Chapter 125 Vibrant and Fragrant

Inside Jingren Palace, incense smoke curled and the palace was resplendent with gold and jade.

As soon as Shen Qingci stepped into the hall, she felt a sharp and complex gaze fall upon her.

Consort Shu, Liu Rushuang, sat in the main seat, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, exuding elegance and grace, and was calmly observing her.

Seeing Shen Qingci bow, she slowly spoke, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Rise. You are the Regent's new wife, Ruolan's...former sister-in-law?"

She spoke the last three words with a profound meaning, carrying a hint of subtle sarcasm.

Shen Qingci understood immediately; it seemed that Liu Ruolan had complained about her to her older sister quite a bit.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed your humble servant," Shen Qingci replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

Consort Shu chuckled, rose herself, and led her to sit down on the embroidered stool beside her. She then dismissed the palace servants, leaving only a shrewd and trusted female official.

"The Regent's wife is truly blessed," Consort Shu said, picking up her teacup and gently skimming off the foam with the lid, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry. "My good-for-nothing sister, Ruolan, must have caused you no end of trouble at the Yongning Marquis's residence, right?"

“She has been spoiled by her father since childhood and doesn’t know how to act responsibly. I was thinking of finding an opportunity to apologize to the Regent Princess on her behalf.”

"Now it seems that you were not only not affected by her, but after your husband died and you became a widow, and even suffered a miscarriage, you rose rapidly to become the Regent's Consort. Your methods are truly something that makes me... ashamed of myself."

"I heard that you first met the Regent at Putuo Temple? Could it be that it was there that the Regent fell in love with you at first sight?"

"In that case, it was Ruolan who created the opportunity for you to be alone with the Regent."

She seemed to be apologizing for Liu Ruolan, but in reality, every word she said was a veiled criticism of Shen Qingci, who was scheming and had climbed to power by stepping on the Huo family, and who had seduced Chu Jichen right after her miscarriage.

Shen Qingci sneered inwardly, but on the surface she appeared weak and fearful, and said with her head bowed, "Your Majesty is joking. I am just an ordinary woman. If possible, I would naturally hope to marry only once in my life, to grow old with my husband, and to have many children and grandchildren."

"But fate is cruel, as if playing one cruel joke after another on me. My husband died, and I lost my child."

"Marrying the regent was just a choice made out of desperation."

Out of the corner of her eye, Shen Qingci noticed that the lady-in-waiting beside Consort Shu was quietly fiddling with the incense burner in the corner, and wisps of smoke rose. The fragrance was elegant, yet it seemed to carry a subtle, almost imperceptible sweetness.

It was almost exactly the same scent as the one Chu Jichen had given her before, and the scent that reacted with the medicine on the clothes he had brought back to the Regent's Palace from the Ni Chang Pavilion.

Shen Qingci lowered her eyes; Consort Shu had indeed made her move.

Consort Shu smiled enigmatically: "Indeed, after all, I believe that many people in the entire capital have heard those rumors about the Regent."

"You and the Regent have been married for several days now, and you and he..."

Consort Shu stopped mid-sentence, noticing Wanqing and Yunlan standing beside Shen Qingci. She smiled and said, "Your two maids have been by your side all this time, they must be tired. Let's just chat here, we won't do anything. Chunqing, take them to the side hall for some tea and refreshments, and let them rest."

Shen Qingci curled the corners of her lips. Consort Shu's every move had accurately guessed Chu Jichen's guess.

Shen Qingci nodded to Yunlan and Wanqing, who then curtsied and followed the female official into the side hall.

As Consort Shu watched the two maids leave, a smug glint flashed in her eyes.

With the two maids gone, Shen Qingci had no one left to rely on.

Only the two of them remained in the hall, and the atmosphere became increasingly subtle.

Consort Shu smiled and continued her previous question: "Has the Regent's wife and the Regent consummated their marriage many days ago?"

Shen Qingci calmly pulled out a brocade handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers from her sleeve and gently pressed it to her forehead.

The handkerchief had already been soaked in aphrodisiac by her.

Consort Shu observed her movements, then smiled and said, "I don't mean to pry into the Regent's wife's privacy, it's just that I've been in the palace for a long time and have seen too many... eunuchs..."

"Although they are physically disabled and unable to have sex, they will try every possible way to torture women. I am also worried..."

Consort Shu stalled for time, but then she saw Shen Qingci shake his head, his eyes gradually becoming somewhat dazed.

A hint of joy flashed uncontrollably in Consort Shu's eyes. The medicine was taking effect?

"Is the Regent's Consort tired?" Consort Shu smiled even more gently upon seeing this. "Indeed, newly married, and with the Regent... the Consort must be quite exhausted."

Just then, a palace attendant's voice came from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived!"

Emperor Yongming strode in from outside the palace, waved his hand to dismiss the palace servants following him, and closed the door. In an instant, only the three of them remained in the vast Jingren Palace.

The true intentions are revealed when the truth is finally revealed!

Emperor Yongming and Consort Shu exchanged a glance. When Consort Shu nodded at him, he couldn't help but smile.

He turned to look at Shen Qingci, his gaze seemingly glued to her: "Auntie, you are truly radiant and beautiful today."

Shen Qingci looked up at him, her eyes vacant, as if it took her a long time to recognize who was in front of her: "Your Majesty? Wasn't Your Majesty discussing important matters with the Prince in the Imperial Study? Why is Your Majesty back? Where is the Prince?"

She slowly stood up, her steps unsteady, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and her beautiful eyes glistening with tears: "Now that His Majesty has returned, I shall go find the Prince first."

Emperor Yongming's eyes were filled with greed. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Why are you looking for him? He can't give you what you want."

"Uncle doesn't know I've come to see you yet. We can sneak around and have some fun. If you don't tell, I won't tell either, so Uncle will definitely never find out..."

As Emperor Yongming spoke, he stepped forward and embraced her.

Shen Qing took two steps back, but her body seemed so weak that she couldn't obey her commands. Instead, she staggered and lunged directly at Emperor Yongming, her handkerchief, stained with aphrodisiac, pressed against the tip of Emperor Yongming's nose.

Shen Qingci hurriedly stepped back: "Please forgive my insolence, Your Majesty. I don't know what happened and I couldn't stand up straight at all."

Emperor Yongming felt a surge of evil fire erupt from his dantian, instantly burning through his limbs and bones! His eyes turned bloodshot, and he could no longer restrain himself, pouncing on Shen Qingci like a hungry wolf!

Shen Qingci exclaimed in surprise, but instead of getting entangled with him, she seemingly stumbled but actually fell precisely in the direction of Consort Shu.

"Your Majesty, save me!" she cried out in panic, falling heavily onto Consort Shu. In the instant their bodies touched, the powder on her fingertips silently seeped onto Consort Shu's skin.

Immediately, she hid behind Consort Shu.

The next instant, Emperor Yongming pounced over and fell directly onto Consort Shu.

Emperor Yongming was already lustful, and with his desires amplified by the top-grade aphrodisiac, he could no longer distinguish who was in front of him!

He let out a beastly growl and pinned the limp Consort Shu to the ground, tearing at her palace attire on the spot!

"Ah! Your Majesty!" Consort Shu let out a terrified scream: "It's me! Your Majesty, you've mistaken me for someone else."

But soon, the effects of the medicine began to take hold.

Inside the hall, a scene of utterly indecent and eroticism unfolded in an instant!