Chapter 27

Since her pregnancy was confirmed, the Emperor and Empress had showered Su Jingyao with attention and gifts.

The Empress, especially, treated her like a precious treasure.

In the Empress’s eyes, this child was incredibly important—not just as the Crown Prince’s firstborn, but possibly as his only child before he became emperor.

So, the Empress wouldn’t allow anything to happen to this pregnancy.

Su Jingyao already had her own private kitchen, but now, for safety, all her ingredients came directly from the Crown Prince’s supplies.

She even had a personal food doctor—basically, a nutritionist—who tailored her meals for the healthiest pregnancy possible.

For exercise, the experienced Nanny Li accompanied her on slow walks around the palace every day. She also did some gentle yoga-like stretches.

Skin care was something Su Jingyao cared about the most.

She continued her usual routine, massaging and applying creams, only removing any ingredients that could be harmful to the baby.

She was just over two months pregnant now, still too early for prenatal education, but by four months, she would start.

Thinking about all this, Su Jingyao realized that being pregnant now was actually a good thing.

Jun Zechen didn’t have too many women yet, and their attention wasn’t completely focused on her.

That meant her child would be safer.

Since this was the Crown Prince’s first child, the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince all valued it highly. Who would dare harm it?

Plus, she was still young. After giving birth, her body and skin would recover quickly. After all, what man wasn’t attracted to beauty?

Actually, women liked beauty too.

Luckily, Jun Zechen was good-looking—otherwise, this whole act would have been harder to keep up.

“Master, An Liangdi is here,” Miao Yun said softly.

“She came to see me right after being freed from house arrest?”

Su Jingyao lay lazily on the chaise lounge, one hand resting on her forehead. She frowned slightly, looking a little impatient.

Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, making her fair skin look even more radiant.

Lately, pregnancy had made her feel tired, and she appeared delicate and weak.

“Let her in.”

Her voice was sleepy, and her eyelids drooped slightly.

When An Jinyan entered, she saw Su Jingyao reclining on the chaise. Even though Su Jingyao was over two months pregnant, her belly wasn’t showing yet, and she still had a slender waist.

An Jinyan’s gaze lingered on Su Jingyao. She wore a sheer, light gown, and even without makeup, her beauty was breathtaking.

Her pale skin was as flawless as white jade, her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her lips curled into a gentle smile.

A hint of jealousy flashed in An Jinyan’s heart.

Even without makeup, Su Jingyao still glowed with natural beauty.

An Jinyan wouldn’t dare go bare-faced in front of the Crown Prince—her complexion wasn’t as radiant.

Meanwhile, Su Jingyao, without even trying, was stunning.

If Su Jingyao knew An Jinyan was jealous of her skin, she would have been smug.

She had spent years soaking in expensive medicinal baths, using the finest skincare, and getting daily massages.

All that took real money—mostly her own earnings.

Even a high-ranking family like the Minister’s household might not have been able to afford her upkeep.

An Jinyan stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Greetings to Side Consort.”

Her voice was respectful, but her eyes flickered uneasily.

Su Jingyao remained lounging, her smile gentle. “Have a seat, Sister An. Miao Yun, serve tea.”

“Yes, Master,” Miao Yun responded, gracefully bringing over a cup of floral tea.

An Jinyan took the tea and sipped it lightly.

At first, her eyebrows knitted slightly, but then they relaxed, and her face showed a trace of pleasant surprise.

An Jin Yan slightly opened her eyes and praised, “Sister, the floral tea here has a unique taste. It has a strong floral fragrance and a fresh tea flavor. It’s really wonderful.”

“If you like it, I can have someone prepare some for you to take home,” Su Jing Yao said gently with a smile.

An Jin Yan pretended to refuse politely, “Thank you, Sister.”

Su Jing Yao didn’t continue the conversation, and for a moment, the hall was filled with a strange silence.

An Jin Yan coughed lightly to break the awkward quiet.

She lowered her head slightly as if feeling embarrassed and said, “Sister, I came today to ask you—how is your relationship with the Crown Princess?”

After speaking, she lifted her head and carefully observed Su Jing Yao’s expression.

Back at the Crown Princess’s birthday banquet, Su Jing Yao had risked her life to save the Crown Princess. Could it be that she had a good relationship with the Crown Princess, and that’s why the Crown Prince favored her?

Since her punishment ended, the Crown Prince had never called for her.

Even though she lived close to the Crown Prince’s chambers and had tried to “accidentally” meet him multiple times, he acted as if she was invisible.

Among the five new concubines, she was the least favored!

The more An Jin Yan thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She had been too reckless before. She shouldn’t have gone against the Crown Princess directly.

But if she hadn’t, how could she have gotten the Crown Prince’s attention?

Although the Crown Princess was punished by the Empress at that time, the Crown Prince was obviously biased toward her.

Now, An Jin Yan had to figure out a way to win the Crown Prince’s heart.

Hearing her question, Su Jing Yao showed a hint of sadness. She lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes trembling gently.

She slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness.

She spoke softly, “When I first entered the Eastern Palace, His Highness did not like me. Only the Crown Princess treated me well, so I was very close to her. But later…”

“What happened later?”

An Jin Yan asked eagerly, leaning forward slightly, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Later, His Highness summoned me for the sake of having an heir, and after that, the Crown Princess started to distance herself from me.”

Su Jing Yao sighed, her eyes full of loneliness.

An Jin Yan frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment before speaking again.

“Sister, do you know why His Highness cares so much about the Crown Princess? I just don’t understand…”

She bit her lip, looking uncertain and hesitant.

She continued, “The Crown Princess is not very beautiful, her family background is not as good as mine, and she is certainly not as noble as you, Sister. Why does His Highness favor her so much?”

“An Sister, love is not just about appearance,” Su Jing Yao said with a gentle smile. “The Crown Princess grew up outside the capital, so she is different from us. She is carefree and kind. It’s natural that the Crown Prince likes her.”

An Jin Yan lowered her gaze, deep in thought.

So that’s the reason?

The Crown Prince liked innocent and naive women?

Did that mean her previous actions had made the Crown Prince think she was too scheming?

The realization filled An Jin Yan with regret.

No wonder the Crown Prince had recently been favoring Tang Suo Xi, that cunning little fox!

That girl had been pretending to be sweet and innocent ever since the selection process!

If she hadn’t acted so pitifully, how could someone with such a poor family background have been chosen by the Empress to be a concubine?

An Jin Yan clenched her teeth, jealousy and resentment swirling in her heart. Her downcast eyes darkened, like a sky covered in storm clouds.

It seemed she needed to change her approach to winning the Crown Prince’s favor.

After a moment, she lifted her head and forced a smile, though it looked stiff and unnatural.

“Thank you, Sister, for telling me all this today. I hope we can talk again another day. For now, I’ll take my leave.”

“Alright, take care, Sister,” Su Jing Yao responded with a smile, watching An Jin Yan leave with an amused expression.

She still preferred people like An Jin Yan—those who worked hard to climb higher, those who wore different masks to achieve their goals.

Once An Jin Yan was gone, Su Jing Yao’s maid, Miao Yun, frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

She turned to Su Jing Yao and asked softly, “Mistress, why did you help An Liang Di?”

Su Jing Yao sat up slightly, resting her head on one hand while absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair with the other. She spoke in a slow, relaxed tone.

“Among the five newcomers, An Liang Di and Bai Liang Yuan have the best family backgrounds. Bai Liang Yuan seemed too impatient when she greeted me that day, and her looks are average. Someone with her temperament and appearance won’t easily gain the Crown Prince’s favor.”

By “average looks,” Su Jing Yao didn’t mean plain—Bai Liang Yuan was still a beauty, just not a stunning one.

“Tang Feng Yi has been summoned by the Crown Prince a few times over the past month and is considered favored, but she is timid, comes from an unremarkable family, and holds a low rank. Right now, she is of little use to me.”

A woman like Tang Feng Yi could only rely on the Crown Prince’s affection to survive.

“But if An Liang Di gains favor, she will go against the Crown Princess.”

Su Jing Yao’s lips curved into a sly smile.

After all, An Liang Di had great ambitions. She was proud and wouldn’t tolerate the Crown Princess. In the original novel, An Liang Di had given Ling Yue a lot of trouble.

Then, Su Jing Yao glanced at Miao Yun and instructed, “Make sure our people remain hidden. Try to find out all of An Liang Di’s plans. When the time comes, I’ll add some fuel to the fire.”

Su Jing Yao lay back on the chaise lounge, her posture graceful and alluring.

She rested her head on one hand while lazily stretching out her other arm. Her eyes glowed with a dangerous light.

Outside, Miaoyue and Miaoxia were standing guard. Fortunately, Su Jingyao had brought many of her own people into the Eastern Palace.

If there were spies in her palace, she would have to be extra careful with every word she spoke, which would be exhausting.

She explained everything to Miaoyun because Miaoyun was the most reliable among her four trusted maids. Su Jingyao often included her in important plans.

Miaoyun was first surprised, then furrowed her brows, her wide eyes full of shock.

She hesitantly asked, “Master, is your target the Crown Princess? Do you want to…”

She raised her right hand and made a throat-cutting gesture, her expression turning cold.

Su Jingyao chuckled and lifted her chin slightly, her bright eyes full of confidence.

“Miaoyun, I wouldn’t do something so cruel. I just don’t want the Crown Princess to become Empress.”

She didn’t want something that had once belonged to someone else.

Except for men—once dirty, they didn’t matter anymore.

As long as she got what she wanted, that was enough.

She would enjoy the highest luxury and honor in life, then be remembered as a wise and virtuous Empress in history.

Everyone would think she was the perfect woman.

Su Jingyao had lived in Jun Kingdom for fifteen years and had fully accepted its rules.

She would climb step by step, using these rules to her advantage, ensuring the best life for herself.

She hoped An Jingyan would awaken the heroine’s greed and desires.

Then, Jun Zechen would realize that the woman he once loved had changed.

She had become just like the women of the capital—just like the palace women he despised, using schemes to fight for his favor.

But to Su Jingyao, whether Lingyue schemed or not didn’t matter.

If Lingyue schemed, she might lose Jun Zechen’s heart.

If she didn’t, she might lose her life.

Thinking about this, Su Jingyao’s lips curled into a cold smile, dangerous like a demon’s, sending chills down one’s spine.