Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

After handing over a book, Su Mu sat on a wooden chair by the door, facing the courtyard, admiring the snow while pondering whether he should adopt Feng Bao as his godson.

"Feng Bao is considered one of the Emperor's men. If Xiao Yuanhou is truly willing to take the blame for Lu Xiang's matter and keep it a secret, as he claims, then the Emperor's actions are likely just a test to see if Feng Bao also has the same 'opportunity' as Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian."

"After Lu Xiang's death, even the Emperor has set his sights on this library."

Even if I help Feng Bao, his loyalty to me is probably far less than that of Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian.

Just as she was pondering this, Consort De entered the courtyard with the Sixth Prince, Xiao Jingye.

Xu Qian'er and a palace maid followed behind.

"Little Su, what story are you going to tell today?"

Xiao Jingye was handsome and cute, and he was already familiar with Su Mu. As soon as he entered the door, he happily ran to Su Mu's side.

"Your Highness, please follow me and see which book you would like to hear."

Su Mu picked up Xiao Jingye, carried him across the courtyard, and entered the library.

Upon seeing this, Consort De frowned almost imperceptibly and followed slowly.

She was somewhat displeased that Xiao Suzi had not bowed to her.

Xu Qian'er also noticed this and was puzzled.

"Ye'er, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Anran was standing on the first floor when she saw Su Mu carrying Xiao Jingye in, and she casually put down her book.

"Hello, Aunt An!" Xiao Jingye naturally recognized this little aunt and greeted her politely.

"Your Highness, Consort De, greetings from Anran." Xiao Anran bowed to Consort De. "What brings Your Highness here today?"

"You're too kind, Princess." Consort De returned the greeting and said calmly, "I used to have a young eunuch serving here. The Sixth Prince was close to him and often came to listen to stories."

After speaking, she looked puzzled: "Why is the princess here instead of practicing martial arts in the Hall of Mental Cultivation?"

"Sigh!" Xiao Anran sighed in frustration. "This morning I answered my great-grandfather's question wrong, and he punished me by making me study in the library for three months."

"Oh?" A thoughtful look flashed across Consort De's eyes.

Tu Lie and Situ Sheng were both newly appointed as Grandmasters.

She came today to confirm whether there really was a powerful expert backing Su Mu. She also wanted to see if that expert was indeed the Grandmaster of the Yangxin Hall!

The deaths of Lu Xiang, along with those of Li Mo and Liu Zheng, had already caused a great uproar in the palace.

"Then I'll trouble the Princess to keep the Sixth Prince company and have some time to talk and read with him." After a moment of surprise, Consort De smiled and said, "Princess, it's been a long time since we last met. The Sixth Prince has been thinking of you a lot."

"Okay!" Xiao Anran readily agreed. She already liked Xiao Jingye, and since she had nothing else to do anyway.

She took Xiao Jingye from Su Mu's arms and headed towards the first floor. Su Mu knew that Consort De had something to say, so he got up and walked towards the entrance of the library.

Xu Qian'er and another palace maid were still waiting outside the door.

"With a grandmaster from the palace backing you up, your demeanor is indeed different." Consort De said with a hint of sarcasm, "No wonder that ever since you entered this library, you and your former master... have gradually drifted apart."

There may be a misunderstanding here.

"Misunderstanding? Perhaps. But now that you are no longer my personal attendant, you naturally don't need to obey my every command as before."

"Ha!" Consort De glanced at him sideways. "It seems I underestimated you."

Consort De was well aware of the deeper meaning behind Su Mu's words.

This little Su was clearly implying that she was no longer his master! She was no longer as obedient as before.

Consort De was extremely displeased. She felt a surge of anger at being betrayed.

If it were in the past, she would have made this ignorant servant suffer greatly.

But things are different now—behind Xiao Suzi stands that person. Even the current emperor wouldn't easily offend that old man, let alone a mere concubine like her?

"In any case, I should thank you." Seeing that Su Mu remained silent, Consort De's tone softened.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Hu Zhichun, Liu Zheng, Lu Xiang... they are all the Empress's henchmen," Consort De said. "As for Yang Mao, I treated him well when he was in Shude Palace, but I never expected that he would turn to the Empress's side after entering the Imperial Kitchen!"

Su Mu thought to himself: When did killing Hu Zhichun and others become doing your bidding?

He thought this, but didn't say it aloud.

"Little Su, I don't know how you managed to get on that person's good side, but there's something I need to remind you of." Consort De maintained her composed demeanor. "There's a world of difference between you and him. You think you've climbed a high branch, but it may not be as you think! That person... is probably just using you to do something, and you just happened to stumble upon it."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty," Su Mu said, his thanks devoid of sincerity.

"You'd better watch yourself."

Consort De said no more and went straight into the pavilion. In her opinion, the old matriarch must dislike the Empress and was also dissatisfied with the Situ family, so she used Xiao Suzi to do her thing.

This secretly pleased her—this was her opportunity!

She absolutely did not believe that the old ancestor killed Lu Xiang and the others to protect Xiao Suzi.

What is Xiao Suzi anyway?

Consort De was convinced that he was paving the way for her.

She never imagined that Lu Xiang and the others had actually died at the hands of Su Mu.

Su Mu did not enter the pavilion to observe Consort De's expression, but instead returned to the door and sat down.

At this moment, only Xu Qian'er and the palace maid remained outside the door.

"Sister Qian'er, I...I want to go change my clothes. Please wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

"Mm." Xu Qian'er nodded, and the palace maid quickly withdrew.

She walked towards the corner of the courtyard, but not towards the outhouse—clearly she was looking for an excuse to avoid it, and had no intention of using the toilet at all.

"You bribed me?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow.

"No, but we're on good terms." Xu Qian'er shook her head. "She probably thought I wanted to be alone with you, so she deliberately avoided me."

"I see." Su Mu found it strange—if Consort De suspected Xu Qian'er, why did she still keep her in Shude Palace?

Without confirmation, it's difficult to act rashly. But given Consort De's methods, why would she need confirmation to get rid of a palace maid?

"I heard you've changed, and now it seems it's true. No wonder... you've been so cold to me," Xu Qian'er said with dissatisfaction.

"Yes, different positions lead to different thoughts and ideas." Su Mu neither denied it nor needed to deny it.

First came Consort De's mockery, then Xu Qian'er's complaints. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: perhaps, this is the real woman.

"In this palace, the worst thing is not to see your own position clearly," Xu Qian'er said earnestly. "As the saying goes, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. If we palace maids and eunuchs don't know our place, we'll be in trouble sooner or later."

"Is that so?" Su Mu knew that neither Consort De's "reminder" nor Xu Qian'er's "admonition" were well-intentioned; they were merely expressing dissatisfaction that he had slipped out of control.

The current Xiao Suzi is no longer someone they can control.

Since they couldn't see eye to eye, the two stopped talking.

About an incense stick later, the palace maid who had gone to change her clothes returned.

Around noon, Consort De left Shude Palace with the Sixth Prince and two palace maids.

After watching Consort De and her entourage depart, Xiao Anran turned to look at Su Mu.

"Little Su, the food here... is really hard to swallow."

Su Mu replied, "Princess, why don't you go back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a meal, and then come back to study afterward?"

"It's a long way." Xiao Anran pursed her lips. "Besides, my great-grandfather has ordered that we are not allowed to go back without permission within three months."

"Oh?" Su Mu frowned. A princess residing in the library was indeed a nuisance to him.

"If we can't go back, we should go to the Imperial Kitchen and instruct them to send us meals every day," Su Mu suggested.

"Why don't you go?" Xiao Anran raised an eyebrow. "You're the eunuch guarding this place, isn't it your duty to make a trip to the Imperial Kitchen?"

She's right. Given her status, it would be perfectly normal for her to give orders to a lowly eunuch.