After personally seeing Consort Dong off from Yikun Palace, Xu Lejin's expression darkened.

Yingchun carefully chose her words and spoke softly, "Your Highness, what is Consort Dong's purpose in coming today? This servant is foolish, but I dare to guess that Consort Dong wants to win you over..."

Xu Lejin nodded with a slight smile.

"Indeed, Consort Dong came to comfort me on the surface, but in reality she was showing off that the Emperor had summoned her to his bedchamber and was trying to win me over to her side."

With a smirk, Xu Lejin said coldly, "Consort Dong overestimates herself! Although she served the emperor twice this month, she is not as good as Consort Shang or Consort Fan, and besides..."

"Besides, I came from the Empress's palace. Anyone with eyes can see that I am in the Empress's camp, while she is attached to Consort Ma Jia and, like Consort Ma Jia, is in the Chuxiu Palace's camp."

Yingchun lowered her eyes and replied respectfully, "Yes."

Night falls in Kunning Palace.

The Empress, with her hair disheveled, sat gracefully before her dressing table, with her head maids Yun Cui and Nong Yu behind her.

“These days, I have lost Yu Cui, Qiu He and Qiu Jin one after another. Xu Shi has also gained favor and was made a concubine by the Emperor. I have fewer and fewer useful people around me.”

Yun Cui and Nong Yu exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and remained silent.

The Empress continued, “The newly promoted Chu Qiao and Bi Xin are still young. Yun Cui and Nong Yu, you are the only people I can trust by my side. You should teach Chu Qiao and Bi Xin more so that they can stand on their own as soon as possible.”

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant will obey your orders."

Yun Cui respectfully agreed and lowered her head to ponder.

After a moment of hesitation, Nongyu said softly, "Your Majesty's kindness is too much for me. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations and serve you wholeheartedly. I would do anything for Your Majesty, even die for you."

The Empress nodded in satisfaction.

After a pause, the Empress asked in a deep voice, "Which concubine will Your Majesty summon to serve you tonight?"

"Your Majesty, His Majesty went to Consort Chuxiu's palace tonight. This month, Consort Chuxiu has already received His Majesty's favor three times. Even in our Kunning Palace, His Majesty only visits on the first and fifteenth of the month. Where is Consort Chuxiu..."

Yun Cui hesitated, as if she wanted to speak.

The Empress smiled bitterly, “The harem needs to be filled with equal favor. As the Empress, and now that I am pregnant, I should be even more generous and virtuous. I live alone in Kunning Palace. After Shangjia and Fanjia gained favor, they moved to the east and west side halls of Xianfu Palace.”

"By the way, I remember that after Xu was made a concubine and given to live in the west wing of Yikun Palace, the Emperor never summoned her to his bedchamber."

Yun Cui nodded with a smile, "That's true. Consort Xu unexpectedly served the Emperor once at the end of last month, and hasn't done so since. Everyone in the palace is guessing that Consort Xu has been forgotten by the Emperor."

The Empress smiled faintly.

"Xu is useless. I was wary of her being promoted to a concubine so soon after gaining the Emperor's favor, so I specially promoted Shangjia and Fanjia. I never expected that the Emperor would not care about her at all."

"Although Shangjia and Fanjia are people I have promoted, and they have always been well-behaved and cautious, I still feel very unhappy whenever I see them coming to pay their respects with such a gentle and welcoming attitude."

Yun Cui spoke respectfully, “Your Majesty has put in a lot of effort. Although Consort Shangjia and Consort Fanjia are favored, they rely entirely on Your Majesty. Consort Shangjia and Consort Fanjia are gentle and obedient, and they would never dare to disobey Your Majesty.”

The Empress smiled.

"As the Empress, my intentions are not so good as to have good intentions. I simply do not want those vixens to monopolize the Emperor, and for them to become pregnant and bear children for him!"

"It is also their good fortune to elevate the Shangjia and Fanjia clans."

"My poor Chenghu was only three years old when a simple cold took his life. I hate him so much. If I hadn't been so soft-hearted, how could I have given those vile people such an opportunity?"

With a cold laugh, the Empress said with a sorrowful expression, "I have lost Chenghu, but Lady Majia has the fourth prince, Seyinchaze, and Lady Nara has the fifth prince, Baoqing. As for the dragon child in my womb, I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."

"If the child in my womb is a princess, wouldn't I be overshadowed by those two lowly women, Ma Jia and Na La?"

The Empress looked miserable and muttered to herself, "I am not reconciled! That wretched woman, Ma Jia, has a prodigious womb, giving birth to one child after another. She just lost the eldest prince, Cheng Rui, and then she had the fourth prince, Saiyin Chaze, the third princess, and now she is pregnant again."

"Nara clan? Nara clan is not favored much, only receiving the emperor's favor a few times a year, but she is lucky in that she gave birth to the emperor's second son, Chengqing, and the emperor's fifth son, Baoqing..."

Yun Cui and Nong Yu exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads in deep thought.

After a long while, Yun Cui gently comforted her, "Your Majesty, even if Consort Ma Jia and Consort Na La are able to bear children, they are still illegitimate children. The one in Your Majesty's womb is the Emperor's legitimate son, and he is the most noble."

"Your Majesty, your most urgent task is to take good care of the dragon child in your womb and give birth to a healthy son for the Emperor."

The Empress smiled gracefully.

"Of course I hope the child in my womb will be a prince!"

The next day, at the hour of You (5-7 PM).

Zhi Shu returned from outside with a joyful expression. She entered the west wing and respectfully addressed Xu Lejin, "Congratulations, Your Highness! The Emperor has chosen you for his favor today."

"Eunuch Liang from the Imperial Palace has sent a messenger to the west wing of Yikun Palace to inform Your Highness that you will be attending to the Emperor in the side hall of Qianqing Palace tonight."

Xu Lejin put down the half-embroidered handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile, "I understand."

Half an hour later, Xu Lejin bathed, changed her clothes, and dressed herself before getting into the Phoenix Spring Grace Carriage that was already waiting outside Yikun Palace and heading towards Qianqing Palace.

Throughout the journey, Xu Lejin sat upright in the Phoenix Spring Grace carriage, but her thoughts drifted far away.

"stop."

Outside the Phoenix Spring Grace carriage, a discordant sound suddenly came.

Xu Lejin frowned slightly, subconsciously wondering who was so audacious as to stop Feng Luan Chun En's carriage.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Lejin heard a woman ask in a deep voice, "Granny, which concubine or concubine from the harem is being picked up in this Phoenix Spring Grace carriage?"

"Reporting to Consort Xu, this is Consort Xu from the west wing of Yikun Palace. His Majesty has chosen Consort Xu today, and we are here by His Majesty's decree to escort her to Qianqing Palace to serve him in bed."

Upon hearing this, Consort Nara's face darkened.

"So it's Consort Xu. Consort Xu hasn't served the Emperor in a long time, she must have almost forgotten the rules. You must teach Consort Xu the rules of serving the Emperor properly, so that she doesn't lose her manners in front of the Emperor."

The bedchamber attendant outside Fengluan Chun'en's carriage frowned and said respectfully, "Yes, we will follow Consort Xu's teachings and do our best to teach her the proper etiquette for serving the emperor."

"It's getting late. His Majesty is still waiting for Consort Xu in the Qianqing Palace. We will take our leave first."