Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 257 Cousin Misleads Her

Chapter 257: Chapter 257 Cousin Misleads Her

His Little Concubine was not so easily deceived now. After he sent a reply, she would thoroughly question the messenger, asking if he had dined.

To confirm that he had, she would even inquire about the dishes served in that meal. If they could not say, she would scold the messenger, saying that she knew he was not dining on time, and when he returned in the evening, he would receive a gentle scolding from her.

Just like yesterday, he had skipped lunch because he was discussing state affairs past the proper Shichen, only having a little for dinner.

He returned very late at night, dismissed the palace maid who was staying up for the night, and tiptoed into the inner chamber. Just as he was about to change his clothes, he discovered she was still awake.

He spoke in a very soft voice, thinking he wouldn’t wake anyone, but as he was halfway through changing, a fuzzy head popped out from under the bed curtains in the dim light. It was his Little Concubine.

He frowned, wanting to chide her, "Why are you not sleeping so late? There’s no need to wait for Us..."

Before he could finish, she made it clear, "I’m not waiting for you. I just couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t waiting on purpose for Your Majesty." Her voice was still laced with the haziness of drowsiness.

As she spoke, she yawned first, then slipped into her shoes and got off the bed. She approached him with her hands on her hips and moist eyes, her little face stern as she asked, "Your Majesty, was today’s lunch tasty?"

His eyebrows arched in understanding. His Little Concubine had discovered he skipped lunch, and tonight she had come specifically to catch him out, not knowing how long she had waited.

He touched his nose and admitted honestly, "I did not eat. I imagine it was very good."

Seeing that he admitted it, his Little Concubine dropped her hands from her hips and came over to help him change his clothes, softly scolding, "Your Majesty, why didn’t you eat? Aren’t you hungry if you don’t eat? If I have a meal late, I can’t bear it, let alone Your Majesty who works so hard. You shouldn’t do this."

While speaking, she helped him take off his outer garment.

"Mm, I understand now," he said, feeling a tingling warmth in his heart. This was the first time his Little Concubine had scolded him, and it filled him with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Without stopping her actions, she wrinkled her nose and continued to scold, "You know but still don’t eat. I know you’re busy, Your Majesty, but no matter how busy, you must make time for your meals. How else can you withstand the strain without eating..."

"Mm, Nannan is right," he responded agreeably, feeling very pleased inside. He wished she would keep scolding him.

She quickly finished helping him change his clothes, then shoved the removed ones into his hands without looking at him and clambered back into the bed.

Once on the bed, she yawned again and muttered, "Besides, the meals are all carefully prepared by me. Your Majesty, how can you waste them? You always talk about practicing frugality, but have you really done it?"

Holding the clothes, he felt a bit of regret. Changing clothes had been too quick—he had enjoyed watching her scold him while helping him change. He regretted not being able to watch her a little longer.

Knowing she was upset, he neatly placed the clothes aside, got into bed, and hugged her pouting form. He kissed her fervently, not stopping until she laughed and pushed him away, finally saying, "Alright, I’ll listen to Nannan."

Only then was she satisfied, pulling the blanket over them and snuggling into his arms to sleep.

His Little Concubine, who was so sleepy, had stayed up waiting for him because he had missed lunch. How could this not touch his heart?

With her, he truly felt the affection of someone caring for him. Knowing that someone was thinking of him, he felt warm and secure.

The Emperor’s lips curled in a gentle smile, his heart feeling warm and soft as he thought of his Little Concubine, who made his spirits soar.

He secured the note safely in a box, locked it, and then rose to have his meal.

In the future, when he has time, I must teach Little Concubine to write some love poems, so he can see the depth of her adoration.

In the inner chamber of Huaqing Palace, the lamp light flickered.

Noble Consort combed her smooth hair with a silver comb, her eyes staring into the void, lost in thought, while Cai Qin stood by her side, silent.

Two days ago in the morning, Cai Qin had handed her the message from her cousin, which had left her utterly shocked - the revelations about Beauty Lian’s background were so...

Her cousin had wronged her indeed, unwittingly entangling her in such a passive and difficult situation!

The truth about the person she had been desperately trying to investigate was now clear, but she was powerless to use this information to bring her down.

Because of her cousin, she had to hide and protect Beauty Lian instead, finding ways to conceal her background, or else it might not be Beauty Lian who was implicated first, but her own family would be in trouble.

Following the day when His Majesty granted her a book of palace rules, the boiling atmosphere in the palace cooled down, as if cold water had been poured over it, becoming peaceful once again.

The concubines who had nothing to do kept to themselves, not daring to leave their quarters easily, behaving very modestly, and the boiling water she had stirred was easily cooled by His Majesty.

However, she was not worried. Pregnancy lasted ten months; there was plenty of time ahead. Someone would surely lose their patience, and she had all the time in the world to wait.

It was only the news from her cousin that had nearly thrown her off balance, but thankfully Cai Qin had reminded her to keep cool, or else acting hastily might have led to unpredicted consequences.

These past days, she had been pondering over Beauty Lian’s background and her purpose for entering the palace.

She had already stopped underestimating this concubine, but after receiving her cousin’s message, she realized she had still underestimated her.

No one could have imagined such a calculating mind hidden beneath such an innocent and naive appearance. Her mannerisms didn’t have the slightest flaw; it truly made her wary.

For the first time within the harem, she felt such wariness towards a fellow concubine, completely unable to discern the other’s thoughts, not guessing the next move, a sense of crisis like a knife hanging over her neck, which she found very displeasing.

According to her thoughts, Beauty Lian had lain low in the palace for six years, climbing from a palace maid to the esteemed position of Beauty. Her methods were exceptional. Now with royal favor and carrying the Emperor’s child, why did she not seize the opportunity to whisper in His Majesty’s ear, to investigate the events of the past and seek revenge for her family?

If so, the Guo family would face imminent disaster, her cousin’s life would be in danger, and closely intertwined as the Xue family was with the Guo family, it would be nearly impossible to extricate themselves, both would be implicated, and so would she.

Beauty Lian, who was perfectly capable of doing this now, remained inactive—could it be that she was unaware of who had acted against her family back then?

That was possible. Considering her age, Beauty Lian would have been only nine or ten years old at the time, wouldn’t she? It would be normal for her not to know.

Yet if she was so young, how did she manage to escape from her cousin, make her way to the capital, blend into the palace, and rise to the status of a beauty, even enrapturing a man as composed and self-assured as His Majesty? It didn’t seem simple at all.

If only it was that simple; she would have had the upper hand and wouldn’t be feeling so indecisive now.

And even if Beauty Lian didn’t know it was her cousin’s doing, given her level of favor, she could still prompt His Majesty to investigate.

Could it be that Beauty Lian is laying out an even bigger scheme?