Chapter 7 The Demon Queen

While walking along the paths in the Imperial Garden, Liu Xi would always secretly watch Liu Yu's slender figure.

Zhi Xiang learned the truth that Liu Yu had deliberately concealed from Yao'er.

Because the palace servants skimped on his meals, and the moldy and spoiled food upset Liu Yu's stomach, he simply starved himself and abruptly changed his habit of eating dinner.

Liu Xi felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this; no wonder he was so thin.

She called out to Liu Yu, and almost immediately heard his response.

"What have you thought about what your sister said earlier, A-Yu?"

The call of "A-Yu" made Liu Yu freeze in shock.

"What did my sister call me?"

“Ah Yu, he always calls you Seventh Brother, Seventh Brother, which makes him seem so distant.”

Liu Yu scratched his head shyly and chuckled twice.

"Hello, Ayu. Hello, Ayu."

"As long as my sister is happy calling me that, I'll change A-Yu's name."

Liu Xi couldn't help but laugh at his antics, but as she laughed, a pang of sadness welled up inside her.

The palace was full of people who fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak. Liu Xi could easily imagine how miserable Liu Yu's ten years must have been.

She became even more determined to help Liu Yu change his situation; at the very least, she wanted to live up to his calling her "sister."

Right now, it is important to figure out His Majesty's attitude towards Liu Yu.

Liu Xi had someone inquire and found out that His Majesty had not seen the Seventh Prince for more than two years. At the palace banquets that the princes and princesses were required to attend, Liu Yu was always prevented from showing up by various excuses.

Sometimes it is said that he was sickly and might disturb the emperor's presence.

Sometimes people say that he dresses poorly and disgraces the royal family.

As long as none of this is approved by His Majesty, there is still room for maneuver.

The group walked silently around the flower bed, their attention drawn to the murmur of discussion coming from deeper within.

"You think so too!"

"Of course, you said His Majesty has many sons, but his only daughter happens to be born to a wicked concubine."

I initially thought they were just maids chatting idly in the garden, but I never expected to be the main character in their conversation.

Liu Xi pulled Zhi Xiang, who was about to scold them, to indicate that she wanted to continue listening.

"Anyway, I think the princess and His Majesty don't look alike at all. Her face is exactly the same as that of the dead vixen. Staring at it for too long really makes one feel disgusted."

Despite the rumors and gossip, Liu Xi did not get angry.

How could a palace maid dare to gossip about the prince? She knew the reason behind it all; there must be someone else instigating it.

The author mentions the "femme fatale" several times in just a few sentences, making the intention clear.

A bewitching concubine seduces the world, jeopardizing the nation, causing the dynasty to fall, and bringing ruin to the land.

The Imperial Observatory used only these sixteen characters to take the life of Consort Jiang, causing Liu Xi and Liu Yan to suffer cold treatment.

This was the same method the Imperial Concubine used back then, easily eliminating Jiang, who posed the greatest threat to her position.

Right now, the Imperial Concubine is going to use the same method to get rid of Liu Xi, this troublesome and disobedient pawn.

So many years have passed and there has been no progress. Liu Xi really looked down on the Imperial Concubine.

Liu Xi remained silent, pondering her next move, but Liu Yu misunderstood her as being heartbroken and speechless.

He quietly raised his hand and covered Liu Xi's ears, then gently shifted her gaze to himself.

Only after the maid had walked away did Liu Yu lower his hands.

"Sister, you don't need to listen to those foul words. Look at me, don't I look like Father?"

Liu Xi was both amused and exasperated. But upon closer inspection, Liu Yu's eyebrows, eyes, lips, and teeth were indeed the complete opposite of His Majesty's.

He has a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes. Although he has almond-shaped eyes, the whites of his eyes are visible, which makes him appear somewhat aloof and distant when he relaxes.

Liu Xi didn't think much of it, assuming that he, like Liu Yan, had a strikingly beautiful birth mother.

“Ayu is still young, his face still has a childish look, of course he doesn’t look like his father.”

"Thanks to A-Yu, my sister wasn't saddened even when she heard harsh words."

Liu Xi spoke softly in a tone as if coaxing a child, and casually ruffled Liu Yu's hair.

She needs to find a suitable teacher for Liu Yu and train him to become someone more capable than the other princes so that the emperor will take him seriously again.

This will be a difficult start. Liu Yu has no one behind him; if he wants to grow, he can only rely on himself.

As the group strolled around until dinner time, Liu Yu rediscovered several palace paths, some of which His Majesty frequently passed through, and others that led to the Empress Dowager's palace.

At the dining table, Liuxi was unusually lively for a while.

She and Liu Yu talked about many topics that only children would care about, such as why no one harvests the lotus pods in the garden pond and boils them into sugar water, but instead lets them wither in the cold autumn.

Liu Xi rediscovered her childlike innocence in Liu Yu, and when she looked at her reflection in the soup, she felt as if she had become several years younger.

It was very late when Liu Yu reluctantly left Yihuai Pavilion.

Liu Xi was worried, so she specially asked Xia, who was by her side, to accompany and escort the Seventh Prince back to his palace.

Xia was a guard specially assigned by Huo Lin to serve Liu Xi. It was pitiful that this eight-foot-tall man had to bend over and pretend to be a eunuch next to Liu Xi in order to make it easier for him to move around in the harem.

When Xia returned to Yihuai Pavilion, Liu Xi was still waiting inside. It was already very late, and only the insects in the grass outside were still awake.

"There are no outsiders here, so there's no need to be formal."

Xia bowed with her hands clasped, "Thank you, Princess."

He reported to Liu Xi on the progress of planting spies in the Imperial Concubine's Kitchen and also mentioned Liu Yan's health condition.

"Zhu Zheng has already gained the Consort's trust. The prescriptions he gave to the Fifth Prince were all tonics that promote blood circulation and boost energy."

"In order to make Liu Yan more obedient, the Imperial Concubine would do everything she could to please him, and the small kitchen would be filled with fish and meat almost every day."

Liu Xi nodded in satisfaction, "No need to rush things, let him be powerful for a while first."

Based on her understanding of Liu Yan, his current eagerness to recover must be so that he can once again shine at the year-end grand court assembly and solidify his position in His Majesty's heart.

With such ambition, the imperial concubine naturally provided him with the best food and drink.

Unfortunately, having ambition but lacking common sense meant that Liu Yan was destined to never succeed in his life.

"If I can get him to have a fit before the grand court assembly, I wonder what kind of despair my brother will look on his face then."

"By the way, since Zhu Zheng is now highly regarded by the Imperial Concubine, why not have him pay more attention to her health as well?"

"The Imperial Concubine has been favored for many years but has never conceived a prince. In recent years, she has been extremely anxious about this."

It is said that when one is desperate, one will try anything. Even if one has a prince by one's side who can be relied upon, it is still not as good as one's own child whom one has carried for ten months.

Liu Xi played with the beaded string in her hand, pondering an interesting way to manipulate the Imperial Concubine and Liu Yan.

“In a few days, have Zhu Zheng come to see me secretly.”

Before you slander me as a reincarnated demon concubine, first experience the pain brought by rumors, Your Highness.

Liu Xi waved her hand, and Xia Xia withdrew from the hall. Zhi Xiang came in to help her back to her bedroom to change and wash up.

A few days later, Liu Xi saw her wet nurse, Madam Xiao, again by the side of the Imperial Concubine.

Xiao Shi has also undergone a complete transformation; now she is much more proper in both her behavior and speech.

Unfortunately, human nature is inherently stubborn, and violence only teaches her how to hide it, not how to correct it.

Following behind Consort Gui, Lady Xiao and Xiangying flanked her as she attended a small tea banquet hosted by Consort Wang.

Such banquets were usually just an excuse for the concubines in the imperial harem to get together, chat, and drink tea when they were bored.

But today's banquet is clearly aimed at Liu Xi.

"Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. I never thought that the wicked child born to that vixen could be reformed and tamed by the Imperial Concubine."

"Your Majesty, I have heard everything. The Fifth Prince risked his life to save His Majesty from danger at the hunting grounds. If it weren't for Your Majesty's careful guidance, how could the Fifth Prince have such courage and determination?"

Liu Xi, who was listening nearby, almost burst out laughing.

Look at those present today. Some are of very low rank and have almost no chance of meeting His Majesty. Others are concubines who are still quite prominent in the harem. Their common purpose is to wander around the harem and exchange all sorts of gossip.

The others—Wang Zhaoyi, Xiao Xiuyuan, and Xu Jieyu—were all henchmen of the Imperial Concubine.

If we were to investigate who was responsible for falsely accusing Jiang of being a wicked concubine, these individuals would be the first to be implicated.

They didn't give Liu Xi much time to overthink things; soon, the conversation turned to her.

"They say girls tend to resemble their mothers more, but I wonder what will happen to the fourth princess..."

"Sister, be careful what you say. Don't let gossips overhear and use Her Majesty as gossip for their own purposes."

The imperial concubine shook her head, feigning concern.

“I never worry about gossip. When I took in the Fifth Prince, there were so many rumors in the palace. Tell me, when have I ever cared about them?”

"My greatest wish is to educate the princes well for Your Majesty and prevent disasters."

As she spoke, the Imperial Concubine glanced meaningfully at Liu Xi.

"Watching the Fourth Princess grow up little by little, I don't know why, but I can always see the shadow of the Jiang family in her."

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it..."

As soon as these words were spoken, more eyes turned to Liu Xi, and the crowd whispered among themselves.

Xu Jieyu immediately flattered her.

"Your Majesty, one must always be wary of others. Even now, I still feel terrified when I think about the prophecy that the Imperial Observatory made back then."

"To protect His Majesty's safety and the stability of the nation, even the slightest sign of trouble should be nipped in the bud!"

Liu Xi raised an eyebrow. With the Imperial Concubine backing her up, she was full of confidence and dared to say such treasonous things.

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine's expression changed slightly.

She glared at Xu Jieyu, then quickly looked around to make sure most people were still focused on Liu Xi before she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"No matter what, the Fourth Princess is an imperial heir, His Majesty's daughter, and only His Majesty can decide her life."

Xu Jieyu nodded in agreement, constantly wiping the cold sweat that suddenly appeared on her forehead with her sleeve.

The Imperial Concubine was still quite clear-headed and knew the biggest difference between Liu Xi and Jiang Shi.

Perhaps a prophecy can kill a woman who is deeply favored by the emperor, but it cannot kill a child with the emperor's blood flowing through his veins.

However, there is one exception.

A subtle, mischievous smile crept across Liu Xi's lips.

Consort, do you think His Majesty would soften his heart if the blame for disaster fell on an unborn child?