Li Xiao felt that he was just stunned by what Chu Susu said, and he couldn't figure out his true thoughts for the time being.
He said, "I need some quiet time."
Chu Susu nodded and said, "Then, Your Highness, please go back first. No matter what you think, as long as Nian Nian doesn't send me away, I won't leave her."
Li Xiao asked with a mixed feeling, "Are you sure you love her? How long have you been truly close to her?"
Also, although you were a man in the past, you are now a woman, just as I may have been a woman in my past life but became a man in this life.
Even though I know I might have been a woman in my past life, I am a man now, but I don't like men the way women do.
I think you might just be influenced by your memories of being a man in the past. Maybe you're still Su Su, but a high fever has awakened some memories from your past life. Otherwise, how could you still have Su Su's memories?
His words aroused suspicion not only among the emperor in the shadows, but also among Chu Susu herself. After all, time travel might be commonplace for Chu Nian, but it was unheard of for these ancient people.
What they hear most often is about reincarnation.
Chu Susu was silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps you are right. But all I know now is that I have been very happy with Consort Lian these past few days, and I don't want to change that happiness."
Li Xiao: "Alright, let's all calm down first. We can discuss what to do next later." After saying that, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chu Susu, said "Farewell," and then used his lightness skill to quickly disappear into the distance.
Watching his departing figure, Chu Susu felt a little lost for a moment.
Upon returning to Xukun Palace, Chu Susu saw Chu Nian smiling sweetly as she approached her. Her previous confusion vanished, and she smiled along with Chu Nian.
Chu Nian asked, "Sister, how did your talk with the Regent go?"
Chu Susu: "He and I both agreed to give each other some time to cool off."
Chu Nian nodded and said, "That's good too. Don't even mention dying; maybe you'll want to leave the palace again after a while!"
Chu Susu took her hand and asked, "Do you want me to leave the palace?"
Chu Nian: "After you leave the palace, we won't be able to play together anymore. Of course, I don't want you to leave the palace. Unless I can leave the palace too."
Chu Susu listened with longing and murmured, "Like you said before, to travel the world together?"
Chu Nian: "Yes!" But then she thought about it again. The Regent and the Emperor had worked together to find some seasonings and ingredients. It would probably be a long time before these things became available outside the palace. Wouldn't that mean she would have to live a life where she could only eat boiled noodles with salt water every day again?
So she quickly added, "However, I don't want to leave the palace now."
Chu Susu asked curiously, "Why?"
Chu Nian smiled wryly and said, "Some ingredients are hard to find outside the palace."
Chu Susu's lips twitched, and she said with a playful smile, "You little glutton, all you ever do is eat!"
The emperor had actually been secretly following Chu Susu all along. When he heard her telling his Consort Lian that they wanted to leave the palace and travel the world together, he was both shocked and heartbroken, feeling a mix of emotions.
However, he didn't want anyone to know that he was secretly spying and following, as that would be beneath his imperial dignity. He figured he could just send someone to investigate if he wanted to know something; a true emperor didn't need to do it himself. So he quietly returned to his Qianqing Palace.
However, in the days that followed, he found that Chu Susu was still hanging out with Consort Lian all day long, just like before. Even though she was always helping Consort Lian like a maid, he still felt uncomfortable.
He suddenly realized that although he thought Li Xiao was right: even if Chu Susu was a man in her previous life and she was a woman in this life, even if she had awakened some memories of being a man in her previous life, she was still a woman after all; he still could not accept that Chu Susu and his beloved concubine were getting too close.
There's always this feeling that I'm being cuckolded, as if Chu Susu could really make Consort Lian cuckold me.
On this day, he issued an imperial decree, ordering Empress Chu Susu to move back to Kunning Palace and never again to harass Consort Lian in Kunning Palace.
This imperial decree was extremely harsh, almost directly reprimanding Empress Chu Susu for harassing Consort Lian, making everyone feel that the Emperor's favor towards Consort Lian far exceeded that towards the Empress.
Although the current emperor lacks real power, his relationship with the regent has clearly improved. The regent has indicated he doesn't want to get too involved in palace affairs, so it seems that everyone in the harem will likely have to defer to the emperor's wishes from now on. Of course, because the empress holds military power, a considerable number of people will still obey her.
The concubines in the palace felt even more envious, jealous, and resentful of Consort Lian. Although they secretly mocked and despised the Empress, they outwardly wanted to use the Empress's authority to deal with Consort Lian.
As for Chu Susu, she happily moved back to Kunning Palace because Chu Nian promised to visit her every day.
Therefore, as soon as she moved back to Kunning Palace, the next day all the concubines resumed their usual morning and evening greetings, and came to pay their respects to the Empress early in the morning.
Everyone chimed in with their own comments, initially praising the Empress's beauty and virtue. But then the conversation veered towards Consort Lian, who was accused of being spoiled and arrogant: "I heard the Emperor had breakfast at Xukun Palace, so it's almost noon and Consort Lian still hasn't come to pay her respects to the Empress..."
Before Xiao Fei could finish speaking, a woman's clear and cheerful giggles rang out from outside.
Upon hearing this, the Empress laughed and immediately got up to go to the door to greet them.
Upon hearing this loud laughter, the concubines knew that Consort Lian had arrived. Otherwise, who would dare to laugh so loudly as soon as they arrived at Kunning Palace and hadn't even entered to pay their respects to the Empress?
But since the Empress had already stood up, the concubines could no longer remain seated, so they all stood up as well and followed the Empress to the door.
"As soon as I entered the gate of Kunning Palace, I heard someone talking about me inside. Who said it? What did they say?" Chu Nian asked, her smile bright and cheerful. No one could tell that she was questioning or even accusing someone.
Xiao Fei's lips twitched, but she remained silent.
The Empress had already taken Chu Nian's hand and asked, "I heard the Emperor had breakfast at your place?"
“Isn’t that right… hiccup…” Chu Nian hiccuped before she could finish speaking. “Sorry, I ate breakfast too fast. It’s all the Emperor’s fault… hiccup…” Another hiccup, she did it on purpose.
Chu Susu smiled helplessly and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? I won't say anything if you come later. You're not eating so fast because you're afraid the Emperor will steal your food!"
Chu Nian said in a serious tone, "Sister, you don't know this, but the Emperor only came to dine with me because he wanted to eat my glutinous rice balls. If I don't eat them quickly, he will eat them all."
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