Chapter 27: Bound to the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 27 Cannon Fodder Little Consort (27)

·

·

·

Main Character:

Shen Yao

Shen Yao leaned against Xiao Yanchen's embrace, the tip of her nose lingering with the scent clinging to him.

Having smelled it for so long, Shen Yao had long grown accustomed.

"Your Majesty, do you not blame this subject for damaging the palace residence?" Shen Yao suddenly blinked playfully, that face as charming and fresh as when she first entered the palace.

Xiao Yanchen smiled at the corners of his mouth, looking down at the little woman in his arms, shaking his head helplessly, "You are doing it for Jin'er and the others."

A twist of fate: it turned out that the dog hole Xiao Jin and the other two had crawled out of was one Shen Yao had once mentioned to Xiao Yanchen.

No way, the children were too mischievous, so Shen Yao had to resort to other means to make them realize where the problem lay.

Sighing with contentment, Shen Yao felt not the slightest remorse for tricking her own children.

"It is Your Majesty who understands this subject," Shen Yao shamelessly accepted Xiao Yanchen's words in full, her eyebrows dancing with joy, smiling especially smugly, "Your Majesty, this subject's arrangement is not bad, is it?"

Xiao Yanchen:... Not just not bad, Xiao Jin and the other two children were scared out of their wits whenever they went out.

His gaze was so pampering it could drown a person; Xiao Yanchen turned around and carried Shen Yao directly onto the bed, the two of them piled together, looking intimately entwined, "Do not do this again next time, be careful not to frighten the children."

Xiao Yanchen somewhat regretted agreeing to let Shen Yao make such a fuss; perhaps there were simply too few healthy children, for he now had six children in total under his knees, of whom the three healthy ones were all born of Shen Yao. Whether it was because Shen Yao suited his heart's desire or because the children were too endearing, the final result was that Xiao Yanchen valued the Weiyang Palace line especially highly.

The others in the harem were not without jealousy and envy, but it was of no use.

They could not bear children like the three under Shen Yao's knees, nor did they know how to curry favor with the Emperor like Shen Yao; resenting and hating in their hearts, they finally gave up one by one.

Time truly is something that can change a person.

In just three years, the pattern of the harem had become completely different from when Shen Yao entered the palace.

Smooth as soft satin, her black hair draped along Shen Yao's neck onto Xiao Yanchen's shoulder.

Shen Yao approached and kissed Xiao Yanchen's cheek, her tone laced with coquettishness, "Your Majesty, not mentioning those three children, you promised this subject today to stay and accompany this subject."

Xiao Yanchen helplessly, "All are mothers now, still acting coquettish here."

Shen Yao did not care, throwing her whole self into Xiao Yanchen's embrace without moving, "This subject is a mother, but that cannot stop this subject from liking Your Majesty. Your Majesty~"

Aiyo wei

That tone, simply eighteen bends of a mountain road, directly turning into Xiao Yanchen's heart.

Xiao Yanchen's heart instantly softened into a puddle of water; what morning court, what balance—he would first coax the delicate little person in his arms before anything else.

"Good, good, good, Zhen agrees to you; today whoever calls, Zhen will not leave."

As Xiao Yanchen's words landed, Shen Yao could not help but laugh out loud with a puff.

"Your Majesty's words, you must keep your word," Shen Yao raised her head, those almond eyes rippling with light, "I imagine the palace people coming to request an audience with Your Majesty are still on the road; with just a moment more, this subject's Weiyang Palace will become lively."

Xiao Yanchen reached out and hooked Shen Yao's nose, "narrow"

Shen Yao frowned, then mysteriously pointed to the doorway, "Does Your Majesty want to make a bet with this subject?"

Xiao Yanchen propped one hand behind his head, his whole posture relaxed and leisurely, "A bet?"

Shen Yao reached out and touched her chin, humming with bright eyes, "Bet on how many palace people from how many palaces will come today."

Xiao Yanchen:...

Xiao Yanchen rubbed his forehead and sighed, the corners of his mouth still holding a smile that would not disperse.

It seemed his own Yao'er still had not given up on teasing and mocking him.

One could not really blame Shen Yao for developing such a hobby; who made it that over these three years, Xiao Yanchen became increasingly unable to do without himself, unable to do without Weiyang Palace.

If it were not for the other consorts in the harem still being able to conceive normally, even Shen Yao would feel that Xiao Yanchen wanted to spend a lifetime with her.

Mm, this thought was too terrifying; Shen Yao was just a little cannon fodder with an improper system, unable to withstand the backlash of the entire Great Jing Dynasty.

Fortunately, fortunately, Xiao Yanchen simply liked her more rather than being unable to live without her; otherwise Shen Yao would have to find a way to ruin her image in his heart.

An emperor's deep affection is indeed rare, but those who obtain it are without exception beauties with short lives.

Shen Yao only wanted glory and wealth, eating, drinking, and enjoying pleasure to old age; as for those more refined pursuits, forgive this common woman for not being worthy.

In the span of one whole afternoon, the Weiyang Palace where Shen Yao was located had stopped a total of nine people; two had urgent matters, three were unwell, and four came personally to offer greetings.

Pity, they were all blocked outside by the cold and ruthless Qiu Yue; no matter how much they clamored and made a scene, they still could not see Xiao Yanchen.

"Your, Your Majesty~"

"Be good, Yao'er listens"

"Mm, Your, Your"

"Do not call Zhen, it will be ready soon"

"......"

The bedchamber shook for a while, until the two people lying on the bed moved.

Shen Yao opened her watery clear eyes, looking wronged at the Emperor who had just been groping and messing with her on her body, cursing him to death in her heart.

Hmph~

Indeed, no matter how handsome a man is, he is nothing but a lecher.

She was still pregnant; although the Imperial Physician diagnosed everything was fine, she could not be tossed about like this.

Especially her chest and collarbone area; no need to think to know that a patch of marks had already been left.

"Yao'er, Zhen was just a bit excited; who made it that just looking at Yao'er makes Zhen unable to resist."

Hah

One cannot really blame him for lacking self-control; truly, the little woman was too seductive.

Every move, every frown and smile, could easily make him bewitched.

Xiao Yanchen was never the sort to make things hard on himself; besides, the child Yao'er carried was doing extremely well, so if he didn't go all the way, just kissing and hugging to take the edge off his craving — that wasn't too much, was it.

Xiao Yanchen, feeling this was perfectly normal, rubbed his nose, reached out to pull Shen Yao up from the couch, and gathered her into his arms again, coaxing her softly.

Good grief, the two of them holed up in the great hall for nearly a whole day without stepping out, sticking together all lovey-dovey like that, not even minding the three children — truly a pair of fine parents.

A while later, Xiao Yanchen dined in Weiyang Palace and stayed the night as a matter of course.

Word spread to the other palaces of the Huang Hou, and everyone took it as perfectly routine.

The Empress didn't even set down the bowl and chopsticks in her hand; she kept eating the dishes laid out on the table, and only her slightly trembling wrist betrayed her lack of calm.

Clack—

"Qing Suo, clear the table."

Wei Jingyi rose; her whole face showed no change of expression, but her voice was cold as ice.

Qing Suo was long accustomed to her mistress's shifts; she lowered her head and set down the rice and dishes with a steady hand, all the while thinking about whom her mistress would instigate tomorrow to go after Consort Xi in Weiyang Palace.

Three years had passed, and Wei Jingyi had gone from her initial haughty composure toward Shen Yao to today's needle-point opposition.

Not only the Empress of Fengyi Palace — like Zhou Ningyan of Chaoyang Palace, Consort Shu of Cuiwei Palace, Ning Guipin of Yu Fu Hall, Concubine Li of Yong'an Hall, Concubine Sun of Changle Palace… the women of the Huang Hou numbered in the thousands, and not a single one who had no grudge against Shen Yao could be found.

The good and the bad of being the Emperor's favored one played out to the full before Xiao Yanchen's overnight stays.

Palace struggle, palace struggle — no matter how simple your thoughts were at the start, by the end it all turns into a fight to the death.

Living in the Great Jing Dynasty's Huang Hou, not one of them possessed a way out.

…

"Niangniang, you're awake."

Qiu Yue, smiling like a flower, helped Shen Yao rise from the bed, then bustled about dressing her up.

Shen Yao had just woken; her mind was still foggy, and her expression looked nothing like its usual lively self.

Fortunately she was used to every blade of grass and tree in Weiyang Palace; even with her thoughts in chaos she wouldn't hurt herself.

She sat obediently at the dressing table, letting Qiu Yue apply her makeup.

Shen Yao reached out and stopped the hairpin Qiu Yue was about to insert at her crown.

"Use that set of gold-wire-inlaid-jade jewelry the Emperor bestowed, paired with this auspicious-cloud-pattern palace attire."

At those words, Qiu Yue hurriedly set the Butterfly-Loves-Flower hairpin aside, turned, and pulled from beneath the counter the jewelry stored in a wooden box, putting each piece on Shen Yao in turn.

"Niangniang, this set of jewelry perfectly suits your complexion."

Gold and jade nurture the body; moreover Shen Yao was with child, and her daily nourishment had never lapsed.

That fair face flushed with red — such a sight was rare in the Huang Hou these days.

Shen Yao nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed not bad. This Palace remembers the Emperor also gifted a set of gemstone-inlaid-jade jewelry; remember to retrieve it from the storehouse first, and keep it for later use."

Her status had long since reached the permission to wear such luxurious ornaments; it was only that before she wouldn't be so brazen about it, but now things were different — the Emperor liked her this way, so why should she hide and tuck it away.

Shen Yao was a person who knew the times well and had clear self-awareness.

Once the person she relied on lowered their bottom line, she would swiftly feel out their new bottom line and promptly adjust her countermeasures.

After long companionship, the other party would grow accustomed to Shen Yao and tolerate her all the more.

Relying on these petty tricks others looked down on, Shen Yao smoothly passed through one world after another.

Right now, it was merely another instance of repeating an old trick; Shen Yao was already well-practiced at it.

Qiu Yue agreed with every instruction from her own mistress; she even chimed in to help Shen Yao recall the other few sets of jewelry that looked precious and magnificent.

All were sent by Xiao Yanchen; Shen Yao couldn't use them all at once, so they were all put into the storehouse.

"What about Jin'er and the other three?"

From the inner room she came to the great hall; Shen Yao took her seat beside the Eight Immortals Table already laden with dishes.

Because Shen Yao was pregnant once again, the fixed time when she previously took the morning meal together with the three children had to be forced to give way to her sleep.

Luckily, though the three children were young in years, they understood Shen Yao's difficulty (mainly because the three of them and Shen Yao couldn't eat at the same table).

Mother and four children each ate their own, yet the mother-child relationship remained good, unaffected.

Hearing her mistress mention the young masters, Qiu Yue explained with a smile that the Emperor had taken the three young masters to Taiji Hall early this morning.

"Off to Taiji Hall again? The Emperor really — he still has palace affairs to handle by day, where's the time to watch the three of them? By then Taiji Hall will probably need a whole new batch of vessels and ornaments replaced. Those three in Taiji Hall are even more at ease than in Weiyang Palace, especially when Xiao Yanchen gets busy he simply can't spare attention for them — isn't that just letting them run completely wild."

Completely failing to understand Xiao Yanchen's regard for the three, Shen Yao felt this person was truly saying one thing and meaning another.

Yesterday he still agreed with her scheme to teach the kids a lesson so they'd remember, then turned around and went back to playing the good doting father.

The three children's bad tempers nowadays — every bit of it was spoiled into them day by day by Xiao Yanchen.