Moreover, he was deeply trusted and relied upon by the emperor.
It wouldn't be too difficult to turn her, the empress, into a puppet or even have her die quietly.
Lu Xingjian didn't mind: "He's a trusted confidant who watched us grow up, so there's no need to worry about troubling him."
Su Wanwan could only nod, "The fleet is another private property of mine, and it's best if no one knows about it."
Lu Xingjian frowned and put his arm around her delicate shoulders: "Are you short of money?"
Su Wanwan replied somewhat perfunctorily, "It's alright."
She paused, then changed the subject:
"In a couple of days it will be the Empress Dowager's birthday, and the Empress Dowager may propose to expand the imperial harem."
"What are Your Majesty's plans? Please give us your advance notice so that I can deal with her properly."
Lu Xingjian frowned even deeper, and after a moment of silence, he said:
"You don't need to worry about it, just take care of yourself."
Su Wanwan simply said, "Okay."
He gave her the title of Empress, but not the corresponding rights.
The so-called management of the harem was merely a hollow phrase.
In the vast inner palace, apart from He Jin, the eunuch from Xixin Division who came that day, no one else came to consult her.
At best, she was just a caged canary.
Su Wanwan simply said, "It's dark and the roads are slippery. If Your Majesty has nothing else to do, you should go back and rest early."
Lu Xingjian hugged her tighter, his voice hoarse: "I'll stay with you tonight."
Su Wanwan showed no interest whatsoever, and simply said:
"My illness is not yet cured, and I might easily pass on my illness to the Emperor."
Her words seemed to express concern for him, but coupled with her somewhat indifferent tone, her refusal was all too obvious.
Their bodies touched each other unintentionally, and she could already sense his unusual behavior.
He was just pretending to be there for her; his real purpose was probably to satisfy his desires.
It's been about ten days since they last did that.
She's gotten used to being alone lately and doesn't want him to be with her.
Since the issue of the fleet docking has been resolved, he is not needed for the time being.
Lu Xingjian had no intention of letting her go, so he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
"Where is it still not done? Let me see."
Su Wanwan frowned.
She simply let him do whatever he wanted without any reaction, like a fish on a chopping board.
Her brow remained furrowed until the very end.
Men are no longer as passionate as they used to be.
It was more like he was doing some kind of chore, with a stern face and suppressed, inexplicable emotions in his eyes.
His brows were slightly furrowed, a hint of irritation lingering between them.
In the end, Su Wanwan lay down facing inwards on the bed.
The man stared at her retreating figure for a long time before asking, "Who is Yuexi?"
At this point, Su Wanwan's breathing was even, so she must have fallen asleep.
Even though she wasn't asleep, she didn't want to say anything to him.
When she woke up the next morning, the man was gone.
...
At the end of February, it was Empress Dowager Zhang's birthday. All the ladies of the court and the imperial family paid homage to her, and a banquet was also held for all the officials at the Meridian Gate.
Su Wanwan has recovered from her cold and naturally has to attend.
The Empress Dowager, being an elder, did not intend to come and carry Empress Zhang's sedan chair. Instead, she sat upright in Renshou Palace and held a small banquet separately with the Grand Princess Chun'an and Princess Rong.
During the meal, Yanruo and Maji actually sat together.
The two of them smiled sweetly, occasionally glancing at Su Wanwan and covering their mouths with laughter, looking rather mysterious.
Maggie, in particular, looked at Su Wanwan with blatant provocation, making no attempt to hide it from others.
This sparked a lot of discussion among the crowd.
His gaze toward Su Wanwan was filled with sympathy.
Less than a month after their marriage, Maggie moved into the palace in a grand manner.
Isn't the emperor's intention obvious?
Yanruo and Maji, one a stunningly beautiful and talented woman, the other a gorgeous enchantress, are two completely different types.
No man could resist these two beauties, right?
A woman who is as dignified and proper as an empress probably wouldn't have much interest in the bedroom.
Yanruo and Maji can fill this gap perfectly.
Poor Su Wanwan, she'll probably become the second Empress Dowager Wang, and suffer in the harem for many years to come.
Su Wanwan had a bad feeling, but she didn't know what had happened. She gestured for Heying to go and find out, while she remained seated and motionless.
Empress Dowager Zhang sat quietly in the seat of honor, smiling as she socialized with the ladies of the court.
Until a palace maid came over and whispered something to him.
Empress Dowager Zhang's smile froze for a moment. She picked up the wine cup on the table and pondered for a while.
That old hag Wang couldn't hold back any longer and was about to make her move.
Her gaze swept towards Su Wanwan.
His eyes held a hint of hesitation.
Should we help her?
Although Su Wanwan has Zhang family blood in her veins, she herself is unaware that she was raised by Zhou Shi.
Can so many years of estrangement and estrangement really be erased by her few attempts to make amends?
Empress Dowager Zhang's hesitant gaze fell upon her mother, Lady Jin.
Madam Jin sighed softly.
She could understand that the grudges of several generations could not be resolved in a short time.
But someone always has to take the first step.
Otherwise, once the new empress establishes herself, Empress Dowager Zhang will only become more marginalized, and whether she even needs to exist is another matter entirely.
Your Majesty, it's far better to offer help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade!
Madam Jin's solemn expression served as a reminder to Empress Dowager Zhang.
Empress Dowager Zhang straightened her back and composed herself.
The honor and safety of her maternal family rested on her shoulders, leaving her no choice but to step back halfway.
She put down her wine glass and smiled at Su Wanwan:
"The weather is warm today, and even the Empress Dowager is in a rare mood to go out for a walk."
"Your Majesty should come with me to serve her, so as not to offend the old man."
Su Wanwan's expression hardened slightly. After a pause, she respectfully obeyed, "Yes."
Since marrying into the palace, Empress Dowager Zhang has kept a low profile, almost as if she doesn't exist.
She's unusually enthusiastic today, making it hard to discern her intentions.
When the two most distinguished women at the banquet left their seats, some people, either to watch the spectacle or to curry favor, followed them.
A large group of people headed towards the inner court.
Halfway there, a palace servant came to report: "The Empress Dowager has taken the Grand Princess Chun'an and Princess Rong to Kunning Palace."
Empress Dowager Zhang looked at Su Wanwan with a half-smile: "She really dotes on the Empress."
Despite the warm sunshine at the end of February, Su Wanwan felt cold all over.
Both the Grand Princess of Chun'an and the Princess Consort of Rong had always been at odds with her.
The Empress Dowager's visit was ill-intentioned; she came specifically to target her.
Su Wanwan clenched her fists, stepped forward, and took Empress Dowager Zhang's arm with a respectful attitude:
"Mother, watch your step."
Empress Dowager Zhang's lips curled into a faint, cold smile.
Even at this point, they're still not panicking; instead, they're reminding me of something.
However, she was very satisfied with Su Wanwan's pragmatism.
Empress Dowager Zhang patted Su Wanwan's hand affectionately, her eyes sharp:
"Let's go, mother and daughter, and join in the fun."
In the Kunning Palace, the Empress Dowager held an ai dai (a type of ancient Chinese ceremonial instrument), looked at the calligraphy and painting before her, and slowly read aloud:
"When you come to Guihu Lake, a gentle breeze arises from the lake. The breeze is like your heart, and we meet again in this carefree autumn."
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