Demoted from wife to concubine? Reborn, the mistress of a noble family plots another high-status mar

Chapter 66

"Are you OK?"

Yun Xiyue smiled and said, "I'm fine. The Emperor only asked a few questions and then let me go."

Xiao Rongrong scoffed, "Would he be that easy to talk to?"

Judging from her tone, she seemed to be very familiar with Murong Yu.

"Did the Princess and the Emperor know each other before?" Yun Xiyue asked curiously.

"Yes, I, the King of Qin, and the Emperor grew up together; you could say we were childhood sweethearts!"

Xiao Rongrong smiled as she recalled the past, "But the Emperor was a few years younger than us, and the Prince and I both disliked him, but he still followed us around like a puppy. Don't be fooled by his current status as Emperor, where he appears cold, domineering, and unapproachable, he was incredibly cute as a child!"

No wonder the Emperor trusts the Prince of Qin so much.

It turns out they were childhood friends.

Murong Yu and the Prince of Qin were behind them, and the two women were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice them at all.

"Rong'er really likes Madam Shen." Qin Mo said dejectedly. He discovered that not only did his wife like Yun Xiyue, but the emperor's attitude towards her also seemed unusual.

Murong Yu's gaze was fixed on the woman in front of him, seemingly absentminded, and he was too engrossed to pay her any attention.

Qin Mo felt even more frustrated. "Does the Emperor like her?"

He suddenly made a startling statement.

The eunuch Fu, standing nearby, was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly defended the emperor, saying, "Your Highness, please don't joke around. If word gets out, it will harm Madam Shen."

Regardless of who fell in love first, even if this matter blows up, it won't affect the emperor. People will only think that Yun Xiyue seduced the emperor.

She was still a married woman.

Everyone will just think it's her fault.

Murong Yu glanced at Qin Mo with a cold look in his eyes, "If you can't speak, then don't speak."

Qin Mo: "......"

Why such a strong reaction if you don't like it?

The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet went smoothly, and the matter between Eunuch Liu and Shen Yue was just a minor incident that no one mentioned.

Since Shen Yue did not participate in the birthday gift presentation at the banquet, Lin Bao'er presented the carefully prepared gift instead.

Hearing that it was a health-preserving pill made by a legendary doctor, everyone was astonished. The Empress Dowager was very satisfied and praised it a few times.

Lin Bao'er was overjoyed.

Yunxi Yue prepared a white jade Guanyin statue, which the Empress Dowager accepted with satisfaction.

Next came dancing, and then a contest of wits and strength.

Whether they were ladies from noble families or gentlemen from prominent families, they would not miss the opportunity to show themselves off. Ladies from noble families, in particular, would compete with each other and use all sorts of tricks just to win the emperor's attention.

The Empress Dowager intended to help the Emperor choose an empress.

He set his sights on Zhou Zhilan, a lady from a prominent family and the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor.

She was stunningly beautiful and exceptionally talented from the moment she appeared on stage. Whether it was dancing, playing the zither, or mastering the arts, she was proficient in all the traditional arts, making all the ladies of noble families pale in comparison to her. She was truly unmatched.

She is also the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor, and whether it is her talent, appearance, or family background, she is the perfect candidate for Empress.

"Your Majesty, Miss Zhou won first place today. Shouldn't she be rewarded?" The Empress Dowager looked at Zhou Zhilan with great satisfaction and intended to arrange for the Emperor to choose her as Empress.

Murong Yu remained calm, his eyes showing no emotion. "Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. If the Empress Dowager is satisfied, she can reward you."

Zhou Zhilan's eyes were dim and she looked very disappointed. He didn't look at her once from beginning to end. "Your Majesty, I would like to have a match with Madam Shen."

Yun Xiyue was almost sexually assaulted by Eunuch Liu, but the Emperor intervened and even hugged her.

For some reason, she became competitive, thinking that she couldn't possibly be worse than a married woman!

He embraced a married woman but wouldn't even glance at her, and Zhou Zhilan felt increasingly resentful.

Murong Yu was somewhat displeased, "Why did you have to compete with Madam Shen for no reason?"

"Zhilan heard that Madam Shen is the eldest daughter of the Yun family, the most beautiful woman in Yunzhou, and a woman of outstanding talent and virtue. All the young ladies present were outshone by Zhilan."

"But that doesn't mean Zhilan is truly number one, so I would like to have a contest with Madam Shen."

Yun Xiyue didn't want to compete with her, but the woman clearly wouldn't give up easily. "What? Is Madam Shen afraid of losing?"