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

Although it's said to be alone, Consort Su doesn't seem to realize how much time Mu Xiaoci actually spends by himself.

There were many women in the harem, and he would visit different concubines almost every month.

The reason for doing this was simply to balance the power in the harem. Even though Li Ruolan was pregnant, she did not go to Jingyang Palace every day.

If they were to actually become pregnant and receive the Emperor's constant visits, Consort Su and the others would be even more resentful.

She didn't even bother to think for herself whether Mu Xiaoci was doing this because of feelings.

He was merely trying to balance the power in the court; as for anything else, he probably had no other thoughts on it.

Only the women in the harem didn't understand, staring blankly at Mu Xiaoci, still fantasizing that one day they could capture the emperor's attention and become the most favored woman in the entire dynasty.

Few people are rational, and even fewer can see that Mu Xiaoci is a heartless and ungrateful man by nature.

All he cared about was his own dynasty and how to secure his current throne.

As for Consort Su's question, it was never answered; only the emperor's roundabout tactics were given.

"Let's see, if there really is an opportunity."

He neither explicitly refused nor explicitly said yes; he simply continued his imperial methods of controlling power.

After that, he stopped caring what Consort Su was saying and his attitude turned completely cold.

Besides the autumn hunt, Mu Xiaoci had other matters to attend to. As for the palace examination questions, he still needed to discuss with other ministers where the newly selected top scholars and third-place winners should be assigned to their posts.

Mu Xiaoci would review every one of the hundreds of officials in the court to see if they were truly talented individuals.

Even though a new dynasty had been established, many of the officials were still former ministers, and their relationship with Mu Xiao Ci was far from harmonious.

Consort Su's brother was one of the meritorious officials and also a capable assistant to Mu Xiaoci.

Otherwise, Mu Xiaoci wouldn't come here so often to rekindle his relationship with Consort Su.

The emotions of youth, under such immense imperial power, were actually of little use.

On his way back, Mu Xiaoci suddenly saw fallen leaves fluttering in the wind, which reminded him of the little palace maid in Jingyang Palace.

Every time I see her, she's tending to flowers and plants. Now that it's late autumn, I wonder what new things she'll come up with in the future.

Just thinking about it, he asked Richard, who was standing next to him.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ]

"Is there any movement from the attic?"

He still remembered the promise he made to Yunxi, but he was too busy to go and see her now.

The palace maid's literary talent could be discerned from her handwriting; she had even shown off her poetry to him the other day. This time, Mu Xiaoci wanted to see what tricks she could conjure up this time.

As the chief steward, Richard knew everything. When the emperor asked, he immediately reported the news he had just received.

"The palace maid came, but only stayed for a short while. This servant doesn't know what message she left for His Majesty."

Some things should be said, and some things shouldn't be said.

Richard knew this perfectly well.

Since someone has the ability to attract the emperor's attention, whether it's good or bad, he'll remember it.

If he's truly capable, then the next time we meet he'll be my master.

If it's someone who's swindling and cheating, then the Emperor can deal with them as soon as possible to avoid causing further trouble.

Richard was the emperor's closest eunuch, and he knew there were certain things he shouldn't reveal to outsiders.

The palace maids had no definite answer about this matter, and dared not tell the mistresses in the harem.

Especially in Jingyang Palace, Consort Lan is not a kind person. He can even foresee that if that little girl Yunxi is discovered, she will probably be tortured half to death.

But he wouldn't give any hints. Now it's up to Yunxi to see what she's capable of and how long she can keep the Emperor interested.

Mu Xiaoci originally intended to return to his Dragon Palace, but in the end he went to the pavilion instead.

Nothing good happened today. He came here just to relieve his boredom and see if there were any new gadgets.

So when he saw Yunxi's doodle, he first frowned, pondered for a long time, and then shook his head helplessly.

"nondescript."

This is Mu Xiaoci's review; it's neither particularly good nor particularly bad.

After all, this graffiti is quite novel; no one has ever dared to depict him so grotesquely before. However, the little figure is drawn quite imposingly, making it a pleasant sight to behold.

The painting reflects the person, and Yunxi gave him the same feeling.

She wasn't exactly good-looking, but after a few more glances, I found her interesting.

Mu Xiaoci also saw the splashed ink. Yunxi painted the splashes of ink as flying birds, which was quite artistic.

Besides Mu Xiaoci, there was a deaf-mute eunuch cleaning the house; no one else came.

He only came to read books and take a short rest; he rarely wrote anything at this table. Over time, he removed the writing implements from here.

But now, seeing that ink stick, I suddenly find it rather interesting.

"It's obvious that Consort Lan doesn't like calligraphy and painting. She probably wouldn't even notice if the palace maids around her stole the ink sticks."

Richard didn't dare to speak, but after observing the Emperor's expression, he finally whispered, "Your Majesty, do you intend for this servant to arrange for writing implements here in the future?"

"No need, the ink sticks are all here. She has a better idea than you."

For some reason, Mu Xiaoci felt that the other party was doing it on purpose.

She deliberately drew his attention, hoping that he might prepare things for her in the future.

But Mu Xiaoci refused, wanting her to see for herself that he wouldn't fall into the trap of a mere palace maid.

Mu Xiaoci picked up the brush, and Richard quickly went to the side to grind the ink and lay out new paper.

However, the emperor beside him hesitated to write, pondering for a long time before finally writing a single character.

After finishing writing, I felt much better and turned to leave.

Richard was left behind looking at the words, pondering them deeply, but in the end he couldn't tell whether Mu Xiaoci was angry or angry.

His handwriting wasn't particularly good, but there was no anger on his face.

Those below could not casually guess the Emperor's thoughts; even if Richard guessed a bit, he would not ask.

Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen and depends on how things develop in the future.

Anyway, Mu Xiaoci will definitely go to Jingyang Palace tomorrow, and he will definitely see Yun Xi then. It just depends on whether the other party can be patient.

To think that you can rise to prominence just by exchanging a few words with the emperor is incredibly naive.

The next day arrived quickly, and Yunxi was still unaware that Mu Xiaoci had left her a message. All she wanted to do now was wait for the autumn hunt to begin.

Qiu Lie couldn't go there on his own and didn't know what would happen, but Yun Xi hoped everything would go smoothly and that Qiu Changzai could successfully get in touch with a benefactor.

She desperately needed a helper; in this vast harem, one person's strength was never enough.

Because the Emperor was coming, the entire Jingyang Palace was bustling with activity early in the morning.

Li Ruolan was determined to please the Emperor. She prepared the Emperor's favorite foods and snacks, and even brewed the tea. Now she was just waiting for the Emperor to appear.

Yunxi was naturally busy because that person was coming. She dressed up Li Ruolan early in the morning and then made pastries.

Ever since Richard praised Yunxi's pastries, Li Ruolan has remembered it. Now, whenever the Emperor is coming, Li Ruolan asks her to prepare them in advance.

Richard was one of the Emperor's closest confidants, so naturally, he would try to curry favor with anyone he could, and he certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity.

However, Li Ruolan was unaware that Mu Xiaoci's purpose in coming here this time, besides visiting the child in her womb, was also to see how Yunxi usually served people at Jingyang Palace.

Could it be that she's also quick-witted and sharp-tongued? How dare she utter such disrespectful words in front of Li Ruolan?

Or was everything she did for him? Was all her scheming just to get his attention?

Whatever it was, Mu Xiaoci found himself curious.

This time, Richard was instructed not to announce his arrival; the plan was to enter the palace quietly through the gates.

Li Ruolan was completely immersed in the joy of the Emperor's preparations to come over for lunch.

Yesterday, the Emperor went to Consort Su's place. When he paid his respects in the morning, Consort Su kept talking, saying that the Emperor had talked to her about the autumn hunt and about their childhood friendship.

I know they were childhood sweethearts, and I know they grew up together.

Do I really have to say so much? I'm tired of hearing it.

Li Ruolan was naturally displeased. When they got married, the Li family had not yet moved to the capital, and their move to the capital was only a matter of a few years. They had no idea what was popular in the capital before.

Compared to the women who grew up in Kyoto, Li Ruolan seemed like a barbarian from a remote, impoverished area.

She was naturally indignant, but she couldn't say anything.

However, when the Emperor came this time, Li Ruolan felt completely relieved.

So what if they were childhood sweethearts? It's not like she has exclusive favor. What Consort Su has, she wants too.

But she was nervous after all. She looked in the bronze mirror and checked her makeup several times. Then she looked at the hair that Yunxi had just styled for her and asked her to fix it again.

"Take a look quickly, isn't this hairstyle a bit outdated? What if the Emperor doesn't like it?"

"His Majesty once said that my previous hairstyle was beautiful. Take a look and see if I need to change it again, so as not to make a mistake and displease His Majesty."

Having once gained fame for her beauty, Li Ruolan cares deeply about her face.

Not only are mistakes not allowed, but her beauty must not be wasted.

Only Yunxi could withstand such questions, slowly explaining while constantly praising Li Ruolan's beauty.

"Your Majesty's beauty is unparalleled in the harem; no matter what hairstyle you have, it will look good on your face."

"There's not enough time, Your Majesty. If the Emperor were to see your disheveled hair, that would be the greatest disrespect."

She wouldn't have refused before, but now she won't let Li Ruolan continue to be so unreasonable.

Yunxi found that she had become much more determined in her decisions; as long as she felt it was right, she would stick to it to the end.

I am no longer like before, easily misled by others' words and forgetting my original intentions.

Unbeknownst to them, Mu Xiaoci had already arrived.

Listening to their conversation from behind, I suddenly remembered that Li Ruolan had just turned eighteen this year.

Eighteen is the age when people love to look good.

It's normal for it to be here now.

"How could I not like your hairstyle today? I really need to take a good look."