Su Yushan had made everything clear to her, both what should and shouldn't be said, and she would no longer interfere with Consort Cheng's choice.

After the Imperial Noble Consort left, the room returned to silence, but Consort Cheng's heart was in turmoil, because the Imperial Noble Consort's words had shattered her preconceived notions.

The Imperial Noble Consort said: People should live for themselves, but she had lived for more than ten years, always listening to the arrangements of her parents and aunt, following the path they gave her, and never thinking about what she really wanted.

To preserve her reputation and avoid being talked about, she chose to stay in the cold palace or commit suicide. But as the Imperial Noble Consort said, if she died, who would care about her?

Her parents probably won't grieve for her; they'll just think she's useless.

But if she doesn't commit suicide and leaves the palace to go home, can she really bear the cold stares of her family?

Cheng Guiren's mind raced, unsure of what to do. Leaning against the tent, her tears dried and then soaked again. She murmured, her voice hoarse.

"Sulan, if you were in her shoes, what would you choose?"

Su Lan heard everything the Imperial Noble Consort said clearly. As a maid, she shouldn't have spoken out of turn, but since her mistress had asked, she truthfully told her what she thought.

"Forgive my boldness, but I believe the Imperial Noble Consort's words make sense. I have already inquired and found that for the past ten years or so, the Emperor has favored only the Imperial Noble Consort. The Empress and Consort Rong have both fallen out of favor. Even the four new ladies-in-waiting who entered the palace three years ago have never been favored by the Emperor."

Therefore, it's clear that the Emperor is a devoted lover, and Your Majesty's chances of gaining favor are slim. More importantly, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are at odds, and their conflicts are numerous. As the Empress Dowager's niece, even if you don't make any mistakes, the Emperor will still be wary of you. Your future days are likely to be difficult!

Su Lan was someone she brought from her home; she was a trustworthy and good maid. Even she said so, making Consort Cheng increasingly doubt the meaning of her insistence on staying in the palace...

The Empress Dowager was still hoping for a turn of events, but unexpectedly, Rouzhu agreed to leave the palace!

Her decision was exactly what Hongli wanted. Without giving the Empress Dowager any chance to react, Hongli sent Rouzhu out of the palace.

By the time the Empress Dowager found out, the person had already left the palace gates, and there was no way to change it!

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she fell ill, and Hongli took this opportunity to send her to Changchun Garden to recuperate.

Her son insisted on sending her away, and the Empress Dowager, heartbroken, left the palace in a huff. She wanted to see how long he could live so carefree without her!

Upon learning that Consort Cheng had been banished from the palace, everyone felt sorry for her, but Rongzhen was filled with envy. She wished she were the one who had been banished. Only by leaving the palace could one gain freedom.

Unfortunately, she no longer has the chance to leave, and she will probably spend the rest of her life within these red walls.

Hongli didn't care how other women felt; all he knew was that he and Yushan could finally have some peace and quiet!

The children usually went to school, leaving only the youngest son by her side. Su Yushan often took the youngest son to play in the palace, with Xilan and Chen Lanxu accompanying them.

Because of Yu Shan, Xi Lan and the others were all promoted. Xi Lan was promoted to Consort Yu, and Chen Lanxu was promoted to Consort Wan.

When Lan Rong went to pay her respects to the Empress, she complained, intentionally or unintentionally, that she had only exchanged a few words with the Imperial Noble Consort years ago, and the Emperor had demoted her to the rank of Consort, a demotion that lasted for several years, during which time she was never reinstated.

"Your Majesty, when we were still in the Prince's residence, I entered the household as a secondary consort. Now that Xi Lan, a mere concubine, has been promoted to the rank of Consort, and I am also a Consort, wouldn't that make me a laughingstock?"

She, the empress, had already become a laughing stock in the palace, so what did Lan Rong's little affair amount to?

Yu Ying guessed that Lan Rong wanted her to plead with the Emperor to reinstate her, but Yu Ying herself was in danger, so why should she bother with her affairs?

If Yu Ying were to speak up, Hongli would surely reprimand her again. Yu Ying was too lazy to do something that was thankless and exhausting.

Before Lan Rong could speak, Yu Ying spoke first, letting out a lament.

“Who says otherwise? I was worried about you too. Yesterday I even told the Emperor that if anyone was to be promoted, he should treat everyone equally and reinstate you as well. But the Emperor scolded me, saying that no woman who offends the Imperial Noble Consort will have a good end. He even threatened me that if I pleaded for you again, he would send me to Changchun Garden.”

The Empress struck first, blocking Lan Rong's escape route. Upon hearing this, Lan Rong hated Su Yushan even more.

If it weren't for Su Yushan's presence, given her special status as someone who had been kind to Hongli, she would surely have gained his favor. Unfortunately, she arrived too late; this woman had already bewitched Hongli, and he could no longer see anyone else.

She used to dare to try to deal with Su Yushan, but now Hongli is protecting Su Yushan too closely, so she has no way to do anything about it and doesn't have the guts. After all, Hongli doesn't even show mercy to his own mother, so how could she dare to be presumptuous?

Aside from jealousy, she seemed to be powerless to do anything.

Right now, all she can hope for is the relentless erosion of time. Su Yushan may still have charm at thirty, but what about when she turns forty?

Men are all lustful. When Su Yushan's beauty fades, will Hongli still dote on her?

Lan Rong was most looking forward to the day Su Yushan fell from the height. She wanted to see with her own eyes how terrible and desperate Su Yushan's fall would be!

Everyone else was waiting to see her fall from grace, but Su Yushan cherished the present moment. Her greatest wish was for her children to grow up safe and healthy.

The Fifth Prince can speak more and more words, and his little white teeth have grown a lot. Yu Shan has started to make complementary foods for the child and let him eat some rice and vegetables.

Emperor Hongli remained busy. Liang Shizheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, reported that various expenditures, especially military pay, were insufficient to cover the costs, and that the old system needed to be reformed to change the situation.

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