A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Consort Chen frowned, her expression showing some sympathy.

Although Su Jinse was spoiled and willful, there was some truth to what she said.

In this harem, it's never about who did what, but about who ultimately benefits from the whole affair.

Even Consort Chen was confused about this principle before.

Previously, the most favored person in the entire harem was Consort Chen, who gave birth to His Majesty's only child.

She doesn't have to think about anything or do anything.

Even for the sake of the princess, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager would stand by her side and clear obstacles for her.

But now...

Consort Chen's heart sank.

Thinking back to the Su family affair, even His Majesty was won over by Zhou Nian'er, which shows that the Su family was indeed set up, and that Zhou Nian'er was by no means a kind person.

Seeing that Consort Chen had truly listened, Su Jinse's eyes lit up, and she performed even more energetically.

"Your Majesty, I'm innocent... I really didn't do anything, she fell first..."

Su Jinse cried even harder.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have argued with her, but she... she has harmed me before, and I couldn't help myself..."

Consort Chen sighed.

"Alright, stop crying."

She thought for a moment and said, "I'll put in a good word for you with His Majesty. Don't worry too much, His Majesty isn't an unreasonable person."

Su Jinse kowtowed repeatedly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The next day, Consort Chen indeed went to the Qianqing Palace.

She is no longer as at ease in front of Emperor Qianwu as before; she looks extremely restrained and unable to act freely.

She spoke a few words to Emperor Qianwu somewhat awkwardly, and only after she had finished speaking did she mention Su Jinse in a very stiff manner.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that Consort Su caused quite a scene at Consort Zhou's place. At first, I also thought Consort Su was restless, but these past few days she's been so attentive to me. From what I've seen, she doesn't seem to be as unruly and unreasonable as she appears..."

Emperor Qianwu ignored her, not even lifting his eyelids.

Consort Chen glanced at him secretly, swallowed hard, and suddenly felt a bit resentful.

She had already promised Su Cai Ren, but if she didn't finish saying these things, wouldn't her trip have been in vain?

She boldly finished speaking.

"Consort Su, she... just came out of the Yongxiang Palace, and she was already feeling wronged. She said that... when she lived with Consort Zhou before, she was schemed against by her."

"She confronted Zhou Cainu, but Zhou Cainu deliberately..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud "bang".

Emperor Qianwu's teacup was slammed to the ground with a loud bang, shattering into pieces.

Although Consort Chen was not hit, she dared not speak again.

She hurriedly knelt down, feeling a pang of grievance in her heart.

"His Majesty……"

Emperor Qianwu remained expressionless. "Did you say these things yourself, or did Consort Su teach you to say them?"

Consort Chen opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word, and her cheeks eventually turned bright red.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Emperor Qianwu waved his hand, "Alright, you may leave."

Although Consort Chen was unwilling, she ultimately dared not say anything more.

He gave a hurried bow, turned around, and left, glancing back every few steps.

Emperor Qianwu stared at Consort Chen's retreating figure, utterly at a loss for words.

If you say that she was kind-hearted and was taken advantage of by Su, how could he not know what she did behind his back during those years in the harem?

He pretended not to know, simply because everything she did was within his tolerance.

Who told her to bear his only child?

But he never expected that Chen would be so foolish as to be completely fooled by a young girl.

But after all, everyone has pride, let alone Emperor Qianwu.

This fool is Chaoyang's biological mother, which makes Emperor Qianwu very uncomfortable.

He actually had a child with such an idiot.

Is it something to be proud of that only such an idiot gave birth to his child?

……

After Consort Chen left, Emperor Qianwu looked at Fuquan and asked, "Did Consort Zhen have a good appetite today? Has she had lunch?"

Fu Quan rushed forward.

"Her Majesty has always had a good appetite. The young prince dotes on her, and apart from not being able to stand meat, she eats quite a lot."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides her three daily meals, the Empress would drink a bowl of cow's milk and a bowl of goat's milk every day, and she would also eat some pastries."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianwu's brows relaxed slightly.

But when he thought of Consort Chen, his expression turned sour.

"Did she go to Consort Chen to complain and lodge a grudge?"

Fu Quan felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Whom is Your Majesty referring to?

Emperor Qianwu tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk.

"Fuquan".

Fuquan quickly stepped forward.

"By imperial decree, Consort Su is hereby punished for her inappropriate behavior. She shall be fined three months' salary and confined to her quarters for ten days to reflect on her actions. Furthermore, the Imperial Household Department shall send someone to teach her proper manners."

Fuquan was taken aback, but immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

……

When the news reached Su Jinse's ears, she was completely stunned.

A pay cut? Confinement for reflection?

Didn't Consort Chen speak up for her? How come things are getting worse?

Su Jinse slumped into a chair, her face deathly pale.

She didn't understand what she had done wrong.

She almost fell to the ground, but luckily Chunying caught her in time.

She grabbed Chunying's hand as if it were a lifeline. "Chunying, quick! Go tell Lianwu, go tell Consort Zhen, that His Majesty has punished me again because of Zhou Nian'er! I've been punished again!"

Spring Oriole: ...

"Please don't worry, my lady, I'll go right away!"

……

Weiyang Palace.

When Lianwu presented Su Jinse's letter, Zhou Mingyi was leaning against the soft couch eating cherries.

She took the letter, unfolded it, and smiled.

"Did Su Jinse cause trouble at Zhou Nian'er's place?"

Wax apples nodded.

"Yes. The whole palace knows about it. His Majesty went to Consort Zhou's place, and Consort Su was punished."

Zhou Mingyi put down the letter, picked up a bright red cherry, and put it in her mouth.

"That Su Jinse really has no brains at all."

"I told her to go and chat with Consort Chen to curry favor. It would have been fine if she had just tried to please Consort Chen, but why did she have to provoke Consort Zhou?"

Lianwu hesitated for a moment, "It is said that Consort Su suspects that when she first entered the palace, she shared a room with Consort Zhou. Consort Zhou's clothes were once splashed with water, and she suspects that Consort Zhou staged the incident herself..."

Zhou Mingyi couldn't help but laugh when she heard that.

This idiot finally figured it out.

However, he was just too impatient.

Wax apples, however, said cautiously:

"Your Highness, shouldn't we give Consort Su a warning? She went to Chang Le Palace again today and even had Consort Chen speak on her behalf. I'm afraid she's become disloyal."

Zhou Mingyi shook her head.

"Need not."

The wax apple remained puzzled.

Zhou Mingyi looked at her and said slowly, "The Su family is foolish, but they are also afraid of death."

"Chaoyang should also find out that she was the one who tampered with the horses last time."

"Chaoyang is not a soft-hearted person."

"As for that Lady Su, she knows she has offended the Emperor, and no one but me can protect her. She went to Consort Chen to complain, but that's just because she's upset and wants someone to comfort her. Let her be."

Wax apples nodded.

Zhou Mingyi picked up another cherry and looked out the window.

"However, it's time to move her."

Just then, Shiliu rushed in from outside, her face pale.

"Your Majesty, news has come from the Eastern Palace that Lady Xiao has hanged herself."

Zhou Mingyi's hand paused slightly.

"When did this happen?"

Shi Liu said, "This morning, when the palace maid went to deliver her meal, she found her hanging from the roof beam. She was already cold."

Zhou Mingyi remained silent for a while.

My heart tightened slightly.

It's a pity. She originally wanted to keep Xiao Shi alive. Rather than let her die easily, she would rather let her live.

Sometimes being alive is more despairing than being dead.

Unfortunately, Xiao herself didn't want to live anymore.

what a shame.

She thought for a moment and said to the lotus seedpod:

"Lianwu, send someone to the Eastern Palace to make sure Xiao's funeral is conducted with dignity. After all, she is the Crown Princess; it cannot be too shabby. We must not disgrace His Majesty."

The wax apple acknowledged, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.

As soon as the wax apple left, the pomegranate came over.

"Your Majesty's wife is truly a wise and capable helper; she always thinks of His Majesty's needs."

Hearing the soft sound of wind chimes outside, Zhou Mingyi immediately patted Shi Liu.

"You brat, stop being so cheeky!"

"What kind of virtuous wife am I?"

"That should be Her Majesty the Empress. Although I am a Noble Consort, I am ultimately just a concubine."

Pomegranate: "Your Majesty..."

"Alright, that's enough. Whatever it is, as long as Your Majesty has me in your heart, then it's all worth it."

Outside the palace, Emperor Qianwu had just arrived at the entrance when he heard these words.

If it were someone else who said these things to the palace maids behind their backs, Emperor Qianwu would certainly be displeased.

But Emperor Qianwu thought that Ah Chang was really stubborn.

Empress? What's so difficult about that?

If Ah Chang gives birth to a prince in this pregnancy, then he will definitely grant her the position of empress, as long as she desires it!

Emperor Qianwu was suspicious, and he and the Empress Dowager had paid a heavy price to obtain the throne.

But he never promised her the position of empress.

It's nothing more than being used as bait, dangled in front of those meritorious officials...

But after learning that he was infertile, Emperor Qianwu lost all interest in establishing an empress.

In order to balance the court and the harem, he even made a promise to several confidants that whoever's daughter gave birth to a prince first would be made empress.

Unfortunately, none of the daughters of the initial meritorious officials were able to give birth to any children.

For example, Consort Rou, Consort Min...

Now, these people are either insane or dead.

In the end, only Chen gave birth to Chaoyang.

If Chaoyang were a boy, Emperor Qianwu would certainly have kept his promise and made Lady Chen his empress.

Unfortunately, Chen's luck was still a bit off.

Emperor Qianwu slightly curled the corners of his lips and strode inside...

……

Two days later, at the Princess's residence.

Chaoyang sat in his study, holding a secret report in his hand, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

With the Crown Prince's position vacant and the previous dynasty in turmoil, Emperor Qianwu's attention was diverted, and Princess Chaoyang seized the opportunity to rise to power.

Without Emperor Qianwu's order, how dare the people of the princess's residence disobey?

Everyone knows that His Majesty dotes on the princess the most. If His Majesty really lifts the princess's confinement, but they still keep her locked up, who will ultimately suffer the consequences?

It was precisely because of this that Chaoyang was finally able to lift his confinement.

But in order to put the people in the palace at ease, she has hardly entered the palace these days.

Even if I go there, I will never go near that vile woman, Zhou.

Sure enough, the Emperor and Empress Dowager never mentioned the confinement again.

However, not all of Emperor Qianwu's trusted confidants were able to return.

Ultimately, the number of capable people in Chaoyang is dwindling.

It's like an eagle with its wings clipped.

After investigating for so long, she finally found relevant evidence about that crazy horse.

That mad horse was caused by Su Jinse.

That idiot, in order to harm Liu Shuang'er, tampered with the horse, but she didn't even bother to find out Liu Shuang'er's preferences beforehand.

The horse she rode happened to be the one she had chosen, Chaoyang.

Because of the effects of the two drugs, Na Ma went mad prematurely and almost threw her to her death.

Chaoyang crumpled the secret report into a ball and threw it hard on the ground.

"Su Jinse! She's doing very well!"

She stood up and paced back and forth in the room, her eyes burning with fury.

She remembered the day she was almost trampled to death by a horse, remembered her mother rushing to save her, and remembered how she fell to the ground covered in blood.

It's all that bitch's fault!

The sunrise abruptly stopped. She was definitely not one to suffer a loss.

If anyone makes her suffer even the slightest loss, she will always get her revenge a thousandfold or a hundredfold to vent her anger!

"Someone come here!"

The guards rushed in.

"Go, investigate Su Jinse's background for me. Find out who else is in her family, what she did before entering the palace, and so on!"

The guard acknowledged and withdrew.

Chaoyang stood by the window, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white.

Su Jinse, you just wait!