*Disclaimer: None of this work belongs to me. Credits go to the original manhua.*
Back in Prosperity Palace:
"Achoo!" Su Luxia sneezed loudly and then rubbed her finger under her nose. Was somebody talking badly of her? Oh well...
"Since L-Lady Su is feeling sick, your son, I will be taking my leave and I-" Her son Yun Ling bowed at her presence.
"Nonsense~ what are you in a hurry for?!" Su Luxia complained as she rummaged through the stack of dresses and gowns she found in her drawer. "Why don't you try this one!"
Su Luxia was busying herself with dressing Yun Ling with all kinds of refined clothing around the world. She happily put a Western-influenced beautiful gown on him, which was engraved with stones and jewelry. She was even tempted to put in lipstick and adorn his beautiful hair with a veil.
Yun Ling blushed and became shy with everything on him. "M-Many thanks for L-Lady Su's care." And Su Luxia laughed and looked for even more beautiful gowns for him to wear.
Who thought that the Fourth Prince was such a beautiful feminine girl?
"His Majesty, the Emperor has arrived!" An announcement came in the Palace. Su Luxia froze and looked towards the door, where the Emperor entered.
"What are you two doing?" At first, his face was in utter shock after witnessing the events that was unfolding in his eyes. His adopted son... was...
Su Luxia smiled and pulled Yun Ling in front of him saying, "Your Majesty, does Yun Ling good in this?" She said pointing towards him wearing a beautiful gown.
"...Su Luxia. You do know that Yun Ling is a boy, right?" The Emperor asked questioning her.
Su Luxia pushed her beautiful hair behind her ears saying, "What does that matter? Even Yun Ling likes this." While Yun Ling blushed and hid his face beneath his arms while facing his 'father', the Emperor.
"L-Lady S-Su really treats me well," He said, bowing.
The Emperor sighed and then said, "You really like fooling around." While Su Luxia laughed to herself.
"Anyway, Yun Ling! Show me your homework." The Emperor ordered, while sitting down. And Yun Ling walked like a penguin to hand him his scroll of work.
The Emperor looked through the work and became shocked at the clumsily written words that looked like they were scribbled onto the page by a five-year-old. His eyebrows scrunched up and he pinched his nose while comprehending such things. He looked back up at Yun Ling who was still staring down at the ground in embarrassment.
"R-recently, Lady Su was teaching me how to write well-wishes, unfortunately, I can't write them too well and have shown my incompetence." Yun Ling bowed down and recited what Su Luxia had prepared for him to say.
His mother only said to present the Emperor with such work, instead of his original work. Even though it made no sense for Yun Ling to show the Emperor such disgraceful work, he trusted Su Luxia's words.
"Indeed you have," The Emperor said disappointedly, putting aside the work.
"Nonsense!" Su Luxia approached them both while taking the paper from him and beautifully caressed the illegible handwriting saying, "It looks fine to me. Besides going back to the basics is the way to go!"
"Moreover, a descendant born to Royalty, who would dare not give him food because he can't write well?" Su Luxia pointed out to the Emperor, smiling at him softly and playfully as he sighed.
"Sheesh, with your personality, you should have taken in a princess." The Emperor said.
"It cannot be! The Fourth Prince and I are fated to be~" Su Luxia smiled gently.
"It's alright, to be a little stupid, but the character is what matters the most." The Emperor announced as he stood up. Su Luxia's narrowed her eyes as she sneering said: "Your Majesty speaks the truth~"
***
***
"Heh? You say that Su Luxia dressed her son, the Fourth Prince, as a girl?" Liu Ruyan asked mockingly at her palace.
Bi Tao knelt at her feet, massaging Liu Ruyan as she said, "Not only that, Lady Su hardly makes the Fourth Prince study. In this Maid's opinion, it seems that she isn't raising a child at all..." She giggled as she told her.
"Hmph. It seems that I have overestimated her." Liu Ruyan smirked as she drank her tea, enjoying the nice weather. "Thanks to the great pains to adopt a prince, in the end, it was only to fend off her boredom?"
Bi Tao nodded and said, "Oh, and there is another matter. It seems that His Majesty came by and mentioned the oldest son born between him and Consort Shu, with high praise."
"Hm?" Liu Ruyan tilted her head, "I see, biting off more than you can chew." Liu Ruyan laughed to herself. She patted her stomach as if to please her child.
"Such a person will be an obstacle for this dear heir." Liu Ruyan caressed her small baby bump.
***
***
[Host! What were you thinking?! What happened to the plan of making a scene? And why did you let the Fourth Prince act Dumb?] The System called anxiously, chewing off the bamboo, and running around the table.
Su Luxia sat relaxedly and flicked the Bamboo rat's forehead saying, "Little one, it's all part of the plan. Liu Ruyan hasn't given birth yet."
[So?] The Bamboo rat asked confusedly.
"Don't pregnant women go through labor?" Su Luxia smiled and said to the System. The Bamboo rat rolled his eyes and fell back on his stomach after hearing such an answer.
[Wow.]
"I know, I know." Su Luxia pulled out her tongue, and then playfully said, "Don't worry, Consort Shu will definitely not go easy on Liu Ruyan. After all, her son's future is in jeopardy with Liu Ruyan's child's birth."
The Bamboo rat sat up again and looked at Su Luxia. [How many other consorts are in this harem?]
"Oh, plenty." Su Luxia said, playing with her hands. "Anyway, I'll let Liu Ruyan and Consort Shu fight each other out for the next few months while I watch for the events to unfold. Then we'll make a move... to Collect all of their heads."
***
6 months later...
What a fight broke out in the Palace! Su Luxia laughed as she remembered each of the events played out. Consort Shu and Consort Liu had taken both of their battles to another level.
At first, Consort Shu had accused Consort Liu to bully consorts of the lower ranks and slapping her. Then Liu Ruyan ran to plead to the Emperor saying that Consort Shu had been embezzling from the National Treasury.
Then not only that, Consort Shu's son, the oldest Prince who had the most hopes of succeding the throne, had been kicked out of the Palace because he had committed adultery with the Emperor's other consorts. All framed by Liu Ruyan who planned all this out to jeopardize any child who got in her child's way of inheriting the throne.
Nothing was better than Palace Drama! This was even more exciting than watching a TV Drama series, after all, what beats a live Palace Drama in ancient China?
"I completely underestimated Liu Ruyan." Su Luxia clapped after rewinding all of these events in months. "This isn't a harem fight, but a fight on who aces out the other. A Battle Royale, with the winner being whoever is left standing."
[HOST! LIU RUYAN GAVE BIRTH TO A SON! And you are saying such things now?! We have to have a plan!] The System yelled at her anxiously.
"Fine. Tell Yun Ling that he doesn't have to act dumb anymore. Because I have a present for Liu Ruyan." Su Luxia said, smiling at the anxious system running around.
...
***
"*WAAAH!*" A child cried under a golden cradle. The Emperor approached the child and slowly patted it's tiny head. He then smiled softly at Liu Ruyan who looked tired from childbirth.
"You have done well, Yan'er." The Emperor tightly held Liu Ruyan's hands. Liu Ruyan smiled softly and said, "It's all due to His Majesty's benevolence."
Suddenly a servant came rushing in and said, "Your Majesty! There is huge rejoicing! The heavens gave out auspicious signs! There is a phoenix constellation out in the Night sky, and the fishes at the lake had made a heavenly shape of the clouds! Congratulations to his Majesty!"
Liu Ruyan sighed in awe when she and the Emperor hugged each other tightly in joy. "Yan'er this must be a blessing."
"This consort is truly happy," Liu Ruyan said, looking at him lovingly.
The Maids murmured between each other, "It must be that the Heavens noticed Lady Liu's sincerity! The Little Prince is heaven's chosen!"
"And the Phoenix constellation shows the sign of an Empress! Could it be Lady Liu?!"
Joy spread across the Palace, and everyone murmured about the little prince borne from Liu Ruyan.
Su Luxia smiled as she spied on such things, her face erupting with joy. Even the little Bamboo rat pinched her shoulder asking:
[I don't understand! Why would you sacrifice an rank item to boost Liu Ruyan?! Are you going nuts?!]
"Naturally because I want her dead." Su Luxia smirked.
***