Senior brother is so awesome!

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! Yang Shanshan looked down at the embroidered pattern on her sleeve with a nonchalant air. The current situation was clearly a scene of a husband disciplining his wife. As an outsider labeled as a mistress, it was best not to get involved. However, "Fifth Literature" updates the fastest, and the full text is typed by hand. What's the deal with this woman's talk of the Ancient God Emperor? How is she disrespectful to the Ancient God Emperor?

The Empress was shocked to see that the usually gentle and respectful Emperor was giving her the cold shoulder because of a vixen, and in front of all the concubines in the palace! How could she manage the palace now that her dignity had been damaged?! But since the Emperor was angry, she could only lower her head, her high eyebrows almost standing on end, and her gaze at Yang Shanshan seemed to want to devour her. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I only saw that Consort Yuechen was wearing a bright yellow formal suit, and I had no choice but to do so because of the family precepts of our ancestors."

Liu Tingpei squinted at Empress Feng Yunshuang, her head bowed but her back stiff. Heh, was this her way of refusing to compromise? His fists clenched behind his back. If it weren't for Prime Minister Feng's strong support during his ascension to the throne, he wouldn't have asked to marry the Prime Minister's daughter, Feng Yunshuang! Now, he wouldn't have to put up with her mean-spirited face!

"Your Majesty should keep an eye on the other concubines. Consort Yuechen belongs solely to me, and no one but me can interfere with her!" Liu Tingpei spoke slowly, his imposing manner carrying an air of authority. He no longer paid attention to the Empress's resentment and turned to Yang Shanshan, his face now showing a gentle smile. "My dear consort, you must be very tired from your journey. How about I personally carry you back to Fengchen Palace?" Without giving her a chance to refuse, he bent down and easily lifted her slender body. Afraid of falling, Yang Shanshan hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Put me down! You lecher!" Her delicate eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown as she glared at Liu Tingpei. What grudge did she have against him? Wasn't she just putting herself in the spotlight?

His smile widened, "My dear consort, be careful of the little prince in your womb."

The other concubines were struck dumb again. They realized that Consort Yuechen, a newcomer, had already managed to provoke the Emperor to reprimand the Empress and receive such doting affection—it turned out she was pregnant with the Emperor's child! The Emperor hadn't set foot in the palace for over two months since his ascension, except for visits to the Empress. Now, he had brought back a fairy-like woman; were they doomed? Now, only she could offer them any hope…

Yang Shanshan cursed all the way as he carried her back to the magnificent Fengchen Palace. As soon as her body was placed on the soft couch, her little arms and legs struggled to break free from his grasp. "You shameless bastard, what nonsense are you talking about? When did the child in my womb become yours!"

His half-closed tiger eyes revealed his good mood. Since the little one didn't like his touch, at least she could stay away. He waved for the guards and maids to leave, then personally poured a cup of honey water and handed it to her. "If I don't say this, how will your child explain? She will surely be tormented to death by those old scoundrels of the previous dynasty." Especially Prime Minister Feng, whose family now wields immense power in the court. He would certainly not let his daughter's grievances go unpunished. However, if he didn't give Feng Yun Shuang a warning, he feared his Consort Yue Chen's life would become difficult in the future.

"Then just let me go!" she blurted out, remembering how all the concubines who had just greeted the emperor were so beautiful and alluring, their eyes practically begging to rush into his arms. She couldn't help but pout and mutter under her breath, "You big stallion!" She leaned comfortably against the chaise longue, the soft feeling beneath her like sinking into a pile of cotton, her limbs and body relaxing in bliss.

Liu Tingpei raised an eyebrow at her, ignoring her disregard. "Take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. I'll come over to have dinner with you tonight." With that, he quickly pecked her red lips, laughed triumphantly, and strode away.

Caught off guard, Yang Shanshan was taken advantage of and wanted to curse angrily, but thinking of her baby, she tried to calm herself down. She couldn't get angry; if she got angry, her baby would have a bad temper too. Calm down, calm down...

Just then, a familiar voice sounded beside her, "Does Your Highness wish to meet the palace servants of Fengchen Palace?"

Opening his eyes, he saw Qing'er, dressed in a light green palace gown, standing respectfully to the side with her head bowed and eyes lowered, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.

She initially felt that everything here had nothing to do with her, but since she was already here, she might as well make the best of it. A new official is expected to make a strong first impression, and if she didn't establish her authority from the start, what if someone betrayed her and harmed her? She also hadn't forgotten the murderous glares of those women at the palace gate. She had watched some palace dramas before, and the harem was definitely a battlefield without gunpowder, where a slight misstep could lead to certain doom!

"Alright, let them all come in." She leaned lazily against the couch, her small hand unconsciously stroking her lower abdomen.

Twenty palace servants filed in and spontaneously formed two rows, kneeling respectfully in greeting. "Your servants greet Consort Yuechen, may Your Highness live a thousand years!" A loud voice echoed in the exquisitely decorated main hall of Fengchen Palace, with its carved beams and painted pillars. She glanced up at the twenty people. Ten palace maids dressed in light pink palace attire and ten eunuchs in dark blue robes all bowed their heads and lowered their eyes, appearing quite restrained and respectful.

"Let's all introduce ourselves first." As soon as she finished speaking, everyone looked at each other in confusion. Qing'er leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, what does it mean to introduce yourself?"

He couldn't help but twitch his lips. "It's just a matter of everyone saying their names and ages."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, having worried about being punished for not being able to answer their mistress's questions. The lead maid in pink stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty, this servant is Qingfeng, fifteen years old." "Your Majesty, this servant is Mingyue, fourteen years old."...

After listening to the self-introductions of twenty people, Yang Shanshan had already fallen asleep on the couch. Qing'er gently woke her up only after the report was finished.

Blinking her heavy eyelids and frowning impatiently, she knew pregnant women were indeed sleepy, practically always fast asleep. She glanced at the group and lazily said, "Well then, your names are too varied for me to remember, so let's change them to..." After a moment's thought, she continued, "Since it's fate that you've all come to Fengchen Palace, let's change them to Feng Yi, Feng Er, and so on." She couldn't be bothered to remember names like Qingfeng Mingyue or Ruyi Jixiang.

Everyone's foreheads were covered in black lines, but since the name was not something they could decide, they all knelt down to express their gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this name upon us!"

She had just taken a nap in the afternoon when Qing'er woke her up. Being woken up several times made her very unhappy, but Qing'er said with concern, "Her Majesty the Empress is here to see you. Why don't you get up first?"

The Empress? The one who called herself a vixen in front of the palace gates? Sure enough, she couldn't resist coming to cause trouble. Too lazy to bother with her, she pouted, her eyes half-closed. "Tell her to go back. Just say I'm sleeping." With that, she lay back down on the soft bed, continuing her sweet dreams.

"Oh my, Consort Yue Chen has quite the airs. She can avoid even the Empress's presence. She's truly arrogant because of the Empress's favor!" The sharp female voice made her frown. She sat up and saw the Empress walking in with several women in gorgeous clothes. The one who spoke was the consort next to her, who was wearing a white strapless rose-red dress.

She glared at Qing'er and said, "Go see who's on duty today. They didn't even report the Empress's arrival! Where do they put me?" The young woman's voice, though authoritative, carried a heavy air of authority. When she turned around, her face was all smiles, showing no sign of anger. She rose and walked to the Empress, curtsying slightly. "Your Majesty's arrival is an honor. I am truly sorry for failing to greet you properly. Please forgive me." The soft, delicate voice made Feng Yunshuang want to tear her throat apart, but her words were flawless. She subtly implied that no one had reported her arrival, but in reality, she was implying that they had come uninvited. The concubines who had come with the Empress to provoke her exchanged glances, realizing that this Consort Yuechen was not easy to deal with.

The Empress's cold face suddenly broke into a smile, and she took Yang Shanshan's arm and sat her back on the bed in a rather amiable manner. Yang Shanshan wanted to pull her arm away but did not want to offend her, so she let her take her arm.

"Since Consort Yuechen has just arrived, if there is anything you don't understand, you can ask your elder sister. Your elder sister is the highest-ranking among your subordinates. If the two of us get along well, the people below will not dare to act recklessly."

She smiled faintly in response, but inwardly she gave the Empress a thumbs up. She was indeed an award-winning actress. It was as if she wasn't the one who had tried to kill her just a few hours earlier. Her amiable demeanor made anyone who didn't know better think she was a very virtuous empress.

Seeing that she had agreed so naively, Feng Yunshuang instructed the maidservant beside her, "Bring the things in."

Yang Shanshan was wondering what was going on when two strong eunuchs brought in a statue of a Bodhisattva made of sandalwood. The reddish-brown to blackish-brown wood gleamed and emitted a faint fragrance. The Empress pointed at the statue and said with a smile, "That is the Fetal God. Now that you are pregnant and it is the Emperor's first child, your sister takes it very seriously. So she had someone send someone on horseback to bring this Fetal God from the National Temple in Nanshan. From now on, you must sit in front of the Fetal God for a full hour every day to bless you with a smooth delivery."

These words left her with no reason to refuse. What a kind Empress! She had summoned a fetal deity for her favored concubine and even delivered it herself. But even if the fetal deity was good, it must contain something harmful to the fetus. Although she despised the Empress's actions, she still put on a very touched expression and hurriedly got up to kneel down to express her gratitude. The Empress could have stopped her, but she didn't. Watching her prostrate at her feet, a smug look instantly appeared on her face. "You are still just a concubine. I am the Empress!"

After another round of pleasantries, Yang Shanshan felt she had nothing more to say, but the group refused to leave. She then had Qing'er bring out some pastries, which she had made using the recipe for egg tarts. Fortunately, some of the palace servants who came today were responsible for preparing pastries, so they quickly made them according to her method. Although the taste wasn't as good as those made in an oven, it was still quite novel. The four concubines found the yellow and tender egg tarts topped with some yellow peaches very tempting, so they each picked one up and enjoyed eating them. The Empress, however, simply said that she didn't like sweets and didn't touch them.

She sneered inwardly; the Empress was indeed vigilant, afraid that she might have put something in the pastries.

Only when the sun reluctantly set beneath the palace roof did Liu Tingpei put down the memorials that had been piling up for so long. Looking at the mountain of memorials on the dragon desk, he closed his dry eyes, rubbed his temples, got up, and rode in a sedan chair toward Fengchen Palace. He hadn't seen her all afternoon, and he already missed her so much. What a little femme fatale!

He entered Fengchen Palace, his heart filled with longing, and saw the Empress and four concubines. His thick eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. The concubines were overjoyed to see their beloved Emperor. Normally, the Emperor either visited the Empress's Kunning Palace or slept in the Yangxin Hall, leaving them no opportunity to seduce him. Seeing him today made their afternoon spent with the man they hated most worthwhile. The four women, with seductive smiles, surrounded Liu Tingpei. "Your Majesty, we haven't seen you in so long, we've missed you terribly." They took his large hand and placed it on his ample bosom, their eyes filled with flirtatious smiles. Seeing her boldness, the other three concubines, taking advantage of the chaos, pretended to accidentally tear off their clothes, revealing their semi-transparent undergarments.

Yang Shanshan laughed through her stomachache, her red lips pressed tightly together as she looked at the dragon and four women before her. "Tsk tsk," she thought, "these women look like they'd love to strip right here and force themselves on Liu Tingpei. This lecherous man must be enjoying it immensely, haha. Why does he look so pale? Ouch, my stomach really hurts, I can't hold it in anymore..."

The woman's silvery laughter echoed in the palace. The four concubines, who had taken off their clothes, glared angrily at the woman who was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, their eyes like ice and knives.

She looked up and saw everyone staring at her with unfriendly gazes. She tried hard to stop laughing, saying, "You, you can leave me alone, keep going." But the more she tried to suppress her laughter, the more she couldn't hold it in, and soon her laughter rang out again.

Seeing the Emperor's cold gaze, which seemed to greatly dislike the four women beside him, Feng Yunshuang gripped the silk handkerchief in her hand with a look of exasperation and cold authority, and said in a stern voice, "What kind of decorum is this, with your clothes so disheveled!" Upon hearing this, the four concubines hurriedly stepped aside and straightened their clothes, knowing that they had not completed the task assigned by the Empress and would certainly be punished when they returned. Fear appeared on their faces.

The Empress gracefully rose and walked to the Emperor, reaching out to straighten his clothes. "Your Majesty, please don't be offended. They just missed you so much." A kind and tolerant smile bloomed on her face, making one admire what a kind and magnanimous Empress she was. However, Liu Tingpei was clearly not buying it. He dodged her outstretched hand and walked to Yang Shanshan while straightening his clothes.

His sharply defined, cold face softened instantly upon seeing her. He stepped forward, took her hand, and asked, "Is Chan'er settling in well? Are the servants taking good care of her?" His gentle voice rang in her ears, but she nonchalantly pulled her hand away, her stunningly beautiful face revealing a cold expression. "You've locked me here; how can I possibly get used to it?" Her accusatory words caused those ignored to grit their teeth in disgust. She then looked at the Empress and the others, "You see, Her Majesty the Empress and several of my sisters miss you. Unfortunately, I'm pregnant and unable to serve you, so I'll go comfort them tonight." She weakly touched her forehead, seemingly exhausted.

The beautiful voice was like a nightingale singing in a valley, but Liu Tingpei exuded a terrifying coldness. He turned to look at the five people standing there, and finally his cold and angry gaze landed on the Empress's face. "You are very free, are you? From now on, you are not allowed to come to Fengchen Palace unless you have something to do!"

The Empress hurriedly stepped forward to persuade her, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I only brought a few of my sisters to keep Yue company since she's new here and doesn't know anyone." Well, you, Consort Yue! So your gentle and innocent demeanor just now was merely a way to lower her guard; you were waiting for her here all along!

Liu Tingpei ignored all of this and waved his hand to cut her off, "Leave now! From now on, anyone who dares to step into Fengchen Palace without my permission will be beaten to death!" Under his authoritative and angry command, the five women suppressed their shock, bowed, and left. But as soon as they reached the door, a cold voice came, "The four concubines have committed debauchery in the harem. They are hereby given white silk and poisoned wine!" A simple sentence was enough to put them to death.

Yang Shanshan never expected that her little trick would anger him so much, resulting in the deaths of four people! She stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and said urgently, "They didn't deserve to die, why must you take their lives!"

Liu Tingpei gazed at the petite woman who reached his chest, a charming smile spreading across his lips. He gently stroked her small face with his large hand. "Anyone who upsets you will face certain death." His deep, mature voice rang out, filled with a domineering yet indulgent affection for the woman. His tiger-like eyes looked down at her with tenderness, as if she were the only person in the world.

She abruptly lowered her head, avoiding his eyes, and stared at the four women kneeling and kowtowing outside the door. Her small face was contorted with anxiety, on the verge of tears. She only wanted to protect herself, not hurt anyone, but she had forgotten that in ancient times, a single word from a king could take many lives. Growing up in ordinary modern times, the act of taking lives was utterly horrifying! She didn't want blood on her hands! So, she could only continue to plead, "What will it take for you to let them go?"

He suddenly laughed, a bright and cheerful laugh that softened the lines of his chin. He pinched her chin, lowered his head, and stared intently at her stunningly beautiful face. He said, word by word, "I want you to promise to stay by my side for the rest of your life. Any children you give birth to must be sent away, and..." His smile became even more wicked, "and you must bear my offspring."

A thunderous sense of plunder exploded in her mind. Her beautiful eyes stared incredulously at the domineering man before her. In that moment, she suddenly thought of that equally domineering yet tender man. If it were him, he would surely forgive everything about her…

"Why aren't you saying anything?" he prompted with a wicked smile.

"Can you give me three days? I'll give you an answer in three days." The words came out in a whisper, as if a mosquito had run away. Now, all she could do was stall for time, hoping that something would change within three days.

"Fine!" Liu Tingpei readily replied, then threatened, "Don't even think about any useless tricks. If you dare to escape, I will slaughter everyone in the entire palace!"

She glared at him angrily, "You beast!" she roared through gritted teeth. Suddenly, a strange sensation flashed through her stomach. She glanced at the statue of the fetal deity placed to the side and quickly suppressed her anger. The baby was the most important thing; she couldn't be angry...

Because the two had spoken very softly, and with the four wailing women outside, no one heard their transaction. Liu Tingpei glanced at them contemptuously, noticing the Empress's restrained expression, and suddenly felt extremely pleased...

---Aside---

Whew, the cable to Yunqing's place was stolen, and I couldn't get online all day. Finally, just as I finished typing, I found I could finally get online again! I didn't want to take a day off, but it worked out just as I hoped! I'm so happy! Hoo hoo!