But unexpectedly...
He Beiyi's voice was filled with anger: "Does the Empress think I'm blind? Or are all the people in your palace blind?!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" the concubines cried out in fear.
He Beiyi frowned deeply; the Empress was going too far these days!
In the past, whenever he had a concubine he favored, the Empress would always try to suppress her, either by causing her to die of illness or by making her violate palace rules. He remembered her hardships and never held it against her.
But this time...
He Beiyi gently placed Li Yunyan on the soft chair, raised his hand to touch her forehead, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her flushed cheeks, and then instructed Yuan Qing to summon the imperial physician.
His movements were cautious, radiating obvious favor and affection, causing the concubines present to instantly clench their sleeves, inwardly cursing him for being a seductive vixen.
This scene deeply wounded the Empress's heart.
She and He Beiyi were childhood sweethearts and had enjoyed several years of loving companionship.
Her family spared no effort in supporting him step by step to become emperor. She thought that after becoming empress, she could rest easy, but she never expected that beauties would be sent into the harem one after another like a flowing river.
His Majesty lingers among the flowers and toils day after day, yet he has only one little princess born to Consort Hui.
Thinking of her child who died just one day after birth, the Empress felt a surge of intense resentment.
She had no children of her own, and she would never allow any other concubine to bear her children!
The Empress remained calm and composed as she softly apologized to He Beiyi: "Your Majesty, it was all my negligence today that caused Consort Li to suffer unnecessarily. I will make sure to supervise the servants below so that they will keep their eyes open and never be negligent again."
He Beiyi glanced at her coldly, "The Empress is busy with countless affairs of state. If she is truly unable to manage the servants properly, I can have Consort Hui share some of the burden with the Empress!"
Consort Hui stood up at the opportune moment and bowed to the Emperor and Empress, saying, "It is my duty to do so!"
After saying this, he looked at the Empress with seemingly respectful eyes, but his eyes actually held a hidden glint.
The struggle between Consort Hui and the Empress had been going on for quite some time. Consort Hui's family, the General of the Northern Garrison, wielded considerable military power, making them a formidable rival to the Empress's family. Furthermore, she had a five-year-old princess, giving her even more leverage and making her unafraid of the Empress's authority.
The Empress instantly gripped her handkerchief tightly, and smiled gracefully, "Consort Hui has worked hard taking care of Princess Anchang, so there's no need to trouble you further!"
After saying that, she looked at He Beiyi again, her eyes filled with a hint of pleading, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, and I will definitely manage the harem well in the future."
He Beiyi only intended to give the Empress a warning, not to incite conflict within the harem. Seeing that the Empress had lowered her stance, he coldly snorted, "This time I'll let it go, but if there's a next time..."
The Empress immediately curtsied: "Your Majesty, rest assured, there will be no next time!"
He Beiyi was satisfied with her attitude, so he stopped looking at her and turned his gaze back to Li Yunyan.
"How is Consort Li?"
Just then, the imperial physician finished taking Li Yunyan's pulse and, observing the situation in the hall, had already figured out how to respond.
"Your Majesty, Consort Li is delicate and has been exposed to the sun for a long time, so her skin shows signs of sunburn."
Looking at Li Yunyan's flushed cheeks, He Beiyi's anger towards the Empress, which he had just suppressed, surged again. He asked with concern, "Is the situation serious?"
The imperial physician bowed and said, "Fortunately, the autumn sun is not very strong. Consort Li only needs to apply the white jade ointment, and she will recover in a few days."
"Then prepare medicine for Consort Li and make sure she recovers!"
"Your humble servant obeys the decree!"
White Jade Ointment is a special product made in the palace, containing rare and precious medicinal materials such as Tian Shan Snow Lotus, which are priceless. The ingredients used are extremely valuable.
Previously, only His Majesty and the Empress Dowager were entitled to use it; even the Empress had never used it. Now, Consort Li has only suffered a minor sunburn, yet His Majesty personally bestowed the medicine upon her—truly enviable.
And jealousy.
The empress's expression was about to crumble; she suddenly lowered her eyes and took a deep breath.
His Majesty had just reprimanded her, and she could not show any dissatisfaction at this moment. If she angered His Majesty again, she might really have to give half of her authority over the harem to Consort Hui!
We need to take a longer-term view!
Li Yunyan remained silent throughout, leaning there delicately, but in reality, she was subtly observing He Beiyi's group of women.
He Beiyi is so lucky!
These concubines were all extremely beautiful, each with their own unique charm, some plump and some slender. Their eyes and hearts were only on He Beiyi, and ever since he entered, their gazes had been fixed on him.
Seeing He Beiyi showing concern for her, and all those eyes staring at her with hatred, as if they wanted to bore a hole through her.
Li Yunyan lowered her eyes. He Beiyi was indeed treating her well at the moment, but she really couldn't accept such a blessing!
Feeling the breath on the roof, Li Yunyan naturally adjusted her sitting posture, lazily turning her flushed face towards that direction.
With her movement, her figure became graceful and slender, perfectly showcasing a beautiful curve.
Such unrestrained behavior would normally have drawn a reprimand, but since the Empress was preoccupied with her own affairs and the other concubines had no right to speak up, they had no choice but to turn a blind eye.
He Beiyi's voice was slightly hoarse, "I will escort you back to Chonghua Palace."
Before she could reply, he bent down, picked her up, and strode towards the door.
Leaving behind a group of unwilling concubines: "Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off!"
Seeing the emperor walk away, the concubines who had been kneeling on the ground stood up one after another. They had all witnessed the empress being reprimanded and were now feeling uneasy.
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