Li Yaoqin bit her lower lip tightly, her body trembling.
Just then, a voice announced from outside, "His Highness has arrived!"
Yun Weishu frowned, turned to see the person arriving, and curtsied, "Your Highness."
Xue Jingyun nodded, looking at the women in the sleeping quarters, and frowned.
"Miss Li, what's wrong with you?"
Yun Weishu turned, seeing Li Yaoqin collapse onto the floor. Her heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose.
"What happened?" Xue Jingyun asked coldly.
A maiden beside him said, "Your Highness, Yun Shangyi forced himself on Miss Li, and Miss Li, overcome with shame and humiliation, fainted."
"You're spouting nonsense, Yun Shangyi clearly told her to undress herself," Xue Yan said indignantly.
"Your Highness, look, could Miss Li have taken off her clothes voluntarily?"
Xue Yan was about to retort angrily when Yun Weishu interrupted her, asking the maiden who spoke up for Li Yaoqin, "You're saying Ben Shangyi forced her? Then, tell me, why didn't Ben Shangyi force you? Why her?"
"I..."
Yun Weishu sneered, "When framing others, please put more thought into it."
As she spoke, she stood up, walked to the pile of discarded clothes, picked up the garments, turned to look at Xue Jingyun, and said coldly, "Your Highness, please look at these clothes."
Xue Jingyun frowned and turned his face away, saying, "I fear they would sully my eyes."
Yun Weishu continued, "These are the colors His Majesty favors. I asked her to undress to prevent her from making a greater mistake. Do you wish to usurp His Majesty?"
The noble ladies trembled in fear, "This humble subject dares not!"
"Since that is the case, who among you can tell Ben Shangyi whether asking her to undress was right or wrong?"
No one answered.
Yun Weishu sneered, "You have all forgotten, this country belongs to Xue, not Li, and certainly not Xue..."
Everyone was startled and quickly looked at Xue Jingyun, only to see Xue Jingyun not angered. "Yun Shangyi speaks correctly. Anyone who oversteps His Majesty to seek an audience with me directly, such a person I will not keep. His Majesty and I are of one heart and mind, and can only tolerate each other. Others are not permitted. You are all here only to humiliate yourselves. Guards, escort them out."
"Wait..." a clear, melodious voice suddenly sounded.
Everyone turned towards the sound and saw a figure appear.
She wore a long dress the color of water and sky, walking slowly step by step. Her every movement exuded majesty, and a powerful aura spontaneously arose.
Her clear face held eyes as pure as water, seeming to see through people's hearts.
She was like a celestial being looking down from on high, disdainfully observing the beings prostrating before her.
The noble ladies wondered in their hearts, who was this woman?
The noble ladies watched as the stunningly beautiful and regal Xue Jingyun stepped forward. Looking at the woman, a never-before-seen tenderness appeared on his refined and handsome face, his eyes bright and gently fixed on the woman.
His voice, soft and deep, said, "A Ning, why have you come?"
The woman heard this, glanced at the noble ladies, and said with a half-smile, "If I didn't come, how would I see such a scene? Yan Zhao, you have good fortune!"
Xue Jingyun's gaze deepened considerably upon hearing this, "A Ning, others may not know me, but surely you do?"
"What am I supposed to know? They've been delivered to my doorstep, what more do I need to know?"
"A Ning..." A hint of anxiety appeared on Xue Jingyun's refined and handsome face.
The noble ladies then realized that the woman before them was the Empress.
"Your Majesty, don't you think you are being too much?"
Xue Zining looked up at the woman speaking and said faintly, "Who are you? I don't recall speaking to you."
"This humble subject is Li Yaoqin, daughter of the Minister of Personnel."
"So it's you. You just said I was being too much? I'd like to hear how I am being too much."
Xue Zining walked forward. Only then did everyone notice that the Empress was pregnant, her belly unusually large.
"How can Your Majesty only have Your Highness Xue? This is unfair to Your Highness Xue."
Xue Zining heard this and let out a light laugh, her clear eyes as cold as frost, "Then, according to your words, what should I do? Marry him concubines?"
Li Yaoqin straightened her back, holding her head high, "Your Majesty should let Your Highness Xue take several consorts."
"Consorts?"
"Yes," Li Yaoqin nodded.
"How dare you speak such words to His Majesty?" Xue Yan was utterly enraged.
"Xue Yan, stand down," Xue Zining said calmly.
Xue Yan was unwilling, but Yun Weishu covered her mouth and dragged her out.
"Yun Weishu, what are you doing? She's bullying His Majesty so much, I can't stand it," Xue Yan roared.
Yun Weishu sneered, "Weren't you just calling me Yun Shangyi? Now you're calling me by my full name?"
"Your heart is not loyal to His Majesty," Xue Yan shouted.
Yun Weishu sneered, her pretty face now as cold as frost, "Xue Yan, do you think the dignified Empress would care about a Li Yaoqin? Or do you think you can manage Li Yaoqin better than His Majesty?"
Xue Yan was stunned.
Yun Weishu continued coldly, "I believe in His Majesty, the Empress who, before her coming-of-age, brought down the powerful Regent."
"I... I still believe, but..."
"No buts. This kind of thing will not be the only time. After all..." Yun Weishu sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice, "Most court officials are still not convinced by a woman ruling as Emperor."
Xue Yan's entire demeanor deflated. She could not refute Yun Weishu's words, because everything she said was true.
On the surface, they were respectful to His Majesty, but in private, weren't they saying that a woman ruling as king or emperor would lead to the nation's downfall?
His Majesty was pregnant and not fit for the strenuous affairs of state, so she let Your Highness Xue oversee the government. These old foxes had started to stir, but wasn't Your Highness Xue also outstanding?
But wasn't her own Emperor even more outstanding?
"I want to see how His Majesty punishes her," Xue Yan said.
Seeing that Xue Yan had likely understood, Yun Weishu then brought her back to Xue Palace.
At this moment, the slender and tall woman lowered her gaze to Li Yaoqin on the floor and said with extreme coldness, "Miss Li, you have likely forgotten one fact."
"What fact?" Li Yaoqin asked.
Xue Zining looked up, gazing at the absolutely elegant and noble man before her, and said faintly, "He, Xue Jingyun, is merely my man. I can have thousands upon thousands of men, but he cannot. Because I am the master of this world, the eternal ruler. And you? What are you?"
"What are you?" Li Yaoqin felt this cold voice strike the depths of her soul.
She slumped onto the ground, speechless.
Xue Zining looked at the other noble ladies and said indifferently, "When you can sit in my position, then we can discuss this matter, how about that?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" The noble ladies quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"Those who do not know are not to be blamed. I do not wish to punish the innocent. All of you, withdraw."
The noble ladies dared not delay any further and quickly retreated.
Xue Zining looked at Li Yaoqin and said coldly, "I believe I have answered your question. Do you have any other questions?"