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

Anyone with eyes could see that Murong Chuan was playing hard to get. This trick had hurt Yue Leyun terribly, yet she still urged him on, though her heart was aching as if it were being cut by a knife.

"In that case, I will take my leave. You should rest well. I will come to see you first thing tomorrow morning."

Yue Leyun nodded, and Murong Chuan left in a huff. Only after Murong Chuan's figure disappeared from the palace did Yue Leyun collapse onto the bed, her eyes filled with exhaustion and tears soaking the bed.

Dingxiang sighed and said, "Your Majesty, why are you doing this to yourself?"

Yue Leyun smiled, then choked up and said, "Shouldn't the Empress be the mother of the nation? That's probably what he's thinking. If I keep pestering him, and with my father's power, he'll definitely hate me more and more. Even if what's coming from over there now is just a rumor, it will come true in the future, just like Qiu Lingyu. I won't follow in her footsteps."

Dingxiang asked, puzzled, "But if this continues, won't Your Majesty be pushing the Emperor even further away?"

Yue Leyun said, "You don't understand. No man will only like one woman, especially an emperor. Even with three palaces and six courtyards, who can tolerate it? Beauty will eventually fade. What I need to do is not to rely on my beauty to keep him, but to make him unable to leave me with my wisdom."

"Has Yue Leyun arranged for concubines from the harem to serve her in bed?"

"Yes, the procession is quite grand. The Emperor went there last night. It was Consort Xue from Heqing Palace. She hadn't come out yet when I arrived. I suppose a new Consort Xue will be added to the palace soon. When I arrived, the Empress was still sulking, her eyes were practically blazing with anger."

"It's alright, she's just a concubine. If Yue Leyun can tolerate her, why can't I? Besides, the infighting among the concubines in the palace is not my ultimate goal. I'm afraid Yue Leyun's plan is good, but it won't end well. Which of Murong Chuan's concubines is of low status? If they climb up in one fell swoop and gain a prince, who would want to be subordinate to someone else? I'm afraid even if she can handle it, it will take her a lot of effort."

"Xing'er, your identity was hard-won. In this vast palace, what I need to do truly requires your help. The family feud is irreconcilable, and I've wronged you. I only hope you protect yourself well and don't let anyone discover your identity."

Xing'er said, "Princess, rest assured, I have been in the palace for three years and am an orphan from a peasant family. I will definitely not be involved with anyone. Otherwise, the Empress would not have kept me by her side as her personal maid."

Qiu Lingyu nodded and sighed, "That's for the best. It saves me from worrying about you. You are calm in the face of trouble, which is why I brought you here. As for me, I'm afraid I couldn't stay in this place for even a day unless I had an irreconcilable hatred for you."

Xing'er also knew about Qiu Lingyu's other identity. When she entered the palace, she originally wanted to help her, but unfortunately, she was of low status and could not get close to her, who was already the empress. In particular, Murong Chuan guarded her closely and forbade anyone who was not him from getting close. Therefore, she was powerless to do anything about what happened afterward.

Thinking of this, Xing'er comforted her, "Princess, don't be sad. Your hatred is my hatred. Your Majesty's foresight in placing me in the palace shows your high regard and trust in me. I will definitely not let you down."

Qiu Lingyu smiled but did not answer. How could she have been so farsighted? She had simply wanted to know if her sister was doing well, which was why she sent a loyal maid into the Yue Kingdom's palace. Unfortunately, the maid still left. Naive as she was, what kind of suffering did she endure?

After a moment, she said, "It's not a good thing for the Emperor to wander around the harem. There will be a time when it's my turn. Keep an eye on things so I can be prepared."

Xing'er nodded, thought for a moment, and asked, "Although there are few concubines in the harem, aren't there still those young ladies who have been selected for the imperial harem? Why doesn't the princess reveal this information? I think the emperor is also a lecherous man, and those girls who have never been touched are exactly what he desires."

Qiu Lingyu nodded. Xing'er is really quick-witted. You can arrange this matter. No matter when it's my turn, it will come eventually. If Yue Leyun can really tolerate me serving her in bed, then we'll have to use some methods.

Xing'er nodded and asked, "What should we do with all these bird's nests that were delivered?"

The reason Xing'er came over at this moment was because Yue Leyun sent her to deliver tonics. The excuse was that Qiu Lingyu had a hard time raising Rouge and needed to be nourished. But would Qiu Lingyu dare to eat what she brought?

Qiu Lingyu picked up the bird's nest and looked at it. She said, "Put it here! Bing'er, go and take the pair of tourmalines that the Emperor sent yesterday back to Xing'er. Tell her that I am a rough man and do not know anything about this stuff. Consider it a gift to her, my older sister."

Bing'er nodded and handed the tourmaline to Xing'er. Xing'er covered her mouth and laughed, "Sending this over will probably make the Empress angry again."

Qiu Lingyu smiled and said, "I just want to make her angry. If she gets angry during her postpartum period, she will develop a lot of illnesses. Her dream of having a son will probably be a long way off again. It will be a great retribution for her."

Xing'er returned with the tourmaline to report back, and sure enough, she heard that the tourmaline was sent to Qiu Lingyu by Murong. Yue Leyun was furious, especially since someone brought news the next moment that the emperor was very fond of Consort Xue's service and had promoted her to Consort Xue, granting her a separate palace. The other concubines were also eager to try their luck, striking poses and hoping to win the emperor's favor overnight and successfully rise to power.

Yue Leyun swallowed the fruit she had made herself, even if it meant breaking her teeth. Not only could she not blame Consort Xue, but she also had to send her silk and satin as a sign of congratulations.

Consort Xue came from a distinguished background, being the wife of a high-ranking official of the second rank. She had been relegated to the position of a concubine and was already dissatisfied. Now that she had won the Emperor's favor, she was even more pleased with herself. However, she was not a fool and knew that Yue Leyun was not a kind person, so she took great precautions.

Aside from paying her respects and expressing her gratitude to Yue Leyun after being promoted to a higher rank, she kept to herself and acted like a submissive woman, which made Yue Leyun reluctant to kill her.

Naturally, this was all information that Consort Xue had secretly sent to Qiu Lingyu. Looking at the information in her hand, Qiu Lingyu suddenly smiled sarcastically and said, "The women in the palace are really different. When they were still concubines, they didn't fight or grab, and they didn't make a fuss or show off. But now, they've even finished making the buttons, just waiting for others to crawl into them."

Bing'er, who had also read the news, laughed and said, "She really thinks the princess is so fond of this emperor that she wants the princess to fight for him so she can reap the benefits. Little does she know that everything is in the princess's hands."

Qiu Lingyu shook her head and said, "I'm not familiar with this kind of intrigue. If it were about killing, I could still compete for a better position. Unfortunately, this isn't the northern desert, but the Yue Kingdom's palace, where people are devoured without spitting out bones. If I'm going to kill, I need to use methods that don't require a knife. I still need to learn these."

Bing'er said, "Princess, you are naturally intelligent and quick to learn anything. How could those people be a match for you?"

"Whether she's an opponent or not doesn't matter. All I want is a result. This Consort Xue is no pushover. It's too late for me to go and offer my congratulations tonight, so it might not be appropriate. Tomorrow morning, you should go and deliver the bird's nest that Yue Leyun sent. Just tell her that I..."

"The princess is a rather uncouth person, and such refined things are beyond her means. It's better for someone of high status to enjoy them; this way, she can also accept the Empress's kindness."

After Bing'er finished speaking, Qiu Lingyu smiled and said, "Yes, you've learned it, you clever little devil."

Bing'er laughed and said, "Princess, you've said so many things. How could Bing'er not remember them? I'm not stupid. But this palace is not as good as our Mobei. It's suffocating everywhere. No wonder the little princess was harmed."

Qiu Lingyu lowered her eyes, sighed, and said, "The northern desert is a place favored by the Wolf King. How can it be compared to this filthy place? Alright, I won't say any more. How is Rouge? She seems a bit older these past few days. I don't know if I'm just overthinking it."

Bing'er said, "The princess has indeed grown a bit. Her wet nurse said that if she hadn't been eating well in this mansion, she probably wouldn't have enough milk."

Qiu Lingyu nodded and said, "In that case, let's give the wet nurse a better meal. We may not have much else here, but we do have food. If not, we can exchange our valuables for silver. Anyway, we don't plan to take anything with us."

Bing'er nodded, turned and went out. A short while later, she brought Rouge in. Looking at Rouge's rosy face, Qiu Lingyu's smile became much gentler. Bing'er sighed, "It's only when she sees the little princess every day that the princess smiles so beautifully."

Qiu Lingyu gave her a reproachful look and said, "Your mistress has such a charming smile. If she always smiles, wouldn't she bewitch all the men?"

Bing'er joked: "It's not just men. Bing'er is already smitten with him."

Qiu Lin shook his head and chuckled, "You have quite the sharp tongue. Enough said, I'm taking Rouge out for a stroll."

The afternoon sun was very warm. Qiu Lingyu carried Rouge around the courtyard a few times before going back to the room to rest. Looking at Rouge's face, she drifted off to sleep.

A chill ran down her spine. Qiu Lingyu was awakened by the murderous aura, but because she was still holding her child, she could only remain still. She opened her eyes and looked at the man in black who had appeared out of nowhere, saying, "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on my property? Don't you know this is the palace?"

The man smiled slightly and said in a roguish tone, "Princess, don't be afraid. I'm not an enemy. On the contrary, I'm someone who can help you."

Qiu Lingyu smiled slightly, patted Rouge who was a little disturbed by the noise, and then said, "Do you think I need your help with anything? You are a man and you can't get involved in the struggles of the harem."

The man didn't speak. Qiu Lingyu frowned and looked at him, only to find that his eyes were already on Rouge and hadn't moved away. She frowned slightly and was about to reprimand him when she saw the man smile and say, "Naturally, it's to help the princess avenge the Shangguan family."