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

Not only Mu Xiaoci knew the influence the Li family held in the court, but even the Empress Dowager was aware of it.

Even though she was angry, she still gave Li Ruolan a lot of face today. But this daughter of the Li family is disappointing. Even so, she still didn't understand her meaning.

In terms of understanding, she was not as sensible as Consort Su.

No wonder they stepped on a landmine here today, and were outmaneuvered by Consort Su.

What rare things hasn't the Empress Dowager seen? What's a Buddhist scripture to her?

If she wanted, the Li family would present it to her personally, without needing to say anything.

These are all aspects that Li Ruolan currently lacks in terms of a broader perspective.

After spending only a short time together, the Empress Dowager knew that Li Ruolan would not win her favor, just like Consort Su.

As long as she is alive, the two of them will never have a chance at the Empress's position.

This was the first time Li Ruolan had felt so awkward in the palace. She still placed a sliver of hope on Mu Xiaoci, hoping he would put in a good word for her.

But Mu Xiaoci didn't, she just hinted to Richard beside her, and Richard took her out to change into a clean set of clothes.

Richard, having received the order, took small, quick steps to Li Ruolan's side.

"Lady Lan, please."

Li Ruolan didn't move at that sound.

She admitted that she had been a bit stubborn this time, hoping that Mu Xiaoci would still look at her, and even treating the king in front of her as her husband.

In the Li family, when the first wife was scolded by the mistress, the father would come over to speak, protect the first wife, and ease the atmosphere.

Li Ruolan didn't know how things were in other people's homes, but she had wondered if the Emperor would help her if she were lectured by the Empress Dowager while she was in the palace.

He did help her; he said a word for her and then had Richard take her away.

But what about other options?

No, there's nothing at all.

There's even an attitude of indifference, coldness, and detachment.

This is the man she has chosen, the man she went through countless hardships to enter the palace to see.

Li Ruolan pursed her lips, said nothing, and resolutely turned and walked out.

Yunxi was still waiting outside the door. When she saw her come out, she ignored her numb legs and immediately went to greet her.

As a personal maid, she could now tell exactly why her mistress was angry.

I glanced at it briefly and realized that it was the sleeves that were dirty.

She overheard some conversations outside, but couldn't make out what they were saying. However, she could guess that Consort Su wouldn't say anything good.

The atmosphere inside wasn't great; the relationships between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, wives and concubines... Mu Xiaoci probably wasn't having an easy time either.

Yunxi's lips curled up involuntarily, and she suddenly felt a sense of pleasure.

She was right. As soon as Li Ruolan left, Mu Xiaoci began to be criticized by the Empress Dowager.

They say he didn't put in enough effort during the talent show, and now his harem is full of these chaotic women, none of whom are easy to manage.

Consort Su wanted to laugh, but she was also scolded by the Empress Dowager.

"Consort Su, I never agreed to you taking control of the six palaces in the first place. Look at the state of the harem now!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This Lady Lan is the Emperor's current favorite concubine. I wouldn't dare..."

Consort Su spoke with barbs to the Empress Dowager, and some even said she was somewhat insane.

Today, I told the Empress Dowager that the Emperor was biased. We clearly agreed to share the Emperor's favor equally, but these days all the Emperor's favor has been given to Consort Lan. How can that be considered sharing equally?

All the blame eventually fell on Mu Xiaoci, but he still had that cold expression, making it impossible to tell his current mood.

Even when faced with Consort Su's accusations, he showed no remorse whatsoever.

He simply looked up at her and asked, "Is the Imperial Concubine resenting me?"

"I dare not..."

Consort Su admitted defeat, raised her head under pressure, and still complained, "But Your Majesty, it was you who gave me this power, and I did it for Your Majesty's own good."

Even personal desires can distort things like this, and such selective quotations are truly remarkable. Consort Su is indeed a talented woman praised by everyone.

But she forgot that the man before her was the most esteemed emperor here, and he had no need to bow his head to anyone.

"The Empress is unwell, so I have no choice but to entrust the reins of power to you. If you feel that you are not up to the task, then let the Empress Dowager take over."

The Emperor stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager. "Mother, if you find my harem unsatisfactory, you may manage it from now on. I will be at ease."

The Empress Dowager is sharp-tongued, and Consort Su is difficult to deal with.

Mu Xiaoci had no intention of wasting time arguing with them here.

Since they've already said that, we can simply go with the flow.

He also knew that Consort Su had deliberately followed him on the road to bump into him, just so he could see what kind of person his recently favored Consort Lan was and whether she was worthy of his affection.

And what about the Empress Dowager?

He still wanted to control the previous dynasty, couldn't let go of the power he held, and always wanted to make him a puppet.

He had no intention of getting involved in this matter at all.

Today, Li Ruolan is not entirely innocent either. Mu Xiaoci knows about her confrontation with Consort Su. Although he has some affection for her, he doesn't like people who are too troublesome.

Let her suffer this time; she should learn her lesson next time.

Li Ruolan went to a room further inside the side hall to change her clothes. Her anger had been simmering ever since she entered, and with nowhere else to vent it, she could only tell Yunxi.

"Consort Su is clearly here to laugh at me!"

"That Empress Dowager clearly looks down on me. She was easily swayed by Consort Su's words. It really makes me furious."

"That Consort Wei is no good either, just a good-for-nothing. She's completely unreliable. She hides behind me when things go wrong, and runs away when I'm in trouble. How can I possibly plot anything with her in the future!"

……

Yunxi listened quietly until Li Ruolan finished speaking before she spoke.

"Your Majesty, please don't let these people upset you and ruin your health. You're about to become a mother."

Hearing this, Li Ruolan's gloom lessened considerably.

That's right, she's planning to have a child. What can Consort Su do? What can the Empress Dowager do?

The Emperor has few children, so the Empress Dowager wouldn't harm any of them, and Consort Su simply couldn't bring herself to harm her!

Consort Wei is still somewhat useful. We can get rid of her when the Wei family no longer needs her.

Today, Li Ruolan discovered that Yunxi's taciturn personality is actually quite likable.

She was silent until she made a stunning remark, and her sweet words even lightened the gloom on her face.

"What's up? Do you have any good news?"

"Your Highness, I think there might really be a change. I used to be able to stand for a long time without getting tired, but now my legs feel a bit weak."

As Yunxi spoke, her hands didn't stop; she was still busy dressing Li Ruolan. "Your Majesty, please bear with it these days. You must wait for the baby to come out, mustn't you?"

She discovered today that Li Ruolan was indeed quite bold.

The Li family currently holds a good position in the court, but that doesn't mean they can withstand the emperor's wrath. Her unrestrained and arrogant behavior may eventually lead to her being unable to suppress the emperor's anger.

Only she can destroy the Li family; Yunxi doesn't want anyone else to get there first.

Some things are more interesting when taken slowly; we can't let Li Ruolan ruin the atmosphere all at once.

Li Ruolan is like a child. As soon as Yunxi finished speaking, she had already composed herself and was now fiddling with the hem of her clothes, preparing to go back.

"You're right. For the sake of my child, I must persevere."

Neither the Empress Dowager nor Consort Su had as many children as the Empress Dowager.

She couldn't believe that the Emperor would remain so indifferent and unmoved after she had a child.

Li Ruolan found herself inevitably feeling insecure and anxious in front of the Emperor.

That man is best at giving people hope, and then abandoning them.

The more elusive something is, the more it inspires a desire to conquer it.

After she has children, she wants to see how nervous and flustered Mu Xiaoci will be for her sake.

This time, Li Ruolan managed to cheer herself up.

The clothes she was wearing were specially sent over by Granny Gui. She had been prepared and thought that Li Ruolan would be whipped more than Consort Su if she went there in white, so she immediately had other palace maids send over spare clothes.

A light green dress embroidered with cloud patterns is a safe bet, and the auspicious clouds on the cuffs are woven with gold thread, which is in line with Li Ruolan's usual attire, leaving no room for criticism.

Li Ruolan never expected that when she returned, the Emperor had already left.

There was now Consort Su next to her original seat, and only Granny Li was in the main hall.

"Lady Lan, let's begin now that you're back. Consort Su is here to keep you company, so you should focus on copying."

Granny Li spoke without regard for others, and her tone was quite harsh.

She could naturally see that Li Ruolan was unwilling just now. Whether it was tearing the Xuan paper or smudging the ink, it was all because she was impatient with copying. Perhaps this resentment came from the Empress Dowager.

This is absolutely unacceptable in the imperial harem. If we don't put a stop to it now, it might cause chaos later.

Copying books is physically demanding, but it also requires a lot of patience.

Li Ruolan didn't like it, and Consort Su wasn't much better, not to mention Consort Wei.

None of the three would concede to the other, so the copying turned into a competition, with each of them putting in their best effort.

Five times is really too many. The first to finish writing was Consort Wei. After finishing, she didn't dare to leave and waited for Consort Su and Li Ruolan.

As she copied more, she realized that her father was a nobody, and if she didn't have a powerful backer in the palace, she wouldn't be able to make any progress.

She needed to continue to please Li Ruolan, and be even more attentive than before.

She wrote from morning till sunset. It was the first time Li Ruolan had ever completed a task so seriously. When she got up, she found that not only were her hands sore and her eyes swollen, but even her steps were unsteady.

But she couldn't fall here; she had to go back to Yaoguang Palace and call the imperial physician.

She wanted the sun to announce that she was about to have a child.

It would be best to let the Empress Dowager and the Emperor know, so that they would feel remorse for their harsh treatment of her today.

She'll be pregnant from now on, let's see who dares to use torture then?

Forcing her to do such exhausting work!