"You heartless and insane woman!"

Xie Qiyu's voice was low and angry, his eyes were bloodshot.

The voice was almost squeezed out through clenched teeth: "Back when you entered the palace as concubines..."

"Ayao has treated each of you concubines well, so why did you give her a labor-inducing drug?"

Consort Lu looked at the man in a fit of rage, her heart filled with despair.

She knew that she was doomed to die today.

Her lips twitched slightly, her smile desolate, as she recalled her life.

She was strictly taught by her father from a young age and raised to meet the standards of a queen.

She once naively believed that as long as she was outstanding enough, she would one day become the empress who ruled the world.

However, when she came of age, her father told her that her mission was not to be an empress.

Instead, she entered the palace as a concubine, keeping a close eye on Xie Qiyu's every move.

When I first met Xie Qiyu, he was exceptionally handsome and dashing, possessing the sharpness and indifference of an emperor.

At that moment, her heart was captivated. Who wouldn't want to spend their life with such a man?

However, her father's orders soon arrived, instructing her to eliminate Empress Xiao.

"Empress Xiao and her child must die before you are qualified to become empress."

She gritted her teeth and personally fed the labor-inducing medicine into Empress Xiao's food.

A few days later, Empress Xiao suffered a massive hemorrhage, and both she and her child died.

She once thought that the position of empress would be within her grasp from then on, but Xie Qiyu never mentioned it.

He still doted on her, but he never made her his empress.

Every night, she would rack her brains to whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

But every time Xie Qiyu came to her bedchamber, he only watched her dance and listened to her sing.

Even when he stayed overnight, they simply slept in separate beds and he never touched her.

Having no other choice, she bought aphrodisiacs from the black market and secretly put them in Xie Qiyu's food.

That night, she finally got what she wanted, but it was also her most disappointing night.

Emperor Xie Qiyu is all show and no substance!

She thought she had finally won him over and gotten everything she wanted, but he couldn't even give her real pleasure.

She was unwilling, she resentful, and in the end, she had the emperor's favor but could not get what she wanted.

The harem was desolate, and the long nights passed. She tried countless times, but to no avail.

Unlike Xie Qiyu, Du Yi was a big, burly man, yet he was able to make her experience what it's like to be a woman.

She gradually became addicted, and there was no stopping her.

She had thought that as long as her father gained power, she could fake her death and elope with Du Yi.

But now it seems that it was all just wishful thinking on her part.

In her short and absurd life, she never had the right to choose.

She was her father's pawn and a discarded concubine in the harem; Xie Qiyu's favor towards her was nothing but a fleeting illusion.

Her fate was sealed the moment she was born, just like her sister's—both tragic and laughable.

She was crying, and then suddenly she laughed.

The laughter was both ironic and sorrowful.

She slowly raised her head, looked directly at Xie Qiyu, and a bewitching smile appeared on her lips: "Yes, it was me who did it."

Her eyes were cold and devoid of remorse, even carrying a hint of pleasure: "Who told her to be the Empress, blocking my path?"

Xie Qiyu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. He calmly ordered, "Guards, Consort Lu has plotted to murder the Empress and assaulted a prince. Take her to prison immediately and await further orders."

Prince?

Prince!

Consort Lu glanced at Xie Qiyu with sorrowful and desperate eyes, and said, "Good, good, very good."

Then Xie Zhichen is probably a prince. I thought Xie Qiyu was being completely fooled by her.

In the end, the stupidest person was himself.

Everything that happened in the palace was kept completely hidden. Xie Qiyu took advantage of the time when Empress Dowager Du was at Yuanhua Temple.

With lightning speed, all of Empress Dowager Du's spies were arrested.

Empress Dowager Du was unaware of all that was happening; she was still immersed in the joy of her intimate relationship with Prince Yan.

*

While busy managing the Gu family's fabric business, Madam Gu also took care of all the big and small matters at home.

He also noticed that something was off between Gu Boyuan and Yao Shiyu.

When Gu Boyuan inquired, he gave vague answers, leading Madam Gu to believe that he was worried about his career.

So after having breakfast today, she made a special trip to Yuanhua Temple, as the Prince of Yan wielded considerable power.

As long as he is willing to lend a helping hand, Gu Boyuan will surely rise to prominence.

Madam Gu also specially made crab roe soup dumplings, which were the Prince of Yan's favorite dish, and brought them to Yuanhua Temple.

The Prince of Yan had a special fondness for Lady Gu, his beloved. He used the excuse of sending Empress Dowager Du to admire the plum blossoms in the back mountain to send her away.

Inside the Buddhist hall, Prince Yan devoured crab roe soup dumplings one after another, his mouth greasy with oil. He happily praised, "My lady's hands are still as skillful as they were back then."

Madam Gu was a little embarrassed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm glad Master Yikong likes it."

Looking at the still charming Lady Gu before him, the Prince of Yan suddenly reminisced about the joyful times he had spent at the Menghua Tower in Jiangnan.

He couldn't help but reach out and take Madam Gu's hand, and in the heat of the moment, he wanted to call out her maiden name.

But the Prince of Yan realized that he had long forgotten the other person's name. He said in a serious and affectionate tone, "You have suffered so much over the years!"

Mrs. Gu smiled shyly, "I'm not wronged, I'm doing very well."

She paused for a moment, then finally made up her mind and said, "Master Yikong, Boyuan currently holds no official position in the capital."

Although he was a junior general, the emperor had not yet issued an order for him to return to Yunchuan.

Meanwhile, the Flying Feather Army was under the full control of Prince Yi, whose wife and Bo Yuan had been engaged years ago.

Prince Yi had always held some prejudice against Bo Yuan, so Bo Yuan couldn't get involved in the Flying Feather Army.

"I wonder if Master Yikong has any way to help Boyuan find a position in the capital?"

After finishing the last crab roe soup dumpling, the Prince of Yan smacked his lips twice before slowly and deliberately speaking.

"I will make the arrangements in the next few days. I will first appoint him as the commander of the Imperial Guard, and then we will discuss the matter further later."

Madam Gu was overjoyed and kept praising, "Master Yikong is brilliant. I'll make you these crab roe soup dumplings again in the future."

The Prince of Yan gently stroked Madam Gu's hand, asking, "Madam, is there no other way to repay this kindness?"

Madam Gu blushed slightly as she spoke. She had been living alone in her empty room for many years. Although the Prince of Yan had shaved his head, his charm was still as captivating as ever.

She lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with shyness, "Then, according to Master Yikong's opinion?"

The Prince of Yan moved a futon in front of him and said, "Sit here. It's too far away. I can't reach other places."

Madam Gu was mortified, but she obediently complied.

The candlelight flickered inside the Buddhist hall, creating a beautiful and enchanting atmosphere!

However, no one noticed that behind the Buddha statue, Rong Momo was covering her mouth tightly, hiding trembling behind it.