Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

When Zhen Yurao said to Madam Zhen, "Why didn't I see you when I woke up?" it contained another meaning: Madam Zhen was with Zhen Yurao before she fell asleep.

"Fifteen minutes is a bit short to lull a little girl to sleep, but it would be enough if Zhen Yurao was already sleepy. However..."

Shen Meizhuang's brows furrowed suddenly.

"But when Zhen Yurao rushed in, her hair was disheveled and she wasn't wearing any jewelry. She was only wearing an undergarment with obvious pressure marks, so she had obviously been sleeping for a long time."

If it were just a short rest, why would the hair be taken out?

The indentations on her undergarments would never have been so numerous and deep.

"This……"

This isn't right! Unless...

Shen Meizhuang pondered for a moment, then looked at An Lingrong and asked, "Sister An, what are your thoughts?"

An Lingrong pursed her lips and said, "My thoughts are the same as my sister's. I'm afraid that Madam Zhen never left Natural Painting from beginning to end and has been with Zhen Yurao the whole time."

The two looked at each other, both seeing deep confusion in each other's eyes.

Why?

Lady Zhen stayed in the Yuanmingyuan Garden to take care of Zhen Huan, so why didn't she go to the Bitong Academy?

If Madam Zhen was unwell and unable to go, or if Zhen Huan's pregnancy was indeed unstable and could not be disturbed, she could have simply not gone. Why make such a fuss?

Pretending to go to Bitong Academy is not as simple as it sounds.

This involves palace servants!

How could Madam Zhen, a mere commoner, have the ability to get so many people to play along with her nonsense and act?

Zhen Huan didn't wait for Madam Zhen, who was supposed to be with her, and she didn't even care or ask about it.

Various questions arose one after another, and the two fell silent for a moment.

After sitting in silence for a while, An Lingrong lowered her voice and said with a hint of excitement, "Sister Shen, I'm afraid something has happened on Zhen Huan's side that we don't know about."

"Perhaps we can start with Madam Zhen."

Shen Meizhuang shared the same thought.

"My sister and I are on the same page. I'll have someone keep a close eye on the natural pictures later."

After speaking, Shen Meizhuang paused and then said, "The Emperor must also know about this. It just so happens that the Emperor will be having dinner with you, sister. If possible, you might as well subtly inquire about it, but you must be careful."

An Lingrong shared the same idea: "Don't worry, sister, I know what to do. We've come to visit Madam Zhen today, so we have a ready-made excuse."

At dinner time, the emperor arrived at Fanying Pavilion as promised.

The emperor and empress took their seats and ate a few bites of their dinner. The emperor then asked first, "I heard that you and Consort Shen went to visit Lady Zhen today?"

As he spoke, he looked at An Lingrong with deep, unfathomable eyes that sent shivers down An Lingrong's spine.

An Lingrong was just figuring out how to start the conversation when she was suddenly made to tense up by the emperor's oppressive gaze. Her heart clenched into a tight knot, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible pain.

She subconsciously slowed her breathing, and though she couldn't guess the emperor's intention, she quickly revealed a look of amazement: "Your Majesty even knows this!"

Finally, under the emperor's chilling gaze, she looked at him with resentment and said, "Your Majesty knows that I have always gotten along well with Sister Shen and Sister Zhen. Sister Zhen is pregnant, and Sister Shen and I should have gone to congratulate her."

"Who would have thought that His Majesty would favor Sister Zhen so much, using the excuse of closing the palace to forbid others from visiting or disturbing her, which has prevented Sister Shen and me from seeing Sister Zhen. It just so happens that Aunt Zhen has entered the garden, so Sister Shen and I have no choice but to go and bother Aunt Zhen, and ask her to convey our message."

Her voice was already pleasant to hear, but when she spoke these words with a hint of reproach, it sounded even more lively and charming, making people smile knowingly.

The emperor did indeed laugh, jokingly teasing An Lingrong, "It's rare to hear Rong'er say such sour things."

An Lingrong blushed and lowered her head shyly.

And in the side profile that the emperor could see, she revealed envy and longing, "Rong'er is not jealous of Sister Zhen, but seeing that Sister Zhen is pregnant and so favored by the emperor, I can't help but feel envious."

As she spoke, her bright eyes, filled with deep affection, looked at the emperor. “Rong’er knows that I am of humble status and cannot compare to my sisters who are from noble families, dignified and virtuous and favored by the emperor. Moreover, I do not have the talent to write poetry and be learned in ancient and modern times, so that I can discuss poetry and painting with the emperor and add fragrance to his life.”

Every sentence he uttered never mentioned Zhen Huan, yet every sentence was inseparable from her.

"Rong'er often felt inferior and timid, but she also felt very lucky. Although she was inferior to her older sisters in every way, she still became the emperor's concubine."

"I am fortunate to be by the Emperor's side and have so many wonderful memories with him. This is something that countless women in the world can only dream of. So, although I envy the other sisters, I feel very happy and content most of the time."

The emperor had mixed feelings. Indeed, An Shi was inferior to Zhen Shi in terms of background, appearance, talent, and intelligence. But there was one thing: An Shi was sincere in her feelings for him!

This one point alone surpasses countless others!

The emperor sighed, raised his hand and grasped An Lingrong's slender fingers, "Rong'er, you don't need to belittle yourself. In my heart, you are no less than Zhen Shi... Consort."

An Lingrong's eyes flashed. Just now, it seemed that the Emperor wanted to call Zhen Huan "Zhen Shi"?

The Emperor did not notice An Lingrong's momentary lapse in concentration. He looked at An Lingrong with a moved expression and said, "Rong'er just said that she was already very satisfied, but I feel it is not enough. If Rong'er can give birth to an imperial heir for me, then it will be perfect."

An Lingrong's face lit up with joy. Did the Emperor mean...?

Then she heard the emperor say what she longed to hear: "I promise you, once you become pregnant, I will make you a concubine."

An Lingrong was overjoyed, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

But she immediately suppressed her joy and hesitated slightly, "Your Majesty, what about Sister Zhen..."

A flicker of disgust crossed the emperor's eyes, not at An Lingrong, but at Zhen Huan.

He sighed and patted An Lingrong's hand. "Rong'er is just too kind and affectionate."

"I have my own arrangements for Consort Zhen, so Rong'er doesn't need to worry about her. Right now, Rong'er should be thinking about when she can give birth to an imperial heir for me."

An Lingrong blushed instantly and said shyly, "Your Majesty~"

Upon seeing this, the emperor laughed heartily, and that night, he naturally stayed at Fanying Pavilion.

That night, the emperor was exceptionally vigorous and called for water four times, which amazed Su Peisheng, who was guarding outside.

The next day, An Lingrong woke up feeling weak all over. Fortunately, after arriving at the Yuanmingyuan, the Empress only allowed the concubines to come and pay their respects on the fifth and tenth of each month; otherwise, she would definitely have been late today.

After a massage by a palace maid, An Lingrong finally got up, washed, and began to have breakfast.

Unexpectedly, Shen Meizhuang arrived before they had even finished their breakfast.

"Sister Shen, you're up early. Have you had breakfast yet?"

Shen Meizhuang smiled and glanced at the table where breakfast was laid out, then replied irrelevantly, "I didn't have to serve you in bed yesterday."

An Lingrong blushed and called out shyly, "Sister!"

Shen Meizhuang covered her mouth and smiled, "Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. I've already had breakfast, you should eat quickly."

An Lingrong was truly hungry. Last night, the emperor was in high spirits and worked very hard, to the point that she was exhausted. During the final cleaning, the emperor had to carry her.

"Please wait a moment, sister. I'll be done soon."

Shen Meizhuang didn't stand on ceremony with her and walked towards the side room on her own. "Okay, I'll wait for you over there."