Chapter 70 – Return to Zhaohua Palace

Shen Qing was still injured and hadn’t fully recovered yet. While she could just barely walk on her own now, there was no way they would let her walk by herself.

Zhao Haixin said, “She’s still hurt, how can she be allowed to walk by herself? If her condition worsens, His Majesty will surely be furious.”

So, Shen Qing was carried back on a sedan chair, and only when they reached the door of her quarters did Zhao Haixin let her get down.

Zhao Hai personally accompanied her the entire way.

If it had been before, Shen Qing would definitely have found an excuse to send Zhao Hai away.

Obviously—who wouldn’t be annoyed by this? She had always hated unnecessary trouble.

But now, Shen Qing smiled and said, “Thank you, Chief Zhao, for making this trip.”

“You flatter me, My Lady,” Zhao Hai replied. “His Majesty specifically instructed that you must not suffer any further injuries. The imperial physicians will also continue caring for your recovery.”

Shen Qing’s smile became even more radiant, her whole expression cheerful. “Please thank His Majesty for me.”

The atmosphere around her was so joyous, it was as if she hadn’t just narrowly escaped the brink of death.

Zhaohua Palace had also been renovated and now looked completely different than before. In just a few days, the place was transformed. Shen Qing was especially pleased to see the swing they had preserved.

Though she still couldn’t walk around much, she had to remain lying down most of the time.

That afternoon, Xuanyuan Ling came to see her.

When Shen Qing saw him, her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. Her voice was so sweet it could make hearts tremble. “Greetings to Your Majesty.”

If it had just been an ordinary greeting, it would have been fine. But she had to look at him with those eager, longing eyes as she said it.

Xuanyuan Ling instantly felt parched just from the way she looked at him.

This little thing had always known how to tease and entice, but now, with her injury and grievance, her voice had become even softer, more delicate, more spoiled.

And then came that gaze.

By the time Xuanyuan Ling realized what was happening, he had already walked up and sat beside her bed, even holding her hand. His expression froze immediately.

“Shen Qing,” he said stiffly.

His eyes warned her: Stop seducing me.

But Shen Qing saw the tension in his face, clearly trying not to lose his temper, and she was quite pleased.

She had wanted him to feel guilty and protective. Now that it had worked, his guilt and tenderness toward her had doubled, and the boundaries he once held firm were clearly slipping. So not only did Shen Qing not stop teasing him, she went even further, knowing she couldn’t attend to his bed anyway.

Their hands were already clasped.

Xuanyuan Ling had forgotten to let go.

Shen Qing used her pinky to lightly scratch the palm of his hand.

Xuanyuan Ling felt an itch and tried to pull his hand back, but she was gripping it. She was still recovering, so he didn’t dare use force.

Back in the imperial garden, when he had let go, she had nearly stumbled and fallen.

One had to admit, Shen Qing’s act of frailty was a huge success. Combined with her recent injury, it made Xuanyuan Ling see her as even more delicate and fragile. This time, he didn’t dare pull away.

He gritted his teeth. “Insolent.”

But his voice wasn’t stern at all.

Shen Qing tilted her head, looking completely unfazed by his scolding.

The aura Xuanyuan Ling had tried to project collapsed instantly. In the end, he didn’t say anything else and just let her continue holding his hand, even letting her start to play with his fingers.

She kneaded and fiddled with his hand, then gave a sly smile, pulled it to her lips, and planted a loud kiss on it—smack!

What a loud kiss!

Afterward, she beamed at him with that mischievous, triumphant grin.

Xuanyuan Ling had never imagined that one day, he would be so thoroughly seduced by a girl more than ten years younger than him.

Was she getting bolder?

Spoiled by favor?

The example of Consort Yu was still fresh—he couldn’t let this go on. After all, Shen Qing had already been given her title and rank; it was time to rein her in, to remind her of the rules.

But then she looked at him with those glistening, wide eyes.

She seemed confused by his forced stern expression, tilted her head, and said in a sweet, delicate voice, “Your Majesty, I only kissed your hand because I thought it looked nice. Don’t you like it?”

Whatever authority Xuanyuan Ling had tried to muster vanished.

His face darkened. “Let go.”

This time, Shen Qing immediately obeyed. She let go as if frightened and became cautious once again.

As soon as her hand left, Xuanyuan Ling’s hand froze, then subconsciously reached forward as if trying to grab something.

That instinctive reaction made him feel utterly humiliated. He had told her to let go, but now he couldn’t bear to be apart?

So, he clenched his own hand tightly, turned around, and left.

Outside, Zhao Hai saw Xuanyuan Ling walk out with a grim face and was stunned. Wasn’t he full of concern just moments ago? What happened now? Had Consort Xi angered the emperor?

He couldn’t help but glance back at Shen Qing, only to see her reclining in bed, laughing so hard she was shaking all over. Even as she laughed, she frowned slightly—her wounds had been tugged.

Zhao Hai: “…”

The moment Shen Qing returned to Zhaohua Palace, the emperor came to visit. The harem had already been in an uproar over her double promotion. Now they were utterly shocked.

Looking back, Shen Qing had gone from being favored, to injured, to throwing the emperor’s face and falling out of favor, and now she was suddenly more favored than ever before. The rollercoaster was baffling. No one could understand how a woman of the rank Liangren (Good Lady) could be remembered so deeply by the emperor.

Rumors had spread in the harem that Shen Qing was probably dying, and that’s why the emperor had promoted her. But now that Zhao Hai himself had escorted her back to Zhaohua Palace, jealousy, envy, and confusion exploded across the palace.

One thing was undeniable—

Everyone in the harem now understood clearly: Consort Xi was truly favored.

Unlike before, she had now risen meteorically, even overshadowing the pregnant Consort Fang.

Consort Yu, upon hearing her attendants’ report, started smashing things again. The room was soon a mess, and no one dared go near her.

The Empress, upon hearing all the gossip from the harem, not only didn’t stop it—she was absolutely delighted.

This was exactly the effect she wanted. Shen Qing’s rise had completely eclipsed Consort Yu. That was a good thing. The more attention Shen Qing drew, the more people would scrutinize her.

And it wasn’t like she hadn’t endured Consort Yu’s sarcasm and veiled jabs many times before. Now, with Shen Qing as a tool, the Empress finally got to hold her head high.

Consort Yu could sulk all she wanted—in fact, hearing how upset she was made the Empress feel truly satisfied.

With this turn of events, the Empress’s mood greatly improved. She no longer minded Shen Qing’s high-ranking title—after all, Shen Qing struggled with childbearing and could still be used to suppress Consort Yu. A person like that? Exceptionally useful.

There would be plenty of opportunities to make use of her in the future.