"Sister misunderstood your meaning. Since sister has come, don't stand at the door, come in and have a cup of tea." Yan Xijun didn't mind her malicious tone, still smiling as she spoke.

  "All right. I have something to say to you." Empress Yan followed the flow of events and took a step forward, just about to enter the courtyard.

  "Your Majesty, please stop." The two guards standing at the gate stretched out their hands to block Empress Yan and said politely: "The empress, please return. His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to enter the Zhengyang Palace."

  "You... you... all of you..." Empress Yan's hands trembled as she pointed at them, her voice overbearing: "Get out of the way."

  "Two guards, please make an exception. The empress has not entered the Zhengyang Palace. This is just a small courtyard. Please let the empress in. I and the empress will just chat and drink tea in this courtyard." Yan Xijun pleaded with the two guards.

  However, the eunuchs looked at her with difficulty and said firmly: "Please, Miss Yan, sympathize with us subordinates. If His Majesty blames us for this, we can't afford it."

  "Don't worry about His Majesty's side, I'll explain it to him." Yan Xijun said fearlessly.

  The two guards knew that her status was not ordinary and also knew that the emperor had been very fond of her recently. Her request still had to be given some personal favor. The two men exchanged a glance, then let go of their hands, took a step back, and compromised.

  "That's it. I'll give you just enough time to burn a stick of incense. If the Emperor finds out about this after he comes down from his morning court, then it won't be our problem anymore."

  "Don't worry. Absolutely won't implicate you guys."

  Yan Xijun made a polite gesture to Yan Huanghou. "Sister, please."

  Yan Huanghou raised her chin high, with an arrogant attitude, swaggering into the courtyard and walking towards a six-sided pavilion.

  "The fourth sister is truly a blessed person, able to stay here for a month, with the entire palace at her service. Even sisters don't have the qualifications to enter this place. It seems that little sister's weight in the emperor's heart is the heaviest." Yàn Huáng Hòu sat steadily on the smooth stone bench, supported by the eunuchs.

  "Fourth sister, the emperor has been keeping you under close protection these days. Not even your own sisters are allowed to see you." Empress Yan gazed coldly at fourth sister, who had become increasingly beautiful over time. It had been almost a month since they last saw each other, and she seemed to be living an increasingly comfortable life.

  "Sister, you don't know. The Emperor is just restricting my freedom." Yan Xijun smiled bitterly. "Others may not know, but doesn't sister also know my difficulties?"

  Empress Yan looked at her and didn't seem to be lying. She also saw a faint worry on her eyebrows. She waved her hand to disperse the idle people around her. Looking at her, she said: "Fourth sister, did you really not fall in love with the emperor until now?"

  Love. Hehe. If she has love, then it's all given to Chu Chengming. She only loves him alone.

  Yan Xijun nodded. "Sister, I'll be honest with you too. I really don't love the Emperor at all. When I first entered the palace, it was also because of your coercion. Between me and the Emperor, there is no emotional connection or love."

  Empress Yan looked at the fourth sister with some confusion, wondering if she had lost her mind. In this world, which woman did not love the Emperor? They all hoped to get his favor, even if it was not for the sake of status, but just for the Emperor's heavenly good looks, many women flocked to him.

  "Sister, you can't understand my feelings. Just like me, I also can't understand your love for the Emperor." Yan Xijun saw her sister looking at her with a puzzled expression and knew what she was thinking in her heart.

  "Yes. Sister can't understand what you're thinking. But Gong also entered. You are already the emperor's 'woman'. You should fulfill your duty and serve the emperor well."

  Yuan Huang saw that her mind was no longer on this matter. She paused for a moment and said, "Fourth sister, these days have come. The emperor's kindness to you is also seen by his sister. He can let you live in Zhengyang Palace to recover from your injuries, which shows that he has you in his heart, and the weight is not light."

  "You should know that even the imperial concubines, who are also sisters of the empress, cannot enter this palace. This shows that the emperor is truly protecting you and genuinely loves you."

  "Sister, don't speak well of him anymore. I know who's in his heart. I'm very clear about it." Yan Xijun heard her sister's words and didn't think much of them. She continued to say: "But I have a good understanding of myself. He doesn't have me in his heart at all, only using me."

  Yan Xikun's bitter smile. She couldn't forget how Chu Yixuan had used her, successfully molding her into a favored imperial concubine of the generation, and then letting the other consorts become jealous of her, while he protected his most beloved 'woman'.

  And he is so ruthless, even using his child with her. Is there really such a heartless father in this world?

  "Fourth sister, I don't know what misunderstanding you have with the Emperor that has made you feel disgusted towards him." Empress Yan reached out and pretended to lovingly stroke her face. "I'm still saying the same thing. Don't go against the Emperor's will. Stay by his side and obey him. Only then can you get what you want and protect our Yan family, ensuring we smoothly and easily obtain what we desire. Do you understand?"

  "Sister, I'm not that capable. The Emperor is the most astute person. It's impossible to get what you want from him."

  Yan Xijun himself had personal experience. He promised to fulfill any of her requests, but as the emperor, he was being contradictory and it was impossible to get what she wanted from him.

  "Sister knows. But also want to try her best to strive for it. If you don't strive for it, how will you know?" Empress Yan consoled.

  Empress Yan was able to patiently persuade her, but it was all for her own purpose. Even now, she still hasn't forgotten about the matter of having children.

  I thought the fourth sister had fallen out of favor recently, but now I see that the emperor has her confined in Zhengyang Palace, which means the emperor really has her in his heart. As long as she hasn't lost favor yet, things will be easy to handle.

  Fourth sister is still so young. Getting pregnant again would also be an easy matter. So until now, she hasn't given up on letting fourth sister complete her filial duty for her.

  Yan Xijun saw her sister always trying to matchmake her with Chu Yixuan, and although she was puzzled as to why her sister wanted to do this, she thought about it but didn't ask in the end.

  "Fourth sister, take advantage of this opportunity and grasp the emperor's heart tightly. Who knows when your abolished title of De Fei might be restored to you."

  "Sister, things aren't going as smoothly as you think. You don't have to worry about me. I can handle my own affairs."

  "You're still too stubborn." Empress Yan sighed: "Being able to have an husband as good as the Emperor, what more are you dissatisfied with?"

  "Sister, you don't understand." Yan Xijun suddenly remembered something and felt it was necessary to remind her sister.

  "Sister, in this harem, you must be especially careful of Consort Yang Zhaorong. I think she's not like an ordinary consort."

  "That woman doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. Since she entered the palace, she often comes to my palace to pay her respects. She appears to be knowledgeable and reasonable, with a dignified demeanor, and is also very obedient. She doesn't seem like a woman with a hidden agenda." Empress Yan recalled.