The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Yaying Qiu Lingyu smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course, she will be my child from now on. If I don't treat her well, who will I treat well? Don't you agree, Your Majesty?"

Yue Leyun's expression changed, and she said indifferently, "If that's the case, I'm already reluctant to part with this little princess. What if the child in my belly really is the emperor's offspring? I really want a princess by my side. Your Majesty, what do you suggest we do?"

Murong Chuan remained calm and composed. He stood up and walked to Qiu Lingyu's side, looked at the child in her arms, suppressed his joy, and said, "Aren't all children the same? If the Empress wants a daughter, I will let you have one after this child is born. In any case, what I want most is still the Empress's legitimate child."

Upon hearing this, Yue Leyun was overjoyed and said shyly, "Your Majesty, Consort Ling is still here."

Murong Chuan smiled slightly and said ambiguously, "The Empress and I are husband and wife, and our deep affection is a well-known story in the court. It is not appropriate for Consort Ling to be here. Since the Empress is shy, Consort Ling, you may leave for now! By the way, since Consort Ling's name contains the character 'Ling,' it is not appropriate for the princess to be called Ling anymore. From now on, she shall be called Rouge! Rou means gentle, and Ge means song."

Qiu Lingyu bowed to Murong Chuan and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing a name upon the princess. I will now take my leave and not disturb Your Majesty and the Empress any longer."

After Qiu Lingyu left, Yue Leyun said to Murong Chuan in a coquettish tone, "Your Majesty must have been afraid that I would treat the princess badly, so you gave the child to Consort Ling to take care of!"

Murong Chuan smiled and said, "Why are there so many bad things? Why does Yue Yun still say such things? I'm doing this all for you and the child in your belly."

Yue Leyun shook her head, her eyes filled with sorrow, and said, "Just now, the Emperor mentioned the princess and the prison. He must still be thinking of her, right? Could it be that the Emperor has really fallen in love with her?"

Murong Chuan's gaze changed, and he smiled as he approached Yue Leyun, saying, "Is the Empress still jealous? You've been jealous for years now, how come the vinegar jar never runs dry?"

Yue Leyun said tactfully, "Although the Emperor has me in his heart, he still has other people in his heart. She has been in the palace for many years. Although the Emperor only wanted to use her, she has been with him for a long time and has borne him children. Although no princes were left behind, a princess was left behind."

Today, I went to the prison to inquire about the armored soldier on behalf of His Majesty. Not only did she refuse, but she also insulted both of us, and ultimately bit off her tongue and committed suicide. Although it wasn't my doing, she died because of me. Your Majesty mentioned the prison just now; wasn't that a test of me?

As Yue Leyun spoke, tears streamed down her face. Murong Chuan quickly stepped forward to wipe away her tears, then scolded her, "Why are you crying? If you cry, your future children will all have a crying voice. How can such a prince become emperor?"

"Alright, Yun'er, don't you know how I've treated you? I've even given up the title of the world's best armored soldier, do you really think I love her? I did this for you, truly for you, why are you hurting yourself like this?"

Yue Leyun shook her head, her eyes filled with unease, and said, "But doesn't His Majesty still have Consort Ling in his heart? She looks exactly like the late Empress, and even her name is exactly the same. If I hadn't personally witnessed her death in prison, I would never have believed that they were two different people. I would have thought that His Majesty was trying to deceive me and the court officials."

Murong Chuan said with feigned helplessness, "You! You overthink things. Would I do something that would betray the world? You know what happened to the Shangguan family. If I keep her around, and if the Ironclad Soldiers of yesteryear really do reappear, wouldn't I be leaving myself a time bomb?"

Seeing Murong Chuanshuo's seriousness, Yue Leyun gradually came to believe her and said, "I was afraid something might happen, so I was in a hurry to get her to confess. But I didn't expect her to bite her tongue and commit suicide without even caring about the princess. It really chilled Your Majesty's heart."

Murong Chuan smiled slightly, pulled Yue Leyun into his arms, and said softly, "In this world, no one can be more devoted to me than you, Yun'er. I am content with my life. So, Yun'er, if the court needs me to take concubines in the future, don't think too much about it. No matter how many women are in my harem, my heart will always be with you."

He uttered tender vows, making Yue Leyun happy, but a wicked smile flashed in his eyes, and a cold arc appeared on his lips. However, Yue Leyun did not notice it.

Qiu Lingyu returned to her palace with the child. Yin San had already arrived, holding a sleeping three-year-old child in his arms. Qiu Lingyu went forward to check and found that there was indeed a mark of Murong Chuanshuo on the sole of his foot. After thinking for a moment, she took out a dagger and ran it along the child's finger.

Watching the blood in the teacup quickly mingle, Qiu Lingyu gently picked up the child and asked, "Is he alright?"

Yin San said, "I only gave him some sleeping medicine, otherwise the child would cry and fuss whenever he sees strangers."

Qiu Lingyu nodded, kissed the child's forehead, and handed the child to Yin Sandao: "Find a way to remove the birthmark on your foot so they won't have to look for the child again. Then take the child back to Mobei. If you don't want to take him, you can give him to my father."

Yin San frowned: "Why?"

Qiu Lingyu smiled, sat down and placed him and Rouge together. Seeing that the two siblings were sleeping soundly, she said, "It's nothing. My original intention was not to let him grow up by Father's side, not to let him compete for the throne. I just wanted him to live an ordinary life."

"But you are working for my father, and I have no one else to rely on. You treat me sincerely, and I believe my father won't harm his only grandson. Keeping him by his side is the last resort."

Yin San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then he saw Qiu Lingyu pick up Rouge, whom she had just put down, and say, "Come and see if there's anything wrong with her?"

Yin San stepped forward, took the pulse, and said, "There's nothing seriously wrong, you're quite healthy."

Qiu Lingyu was relieved: "That's good. I was worried that she might be poisoned if I left it with that woman for several days."

Yin San frowned and said, "That woman is no pushover. You must be very careful in your actions."

Qiu Lingyu nodded: "Don't worry, I will. Things might change, so you should take the child and leave quickly!"

As she spoke, Qiu Lingyu put Rouge down again and placed the boy in Yin San's arms. Yin San looked at Qiu Lingyu for a long time before saying, "I will not hand him over to the king, but will I ever see you again?"

Qiu Lingyu smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Yin San. I thank you for your companionship over the years, and I thank you for truly treating me as an individual. However, this matter is a debt I owe. If I don't repay it, I will be uneasy in my conscience for the rest of my life, and I will inevitably torment myself in pain, unable to escape it."

So don't be sad, and don't stop me. I believe I will bring that woman down from her pedestal, because she's working hard with me too.

Yin San remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Take care."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left through the window as if he had never been there. Looking at the dark night, Qiu Lingyu smiled and said, "The show is about to begin."

Murong Chuan comforted Yue Leyun and came to visit Qiu Lingyu early the next morning. He had mixed feelings about Qiu Lingyu, in addition to his love for her. Now that the other Qiu Lingyu was dead, he even transferred his feelings for her to this one. He felt uneasy if he didn't see her for even a moment.

When he arrived, he did not have anyone announce his arrival and went straight to Qiu Lingyu's room. He saw Qiu Lingyu gently watching Rouge nurse. Murong Chuan looked at the wet nurse and found that she was a stranger. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Yu'er is so thoughtful. She prepared a wet nurse in advance."

Qiu Lingyu raised her eyes and smiled at Murong Chuan, "It is indeed early. I sent Fu Shuang to search outside the palace before dawn. After all, I really dare not use the wet nurses in the palace. If someone else's wet nurse is involved and something happens to the child, I will be punished again."

Murong Chuan smiled and walked to her side. By this time, the child had finished eating and fallen asleep. Qiu Lingyu took the child and let the wet nurse leave. Murong Chuan then said, "Thank you for your hard work, Yu'er."

Qiu Lingyu shook her head and said, "It's not hard work. The Emperor has to work much harder, having to deal with such a hypocritical woman. I always think how much more comfortable it would be if the Emperor were in our northern desert."

Murong Chuan sighed and said, "Those who are not in a position should not concern themselves with politics. As the emperor, I am not free to do as I please. Yu'er, thank you for your understanding."

Qiu Lingyu smiled, lowered her head, and then looked up at Murong Chuan as if she had thought of something, asking, "Your Majesty, do you know if she has been properly buried?"

Murong Chuan had completely forgotten about this matter, but when Qiu Lingyu asked him about it, he was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. Seeing that Qiu Lingyu's expression had turned sour, he hurriedly said, "Of course it has been arranged. She was my late empress. Although she has been deposed, she is still my woman and should be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I forgot to remind you about this. Don't worry, I will send someone to the Imperial Household Department to arrange this matter. It will not be neglected."

Qiu Lingyu's expression softened a bit, and she sighed, "After all, we were sisters. I don't want her to die and be left to rot in the wilderness. But will Yue Leyun agree to let her be buried in the imperial mausoleum?"

Murong Chuan frowned and said unhappily, "This is not something she can stop. My woman, if she is not buried in the imperial mausoleum, where else should she be buried? If word gets out, it won't be me who will be laughed at, but her, the virtuous empress who is the mother of the nation."

Qiu Lingyu seemed relieved and nodded, saying, "In that case, I'm not worried anymore. But Your Majesty, did you come so early for something? If not, wouldn't that upset the Empress again? She's currently in labor, and if she's in a bad mood, she could easily miscarry."

Murong Chuan approached Qiu Lingyu, carefully smelling the floral fragrance on her body, and said, "Who cares about her? She's my concubine, can't I touch her? You've been in the palace for over a month, and I haven't been intimate with you yet. Yu'er, you'll serve me tonight!"

As Murong Chuan was about to press Qiu Lingyu onto the bed, Qiu Lingyu turned around and dodged him, saying to Murong Chuan, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! My period has just started, how can you touch me? Besides, if you want me to serve you in bed, you must inform the Empress and let her make the arrangements. Otherwise, if I lose my virginity, the Empress will make things difficult for me. Do you really want someone as brainless as me to be schemed against by your poisonous Empress?"