Palace Intrigue?: I Make the Emperor Cry by Rewinding Time!-Chapter 135 - 118:

After the decree was announced, the eunuch threw Die’er’s corpse onto the ground.

The palace maids and eunuchs of Youlan Garden, who had been with her day and night, couldn’t help but feel afraid as they saw the cold, lifeless body. Attendant Lady Lan was also terrified, her face losing all color.

The eunuch said coldly, "This unruly servant hurt Concubine Xi and was dragged away to be beaten to death. Now I return her to Miss Lan. Miss, take her well."

How should she take her?

"Die’er did not deserve to die..."

Die’er was one of the two maids who had come with Attendant Lady Lan from her hometown, who could dance, and naturally had feelings different from the palace maids distributed by the Imperial Household. As Attendant Lady Lan stammered, the eunuch sneered, "Miss, mind your words! The person was ordered to death by the Emperor. Do you think she didn’t deserve to die, suggesting the Emperor’s judgment was wrong?"

"Sir, you misunderstood." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Attendant Lady Lan turned pale and dared not defend Die’er further.

Feeling desolate, she also hated fate, how long had it been since the Emperor last saw Concubine Xi?

It must have been because of the child in Concubine Xi’s womb that led to such a severe punishment for her.

...

Xianfu Palace.

Yun Jiao lay on the bed, listening to the rewards sent by the Empress Dowager and the assigned Nanny Ye.

Upon seeing her enter and salute, Xie Zhixing instructed, "The emperor’s child is important, but Concubine Xi’s mood and health are more important. I do not allow anything to be upside down. Since the Empress Dowager has sent you, she must have entrusted you with this child. Remember the lessons of your predecessors and ensure she is well taken care of."

"This servant understands and will not fail the trust of the Emperor and Empress Dowager."

"Hmm, you may leave now."

Nanny Ye bowed slightly and withdrew.

"I just issued a decree on your behalf, will you forgive me?"

"I was not angry with the Emperor in the first place."

"Is it because you dare not or because you truly aren’t?"

"Both."

Yun Jiao’s clear and bright eyes, like a young deer, reflected his face.

When Xie Zhixing was a prince, to show his maturity and steadiness, he didn’t like to show emotions on his face. After ascending the throne and experiencing the benefits of maintaining a commanding presence, his expressions became even rarer.

At this moment, however, Xie Zhixing saw his own embarrassment and helplessness reflected in her pupils.

And he actually found enjoyment in it.

"Don’t be afraid to be angry with me. In private, when it’s just you and me, don’t refer to yourself as ’this concubine.’ You’re not even used to referring to yourself as ’this palace,’ are you? I allow you to refer to us as ’you and me.’ I don’t see you as a mere concubine."

Xie Zhixing’s intention was to convey that she was different from other concubines.

The harem is a display of the Royal Family, and lacking it would be inappropriate.

Who would have thought that Yun Jiao would blink her eyes and suddenly become interested: "The Emperor doesn’t see me as a concubine, then is the Emperor having an affair with me?"

"...That’s not how I intended for you to interpret it."

"Don’t worry, Emperor, I wasn’t really angry. Whom you choose to favor is your freedom, if others feel I’ve fallen out of favor and try to bully me, it reflects their poor character, not something that can be blamed on the Emperor. If being favored means bullying others and falling out of favor means being bullied, this harem eco-system is unhealthy... Emperor, we’re having a conversation, why are you squeezing my hand?"

Paws fell into his hand, which he continued to squeeze.

Xie Zhixing coughed, mumbling, "There’s an acupoint in the hand, let me massage it for you."

Yun Jiao felt uneasy under the massage, suspecting the Emperor might be pressing an acupoint for constipation!

Her transparent discernment also won his admiration.

The bad atmosphere in the harem originated from the Central Palace.

The Empress took pleasure in seeing concubines suffer misfortune. Even after warnings from the Empress Dowager and Xie Zhixing, she would restrain temporarily, only to relapse once the storm passed, becoming almost pathological: "I would rather you be angry, act spoiled with me, and let me stand up for you... I demoted Concubine Lan to Attendant Lady, do you feel more at ease? Now, when she sees you, she must bow in great ceremony. I’ve also ordered her to pray for your fortune daily."

Xie Zhixing felt that her modest desires could easily be satisfied by any prince.

This was not a good sign; what if the fairy becomes bored in his harem and decides to move to someone else’s courtyard? It was best to cultivate her heart so only the Emperor could satisfy her.

Yun Jiao glanced at him but remained silent.

She thought Attendant Lady Lan would pray for her quick demise.

"Speak up."

Xie Zhixing nudged her.

Not wanting to answer, she took the opportunity to lay down, clutching her stomach and crying out in pain.

"I wish to cherish and hold you dear, but your acting is too clumsy."

To dare to feign injury before the Emperor, her bravery was extraordinary.

Seeing Yun Jiao revert to her uninhibited demeanor in front of him, Xie Zhixing felt both happy and defeated. Reflecting on how the Royal Family stressed pomp and rituals, wasn’t it to distinguish the Emperor from commoners, deterring antics? Yet here he was, yearning for one woman to disregard such conventions, he felt embarrassed to face the late Emperor.

Yun Jiao gazed up at him.

The true beauty does not depend on angles, his jawline was firm, his features handsome, surpassing all men she had ever seen. However, perhaps it was simply because she hadn’t seen enough men; with time, even he might not seem so remarkable.

"You’re just staring at me. Do I have words on my face?"

Xie Zhixing raised an eyebrow.

Yun Jiao turned her back, playing ostrich.

Seeing this, he was so exasperated that he laughed. He had never met someone so childish, turning her back on him and curling up like a cooked shrimp. Attendant Lady Lan also didn’t like to follow the rules. She had the courage to seduce the Emperor. In front of him, she always maintained her best appearance and knew how to showcase the graceful posture she had developed from years of dance training.

"Yun Jiao." He called her by her full name.

Her parents called her Jiaojiao, but he called her by her full name.

Well then, she simply covered her ears, curled her toes around the blanket, and wanted even more to hide herself away.

Yun Jiao heard a rustling sound behind her, and he lifted the blanket and squeezed in, directly pulling her into his arms. During these days, the void in his heart was finally filled, the person he constantly yearned for was now held in his embrace, priceless beyond measure.

Xie Zhixing had faced many temptations, such as a warm bed in winter or the temptation to skip his horse-riding and archery lessons for an afternoon nap, yet his principles remained unshaken.

But this time, he couldn’t resist.

For so long, he had been a good son, a good prince, a good prince, a good Emperor...couldn’t he let himself indulge, just once? Otherwise, life would be too dull—he was born into the royal family to serve. Perhaps Heaven saw he was a wise ruler and rewarded him by allowing him to meet Yun Jiao: "Why aren’t you paying attention to me?"

"If I don’t pay attention to the Emperor, won’t the Emperor still sneak into the bed?"

Yun Jiao huffed, thinking he was not a good person.

Yet Xie Zhixing felt a bit hurt, "Yes, I shamelessly snuck in here, and you can’t just kick me out."

Yun Jiao wanted to kick him with her heel, but her little foot was grabbed.

She tried to struggle but couldn’t break free.

He thought she was going to make a fuss, but she stayed still. The position was a bit uncomfortable, but struggling took more effort, so she lay there anyway! While others lay like seductive hibiscus, she lay like a dead pig taking boiling water for a spa, and could even make it feel comfortable and free.

"You’re not struggling anymore?"

"Tired, can’t get free, if you like, just hold on."

See, the dignified Emperor was warming her feet.

"I’ve figured it out. I can’t let go of you, and I won’t avoid you anymore. After all, how far could I escape? Both of us are in the palace for a lifetime, avoiding seeing each other is too torturous, so let me indulge."

He wasn’t skilled in flirting. Although holding the "advantageous position," he didn’t act like a rogue whispering in her ear. Instead, he rested his face against her slender back, closer to her heart.

Seeing her silent, Xie Zhixing sighed with a bit of heartache, feeling his wisdom and might were misplaced.

He reached up to touch her face, touched the corner of her eye, and felt something wet.

"I know I was wrong, I won’t make trouble with you anymore."

Xie Zhixing guessed she was still upset, feeling even more guilty.

"No, I really didn’t blame you,"

Yun Jiao shook her head, tears falling even more heavily: "There really wasn’t anything...it was just that when you poured your heart out, I suddenly thought of my mother."

Originally, she didn’t feel wronged, just amused.

Thinking about it, a group of beautiful concubines all trying different ways to subtly show the Emperor didn’t like her anymore, just like in the dramas, making the boring daily life much more interesting. Then, the Emperor told her he stood up for her, he cared for her, and it made her think of how her mother also loved her so dearly.

What kind of silly talk was that? He was holding her, and she thought of her mother!

Xie Zhixing was dumbfounded, no need to compete with another woman’s affection, but then he had an idea: "Since you’re pregnant, I’ll summon your mother to the palace to accompany you."

"Is that possible?"

Yun Jiao’s eyes lit up.

"Normally such a privilege is only granted in the later months and cannot last long in the palace, but if I am indulgent now, it’s fine."

Being able to see her mother, and flaunt how well her daughter is living now!

Yun Jiao broke into a smile, this time, without needing the Emperor to comfort her, she turned around herself, her eyes bright and sparkling, looking at him: "You’re the best, Your Majesty! Please keep being indulgent!"

"Then you have to work harder to enchant me."

Yun Jiao grabbed his hand and pressed it against her softness.

"Does this enchant, Your Majesty?"

Xie Zhixing quickly withdrew his hand, giving her head a pat: "That’s all the skill you’ve got."

He thought to himself, with this demeanor, who could she possibly enchant?

Others at least know to be coy, even those passionate and fiery aren’t like this.

...

In another room.

Concubine Wei watched as the Emperor went in but hadn’t come out for a long while, feeling a bit uneasy: "You think the Emperor wouldn’t favor her in my palace, right?"

"Concubine Xi is pregnant, the Emperor wouldn’t be so reckless." Consort Xu was startled, what was Concubine Wei saying?

Concubine Wei was increasingly uneasy.

Fortunately, after a while, the Emperor sent someone to escort Concubine Xi back to Xianfu Palace, showing that his clothes were neat, he presumably hadn’t done anything improper.

That day, in the Six Palaces, none who heard the news weren’t upset.

How lucky was Concubine Xi! Just as everyone thought the Emperor had forgotten her, she turns out to be carrying an imperial heir, like a turtle flipping over!

Others were fine, but Jianzhang Palace smashed a batch of porcelain.

Xie Zhixing sat by her bedside for a while.

To wake up the palace attendants around Concubine Xi.

The Empress Dowager sent her here, thinking Yun Jiao was young, not knowing how to take care of herself during pregnancy, and unable to manage a household. Nanny Ye had a kindly face, but managed people with a strict methodology.