She then turned and ran out without another glance at the Emperor.
At this moment, she had given up. She had originally wanted to stop her father, because her selfish wish was to have her mother stay by her father's side, but now there was no need for anything.
Such a man was not worth having. Her mother would eventually meet someone who truly loved her.
Seeing the princess run away, Mo Chou quickly bowed to the Emperor and turned to follow her. The man at the head of the table had a thoughtful, unfathomable look in his black pupils. He raised his hand and waved.
"A Jiu, you may withdraw. I need to rest for a while. Do not let anyone disturb me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A Jiu led the eunuchs out and guarded the door of the great hall.
The Emperor never allowed anyone to approach him. When he rested, he always dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs...
Little Yu'er led Mo Chou back to the Fengluan Palace. Many eunuchs and palace maids greeted them along the way, but she ignored them, her face as dark as ink and extremely displeased.
Mo Chou followed closely behind her, not daring to say anything more. When this girl got angry, she was full of fire.
Although she really wanted to remind her that when they reached the Consort, she should not say anything, lest she add to the Consort's troubles.
But then she thought better of it. Such things would be known sooner or later, and it was impossible to keep them hidden. She silently followed behind her, and the two of them returned to the Fengluan Palace.
As soon as Little Yu'er returned to the Fengluan Palace, she looked at Qing Yao seriously.
"Mother, why don't we leave here? Little Yu'er really hates it here and feels very sad. Father is no longer the person he used to be."
Qing Yao looked at Little Yu'er like this, and her heart felt a pang of reluctance. Little Yu'er had always been a straightforward person, and it seemed that this matter had hurt her.
Logically, they should have left without looking back, but as soon as she thought of leaving, a voice seemed to echo in her heart, gently calling her.
Yao'er, it's not like this. I will not fail you. Yao'er, you must believe me.
Thinking of this voice, Qing Yao's heart ached immensely.
If she were to say that Liu Zun was a domineering and cold-blooded person, she would believe it, but she truly could not believe that he was a lecherous person.
At that time, both Xi Men Xin Yue and Chu Yu Yan were beauties of unparalleled quốc sắc thiên hương, yet he had not been moved. Why would he now think of taking concubines, and so urgently? This seemed unusual.
"Little Yu'er, don't worry. If we have to leave, Mother will leave."
Qing Yao reached out and hugged Little Yu'er. She felt that she should investigate this matter properly. She raised her head and looked at Mo Chou below.
"Mo Chou, from today onwards, you must pay attention to the movements in the palace. If anything unusual happens, report it to me."
"Yes, Consort."
Mo Chou responded, not knowing what the Consort was doing. She raised her head and stared at her. Bing Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Consort? What is this?"
"I believe there must be something hidden behind the Emperor's actions. You must pay attention to everything in the palace.
I will find out why there is such a big difference between the Emperor's past and present. Also, be sure to pay attention to the movements of that woman, Xi Men Xin Yue. She is so arrogant; there must be a reason for her arrogance, she wouldn't be so arrogant for no reason?"
"Yes, Consort."
Mo Chou accepted the order and prepared to go out to instruct the eunuchs and palace maids of Fengluan Palace to pay attention to the palace's movements together.
However, Qing Yao stopped her. "Apart from you few, do not alert anyone else about this matter. I have been away from the palace for several years, and some things may not be as they appear."
Mo Chou and Bing Xiao nodded and accepted the order. "Yes,"
It seemed that the Consort suspected something. Since that was the case, they should be more careful...
Xi Men Xin Yue kept her word and acted quickly. She soon selected the daughters of some important officials in the court, and decreed that they be summoned into the palace for selection. All those to be selected were waiting in the Chuxiu Palace.
Early in the morning, Xi Men Xin Yue sent a eunuch to invite the Empress to move to Chuxiu Palace.
Mo Chou and Bing Xiao's faces darkened. That woman had clearly targeted the Consort.
"Consort, let's ignore her. What does their selection of imperial concubines have to do with us?"
Mo Chou said angrily, but Qing Yao was unconcerned. Strangely, she was not angry now. It seemed that everything was not simple. She wanted to interact more with Xi Men Xin Yue; she must be hiding some secret.
"We will go over later."
Qing Yao said calmly. The little eunuch accepted the order and quickly retreated to report to the Shu Fei.
In the Fengluan Palace, Little Yu'er looked at her mother and found that she was no longer sad. Her expression was calm, and her eyes were filled with a cold glint, but the former pain was gone.
What was going on? If she had to say that her mother's love for her father was not without affection, she knew it. But how to explain the current situation?
"Mother?"
"Alright, later we will go to Chuxiu Palace to see the new imperial concubines that Shu Fei has chosen for the Emperor. The Emperor will also go there, so let's go meet him."
After saying that, Qing Yao got up and walked down from her phoenix seat, heading out, followed by a group of people.
Mo Chou, Bing Xiao, and Little Yu'er. As for Shen Yu and Ming Yue, they stayed in the palace. Qing Yao instructed the two of them not to move around arbitrarily in the palace, lest they attract unnecessary gossip...
Qing Yao led a group of people, grandly making their way towards Chuxiu Palace.
On the stone steps in front of Chuxiu Palace, eunuchs and palace maids stood in two rows. Inside the hall, dozens of noble young ladies stood, each with two personal maids. Instantly, fragrant hair accessories and colorful silks fluttered, and waves of fragrant wind wafted through.
Outside the door, a eunuch sang out, "Shu Fei Niang Niang has arrived."
The hall fell silent. Everyone stood up in unison, their eyes fixed on the entrance outside the hall.
Then, Xi Men Xin Yue, dressed in a seductive red silk robe, walked in. Her body, wrapped in luxurious brocade, accentuated her curvaceous figure. A layer of transparent thin gauze was draped over it, making her appear incredibly alluring and even more enchanting.
Looking at her slightly bulging belly, everyone couldn't help but envy her. It turned out that Shu Fei Niang Niang was pregnant with the dragon seed. If it was a boy, perhaps she would be honored through her son.
It was said that the Empress had only given birth to one princess. Therefore, Shu Fei Niang Niang's child was most likely the crown prince.
Thinking of this, those noble young ladies bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Shu Fei Niang Niang."
"Sisters, please rise. The Emperor will be here soon. If any sisters are fortunate enough to enter the palace, we will all serve the Emperor together, which is our good fortune."
Shu Fei Xi Men Xin Yue's words brought comfort to everyone's restless hearts, causing those women to gravitate towards her in an instant.
At this moment, the eunuch's voice sounded again, "Empress Niang Niang has arrived."
Everyone suddenly turned their heads. They all wanted to see the Empress they had heard about. Did she have three heads and six arms or what?
It was rumored that a woman was even more formidable than a man, having helped the new Emperor unify the seven kingdoms. It was said that she had divorced the Emperor because he was taking concubines, and now that she had arrived, who knew what would happen?