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

Among Mu Xiaoci's companions, only Richard dared to speak up like that.

The words weren't exactly kind, but that's just Richard's personality, and Mu Xiaoci knew it too.

In the palace, it is not easy to stay together for many years, let alone the two of them who have come all the way together. They are the most intimate people in the palace.

Richard was sold into the palace by his family when he was ten years old. At first, he was just a lowly eunuch who took care of the livestock in the animal farm.

He was humiliated and tortured by the eunuchs on duty there. At that time, Mu Xiaoci was still a prince and was not valued. He remained unknown.

It wasn't until his mother passed away that the late emperor allowed him to recognize the empress as his mother, and only then was he promoted and noticed.

He was always bad at riding and archery back then, and that's when he met Richard at the animal arena.

Later, Richard became his attendant.

Later, he left the palace to establish his own government. After a struggle, he was made crown prince and moved into the Eastern Palace. Richard played an important role in all of this.

The two were sworn brothers, and Richard's meaning was obvious.

If he didn't like this beauty, there were other concubines in the palace. If he really offended the emperor, Richard knew how to deal with the abandoned concubine.

This was not unprecedented in the palace; some women entered the palace with impure motives.

Mu Xiaoci was a man who could see through the other party's intentions at a glance, so there was no need for further explanation in dealing with the situation.

The Cold Palace is where you go; once you go in, you can no longer cause trouble.

Unfortunately, Richard misunderstood the situation today.

Looking at the distant night sky, Mu Xiaoci still couldn't resolve the knot in his heart and sighed silently.

"Richard, do you really believe in the ability to create clones?"

This was too mysterious. Richard opened his mouth for a long time, not knowing how to answer.

"Your Majesty, you must be joking again. These ghost stories and monsters are not to be told. You are the Son of Heaven, and demons and monsters cannot get close to you."

The imperial palace was most averse to such superstitious and witchcraft beliefs, and the emperor, in particular, could not utter such words.

Now that it was suddenly brought up, Richard broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if something had really gone wrong with Lan Meiren and if she was now on the verge of death.

No, if the emperor were truly angered, he would be beheaded and his life would be in danger, rather than leaving with this incomprehensible emotion.

This attitude was so mysterious that Richard couldn't help but want to know what had happened.

But Mu Xiaoci remained silent the entire way, his mind preoccupied with the fragrance of plum blossoms that had appeared in the past few days.

When and where did I smell it...?

His mind was filled with the image of Li Ruolan, but upon closer examination, he felt that there was someone else entirely.

That person always referred to herself as "slave" or "servant," appearing harmless, more like a fairy from a storybook, both alluring and fond of bewitching people.

He still remembers those captivating eyes; every time she saw them, they held a possessive, no, it should be described as an unwavering confidence.

His every move was predictable to the other party. Not only that, but even last time at the pavilion, the other party was able to pinpoint his location with precision.

Inside the palace, that pavilion was a restricted area. When he had Richard repair it, he deliberately left the path partially closed, and he also had the Imperial Guards patrol the area on weekdays. It was his private place, and no one else was allowed to go there.

During the renovation, the Empress Dowager was not in the palace, and the people inside were all arranged by Richard, who was considered a confidant. There should not have been many people who knew about it.

Does the Li family really have such great ability to investigate all the news in the palace?

Mu Xiaoci thought about it again and again, always feeling that there was something strange about it.

As the emperor, he was naturally sensitive to these matters, especially his own weaknesses, and of course did not want others to discover them.

He became increasingly interested in the woman's true nature.

If not a member of the Li family, then it could be the Empress Dowager, or other powerful ministers from the previous dynasty...

Suddenly, many targets appeared, and he found them all interesting.

These days, he was busy with the war in the Northwest and didn't have time to pay attention to many details. Now that the matter at hand has come to an end, he has plenty of time to deal with this mysterious person.

Lost in thought, the sedan chair had already arrived at the Dragon Palace.

Mu Xiaoci stood in front of the main hall, the gloom on his face gone, and beckoned to Richard, telling him to quickly grind the ink.

"Richard, I've discovered something interesting. Get ready, and we'll analyze it together."

There's a saying that goes something like this: a man is a boy until he dies.

Now, this seductive trick has truly captivated Mu Xiaoci, even making his heart itch with desire, wishing he could search the entire palace right now and drag this woman out.

But that won't do. Not only will it alert the enemy, but it will also embarrass the monarch.

Why make such a fuss over arresting a woman?

He is the emperor, the entire palace belongs to him, how could he be toyed with by a woman?

Sometimes, fun is something you create for yourself.

Now he's increasingly looking forward to seeing what the other person really is.

Although Richard was unaware of the situation, he could sense that Mu Xiaoci's state of mind had changed significantly. He immediately went to the desk, ground the ink, took out a brush, and began to listen to His Majesty's knowledge and feelings of the day.

The Dragon Palace was peaceful and serene, while the Yaoguang Palace was in some chaos.

The Emperor's sudden departure left Li Ruolan feeling utterly powerless.

"Granny, you were there just now, did you discover what wrong I did? Why did the Emperor leave so soon after arriving, before he even had a chance to say a few words to me?"

Her voice was filled with intense resentment.

I never understood why the First Madam was so worried in the backyard all day long. Whenever Li Zhengrong went out, she would get anxious and even inexplicably send people to investigate, not letting go of any detail.

She didn't understand back then and always felt that her mother was too stubborn and kept a close watch on people.

But now, she desperately wants to have the ability to keep a close watch on the emperor.

But she was just a beauty, not even a concubine, living in a corner of Yaoguang Palace, and even being monitored by Wanpin's people every day.

As a woman living at the very bottom of society, she had to pay her respects and give way to other concubines when she left Yaoguang Palace. What right did she have to speculate about everything about the emperor?

I'm afraid that if my own people went to the entrance of the Dragon Palace to deliver a message now, the eunuchs there might not even pay them any attention.

She was genuinely anxious, especially after the Emperor's sudden departure. She kept reflecting on and reviewing their conversation, afraid that she might make a mistake or say something wrong.

"Did you play the wrong piece?"

"Or is there something I didn't answer well enough when His Majesty said it?"

"Was I too forward? The Emperor had barely sat down when I approached him, which annoyed him..."

"Or perhaps, it is..."

She looked around frantically, her mind in turmoil, panic, and even unease.

Even Granny Gui felt that Li Ruolan was really acting like she had lost her mind. She pressed down on her shoulder and made her look at her.

"Your Majesty, calm down. The Emperor may really have urgent business to attend to, and he is not angry today."

"Can……"

"Didn't His Majesty say that he was only concerned about your health and came to check on you? Seeing that Your Highness is in good spirits today, he left with peace of mind. Isn't this a testament to His Majesty's affection for Your Highness?"

Granny Gui, being an old woman, calmed Li Ruolan down with just a few words and even started to analyze the situation with her calmly.

"His Majesty's special visit today shows that he cares about the Empress. Many things have happened in the court these days, and His Majesty has not stayed in any palace. Even with Consort Su and the Empress, His Majesty only visited them and did not stay overnight."

Aside from those two, the Emperor only comes to the Empress's place. Doesn't that mean he cares about her? Besides, if the Emperor were truly angry, he wouldn't have left in such a hurry. He would have been furious. How could nothing have happened?

Why should Your Majesty be so anxious, causing yourself to become unsettled and lose your composure?

After saying this long string of words, Li Ruolan felt much more at ease and finally sat down comfortably.

She knew that these were all temporary.

As long as I haven't won Mu Xiaoci's favor, what happened today will happen again in the future.

She cannot simply be a beautiful woman; she must also gain favor and a high social status.

Mu Xiaoci must think of her, remember her, and cannot live without her!

"Granny, how much longer until we know if that wretch is pregnant or not? I can't wait any longer. I really feel that if I don't do something, the Emperor will surely get tired of me one day."

Li Ruolan used to think she was as beautiful as a fairy, but after entering the harem and seeing many women, she realized that being beautiful was just a standard for entering the palace.

Perhaps next year another batch of new women will enter the palace, and there will be even more beautiful women who will steal Mu Xiaoci away.

Everything was beyond control, and the Emperor's thoughts were even more unpredictable.

But it's different when you have children.

It would be best to have a prince.

In this way, she can use the child as a safety net no matter what she does, and Mu Xiaoci will definitely not allow the child to be without its birth mother to take care of it...

Granny Gui did not respond, but only glanced outside the hall.

Upon discovering that Yunxi was still waiting outside, he lowered his head and spoke cautiously with Li Ruolan.

"Your Majesty, please be patient. There will surely be news about this child. In a few days, this old servant will summon Physician Fang again. By then, everything will be clear..."

Dr. Fang said that the fetus is most stable around two months old.

It had been more than two months since the day they were to be served by the emperor. Only when things had truly settled down could they finally feel at ease.

No, it's only after having a prince that things will be more stable.

Li Ruolan also looked at where Yunxi was standing, and the panic in her eyes gradually turned into jealousy that she herself did not realize.

"She seems no different from before. I've heard that women often change during pregnancy. Could it be that she's not getting enough rest?"

"My dear Empress, how many tonics has that wretch consumed from you these past few days? Is it still not enough?"

Speaking of this, Granny Gui gets angry. She never ate any of those things, and now they've all benefited that wretched girl Yunxi.

With that belly full of food, she actually consumed all the tonics that the palace had given to Li Ruolan, many of which were high-quality items that the Li family had sent in through intermediaries.

She drinks crucian carp soup and codonopsis and wolfberry black chicken soup almost every day, not to mention the bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin that even Li Ruolan herself is reluctant to eat.

Now they just have to wait for Physician Fang to arrive before they can find out the answer.

Granny Gui was also anxious, but in front of Li Ruolan, she could only try to calm herself down.

"Your Highness, you'll know everything in a few days. Physician Fang's medical skills are excellent; other imperial physicians usually don't know about a pregnancy until after three months!"

"Then that's the only way." A sinister glint flashed in Li Ruolan's eyes. "Go tell my mother that if Yunxi doesn't work out, she should continue to choose a substitute for me. I refuse to believe I won't have my own child!"