Comforting herself, Bai Li Zi Yun stared intently at Si Ma Zhu, waiting for the answer she desired.
Si Ma Zhu looked at the mother and daughter with a cool gaze. Although he detested them, he still needed the support of Princess Grand Zande. Thinking he had already taught them a lesson, he intended to proceed with his original plan.
However, just as Si Ma Zhu was about to speak, Lin Xiao Wei, nestled in his arms, peeked out.
"Your Majesty, please do not be angry with the young lady. It is all this maid's fault. The first time I saw Your Majesty, I was filled with admiration. Thinking that Your Majesty was the young lady's fiancé, I hid these feelings deep within my heart every time I saw you. Speaking of which, this maid should thank the young lady."
Saying this, Lin Xiao Wei smiled gratefully at Bai Li Zi Yun and continued, "If not for the young lady's moment of foolishness last time, Your Majesty would not have had the opportunity to rescue me later. Otherwise, this maid would not have had the chance to become Your Majesty's woman."
Lin Xiao Wei looked up at Si Ma Zhu, her eyes full of love and adoration. "Therefore, Your Majesty, please do not blame the young lady. She cares about you too much, and that is why she is angry with me."
Listening to Lin Xiao Wei's gentle words and feeling her overwhelming affection, Si Ma Zhu's heart swelled with joy.
Carefully considering Lin Xiao Wei's words, he felt even more disdain for Bai Li Zi Yun.
This woman was truly not suitable to be an empress.
Even now, when she was nothing, she dared to scold Xiao Wei, who was already Your Majesty's woman. If she were to become empress, she would surely turn the palace upside down.
In an instant, Si Ma Zhu's thoughts underwent a drastic change.
When Princess Grand Zande heard Lin Xiao Wei speak, she sensed something was wrong but could not intervene.
It wasn't that she was unwilling, but she knew that even if she spoke, she couldn't change anything.
As long as Si Ma Zhu was willing, Lin Xiao Wei could continue speaking.
While she was anxious, she heard Si Ma Zhu suddenly speak.
"I do not know what Zi Yun was like before, as she was far away. Although I cannot be certain about other things, Zi Yun is, after all, my woman. She will eventually enter the palace and cannot be without a title. In that case, let her be a Gui Ren first."
Princess Grand Zande and Bai Li Zi Yun, almost simultaneously, looked at Si Ma Zhu in shock.
Had they heard correctly? Si Ma Zhu was suggesting Bai Li Zi Yun be made a Gui Ren?
And what did his previous words mean?
Was he questioning Bai Li Zi Yun's purity?
Bai Li Zi Yun had never liked the Emperor. It was only because she had no other choice and could become empress that she was willing to smile before Si Ma Zhu.
Losing her virginity before the wedding was one thing, but now she could only be a Gui Ren, and the Emperor was even suspecting her of being impure.
How could all of this not make her furious?
Her heart filled with anger, Bai Li Zi Yun's tone turned harsh.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Just based on the words of this little slut, you view me this way?"
Faced with Bai Li Zi Yun's tearful questioning, Si Ma Zhu felt nothing but disgust.
Having often suffered losses and endured humiliation before the Grand Empress Dowager and Yi Zhi Xie, Si Ma Zhu detested it most when others dared to lose their temper with him.
Did she not know her place? Was his reign as Emperor so pathetic that anyone could fly off the handle at him?
"Bai Li Zi Yun, mind your station. Who gave you the courage to speak to me like this?"
Si Ma Zhu's roar startled Bai Li Zi Yun. She slowly came to her senses, realizing that in her agitation, she had indeed overstepped.
But she still felt wronged.
How could the Emperor treat her like this?
She clearly remembered that the Emperor had treated her very well before.
Unfortunately, Si Ma Zhu no longer had the patience to continue speaking with her.
"Wang Lin, draft an imperial decree. Lin Xiao Wei is to be conferred the title of Hua, a concubine of the fourth rank. Bai Li Zi Yun is to be made a Gui Ren, with the title Yue."
After speaking, Si Ma Zhu looked at Bai Li Zi Yun and said, "If you do not wish to be this Gui Ren, then go home with your mother."
With that, he took Lin Xiao Wei's hand and prepared to leave.
Lin Xiao Wei looked at Bai Li Zi Yun worriedly, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Seeing her like this, Si Ma Zhu knew she was softening again and wanted to intercede for Bai Li Zi Yun. Thus, he resolutely pulled her and walked out briskly. "Xiao Wei, stay far away from that woman from now on. You are so naive; you won't even know when that mother and daughter sell you out."
Lin Xiao Wei disagreed slightly with Si Ma Zhu's words, pouting her lips and muttering in a low voice, "Your Majesty, how can you speak of Miss and the Princess like that?"
Si Ma Zhu smiled helplessly. "Xiao Wei, you are my Hua Pin now. From now on, do not call her Miss anymore."
Lin Xiao Wei frowned. "But she is Miss. If Miss and the Princess had not saved me, I might have frozen to death by now."
Si Ma Zhu waved his hand. "They saved you, and it was right. If people do not do good deeds, what is the point of living? Remember, your status is much higher than hers now. She will have to pay you respects. Therefore, do not call her Miss anymore. If others hear it, they will laugh at you."
Lin Xiao Wei probably did not want to be laughed at. Although she still frowned and looked somewhat troubled, she obediently nodded.
Seeing that Lin Xiao Wei had agreed, Si Ma Zhu smiled.
Hand in hand, they walked further and further away, leaving only their receding figures for the three people in the room.
"Look, Mother, this is the man you insisted I marry..."
"Silence."
Before Bai Li Zi Yun could finish her complaint, Princess Grand Zande let out an angry roar.
Startled by Princess Grand Zande's sudden interruption, Bai Li Zi Yun also recovered from her anger. This was the Forbidden City, and there was someone else present.
Thinking this, Bai Li Zi Yun looked towards Consort Rong.
To her surprise, Consort Rong was sitting there in a daze.
What was wrong?
Although Bai Li Zi Yun was a little suspicious, she did not speak.
Princess Grand Zande sighed and said to Consort Rong, "Your Highness Consort Rong, I will take my leave from the palace now."
Hearing this, Consort Rong finally came to her senses. She looked at Princess Grand Zande and Bai Li Zi Yun, sighing inwardly, "Princess, please return. His Majesty now... alas."
Although she had a thousand words in her heart, she could not utter them.
Bai Li Zi Yun and Princess Grand Zande left the palace together.
As soon as their carriage left the Forbidden City, Bai Li Zi Yun buried her face in Princess Grand Zande's lap and sobbed.
"Mother, I don't want to enter the palace anymore."
"The Emperor looks down on me like this. Even if I enter the palace, I will be trampled underfoot by that little slut. I don't want to, I don't want to!"
Princess Grand Zande gently stroked Bai Li Zi Yun's hair, her heart aching.
No matter what, no matter how many conflicts there were, this was her pampered daughter.
She was meant to be the empress, destined for eternal fame.
But now, she had fallen to the status of a mere Gui Ren.
Even a young girl she had picked up on the road without a family had become a Pin, stepping on her daughter's head.
But what could be done?
If her daughter truly did not enter the palace, there would only be two outcomes.
One was to marry a commoner and live a life of obscurity.
The other was to remain unmarried for life.
However, neither of these outcomes was what she desired, and she believed Zi Yun would not want them either.
"Zi Yun, listen to your mother. If you don't enter the palace, your life will be ruined, do you understand?"
Bai Li Zi Yun only wept and did not reply.
"Zi Yun, enter the palace with peace of mind. With your mother as your backing, if you eventually gain the Emperor's favor, you will still be the one to become empress in the end."
Princess Grand Zande's words made Bai Li Zi Yun a little tempted.
She was not someone who could live an ordinary life, worrying about three meals a day. This was not the life she wanted.
Seeing that Bai Li Zi Yun had stopped crying, Princess Grand Zande knew she had taken her words to heart.
Thus, she quickly began to persuade her further, making many promises.
Before their carriage reached the princess's mansion, Bai Li Zi Yun finally agreed to enter the palace on time, much to Princess Grand Zande's relief.
A few days later, the entire capital knew that Bai Li Zi Yun, who was supposed to be the empress, had entered the palace.
There was no grand wedding, no dowry procession, no festive celebrations filling the streets. A small carriage and a modest bundle were all that brought Bai Li Zi Yun into the Forbidden City, where she became a minor Gui Ren.
When Yi Zhi Xie and others learned of this, they simply smiled.
There was nothing strange about it. Given Bai Li Zi Yun's temperament, even without Lin Xiao Wei, the position of empress would not have fallen to her.
In the Four Seas House, the past few days had been exceptionally peaceful.
Ever since Shen Xiao Yan had stirred, Zheng Wei's face had been graced with smiles.
Although they did not know when Shen Xiao Yan would truly wake up, there was at least hope.
Perhaps one morning he would open his eyes and see Shen Xiao Yan already awake, smiling at him.
Ruan Ruan's illness had also completely recovered, so she was moved back to the east wing room, living with Zheng He and Zheng Jiang.
Time flew by, and it was February 11th.
"Tomorrow is the birthday of the three little ones. How should we celebrate?" Yi Zhi Xie leaned back on a wooden chair and asked Zheng Wei.
Zheng Wei gave him a faint glance. "What is there to celebrate? Their mother is still lying in bed, unconscious. What kind of birthday will they have?"
Yi Zhi Xie: ...
Truly a devoted husband?
He wouldn't even celebrate his own children's birthdays.
Well, if not, he could save a large sum of money.
Zheng Wei glanced at him and knew what he was thinking, so he said, "Although there is no need for a celebration, the gifts that should be given cannot be forgotten."
Yi Zhi Xie rubbed his forehead. He knew this man would not easily let go of such an opportunity to exploit him.
"I understand, you just wait and see."
Saying that, Yi Zhi Xie stood up and strolled leisurely outside.
In the evening, Zheng Wei sat by Shen Xiao Yan's bedside, looking at the still sleeping Shen Xiao Yan, and said in a low voice, "Mi Mi, tomorrow is our children's first birthday. Didn't you say you wanted to accompany them for every birthday?"
After speaking, Zheng Wei fell silent, sitting there quietly, hoping Shen Xiao Yan would wake up.