"I didn't make excuses, I'm telling the truth!" She swears to God that she really didn't cry, but Hongli just wouldn't believe her, always thinking that she was deliberately hiding something.

“A gust of wind blew by just now, and my eyes felt uncomfortable. I rubbed them a few times before they became red. Yunfang knows about this. You can ask Yunfang if you don’t believe me.”

"Is there a breeze? I don't feel it." Hongli was preoccupied with his own thoughts and absent-minded, so he naturally didn't notice the breeze around him.

Su Yushan was both amused and exasperated. She turned to look in the mirror and found that her left eye was indeed red. "If I were crying, both eyes would be red, but only my left eye is red. It's obviously not from crying."

"Really?" Hongli observed her carefully and found that her right eye was normal, without any tears, before he believed her.

"How are you feeling now? Does your eye still hurt?"

Su Yushan shook her head. "I shed a few tears, but it seems like they washed away the dirt. I feel better now."

After confirming that she was alright, Hongli was slightly relieved. "You scared me. I thought you were secretly crying and resenting me."

That's a strange thing to say. "Why would I hate you for no reason?"

"I went to Changchun Palace! I was worried you'd overthink things." Although he was upright, he was still somewhat guilty.

Her eyes dimmed slightly, and Su Yushan looked away, chuckling to herself, "If I were angry about this, I would have died of anger long ago. How could I still be alive?"

Before she could finish speaking, Hongli stopped her, saying, "Don't say such things about death and life; it's unlucky."

She's numb now, too lazy to care anymore. "You already have a child, so what does it matter whether you go to her place or not, or whether you touch her again?"

“That’s different. Before, I was forced to have sex with her because I needed to have a legitimate son. Now that I have a legitimate son, I will not touch her again, and I will not do those things that make you sad.”

He had no reason to lie to her, so Su Yushan chose to believe him. "I know, that's why I didn't cry or get upset. You're making a fuss over nothing."

Hongli breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for her understanding.

After speaking frankly, he calmed down a bit, sat down and drank a cup of tea, then went out to play with his youngest son for a quarter of an hour. Li Yu came over to report that Grand Councilor Zhang Tingyu was requesting an audience. Only then did Hongli put down his son and return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to handle state affairs.

News of Hongli's visit to Changchun Palace quickly spread throughout the palace. Upon learning of this, Cui Ning privately chatted with her mistress:

"It's been many years since the Emperor and Empress shared a bed. Why would he suddenly go to Changchun Palace? Could it be that he had a fight with Consort Chun?"

Isn't this obvious? Gao Xiuwen guessed, "It's probably the Empress Dowager's idea. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's suppression, why would the Emperor be willing to go?"

When the women in the harem had some free time, they couldn't help but speculate, "I wonder if the Emperor will have sex with the Empress."

After finishing her lotus root starch drink, Gao Xiuwen rinsed her mouth, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and chuckled, "If he were to have sex with the Empress, I'm afraid Su Yushan would cry and make a scene with him again. I reckon the Emperor is just putting on an act."

Speaking of this matter, Cui Ning still doesn't understand, "Our emperor is the ruler of a country, why should he be afraid of a woman?"

Shaking her head slightly, Gao Xiuwen corrected, "You're wrong. This isn't called being wary. When someone dotes on another, no matter how much they act spoiled or capricious, he'll see it as affection. But if he ever stops loving them, and Consort Chun dares to act like that again, the Emperor will definitely be disgusted!"

Isn't she herself the best example? When she first entered the manor, Hongli treated her very well, but didn't he change his mind later?

She always believed that Hongli was not a devoted man, and that sooner or later he would eventually tire of Su Yushan.

At that time, she will wait and see Su Yushan make a fool of herself!

Cui Ning also felt sorry for her mistress. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager trusted her a lot. Although the Emperor would not stay overnight, he would come to have a meal with her every month. Who knows, her mistress might regain the Emperor's favor in the future.

Thinking this, Cui Ning prayed, "I hope His Majesty will soon open his eyes and no longer be deceived by that bewitching concubine."

As the saying goes, one stone stirs up a thousand waves; everyone is making their own wishful thinking.

When Hongli was not there, the people in Changchun Palace were relatively well-behaved and had no ambitions. But once he left, some of them began to stir up trouble.

Wouldn't it be a waste of such a great opportunity to sleep separately like this? For the sake of her master's future, Dongling specially suggested to her master that when the emperor comes again next time, she hopes that her master can seize the opportunity to try to win the emperor's attention and attract his gaze.

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying's expression darkened. "I am the Empress, and I must set an example by upholding the virtues of gentleness and virtue. How can I be like Su Yu Shan, using such seductive means to seduce the Emperor?"

Seeing her mistress's expression change, Dongling immediately knelt down. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. That's not what I meant. Your Majesty is the Emperor's principal wife. You have no need to bewitch others."

But men, you know, mostly like novelty. Your Majesty, you usually dress neatly and plainly. If you were to change into something brightly colored, the Emperor's eyes would light up, and he would be in a good mood. The two of you would then have a pleasant conversation, and wouldn't you be as good as before? Then, if you could give the Second Prince a little brother or sister, he would surely be very happy.”

Dong Ling's encouragement made Yu Ying somewhat tempted, and she secretly considered whether she should give it a try.

Seeing that her master had stopped scolding her and seemed to be pondering something, Dongling felt that things were going well, so she presented the clothes she had prepared in advance.

"The Emperor will come tomorrow night. I will bathe and change you then. Once you put on this dress, the Emperor will surely be captivated by you."

Yu Ying glanced at it seemingly unintentionally, then immediately looked embarrassed. "This...this isn't quite right! This kind of clothing probably doesn't suit me."

Dong Ling smiled and advised, "A woman's beauty is ever-changing. Your Majesty, you may try it out and see how the Emperor reacts."

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