He Beiyi was filled with doubt. What was this woman thinking?

Of course, Li Yunyan was trying her best to find a solution!

She only has one year. If she fails to seduce Ying Huai within this year, she will die and disappear from the world completely.

There is a second option: if she cannot seduce him, she can only prolong her life by becoming pregnant with the emperor's child in her final days.

That's the worst-case scenario!

She really doesn't want that public thing!

Li Yunyan browsed the system shop and found several suitable pills that she could use on the emperor if she was summoned to serve him again.

The biggest problem is Yinghuai!

The profession of secret guards is characterized by unwavering loyalty to the emperor, and they remain hidden in the shadows, rarely appearing in public.

How can she bring him from the shadows into the light, create interaction with him, and eventually make him develop feelings for her?

The task is arduous and the road ahead is long.

Hearing the breathing around him gradually become longer and more even, He Beiyi laughed in exasperation.

He had a strong intuition: this woman wasn't afraid of him at all!

It was rare for a concubine to spend the night in his palace. This Li Yunyan, without even asking his permission, went straight to bed. Was she bold, or foolish?

She actually fell asleep right next to me?

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, He Beiyi felt a rare sense of calm.

There's nothing wrong with sleeping under just a blanket.

The next day, Li Yunyan was woken up by someone shaking her.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the dog emperor's mocking gaze.

"What's wrong?" she asked instinctively, still half asleep.

He Beiyi was truly exasperated and said irritably, "You were sleeping so soundly that you didn't even know I got up! Get up and help me change!"

Changing clothes?

Li Yunyan really wanted to ask him, "Don't you have hands? Aren't there eunuchs standing next to you?"

Why would you want to mess with her?

But she was timid. She was in the palace, and the man in front of her was the most powerful person in the palace. She had to obey him in everything, otherwise she would not be able to complete her mission.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Yunyan immediately got off the bed, lowered her head and took the bright yellow imperial robe from Yuan Qing, who was standing next to He Beiyi.

"Your Majesty, please extend your hand."

He Beiyi chuckled to himself as he watched the woman change her expression several times in just a few breaths.

He had a rare good night's sleep last night and felt refreshed when he woke up this morning. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, he decided to play a trick on her.

Seeing her clumsily putting on her court dress, He Beiyi wanted to laugh again. How did she learn the rules before entering the palace?

Could it be that because she's too good-looking, she was sent here before she even learned the proper manners?

He Beiyi felt he had figured it out: Li Yunyan was indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace, and they could indeed make an exception for her!

Seeing her circling around him, her nose beaded with sweat, and struggling with her belt, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted into his nostrils. For some reason, He Beiyi felt an itch to touch her nose.

This gesture carried a hint of doting affection, but Li Yunyan was oblivious. She rubbed her nose with her sleeve and held up the magnificent crown with both hands.

"Your Majesty, please lower your head a little, I can't reach it!"

Yuan Qing was about to rebuke him for making His Majesty bow his head, but He Beiyi's cold gaze silenced him.

He stared in disbelief as His Majesty lowered his head, allowing the young concubine to straighten his clothes, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.

It seems that another favored concubine is about to be added to the harem!

After finally getting the emperor dressed, Li Yunyan was covered in sweat.

The emperor's court robes were so cumbersome! No wonder he needed servants to attend to him!

She raised her flushed cheeks, relieved, and smiled gently at He Beiyi, saying, "Your Majesty, I'm all dressed!"

Her smile was like the morning sun, bringing joy to everyone who saw it. He Beiyi smiled and said, "Li Yunyan has rendered meritorious service in serving the emperor. She is hereby conferred the title of Consort, with the honorary title of Li, and is granted residence in Chonghua Palace."

Li Yunyan was overjoyed. This was an upgrade?

In the original story, the original owner genuinely served the emperor in bed, yet the emperor didn't immediately promote her rank, let alone bestow a title upon her! Last night, she didn't serve the emperor in bed, but instead, she was promoted!

Is this emperor a masochist?

"Your Majesty, thank you! Your Majesty, am I now Consort Li?"

"Of course!" He Beiyi leaned close to her ear, "If you behave well next time, I will promote you to a higher rank."

Li Yunyan knew what he meant by "be obedient," glared at him, and thought, "Dream on!"

Her eyes were alluring and captivating, causing He Beiyi's throat to tighten once again.

"Stop fooling around! Today is the first day of the month. I must go to the Empress's palace tonight. I will summon you to serve me in bed tomorrow."

What's wrong with her?

Li Yunyan was puzzled. However, escaping this calamity tonight was good news.

He lowered his head and nodded gently.

Yuan Qing urged softly, "Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."

"Um."

He Beiyi nodded and instructed, "Send someone to escort Consort Li back to Chonghua Palace and take good care of her."

"Your servant obeys!"

As Li Yunyan watched He Beiyi leave, she saw a palace maid and a eunuch enter, kneeling to congratulate her: "This servant/this servant congratulates Consort Li!"

Li Yunyan knew that these two were the people the palace had assigned to her when she was a concubine. The palace maid was named Xiangxia, and the eunuch was named Kangle.

Both of them are newcomers, and they're not even as old as her.

However, newcomers have their advantages. They have no powerful backing and are clean. As for their experience in handling affairs, they can learn and observe more!

Most importantly, loyalty.

"Get up! We should go back now."

Xiangxia said, "This servant will now do my mistress's makeup!"

It was called "dressing up," but it really just meant helping her get dressed and then combing her hair into a bun.

There were no women's clothes in He Beiyi's bedroom; she was still wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday.

She had just arrived at the palace yesterday, and her quarters were arranged to be shared with another concubine. However, the emperor summoned her to his bedchamber last night, and today she was granted residence in Chonghua Palace, so she no longer needed to return to her original cramped bedchamber.

In the palace, she was not entitled to ride in a sedan chair; she had to walk everywhere she went.

Kang Le walked behind her and whispered, "Your Highness, His Majesty just bestowed Chonghua Palace upon you, so I took the liberty of bringing your belongings. We can go directly to Chonghua Palace now."

"Yes, you did a great job!"

Seeing that Kang Le had received praise from her master, Xiang Xia also said, "Master, when we return to Chonghua Palace, we must immediately freshen up. Yesterday, you served the emperor and were promoted in rank. According to the rules, we should go to Fengyi Palace today to pay our respects to the Empress!"

Li Yunyan's brow twitched.

Damn it!

In the original storyline, the Empress would give her a hard time during the morning greetings, and the other concubines would also ridicule her. Then she would cry and whine, and the Empress would scold her for being petty.