The whole palace thought that the emperor was indeed in a good mood. He had ordered a lot of fun things for his Noble Consort to play with and he had accompanied her throughout the afternoon. It was indeed a rare day to see him like this given his intimidating reputation.
However, no one knew the emperor's true thoughts were ridden with suspicions and questions as he pushed his consort who was currently swinging on a swing. He had never seen her so carefree before him, even a smile from her was given carelessly in the past. He wondered just what kind of nightmare she had experienced to change her whole temperament completely.
"Your Majesty, push harder!" Zhan Yanhui noticed his reduced pace and turned to glare at him, forgetting that she was with the emperor not an ordinary man. She had indeed never played like this before so she became more relaxed and had forgone formalities. The weather was a little pleasant today so she suggested that they take a walk under the plum blossom trees in her courtyard. She felt she needed to clear her thoughts for a moment and get to know about this emperor who had always spoiled her without a reason. She was curious to know the reason why this man preferred her to his empress.
She unconsciously turned her head to meet his eyes staring down at her. Their intimate stare made the surrounding maids serving them blush as they peeked at the scene. The couple looked like a painting, invoking romantic feelings to the observers as the plum blossom petals from the trees fell down due to the gentle wind. Zhan Yanhui found herself spellbound by the emperor's gaze, the memories of his last words when she had died before replaying in her mind. It all just seemed so fresh to her so she raised her hand to touch his cheeks to reassure herself.
"Why are you crying again, Hui'er?" The emperor frowned as he placed his palm over her hand touching his cheek. He felt a little frustrated not knowing the reason she was upset and he didn't know how to get her to talk about it. Before he got to interrogate her, a female voice resounded near his ears ending their private moment together.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." The empress, Han Yaling curtsied and cast a worried look on Zhan Yanhui who had also gotten down from the swing to greet her. "I heard that little sister was sick this morning so I decided to come and visit her to check on her condition."
"The empress is very considerate." Nobody knew the meaning behind the emperor's words of praise as he cast a glance on his empress. He seemed very indifferent about her visit and he didn't bother to hide it.
"This is my duty, Your Majesty. How is her condition now?" Han Yaling's hands tightened despite her humble words as she smiled. Her suspicions had been confirmed when she saw their intimate glances when she came. She felt so angry that the emperor was still willing to trample on her dignity as his empress just for that vixen!
"Hui'er was feeling bored after lying in bed for so long so I decided to bring her out to get some fresh air. She still needs some more rest so I will have to trouble the empress to take care of her." Yi Wenkui said, wrapping his Noble Consort's hand with his own.
With these words, how could the empress not understand what was going on? She could barely hold on to her magnanimous smile as she replied. "You are right. Little Sister should stay and recuperate in peace, there is no need for her to come to my palace for greetings for now. Zhan Yanhui, you must take proper care of yourself in the future."
Zhan Yanhui who stood by the side quietly felt her heart soften over the emperor's protective actions. She knew that he was suspecting the poor empress for what happened to her so he was trying to stop Han Yaling from coming near her for the time being. She was really touched this time.
The three of them walked back to the house with silence between them. She could feel the hateful glares the empress was sending towards her as the emperor wrapped his arms around her. Anyone who was ignorant about their status would think that she was the main wife while Han Yaling was the concubine at this moment. She followed behind them with her head raised in a dignified poise, pulling her last vestiges of an empress. She was determined to interfere in their private time. She refused to be cast aside just like that!
At first, the emperor and his noble consort thought that she was indeed here only to check on her. But as time flew by, they saw her shamelessly stick to them like a glue throughout the whole afternoon doing nothing and it made the emperor very impatient. He finally spared her a glance and said. "Yaling, I heard that Consort Xi is already in her late trimester. The doctors said that it will not be a smooth delivery. I want you to check on her."
Han Yaling smirked and replied slyly. "I just saw her on my way here. She is indeed on bed rest and I have assigned enough servants to attend to her. There is no need to be worried, Your Majesty."
"Good. This really calms my heart, Empress." Yi Wenkui gave her a solemn look. "But the harem is big and there are a lot of things to do. It is not wise for you to stay here all day. If you need to take a rest, you can retire to your palace."
The small smile on the empress's face fell immediately when she heard his words. She didn't believe that he would give her no face and send her off like that. She was about to protest but quickly swallowed her words seeing his face. She stood up obediently. "Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty. Please excuse me."
He simply waved his hand, granting her permission to leave but each step brought more hatred to her heart against Zhan Yanhui. She decided to stop for a moment to look through the window, hoping to peek at what they were doing. She saw the Noble Consort sitting on his lap, blushing shyly as he whispered something to her ear.
Han Yaling clenched her fists and stormed off angrily.