The weary Liu Mengyan returned to the Guanju Palace, and the cold moonlight fell on the palace's colonnade, casting a patchy shadow.
The night breeze gently blew, carrying a hint of coolness, yet it could not calm her restless heart.
She had barely caught her breath when she heard Empress Yuyin's summons.
She trembled in fear, her face paler by several degrees, yet she dared not defy.
Along the way, the lanterns swayed, and the feeble light cast in the darkness seemed particularly desolate.
As she stepped into Empress Yuyin's palace, she saw the palace lit up with bright lights, yet it exuded a stifling atmosphere.
The carved beams and painted rafters appeared more majestic and cold in the glow of the lights.
A faint fragrance filled the air, yet at this moment, it seemed like shackles, making it hard to breathe.
Liu Mengyan bowed respectfully: "I see the Guixia Nianyin."
Empress Yuyin glanced at her obliquely, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. In the light, those eyes were like blazing flames that could engulf a person in an instant.
"Hmph, this fox's beauty, relying on a few looks, bewitched the emperor's soul."
Empress Yuyin spoke in a cold, mocking tone, her voice sharp and piercing.
Liu Mengyan lowered her head, not daring to speak.
Empress Yuyin, seeing her in such a state, the fire in her heart burned more fiercely.
"Come, have her slap herself."
At Empress Yuyin's command, the Ermong flower girl immediately stepped forward and slapped Liu Mengyan's face with force.
A bright red handprint appeared on Liu Mengyan's face in an instant. She struggled to endure the pain and humiliation, tears welling up in her eyes.
"How comfortable is your brother's dragon bed? Is it delightful at night? Have you ever thought about us, who can't sleep on empty pillows night after night?"
Empress Yuyin rose to her feet and walked over to Liu Mengyan, tightly gripping her chin and jealously adding, "If you spend one or two nights in bed, I will not trouble you. But dare you to monopolize my cousin? What are you? Tell you, my cousin is temporarily bewitched by your beauty. Once he gets tired of it, you will be nothing."
She released her grip on Liu Mengyan's chin and looked down at her from a height, her eyes filled with endless jealousy and anger.
Liu Mengyan bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, Guixia Nianyin, be calm. I, your servant, dare not."
Empress Yuyin looked at her pitiful appearance, her anger intensifying, a cruel smile curling at the corners of her mouth: "Drag her down and kneel on the needleboard."
The needleboard has fine needles that can pierce the skin, causing excruciating pain to the knees without leaving any wounds.
It is a common method of torture in the palace.
The palace maids quickly dragged Liu Mengyan aside and brutally pinned her to the needleboard.
"Aah... It hurts... Guixia Nianyin, please have mercy on your servant..."
Liu Mengyan let out an ear-piercing scream, which seemed particularly irritating in the quiet night.
She was pinned to the needleboard, her knees throbbing with excruciating pain.
Her face turned pale, her body trembled, and cold sweat poured down.
She was accustomed to a life of luxury and refinement, and had never experienced such harsh punishment before. It was truly painful and unbearable.
At this moment, her hatred for Empress Yuyin had almost reached its peak.
"Hmph, keep screaming, keep shouting. See if my cousin will come to save you, this fox's beauty."
Empress Yuyin curved her lip in mockery, her eyes filled with cruelty and pleasure.
How dare she? How dare she monopolize my cousin every night? She deserves to die.
Liu Mengyan clamped her lips tightly, suffering greatly, her heart filled with overwhelming hatred, but she concealed it well as she plea for mercy in pain, "Please, Guixia Nianyin, spare me."
"Spare you? Dream on! You'll just have to kneel on the needleboard."
Empress Yuyin's words were cold and ruthless, without a hint of mercy.
She lay diagonally on the couch, watching Liu Mengyan suffer so greatly, feeling extremely gratified in her heart.
She didn't know about the events happening in the Guju Palace, and this night, she slept very soundly.
Half asleep, she slept until the middle of the night when someone entered softly and stood beside her bed for a long time.
She could almost feel the gaze fixed on her face.
Then, the bed next to her suddenly sank, and a man lay beside her, embracing her from the side, and his large hand rested on her waist.
Yet he avoided the rising belly of her very carefully, moving gently.
His body carried the coolness of the night and the pleasant scent of dragon's secretion.
The man seemed to want to say something, but he was afraid of waking her, so he didn't open his mouth and just gently held her to sleep.
She could tell by the scent who it was, but she didn't open her eyes. She continued to close her eyes and sleep.
Besides the Emperor, no one dares to come in at midnight.
She chose to come in at night when everyone was fast asleep, dressed in a night suit that would never be suspected.
Several times already, she knows that well. She is just pretending not to know.
Just as she couldn't help but start to drift off to sleep.
Suddenly, she heard him muttering something in his mouth, the voice was low, like talking to himself.
She blinked half awake and listened carefully. After a while, she heard clearly, "Yao'er, what should I do? I care more and more about you. I never thought I would care so much and be so devoted to protecting any woman. But I did it anyway."
"I've thought about running away, trying to tell myself by bedding others that you're just like them, that you're not special. But the truth tells me that you are so different, so unique."
He tightly embraced her, sniffing the unique fragrance on her body, and continued to mutter lowly.
"Yao'er, I love you. Although I don't want to believe it, it's the truth. This uncontrollable love makes me anxious and afraid. I'd rather be a cold-hearted emperor."
He repeated this sentence over and over, not sure if he was saying it to Yao Yao or to himself.
Yao Yao furrowed her brow, wanting to ask him, but afraid that he would wake up and deny it.
She tentatively moved, and sure enough, as soon as she did, the man stopped speaking.
She decided to act as if she knew nothing, and she lay comfortably in his arms, closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep.
Suddenly, the Emperor woke up, his eyes showing no signs of sleep. He gently kissed her on the face, his expression complex.
He sent her to stay in the apricot flower palace, though he said it was to protect her, but it could also be a way of escaping.
He also deliberately reduced the frequency of his visits to her, which could both avoid her being envied by the concubines and diminish the love he felt for her.
However, he found that even if he spent every night with others, he still cared for her the most in his heart, even if she wasn't by his side.
The Emperor sighed softly and didn't say anything, only holding her to sleep.
He left quietly at dawn, not disturbing anyone.
Only the palace guards hidden in the Apricot Flower Palace.
The next day, when Yao Yao woke up, she found the bedside empty and didn't know when he left.
Thinking of what the Emperor said last night, her heart was a mix of emotions, as if his low whispers from last night were still echoing in her ears.
Faced with the Emperor's heartfelt confession, she was naturally happy, but she had to act as if she didn't know.
After breakfast, she snuggled up on the bed and read novels.
"Guixia Nianyin, I heard that Concubine Shu Jieyu returned from the Taihe Hall last night and was called to the main hall by Empress Yuyin. When she came out, her face was pale, she could hardly stand up, and it was the palace maid who supported her out. It seems like she suffered a lot of injustice."
Liulizhu walked over and whispered some palace gossip in a low voice, his eyes filled with sympathy.
Yao Yao paused her action of flipping through the novel, and then resumed it as usual. She sighed softly: "Given Liu Mengyan's favor and residence in Empress Yuyin's palace, it is only a matter of time before she suffers from some injustice."
She didn't understand why Liu Mengyan wouldn't take the chance to move out of the Guanju Palace.
Living far away would definitely cause jealousy from Empress Yuyin, but it's not practical to summon her every day to mistreat her.
She doesn't know that Liu Mengyan isn't unwilling but afraid to bring it up to the Emperor. Liu Mengyan is aware that she doesn't have much weight in the Emperor's heart and is also afraid of causing displeasure, losing the current favor.
Liulizhu heaved a sigh, made a few comments, and then hurried off to attend to other matters.
A few days later, Liulizhu brought the news: "Madam, I heard that Empress Yuyin has stepped up her torture of Concubine Shu Jieyu. This time, she was made to copy sutras under the scorching sun, and no one was allowed to help her. Concubine Shu Jieyu couldn't take it and fainted on the spot..."
Liulizhu said this, already unable to continue.
Yao Yao, after hearing this, felt a mix of emotions, an indescribable taste in her heart.
"Liulizhu, go and prepare some nourishing supplements. Let's go and visit Concubine Liu Mengyan at the Guanju Palace together with me."
It is customary for concubines to visit each other when they are ill in the palace.
If everyone goes and she doesn't, it might give rise to rumors.
Of course, as the leader of a palace, it is common to send some gifts and condolences through her own people.
But she still wanted to visit herself.
After the things were prepared, she left the Apricot Flower Palace. Outside the palace gate, there was a sedan chair being carried by four young eunuchs.
At this moment, the leader eunuch Xiao Qingzi walked over and whispered to Yao Yao: "Madam, the servant girl Cui Wei who is close to Empress Lv has just come to say that you should instruct the servant to do something on your carriage so that you can fall off from it when passing. Let's hope for your safety."
Xiao Qingzi was originally a spy arranged by Empress Lv to be close to Yao Yao. However, she used the heartfelt symbol, and now she only listens to her.
Instead, she is able to learn about the actions of Empress Lv from time to time.
Yao Yao sneered coldly, a glint of coldness flashing in her eyes: "This Empress Lv is too impatient to harm me."
She pondered in her heart that since she already knew about Empress Lv's conspiracy, she would not let the other party succeed.
She slightly raised her head, looking at Xiao Qingzi, and said softly, "Xiao Qingzi, you've done well. Since they want to play, then I'll join them and have a good time."
She secretly bought a blood pack from the system mall and put it in her chest, waiting for a critical moment to use it.
Xiao Qingzi immediately understood the meaning of Her Majesty, his eyes flashing a hint of cunning: "Madam, please rest assured. The servant has secretly instructed the servants to strengthen the key parts of the sedan chair. It looks like it's been tampered with on the surface, but in fact, it's very safe. The servant has also instructed the servants who pull the sedan chair. They know how to control it so that it looks like Her Majesty falls off accidentally, but it won't really hurt Her Majesty at all."
"Good."
Yao Yao nodded in satisfaction, looking at Liulizhu and instructed: "Liulizhu, come with me, but remember to follow my orders."
The tone left no room for doubt.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Liulizhu answered immediately, although he was worried, he knew it was a great opportunity to counter Empress Lv.
So he followed her and got on the sedan chair.
The sedan chair moved slowly, as expected, when it passed the section where oil had been spilled, the carriage suddenly slipped, as if losing its balance.
Yao Yao let out a "ah" sound, pretending to fall off the carriage.
But at the moment of landing, she was pulled back by a nearby eunuch, and there was actually no problem.
Yao Yao quickly crushed the blood pack in her arms and smeared it on the hem of her dress, her arms, and her thigh, then disheveled her hair bun, looking very disheveled and frightening.
The skirt was covered in blood, and even Liulizhu and the surrounding eunuchs were scared to death, thinking that the lady had actually been injured.
"Someone come, Her Majesty fell off the sedan chair, quickly call the imperial doctor..."
Liulizhu was so scared that his face turned pale, and he shouted loudly.
Xiao Qingzi, however, quickly regained his composure and had to follow the plan, while also quickly sending someone to call the imperial doctor and informing the emperor himself.
The Emperor was not in the Imperial Study, but upon hearing that Concubine Shu Jieyu had fallen ill, he went to visit her at the side palace of Guanju Palace.
After all, she was one of his "favored concubines," and it wouldn't be excusable not to visit her.
The side palace of Guanju Palace, the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy.
Liu Mengyan lay on the bed, gasping for breath, her face as pale as paper without any trace of color.
Her disheveled hair clung to her cheeks, her cracked lips trembling slightly, looking extremely emaciated and exhausted.
As concubines from various palaces came to visit, one after another, they would only stand aside and say their well-meaning words, regardless of how they felt in their hearts.
The Emperor sat by the bedside, his face full of complexity, gently holding Concubine Liu's hand and whispering softly, "My beloved concubine, don't worry. I will certainly avenge you."
After saying this, he slowly stood up, his gaze cold and directed at Empress Yuyin amidst the crowd.
Upon sensing the Emperor's icy gaze, Empress Yuyin was frightened and stammered: "Cousin..."
The Emperor, however, did not acknowledge her at all. He scolded loudly, "Cousin Empress, you are the Guixia Concubine and should be dignified and broad-minded, serving as a role model for the harem. Yet you are so jealous and narrow-minded, with a heart as wicked as poison! You subject Concubine Shu Jieyu to all kinds of tortures. What's more? Cousin Empress, is this your dissatisfaction with me?"
Seeing that Empress Yuyin was scolded by the Emperor, the other concubines and nobles in attendance were pleased.
The empress was overjoyed in her heart but appeared sorrowful and disappointed, expressing: "Empress Yuyin, Concubine Shu Jieyu is a member of your palace. If you don't take good care of her that's fine, but to go so far as to behave recklessly and unjustly is simply intolerable."
Empress Yuyin did not respond to the empress, her face as pale as death, looking at the Emperor and defending herself, "Cousin, you are accusing me unjustly. It was clearly Concubine Shu Jieyu who showed no respect to me and repeatedly offended me. That's why I gave her a bit of punishment. Who knew she was so frail? She fainted after only kneeling for half an hour."
Concubine Liu Mengyan saw Empress Yuyin twist the truth, making her entire body shake with anger. She tried to sit up, but because she was too weak to move, she couldn't.
She spoke in a weak voice: "Your Majesty, this maidservant has not disrespected Empress Yuyin. It was Empress Yuyin who…"
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Empress Yuyin, "Cousin, you can't believe her lies. This maidservant manages Guanju Palace, and the matters are numerous. Concubine Shu Jieyu would not have been punished by me unless she had offended me. Cousin, you know me; I have always been loyal to you. Of course, I would also show kindness to her as part of showing respect for your house."
The concubines in attendance were all disgusted by Empress Yuyin's phrase "love begets birds and tails."
The empress was disgusted to the point of nausea, Empress Yuyin was indeed shameless enough to say anything.
The Emperor's mouth twitched. He of course knew what kind of person Empress Yuyin was, and was about to continue scolding her.
Just then, Xiao Qingzi rushed in with a worried expression.
Following that, he knelt on the ground and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, Qin Concubine encountered an accident on her way to Guanju Palace. She fell off the sedan chair and bled a lot."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face changed dramatically.
Without bothering to address Empress Yuyin or comfort Liu Mengyan, the Emperor quickly told the empress: "Queen, handle this matter here. I have to leave first."
With that said, without even looking at Liu Mengyan, he vanished in a flash.
The concubines present heard this news and exchanged glances, each guessing in their hearts.
Some of the concubines showed concern, while others rejoiced at the thought of having plenty to watch.
Of course, many people also noticed the tense look on the Emperor's face when he left, their brows furrowing slightly.
For example, the empress, the Concubine Zhen, and the Concubine Shu.
It's not clear whether the Emperor is worried about the child in Qin Concubine's belly or Qin Concubine herself.
The former is relatively good. If the latter…
The empress unconsciously clutched her hands together, her eyes deep and thoughtful.
Concubine Liu Mengyan lying on the bed heard this news and tightly bit her lip, feeling that Qin Concubine's accident was not timely.
