Chapter 455

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Shen Yao surpasses Deng Chongyuan by a wide margin, whether in rank or in favor.

What's more, Shen Yao now carries a golden belly; never mind Deng Chongyuan being in the wrong — even if she were in the right, what would it matter?

This world is inherently unfair, and the Huang Hou is precisely the place where the weak are prey to the strong.

Before Shen Yao arrived, Deng Chongyuan was full of herself, pointing fingers and picking fights with Lady Shen; Xiao Fu, as a servant, could not retort too sharply lest it harm her own master's reputation. But after Shen Yao came, the situation reversed completely — Deng Chongyuan became the one forced to shut her mouth, not daring to speak.

Oh, that's not quite right either — Deng Chongyuan still wanted to keep talking; unfortunately, her servant was sensible enough to know that picking a fight at this moment held no benefit for Deng Chongyuan, and quietly persuaded her to shut up.

"Mother, it's getting late; I'll have Xiao Fu send you and Third Sister out of the palace."

Shen Yao glanced at Lady Shen, whose anger was tinged with unavoidable nervousness, offered a couple of perfunctory words of comfort, then turned and left.

"She, she really goes too far!"

Watching Shen Yao's party walk far away, Deng Chongyuan dropped all pretense, flung off the servant tugging at her, and revealed a frantic, humiliated appearance.

The servant fell to the ground, endured the pain, climbed up, and urged her master not to make a scene — this is the Imperial Garden, crowded and full of prying eyes; who knows who might spread today's news? If Xin Zhaoyi comes out unscathed, her own master won't be able to escape the consequences.

"Can't you say something nice for this palace? What does Xin Zhaoyi have that this palace doesn't?" Even her background isn't as good as mine; why does getting pregnant mean she gets this and that?

The servant: ……

"Niangniang, this servant finds this matter suspicious; you and Xin Zhaoyi's Birth Mother clearly have no conflict, so why would you run into each other in the Imperial Garden?"

They usually come to stroll in the Imperial Garden, but the routes and positions they take are unknown to outsiders; today they just happened to run into Lady Shen on her first entry into the palace — a coincidence so contrived it could be written into a book.

Deng Chongyuan looked at the speaking servant, "You think someone deliberately set a trap?"

"This servant doesn't dare presume; I merely think that given the difference in status between you and Lady Shen, you shouldn't have crossed paths in the first place," the servant tried to put it as tactfully as possible.

Deng Chongyuan looked thoughtful, then finally stamped her foot in hatred, "Regardless of the reason, this palace has noted today's affair. Xin Zhaoyi had better stay high and mighty, pressing this palace down, for the rest of her life; otherwise," she would repay this grudge sooner or later.

"Go, back to the palace."

A trip out that left her mood spoiled, Deng Chongyuan lost all interest in continuing her stroll, turned around, and returned to Yuqing Palace.

Only she could leave, but the words she herself had spoken could not be dispersed.

'Look at that — that's the thought process of a fool,' daring to play the 'a gentleman's revenge is never too late in ten years' routine, not even considering whether she can survive to the end.

Listening to the system's live broadcast, Shen Yao instantly lost any desire to deal with Deng Chongyuan further.

This person doesn't even understand who is scheming against her, or for what purpose; she acts and speaks entirely on impulse — prolonged contact would lower one's IQ.

'Host, people like this are the easiest to use — good family background, a bit of favor, but not smart,' simply a ready-made tool to serve as an arrow shield.

'Exactly, so we have even less to fear,' as long as it's not a direct face-to-face confrontation, with the system's reminders and my own advance layout, Shen Yao couldn't figure out how the imperial heir could be lost, 'keep monitoring inside and outside Furong Palace; before childbirth, I'll do my best to avoid conflict.'

As the saying goes, the barefoot fear not the shod; Shen Yao is now the most precious person in the entire Huang Hou — not afraid of ten thousand, just afraid of the one-in-ten-thousand; caution is best.

…………

That very night, the Emperor specially came to Furong Palace to keep Shen Yao company for the meal.

During the meal, the Emperor also asked about Lady Shen and Shen Rong entering the palace today, thinking to bask in some reflected glory — after all, Shen Yao receives this kind of special treatment that ordinary people never get to enjoy.

"The Emperor shows compassion to your subject; your subject is moved to tears," Shen Yao held up a porcelain dish with neatly arranged food and brought it before the Emperor, then rose to fetch soup for him — startling the Emperor into hurriedly taking it and urging Shen Yao to sit back down.

"Beloved Consort's body is heavy now; these matters should be left to the attending servants — you must not let yourself grow weary," lest it affect the imperial heir.

The last sentence went unspoken, but Shen Yao knew exactly what the Emperor was thinking.

After all, the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital now come to Furong Palace daily to clock in, practically wishing to diagnose eight times a day, all to confirm the safety of the imperial heir in the womb.

Moreover, at over three months, nearly four, some senior Imperial Physicians can discern the fetus's sex; even though Shen Yao carries twins, with a cheat on her person, the babies develop healthily in her belly, and the pulse manifested outward is steady and strong — what better proof could there be?

The Emperor now looks at Shen Yao with eyes that truly seem to wish he could tuck her into his sleeve and carry her close; so when Shen Yao begged the Emperor to show grace and allow Lady Shen and Shen Rong to enter the palace every month, he agreed without a second thought.

"Your Majesty~"

Shen Yao leaned into the Emperor's embrace with a face full of emotion, coquettish and ingratiating words flowing from her mouth.

After the two finished the late dinner, they sat resting in the bedchamber; the Emperor idly stroked Shen Yao's hair, occasionally returning a few endearments, successfully maintaining a warm and gentle atmosphere throughout the room.

Just then, a disruptive sound arrived — Li Guiquan entered with an ugly expression to report: Deng Chongyuan had been jostled in Yuqing Palace and specially requested the Emperor to go preside over the situation.

Shen Yao: …… laughed

"Must We go handle harem affairs? Notify Noble Consort of Yongning Palace."

The Emperor deflected the matter with effortless ease, turned his head, and continued holding Shen Yao in tender intimacy.

Shen Yao smiled even more sweetly, complaining to the system in her heart that Deng Chongyuan really was hopeless, 'I don't even need to lift a finger — she can play herself to death,' a rare talent indeed.

System: ……

Holy crap

Did Deng Chongyuan have an extremely smooth life at home with no one ever competing with her? How did she become this abstract after entering the palace? Is snatching favor something just anyone can do?

One needs favor, two needs to read people — Deng Chongyuan currently measures up to neither, yet she still dares to fantasize about seizing the Emperor from the Host; are all consorts this bold and confident nowadays?

Finding Deng Chongyuan increasingly entertaining to watch, the system stopped talking to the Host and turned to remotely monitor Yuqing Palace to watch the show.

Li Guiquan obeyed the Emperor's command, turned around, and shoved this troublesome task onto Noble Consort of Yongning Palace; it just so happened the Noble Consort was in a foul mood, and upon hearing the news, she stormed into Yuqing Palace in a rage, saw Deng Chongyuan, and without a second thought slapped her twice — pa, pa — venting her pent-up frustration.

Deng Chongyuan: ……??

Deng Chongyuan wore a baffled expression, one hand covering her slightly swollen cheek, not understanding the Noble Consort's purpose in coming — she had clearly asked for the Emperor.

"The Emperor is someone you can summon just because you want to? Why don't you look in a mirror and examine your own virtue!"

The Noble Consort's brows arched, she shot a sidelong glance at Deng Chongyuan, turned and had Lian Xiang question the matter, "This palace received the Emperor's verbal edict to handle Deng Chongyuan's jostling incident; from the looks of it, there seems to be nothing at all — a true waste of time."

Lian Xiang took up the thread, softly summarizing what had happened in Yuqing Palace.

It was actually just a trivial matter — Deng Chongyuan, having suffered grievances outside, came back and simply picked on the other minor consorts in the palace; with her abnormal train of thought, she wanted to blow it up into a scene to drag the Emperor over.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor gave her no face, Noble Consort gave her no face, and she herself became a laughingstock.

Noble Consort made a puffing sound, covered her mouth corner with one hand, and said in a mocking tone, "Stupid at home, still stupid after entering the palace."

Deng Chongyuan:!!!!

"Lian Xiang, this palace is tired, go back," Noble Consort said, leaning on Lian Xiang's hand as she walked out, "Deng Chongyuan used private punishment without cause, sentence to copy the palace regulations three times, confined to the palace for one month, to serve as a warning to others."

Deng Chongyuan refused to accept it, sticking out her neck to argue, "Noble Consort Niangniang, this subject is wronged."

Which household's main position doesn't find trouble with the minor consorts in their own palace? Noble Consort herself still finds trouble.

The consorts in Yongning Palace are sick and cannot get out of bed, what does Noble Consort's current punishment count as?

Only the state official may set fire, but the common people may not light lamps.

Deng Chongyuan's eyes flashed with fire, her expression indignant and resentful; even facing Noble Consort, this person was not the least bit fake.

Noble Consort smiled amusingly and turned around, taking quick steps to come before Deng Chongyuan, "Does your palm hurt? Still not sober? Wanting to lodge a complaint with this palace?"

Three consecutive rhetorical questions left Deng Chongyuan unable to speak; Noble Consort reached out and continued to pat her cheek, "If your brain is no good, at least make your appearance bright."

Staying long in a second-rank idle post, even the Deng Family is no longer sober, right?"

Noble Consort's words now were naked threats; regardless of how Deng Chongyuan thought, she would satisfy herself first.

"This palace thought that if the Emperor did not come, everything would be clear; how is there still a stupid thing jumping about? Do you want to follow in the Empress's and Virtuous Consort's footsteps?"

Deng Chongyuan:...

Deng Chongyuan no longer spoke, watching Noble Consort come in a hurry and leave in a hurry, finally understanding what it meant to be afraid.

After that day, Deng Chongyuan was muddled for several days, and as expected, directly made herself fall ill.

When Xiao Fu brought the news, Yuqing Palace clearly showed signs of trouble; even the Imperial Physician's pulse diagnosis said that depressed mood affected the body, telling Deng Chongyuan to pay more attention to rest on ordinary days, and that only by healing her body could she serve the Emperor.

"What does the Emperor say?" Shen Yao picked up the teacup on the table and placed it at her lips, "Noble Consort punished Deng Chongyuan with palace regulations three times, confined to the palace for one month."

Deng Chongyuan still cannot come out to this day, and can only stay in the palace to recuperate from illness.

"The Emperor's meaning is that since Deng Chongyuan's body needs rest, it is just right to use the leisure time to finish copying the palace regulations; being confined for one month also needs no lifting of the ban."

Shen Yao laughed out with a puffing sound upon hearing this; the Emperor was blatantly slapping Deng Chongyuan's face, and now Deng Chongyuan had no chance at all of having the ban lifted.

As for what happens after one month? Judging by the current situation in the Huang Hou, she might lose favor in half a month, let alone a whole month; long ago she would have been thrown into some remote corner by the Emperor.

"Master, Deng Chongyuan can be considered self-inflicted," nowadays who in the Huang Hou does not laugh at Deng Chongyuan's stupidity; she has simply become a negative example for the entire Huang Hou.

"Yes, in the future there is no need to report to me what this person does; it is completely unnecessary."

The warm tea entered her mouth carrying a unique fragrance; Shen Yao placed her hand on Xiao Fu's arm bend and stood up, walking slowly toward the outside.

Outside the window the sunlight was warm; Shen Yao closed her eyes slightly, feeling the sensation of rays of light falling on her body, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.