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Upon mentioning Consort Xun, the Emperor’s face darkened again, as it was she who had caused the loss of his and Lingling’s first child.

In those days, Lingling’s miscarriage, seemingly caused by an accidental fall, was in fact a result of Consort Xun arranging for oil to be smeared on the path where Lingling often walked, leading to her fall and miscarriage.

At that time, out of consideration for the Xun Family, he couldn’t deal with Consort Xun, fearing that it would lead to their dissatisfaction, so he begrudgingly let it go.

"If Consort Xun craves the favoritism of the entire harem, then I shall grant it to her," said the Emperor.

After Consort Xun gained favor, she began to act spoiled and arrogant. What schemes would the women of the palace not use to vie for favor?

The first time Consort Xun was pregnant for two months, he had oil spread on the ground too, wanting her to experience the same pain that Lingling went through during her miscarriage.

Her second pregnancy was terminated by the drugs given by another concubine; he was aware but simply turned a blind eye.

Seeing Consort Xun in pain, yet he still felt no satisfaction, so he simply made sure she couldn’t get pregnant again.

Consort Xun’s body had been weakened by the miscarriage, and she had been relying on medicinal treatments ever since, with each treatment containing a slow-acting poison.

Death would be too kind for her.

These dark tactics of course could not be discussed with the Empress.

Moreover, if he didn’t care for Consort Xun, why would he have married her as the Crown Princess?

The Emperor said, "Naturally, there are reasons known to me, why do you always bring up Consort Xun?"

Seeing the Emperor dodging the question and changing the subject, the Empress retorted, "Then why does Your Majesty always bring up the past?"

The Emperor explained in a gentle voice, "I only wish that you could be as you were before."

What the Empress heard most today was this sentence; she too wished to be as she was before, beautiful as a flower, certainly better than now.

But she simply couldn’t go back.

"Your Majesty is always expecting others to be a certain way; why don’t you ask yourself if you can be as you were before?"

The only one who could talk back to the Emperor like this was the Empress.

The Emperor enunciated each word deliberately, "I have never changed."

Empress: "..."

The Empress could not be bothered to argue with the dog of an Emperor; what use was there in saying more? Nothing would change. It would only add to her troubles.

"Please rest, Your Majesty," she said.

The Emperor grasped the Empress’s hand tightly, "You have yet to answer my question."

The Empress couldn’t help but roll her eyes, "Why does Your Majesty not know the reason I entered the palace?"

The Emperor thought back to when he took advantage of her birthday to express his intentions, and she had agreed, which was why he had personally gone to propose marriage.

It also proved that she had entered the palace of her own free will.

He suddenly looked up at the Empress, "But I don’t understand, after meeting Ye Chu, why have you become so cold towards me? What’s so good about Ye Chu, to covet the Emperor’s woman, do you have no shame?"

Anger choked the Empress, unable to believe that after everything, he still doubted her innocence with Ye Chu.

"I am not just a mother to the nation; I am also the legitimate daughter of General Chang. I would not commit such an indiscretion. Whether Your Majesty chooses to believe it or not, I will no longer make explanations. What’s truly important is not whether I am by Your Majesty’s side, it’s having someone suitable to be the Empress.

Why must Your Majesty dwell on this matter? "

The Emperor raised his voice, unable to help himself, "Who says it’s not important?"

The Empress retorted without any courtesy, "Why does Your Majesty contradict yourself? What did Your Majesty say when selecting a bride for the Crown Prince? I don’t need to repeat it, do I?

I am merely of a slightly better birth than the Crown Princess.

If I were like the Crown Princess, today’s Empress of Daxia would not be me. "

The Emperor held his forehead, the conversation had come full circle.

He just didn’t understand why the Empress always fixated on status.

Seeing the Emperor silent, the Empress knew he had no answer to give.

Having stayed in the palace for over twenty years, what hadn’t she seen through?

The Imperial Family valued interests, and most concubines in the palace were daughters of the Ministers.

She was lucky not to have given birth to a daughter, or else she might have become a pawn in a political marriage in the future.

The Empress couldn’t be bothered to continue, she urgently needed to get out for some air.

"Your Majesty, please rest. I’m going to check if the medicine has been decocted."

The Empress had only taken a few steps when she heard the Emperor say, "Did you think that the former Emperor and Empress intended for you to be the Crown Princess?"

The Emperor did not want to bring up this matter; he had always thought Lingling understood, but through these events, he realized she had always been troubled by the issue of her status.

Status is inherent at birth, and no one can change it.

It was precisely because it couldn’t be changed that he had had the chance to get to know Chang Wenling.

Turning around, the Empress looked at the dog Emperor, puzzled, "What do you mean by these words, Your Majesty?"