Chu Yuan's eyes curved into crescents, bright and beautiful, sparkling with life. "Your Majesty, are you blaming me?"

"Hmph!" Emperor Xian of Wei snorted coldly.

Chu Yuan grabbed his large hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. "Your Majesty has misunderstood me. How could I bear to push Your Majesty to an outsider? It's just that my father and stepmother want me to do this, and I can't refuse, so I have no choice but to agree."

However, Your Majesty, could you please not favor my elder sister? Even if it's inconvenient for me to serve Your Majesty, please bear with me for a while. It will be fine after I give birth."

Hearing her explanation and pleading, Emperor Xian's expression gradually softened.

His large hand lingered around Chu Yuan's small, adorable navel, his tone mocking, "You little rascal, what excuse do you have? Do you think I don't know you have a grudge against Lu Qing? You're doing this to get revenge, aren't you?"

Chu Yuan blinked. "It is not gentlemanly to leave a grudge unavenged. Does Your Majesty prefer me to be like a soft dough, letting others knead and shape me?"

Chu Yuan wasn't afraid at all that Emperor Wei Xian would know her true purpose.

It would be even better if he knew.

That way he won't actually touch Lu Qing.

Lu Qing, despite holding the title of imperial concubine, is nothing more than a toy to her.

I can't wait to see Lu Qing's joyful entrance into the palace, only to discover that she will never be favored.

What's even more ridiculous is that she had to beg for this herself!

When Chu Yuan admitted it so readily, Emperor Wei Xian laughed, patted Chu Yuan's head, and sighed that his little concubine was extremely cute and straightforward.

He couldn't resist giving her firm, full breasts a good squeeze. "How do you knead and flatten them? Like this?"

Chu Yuan trembled slightly, playfully slapping the man's hand away, but he twisted her hands behind her back and bit her fiercely.

Countless faint teeth marks were left on her fair skin.

Emperor Xian of Wei thought he could control the situation, but as he played around, his possessiveness towards her intensified, like a mountain torrent gathering at its peak, just waiting to erupt.

"Yuan'er, I'm in pain, I don't care, you have to help me~" Emperor Wei Xian grabbed Chu Yuan's hand and guided it with a hidden purpose.

Chu Yuan knelt beside him and pecked him on the lips. "Considering that Your Majesty indulges my willfulness, I will naturally do my best to help Your Majesty."

As she finished speaking, she knelt back a little, her delicate fingers curling as she traced a path down the man's Adam's apple...

Emperor Xian of Wei gritted his teeth, "That pesky little vixen!"

The news of Chu Yuan's second pregnancy caused a huge uproar in the imperial court and the harem.

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Xian of Wei issued an edict summoning Lu Qing to the palace.

In contrast, few people paid attention to Consort Zheng's role in managing the inner palace.

Everyone is speculating whether it's because Consort Ying is fertile that the Emperor has taken a liking to the Lu family's daughters and wants to bring all of them into the palace to help the royal family produce more princes and princesses.

After all, compared to the previous dynasty, the current royal family has far too few offspring.

Even the Empress Dowager thought so, and fearing that Chu Yuan would be upset, she specially called her over to talk.

"Consort Ying, I am a woman too, and I know the hardships you are going through. You are pregnant, and the Emperor is still..."

"Sigh, there's nothing you can do about it. That's what it's like to marry into the royal family. Luckily, she's your own sister, which is much better than others."

Chu Yuan lowered her head, looking obedient and receptive. "Don't worry, Mother, I understand. I won't hold a grudge against the Emperor."

Of course she wasn't angry, because on the night Lu Qing was dressed in his wedding gown and carried into Liufang Pavilion, it was Chu Yuan who accompanied him to his bridal chamber.

Upon seeing her, Lu Qing was so startled that her makeup was ruined. "Lu... Lu Xueyuan, it's you! Where is the Emperor?"

Chu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed and casually touched the red nail polish she had just applied.

"Lu Qing, are you stupid? Do you really think the Emperor is so indiscriminate that he'd take any rotten fish or shrimp for granted?"

Lu Qing's eyes were bloodshot. "What do you mean? If the Emperor doesn't like me, why did he appoint me as Qing Changzai and let me enter the palace to accompany him?"

Chu Yuan looked up, silently and amusedly watching her.

After a long pause, Lu Qing finally reacted, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws in anger and resentment, "It's you! It's you, Lu Xueyuan! You did this on purpose!"

Chu Yuan took a step back to avoid being hurt by Lu Qing.

Her slightly upturned lips held an unusual cruelty. "Yes, it's me. But dear sister, you delivered yourself to my door, didn't you?"

My original plan was to delay your marriage for a few years, until you were an old maid, and then find you a less-than-ideal partner to marry you off.

But you have ambitions that are higher than the sky, and you want to enter the palace to compete with me and snatch things from me, just to show that you are better than me.

Then I can only reluctantly grant your wish this once.

Otherwise, how could I repay you for all the extra care and love you've given me over the years, and for having Granny Zhao in the kitchen add extra ingredients to my meals every day?

With each additional word Chu Yuan spoke, Lu Qing's face visibly paled, until her lips trembled and her pupils quivered.

She stumbled back a few steps, then collapsed onto the bed with a thud. "You knew everything! Lu Xueyuan, you actually knew everything!"

Chu Yuan stroked her slender fingers, "So, you can't blame me for things turning out like this."

"If you have someone to blame, blame yourself."

Having said all she wanted to say, Chu Yuan didn't want to get entangled with her any further and turned to leave.

But Lu Qing suddenly snapped out of her daze and charged at Chu Yuan like a madwoman, yelling, "You bitch! You ruined me, and I won't let you get away with this!"

She knew Chu Yuan was pregnant, so killing her would be the best outcome, resulting in the death of both mother and child.

She schemed against him and framed him!

Unexpectedly, Chu Yuan had already prepared a backup plan. With a flash, Xiao Luzi appeared from her side and kicked Lu Qing in the chest, sending Lu Qing crashing into the edge of the bed and rolling under it.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!