The hall only quieted down when Zhe Zhe got tired.

Seeing this, Zhen Ge slowly got up from the ground and walked to Zhe Zhe's side to comfort her, saying, "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. If she really gains favor, do you think Consort Chen will let her go? You know how ugly Consort Chen's face was just now."

Upon hearing this, Zhe Zhe felt much relieved. "It's to let Hailanzhu experience what it's like to be alone in an empty room every night."

Seeing Zhe Zhe's relaxed brow, Zhen Ge secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Your Majesty, you can just watch from the sidelines and let them fight it out!"

Zhe Zhe nodded thoughtfully and said, "I do hope that Hailanzhu can win, after all, she is my real niece. But I don't want her to win too easily. She has to suffer a bit."

"Your Majesty is truly loyal and righteous, it's a pity that Consort Chen is not worthy to be your niece." Zhen Ge spoke very softly, and Zhe Zhe did not hear the second half of his sentence.

Zhen-ge looked up towards the outside, her eyes narrowing slightly as a wicked plan surfaced in her mind. Zhe-zhe had her back to her and couldn't see her expression.

Hailanzhu had just returned to Guanju Palace when she sneezed several times.

"Has Your Highness caught a chill?" Qingluan asked with concern, and even looked for a thin cloak to put on Hailanzhu.

It's currently the autumn heat wave; although the evenings are a bit cooler, the days are still incredibly hot. Besides, Hailanzhu takes great care of herself, so how could she have caught a cold? She quickly pushed aside her cloak and said, "It shouldn't be a cold, but rather someone talking about me behind my back."

Qingluan put down the cloak in her hand and smiled, "Then who does Your Highness think it could be?"

Hailanzhu rolled her bright eyes. "Apart from Yu'er, anyone could be a possibility."

"Is it the same for the Emperor?" Qingluan asked playfully. "But the Emperor is different from others; he says he misses you."

"You're such a chatterbox!" Hailanzhu tapped her forehead lightly, then walked straight to the mouse cage. Looking at the little white mouse's listless appearance, a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

She had still held a sliver of hope for Zhe Zhe, but now, the appearance of the lab rat undoubtedly proved that her daily meals contained poisoned honey.

As Hailanzhu reached out to the white mouse to see how much longer it could live, she suddenly felt something rise up from her back, which made her shudder.

Then she quickly turned around and saw that the person standing behind her was Huang Taiji. She couldn't help but feel a little angry. Huang Taiji always managed to scare her for no reason.

"Your Majesty, why are you in my palace instead of accompanying the new beauty?" Hailanzhu said discontentedly.

Seeing her like this, Huang Taiji laughed instead of getting angry, "Is Lan'er angry?"

"If I keep appearing out of nowhere behind you to scare you, wouldn't you get angry?" But she could only mutter these words to herself, not daring to say them out loud to his face.

"You are the Emperor, how dare Lan'er be angry with you?" Hailanzhu said angrily.

Huang Taiji's smile grew even brighter as he walked to Hailanzhu's side. "Seeing you so jealous makes me really happy."

"Jealous?" Hailanzhu frowned. "What am I jealous of?"

"Lan'er, you're still being stubborn." Huang Taiji said with amusement, "It's said throughout the harem that you were very upset because of Qi Lei's arrival. I didn't believe it at first, but seeing you like this, it's clear that what they said is true."

"Your Majesty, I'm angry not because..." She was about to explain when she realized something, "Your Majesty, are you saying that the whole harem is talking about it?"

Huang Taiji raised an eyebrow. "Could it be a fabrication?"

At this critical juncture, Huang Taiji believed it to be true and was overjoyed. How could she spoil his mood? In the end, she was forced to admit it.

"Hahaha..." Huang Taiji laughed heartily, "I am really happy, it means that Lan'er has a place for me in her heart."

Hailanzhu was speechless and could only awkwardly laugh in agreement.

After Huang Taiji's laughter subsided, Hailanzhu asked, "Was Your Majesty in Consort Qilei's palace at that time?"

Huang Taiji nodded in agreement.

Hailanzhu was somewhat displeased, "Then why did you leave her alone and go to Guanju Palace?"

Huang Taiji didn't take it seriously, saying, "Compared to you, she is insignificant. Besides, she herself asked me to go and comfort you."

This answer made Hailanzhu even angrier. Compared to Qilei, she was a magnanimous person, while she herself seemed like a jealous woman.

"Sister Yinyu is truly magnanimous. Any other woman would have already made a scene." Hailanzhu's words were sarcastic, and she also sensed that this woman was not easy to deal with.

This move was truly brilliant. Even Huang Taiji praised her, saying, "She is a magnanimous person. When she left, I felt a little sorry for her."

“Since Your Majesty feels sorry for her, then let her stay in her palace. Why make yourself miserable?” Hailanzhu said expressionlessly.

Huang Taiji chuckled, "Are you jealous again?"

Hailanzhu glared at him, "I didn't." She always felt that Huang Taiji was too narcissistic.

"My heart can only hold you. No matter how good other women are, none can replace your position," Huang Taiji said, gently stroking the stray hairs on her forehead.

"That's precisely why you should stay by Yinyu's side even more," Hailanzhu said seriously, determined not to fall for it.

"Why?" Huang Taiji's smile faded, and he looked puzzled.

"To have won Your Majesty's heart is an immense blessing, one that no one else has. With this, I am content. Why should I compete with them for the few hours they spend with Your Majesty each month?" Hailanzhu said with a smile.

"But you used to..."

Upon hearing Huang Taiji bring up the past, she quickly interrupted, "The past is the past, and the present is the present." With that, she stroked her lower abdomen, "How can I not endure this brief period of longing for my child so that he can be born safely?"

If it were the original owner, she would really try to seize those few short hours. From the first time she felt her heart flutter, she knew that the original owner's love was no less than Huang Taiji's.

Huang Taiji gazed at her flat stomach and pondered for a long time before saying, "You're right, I broke my promise." He understood that if she really stayed in Guanju Palace, even if Lady Qilei was lenient, the other concubines would not be, and might even sow discord because of it.

Seeing his emotion, Hailanzhu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I understand your intentions. I am very satisfied with your kindness. Go and keep Yinyu company. She is a magnanimous person, and I must not mistreat her."

"Alright." Huang Taiji looked at her affectionately, and though he was reluctant to leave, he had no choice but to depart.

Hailanzhu watched his retreating figure, a sly smile playing on her lips. "He's finally gone, otherwise I'd be branded as a jealous woman again."

Qingluan, who had been standing by, couldn't understand her actions at all. "Why does Your Majesty want to send the Emperor away? In fact, the Emperor doesn't come to Guanju Palace much these days. Why do you care about what others think?"

She always felt that Hailanzhu was keeping Huang Taiji at arm's length.