Chapter 124 Sit Firmly
Winter nights are especially long. The darkness dissipated, and the soft morning light shone on the woman through the window. Yueli had a rare good sleep and did not dream the whole night.
He Yanchen woke up early. He hugged the woman in his arms and gently stroked her fair and smooth back with his big hands. The thin calluses on his palms made her back feel a little stinging. Yue Li opened her eyes in a daze.
"Your Majesty..." She called softly, and her voice still contained a trace of confusion as to where she was.
"Are you awake? Did you sleep well last night?" He Yanchen looked down at her and couldn't help rubbing her head.
Yueli buried her head in his arms and rubbed it, finally getting rid of her sleepiness, and a trace of clarity returned to her eyes.
"I don't seem to be dreaming anymore. I slept well."
He Yanchen couldn't help but feel better when he heard the joy in her words.
"Now that you're awake, get up. It's three quarters past noon, get up and have breakfast."
Yueli hugged the quilt and rolled over, rolling into the bed: "It's so cold outside, I want to lie down for a while."
Even if she woke up in winter, she would linger in bed for a long time before getting up. He Yanchen ignored her in the past few days, so why did he start nagging her again today?
He Yanchen propped himself up and pinched her cheek: "Hurry up and get up. Didn't you say you would go to Linde Hall to serve the pens and ink? Are you trying to cheat again?"
Yue Li pretended not to hear: "Didn't Your Majesty say that you would treat me well? I don't want to miss you."
He Yanchen choked. He said those words to get more information from her, not to really let her stay in bed.
But before he could say anything else, Yueli turned over and hugged him obediently: "Your Majesty~"
Her ability to act coquettishly and foolishly seemed to be innate. Her soft voice, coupled with her cheek rubbing against his neck, made it difficult for people to say harsh words to her.
"Just lie down for another quarter of an hour at most, understand?"
"I know, I know." Yueli kissed him on the cheek, "Your Majesty is so kind."
"Come to the imperial study after breakfast. If you're late, you'll sleep alone tonight."
He Yanchen rubbed her hair vigorously, then got up to wash up. He had something else to do in the imperial study, so he couldn't stay in bed with Yue Li.
Yueli took a comfortable nap and got up on time.
*
Fengyang Palace.
It was exactly a matter of paying respects, but the hall was much emptier now and there were fewer voices.
During this trip to the palace, Shen Zhaoyi, who had always been known for her virtue, was demoted. It was said that she also suffered from hysteria and died in the palace.
Rong Jieyu, who usually likes to be alone, is also seriously ill, and no one has heard from her so far.
Fengyang Palace was much emptier. The main concubines, Concubine Zhongde and Concubine Lin, were not talkative, and Concubine Jin only spoke to Cui Zhaoyuan occasionally. The rest of the concubines of lower rank dared not say a word.
The queen drank a cup of tea and felt that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so she asked everyone to leave.
Li Cairen stayed behind, glanced at the top right corner, and said in a sour voice: "Your Majesty, Concubine Yu returned to the palace without even paying her respects to you. She is so arrogant."
The Queen's hand that was caressing the cup suddenly tightened: "It's Imperial Noble Consort Yu, don't call her Li Cairen by mistake."
"There's not even a ceremony to confer the title, how can she be called an Imperial Consort?"
Li Cairen had already defected to the Queen. She knew that the Queen disliked Yueli, but the Queen was proud of her status and had to use her mouth to say things that Li Cairen could not say. Therefore, Li Cairen did not hide her criticism of Yueli.
The Queen listened expressionlessly, and suddenly something occurred to her: "Concubine Zheng didn't come today?"
Dong Xu replied, "The eldest prince has caught a cold. Concubine Zheng is caring for him at the prince's residence, so she sent someone to ask for leave."
"The eldest prince is ill?"
"Yes, but it's just a cold and a little cough. I saw the doctor yesterday and he said there's nothing serious."
The Queen stood up and said, "I am the eldest prince's biological mother after all. Now that he is the only prince in the palace and has no biological mother to take care of him, I should go and see him."
Li Cairen hurriedly followed the Queen and said, "Your Majesty is kind and compassionate. I will accompany you to visit the eldest prince."
The queen did not refuse, and the two of them headed in the direction of the prince.
*
Coming out of the prince's residence, Li Cairen said, "Empress, I feel so sorry for the eldest prince, seeing him all alone in the prince's residence. Why don't you take him to your side and take care of him?"
The queen had thought about this before. If the eldest prince was born to her, he would have the status of the eldest son, which would be a great help to her.
But she had talked to He Yanchen openly and secretly before, but he didn't agree.
Now, he even wishes to depose himself, and it is impossible for him to hand over the eldest prince to her for raising.
Feeling upset, the Queen and Li Cairen turned the corner and bumped head-on into Zi Su who was holding a hand warmer.
Zi Su reacted immediately and dodged quickly, but she accidentally sprained her ankle.
"Hey, isn't this Miss Zisu who is beside the Imperial Concubine?"
The queen looked at it carefully, and a trace of annoyance flashed across her eyebrows.
Li Cairen scolded: "You are so impulsive and offended the Empress. How many heads do you have left?"
Zi Su knelt down hurriedly and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I was in a hurry to find the Imperial Noble Consort, so I left in a hurry."
The queen now felt disgusted when she thought of Yueli. Looking at the palace maid from Zhuoyu Palace in front of her, she suddenly sneered.
But before she could say anything, she heard a coquettish voice: "The Queen is so majestic."
Yueli walked over from the side of the palace path holding Lianqiao's hand.
She set off for the imperial study before noon today.
Zhuoyu Palace is not far from the Imperial Study. After two months away from the palace, Yueli wanted to take a walk on her own, so she did not summon the ceremonial guard.
But halfway through the journey, her hand warmer broke. Zi Su went back to get her a new hand warmer, but unexpectedly bumped into the queen.
Yueli came over with a cold face and saluted in a very perfunctory manner, without even bending her knees, which made the queen even more angry.
Lian Qiao helped Zi Su up, and before Yue Li could ask, Zi Su said, "Your Majesty, I did not run into the Empress. I dodged her in time."
Yue Li glanced at the Queen with a half-smile: "Your Majesty, please stand here peacefully. How could you say that a servant of yours has offended you?"
The Queen said with a stern face: "Royal Consort, you are too presumptuous."
"I have been acting so unruly for a long time, is it any of your business?"
"You!" The Queen approached her, gritting her teeth and saying, "Do you think you can hold on to your position as Imperial Consort? Your status is so shameful. The court that His Majesty has finally stabilized is being shaken because of you. How can you be so complacent and still cause trouble in the harem?"
Yue Li was not afraid of her, and said with a smile: "Not only can I hold the position of Imperial Noble Consort firmly, I can also hold the position of Empress if I want to."
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