Chapter 146 The Divorced Heiress—Jealousy

That night, apart from Chenxi Palace, no one could sleep.

The sky was still dark, the east was just beginning to lighten, and all was quiet except for the occasional bird call.

As the time for court was approaching, Chen Bao cautiously pushed open the door.

"Be gentle." A deep voice sounded, and Chen Bao shrank back in fright, feeling as if his feet weighed a ton, and dared not put any weight on them, walking even more lightly.

The curtain to the inner room was gently opened, and Xiao Heng, already dressed, came out.

"Go outside to wash up," Xiao Heng instructed Chen Bao in a low voice.

Chen Bao truly never expected that Consort Chen would be so favored! Even the Emperor had to go outside to wash up for her sake... This is just too much favor!

"No need to wake Consort Chen. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare Consort Chen's breakfast at any time, and send it over whenever Consort Chen wakes up."

After washing up, Xiao Heng spoke to Guiyun, the head palace maid beside Yaoyao.

Guiyun immediately knelt down, trembling. This was the first time she had faced the Emperor directly, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "This servant obeys the decree."

Xiao Heng casually straightened his clothes; though the movement was unhurried, it exuded a composed elegance.

"Go to the Empress and ask Consort Chen for leave. She doesn't need to pay her respects to the Empress today."

After Xiao Heng walked out of the gate of Chenxi Palace, he suddenly stopped and turned to give instructions to Chen Baodao.

Chen Bao quickly bowed and replied, "This servant obeys the decree."

At this moment, sunlight streamed into the room through the clean windows, the bed curtains blocking the glare, and Yaoyao was still fast asleep.

Her delicate eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she were having a sweet dream. Her breathing was steady and even, completely immersed in sleep, oblivious to everything happening outside.

However, on this seemingly peaceful morning, she caused a huge uproar in the outside world.

Everyone except Yaoyao was present at Changchun Palace.

"May Your Majesty the Empress enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Consort Zhao, along with several other concubines, paid their respects to the Empress.

"No need for formalities, please rise," the Empress said with a smile as she sat down.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress."

As usual, the group sat down in their familiar seats.

The seat opposite Consort Zhao had always been empty. In theory, Consort Chen should have been sitting there, but today no one was sitting there either, and everyone had figured out the reason.

Seeing that everyone's attention had been drawn to the empty seat in front, the Queen's eyes held no trace of a smile, but she smiled slightly and said:

"It's been a long time since the palace has welcomed any new members. I was hoping that you ladies could get to know the new Consort Chen today, but Consort Chen has asked for leave. It was His Majesty who sent someone to tell me this."

After the Queen finished speaking calmly, she knew how devastating her last sentence would be to everyone present!

The original emperor was known for his fairness and impartiality, and never broke the palace rules for anyone!

Now, the Emperor himself is helping me request leave. Such biased favor is something no one can accept!

The empress, seated high above, watched with a smile the changing expressions of those sitting below. Seeing their unpleasant looks, the empress finally felt a little better.

Consort Zhao was also unhappy, but she was smart and would not easily fall for the Empress's tricks. Now that the position of Crown Prince was still uncertain, she would not let the Empress find any fault with her.

The remaining concubines did not come from prominent families, and although they were unhappy, they dared not gossip about the emperor in front of the empress.

Receiving a glance from the Empress, Consort Ye gently covered her mouth with her handkerchief and said with a smile:

"Consort Chen is a renowned beauty, and she is so young. I am ashamed of my own appearance! When Consort Chen becomes pregnant, His Majesty will be overjoyed. I wonder what a grand occasion will be then."

The words "child" struck a chord with Consort Zhao. Currently, there are only two princes in the palace. If the favored Consort Chen were to also have a child, what would the Emperor choose?

The Empress had anticipated this, and her hands clenched tightly beneath her clothes as she struggled to control her emotions.

Even though Consort Zhao was furious, she managed to control her emotions, knowing that the Empress was waiting for her to make a statement.

"Why should Consort Ye feel sorry for herself? As concubines in the harem, everything revolves around the Emperor. He can go wherever he wants, which is beyond our control. Instead of lamenting here, you should think more about how to please the Emperor. Being old is not an excuse. I refuse to accept being old! As the eldest of us, the Empress will certainly not accept being old either!"

Consort Zhao looked down at her long fingernails and said with a half-smile, without even glancing at Consort Ye.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and Ye Jieyu was speechless.

The Empress, who was said to be the oldest, immediately turned pale and said, word by word, "What Consort Zhao says is true. As the Emperor's first wife, I will naturally not accept that I am old!"

Having said that, without waiting for anyone else to speak, the Empress continued:

"My sisters are all naturally beautiful, so there's no need for you to feel inferior. When Consort Chen arrives tomorrow, you must get along well with her. We are all family!"

The Empress's expression was flawless; no one could see the jealousy and resentment hidden deep within her heart.

"Yes, I will follow Her Majesty the Empress's instructions."

After chatting for a while, the greeting finally ended.

The Empress pressed her fingers to her temples, her brows furrowed. Chun Tao came in from outside and whispered a few words in the Empress's ear.

With a loud "smack," the Empress slammed her hand heavily on the table, her eyes bloodshot, her voice filled with anger:

"She really is a vixen! What a seductive creature! She even kept the Emperor awake all night! What a scourge!"

"Su! Yao! Yao!"

As she uttered the name that was on her mind, the Empress gritted her teeth in anger, her years of self-restraint shattered in that moment.

Not only the Empress, but also Consort Zhao and the others, after returning to their palaces, gradually learned about what had happened the previous night, and everyone's eyes burned with intense jealousy.

*

After a good night's sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.

"Miss, ah, no, Your Majesty!" Guiyun didn't react for a moment and blurted out the previous title.

After Guiyun corrected it, the master and servant looked at each other and smiled.

"Guiyun, I'm so hungry!" Yaoyao loves to act cute with people she's familiar with.

Guiyun quickly turned around to look behind her, and after confirming that it was only the two of them, mistress and servant, she said to Yaoyao:

"Your Majesty, this is the palace. You should be careful, otherwise it won't be good if others hear us."

Yaoyao pinched her nose and said, "Okay, okay, you little busybody!"

Guiyun laughed like a child: "This servant will always be Your Highness's housekeeper!"

Yao Yao: "Alright, housekeeper, hurry up and help your mistress get dressed, she's starving!"

Guiyun: "Yes, sir!"