Repeatedly broken branches

Bai Jiaoyu had been feeling cooped up in the palace for several days. She couldn't stand it anymore because Xie Huai had gone out of the capital for a while, saying he had some things to take care of. But what could he possibly have to do? He should have been back in a day or two. Four or five days had passed, and it was clear that he was deliberately avoiding her.

She couldn't bother Xie Huai, so she spent all her time with Shen Shanshan. What good could come of two cunning and arrogant people getting together? Anyway, as long as she didn't bother Xiao Mu, she could slowly figure out the assassination plan on her own.

I haven't had morning sickness lately, which is probably related to the side dishes You made. They're refreshing and appetizing, and I can enjoy them with meals to relieve morning sickness. It's really great.

Ke You had been resting for several days, and the side dishes on her plate were almost empty. Xiao Mu looked out the window dejectedly, wondering when You would get better. She was getting bored. Shuang Ru was not good at chatting and could only give answers, which was very boring.

Suddenly I realized it's been such a long, long time since I left the palace.

But now that she's three months pregnant, leaving the palace is probably not feasible. Yu Yanjing wouldn't agree, the people around her wouldn't agree, and she herself felt it wasn't quite right.

"What is the Emperor doing?" Xiao Mu asked, looking at Shuang Ru, who was standing upright like a pine tree.

Shuangru replied, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is probably handling official business."

Xiao Mu sighed. She had been busy for two or three days and hadn't seen Yu Yanjing. She heard that the situation on the border was getting more and more serious. The people of Jiuguang had repeatedly invaded, and Chaoyang had begun to prepare to send troops. At that time, Zhou Tingxi might face off against Yin Fu'an. Former friends and right-hand men would now be facing each other with swords drawn. It was truly a case of the vicissitudes of life.

……

"I heard that the Emperor wants to attack Chaoyang. Will Xiaozhi be implicated? Think about it, how long has it been since we last met? More than a year, right? Time really flies. Thinking back, we used to sit here drinking tea and chatting. It was so pleasant."

Liang Yuxue sighed.

Song Xinning said sadly, "Yes, I miss her so much. I heard she's pregnant and must be doing very well. The Emperor of Chaoyang cherishes her like a treasure, and she's the only one in his harem. She truly embodies the ideal of one love for life. I'm so envious."

Chen Lanhe took a sip of tea. "Now, we are enemies, from the moment Yin Fu'an decided to turn his sword against the rising sun."

She didn't know what the future held. If Hisamitsu lost, they wouldn't be able to survive either. But what would happen to Kozue and Ichigo if Asahi lost? They were the two people she cared about, and she didn't want to see anything happen to them.

Liang Yuxue said indignantly, "Why did the Emperor have to attack Chaoyang? Does he have nothing better to do? I really don't understand him. Killing the emperor wasn't enough, he also wants to annex Chaoyang? Doesn't he know his own limitations?"

“He was just venting his anger,” Chen Lanhe said in a low voice.

Because Zhou Tingxi was not only his right-hand man who helped him conquer the country, but also someone he grew up with. How could Yin Fu'an accept that Zhou Tingxi suddenly turned against him and sided with someone else?

Chen Lanhe had figured out Yin Fu'an. He was ambitious, but also ruthless. If he encountered Zhou Tingxi or Deng Yizhi on the battlefield, he would not hesitate to pierce their bodies with his sword, just as he had done to the former emperor.

He has no compassion, nor does he act on emotion. All his status and position are the result of years of scheming, and he cannot easily give them up, much less give them up because of some so-called friendship.

Song Xinning said bluntly, "Anyway, our fates are tied here. If he dies, we won't live either. I don't want to die because of him. It's really bad luck."

"Hahahaha." Chen Lanhe and Liang Yuxue laughed upon hearing this.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared in front of the three of them. This person was Consort Xian, Xia Yunxu, who had been staying at home for several months.

Chen Lanhe's eyes widened in disbelief that the person who came was actually Consort Xian. But she was not mistaken; this was indeed Consort Xian. She wondered if Consort Xian had come to her senses and was actually willing to come out and meet people.

"Sister Xianfei, you've finally come out!" Song Xinning pulled Xianfei to sit down and poured her a cup of hot tea, the kind that was still steaming.

Xia Yunxu looked much more haggard, her complexion was sallow, and her figure was thinner than before. Her once beautiful hair had become dry and frizzy, as if it hadn't been styled in a long time. She was dressed in a simple and elegant gray palace dress. If you didn't know that she was the emperor's virtuous concubine, you would think she was a palace maid.

Xia Yunxu didn't even have anyone to serve her.

Chen Lanhe looked at her with suspicion and asked, "Where's Si Liu?"

Xia Yunxu spoke in a hoarse voice, "She drowned a few days ago on her way back from delivering scriptures to you."

All three of them couldn't believe Xia Yunxu's words. Just a few days ago, she was a perfectly healthy and energetic person. How could she just be gone like that? Si Liu and Ruo'er had been with Xia Yunxu since she was a princess in the previous dynasty. They had witnessed everything she had gone through and were now her only maids. Now that Si Liu was gone, Yin Fu'an never inquired about her well-being. To put it bluntly, if she had suddenly died of an illness, she might not have been discovered.

Now, Chen Lanhe only has Yuanyuan by her side. The maids she brought from the manor have been sold into slavery by Yin Fu'an. She understands Xia Yunxu's feelings.

“Then, why don’t you let my sister take Su Tan back? Su Tan has been with me since she was little. She’s reliable and thoughtful. I trust her to take care of my sister.” Song Xin Ning said, looking at the maid standing behind her.

Su Tan and Qin'er were her personal maids who she brought into the palace. It was only because she truly regarded Xia Yunxu as her own sister that she entrusted Su Tan to her.

Su Tan felt extremely wronged. Why did the beauty only give her away but not Qin'er? She was clearly more sensible than Qin'er, yet she was being given away for no reason, and as an unfavored, fallen concubine. If she followed her, wouldn't she be starving?

This would be hard for anyone to accept. After serving one person for so long, suddenly having to switch to another is unacceptable, especially since she's just a maid whose fate is in the hands of her master.

Xia Yunxu shook her head. "Forget it, I'm fine on my own. It's much quieter. Su Tan is still young. If she stays with me day and night with the Buddhist lamp, she'll probably find it boring."

Su Tan looked at Xia Yunxu with tears of gratitude. This virtuous concubine was truly a good person.

“Sister Xianfei, that won’t do. You are a mistress after all. Let Sutan stay with you. When the palace sends new people… then we can let her come back.” Although Song Xinning was reluctant, she thought that Xianfei’s place might not be a bad place.

"Yes, Consort Xian, if it weren't for the fact that I only have Yue Li by my side, I would also like to give you a maid to serve you. Unfortunately, I only have Yue Li, who I grew up with, who is quite capable."

Yue Li is a quiet girl who only focuses on doing things silently. Even if there are other people around, Liang Yuxue is reluctant to give Yue Li away.

People who practice vegetarianism and chant Buddhist scriptures wouldn't cause so much trouble, and serving them would probably be easy. Song Xinning couldn't bear to see Su Tan suffer.

Seeing Song Xinning's kind offer, Xia Yunxu really couldn't refuse, so she said, "Alright, but is Su Tan willing to come with me?" Her gaze turned to Su Tan, who was standing to the side with her head down.

Song Xinning also looked at Su Tan, waiting for her to give a response. Su Tan couldn't embarrass her mistress in front of everyone, after all, her mistress treated her very well, so she couldn't say anything. Even though she was unwilling, she still gritted her teeth and said, "Su Tan is willing to follow Your Highness."

Now everyone is happy. Xia Yunxu is willing to come out, and there is another person to serve her, who can fill the void left by Si Liu.

Chen Lanhe remained silent until she suddenly remembered that Si Liu always had swollen eyes when she came to deliver scriptures. When asked, she would say that she missed home. How could she have drowned without anyone mentioning it?

It's probably not interesting to hear about the death of a maidservant of an unfavored concubine who rarely leaves the house, so it's normal that no one would mention it.

After Su Tan and Xia Yunxu returned, Chen Lanhe felt even more uneasy, as if something was about to happen.

The baby in my belly has been behaving well lately, so I've been sleeping and eating well. I've gained a lot of weight, but I don't look ugly.

Yin Fu'an is currently busy preparing for the war at the front lines, and it is said that he has not visited the harem for a long time. The women who were once his favorite concubines are eagerly waiting for his arrival, but they can't even see his shadow.

Take Consort Qing for example. She used to be incredibly glamorous, but now she's in a terrible state. The Emperor's favor is gone, and her followers are fleeing one by one. She was once the apple of the eye of the King of the Snow Kingdom, and she was also highly favored in Jiuguang. Now, she has been neglected overnight, and so many people are laughing at her. She can't do anything about it. No matter how many schemes she has, she can't use them.

……

When Xie Huai returned to the palace, it was already autumn in Chaoyang. All the branches of the trees in the palace were covered with withered yellow leaves, swaying in the wind, and a chill swept over, not much better than winter.

Xiao Mu is now four months pregnant, and her belly is slightly protruding, but her limbs are still slender and her figure is like that of a young girl. She has only gained weight in her belly, and nothing else. Her skin is still moist. The palace nanny said that only a girl carrying a princess would look like this. If she were carrying a prince, she would look ugly.

A princess would be best; both she and Yu Yanjing hoped to be a princess.

Xie Huai went to the Southern Frontier. I don't know if he went there on business or if he was using business as an excuse to go out and have fun. But I was really envious. Looking at Xie Huai's radiant face, I knew how fun it must be there. I heard that the people there are good at using Gu poison, among which the Lover Gu is the most famous. I don't know if it's true or not. Anyway, I can't play with it.

"Xie Huai, do you still stand by your promise to give me a cat? It's been so long, and I haven't even seen a single cat hair."

Xie Huai said casually, "You're not coming to the Western Regions with me, so how am I supposed to give you the cat?"

Xiao Mu was both angry and annoyed, so she said she had been deceived. Xie Huai never intended to give her the cat. Tsk tsk, she shouldn't have believed the words of a playboy.

Upon hearing that Xie Huai had returned, Bai Jiaoyu quickly applied heavy makeup and rushed to Zining Palace, filling the room with a pungent smell of cosmetics that was unpleasant to smell.

"Xie Huai, why didn't you take me with you when you went to the Southern Frontier? I heard there are wildflowers everywhere there, they may be rustic, but they're still beautiful. How could you do this?"

Xie Huai didn't speak. He went to the Southern Frontier to avoid you. If he took you with him, how could he find peace and quiet? Sometimes he really admired Bai Jiaoyu's brain. How could she be so stupid as to be like paste?

You, expressionless, brought over a pot of tea, Pu'er tea that Xie Huai had brought back from southern Xinjiang. It had a rich aroma and a slightly bitter taste.

Such fine tea, what a pity, Xiao Mu cannot drink it. The imperial physician said that pregnant women should not drink tea. Such good tea will be wasted on Bai Jiaoyu.

"What kind of tea is this? It's so astringent and bitter, it doesn't taste good!" Bai Jiaoyu exclaimed in surprise after taking a sip, frowning repeatedly.

Xie Huai glanced at her, put the teacup to his lips, blew on it to cool it down, took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of the tea, and then buried his head in drinking the tea, putting Bai Jiaoyu's face out of his mind.

"The flowers in the southern borderlands are beautiful. After you give birth, I can take you to see them. The raw stones there are also very translucent. I'll bring back a few and make hairpins for you and Xiaoshao. They'll probably be quite nice," Xie Huai said softly with a smile.

Xiao Mu then smiled and said, "You've got a conscience. Next time you sneak out to play, you must take me with you. Otherwise, your allowance will be halved."

She chuckled inwardly. She knew that the allowance was Xie Huai's Achilles' heel. As long as she threatened him with it, he would do anything. Everyone thought he was greedy for money.

Xie Huai poured himself another cup of tea, took a sip with an elegant and composed air, put down the cup, glanced at her, paused, and said, "Unscrupulous employers only know how to blackmail people with money. What else can you do?" He looked away, quietly gazing at the pale yellow tea in the cup, his thoughts churning.

Xiao Mu said sarcastically, "Someone loves money, I just took advantage of his weakness. So, that person isn't you, and you don't love money at all. Then you shouldn't have any complaints about me cutting your allowance in half, right?"

"You... are being unreasonable." Xie Huai was so provoked that he couldn't speak, and could only keep drinking tea to relieve his anger.

Bai Jiaoyu sat there dumbfounded like an outsider. She couldn't join the conversation or appreciate the tea. She could only watch them chat idly, her eyes darting around. She was so angry that her face turned red, but she couldn't leave. What would it be like if the two of them were left alone?

The palace was to host a banquet in the autumn, so it was decided to treat it as a welcome feast for Xie Huai. Everyone who could be invited was invited, including Bai Jiaoyu, who was a distinguished guest who had come from afar. No one else could be left out.

But she didn't treat herself as a guest at all, and even treated herself as the master. She dared to order Wei Lan to do this and that for her. Yu Yanjing didn't say a word for Xiao Mu's sake, but in his heart he had already put Bai Jiaoyu on the death list.

Ouyang Meixi and Xue Shi sat together. Zhou Tingxi, who should have been seated with them, sat with Wei Hao and Deng Yizhi instead, making it seem as if the couple had quarreled.

Wei Hao was so engrossed in drinking that he didn't eat anything, and he didn't dare to look up at the person on the stage, so he didn't know what her expression was like.

She had been gloomy and unhappy for a long time, and never smiled. Xiao Mu noticed this, but every time she asked, she said that nothing was wrong.

Maybe she's homesick.

"Your Majesty, I have a request for your grace."

Zhou Tingxi suddenly stood up and bowed to Yu Yanjing. Ouyang Meixi looked over and gasped. She was afraid that the favor Zhou Tingxi mentioned was to send her back to Jiuguang. She began to panic. Why did what she feared come true?

Yu Yanjing spoke in a low voice, "Speak."

Zhou Tingxi lowered his eyes to look at Wei Hao sitting beside him and said slowly, "Wei Hao has been with me for a long time and has no parents. He is now twenty-two years old and it is time for him to settle down and start a family. But how can a commoner like me find a good woman for him? This matter will have to be troubled by Your Majesty the Empress."

Wei Hao was astonished. Why would the general bring this up for no reason? Why would he want to play matchmaker for him? What did he know?

You looked at him with a pained expression, but dared not show any emotion on her face. She had to be extremely careful and not reveal the slightest flaw.

Yu Yanjing chuckled, "Then why are you telling me? You should tell the Empress. This is not difficult. Tomorrow, have the Empress summon the women from the families of important officials to the palace."

Zhou Tingxi's gaze fell on Xiao Mu, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, "Your subject dares not overstep his bounds."

Ouyang Meixi could see that although he deliberately avoided the Empress, the way he looked at her was so unattainable, so cautious. But what was behind that caution? It was love, endless love, love that she could never dream of!

She was heartbroken and drank her wine in silence. Xue Shi whispered a reminder to her, "Meixi, don't lose your composure."

Madam Xue knew that Ouyang Meixi was living on thin ice, and no one could bear such a marriage. She was quite sensible.

Ouyang Meixi wouldn't listen to any advice anymore; she just wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol. But the alcohol was like water, doing nothing to extinguish her worries. She suddenly realized that it must be a lie; the truth was that drinking to drown one's sorrows only made them worse.

“General, I…I don’t want to get married yet.” Zhou Tingxi returned to his seat, and Wei Hao carefully tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear.

Zhou Tingxi smiled slightly and asked him, "When do you want to get married? Since the war hasn't started yet, and we still have the energy to prepare for it, just wait. Anyway, you don't have a woman you like, do you? How about you come and choose one yourself tomorrow?"

The woman he admired… Wei Hao raised his eyes to look at You, trying to meet her gaze, but she never looked in his direction.

She is truly so cold-hearted.