Inside Fengyi Palace, Empress Su reclined on the imperial concubine's couch, listening to a palace maid announce that Concubine Li had gone to the Qianqing Palace. She sat up abruptly, her red nail polish clacking against the table, and spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "That fool, Concubine Li, is truly impatient. His Majesty has been clearly furious these past few days, yet she's just walking right into his trap."
"Your Majesty," the personal maid Cuizhu asked cautiously, "Should we send someone to alert Concubine Li?"
Empress Su sneered, her eyes and eyebrows showing unconcealed smugness. "Remind her? Why should I remind her? The more foolish she is, the better it is for me. It would be best if she could cause His Majesty's wrath and never be able to rise again."
Cuizhu didn't dare to say anything more and lowered her head and stepped aside.
Empress Su stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the Palace of Heavenly Purity, muttering to herself, "Li Fei, oh Li Fei, do you think you can win His Majesty's favor just by looking pretty? How naive! In this harem, beauty alone is not enough to survive."
She turned around and adjusted the hairpins on her temples in front of the mirror, a cold smile on her lips: "However, she can't be left alone to perform a one-man show. I have to add some fuel to the fire and make this show more exciting."
"Cuizhu," Queen Su Wanwan slowly turned around, her eyes fell on Cuizhu, and her voice was filled with a hint of indifference and laziness.
"How is the thing I asked you to do last time going?" Her fingers gently stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist, each time, as if knocking on Cuizhu's heart.
Cuizhu bowed slightly, her tone calm and steady, without a trace of emotion: "Your Majesty, I have spread the news, and now the rumor has spread almost throughout the entire palace. They are all saying...that Chen Xiaoru is nothing but a demon woman who harms the country and specializes in sucking the essence of men."
Su Wanwan heard this and a sneer appeared on her lips, with a sinister glint in her eyes: "Very good."
She paused, her tone suddenly becoming stern. "Hmph, a lowly commoner dares to covet His Majesty's favor? Don't you even consider your own worth? I want to see what kind of trouble Chen Xiaoru can make without His Majesty's protection!"
She walked to the window, looked at the blooming peonies outside, and said in a quiet voice, "Cuizhu, tell me, will His Majesty really be bewitched by that Chen Xiaoru?"
Her voice was soft, but with a barely perceptible tremor, revealing her inner uneasiness.
Cuizhu observed her expression and replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is only interested for a moment. You are the Empress of the Central Palace and the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter. Your status is noble, how can a mere commoner compare to you? Besides, these rumors are spreading so wildly. Even if His Majesty favors her, he still has to consider the royal family's reputation and the opinions of the court officials."
Su Wanwan snorted coldly, a hint of disdain in her tone: "Imperial face? The opinions of the courtiers? If His Majesty really cared about these things, why would he bring Chen Xiaoru into the palace? Cuizhu, don't forget, His Majesty... hates others interfering in his private affairs the most."
Her eyes grew gloomy, and her tone grew colder. "So, just spreading rumors isn't enough. We have to add fuel to the fire and burn Chen Xiaoru to death!"
She turned around, walked up to Cuizhu, and said word by word, "Cuizhu, make some arrangements. Make sure those rumors reach His Majesty's ears. Remember, be subtle so no one can find any evidence, but at the same time, make His Majesty doubt Chen Xiaoru's identity."
Cuizhu was startled and quickly responded, "I understand. I'll do it right away." She knew that the Queen wanted to completely cut off Chen Xiaoru's retreat and make it impossible for her to turn things around.
Su Wanwan looked at Cuizhu's departing back, a sinister smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she muttered to herself: "Chen Xiaoru, since you dare to step into this harem, don't blame me for being cruel. This harem has never been a good place. If you want to survive, you have to be more cruel than others!" There was a crazy light flashing in her eyes, as if she had already seen Chen Xiaoru's miserable end.
Palace of Heavenly Purity
Chen Xiaoru lay bored on the couch, kicking her feet one by one. Her silk pajamas slipped off, revealing her white arms.
"Host, you are so careless. There are rumors flying around about you, and you still want to lie here?" There was a hint of anxiety in the system's soft voice.
Chen Xiaoru turned over, supported her head with her elbows, and blinked curiously: "Oh? What rumor? Tell me about it." Her tone was nonchalant, as if she didn't care.
"People outside are saying that you are a witch who brings disaster to the country. They say that as soon as you appeared, Xuanyuan Che was bewitched and ignored the affairs of state. Host, this is the most superstitious thing in ancient times, you have to be careful!" The system spoke faster, obviously very worried.
Chen Xiaoru burst out laughing, her eyes curved into crescents. "A demon woman who brings disaster to the country? Me? With my small body, how can I bring disaster to the country? They have never seen a real demon, right? This rumor is too unreliable. Can I complain?"
There was a hint of sarcasm in her tone, and she didn't seem to take the rumors seriously.
"Oh, host, you are still in the mood to joke! This is not a joke! What will happen to you and the child if Xuanyuan Che believes these rumors?" The system was extremely anxious.
Chen Xiaoru sat up, tidied her messy hair, and said calmly, "Why are you panicking? Does Xuanyuan Che know?"
Her eyes became serious and her tone became much calmer.
"I don't know yet, but... it will be soon."
The system's soft voice was filled with anxiety. "The people in the Empress's palace are busy spreading rumors against you. I'm afraid Xuanyuan Che will find out soon. Host, what should we do? Those people say you are the reincarnation of a witch and will bring chaos to the court. Will Xuanyuan Che believe it?"
Chen Xiaoru's smile faded upon hearing this. She slowly sat up, her hand gently caressing her swollen belly, where a tiny life was growing, her only support and vulnerability in this strange world. Her eyes grew deep and calm, but her tone remained calm. "Why are you panicking? There's always a way out when you reach the mountain, and there's always a way out when you reach the bridge. Let them say whatever they want. They're talking to me, how can I stop them?"
She paused, her eyes becoming firm, and her tone becoming a little more sharp. "Besides, I'm pregnant with the Dragon Heir now. Even for the sake of the child, Xuanyuan Che wouldn't dare to touch me easily. As for those rumors... hmph, let them fly for a while. When they get tired of flying, they'll naturally fall away."
The system was still a little worried: "But host, what if..."
Chen Xiaoru interrupted it, her tone calm but with unquestionable determination: "Nothing will happen. I will protect myself and the child. Don't forget, I still have you, don't I?"
She closed her eyes, and various thoughts flashed through her mind. Su Wanwan, this woman took action so quickly. It seems that her situation in the harem is more dangerous than she thought.
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