Chapter 70: Yao Yao Doesn’t Suffer Losses

Before the person appeared, her voice was already heard.

The Empress’s expression changed at the sound.

For Consort Wei to enter the hall with such confidence, she must have already cleaned up all the mess.

The Empress no longer cared to stay in this place. Although her affection for the Emperor had long been worn away, it still made her uncomfortable to watch her husband showing tenderness to another woman—especially now that she was pregnant, which made her more emotionally sensitive.

But when her gaze fell on Yao Yao’s flushed little face, she recalled how Consort Wei had spoken rudely to the child the moment they met. If she left now, wouldn’t there be no one to stand up for the child?

The Empress glanced sideways at the Emperor and found that his expression hadn’t turned particularly unpleasant because of Yao Yao’s earlier remark.

In fact, the Emperor didn’t feel that Yao Yao had offended him at all. On the contrary, he thought this child was unusually interesting.

Despite her young age, the little girl spoke with the demeanor of someone far older.

Under heaven, who else would dare to speak to him like that? Probably only her.

As the saying goes, “The ignorant are blameless.” He wouldn’t lower himself to argue with a child.

However, he soon noticed that Yao Yao’s attention had shifted entirely to Consort Wei.

That single word, “country bumpkin,” instantly made Yao Yao aware that the newcomer harbored hostility toward her.

Although Consort Wei was considered one of the top beauties in the entire palace, Yao Yao did not return her any smile.

In fact, she seemed a little vengeful.

Xie Yixing immediately shielded Yao Yao behind him, his sharp eagle-like eyes casting a cold glance at Consort Wei.

But Consort Wei had eyes only for the Emperor. Even the Empress by his side was completely ignored.

“Your Majesty, did you summon me because you missed me? I just knew it—you couldn’t bear to let me stay all alone in this deep palace. That’s why, before I came, I had someone fetch the grape nectar I personally brewed, just waiting for Your Majesty to try it later.”

From the side, Noble Lady Yuan lifted her head slightly, the disgust in her eyes barely hidden.

But Consort Wei didn’t care. As long as she could lure the Emperor over, she was confident she could keep him in her bed.

Watching Consort Wei’s lovesick expression, the Empress irritably picked up her tea.

Just as the Emperor was about to speak, Yao Yao suddenly puckered her small lips and looked directly at the Empress. “Pretty Auntie, my nurse said we should greet you when we see you. She also said you’re the highest-ranking mistress of the entire harem. So why doesn’t this new auntie need to do it? Is she also the mistress of the harem?”

Hearing Yao Yao’s innocent and confused question, the Empress suddenly felt her clogged chest clear instantly!

Her previously melancholic expression instantly brightened!

If it hadn’t been for Yao Yao’s reminder, she would’ve nearly forgotten that Consort Wei had yet to formally greet her!

No matter how favored she was, even if she held the title of Consort, she was still a concubine.

But the Empress—she was the Empress, the only mistress of the inner palace!

Consort Wei’s face turned a deep shade of greenish-purple from Yao Yao’s one sentence.

Over the years, she had grown arrogant from being favored and often disregarded the Empress.

Even in the Emperor’s presence, she had dared to trip the Empress up.

But she hadn’t expected to be tripped up today by a little girl.

This brat was just a maidservant to the Marquis’s heir, lowborn—yet she dared to point out her fault?

The Empress cleared her throat lightly and glanced sideways at the Emperor.

The Emperor, upon hearing Yao Yao’s comment, suddenly realized that Consort Wei had not only failed to greet the Empress but hadn’t greeted him either.

She was disregarding not only the Empress but him—the Emperor!

Over the past few years, Consort Wei had acted with unchecked dominance in the palace. Her father and brother held immense power at court, and the Emperor had long grown dissatisfied with them.

Although her actions today could be considered either serious or minor, in the Emperor’s eyes, Consort Wei was already harboring ambitions of replacing the Empress!

Yao Yao turned back to look at the Emperor and asked, “Uncle, is the pretty auntie next to you your wife?”

The Emperor was caught off guard by the sudden question and looked at the Empress before nodding.

Once she got a clear answer, Yao Yao became serious and said with a firm tone, “Uncle, my daddy says that capable men never let their women suffer injustice!”

After speaking, she flashed him a bright smile.

In truth, her father had said more: that any man who let his woman suffer injustice was useless.

But she felt that this “Uncle” didn’t seem as easy to talk to as Marquis Hou, so she only said the first part.

The Emperor felt like he had been struck on the head.

This was the second time the little girl had “educated” him, and now his imperial dignity was beginning to crack.

Even though her second statement was just a piece of advice, he couldn’t help feeling guilty.

Did even a stranger’s child think he was being unfair to the Empress?

Was he really that bad?

The Emperor gripped his teacup tightly, veins popping on the back of his hand.

He knew that over the years he had neglected the Empress and Crown Prince because of Consort Wei and her daughter, but he had never intended to replace the Empress.

There could be only one Empress, and that was his wife of many years.

As for the Crown Prince, he had always believed that a future ruler shouldn’t be overly concerned with such matters.

When he was young, he hadn’t liked being close to the late Emperor either.

In the royal family, deep emotions are dangerous. To love a child too much is to ruin them.

Each prince had their mother to care for them. If not their mothers, then the Empress. Only if the Empress couldn’t handle it would he personally intervene.

But all these years, the Empress had managed everything well, never troubling him once.

Thinking about this made him feel a strange pang of guilt.

He had dumped a pile of problems on the Empress without ever wondering whether she might be tired.

Especially since Consort Wei entered the palace and began acting arrogant and domineering—the Empress must’ve endured a lot from her.

The Emperor shifted his gaze to Consort Wei, only to see her fierce expression suddenly soften, eyes shining with emotion.

Her joy was impossible to hide—it was clear that her love for him was genuine.

After waiting at Changle Hall for three days, she was finally summoned by the Emperor.

Without hesitation, she had quickly adorned herself with gold hairpins and jewelry before rushing over.

Even though Li Yunsheng had reminded her several times about today’s incident in the harem, she hadn’t taken it seriously.

So what if the Emperor and Empress investigated? Was he really going to punish her over such a small matter?

She just wanted to teach the Chengming Marquis’s household a lesson—let them know that if they offended her, their child would suffer for it too.

Besides, for the Emperor’s sake, he wouldn’t punish the Marquis’s son severely—at most he’d scare him with a few words.

A few words wouldn’t hurt a child.

And if the matter couldn’t be investigated clearly, the Xu family, which the Empress came from, would hold a grudge against the Marquis’s household. She’d like to see how Madam Wei could still hope to curry favor with the Empress then.

Consort Wei was quite pleased with her own plan. No matter what the outcome, she would benefit.

What she didn’t expect was that the little maid she targeted turned out to be no pushover and refused to suffer silently.

After just two remarks, the child had already stirred up trouble right in front of the Emperor.

Despite her disrespect, the Emperor didn’t even hold it against her. Who exactly was this “country bumpkin”? Where did she come from?