That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

The next day, just as dawn broke, the hazy morning light shone through the window.

Song Shuangning's consciousness gradually emerged from the chaos, feeling tired even in her bones. She had been up late last night, and her eyelids were still drooping.

Song Shuangning rubbed her swollen temples, gritted her teeth, and forced herself to get up.

Hearing rustling sounds inside the bed curtains, a head peeked out a moment later. Xiao Yan was surprised. "Awake?"

"Hmm." Song Shuangning took the court robe from Li Fuquan's hand and stood on tiptoe to drape it over Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan smiled enigmatically: "At this hour, you'd usually still be asleep. Why are you up so early today?"

Song Shuangning said reproachfully, "In the past, I was lazy and prone to sleeping in, but I must not be so negligent in the future."

Actually, that's not the case. After last night, she should have officially broken off relations with Song Luowei. The reason she got up so early today is that she wanted to ask the Emperor to have breakfast with her after court.

Once the Emperor discovers Song Luowei's little scheme, he can take the opportunity to suppress her and put an end to her arrogance.

She secretly glanced at Xiao Yan's expression and, seeing that he looked pleased, took half a step closer.

She hooked her little finger around Xiao Yan's and gently shook it: "Your Majesty, could you come and have breakfast with me after court today?"

She looked up at him expectantly, and Xiao Yan suddenly felt like teasing her. He deliberately said slowly, "Let me think about it."

Song Shuangning took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Xiao Yan's arm, her voice as soft as honey: "Your Majesty, please grant my request. It has been such a long, long, long time since I had breakfast with Your Majesty."

Li Fuquan sighed inwardly and closed his eyes. With three thousand beauties in the harem, what would happen if they all pestered the emperor to have breakfast with them?

"Let me think about it," Xiao Yan said, repeating the same phrase.

As soon as she finished speaking, Song Shuangning tiptoed and quickly pecked Xiao Yan on the cheek, her eyelashes fluttering.

Fortunately, the servants in the hall all had their heads down, and no one saw what happened.

But Xiao Yan's face darkened. How could a king of a country be constantly being stolen kissed?

Xiao Yan pinched her cheek and gritted his teeth, saying, "You're the most troublesome one."

"So, Your Majesty has agreed to my request?"

"Um."

Xiao Yan was dressed in his court robes. Song Shuangning took his hand and led him to the entrance of the bedchamber, her fingertips still wrapped around his sleeve. "This concubine respectfully sees Your Majesty off."

He rarely saw this side of her, and Xiao Yan couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. "I understand."

Li Fuquan, standing behind him, muttered to himself: "Having followed the Emperor for so many years, this is the first time I've ever seen him smile so happily in the morning."

As soon as Xiao Yan's figure disappeared from Cangdong Pavilion, Song Shuangning's smile vanished instantly. She turned around and returned to the hall, sitting down at her dressing table.

Listening to the rain comb her hair, listening to the dew apply her makeup.

"Is Consort Song really ill?" she asked casually.

"I heard that Consort Song really did develop a high fever, and they even called the imperial physician last night," Tingyu said.

Song Shuangning smiled at the bronze mirror and said, "Since you're sick, then we won't go to the main hall to pay our respects today."

"Isn't Consort Song going to be angry?" Tinglu asked nervously.

"It's alright."

Song Shuangning's lips curved into an innocent smile, but her eyebrows held a hint of calculation.

When the time came, Song Shuangning went directly to Kunning Palace without first paying her respects at the main hall.

Today, Song Luowei indeed took leave. Facing the concubines' sour remarks and sarcastic comments, Song Shuangning let them go in one ear and out the other, paying them no heed.

All she cared about was whether she could demote Song Luowei again today.

After paying her respects, Song Shuangning returned to Cangdong Pavilion, added a lustrous pearl flower to her temple, adjusted her hair with satisfaction, and then, at the appointed time, went to the main hall to pay her respects.

Inside the main hall, Song Luowei was seething with anger. Song Shuangning, who usually never neglected her morning and evening greetings, had not come today.

In her view, this was a sign that Song Shuangning didn't take her seriously at all.

Yesterday she deliberately intercepted the Emperor, and today she doesn't come to pay her respects. I'm afraid she's been plotting to climb over her to the top all along.

Song Shuangning entered the hall: "Shuangning greets my elder sister. I heard that you were ill. Are you feeling better today?"

How dare you provoke her!

Song Luowei was furious: "Kneel down!"

Song Shuangning trembled, her eyes instantly reddening: "Elder sister, did Shuangning do something wrong?"

"I order you to kneel down for two reasons: first, my rank is above yours; second, I am your elder sister and have the right to discipline you."

"Do you even still consider me your elder sister?" Song Luowei stared intently at Song Shuangning.

"What do you mean by that, elder sister? In Shuangning's eyes, elder sister has always been a very important person."

Song Luowei scoffed, "I don't think so. Yesterday you snatched the Emperor's attention, and today you won't even come to pay your respects? Do you think you're in favor now and can get away with things smoothly even without me as your backer, so you're eager to kick me aside and take my place?"

Song Shuangning's eyes were watery, with tears welling up in them, making her look especially pitiful.

"Elder sister, you have misunderstood Shuangning. Yesterday, I tried to persuade His Majesty, but he was unwilling, and I couldn't stop him. It's not that I didn't come to pay my respects today. I heard that you were ill and that I had disturbed your rest, so I went to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects to the Empress first. It was absolutely not my intention to neglect you."

When Consort Song heard the words, "I tried to persuade His Majesty, but he was unwilling, and I couldn't stop him," her face flushed red and then turned pale.

A fire seemed to ignite within her. Song Shuangning must have done it on purpose, deliberately flaunting the Emperor's favor, ostensibly explaining to her, but actually telling her:

In the Emperor's heart, she meant nothing at all.

But Song Shuangning looked wronged and innocent.

Song Luowei guessed right; Song Shuangning did it on purpose, she just wanted to infuriate her.

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

Song Luowei's chest heaved violently. "You... I'm going to teach you some manners."

"Tinglan, bring me the paddle."

Tinglan hesitated: "Your Majesty..."

"Give it to me. Cough cough cough." She coughed, clutching her chest. Her high fever had just subsided, and she was not yet fully recovered.

Tinglan dared not disobey and went to fetch the hand-held ruler.

Song Luowei snatched the paddle away and shouted sternly, "Put your hand out."

Fear flickered in Song Shuangning's clear eyes. She bit her lower lip and shrank back, looking aggrieved. "Elder sister, Shuangning respects you and hasn't broken any rules. Please don't be angry. If you get sick from anger, how will Shuangning explain it to Father and Madam?"

"Stretch out your hand!" Song Luowei's mind was filled with nothing but anger.

Tingyu knelt down and moved to Song Shuangning's side, reaching out her hand and crying, "Your Majesty, please hit me. My mistress is weak and has only recently recovered. Please hit me instead."

Song Luowei raised her hand high, but a hurried and angry voice came from outside:

"stop."