Liu Bufan frowned, feeling that there seemed to be some truth to what she said.
Moreover, Gu Jiangli's stunningly beautiful face appeared in his mind. Even he was captivated by her appearance, and the emperor must feel the same way.
With Gu Jiangli, that unpolished gem, by her side, Consort Shu's bland face seemed utterly devoid of flavor.
It's understandable that the emperor no longer favored her.
But when he thought about how Consort Shu had treated him coldly when he was down on his luck, he still felt guilty.
"Fine, even if it's as you say, that you're only doing this to protect your own wealth and status, you shouldn't just throw away your old flame like a discarded pawn! After all, I helped you before, didn't I?"
"When did I ever abandon you?!" Consort Shu exclaimed in shock, but her guilty conscience prevented her from looking directly at his face.
"No? That night, you told me with absolute certainty that you would definitely help me get Gu Jiangli. You said you would keep the emperor in your palace so that I could enjoy myself with Gu Jiangli without worry. And what happened? You and the emperor turned around and went to Yilan Palace."
"No, no, no, it's not what you think," Consort Shu quickly explained. "You know how deeply His Majesty is bewitched by Gu Jiangli! He wants to see Gu Jiangli every day, he wishes he could live in Yilan Palace every day. I tried my best to stop him! But I really couldn't stop him. I really want to help you, Bufan, can you believe me?"
Liu Bufan wavered somewhat.
In any case, Consort Shu and he had a good past together.
Now, she is crying her heart out in front of him without any regard for her image, and her words are probably sincere.
After all, he was incredibly handsome, much more so than that old emperor. It was only natural that the woman in front of him, Gu Jiangli, would fall in love with him.
How could a woman who loves him intentionally harm him?
Besides, it's perfectly reasonable that Consort Shu, a mere concubine, couldn't stop the emperor.
"Alright, then I'll believe you. You're pregnant now, which means your wish has come true."
"I will perform the ritual in your Chengen Hall as Your Majesty has requested, to ensure the safe birth of your child."
After saying that, Liu Bufan picked up his whisk and was about to walk out of the palace gate.
But he had only taken two steps when Consort Shu grabbed his hand.
“Extraordinary…” she said, her eyes filled with tears. “Since you’re here, please help me a little longer before you leave.”
Liu Bufan paused, puzzled, and asked, "Now that you're pregnant and no longer confined, you probably won't remain a privileged person forever after you give birth. Is there anything else I can do to help you?"
Consort Shu remained silent for a long while; the room was so quiet that only the two of them could be heard breathing.
After a long while, she lifted her skirt with her hand and, under Liu Bufan's horrified gaze, took out the cloth bundle tied to her stomach.
As she completed the movement, her previously protruding belly became completely flat.
"You...you're not pregnant? Are you crazy?"
Liu Bufan asked in alarm.
Consort Shu quickly threw away the wad of cloth and grabbed his arm tightly.
“Bufan, as I just said, apart from the child, there is absolutely no way I can make His Majesty turn back. I have received the utmost favor and the esteem of the concubines in the harem. I cannot spend the rest of my life in the cold Chengen Palace!”
"I can't think of any other way..."
Consort Shu felt bitter inside.
She had thought that once she became pregnant, His Majesty would lift her confinement and surely favor her again.
Then she would have the opportunity to turn a fake into a real one.
But she never expected that even though His Majesty knew she was pregnant, he would still visit Gu Jiangli every day.
She couldn't even find a chance to turn a fake situation into a real one.
Liu Bufan said in surprise, "I think you've really gone mad. You miscarried before. Although that child wasn't the emperor's, you were at least really pregnant. But now your belly is empty. What will you do when the sound of a baby crying echoes through Yilan Palace a few months later? Do you want to use the same trick again? Pretend to miscarry again?"
"No, no, no," she quickly shook her head, "Bufan, isn't it you who's here? Now that you're here, I'm saved, aren't I?"
As she spoke, she pressed her body against Liu Bufan's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Bufan, we can do it all over again. This time, I will make sure the child is born safely.”
Her eyes held expectation and determination. "Bufan, let our child be born into the royal family. If it's a boy, I will make him the crown prince, and in the future, the entire Great Xia will belong to him. Bufan, then you will be the emperor's father."
Seeing the wandering look in his eyes, and after a long silence, Consort Shu coaxed him further:
"Bufan, help me, and you'll help yourself too. Don't you want to be the emperor's father? The highest position under heaven."
Liu Bufan swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly, "But...but can you guarantee the emperor won't find out? Times have changed. Perhaps the emperor will take extra care of you."
Consort Shu gave a cold smile in his arms, "No, the Emperor favors Gu Jiangli, so why would he care about me? Don't worry, Bufan, there won't be any surprises this time."
Consort Shu looked at his face and took off her outer robe.
————
Yilan Palace.
Gu Jiangli looked outside the door. The palace maid who had gone to keep watch over Liu Bufan had not returned yet, which proved that Liu Bufan had not left Chengen Palace for a short time.
She had a pretty good idea of why he hadn't left Chengen Palace.
Consort Shu did it anyway.
She was able to fall into the trap according to her own plan, which made all her efforts to bring Liu Bufan back worthwhile.
Next, we just need to wait for the right opportunity.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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