The night passed, and Emperor Liang Yuan was fairly satisfied with Bi Lan's service. That same day, he appointed him as a concubine and granted him residence in a side hall of Changxi Palace. This was still out of consideration for Su Yun; however, it was unknown whether Su Yun would be happy to know that Emperor Liang Yuan had given him this favor.
In this palace, it's quite normal for palace maids to climb into someone's bedchamber, but how many actually succeed? Bilan was truly lucky. Emperor Liang Yuan had such low resistance to Bai Yiran's face, yet he showed absolutely no interest in the old, faded face of the main character—it was undeniably ironic.
The two sisters lived together in Changxi Palace and looked somewhat alike. Although Bilan could not compare to Su Yun in beauty and talent, she had her own unique strengths. As a servant, she was first-rate at reading people's expressions and moods. She was meticulous in her work and served people in every way, making them feel comfortable.
Bilan lacked Su Yun's arrogance and would never throw a tantrum at Emperor Liang Yuan. His upbringing had taught him to be obedient, and his cleverness allowed him to come up with many clever ideas to win Emperor Liang Yuan's favor. Gradually, he even managed to gain some of Su Yun's affection.
Nevertheless, the Emperor still did not forget Consort Zhao, and would often visit Chengqian Palace, which barely calmed Consort Zhao's restless heart. Chu Wan was gentle in nature and also received some favor.
As the Empress, Bai Yiran could only see the Emperor on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, as set by her ancestors. The once closest lovers looked at each other in silence, as if they had become strangers, their respect for each other as cold as ice.
A faint, sweet fragrance permeated the Fengyi Palace, pleasant and delicate. Red candles burned brightly, occasionally crackling. The palace servants stood solemnly, heads bowed, not daring to speak.
The melodious sound of the zither filled the air, conveying endless longing and grievances through every note. Bai Yiran, dressed in a bright red palace gown, plucked the strings with her slender fingers, her eyes gazing blankly ahead, tears already welling up in her eyes.
"Your Highness, you should rest more. It's not good for your health if you hurt yourself." The head palace maid felt sorry for Bai Yiran and quickly stepped forward to persuade her.
"Even if I were injured, who would care? My mother is dead, my father dotes on his son, and the emperor is still thinking about that slut Su Yun. What's the point of me living?"
As Bai Yiran spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks. With a slight exertion of force, the string snapped, and her fingers were filled with blood, a shocking sight.
"Your Majesty, you are the Emperor's Empress. As long as you remain in the central palace, no woman can shake your position. As long as you have a prince, the legitimate heir of the Liang Dynasty, who would dare to oppose you? That little bitch Su Yun is nothing to you."
The head palace maid clearly had a broader perspective and a longer-term vision. Her words made a lot of sense, which revitalized Bai Yiran's lifeless heart.
More than ten years into their marriage, their relationship had evolved from initial bliss to a state of mutual respect. Women in the harem came and went, and children were born one after another. Only she remained indulging in self-deception, living in the past and believing that the Emperor still treated her the same way he had always.
What happened tonight was like a bucket of cold water mixed with frost from a winter lake, splashed hard on his face and heart, making his heart instantly chilled.
On the auspicious days of the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, the emperor should have been staying in the Empress's palace, but because of that little hussy Su Yun's comment that she wasn't feeling well, he instantly captured the emperor's heart.
Upon hearing the news, Emperor Liang Yuan was restless, his eyes darting around, not even glancing at him, his face practically etched with worry. He sat down and didn't even finish a cup of tea before making up an excuse about being busy with state affairs and leaving, which was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Empress.
In the past, even when the Emperor favored other women, he would always give her, the Empress, some face. Su Yun's special quality lay precisely in this. This woman was practically a vixen reincarnated; she had only been in the palace for a few months, yet she had already bewitched the Emperor.
The most hateful one is the Emperor. On our wedding day, he promised to love me and cherish me for a lifetime, but after more than ten years, he has discarded me like trash, and he won't even give me the dignity of an Empress. Bai Yiran finally understands the feeling of carefree life back then, feeling jealous but powerless.
But he was unwilling to be Bai Wuyou, unwilling to be a mere decoration.
In the pitch-black night, Bai Yiran's mindset underwent a tremendous change, silently and imperceptibly.
Not long after, a young eunuch dressed in a eunuch's uniform rushed into Fengyi Palace, knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has found out that Consort Rou of Changxi Palace is pregnant. The imperial physician has diagnosed her as being three months pregnant."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yiran's eyes flashed. He put his index finger in his mouth and sucked on the blood, his eyes flickering and unfathomable.
"Go and collect your reward." Bai Yiran waved his hand casually, lowered his eyes, looked at the ancient zither with broken strings on the table, and gently stroked it. This was a gift that the emperor had given him when they were deeply in love, and now it was gone.
"Three months pregnant? This Consort Rou really kept it a secret. Even while pregnant, she didn't forget to seduce the Emperor. Why did she have to reveal it tonight? She's clearly provoking me, the Empress. It seems this Consort Rou has quite the ambition!"
Bai Yiran had a sudden flash of inspiration and realized that Su Yun was no ordinary person. She appeared gentle and weak, seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs, but in reality, she was a person with deep ambitions, even more so than herself in the past.
"Go and instruct Hongmian to take good care of Consort Rou during this pregnancy, and make sure she gives birth to the prince safely."
After waiting for so long, Consort Rou finally had good news. She would surely become the target of everyone's anger in the harem. He needed the child to be a boy, so that he could adopt him and have someone to rely on.
"Yes." The head palace maid curtsied and hurried away. Hongmian was the head palace maid after Bilan. She was quite capable by Su Yun's side, making it much easier for her to act.
The people in the harem noticed that the Empress had changed. She was no longer the same as before, easily becoming weak and tearful, nor did she mock the favored concubines, and she no longer clung to the Emperor and refused to let go.
From initial bewilderment to eventual acceptance, it only took two or three days. Only Wuyou himself knew how much Bai Yiran had changed, and all his painstaking arrangements had not been in vain.
He had been in charge of palace affairs for many years, and there were more spies he had planted everywhere than ants. There were spies he had planted in everyone's palace, buried so secretly that no one noticed.
Su Yun had just become pregnant when she received the news, and the other party indeed kept it from her. He then chose the most opportune moment to reveal it, and specially sent someone to deliver the news to Emperor Liang Yuan in Fengyi Palace, just to incite conflict between the two women.
This child is the perfect catalyst. Su Yun needs the child to solidify her favor, secure her position, and help her rise to power, ultimately ascending the throne. Bai Yiran feels the same way.
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