Chapter 363 Palace Intrigue Drama
He Ling was enlightened by Jiang Huan's words and her mind was suddenly clear. She stopped worrying about the potential risks that had not yet occurred, chatted with her for a while, and then prepared to take her leave.
Jiang Huan suddenly called out to her, dismissed the palace servants serving her, and even told Xiao Zhao to wait far away outside the hall.
For a moment, only the two of them remained in the hall.
He Ling blinked in confusion: "Your Majesty?"
Jiang Huan gave her a mysterious smile and lowered her voice, saying, "Staying in this palace all day must be so boring. Besides exchanging items, does your system have any entertainment functions? Like, can you play some dramas?"
He Ling was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up and she almost jumped up with excitement.
"Yeah, how come I didn't think of that?"
[System, quick, do you have any TV series or movies?]
[If Your Majesty wants to see it, hurry up and pick a good one!]
System: "Ding! Entertainment needs of the host and target have been detected. The system database contains a massive amount of film and television resources, which will be filtered and recommended based on the host's era and preferences."
Recommended categories: historical palace dramas, time-travel dramas, sweet romance dramas... Very low point consumption, only 10 points per month!
He Ling rubbed her hands excitedly: "Yes, yes, yes! What kind of movie would you like to watch, Your Majesty? Palace intrigue? Romance? Or... uh, fantasy/mythology?"
Jiang Huan thought for a moment, then a mischievous smile appeared on her lips: "Let's go with a palace intrigue theme, it's more fitting for the occasion."
"Okay!"
He Ling immediately gave the system the following command: [System, pick the most classic, most melodramatic, and most scheming palace drama, in high definition and uncensored!]
System: "Received, filtering complete. Recommended playback: 'The Legend of XX,' a classic palace drama with 76 episodes. Would you like to start playing the first episode?"
He Ling: [Broadcast, broadcast, broadcast, hurry up!]
The next second, a pale blue light screen, visible only to the two of them, quietly unfolded in the air, its clear and smooth images and sounds instantly attracting their attention.
The two of them, completely unconcerned about their image, nestled together on the cushioned tatami mat, their heads close together, watching the palace drama with great interest.
The drama features a series of scenes of concubines engaging in verbal battles, framing each other, and vying for the emperor's favor.
He Ling exclaimed, "Wow, this concubine is too ruthless! She actually used such methods to frame people!"
"Oh dear, is this emperor stupid? Can't he see that?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, poisoning, poisoning again, the whole harem is full of Deadly Poison Masters."
"Even though XX has been broadcast eight hundred times, it still feels fresh every time I watch it."
As Jiang Huan watched the concubines in the drama go to great lengths to win the emperor's favor, even risking their lives, she couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).
She recalled the scene when she first came into this world and entered the palace.
At that time, she was alone and helpless, and had been treated coldly and bullied.
If it weren't for my cheat-like abilities, I don't know where I'd be hiding right now.
How could I be like this now, comfortably nestled on a soft couch, eating snacks and watching TV?
She gently touched her slightly protruding belly, a smile playing on her lips.
The journey has been full of ups and downs, but it's also been a process of leveling up by overcoming challenges.
From an unknown nobody to now firmly seated in the empress's palace, pregnant with the emperor's child, and even warming up the once ice-cold emperor, turning him into a love-struck fool.
Wow, if this experience were written into a storybook, it would probably be a bestseller.
She watched with great interest, occasionally offering her comments: "This method is too crude and full of flaws. If it were in the real palace, she would have been dragged out and beaten to death long ago."
"Hmm, this method of using someone else to do the dirty work was quite clever, but unfortunately the cleanup afterwards wasn't done cleanly enough."
"Competing for favor by only focusing on the emperor's side is narrow-minded. Instead, we should think about how to seize real power."
The two watched and commented on the content, finding it quite enjoyable.
But as she watched, until a royal heir died in the struggle for power, He Ling suddenly sighed, rested her chin on her hand, and became somewhat depressed.
“Your Majesty,” she said in a muffled voice, “Although TV dramas have fictional elements, art imitates life. Do you think that after you give birth to your baby, the Emperor will also hold a selection of concubines like in the drama, and then a bunch of new people will enter the harem, vying for your favor and scheming against each other.”
She grew increasingly worried as she spoke, her brows furrowing: "Although the Emperor is devoted to you now, he is the Emperor. Who can predict what will happen in the future? What if... what if he changes his mind later?"
This question actually touched a nerve with Jiang Huan.
She comes from the modern era and was taught to be a monogamous couple for life.
Although rationally she knew this was ancient times, and it was common for emperors to have three palaces and six courtyards, it was already rare for Huo Lin to go to such lengths for her.
But emotionally, the thought that Huo Lin might embrace other people in the future, be kind to others, and even have children with others makes her heart ache as if it were being pricked by needles.
Although she appears open-minded and insightful on the surface, as if she has everything under control, when it comes to emotions, who can truly be completely carefree?
She is human too, and she also has possessiveness.
She loved Huo Lin, that man with a cold exterior but a passionate and pure heart.
It is precisely because of love that he cannot imagine sharing his image with others.
Jiang Huan's smile faded, and her eyes glazed over for a moment.
She remained silent for a moment, without answering immediately.
Seeing her silent demeanor, He Ling felt even more panicked.
[Oh no, I misspoke! Is Your Majesty upset?]
The system, purely enjoying the spectacle, fanned the flames: "According to historical data, the probability of an emperor being faithful is less than 20%, and the risk of him changing his mind is high. The host is advised to prepare mentally beforehand."
He Ling: [Shut up, no one will think you're mute if you don't speak.]
Listening to the noise in her mind, Jiang Huan let out a soft breath, suppressing the discomfort in her heart.
She raised her head again, her face regaining its usual calm and gentle smile.
"Who can say what the future holds?" She shrugged, her tone casual, as if discussing tomorrow's weather. "But, well, what if that day really comes..."
She paused, tilted her head to look out the window, and gave a half-serious, half-fake smile.
"If he really dares to go through all that harem stuff, I'm not going to play the tragic heroine here. The world is so big, I'll take my kid, find a beautiful place to open a shop and retire, or travel the world. Wouldn't that be better than being here watching other people's faces and fighting in palaces? It sounds pretty comfortable."
She spoke lightly, as if she were talking about a trivial matter, but He Ling could detect a hint of loneliness in her calm tone.
【Your Majesty…】
He Ling felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears.
Your Majesty must not change your mind, or the Empress will be heartbroken!
System: "The target's emotional state has decreased, showing negative tendencies. Host is advised to immediately soothe and calm them down!"
He Ling quickly grabbed Jiang Huan's hand and said urgently, "Your Majesty, don't be sad. I was just talking nonsense. The Emperor treats you so well and can't stand anyone else. How could he change his mind? He definitely won't. Don't overthink it!"
Seeing that her eyes were red with anxiety, Jiang Huan felt her anger dissipate somewhat.
She patted He Ling's hand and smiled, "I'm fine. It was just a hypothetical situation. There's still a long road ahead. Living well in the present is the most important thing."
As Jiang Huan spoke, her gaze turned to the screen in front of her, where the plot was reaching a climax.
Not wanting the atmosphere to linger on that slightly heavy topic, she changed the subject in a lighthearted tone: "Let's stop daydreaming and get back to the point. We're about to get started."
He Ling's attention was drawn to the screen by her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com