Emperor Qin Huan was in a state of extreme confusion. If he had known for a moment that "Empress Yikun" was Consort Jiang, he would have been overjoyed. He cared most about his offspring, and it didn't matter who the mother of his offspring was; he would have made her a noble mother.

But that's how people are. When they are expecting a bigger surprise, they suddenly find that there is indeed a surprise, but it is not the one they are most expecting. This feeling will become complicated.

Emperor Qin Huan was just like that. Wasn't he happy that Concubine Jiang was pregnant? Of course not. On the contrary, he was indeed ecstatic.

But he couldn't help but think, if his most beloved Concubine Heng was pregnant...

"emperor?!"

The Queen Mother noticed that something was wrong with Emperor Qin Huan. Emperor Qin Huan got over the regret that inexplicably popped up in his heart and looked at Concubine Jiang who was ecstatic.

Jiang Cairen's face was flushed, and her once charming face had lost seven points of its beauty because she couldn't control her expression. She looked at Emperor Qin Huan with unconcealed ambition and arrogance.

"Issue an imperial decree to confer the title of Beauty upon Jiang Cairen, temporarily residing in Yikun Palace."

Emperor Qin Huan hesitated for a long time and still did not raise Concubine Jiang's rank to the level that could suppress the white jade. But after all, Concubine Jiang had the offspring he had been waiting for for a long time. This child came at the right time and could completely shut up those court officials who asked for the establishment of a crown prince.

"Mr. Jiang, I'd like to trouble you, Queen Mother. I was very busy with government affairs during my previous reign, so I'm afraid I can't take care of everything properly."

The empress dowager did not agree with Emperor Qin Huan's decision to only confer the title of beauty on Concubine Jiang, not to mention that Emperor Qin Huan said he wanted Concubine Jiang to live in a side hall of the Yiku Palace. However, Emperor Qin Huan had already hurried here from the imperial study as he had important state affairs to deal with, so the empress dowager did not seize the opportunity and could only watch Emperor Qin Huan walk out of Kunning Palace.

Emperor Qin Huan was gone, and the Queen Mother was now the most qualified person to give orders. Without saying a word, she took Concubine Jiang away and declared that Concubine Jiang was now in a precious state and she would not need to visit her morning and evening in the future.

Before leaving, Lady Jiang glanced at Bai Yuzhi. Seeing Bai Yuzhi's calm expression, without any sign of envy or jealousy, she gave him a twisted, smug smile. Little did she know that Bai Yuzhi was preoccupied with what Concubine Rong was planning to do next.

After Concubine Jiang and the Queen Mother left, the silence in Kunning Palace lasted for nearly a quarter of an hour. All the concubines sat in their seats as if they were in a dream. No one spoke, and the Queen did not ask them to leave.

Or maybe Bai Yuzhi just couldn't sit still anymore and thought it was such a waste of time, so he asked to leave.

The queen's face suddenly became much more haggard. Hearing that Concubine Jiang was pregnant was a greater shock to her than to anyone else. She was afraid that Emperor Qin Huan would do something to her for the child in Concubine Jiang's belly.

"It's getting late, you all should go back."

The queen waved her hand but remained sitting in that seat without moving.

Outside Kunning Palace, Bai Yuzhi had always been forced to walk back to Yikun Palace with Concubine Jiang in the past, but today the place was exceptionally quiet. However, this quietness completely disappeared once they reached Yikun Palace.

Before Bai Yuzhi even walked in, he saw a long line of eunuchs carrying countless boxes and chests into the Yiku Palace. The empress dowager had someone bring out a chair for Concubine Jiang to sit on in the side hall. She just watched the rewards from the empress dowager and the emperor being carried into the palace like water. Especially when she saw Bai Yuzhi coming back, she didn't know how to show off.

"My dear Lady Heng, I'm truly sorry. These are all gifts from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. There are so many that I can't store them all here. I'll just borrow them from you for a while."

There were indeed a lot of rewards, and they were crowded together in the Yiku Palace. Moreover, Concubine Jiang deliberately asked the servants who served in her palace to hang around outside the palace, making the space even smaller. The boxes were almost piled up to the white jade door of the palace.

Bai Yuzhi said nothing, for the Queen Mother was sitting outside the palace with Concubine Jiang. She paid no attention to Bai Yuzhi at all. After hearing Concubine Jiang's seemingly apologetic but actually provocative words, she added, "You are a very noble person now. Just leave the things there. I think Concubine Heng has benefited from your good fortune, so I don't think she would be ungrateful."

The Queen Mother had originally had a mediocre impression of Bai Yuzhi because of Concubine Rong. After meeting Bai Yuzhi, she felt that she looked so unlike a human being that she might be a demon concubine. Now seeing Concubine Jiang's attitude, she naturally sided with Concubine Jiang and thought that Concubine Jiang and Bai Yuzhi did not get along, and that Bai Yuzhi must be restless.

Thinking of all the abnormalities that had occurred in Kunning Palace today, Emperor Qin Huan was already unhappy that Concubine Jiang was still living in the side hall of Yikun Palace. Now he was even more worried that Bai Yuzhi might do something vicious to Concubine Jiang, so he warned: "Concubine Heng, don't blame me for not warning you. If you offend Concubine Jiang, I and the Emperor will certainly not be polite."

Bai Yuzhi knew that the people around her were actually Emperor Qin Huan's people. Whatever she said or did could not escape Emperor Qin Huan's eyes and ears. Since that was the case, she must hurry to perform, because Bai Yuzhi suspected that Concubine Rong was trying to frame her for the fake child in Concubine Jiang's belly.

Fake things can't be real. The pulse is there, but the child is not. So there is only one possibility. Concubine Rong tried to make Concubine Jiang "miscarry" after faking pregnancy. On the one hand, it would cause a huge blow to Emperor Qin Huan and make him give up on making Yue Chengliu the crown prince. On the other hand, it could also put the blame of the miscarriage on her to get rid of Bai Yuzhi, who was even more beautiful than herself.

With this speculation, Bai Yuzhi must of course keep a backup plan.

Then, Bai Yuzhi walked gracefully to the Empress Dowager and Concubine Jiang, and said earnestly, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager. Although I envy Concubine Jiang's good fortune, when I think of the child in her belly, which is your Majesty's most desired offspring, how could I have the heart to do anything so treasonous? I certainly don't want to cause your Majesty any grief."

She put on an expression that was both joyful and resentful, so the Queen Mother couldn't even arouse suspicion. Bai Yuzhi's expression was simply that of a woman completely devoted to Emperor Qin Huan, yet her resentment stemmed from her own resentment at not having the good fortune to bear a child for her beloved husband.

This makes people feel that she would really not do anything to hurt the child, not because she is so kind or because she is afraid of the consequences, but because she really cares about the feelings of her loved one, so she can't bear it.

Although the Queen Mother favored Concubine Jiang, that was because she was pregnant with the heir to the throne. Ultimately, it was because of her love for Emperor Qin Huan that she acted in this way. This also made her a little more tolerant of Bai Yuzhi, who "wholeheartedly loved" Emperor Qin Huan. Although she still disliked it, she was too lazy to say anything to her and waved her hand for her to leave.

But Concubine Jiang was unwilling to stop there. She was dissatisfied with Emperor Qin Huan's attitude towards Bai Yuzhi in Kunning Palace today, so she insisted on making things difficult for Bai Yuzhi to vent her anger.

"Since Lady Heng says so, I won't be afraid to bother you. I'm experiencing morning sickness and can't stand any smells. I've long disliked your scent, so please don't use any perfume from now on."