CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 107: JEALOUSY

Zhao Junyao took the medicine bowl from Ying Yue’s hands and sat down beside the bed.

Ying Yue, astute as ever, led everyone out, leaving just the Emperor and the Noble Consort in the room!

Zhao Junyao stirred the medicinal soup, scooped up a spoonful, patiently blew on it, and brought it to the Noble Consort’s mouth.

After taking a sip, Noble Concubine Shih broke into laughter through her tears.

"I thought Cousin wouldn’t want to see me anymore!"

Zhao Junyao cracked a smile, consoling her, "You’re overthinking it. I’ve just been a bit busy with state affairs!"

(Author: Busy, huh? Emperor, have you forgotten how often you’ve been running to our Qingqing’s place?)

No matter what, women are easy to placate! When deeply in love, not only will they believe the lies men tell them, but they will also help the men by lying to themselves.

Noble Concubine Shih was probably in that state.

With a few gentle words from Zhao Junyao, she believed him, and her mood immediately cleared up like the sky after rain.

As he watched the Noble Consort nestle sweetly against his chest, Zhao Junyao felt an urge to push her away.

He didn’t like women being clingy. Touching her, he kept his arms at his sides, indifferent, with no desire to embrace her.

At that moment, he had completely forgotten how he had pulled Lady Xia into his arms, holding her so tightly she couldn’t move!

When it came to women, he didn’t overthink things.

For instance, in Lady Xia’s presence, he would forget his dislike of women being clingy.

And with the Noble Consort, he couldn’t recall how Lady Xia had been clingy with him!

It was a blatant contradiction, but such was reality!

Moments later, Zhao Junyao subtly pushed her away and asked,

"What exactly happened? The Imperial Physician said your pregnancy was disturbed!"

Noble Concubine Shih wiped away her tears of happiness and looked up, saying,

"Cousin, someone wants to harm me!"

Zhao Junyao raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

The Noble Consort continued,

"My baby is already five months along and has always been fine, but today, my pregnancy was suddenly disturbed!"

"Cousin, doesn’t that seem strange?"

Zhao Junyao’s frown deepened.

In truth, he didn’t find anything strange about the situation.

The Imperial Physician had said there was nothing physically wrong, so the issue must have been with the Noble Consort’s emotions.

They had grown up together; he knew her temperament somewhat.

He immediately tried to reassure her, "Don’t overthink it. Who would want to harm you!"

As he spoke, he carelessly placed the medicine bowl to the side, then added,

"You should rest well. The Imperial Physician said you mustn’t get angry!"

Noble Concubine Shih started to panic.

"Cousin, are you leaving?"

Zhao Junyao looked at the sky outside and said,

"I still have memorials to review in the Imperial Study Room. You should rest."

With that, he started to walk out.

Noble Concubine Shih couldn’t bear it. She gazed longingly at his retreating figure.

"Do you know how long it has been since you’ve come to see me, Cousin?"

"Cousin, Cousin, please stay with me!"

Her voice carried both hope and resentment.

When Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin were pregnant, Cousin often visited them; why couldn’t he do the same for her?

A woman deeply in love is more prone to hysterics.

Zhao Junyao paused, turned, and saw Noble Concubine Shih standing barefoot on the ground, her face full of expectation and pleading.

He felt a tightness in his chest and said impatiently,

"Standing there like that, aren’t you afraid of catching a chill and harming the child?"

Realizing what he meant, Noble Concubine Shih quickly returned to the bed.

Zhao Junyao had no choice but to turn back. Speaking in as gentle a tone as he could muster, he said,

"Matters of state are important. Rest well, and remember to call the Imperial Physician immediately if anything happens!"

Noble Concubine Shih had thought the Emperor would stay.

But who could have known that the moment he spoke, it was to leave again.

The resentment in her heart surged instantly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Cousin, why can’t you stay with me? When Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin were pregnant with the princesses, you were always visiting. Why can’t you do the same for me!"

"Everyone says we were childhood sweethearts, but Cousin, have you ever been good to me?"

The resentment that had been building up in her heart for months erupted in an instant.

Her tone was venomous, and she was throwing caution to the winds.

For a moment, she forgot she was the Noble Consort, and he was the Emperor.

She also forgot about Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin: one was simple and endearingly clumsy, always jubilant at the sight of the Emperor; the other, gentle as water, tender and graceful, a master of overcoming strength with softness.

Either of them could brighten Zhao Junyao’s mood, making him feel it would be wrong not to visit, as if he would be letting them down.

She had forgotten everything.

She only remembered that in his eyes, there were others, but not her.

"Impudence!"

Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes, his voice a deep thunder, his gaze sharp.

He looked at the woman before him, who was nearing hysteria, and the rage he had suppressed instantly exploded.

It would be a lie to say his heart didn’t ache.

It was just that Wanxin... was no longer the Wanxin of yesteryear.

When had she become so venomous, so grief-stricken and indignant?!

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her with an icy glare.

"Besides the position of Empress, what is it that you want? I can give you anything. Even the Empress cannot compare to you in favor. What more could you be dissatisfied with!"

She wanted affection? Fine. His visits to Xifu Palace were more frequent than to all other consorts combined.

She wanted status? Fine. He had granted her the position of First-Rank Noble Consort, second only to the Empress.

She wanted possessions? Fine. He had never been stingy with tributes and rewards; whatever the Empress had, she also had.

She wanted a child? Fine. Then they would try more often, ensuring she conceived before the Empress!

Wasn’t all of this enough?

What more did she want? As an emperor, what else did he have to give?

He couldn’t possibly dismiss every woman in the Harem and keep only her!

He was the Emperor; that was impossible!

Noble Concubine Shih was left speechless by his questions.

"Yes, what else could I be dissatisfied with!"

But...

"But what does Lady Xia count for?!"

How much he doted on Lady Xia! Zhaochen Palace—what kind of place was that? Even she hadn’t stayed there many times.

That woman had lived in Zhaochen Palace for a whole month!

What a devastating blow that was.

For the first time, she felt such a keen sense of crisis: there was someone new in her cousin’s heart, and that person wasn’t her.

Zhao Junyao let out a cold laugh at her question.

"Lady Xia? You’re asking about Lady Xia? She’s just an Honored Lady. What harm can she possibly do to you?"

"What she has doesn’t even compare to one-tenth of what you have!"

Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes, his tone even colder.

"Noble Consort, you should be content!"

Noble Concubine Shih suddenly laughed, a wild, hysterical laugh, as if possessed. She laughed and laughed until tears streamed down her face.

"Not even one-tenth of what I have? Emperor, you must be joking! What Lady Xia possesses is something I could never have in my entire life!"

That is your heart!

Zhao Junyao curled his lips into a cold smirk.

"How has she offended you so much that you can’t stop fixating on her? There are many women in the Harem, all chosen through the selection. They are all my women!"

Although Zhao Junyao had many consorts of lower rank, he was absolutely responsible for his women.

Whether favored or not, their food, clothing, shelter, and basic needs were always guaranteed.

Of course, cases like Consort Zheng Pin—whom the Emperor always seemed to forget, allowing Palace Attendants to bully her—didn’t quite count (after all, such neglect wasn’t his direct intention).

"Yes, they are all the Emperor’s women!"

The Noble Consort’s face turned ashen, devoid of all life, like death itself.