Chapter 1114: Chapter 1114: 1111: Dare to Go to Someone Else's Palace?

“Rest assured, uncle, I will bear many children for seventh brother legitimately! So many that you won’t be able to hold them all!” Leng Muling playfully stuck out her tongue and left, arm in arm with Mo Qi.

Zhuo Junli watched them leave, then turned to see Leng Shuqing.

No matter when or where, she carried herself with graceful decorum, like a fairy.

But her furrowed brows right now were really not adorable.

Zhuo Junli thought he had said all he needed to her and smiled as he walked away.

“Uncle.” Leng Shuqing stopped him, “The emperor is using me like this before I even enter the palace? Was this your idea?”

In her view, Zhuo Junli was a genius who would come up with such a scheme.

“Shuqing.”

Zhuo Junli took a few steps back, walked up to her, and touched her forehead with his fan, “You are such an intelligent woman. Are you trying to deceive your uncle, or are you deceiving yourself? You know very well that the emperor has no interest in you. Whatever he does, he naturally considers only himself and those close to him. Why wouldn’t he use you if you are just another woman in his harem?”

“I am not just another woman in his harem! I am his consort!”

Leng Shuqing’s eyes turned red with emotion, “Apart from the empress, my position as a consort is second only to one and above ten thousand. He values me, that’s why he elevated me to this position!”

“What he values is the ‘Leng’ in Leng Shuqing, not Shuqing.”

Zhuo Junli coldly reminded her, “Do you know what the emperor calls the empress? He only ever calls her Yingxue, never caring whether her last name is Su or Wu or Bai or Hei. That is the difference between you and her. Some things will remain this way for a lifetime, Shuqing. I have warned you many times. Once you enter the palace, take good care of yourself.”

The Leng family could give Shuqing a distinguished face and a position as a consort, but they could not give her Chu Yihan’s love and attention.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Leng Shuqing’s gaze was stubborn and defiant, “As time passes, the emperor will eventually love me. I will love him with all my life!”

She could not believe that she was completely devoid of any bit of Chu Yihan’s love.

Mo Qi knelt in front of Chu Yihan with Leng Shuqing, begging for forgiveness for his rash actions.

Chu Yihan glanced at him, noted his injuries, and said, “Since the Prime Minister’s Estate has already taught you a lesson, I shall not punish you further. Here is the imperial edict for you, take it.”

Chu Yihan handed a bright yellow scroll to Mo Qi.

Mo Qi opened it, stood up, and then knelt down again with a thud, “Your Majesty, I… I dare not accept! Please retract your order!”

“What is it, seventh brother?”

Leng Muling followed him in kneeling and asked curiously in a whisper.

Mo Qi’s heart was a turmoil of emotions. This imperial edict appointed him as Duke of Zhongyong, changing his status from a subject to nobility and granting him command over one hundred thousand Imperial Guards, giving him real power.

Chu Yihan’s expression was calm, “My imperial edicts are never retracted.”

Mo Qi wept with gratitude, bowing deeply to Chu Yihan, “Your Majesty’s grace is profound. Mo Qi will never forget it!”

“Rise. You deserve this.”

Chu Yihan never believed that one’s birth could determine everything.

Besides, Mo Qi was originally from a scholarly family, a descendant of a prestigious line; his family had died in battle for the country. He had grown up with him and had been loyal to him for many years, deserving the position of a duke.

Mo Qi left with Leng Muling, holding her hand as they walked down the palace road. Whenever they encountered his subordinates, he would invite them to drink celebratory wine. They were all palace guards under his command, gathering around and making a boisterous scene, “Commander Mo, I must drink at your celebration! I must!”

“Yes, yes! Now that our commander has been appointed a duke, we must call him Marquis!”

“Congratulations, Marquis, on your joyous occasion!”

Mo Qi acknowledged each one, his face unable to hide his joy.

He held Leng Muling’s hands tenderly and warmly, “Ling’er, from now on, I will love you dearly and never let you suffer.”

“Mmm! Seventh Brother is the best!”

Leng Muling clung to his arm, their silhouettes a pair of blissful images.

When the news reached Su Yingxue, she was also pleased, “That’s wonderful, lovers have finally become spouses.”

“Your Majesty, the lovers have become spouses, but what about you and the emperor? Since the emperor took a new concubine, he hasn’t spent the night here anymore. He comes daily only to see the little prince.” After her initial joy, Zhilan’s face showed concern.

“So what? If he wants to see the little monster, let him. It even saves me the trouble of serving the emperor! By the way, when is Leng Shuqing entering the palace, and is her palace chamber ready?” Su Yingxue casually asked.

“Your Majesty! You really have the luxury to worry about other concubines!” Zhilan stomped her foot anxiously.

“Oh, isn’t it necessary to appear generous as the empress? If I don’t care for her and treat her badly, the moment I turn around, the court officials could slay me with their words, accusing me of mistreatment and jealousy. Those officials’ mouths are quite harmful.”

Su Yingxue pouted, she hated how these people, with nothing better to do, meddled in Chu Yihan’s harem affairs.

“But even if you pretend, shouldn’t you at least talk to the emperor? He speaks little, and so do you; even for an ordinary couple, that’s not ideal, right?” Zhilan spoke very tactfully.

Previously, Chu Yihan had adored Su Yingxue, always sticking close to her.

Lately, Chu Yihan had been busy, and Su Yingxue also tried every means to be by his side.

But suddenly, neither of them clung to each other anymore. The lack of spark had grown too cold, causing concern among others.

“He…”

Su Yingxue intended to say that Chu Yihan was being stubborn, but then thought better of it, realizing these were not words for outsiders, so she stopped herself.

Leng Shuqing entered the palace the next day.

To make up for her delayed entrance, Chu Yihan specially bestowed upon her the title of Consort Shu.

Graceful and wise, the title ‘Shu’ ranked her third among the four consorts. With Leng Shuqing just entering the palace and already receiving such an honor, her status was very high.

The Prime Minister’s Estate was very pleased, and Leng Shuqing was naturally delighted.

Moreover, she heard that Chu Yihan was going to visit her that night to have her serve him in bed.

She felt both shy and excited.

The first four concubines, though having entered the palace earlier than she, had neither titles nor had Chu Yihan favored them.

Though she entered the palace late, Chu Yihan’s treatment of her was indeed different from that of others.

Leng Shuqing was moved to tears, “The emperor still has me in his heart.”

Fortunately, she hadn’t listened to Zhuo Junli’s advice to abandon the idea of entering the palace to stay by Chu Yihan’s side.

She diligently prepared to serve in bed.

Inside Su Yingxue’s palace, upon hearing that Chu Yihan was going to favor Leng Shuqing, Su Yingxue instantly smashed the little monster’s rattle-drum.

“Chu Yihan!”

This bastard was actually going to favor another consort!

It was simply infuriating!

“Your Majesty, this servant has warned you many times, do not underestimate the concubines of the harem.” Zhilan sighed deeply.

Su Yingxue still thought, was it like when they were at the prince’s mansion?