The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

Inside Zhaochen Palace, Ning Shuyan was carrying a bowl of cooked millet and was about to enter the inner hall.

Yang An quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Shen refuses to leave the palace."

"Oh?" Ning Shuyan raised her eyelids slightly. "Is she willing to die in the palace rather than leave?"

Yang An lowered his head: "She said she would rather die than leave the palace."

Ning Shuyan paused slightly, then handed the porridge to Yang An and said, "Tell the kitchen staff to prepare the porridge. If His Majesty wakes up, give it to him immediately. I'm going to Qiulan Palace."

Yang An quickly agreed.

The sun had already set, and a beautiful glow painted the sky crimson. The branches and leaves of the plants in the Qiulan Palace courtyard swayed slightly, and the thin mist reflected the desolation on the ground, making the entire Qiulan Palace appear extremely cold and desolate.

Inside the hall, Consort Shen dismissed the palace maids and used her delicate hands to light the candles one by one, gradually brightening the dim hall.

She whispered, looking at the flickering candlelight, "Your light is always too faint, unlike the sunlight in the sky, which draws attention. Even if it brings warmth to illuminate the night, it cannot warm people's hearts, nor can it shine for a lifetime."

The candlelight reflected on her delicate features, slowly revealing a touch of sorrow.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around and saw Ning Shuyan standing in front of her with a gentle expression.

She was slightly taken aback, then bowed deeply: "Your humble servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort."

Ning Shuyan stared intently at her: "Why are you unwilling to leave the palace? Would you rather become a nun, or even be buried alive with someone, than leave the palace?"

Shen Cainu slowly rose, a bitter smile playing on her lips: "If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty is alright, isn't he?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Ning Shuyan's eyes, but she calmly sat down in the chair.

Consort Shen smiled sadly and said, "I knew it. If His Majesty were truly nearing his end, all he would care about would be the Yi Feng Dynasty and Your Highness, the Noble Consort. As for us unfavored concubines, how could we possibly have the ability to be remembered by His Majesty?"

She knew that the Emperor was cleaning up the harem for Consort Zhao.

With the Empress dead, Consort Zhao will surely ascend to the throne.

She saw through it all, and Ning Shuyan didn't deny it: "Knowing this, would you rather spend your whole life in the palace, dying alone, than go out and live your own life?"

Shen Cainu's eyes revealed a deep sorrow: "Where can I go? The person I love in this life is in the palace. Wherever he is, that's where I will be."

In the past, Ning Shuyan would have sighed that there was such a deeply affectionate woman in the palace.

But this time, I feel somewhat sorry for her.

She fell in love with the emperor, the last person she should have loved, and her love received no response.

Ning Shuyan said gently, "Then let me ask you, were you happier before entering the palace, or after? Even if you only see him from afar, you'll be happy; even if you don't get any response, you'll have no regrets; even if you know he loves another woman, you can still offer your blessings and live happily."

Am I happy? Shen Cainu asked herself in her mind.

When she first learned that she could enter the palace, she was overjoyed. Later, she would be content for a long time just to catch a glimpse of the Emperor from afar.

But she changed at some point. She became greedy and filled with desire. She wanted to be a woman loved and cherished by the emperor.

She couldn't bring herself to bless the emperor or watch how he doted on another woman.

When asked if she was happy, she replied, "No."

That year, I didn't get a single night of restful sleep.

Shen Cainu countered by asking Ning Shuyan, "Then, Your Highness, are you happy? You've fought your way to this point; you must be exhausted."

Upon hearing this, a complex expression gradually appeared on Ning Shuyan's originally calm face, as thick as fog.

Finally, she smiled gently and quietly: "It used to be very tiring."

But she believes she will never feel tired again.

Looking at the faint smile on Ning Shuyan's lips, Shen Cainu realized that all her questions were nonsense. Yes, with the Emperor treating her so well and doting on her in the six palaces, what sorrow could she possibly have in the future?

Just then, Ning Shuyan's voice came to her ears again: "I never wanted to enter the palace before, nor did I ever think about finding a good man or having children. In this life, we can't escape birth, aging, sickness and death. I just hope to be happy and be myself."

"To travel and enjoy nature, to compose poems and appreciate the moon, that is the life I have always dreamed of."

After speaking, she looked at the thoughtful Shen Cainu and said, "Women who enter the palace, no matter how pure and kind, will eventually lose themselves and their true nature. You are not inherently bad. Even if you love the Emperor deeply and feel some jealousy, you have never done anything truly heinous. I don't want your prime years to be wasted in the palace, and you to grow old alone like this. You are still young, only a teenager. Wouldn't it be better to live your life for yourself from now on?"

Shen Cainu stood there, stunned, and murmured, "To live for oneself?"

"Yes! To live for myself," Ning Shuyan said with unwavering determination.

"Most of the women in this palace live for favor and power. How many of them have a good ending?"

Shen Cainu's heart was filled with mixed feelings. She still wanted to stay, but she knew in her heart that it would be useless even if she stayed.

Staying behind would only allow her to witness the Emperor and Consort Zhao's loving relationship, while her own prime years would, as Consort Zhao had predicted, be wasted in the harem.