Palace Intrigue?: I Make the Emperor Cry by Rewinding Time!-Chapter 154 - 130:

"Have you ever thought, if he kicks my abdomen while in your womb, he’d first kick your belly?"

Xie Zhixing embraced her and sat down.

Even though she was pregnant, her figure didn’t show it. Her waist remained slender, only her cheeks had rounded a bit. Her face, which could have been that of an exceptionally beautiful woman, seemed more childlike and innocent due to the little extra weight she gained.

"That’s true,"

Yun Jiao paused and released her arms from around him: "After all, there’s skin between his legs and my belly."

Xie Zhixing gritted his back teeth, starting to think that even if she would be the one raising the child, he still needed to keep an eye on the education. But he was busy and couldn’t always personally teach, so he thought of the talented and renowned Concubine Wei... It’s a pity they didn’t get along; otherwise, if they lived in the same palace, she could help look after things, at least avoiding such mischief as altering poems.

He casually picked up a honey orange on the table, peeling it for her: "I went to see the Empress today, do you want to know what I said to her?"

"... Should you be telling me? Isn’t that improper?"

Upon seeing her sly expression, Xie Zhixing knew she had misunderstood: "It’s about serious matters."

Serious matters...

Yun Jiao wasn’t very interested in listening to serious matters, but on second thought, this was a real-life palace intrigue, something she had longed to experience; in her past life, she would skip such plotlines with a press of a button. In this life, she decided to listen: "Then I want to hear it."

Xie Zhixing then broke down what he told the Empress into clear and detailed pieces for her.

He felt a bit worried.

Having significant power in his hands, he respected the Empress out of educational upbringing and filial duty. If faced with something against his principles, he could overturn the table, and no one could restrain him; at worst, he would be accused of throwing mud on his late Emperor’s tomb reputation.

But Yun Jiao was different. If she acted recklessly... plotted against other concubines... got jealous, because she cared about him, Xie Zhixing oddly felt a bit pleased.

Yun Jiao blinked, looking puzzled: "So, does the Empress love the Emperor or not?"

Hearing this question, Xie Zhixing couldn’t resist pinching her cheek: "Does it matter? The marriage wasn’t made out of mutual love! If she wanted a lifelong monogamous relationship, she shouldn’t have married into the Prince Mansion. Being a concubine in the Royal Family is different from being a concubine in an ordinary family or official’s household; not to mention someone favored like Lady, even former Attendant Lady Sun, Consort Ji in your palace... they were all daughters of good families, sent to the palace to seek wealth and glory, to secure some benefits and protection for their families. No one comes here to suffer."

While saying this, Xie Zhixing almost laughed to himself.

Was Yun Jiao able to understand these things?

It would be best if she understood! If not, she could repeat them a few more times; eventually, she would grasp the concepts. Her innocent, naïve aspect attracted him, which made him more patient to guide her over and over, rather than righteously treating her as a fool.

Moreover, she wasn’t a fool:

"It’s pitiful for girls born in this world, and it’s truly vile to harm each other,"

Yun Jiao paused, waving her fist that she thought was as large as a clay pot:

"But if anyone tries to bully me, I’m not one to mess with and will give her a fight."

Xie Zhixing held her fist affectionately, thinking, with her nature and depth, if not for having the power to rewind time, she would probably have been devoured to the bone.

And yet, she thought she was quite formidable.

...

Looking to indulge himself for once, Xie Zhixing spent an afternoon at Xianfu Palace. Before leaving, he entrusted Concubine Li to take good care of Concubine Xi’s pregnancy, ensuring nothing unexpected occurred. If an emergency arose, she had the authority to act quickly.

Concubine Li nodded solemnly: "I understand how important this pregnancy is to the Emperor, and I will keep a close watch on Concubine Xi."

As long as the newborn was safely delivered at Xianfu Palace, it would count as a credit to Concubine Li.

In the future, when it came to rewarding works of merit, the Emperor would remember.

To avoid drawing too much attention, after Xie Zhixing summoned Lady Yun to accompany Concubine Xi in the palace, he visited her less, lingering more around Lady, Concubine Li, Concubine Feng, and Attendant Lady Zhen. His various actions kept the concubines of the harem guessing for quite some time. Among them, the one summoned most frequently was Concubine Li, who was called to report on Yun Jiao’s situation, if she was enjoying her meals daily, whether her garments and supplies were sufficient.

After each query, there were always generous rewards for her.

Concubine Li was no fool. She could see that the Emperor was truly taken with her! She had ’fallen out of favor’ for some time and had previously thought of using Yun Jiao to regain favor. When she found that all her efforts were in vain during the Qiu Lie, she felt a bit disheartened. After giving up the struggle for favor, she realized that life was pretty good now.

The current Emperor had firm control over the court, leaving little room for the concubines to maneuver. She did not harbor any lofty ambitions, only wanting to live adorned in gold and silver, eat well, and drink well. Both desires satisfied, what did it matter if she was missing a man? Gradually, she even found Yun Jiao more endearing than the Emperor; at least in her presence, she didn’t have to adhere strictly to the rules all the time, and Yun Jiao’s praise felt more genuine than the Emperor’s.

The Deep Palace could be lonely, and the craving for a sincere embrace did not necessarily have to come from a man.

Thinking of Yun Jiao, Concubine Li’s lips curled into a warm smile.

This warmth shattered while teaching Yun Jiao to play the zither: "Concubine Xi, you should find someone better; I think Concubine Wei would be good; she also plays the zither."

"Concubine Wei doesn’t even allow me to set foot in Yikun Palace anymore. She says seeing my essays already annoys her, and seeing the author of those essays annoys her even more."

Yun Jiao confessed with some grievance: "I don’t play well, and I’m afraid of angering Lady."

In terms of favor, she had the Emperor’s support now.

But her fear of Lady was like the instinctive wariness a herbivore feels toward a predator.

Concubine Li said: "Even if she gets angry, she can’t do anything to you."

"I’m afraid,"

Yun Jiao worried her fingers: "When I’m scared, I can’t help but say my zither skills were taught by Sister Concubine Li."

Concubine Li gritted her back teeth.

Seeing the situation was not looking good, Yun Jiao quickly lifted her dress and scooted beside her, transforming into a koala hugging a tree: "Sister Concubine Li, please teach me! I can’t do it without you! Without you, the sun won’t rise from the east tomorrow!"

"Oh, it’ll rise just the same tomorrow."

"That’s just pretending!"

Yun Jiao looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes: "Sister Concubine Li doesn’t like me anymore? But I still like Sister Concubine Li the most."

Concubine Li suspected that even the wise Emperor was won over by such an earnest declaration of affection. Who could resist this? Could she lie? It had to come from her heart; she truly felt she couldn’t do without her, her only reliance. How could she harden her heart: "... Alright..."

That day, when Xie Zhixing summoned Concubine Li to join him for a meal, she brought this up.

She laughed and said, "The sweet words the Emperor receives must be tenfold what I get; no wonder you pamper her like a child."

Xie Zhixing: "..."

No, he didn’t have such a treatment.

And she didn’t even think of him as her first point of help.

Concubine Li looked up and saw the Emperor frowning: "When you go back, tell her that I can also play the zither."