Chapter 31 The harem has always been a place of open and covert struggles.
Inside Jingren Palace, ever since Du Xianyue punished Lu Zhaoxue in the Imperial Garden that day, Chu Huaiyu has never come to the Empress's palace again.
Du Xianyue felt deeply aggrieved, wondering if Chu Huaiyu was avoiding her palace because of Lu Zhaoxue?
When her personal maid Bai Zhi reported that Chu Huaiyu had been frequently summoning dancers to the palace recently, Du Xianyue's hand holding the teacup tightened suddenly.
Du Xianyue slammed the teacup down on the table, the scalding tea splashing onto the bright yellow tablecloth, leaving a messy water stain. Du Xianyue's eyes were filled with unyielding grief and resentment.
Before Chu Huaiyu ascended the throne, he took great care of her. After he ascended the throne, he directly made her empress. The six palaces were always just for show. Du Xianyue thought that this love could last a lifetime, but why did Chu Huaiyu suddenly change?
Feelings of grievance and resentment overwhelmed Du Xianyue like a tidal wave. Her eyes instantly reddened, and just as she was about to shed tears, a palace maid's voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Lady Wang has come to pay her respects."
Du Xianyue quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and ordered, "Madam Xuan, come in."
Lady Wang, dressed in a deep purple brocade robe and wearing a red gold headband inlaid with pearls, walked steadily into the hall. All the palace servants withdrew, and the hall doors were tightly closed.
Upon seeing her mother, Du Xianyue could no longer hold back her grievances, and tears streamed down her face: "Mother, His Majesty has changed his mind... Chu Huaiyu has changed his mind!"
Du Xianyue poured out all the torment she had endured these past few days, from the events in the Imperial Garden to Chu Huaiyu's current coldness towards her.
"His Majesty hasn't visited my palace for quite some time now, and I've also heard from Bai Zhi that His Majesty has been frequently summoning dancers to the palace lately. If this continues, where will I find a place in this palace?"
After saying this, Du Xianyue could no longer hold on and threw herself into Madam Wang's arms, her shoulders trembling violently.
Lady Wang gently patted Du Xianyue's back, her eyes unfathomable, and sighed, "Yue'er, let alone His Majesty, all men in the world are like this, fickle and easily bored! If you expect His Majesty to never change his heart, that's just wishful thinking."
"Mother, am I... am I just supposed to watch His Majesty grow distant from me?"
"Of course not. Mother tells you, the reason His Majesty summoned the dancers to the palace was simply for novelty, plus these women of low status have always been quite skilled at serving men."
"Not to mention His Majesty, every man in the world would be extremely fond of him."
Upon hearing this, Du Xianyue's cheeks flushed crimson, her ears burned, and she said shyly, "Mother... but as the Empress, how could I do such... such a shameless thing?"
"shame?"
Lady Wang snorted coldly, her tone filled with disappointment, "Then you'll have to wait until His Majesty's heart is stolen by other women, and until they become pregnant with His Majesty's child, threatening your position as Empress. Then you'll realize how serious things are!"
"You have been married to His Majesty for many years, and he has naturally grown tired of your dignified and proper demeanor. Only something new can win back His Majesty's heart."
As Madam Wang spoke, she carefully taught Du Xianyue a bold method. The explicitness in her words made Du Xianyue's face turn even redder, like a ripe cherry, and even her neck turned pink.
Du Xianyue bit her lip. Yes, what could be more important than winning back His Majesty's heart now?
Suddenly, a resolute glint flashed in Du Xianyue's eyes: "Mother, Yue'er understands. By the way, Mother, there is one more thing. I punished Lu Zhaoxue, and His Majesty happened to see it. Perhaps... perhaps that's why he's been neglecting me."
"Mother, do you think His Majesty still has feelings for Lu Zhaoxue, which is why he's angry with me and won't come to see me?"
"Lu Zhaoxue?" Madam Wang raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
"Moon, you can rest assured. Putting aside the fact that Lu Zhaoxue is already a wife, given her current state, our Emperor wouldn't be so desperate as to go to such lengths!"
“Mother, but…but His Majesty’s actions that day…”
After pondering for a moment, Madam Wang said coldly, "However, Yue'er, your concerns are not without merit. Perhaps Lu Zhaoxue deliberately put on a show in front of you, hoping to seduce His Majesty. Wasn't she the same way back then? It's just that she made a fool of herself."
"Right now, perhaps Lu Zhaoxue is looking for another way out!"
"She wants to find another way out?" Du Xianyue murmured, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. "Does Mother mean that Lu Zhaoxue still wants to return to His Majesty's side?"
Madam Wang nodded. "Lu Zhaoxue already had a past relationship with His Majesty, and now that Chu Siheng has fallen on hard times, she naturally wants to find another way out!"
"Moon, you must not let your guard down. Your most important task right now is to win back His Majesty's heart as soon as possible!"
"If you can conceive a prince, your position as empress will be as secure as Mount Tai. At that time, not only Lu Zhaoxue, but no woman will be a threat!"
Du Xianyue took a deep breath and nodded heavily, the confusion and grievance in her eyes gradually being replaced by determination.
"Mother, I know what to do."
The inner palace is always rife with open and covert struggles! She would never sit idly by and wait for her doom; she had to firmly grasp Chu Huaiyu's heart!
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