palace would lead to unrest in the harem, and so on.

Why did they dare to jump out again?

Because Xie Jiu had Chunrong spread rumors that if the Empress had really committed a serious crime at the hunting grounds and the Emperor had caught her with solid evidence, how could she only be confined to her quarters until now? Moreover, the official explanation was that she was recuperating from illness, which shows that the Empress's dignity was still being taken care of.

Perhaps the Emperor only suspected that Consort Jin's assassination was related to the Empress, but there was no evidence to support his claim?
That would provide a reason to overturn the verdict.

So, the anxious Zhou family, with just a little prompting, took action.

Needless to say, Zhao Xingjin had already lost his temper at the morning court session.

However, wanting to save face for the Empress, he did not elaborate on what he had said.

And then, in just one day, voices began to emerge from the outside world, suspecting that the child in Xie Jiu's womb had a problem with its bloodline.

Why?
The timing of Xie Jiu's pregnancy and the assassination attempt almost coincide. Furthermore, Xie Jiu was attacked late at night, and the attacker was her ex-husband, who was seeking revenge.

Who knows whether Xie Jiu's injury was truly from shielding the maid from a knife, or from resisting after being assaulted?

Zhao Xingjin hadn't lost his temper yet, but when he heard such absurd talk, he became completely enraged.

However, the Anguo Duke's mansion's operations had not stopped.

They presented their credentials to the palace and invited Princess Zhaoqing and Princess Lingyi to leave the palace to play at their residence. After the two children returned, they went together to Chengming Hall and begged Zhao Xingjin to spare their mother.

Princess Lingyi even scolded Xie Jiu as a vixen, warning Zhao Xingjin not to be bewitched.

Such words were clearly taught by adults. Zhaoqing was older and precocious, so he had some of his own judgment and didn't say what he shouldn't have. But Lingyi was young, so he had no way to hide what he said.