He asked you to serve him in bed and become his concubine, how did you manage to win his heart and s

During the Great Cold of the year, outside the Kunning Palace, even a drop of water would freeze instantly.

"Your Majesty! I beg you..."

"This servant does not wish to leave the palace. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to continue caring for the young prince and princess!"

Yunxi had been kneeling outside the palace for three hours, kowtowing once for each plea.

In this kind of weather, the blood on your forehead first congeals into frost, then breaks through, and the icy shards make you shiver.

No one dared to step forward to stop her, and the palace servants who passed by all kept their eyes fixed on her and hurried on their way.

This is the Empress's territory; no one dares to offend her.

Even Aunt Yunxi, who had served him closely for eight years, had to kneel outside the palace, let alone insignificant people like them.

At most, one might sigh inwardly, but what's the use of following the Empress?

Aunt Yunxi, who had served her for eight years, was given to Prince Ji without any regard for the slightest bit of gratitude between mistress and servant.

Everyone knows that Prince Ji is a notorious womanizer in bed; several of his concubines, all beautiful as flowers, go in only to emerge as corpses left to rot in the wilderness…

If it were them, they would have kowtowed until they died outside the palace, just like Yunxi did today, and refused to enter the Prince Ji's mansion.

Yunxi had no idea how long she had been kneeling in the snow. She only knew that she was burning up and could not see clearly. In order to stay conscious, she could only press her head into the snow.

Until a pair of slippers stopped in front of her, she sluggishly turned her stiff body and looked up at the dignified and elegant mother of the nation before her.

"Your Majesty the Empress..."

"Yunxi, you've come to threaten me now?"

The Empress's voice rang out. She bent slightly, hooking Li Yunxi's chin with her nail guard, and looked at her face, which was red from the cold. "Who are you trying to impress with this pitiful act?"

"This servant does not wish to leave the palace..."

Yunxi looked at her master in a disheveled state.

No, she should be called my half-sister.

"Sister, I beg you, for the sake of the prince and princess..."

Even if we disregard blood ties and the past eight years, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to putting the other party on the throne of empress. Perhaps she should consider the child's sake as well.

It ensured that Li Ruolan ascended to the throne and also protected her twins, who would enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor.

It came from her belly...

She, as the biological mother, no longer seeks any official status, so why is she being driven to the brink of extinction by her elder sister?

Are they going to push her into that hellish place called Prince Ji's mansion?

But when she looked up, she couldn't see any sisterly affection in her elder sister's bright phoenix eyes; instead, a faint murderous intent flashed across them.

"Yunxi, you were originally a servant girl, so it's already a wonderful thing for you to marry a prince. Besides, Prince Ji is willing to welcome you into his residence with the rites due to a concubine, how could I refuse?"

"Sister, please don't make things difficult for me."

"Making things difficult for me... is making things difficult for the prince and princess."

Yunxi was speechless, then gave a mocking smile.

"If...if you hadn't sent me to serve tea to Prince Ji, how could this turmoil have occurred? Eldest sister, you planned this all along, didn't you?"

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away..."

Yunxi laughed at her own foolishness, actually thinking that all those years of ups and downs in the harem, the mutual support and companionship, could earn her a sliver of true affection.

It was all fake.

"Your mother hates my mother for being born a slave, yet she makes my father think of her day and night. You hate me too. You hate that His Majesty keeps searching for me, and you hate that Ning'er and Yu'er depend on me..."

Before Yunxi could finish speaking, she was abruptly interrupted by Li Ruolan's slap.

"presumptuous!"

The once aloof empress, her eyes red and shoulders trembling with rage, declared, "Yunxi has lost her mind! Guards, bring the medicine I prepared and bestow it upon her!"

Yunxi struggled but could not, and was forcibly given half a bowl of medicine.

The burning pain in her throat was unbearable, and her voice went from hoarse to completely silent.

"Granny Gui, take her away, wash her clean, and send her to Prince Ji's residence."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Upon receiving the order, Granny Gui grabbed Yunxi with one hand and dragged her toward the side hall.

Yunxi's consciousness was already fading; she could neither resist nor speak.

When the figure was dragged into the flower bushes and could no longer be seen, only two childish voices could be faintly heard.

"Mother, Mother, where's Aunt Yunxi? She said she was going to take Luoning to set off fireworks!"

"Mother, today is your birthday banquet, and Aunt Yunxi has personally prepared fireworks. I was thinking of celebrating with you..."

She could no longer hear anything that followed.

Fireworks exploded at the twins' birthday banquet, filling the sky with dazzling light.

Everyone praised the Queen for her good fortune...

But despite her desperate pleas and cries on the bed, she couldn't elicit even a shred of pity from the old prince, who was over fifty years old.

Those unspeakable instruments of torture left her body covered in wounds.

In her extreme pain, Yunxi could only recall the day she took her sister's place in receiving the emperor's favor that year...

My elder sister said, "Yunxi, you are weak-willed and not fit to serve me."

But you have inherited your mother's fertility, if you listen to me.

I will protect you for life and ensure your mother's inclusion in the ancestral temple and family genealogy.

When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out.

If she were to be reborn, she would never be weak and cowardly, nor would she place her hopes on others!

……

"A flexible waist is something men like..."

Before the shrill voice of instruction had even faded, the ruler had already struck the flesh.

"I've taught you so many times, why can't you learn it!"

The girl's skin on her waist was exceptionally delicate; after just one touch, the bluish-red marks were clearly visible.

Yunxi suddenly felt pain, and her brows furrowed.

Why should she have to learn those servile and obsequious rules for men even after she dies?

But when his gaze settled, he saw that the person standing in front of him was not some demon or monster, but Granny Gui.

She instinctively shrank back, her body reacting with fear of the other person's presence.

Seeing her like this, Granny Gui softened her tone, took out some ointment, and applied a handful to her slender waist.

"Miss Yunxi, don't blame this old servant for being strict, but entering the palace is no joke. You've learned so much from the female instructors, you should at least look eight-tenths like the young lady now."

Yunxi trembled, staring at her hand in astonishment.

All ten fingers are intact, though somewhat rough, but not covered in chilblains.

He touched his face again; it was smooth as a mirror, and he had not been violated by Prince Ji, nor was he covered in blood.

She clenched her fingers tightly and pinched her palm hard.

In an instant, pain spread throughout her body, and a stinging sensation ran through her nose, but she lowered her head, curled her lips, and gave a mocking smile.

Memories churned in my mind; this wasn't a dream...

She came back, back to the time before everything began.

The Li family said they felt sorry for her being stranded and didn't want to see her suffer.

But in reality, if she weren't exceptionally fertile, how could she have been brought back to the Li family?

Human destiny is truly laughable. The eldest sister, Li Ruolan, is high above others, yet she is unfortunately unable to bear children.

Her life was as worthless as grass; despite her special constitution, she could only be a pawn for others throughout her life.

Thinking of this, Yunxi smiled and bowed to Granny Gui in front of her.

"Granny, I'll dance for you one more time, and I humbly request your guidance."

After saying this, she took up her sword and began to dance, swaying her waist gently, to meet the old woman in front of her. After giving a charming smile, she quickly withdrew.

The flowing sleeves gently brushed against the old woman's neck, cool yet provocative.

The sword light flashed, illuminating the beauty's face. Granny Gui had originally taught her seductive techniques for the bedroom. But at this moment, Yunxi possessed an even more powerful and commanding presence than her gentle charm.

They have truly surpassed their predecessors.

"Good, good, good! Miss has finally seen the light! There's no way this won't work now. This old servant will go and inform the beauty right away."

Yunxi watched Granny Gui's retreating figure, her long, slightly lowered eyelashes concealing her cold, mocking smile.

Go, go tell Li Ruolan.

Go, push me to the Emperor's side.

After all, in a few days, she will regret that she raised a cheetah instead of a docile cat.

The emperor is, after all, a man.

And what men find hardest to resist is temptation.

Upon returning to Yaoguang Palace, her elder sister Li Ruolan treated her much more gently than in her previous life.

"Yunxi, I heard from the nanny that you've made great progress in your dance practice today?"

"The nanny has taught me well, and Your Highness has high hopes for me. I should do my best so as not to disgrace Your Highness."

She knew, of course, that the other party was implying something, and she lowered her head humbly, not daring to reveal the slightest clue.

Li Ruolan, like the First Madam, was naturally suspicious. At this moment, she looked at her with a deep gaze, not wanting to miss any detail.

After confirming that Yunxi was still as obedient and well-behaved as before, his smile deepened, and he warmly stepped forward to take her hand.

"We're sisters, there's no need for such formalities. It's too much of a formality for you, little sister."

"Your Majesty, I am but a servant..."

"Alright, alright, you're still so stubborn. I won't tease you anymore. The imperial kitchen just delivered some bird's nest today, and I even saved some for you."

After saying that, Li Ruolan pulled her into the inner hall and even personally handed her a small white glazed bowl.

Yunxi glanced at her elder sister; that face, so similar in appearance, was truly bewitching…

In her past life, she truly believed that the family was one, and that everyone shared in the glory, so her elder sister naturally doted on her.

But I understand perfectly well now: what sisterly affection? It was just because she was afraid she was too thin.

The food for palace maids and concubines is very different. She had gained some weight before entering the palace, but she has lost weight again after practicing dancing hard these past few days. But if she becomes too thin, how can she imitate the slender and graceful figure of a noble lady?

Since the night of her bedchamber meeting was tonight, Li Ruolan naturally didn't want anything to go wrong.

The Emperor is the true master of this Forbidden City; no one can bear the crime of deceiving the Emperor.

"If there's something good, why not drink it?" After finishing the bird's nest, Yunxi wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, her demeanor composed, her gaze sincere yet tinged with a touch of charming melancholy.

"Your Majesty, when I went to the music hall for dance practice today, I overheard the palace maids talking. They said that His Majesty is troubled by the war and won't be setting foot in the inner palace for quite some time. I wonder if His Majesty's mind will change tonight..."

Li Ruolan, however, was very certain.

"It's alright, I've made all the preparations. His Majesty will definitely appear tonight."

Li Ruolan glanced sideways at the zither not far away.

The Emperor loved the zither, so the First Lady specially invited the best musicians to train Li Ruolan, who already had the reputation of being the best zither player in the capital.

However, after Li Ruolan entered the palace, due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, she never had a nighttime conversation or zither playing with the Emperor in his boudoir.

Men's hearts are naturally drawn to what they can't have; she had arranged tonight long ago, and everything was ready.

First, she played the zither, then performed a sword dance, combining strength and gentleness. The emperor's most troubled time was the perfect opportunity for a false phoenix and a false dragon.

These schemes were naturally beyond the comprehension of a lowly maid like Yunxi.

Li Ruolan took her hand and gently patted the back of it.

"Yunxi, your sister will be counting on you tonight. If you conceive, your father will be happy and will naturally help you and your mother get rid of your slave status."

"Yes, Father will definitely be happy..."

Yunxi murmured these words repeatedly, her eyes growing even colder.

Her elder sister in her previous life said the same thing, adding a few words to belittle and criticize her, which she believed wholeheartedly at the time.

Looking back now, how could I have been so foolish as to place all my hopes on my good-for-nothing father?

Having entered this cannibalistic harem, getting out was simply a pipe dream.

Li Ruolan and the First Madam will not let her go, nor will they allow her mother to escape slavery.

Now, she has only herself to rely on.