In the sweltering summer heat, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas, the Great Jin Dynasty welcomed its annual Thousand Autumns Festival—the Emperor's birthday, which naturally required a grand celebration.
As the head of the harem, Mu Yanran immediately became busy and had no time to interfere in Zhilan Palace, giving Wuyou time to live peacefully.
Some things are just a thorn in my side, and I can't feel at ease until they're removed.
A rare rain fell from the sky, bringing a touch of coolness and comfort to the sweltering summer day. A patch of white grass peeked out from the grass in the Imperial Garden, unnoticed by the passing palace servants.
The snow-white dumpling, Situ Yuan, carefully surveyed his surroundings, only letting out a long sigh of relief after confirming that no one had noticed. To be honest, having been of noble birth since childhood, he had never suffered such humiliation. He was being insulted and beaten by lowly servants, and verbally abused by his beloved concubine. It truly proved the saying, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river."
Mu Yanran seems like a good woman, but who knew she was so vicious in private, treating even a dog so cruelly, especially compared to Zhilan Palace, which infuriated Situ Yuan.
Because her attempt to harm Wuyou failed and she was caught red-handed by Fushun, Mu Yanran was naturally furious. Situ Yuan, the 'favorite' from Zhilan Palace, naturally received a warm welcome from the Imperial Concubine.
Fortunately, Mu Yanran has been busy lately, and Situ Yuan, taking advantage of his small stature, managed to evade the palace servants' control and sneak out. Otherwise, who knows how badly he would have been bullied.
No, I absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die! I must return to my own body, Situ Yuan made up his mind. He had truly had enough of living such a cautious life.
Without hesitation, Situ Yuan found the Golden Dragon Palace with practiced ease and hid himself perfectly in a corner. Just as he was getting drowsy from waiting, his opportunity finally arrived.
"Your Majesty, depart!" A familiar voice rang out, its sharp tone instantly waking Situ Yuan. He saw a figure in bright yellow riding in a sedan chair, looking radiant and incomparably noble.
Situ Yuan's eyes were red with jealousy. This was originally his life, so why should this fake enjoy everything he had?
However, now was not the time to think about such things. Situ Yuan and the others quietly slipped away and crept to the side of the Golden Dragon Hall, beginning to utilize their innate skill—digging holes. After becoming a dog, Situ Yuan's habits had gradually been affected, and things he had always disliked were now actually helping him.
On one side, Situ Yuan was giving it his all, while on the other side, the fake emperor, whether due to exhaustion or the comfort of the sedan chair, was dozing off with one hand supporting his head. Fu Shun, seeing this scene, couldn't help but feel disdain. Truly worthy of being a lowly commoner, he didn't understand any manners.
The weather was perfect; the moon was exceptionally round tonight, its bright light bathing the earth and inspiring countless scholars to compose poems, creating a lively and bustling scene. After all, their superiors hadn't arrived yet, so they couldn't resist taking this opportunity to have a good chat.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Fu Shun waved his whisk and announced loudly with practiced ease. The lively atmosphere of the banquet paused for a moment, and then all the officials and their families immediately knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" Amidst this resounding shout, the fake emperor felt a sense of euphoria, an addiction he couldn't help but indulge in. Sometimes he even wished it could stay like this forever, but unfortunately, it was just a thought.
As the protagonist of the banquet, the fake emperor was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence, with his every move attracting the attention of countless people. Fortunately, his recent training had prevented him from becoming stage-frightened, and he walked slowly towards the high seat. For a moment, he even had the illusion that this was his own coronation ceremony, ascending the supreme throne amidst the kneeling worship of countless people.
The concubines behind the fake emperor were equally dazzling, their attire all exuding exquisite luxury, especially Mu Yanran and Consort Li. Mu Yanran wore a rose-red palace dress, its vibrant color almost a true red, clearly revealing her status as the 'Empress'. Born into a privileged family and favored by the emperor, and with an outspoken personality, she naturally made no attempt to conceal her identity.
The phoenix hairpin on her head shone brightly, complementing the fake emperor's dragon robe. Her delicate face was held high, revealing her graceful swan-like neck. Her blood-red lips curved into an elegant arc, and her whole being exuded an imposing nobility.
Consort Li was equally unyielding, dressed in a purple palace gown, with gold hairpins almost covering her entire head, making her look like a walking jeweler, displaying immense wealth, although the veil on her face slightly spoiled the view.
Compared to the flamboyance of the two women, Wuyou was much more low-key. To highlight the occasion, she wore a green palace dress and a few gold hairpins in her hair, with more orchid hairpins for decoration. Her slightly protruding belly made it a little difficult for her to move around, and she walked slowly with Lianqiao's help. Her whole demeanor was low-key but not shabby.
She slowly sat down in her seat, and Wuyou met her mother's worried gaze. She nodded slightly and smiled at her parents to indicate that she was fine.
"My dear ministers..." The fake emperor picked up his wine cup, stood up, and, following the prepared speech by Fu Shun, launched into a eloquent speech, beginning the banquet amidst the congratulations of his ministers.
"Your Majesty, I wish you a happy birthday. I offer this soup instead of wine as a token of my appreciation." Wuyou walked a short distance from the fake emperor, a palace maid behind her carrying a tray of brown medicinal soup that emitted a herbal aroma. The other concubines twisted their handkerchiefs, looking resentful. How could Consort Rou have gotten the first move? Mu Yanran, on the other hand, remained calm.
"My dear consort, you are so kind." Putting aside everything else, Wuyou's pregnancy alone was enough to make the fake emperor dare not refuse. He picked up the ginseng soup that Wuyou handed him and drank it all in one gulp. After drinking it, he felt refreshed.
Seeing this, Wuyou smiled slightly and turned to go back, but then heard a muffled groan. Turning around, she saw the fake emperor clutching his chest, a trickle of blood slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and everyone stared blankly at what was happening. It wasn't until the muffled groan of a heavy object falling to the ground that everyone snapped out of their daze.
"Your Majesty, quickly summon the imperial physician—" Fu Shun and the others surrounded the fake emperor, frantically giving orders.
"Consort Rou, you are outrageous! You dare to plot against the Emperor! Guards—arrest Consort Rou and throw her into the death row!" Mu Yanran suddenly stood up, pointing at Wuyou and shouting.
Wuyou looked somewhat surprised, but remained calm in the face of the tall, burly guards around her. She simply touched her protruding belly and said indifferently, "Your Highness is far too arbitrary. How could you sentence me to death before the imperial physician has even arrived? Besides, I am pregnant. Even if I am guilty, the imperial heir should not be implicated. Does Your Highness want my child and me to die? Or is this Your Highness's true purpose?"
"That's right, the Imperial Concubine is being unfair, and we are not satisfied." Prime Minister Bai spoke first, determined to risk his life rather than let his daughter suffer injustice.
"You—you're spouting nonsense—" Mu Yanran was furious, and to others she looked guilty.
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