TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Using children to compete for favor in the harem is not new, but it is not common nowadays.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Xian's health has not fully recovered. I haven't taken good care of her on a daily basis, but I haven't done anything else."

"Humph, she's the child's mother. Even if she did something, you wouldn't be able to find out."

Hongli snorted coldly, threw the memorial in his hand on the table, stood up and walked out.

These two are the only weak children in the palace, so how could he not think too much?

Even if you place more spies, they can't keep an eye on the bedroom all the time.

Children of the same age could already crawl back and forth on the carpet, but Yongqi was still held in the arms of his wet nurse all day long, so Concubine Yu was useless.

Ruyi asked惢心 to dress her up early, and then sat beside the Fifth Prince's bed to read a book.

She still maintained her usual pride, convinced that the emperor would be attracted as soon as he came in.

"How is Yongqi? Where is the imperial physician?"

Hongli didn't notice that Ruyi was dressed up carefully, and went straight to the bed as soon as he entered the room.

Seeing that there was no doctor in the room and the window was open, he became even more furious.

"Your Majesty, you are overly worried. Yongqi has fallen asleep."

Ruyi pouted and shook her head, trying to draw Hongli's attention to herself.

Although Yongqi was raised under her name and gave birth to her own child, it was not her biological child after all. Seeing Hongli so anxious, she felt very sad.

It’s a pity again that I gave birth to a princess.

"Ruyi, didn't you send someone to fetch me, saying that the Fifth Prince was unwell?"

"Now that I'm here, you haven't even called a doctor, and you're saying I'm overly worried? Is that what you do, mother?"

Hongli gave Jinzhong a look, and the other quickly ran towards the Imperial Hospital.

He turned to look at the woman beside him who was grabbing his sleeve.

She used to be a very elegant beauty, but now that her adopted son and daughter are both weak, she has the mood to put on makeup and wear so many rings on her hands.

It’s not even convenient to hold a child. Do you have any heart?

"Your Majesty, how can you question me like this!"

Ruyi's voice suddenly rose and she glared at Hongli in disbelief.

She believed that because of their years of affection and the two children, it wouldn't matter even if the emperor got angry.

Yongqi was not asleep to begin with, and Ruyi's loud cry easily woke him up.

He couldn't speak yet and could only express his discomfort by crying.

The wet nurse quickly stepped forward, picked up the child and coaxed him.

Hongli was even more angry when he saw this.

"Shouldn't I be questioning you? Look at you now. Where is the kindness of a mother? There are concubines all over the palace. Even if this is your first time being a mother, can't you learn from them?"

"The Queen chose so many maids for you, but after you gave birth, not a single one was willing to stay in the Yanxi Palace."

The person Ruyi hated most in her life was the Queen, followed by the Imperial Concubine and those concubines who competed with her for the Emperor's affection.

Hongli's words completely hit Ruyi's sore spot.

"Your Majesty, why do you compare me with others? You and I have known each other since we were young, and you should know best that I am not the kind of vulgar person who follows the crowd in the palace."

"I have my own things that I stick to. No matter how good others are, they are not me."

"From the wall and on horseback, we gazed at each other from afar. The moment I saw you, my heart was broken. Your Majesty, have you forgotten Qingying, the girl you once loved?"

A hint of emotion flashed in Hongli's eyes, and his lips trembled a few times without making any sound.

Just as I was about to sigh, I was attracted by the sudden shrill cry of the child.

"Where's the imperial physician? Hasn't the imperial physician arrived yet?"

Jinzhong happened to walk in with his men at this time. Seeing that Hongli's eyes were red, he immediately guessed that he had just had an argument with Concubine Xian.

He quickly brought a cup of tea and handed it to him, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The imperial physician is already examining the patient. Please drink some tea to calm down. Your health is the most important thing."

Instead of subsiding, Hongli's anger grew even more intense.

After swallowing half a cup of tea, he no longer wanted to argue with Ruyi about right and wrong.

"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince does not have a cough, but he has many abscesses in his throat."

"Just now, the wet nurse mentioned a cough. It must be because the pain is so severe that it's difficult to eat. This is an emergency. I will go down and prepare medicine immediately."

"Taking Daochi Powder internally can clear away heat and detoxify, and applying Bingpeng Powder externally can relieve pain. With careful conditioning for half a month, you will be cured."

When Hongli heard the imperial physician say that the fifth prince's life would not be in danger, his worries dissipated. He nodded lightly and asked the imperial physician to prescribe medicine.

No one in the Yanx Palace noticed what happened to the Fifth Prince.

Even the wet nurse thought that his vomiting was just due to coughing.

This shows how negligent everyone is towards this prince.

Hongli closed his eyes and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and the slight thudding sound echoed in the quiet room.

Seeing that he was not willing to coax her, Ruyi pouted and looked out the window stubbornly without saying a word.

It is common for children to get sick. Why does the emperor have to make such a big deal out of it and even disregard their years of relationship because of this child?

"emperor……"

"Princess Xian..."

After a while, they both spoke at the same time. Ruyi smiled shyly and felt that she and the emperor had a tacit understanding. She decided to admit her mistake. After all, Yongqi had really suffered.

"What do you want to say?"

Hongli still wanted to hear Ruyi's explanation before giving any order.

The curve of Ruyi's mouth corners rose even higher.

"Your Majesty, since you think the Imperial Concubine and the others are good, please go somewhere else. I will stay in the Yanxi Palace with my two children and live a good life."

"The Imperial Concubine and the others are good-natured. I will go there without you saying anything."

Hongli was almost amused by Ruyi's aggrieved look. It was already this late and she was still throwing a tantrum at him.

"Concubine Xian has limited energy in raising the Eighth Princess. Starting today, the Fifth Prince will be sent to Concubine Yu's care. If the Fifth Prince falls ill again in the future, I will hold her accountable."

"Yes, I will convey your order right away."

Hongli raised his hand to signal Jinzhong to stop first, and said indifferently, "All the servants of the Fifth Prince will be sent to the Ministry of Punishment and dealt with according to palace rules."

"emperor!"

"You said at the beginning that Yongqi would be given to me to raise..."

Ruyi stared at Hongli with unyielding eyes, but unfortunately he did not give her any more glances.

"The maid in charge of Yanxi Palace will be punished for negligence and will receive fifty slaps on the face every day until the prince and princess recover."

In Hongli's mind, this has already saved enough face for Ruyi.

After he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and stood up to leave, unmoved by Ruyi's attempts to keep him.

"Master, please don't be angry. The Fifth Prince is ill because of the servants' poor care. The Emperor is punishing him in this way for your own good."

Ruyi grabbed Rong Pei's arm tightly as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw, hoping that what she would say next would satisfy her.

"No matter what, this matter will be seen as our fault by outsiders. If it gets out, it doesn't matter what the other concubines say, but Concubine Yu..."

"The person who failed to notice the emperor's words today was me, your Highness. This has nothing to do with you, Your Highness. This is a good thing."

Ruyi nodded, and the uneasiness in her heart was suppressed. She looked up at Rong Pei guiltily.

"I'm sorry to have to trouble you. Jinzhong has always been cruel and ruthless, and I can't say anything about him."

"It is my honor to serve you, Madam!"

Hai Lan was not at all happy when she received the news. Instead, she rushed to the main hall to express her loyalty to Ruyi.

The happiest one among them was Ye Xin.

Ruyi was lukewarm towards Hailan's flattery, secretly hating herself for failing in the first place. If the medicine had not been discovered, the Fifth Prince would now have only her as his mother.

After Fuga's reminder, Ruyi suddenly realized that she had invited the emperor to come to mediate on behalf of the empress dowager, so how could she have quarreled with the emperor?

Neither one nor two of them were of any use, and the Queen Mother had no choice but to place her hopes on Yihuan.

"Empress Dowager, since the Emperor doesn't want to, why bother making things difficult for him? Prince Guo and Princess Roushu are both noble, wouldn't it be better to let them choose whoever they like?"

The Queen Mother looked at Yihuan deeply, took a long breath and closed her eyes. The rise and fall of her chest showed her inner restlessness. After a long time, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Noble Lady Shu, why do you think you were given the title of Noble Lady when you first entered the palace? Is it because of your talent or your beautiful appearance?"

"I tell you, the most important thing is the power of the Nara family. They only have status but no foundation. A hundred years from now, they will be lambs to be slaughtered."

"Nara's daughter must marry into Prince Guo's mansion, and the young master of the Fucha family must marry Hengti. No matter what method you use, you must convince the emperor to grant the marriage."

The Queen Mother stared at Yihuan with a burning gaze, almost telling her that if she was unwilling to persuade the Emperor, then she should let Nara speak first.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry I can't obey your order."

"You..." The Queen Mother tilted her head and looked at Yihuan thoughtfully, unable to figure out whether she was pretending to be stupid or was thinking about the family.

Hongzhou's birth destined the emperor not to trust him, and his future wife would certainly not be a noble lady from a famous family.

It is possible that Nara does not want to offend the emperor, but that depends on whether she is willing.

Now that you're on this boat, you can't just jump off it easily.

"Noble Lady Shu, go back and think carefully. If the Emperor knew you were my love, do you think he would still favor you like this?"

This was not the first time Yihuan had heard such words, but she was not afraid.

When they returned to Chuxiu Palace, Chen Wanyin was flying a kite with Jingyu at the door.

"Mother, I want to fly as high as you in the future and see the world outside."

"Well, you are luckier than my mother. You will definitely get what you want in the future."

Chen Wanyin brushed aside her daughter's sweaty hair and spoke to her gently.

"Don't disbelieve me, mother. I said everything is possible. When the time comes, I will take you and my brother away with me."

Jingyu stood there alone, looking up at the blue sky, his heart full of pride.

My sister said that painting can be a hobby, but she doesn’t have to like only that, she can pursue more things.

Jingyu wanted to visit the famous mountains and rivers in the book in person, leave them on his own drawing paper, and see with his own eyes how all things that can make pigments grow.

When Chen Wanyin heard her daughter's words, her smile froze, and then she leaned over and hugged her daughter in her arms.

"Don't say such things lightly. Mother is the emperor's concubine. How can she leave the palace?"

Jing met Jiantou and said that he knew.

But she still felt a little resentful in her heart. The emperor had so many concubines, so why couldn't her mother go out?

The kite string had broken at some point, and when the mother and daughter discovered it, the beautiful purple butterfly had already entangled with the bird next to it and was flying higher and higher.

Yihuan looked up, and scenes of what had happened since she entered the palace emerged in her mind.

Looking back now, she realized how ridiculous her behavior was. She jumped into the cage on her own initiative just for the little joy in her heart.

But the people here are only thinking about getting out.

Think about how long it has been since I last saw my family. Is it really worth it?

Perhaps it was because Yihuan's love was too deeply rooted in people's minds that the Queen Mother actually believed that Nara would compromise, and turned around and set her sights on the Queen.

After paying her respects once, she left Langya alone in the Cining Palace.

"Queen, your youngest brother is also old enough to discuss marriage, right?"

Langya raised her eyebrows and glanced at the Queen Mother without saying a word. She had heard about the Queen Mother's little plan a long time ago, but she was indeed thinking too much about this matter.

His younger brother has always been a man of his own ideas. He relies on his young age to get close to Hongli all day long. It can be said that Hongli had always been playing with him before he had a son.

Even without considering the relationship, the age gap is too big.

"Thank you, Queen Mother, for your concern. The Emperor has already mentioned this to me, and my father and mother are anxious to see him marry and have children."

The Queen Mother tightened her grip on the pipe, as if she couldn't hear the other party's refusal.

Despite all her nice words, Langya showed no sign of giving in, and the Fucha family had no reason to let others take advantage of them for nothing.

But all the benefits the Queen Mother could offer could not impress her.

The empress dowager's physical weakness had caused her to lose her mind. She couldn't understand that even if Hongli was generous, he would not agree to her plan.

In fact, they are just two young children. Even if the empress dowager passes away, they will definitely be treated well as the emperor's brothers and sisters from the same mother.

Langya ignored the empress dowager's gloomy face. She was in a hurry to go back and see the big balloon her daughter had just made. She had no time to sit here and watch her cry.

As time went by, the Queen Mother still did not get the result she wanted.

There was no choice but to summon Ruyi again.

"Princess Xian, as a mother to me, you should understand my painstaking efforts best."

"The Queen's brother is highly regarded by the Emperor. If he marries another noblewoman, the Fucha clan's power will undoubtedly rise to a new level."

"By then, the Emperor will surely pay more attention to the Empress. If that's the case, wouldn't it be perfect for us to both get what we need?"

Ruyi imagined the scene described by the Queen Mother and was shocked. She decided to take the initiative to persuade the Emperor.

As expected, he was severely reprimanded by Hongli and was also confined to his room.

Ruyi returned to the Yanxi Palace with a dark face, and kept complaining to惢心 along the way.

"The Emperor has truly been bewildered by the Empress. He can't even tell who truly loves him."

"Master, the Emperor is angry and his words are inevitably harsh. After a while, the Emperor will surely figure it out."

As soon as they came back, Jinzhong brought his men into the Yanx Palace.

Rong Pei was forcibly dragged to the palace gate, her face was already red and swollen.

Although she was kneeling, her eyes were unusually bright, and she glared at Jinzhong with disdain.

The familiar pain came again, and this time it seemed to be more painful. The eunuchs had great strength in their hands, and after a few hard slaps, they actually knocked out Rong Pei's back teeth.

The fallen teeth splattered out along with blood, and Ruyi glared at Jinzhong from inside.

When Li Yu was around, he would never embarrass himself like this.

"Eunuch Jinzhong, Li Yu is also your master. He has taken good care of you over the years. Do you really not appreciate this kindness at all?"

Jinzhong glanced at Li Yu, who was hiding in the corner, and lowered his head and bent over, no longer showing any of the aura of the former chief steward of the emperor.

He looked at Ruyi with a forced smile, "You are joking, Concubine Xian. I am the chief steward of the imperial court, so I only obey the emperor's orders."

Jinzhong did not respond to Ruyi's question. Li Yu could not represent the Yanx Palace. Even if she could, he would not show mercy to a palace maid just because of Li Yu.

Favor? Where did the favor between them come from?

Wasn't it them who caused Wang Qin's accident? I just took advantage of the situation and was very conscientious.