[1]The Consort is Both Charming and Scheming, Rising Through Palace Intrigue

Ning Shuyan dug her nails deep into her palm, the sharp pain making her voice tremble slightly. "Even if you were drunk, Your Majesty couldn't recognize me? I merely felt unwell and went out for a walk, and when I returned... I saw that."

As she spoke, she stood up and turned her back to Xiao Yu, not letting him see her face.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. How was I to know you had gone out?" Xiao Yu's heart grew increasingly agitated. The thought of a reigning emperor mistaking one woman for another filled him with a sense of shame. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose heavily.

The hall fell silent for a moment, the only sound the quiet, stifled sobs of a woman.

After a while, Xiao Yu pulled Ning Shuyan into his embrace. No matter how much she resisted, he held her tightly.

Looking at her pained expression, Xiao Yu's heart softened, but all he could say was, "Don't be sad."

Hearing that, Ning Shuyan felt even more heartbroken. Her tears streamed down. "How can I not be sad? Everything that's happened this past month... I can no longer keep it all bottled up. I lost the baby for no reason, and now I have to witness the man I love in bed with my own maid..."

She beat his chest with her fists, as if trying to release all her sorrow and frustration.

Xiao Yu knew she was usually gentle and understanding. If she wasn't utterly heartbroken, she would never lose her composure like this.

Perhaps... she'd been holding back her grief ever since she lost the child...

He held her tightly, gently stroking her back. "I... stopped in time."

"Stopped in time?" Ning Shuyan looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "You mean... you didn't sleep with her?"

"I touched her."

Xiao Yu truly wished he hadn't. But his hands had already touched her body, and only then did he realize something was wrong. Despite being muddle-headed from the wine, he could still feel the unfamiliarity in the woman's breath and figure. That's when he knew it wasn't Ning Shuyan and stopped before going further.

Though he knew Lvrui (the maid) was still a virgin in the end, he had still touched her.

Ning Shuyan didn't fully understand the implication. What did "stopped in time" mean? He touched her? She closed her eyes, heavy with emotion.

At that moment, Lvrui had finished dressing. She trembled in the corner of the hall like she was trapped in an ice cellar. She had never imagined things would go so badly.

She had used so much of the aphrodisiac incense, and even laid there waiting, yet it had taken so long for the emperor to react—and then he still recognized she wasn't Ning Shuyan.

She thought he was drunk. But clearly, he was lucid.

Now she was doomed.

Xiao Yu finally noticed Lvrui and his expression instantly darkened.

Their eyes met, and Lvrui shuddered. The look in his eyes was like a cold arrow, chilling her to the bone.

"Get over here!" Xiao Yu bellowed angrily, releasing Ning Shuyan from his embrace.

Lvrui scrambled over on trembling legs and knelt before the emperor and Ning Shuyan with a loud thud.

At that moment, Ning Shuyan caught a faint whiff of a strange scent—sweet, but with something mysterious underneath.

"How bold of you to impersonate your mistress!" Xiao Yu's voice was seething with fury, his presence terrifying.

Lvrui trembled as she kowtowed, sobbing, "Your Majesty, I didn't dare! I was only trying to extinguish some candles, but the wind blew out the others too. Then... Your Majesty, you came in. I thought you knew I wasn't the lady..."

She crawled toward Ning Shuyan, clinging to her skirt. "My lady, I would never impersonate you. It's true I admire His Majesty, but I would never do such a thing..."

Xiao Yu couldn't even stand to look at her. Disgusted, he growled, "What punishment do you think she deserves? Whether it's death or dismemberment, I leave it to you."

He pulled Ning Shuyan's hand into his.

She hesitated for a long while, visibly struggling with the decision, then said, "No matter what happened, in the end... Lvrui is now your woman."

Even if Lvrui remained technically untouched, she had shared a bed with the emperor, and they'd undressed—she was now considered one of his women.

Xiao Yu knew that too. Though furious, he forced himself to stay composed. "Then what do you suggest, Yan'er?"

Ning Shuyan's hand was clenched tightly. Her reluctance was evident. "Since this happened in my palace... if word got out that His Majesty took one of my maids, and I—rather than being gracious—had her executed, it would reflect poorly on both Your Majesty and myself. People might say I am narrow-minded and cannot tolerate others around me."

Lvrui breathed a sigh of relief—but immediately grew tense again, waiting anxiously for the emperor's response.

Xiao Yu was surprised by how much Ning Shuyan cared about her reputation. Even when hurt, she still accepted this wretched maid?

He turned to look at Lvrui, his narrowed eyes sharp enough to burn. Slowly, he sat down and said coldly, "Very well. She will be conferred the title of Cai Nu (Imperial Concubine of the lowest rank)."

Then he turned to Ning Shuyan, his gaze probing: "Is that acceptable to you?"

Ning Shuyan could hear the displeasure in his voice. She lowered her eyes and replied softly, "As long as Your Majesty decides, that is enough."

Lvrui let out another sigh of relief and loosened her grip on her dress. Her eyes even glimmered with a hint of joy.

Xiao Yu began to tap his fingers on the table, the dull sound echoing in the quiet room. "Then... should Beauty Ning allow this maid to remain in your palace?"

His voice was cold, and though his expression was hard to read, the way he called her "Beauty Ning" made it clear he was deeply displeased.

Ning Shuyan had anticipated his anger or unwillingness to accept Lvrui. But why was he angry with her?

She kept her head bowed, but she could feel the cold, sharp gaze above her.

She replied softly, "Not long ago, this maid told me she wished to transfer to Yi He Palace to serve. I think... it's best to let her go there."

Lvrui's face paled as she stared at Ning Shuyan in shock.

Ning Shuyan immediately added coldly, "Don't thank me. I'm only fulfilling the last duty of a mistress to a servant. But I will never forgive you."

Xiao Yu was also surprised to hear her mention Yi He Palace. Under the dim candlelight, even his features seemed carved from ice.

He hadn't yet fully decided whether to confer a title on Lvrui—but now...

Zhuang Fei. That woman had been far too arrogant lately.

He said, "Then pack up now and leave Lan Yue Pavilion."

Lvrui suddenly wondered—had she chosen the wrong path? She was no longer a maid, yet her heart felt uneasy and empty. Judging by the emperor's attitude, he seemed to loathe her deeply.

And when did Ning Shuyan find out she was planted by Zhuang Fei?

"Still not leaving?" Ning Shuyan snapped in anger.

Lvrui quickly stood and stumbled out, her heart in turmoil.

She lifted the hem of her dress slightly. No matter what, she didn't regret today's decision.

At least... she was no longer a maid.

She was a master now.

And from now on, with the emperor's favor—she would climb higher and higher. She would fight her way up, little by little.