Lan Meiren had never experienced anything like this. Her peripheral vision caught Consort Yan staring at them fiercely, with obvious disdain and disbelief in her eyes.
This man is completely useless, yet he dares to put on a show in front of her. Disgusting.
But Shangguan Yao was already breathing rapidly, completely disregarding Lan Meiren's will. His large palm powerfully kneaded Lan Meiren's full chest.
His other hand became free, swiftly lifting the hem of his robe. The movements were clean and quick, and in a blink, the hall was filled with vivid sensuality and ambiguous allure.
In the grand hall, Yan Ling's eyes widened in disbelief, her breathing rapid as she watched the figures moving up and down in front of her. She couldn't help but swallow, feeling as if her heart had been struck by lightning.
Why, why was it that this man, under her most strenuous provocations, showed no reaction at all? Yet now, he was powerfully thrusting into a woman with no experience, filling the hall with the fragrance of spring.
Shangguan Yao's movements grew faster and faster, pleasure filling his entire being. At this moment, his mind was blank, with only one thought.
He had finally regained his virility, and it was wonderful. He had finally escaped months of suffering.
In the grand hall, Yan Ling felt as if she had been hit by a blunt club, and this blow was no less severe than when Shangguan Yao had choked her earlier. If she hadn't been so arrogant, this man would have been hers.
If she had been more careful, she would still be Consort Yan, and possibly the future Empress. This was truly a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the bait.
Besides Yan Ling, another person slid silently along the wall in a corner, filled with extreme pain, tears flowing silently.
Since ancient times, emperors have been heartless. She had just miscarried, and he was actually favoring a concubine in the hall of Zhongde Palace, disregarding her completely. She feared that from now on, she would never be able to get into his bed again.
Inside the hall, everyone had their own thoughts. Only Lan Meiren panted and moaned, sweating profusely, until the Emperor let out a low roar, releasing his last burst of heat.
The hall was filled with a quiet serenity, and the lingering atmosphere was dispersed by the wind.
Shangguan Yao lazily rolled over and sat up. Lan Meiren, who had been lying on the soft couch, had already nimbly gotten up.
She attended to the Emperor, tidied his clothes, and then silently put on her own. After tidying everything, she respectfully and joyfully said,
"Your Majesty, this concubine shall take her leave now."
"Good, you may go. There's no need for soup."
As soon as Shangguan Yao's words fell, Lan Meiren's body trembled slightly, almost unable to suppress a scream.
The Emperor had permitted her to conceive. This was truly wonderful. She quickly knelt to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"You may go."
Lan Meiren, her face flushed with shyness, retreated. Soon, all the women in the harem knew.
The Emperor was well again! The Emperor was actually well! Everyone began to speculate whether it was the Young Master Leng Yue who had cured him. If so, then Young Master Leng Yue's medical skills were truly at the peak of perfection.
In the grand hall of Zhongde Palace, after the exertion, Shangguan Yao's handsome features seemed like fermented wine, tinged with a faint red. The usual coldness had disappeared, replaced by a touch of gentle elegance.
Yan Ling watched all this with cold eyes. Regret was useless. She could only gaze at the Emperor expectantly, not knowing how he would punish her.
Shangguan Yao slowly stood up, paced over, crouched down, and gazed at Yan Ling with a sinister and cold demeanor. His pupils were filled with a seductive fierceness, making them resemble those of a snake.
"Am I unable to perform?"
His voice was cold and bloodthirsty. He reached out and tightly gripped Yan Ling's chin, the force almost crushing her jawbone. In pain, she frowned and couldn't help but question, "But that night, Your Majesty clearly?"
"I find you dirty, do you know that? A worn-out shoe that has been played with by others, and you still want me to touch you? Don't you find it disgusting? I find you dirty."
Shangguan Yao's eyes were filled with sinister disdain, his narrow eyebrows tightly knitted. He slowly stood up, took out a silk handkerchief from his怀, and meticulously wiped his hands, as if the touch had been unbearable.
After wiping, he flicked his hand, discarding the handkerchief. It floated down and landed on Yan Ling's face, followed by his cold and icy voice from outside the hall.
"Consort Yan, for her brutality and for harming the imperial prince, is hereby demoted to a mere attendant. She shall be flogged twenty times and confined to the cold palace for atonement, never to step out of the cold palace for eternity."
Yan Ling's face turned pale, her body slumped, and she fell to the ground of the grand hall again, completely numb.
She hadn't expected to be demoted to the lowest rank, receive twenty lashes, and be confined to the cold palace forever. How could she possibly live through this? Shangguan Yao had no right to deal with her. She was a princess of the Northern Dynasty, and her imperial brother would not let him get away with this.
"Shangguan Yao, you have no right to deal with me. I am a princess. I am a princess, and my imperial brother will not let you go."
Alas, her cries were ignored by everyone. The Emperor had already left.
Palace guards rushed in from outside the hall door. With expressionless faces, they approached, reached out, and lifted her up, heading straight out to receive her punishment.
Yan Ling cried and screamed, and many people watched along the way, but no one paid her any attention. Their faces all displayed expressions of disdain.
Wasn't she relying on her status as a princess to do as she pleased? Now she was facing retribution. Heaven truly had eyes!
In contrast to the icy chill on this side, other palaces in the harem were extremely lively. This was because, in just this short period, the news of the Emperor's recovery had quickly spread throughout the harem.
And the pavilion where Lan Meiren resided was almost trampled flat. Waves of people came, inquiring if the Emperor had favored Lan Meiren.
Those who came could instantly tell the truth of the matter, as Lan Meiren's face was full of shy delight, and her entire body was soft and weak, leaning against the couch like a soft cluster of flowers.
Concubines who had been favored by the Emperor naturally knew what this meant, and they rejoiced immensely. No one cared about the Emperor favoring Lan Meiren; they were only thankful that the Emperor had finally recovered.
This time, they must use all their skills to ensure they conceived a prince...
The gentle night breeze blew, feeling cool. In the early autumn season, the night had already become cold.
Yun Xiao stood by the window, looking down at the myriad of lights, a sense of boundless emotion rising in her heart.
To be honest, she truly wished to be a loving brother and sister with Yun Zhen. A person's life is not just about love; there is also family affection and friendship. Each of these is very important.
Therefore, she hoped that Yun Zhen would awaken and realize this, and they would forever be brother and sister.
Her thoughts swirled back and forth. Wanwan walked over, seeing that her mistress had been unsettled all day, but she hadn't told her what had happened.
"Mistress, please rest. Don't think about it anymore. If there's anything, we can discuss it tomorrow."
"Alright," Yun Xiao nodded and turned to go inside.
However, after taking only two steps, she heard the sound of urgent knocking at the shop door downstairs. With a strange lift of her eyebrows, she wondered who it could be at such a late hour.
Unless it was something important, they wouldn't be knocking so loudly. Could it be a critically ill patient? As Yun Xiao pondered, the shop lights were turned on.
Yanmei opened the door quickly while speaking, letting the person in. After saying something she didn't know, she hurried straight to the back.
Yun Xiao stood by the window and said lightly, "What happened?"
"Is it Young Master Yun? Something has happened?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Yun Xiao's body leaped. She flew out from the window frame, and as soon as she landed, she looked at the person behind Yanmei. It was the steward of Prince Yun's mansion.
Upon seeing Yun Xiao, his eyes became misty. He didn't know that the Yun Xiao before him was the young lady of their Prince Yun's mansion, merely thinking of her as a good friend of the young master. Wiping away his tears, he spoke.