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

Consort Su had been waiting for things to develop further.

But this matter seems to have sunk to the bottom of the sea, never to be recalled again.

It was said that there was an accident; Consort Lan accidentally fell, and it seemed to be related to Li Mama, who was by the Empress Dowager's side. However, she was not seriously injured, and the matter was put aside lightly.

What do you mean by "put down gently"?

She and Consort Wan had agreed that no matter what, they would make Li Ruolan suffer greatly, and they would never allow her to monopolize the Emperor's favor, nor would they allow her to rise smoothly in the harem.

Unexpectedly, in the end, she was the only one who believed it?

Now that Consort Wan is with the Empress Dowager, Consort Su can no longer see her and is filled with fear and anxiety, wondering if this matter has really passed.

As a Noble Consort, it was understandable for her to visit Consort Lan. Moreover, she had heard that the Emperor would always make time to have dinner with Li Ruolan, no matter how busy he was, and she began to have wicked thoughts.

She hadn't seen Mu Xiaoci for a long time.

Initially, it was because the autumn imperial examinations were about to begin, a major event for the entire court. Consort Su certainly couldn't throw a tantrum, so she simply told him to take care of his health and not to overwork himself.

And then what?

Upon hearing the news of Li Ruolan's pregnancy, Mu Xiaoci rushed over without stopping and never returned to Zhaoyang Palace.

She tried every means to embarrass Li Ruolan in front of the Empress Dowager, but saw the Emperor personally come to her rescue, and thus lost his power over the six palaces.

How could she not be wary of a woman like that?

It's no use being wary now. She's already pregnant, and once she gives birth to the Crown Prince, with the Li family supporting him, he'll probably be on equal footing with her soon.

What Consort Wan worried about, Consort Su could not escape either.

All the women in the harem were equally pitiful, but she hated Li Ruolan even more. She and Mu Xiaoci had been childhood sweethearts for so many years, and she still hadn't understood his heart. How could just any woman come along and take her place!

Why should I?!

Today, she pretended to come to see Li Ruolan, but in reality, she wanted to find an opportunity to meet Mu Xiaoci and ask him if he had forgotten that there was someone waiting for him in Zhaoyang Palace.

Li Ruolan was not very welcoming of Consort Su's arrival.

As a woman herself, she knew exactly what the other party was up to. She had originally intended to treat them to a meal, but then she thought that rather than sending her away, it would be better to let her stay and watch her and the Emperor be affectionate. That was probably the most heartbreaking thing.

Everyone knows that Consort Su always talks about her childhood sweetheart relationship with the Emperor, as if no one else knows.

Regardless of how the Emperor was in his youth or how he is now, his feelings for her remain unchanged, and he will always remember her.

Today, Li Ruolan will review for Consort Su whether the Emperor still likes the crab roe pastries she made herself.

The two women didn't have much to talk about to begin with, but Consort Su's conversation drifted to rouge, and she mentioned that she had brought a good set that had been certified by the imperial physician and was even safe for pregnant women to use.

"Since you're a concubine, I'll naturally like this gift, but the color is too old-fashioned and doesn't seem suitable for you."

This is an implication that Consort Su is getting old.

Li Ruolan knew exactly how to infuriate people. Now, almost every frown and smile of hers was challenging Consort Su's bottom line. She even mocked her for lowering herself to use the methods of Consort Wan, which everyone used to despise.

Indeed, no one would despise Consort Wan's despicable methods of poaching someone's partner. After all, they were all ladies from respectable families, and they hoped that the Emperor would come to see them because he loved them, rather than forcing him to come under some other pretext.

It's like begging a child for candy; it's not only childish but also beneath you.

Consort Su knew that the other party was belittling the mirror, but she still tolerated it.

But then, Li Ruolan went even further.

Seeing that the palace servants were about to serve the dishes, she came over to remind Consort Su.

"Sister, look at my memory! They say pregnancy makes you stupid for three years, and it's true! I've almost forgotten the time. The Emperor is coming over for dinner soon, and it's getting late. Aren't you leaving, sister?"

Li Ruolan, having gained an advantage, pretended to be innocent, deliberately trying to provoke Consort Su and force her to retreat in disgrace.

Consort Su was so angry that her face turned red, and she sat in the chair for a long time, her back teeth grinding together.

Li Ruolan's silvery laughter was like a slap, "slap slap" several times, making her cheeks hurt.

She finally came to her senses and realized that she was truly going crazy from missing Mu Xiaoci.

"Then I won't disturb your meal any longer, sister and the Emperor. I must return to Zhaoyang Palace now."

"Oh dear, we're all sisters. If you want to eat with us, that's perfectly fine. I just don't know if His Majesty would be willing."

Li Ruolan continued to laugh, her tone so gentle, yet her words were filled with intense sarcasm, each one a knife cutting into Consort Su's heart.

Consort Su had never been so humiliated in the palace for so many years. In her anger, she couldn't even control herself and walked up to Li Ruolan, raising her hand to slap her.

But as soon as she raised her hand, Li Ruolan's wicked smile deepened.

"Sister, this is my Yaoguang Palace, and I am pregnant."

"Do you think that just because you're pregnant, the Emperor will allow you to speak so recklessly and disrespectfully towards me!"

"Yes, I'm new to the palace and don't know the rules, so what if I speak without thinking? But what about you, sister? Are you going to be accused of being jealous?"

Li Ruolan began to provoke, her eyes smiling like a crescent moon.

When she did something naughty, she always liked to smile seductively like this, her eyes sparkling, making her look even more alluring.

The more alluring, the more dangerous. Consort Su took a deep breath and finally suppressed her anger, without lashing out at anyone.

Coincidentally, just as her hand fell, a voice announced from outside the door.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Mu Xiaoci has arrived.

He arrived earlier today than the previous two days. I don't know if he heard some rumors, but he came directly to Yaoguang Palace after leaving Longque Palace. It even gave people the feeling that a day apart felt like three autumns.

Even Consort Su had never received such treatment. Seeing that familiar figure appear, she even felt a little wronged and wanted to cry.

But crying is absolutely not allowed.

Mu Xiaoci doesn't like women who cry and whine, and he dislikes those who are unreasonable and jealous.

As a concubine, she was even more unwilling to lose her composure in front of the emperor.

Taking a deep breath, Consort Su decided to leave. Even if she wanted to see Mu Xiaoci again, she absolutely refused to lose face.

"Look, I've completely lost track of time. Now that His Majesty has arrived, I won't disturb you any longer."

She spoke calmly, ultimately swallowing her anger.

There was no other reason than that she believed there was plenty of time ahead, and she truly did not believe that Li Ruolan could remain in the limelight forever, nor did she believe that she could successfully give birth to a prince.

Consort Su knew that it was time for her to begin preparations.

She met Mu Xiaoci when she left. She straightened her back, bowed slightly when she saw Mu Xiaoci, and said "Your Majesty". Then, before he could react, she had already walked outside the palace.

This was Consort Su's arrogance, and today she almost lost it.

When Mu Xiaoci heard from Richard that Consort Su had come today, he felt uneasy and came over a little earlier than usual. Unexpectedly, he saw Consort Su, whom he had not seen for a long time.

There was a time when the two of them had loving days, sitting down for long talks, and even sketching out the future of this empire together.

We've known each other since we were young, and we know each other very well.

Only Consort Su and her brother remained of the Su family. She said she was forced into the palace.

Mu Xiaoci said at the time that he would take good care of her and would never let her suffer any grievances in the harem.

In his eyes, childhood sweethearts who grew up together were inherently different.

He didn't know when it started, but their relationship began to change. She wanted more and more, to the point that Mu Xiaoci felt it was excessive.

He has his own principles. He promised her the title of Imperial Concubine, and that's all he could ever do. Mu Xiaoci couldn't promise her anything more.

Consort Su, being such a clever person, certainly understood the meaning behind this, but she still pretended to be ignorant, thinking that she could receive more love.

Relationships can collapse in an instant, whether it's love or friendship. Once something inappropriate is mixed in, it becomes impure.

Consort Su was different today; he seemed to see her in the past, which made him feel somewhat wistful.

Before Mu Xiaoci could even turn around, Li Ruolan, who had just come out, immediately clung to him, affectionately calling him "Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, today's dishes are also your favorites. I feel much better today and was thinking of serving you some food."

Li Ruolan seized every opportunity to entangle Mu Xiaoci, and forbade him from saying a single word to Consort Su.

Women's jealousy can be quite formidable. If we're really going to get to the bottom of it, Li Ruolan's love for Mu Xiaoci is no less than that of Consort Su.

The two women were vying for the same man, and Yunxi could only laugh.

However, I also want to see what Consort Su's true colors are. She clearly planned everything perfectly, but in the end, she was the one who ended up with nothing.

But she couldn't hold on for much longer.

There weren't many places in the imperial harem with small kitchens. Besides Consort Su, Consort Li also had the same privilege.

Consort Li has been in the palace for about half a year. She was a beauty sent by the vassal state of Dawu. She was provided with a small kitchen only because she was not used to the food from Dawu at first.

It will soon be clear whose small kitchen or imperial kitchen this fish paste came from.

Yunxi also wanted to know what methods Consort Su would use to escape.

She wasn't idle either; as soon as she came out of the palace, Richard came to her door.

"Yunxi, tell me the truth, what did Granny Li ask you?"

Granny Li is an old hand in the palace. The fact that she was able to get Yunxi out unharmed after questioning her suggests that there must be some other hidden story behind this.

Others might not know, but how could Richard not know?

Although he usually liked to joke around and was always smiling, none of those who served the emperor were easy to deal with.

"Eunuch Richard, I simply told the truth about what happened that day, so Granny Li won't make things too difficult for me."

Although Yunxi had her head down, she spoke sincerely.

However, she omitted one thing.

She told Li Ruolan about being summoned by the Empress Dowager.

She was the one who was actually pregnant, and Li Ruolan cherished her dearly.

How could I have let her get hurt?