Chapter 399: The Concubine Who Was Buried with the Emperor VS The Ruthless and Romantic Emperor 47
On the third day, Xinghua Palace was shrouded in dusk.

Under the reflection of the setting sun, the palace walls were dyed with a light orange color, like a painting forgotten by time.

The apricot trees in the palace courtyard swayed their branches gently in the breeze, making rustling sounds.

Yu Yao sat in the bedroom of Xinghua Palace, looking through the carved window at the gradually darkening sky.

She thought to herself that if the Dog Emperor came again tonight, she would let him in.

You have to strike a balance with this kind of thing and not go overboard.

If you really anger the dog emperor, it will not do you any good.

As the saying goes, a man who knows the times is a hero. When appropriate, you should give the other party a way out.

But, until the hour of Xu, no notification was received.

She was a little stunned and her expression turned cold.

Liuli, Amber, Xiao Qingzi and others had a bad feeling when they saw that the emperor did not come tonight.

Did the master go too far? Did he really piss off the emperor?

They looked at each other, seeing worry in each other's eyes, and did not dare to speak.

"Close the palace gates and go to bed."

Yu Yao stood up indifferently and went back to the bedroom to sleep.

As the night deepened, the Xinghua Palace was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind seeming to tell the secrets of the palace.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Emperor Jing sat alone on the dragon throne. The tall dragon throne looked even more majestic and lonely in the empty hall, and his eyes were filled with anger and contemplation.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest, making a dull sound that echoed in the empty hall.

Ever since he was rejected by Yao'er, he felt as if a huge rock was blocking his heart.

He was annoyed by Yaoer's stubbornness, but couldn't help but recall her every smile in his mind.

At this moment, thinking about Concubine Shu who was still kneeling outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony made him even more upset.

That’s right, Concubine Shu came again at night, and she came without being summoned.

He didn't even ask for a meeting or anything like that. He just knelt silently outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony and knelt there for two hours.

Emperor Jing was angry at first and didn't want to see her. She could kneel if she wanted.

But now that he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that Concubine Shu had done nothing wrong.

It was just that the servants in the imperial kitchen were not tactful enough and gave the only portion of sea cucumber to the favored Concubine Shu.

Emperor Jing thought he had done nothing wrong. As the emperor, it was normal for him to favor his concubines.

In his opinion, he will favor whoever can make him feel comfortable and happy.

Yao'er is his woman, and Shu Guipin is also his woman. In fact, there is not much difference between them in essence.

It's just that he likes Yao'er more deep down in his heart.

After all, Concubine Shu had always been the target of his anger.

But this woman didn't complain at all. When she was told that she was wrong, she felt that she was really wrong.

She also begged for his forgiveness by various means, and now she had been kneeling outside the temple for two hours.

This made Emperor Jing feel uncomfortable.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Emperor Jing sat silently for a long time.

Finally, he slowly stood up and shouted to the outside of the palace: "Send Concubine Shu in."

When Concubine Shu heard the summons, her body trembled slightly. She forced herself to support her numb legs and, with the help of the palace maids, staggered into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Her face was pale, and there were still traces of tears in her eyes, but she tried hard to force out a flattering smile, "Your Majesty..."

Emperor Jing felt a little sorry for her when he saw her like this. "Get up. The ground is cold."

When Concubine Shu heard this, she was delighted, knowing that her kneeling had finally worked, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jing sighed softly, "I know that the affairs of the Imperial Kitchen have nothing to do with you. It's just that I have been upset recently and I took my anger out on you."

Concubine Shu quickly shook her head, "Your Majesty, it's my fault that I failed to make Your Majesty feel comfortable. I only hope to be able to serve Your Majesty, even if it's just a little bit of favor."

As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again.

Emperor Jing frowned slightly, "Okay, you go back to the palace first. I want to be quiet for a while, don't act willfully anymore."

Although Concubine Shu was unwilling, she did not dare to disobey the emperor's will and had to slowly retreat.

After Concubine Shu left, Emperor Jing wandered around the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He was refused entry for two days in a row. It would be a lie for him to say he was not angry.

I wanted to ignore her for a while so that she could reflect on herself.

But considering that she is pregnant, it is normal for pregnant women to be emotionally sensitive and have wild thoughts and be in a bad mood.

He sighed softly and told Lu Xi who was waiting at the palace gate: "Go to Xinghua Palace."

Lu Xi immediately agreed and hurriedly arranged for the imperial carriage.

It was late at night and the palace was silent.

The palace walls looked even more cold and majestic under the moonlight. On both sides of the long palace road, palace lanterns emitted a dim light and swayed gently in the breeze.

Emperor Jing brought Lu Xi and a group of palace maids and eunuchs to the Xinghua Palace and found the palace gates closed.

His face suddenly turned gloomy, and without saying a word, he turned around and left.

Lu Xi shouted anxiously from behind: "Your Majesty..."

But Emperor Jing did not stop, but left straight away with a cold face.

Lu Xi looked at the receding figure of Emperor Jing and thought to himself: This is bad, this Qin Zhaorong is going to fall out of favor...

Inside the Xinghua Palace, the silent atmosphere was like a heavy curtain, oppressively covering everything.

The system alarm suddenly sounded in Yu Yao's head: "Host, you really messed up this time. The dog emperor just came over and saw that your palace gate was closed. Then he left in anger and was very angry."

Yu Yao opened her eyes instantly, was stunned for a few seconds, and then reacted.

She had originally planned to let the Dog Emperor in tonight, but she didn't know that he would come so late. She thought the Dog Emperor would not come, so she went to sleep.

It can only be said that it was a coincidence that there was bound to be misunderstanding between the two.

But she had no intention of running to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to explain.

"You can be angry if you want. At most, you can leave the palace after giving birth. The world is big and there is nothing to do but have fun. Why do you want to fight with others for a shared cucumber?"

After saying that, she yawned, lay down and continued to sleep.

Anyway, her baby is about to be born, so even if the dog emperor neglects her, it will only be for a few months.

Once she leaves the palace, no one can see each other.

Travel around the world, or find a place with a beautiful environment to settle down.

If she is happy, she can keep a few handsome men. Wouldn't that be more comfortable than staying in this palace?
I’m afraid that my children will blame me when they grow up.

But there is no need to be afraid, because there are plenty of good things in her space, enough for the two children to squander for several lifetimes.

Although I don't have a noble status, my life will not be bad.

Thinking of this, she stopped worrying and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, the sun barely broke through the clouds and shone into the courtyard of Xinghua Palace.

Liuli and Amber got up early and talked in low voices in the courtyard, their faces full of worry.

They also heard that the emperor came over last night, which should have been a cause for joy.

But the emperor arrived too late, and the palace gate was already closed. The emperor did not ask anyone to inform the empress, and when he saw the palace gate was closed, he thought that the empress refused to see him, so he turned around and left.

This led to misunderstandings between the Emperor and the Empress.

"Sister Liuli, what do you think we should do?"

Amber spoke anxiously, her eyes full of worry, "Your Highness looks like you don't care, how can this go on?"

Liuli frowned, "I don't know what to do."

The Queen is determined to leave the palace, so it is impossible for her to take the initiative to ask for peace with the Emperor.

In the Purple Palace, during the morning court session, the atmosphere was as solemn as if covered with leaden clouds.

Emperor Jing sat on the dragon throne with a gloomy face, his eyes full of anger and coldness. The ministers noticed that the emperor was different today, and they all lowered their heads and dared not speak.

The court was so quiet that only the occasional rustling of robes could be heard.

Emperor Jing's eyes swept over the officials in his palace. The anger in his heart made him feel that these officials seemed to be secretly mocking him for not being able to handle even a woman in the harem.

"You ministers, you always say that you are here to share my worries and give me advice. But what about now? Look at the court. Is there one thing that really makes me worry-free?"

Emperor Jing's voice was low but full of oppression, echoing in the empty Zichen Hall.

The Minister of Revenue stood up and said, "Your Majesty, we have been working diligently and have not dared to slack off. Recently, the Ministry of Revenue is planning a new tax reform to fill the national treasury to meet unexpected needs."

Emperor Jing snorted coldly, "Planning? We have been planning for so long, but there is no effect. I think you are just a minister in name only, and you can't even handle the taxation properly."

The Minister of Revenue was so frightened that his face turned pale. He quickly retreated back to the line and dared not say another word.

Seeing this, the Minister of War bravely said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has recently strengthened the defense deployment of the capital, selected many strong men to join the army, and trained day and night to ensure the safety of the capital."

Emperor Jing was unmoved. "Hmph, strong and capable men? I heard that some people in this army are lazy and have no discipline at all. Is this how you, the Ministry of War, keep my capital safe? I think you are just vain."

The assistant minister of the Ministry of War was scolded so much that his face turned red. He lowered his head and dared not say a word.

Seeing this, other officials in the court dared not even breathe, for fear of bringing bad luck upon themselves.

Emperor Jing's anger was like a flood that broke through a dam, venting wantonly.

"My harem is not peaceful, and the court run by you officials is not much better. I see that there are problems in every department. Is it because I am too lenient with you?"

Emperor Jing's words were like an ice cone, piercing the officials' hearts and sending chills down their spines.

The officials looked at each other, and although they were full of grievances, no one dared to defend themselves at this moment.

They knew very well that when Emperor Jing was furious, any carelessness would lead to eternal damnation.

After Emperor Jing's scolding, his anger eased a little, but his face was still frighteningly gloomy.

He also knew that he was somewhat angry with the ministers today, but he was completely upset by a certain damn woman and could not control his emotions at all.

"You must remember what happened today. I hope that next time I go to court, I can see that you can really make a difference. Don't let me down again."

After Emperor Jing said this coldly, he waved his hand to signal the end of the court session.

The ministers, as if they had been pardoned, bowed respectfully and hurriedly withdrew.

Silence returned to the Purple Palace, leaving only Emperor Jing sitting alone on the dragon throne, anger and contemplation still lingering in his eyes.

In the harem, the news spread quickly. Emperor Jing was furious in the Purple Palace, and both the court and the harem were trembling with fear.

The concubines in all palaces also realized that Qin Zhaorong held a special position in the emperor's heart.

Originally, Concubine Shu's snatching of sea cucumbers was just a trivial matter, but the emperor went to Xinghua Palace for three consecutive days and came back with a grim expression every time. No one knew what had happened.

The other concubines discussed this privately. Some of them were jealous and thought that Qin Zhaorong must have used some kind of seductive trick to make the emperor so interested in her.

Some concubines also believed that the emperor was after the dragon fetus, and that Qin Zhaorong’s belly was so big that it was hard to tell when she would give birth.

It was normal for the emperor to go there to appease the people for three consecutive days.

I don’t know why, but every time the emperor leaves, his face looks so ugly.

Only Concubine Shu understood that the emperor was not just after the dragon fetus.

Guanju Palace.

Concubine Zhang lazily leaned on the chaise longue, gently waving a round fan in her hand, with a faint sneer on her lips: "This Qin Zhaorong is quite capable, making my cousin so worried. However, this is also a good thing for me, at least my cousin didn't invite that bitch Shu Guipin to sleep with him these days."

The palace maid Furong echoed, "Your Highness is right."

As the days passed, the anger in Emperor Jing's heart grew like a fire.

He felt that as an emperor, he had never been ignored like this, especially by the woman he loved.

At first, I wanted to ignore her for a few days and let her reflect on herself and know where she went wrong.

Then, he took the initiative to come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to seek peace with me.

But after half a month, there was still no movement.

This made Emperor Jing even angrier, and his rage grew stronger, and he was displeased with everyone every day.

He cursed everyone in the former dynasty and the harem, and whoever he caught was cursed. Everyone was trembling with fear, not daring to offend the emperor.

Yu Yao refused to go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to seek peace, and Emperor Jing refused to go to the Xinghua Palace, and the two seemed to be at odds with each other.

Of course, during this period Emperor Jing did not open any cards and did not enter the harem for more than half a month, which had never happened before.

A few more days passed in this stalemate.

The atmosphere in the harem became increasingly depressing. Although the concubines appeared to be cautious on the surface, they were secretly calculating how to benefit themselves in this delicate situation.

In Xinghua Palace, Yu Yao's life seemed peaceful, but in fact, there were some ripples in her heart.

Although she acted as if she didn't care about the favor of the Dog Emperor, she couldn't help feeling a little guilty when she saw Liuli and Amber beside her frowning all day long.

"Liuli, Amber, you have been with me for a long time. How do you think I treat you?"

Yu Yao asked softly.

Liuli and Amber looked at each other, then both knelt down. Liuli said, "Your Majesty has been very kind to us. Our lives belong to you."

Yu Yao gently helped them up. "You have seen the stalemate between me and the emperor. I don't want to live in this palace anymore. When the child is born, I will find a way to leave the palace. Are you willing to leave with me?"

There was a hint of hesitation in Liuli and Amber's eyes.

The two pondered for a moment.

Then Liuli said, "My lady, I am willing to go anywhere with you."

Amber also nodded: "Yes, my lady. Although this palace seems prosperous, it is full of calculations and fights. I have long wanted to leave this place of trouble."

Yu Yao smiled with relief: "With you here, I feel much more at ease. But I'm afraid it won't be that easy to leave the palace, so I need to think about it carefully."

However, their conversation was overheard by a little palace maid.

The young palace maid hurriedly told Nanny Zhang that Nanny Zhang was Emperor Jing's person.

After receiving the report from the young palace maid, Nanny Zhang did not dare to delay at all and hurried to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

At this time, Emperor Jing was reviewing memorials, but his irritability was not reduced at all.

When Lu Xi saw Nanny Zhang coming, he wanted to stop her, but when he saw that she looked hurried, he knew that she might have something important to tell him, so he went in to report.

When Emperor Jing heard that it was Nanny Zhang who wanted to see him, he frowned slightly, but still let Lu Xi bring her in.

When Nanny Zhang came in, she hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report to you."

Emperor Jing put down the memorial in his hand and said impatiently, "What's the matter? Tell me quickly."

Nanny Zhang said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I just learned that Qin Zhaorong told the maids Liuli and Amber in Xinghua Palace that she would find a way to leave the palace after the child was born, and Amber and Liuli seemed willing to follow."

When Emperor Jing heard this, his heart was shocked and his face became even gloomier.

He never thought that Yaoer would have such an idea.

He originally thought that Yao'er was just angry with him, but he didn't expect that she really wanted to leave the palace.

"Are you telling the truth?"

There was a hint of chill in Emperor Jing's voice.

Nanny Zhang quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not lie. I heard this from the young maid in the Xinghua Palace."

Emperor Jing was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "You can go down first. Don't mention this matter to anyone else."

After Nanny Zhang respectfully left, Emperor Jing sat on the dragon throne with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

He was angry that Yao'er wanted to leave him, but he was also worried that she would really do something impulsive.

After all, she is pregnant. What if something unexpected happens?

Emperor Jing paced back and forth in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, trying to understand why Yao'er had such thoughts.

He knew that he had indeed been somewhat cold towards her during this period, but he was also angry because of her previous attitude.

"Doesn't she really want to stay by my side?"

Emperor Jing murmured to himself, and when he thought of her former gentleness and charm, his heart ached.

It felt like someone had stabbed my heart, it was extremely painful.