Chapter 386

Chapter 386 It was the very spot where the Emperor, during his days of doting on Bai Fu, had personally inscribed the two characters "Eternal Spring." Bai Fu had always believed this was the Emperor's ultimate affection for her, and in her heart, she prayed that her favor would last as long as spring itself—never fading. Looking back at the struggle between Bai Fu and Fang Yuan'er, she had never once taken the initiative to harm anyone. Nor had she ever openly contended with Fang Yuan'er. She never fought or snatched, only using her wit to maneuver and turn things around, quietly leveraging her favor to stir up Fang Yuan'er's jealousy and fear. She made Fang Yuan'er sense the threat, causing her to gradually overstep her bounds step by step, until she finally crossed the Emperor's bottom line and was executed by him. Bai Fu endured for years before playing a single move of framing, delivering a fatal blow to Fang Yuan'er and turning her against the Emperor completely. Fang Yuan'er, until her death, believed it was the Emperor who could not tolerate her, and that he had personally framed her, wanting to take the chance to eliminate her. Bai Fu and the child in her womb were merely tools used by the Emperor. In the Imperial Prison, she cursed the Emperor for his cruelty and ruthlessness, cursed the harem for its filth and disgust, but never once cursed Bai Fu. She only laughed at Bai Fu for being foolish—used by the Emperor without knowing a thing, destined to follow in her footsteps. Fang Yuan'er attributed the Emperor's favor toward Bai Fu to their childhood bond as sweethearts, what is commonly known as the White Moonlight complex. Otherwise, she could not convince herself. How could she have lost to such a weak and incompetent woman?! It surely wasn't because she was incapable, but because the Emperor was too partial to his White Moonlight, refusing to tolerate her! Bai Fu played the innocent for a lifetime, only making a move against Fang Yuan'er once. That single move eliminated the once-arrogant Noble Consort Fang, and Bai Fu took her place upon that high seat. She was but a single step away from the Phoenix Throne. This was also Bai Fu's greatest regret before her death. Before she died, Bai Fu did one more great thing. She set a scheme to eliminate the Second Prince born of Lady Fang and the Third Prince born of Lady Wan. All of it was merely to clear the obstacles for her own Fifth Prince. She knew that perhaps after her death, there would be a new face beside the Emperor's pillow, and new Noble Consorts and princes in the harem. Then that new Noble Consort would, like her, view the previous consort's children as thorns in her eyes and thorns in her flesh. But that no longer mattered. She only needed to pave the way for her prince before she died, lest she be blamed for incompetence by her child on the Yellow Spring Road. That was enough. After reading through Bai Fu's entire life, Xie Run felt a chill run down her spine. For a moment, she didn't know whether she was walking Bai Fu's path, or Bai Fu was walking hers. Their paths to favor were so similar—would their endings be similar too? Even more so, with her years of intuition surviving in the inner court, she always felt that Bai Fu's death by illness was no accident. The Emperor did not meddle in harem affairs, but was there truly anything in this harem that could escape his eyes? He could not tolerate the cruel, nor could he tolerate scheming. Wan Linlang and Fang Yuan'er were no exceptions—so why did Bai Fu think she would be? Could it be that the Emperor's eyes, when they reached her, suddenly went blind? Xie Run walked through Bai Fu's life again and again, from being an observer at first to experiencing it from Bai Fu's perspective later. She struggled desperately to break free, but it was useless—like being trapped in a quagmire, the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. In the haze, Xie Run heard the Emperor's voice ringing by her ear. "Suisui? Suisui?!" Xie Run's eyes snapped open. She sat up from the couch, gasping for air. The next second, she was pulled into a scorching embrace. "Did you have a nightmare?" Xie Run was dazed for a moment before slowly coming back to her senses, weakly nodding. "Your consort had a very terrifying dream." The Emperor: "I'm here. Don't be afraid." Xie Run: "..." It was precisely because the Emperor was here that it was more frightening. She feared she might lose the line between reality and dreams, and in her confusion, say something treasonous. But once her consciousness returned, Xie Run's emotions instantly steadied. Her ink-black hair cascaded down as she leaned softly against the Emperor's chest, wanting to say something but feeling it unnecessary. All she sought was safety and self-preservation. As long as she didn't make a wrong move, the Emperor wouldn't go so far as to not tolerate her. If he truly couldn't tolerate her... then she could only count herself unlucky. Because of that dream, Xie Run's spirits remained low for several days. The Emperor, for reasons unknown, came to Zhaohua Palace to keep her company for days on end. Everyone was astonished at how favored Noble Consort Zhao was. The once-peaceful harem instantly became restless, condensing a great deal of resentment. The new concubines waited eagerly for their nights of service, yet the Emperor only stayed at Zhaohua Palace, doting exclusively on the pregnant Noble Consort Zhao night after night—who could go without complaint? Those older concubines who rarely received favor also took the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, spreading rumors to ruin Xie Run's reputation. No one dared to speak against the Emperor, so they could only say that Xie Run was seductive and improper. But after all, Xie Run was a Noble Consort—no one dared to dance before her face. What truly broke the peace was Consort Hua. At the end of June, Hua Yu punished three new concubines at Fanghua Palace. This incident came abruptly and instantly drew everyone's attention. Xie Run had been sitting under the corridor, lost in thought. Her mind had been occupied with that dream from that night. She had never had dreams related to others before. Since coming to this world, every dream involving others had not been a mere dream but a warning from heaven above. She was now certain that Bai Fu had also been reborn with the script in hand! However, given the vast disparity in their current positions, Bai Fu posed little threat to Xie Run, so she did not take it too seriously. Xie Run had been feeling downcast these past few days, merely reminding herself daily not to make mistakes or harm others. She lacked Bai Fu's forbearance and certainly lacked Bai Fu's cunning schemes. One misstep, and her fate would be no better than Bai Fu's in the previous life. So she had to remain constantly vigilant, never straying from the right path, and never harboring the slightest improper thought! Suddenly, a voice announced from nearby: "Your Highness, Concubine Shen has arrived." Xie Run snapped back to reality. "Please, invite her in." Concubine Shen came running up, holding up her skirts—a testament to her excitement and eagerness to share gossip with Xie Run. Seeing Concubine Shen's demeanor, Xie Run couldn't help but smile. "In such a hurry—has something exciting happened in the palace again?" Concubine Shen was taken aback. "Sister Xie hasn't heard? Consort Hua displayed her might and punished all the newly arrived concubines." Xie Run smiled faintly. "I did hear it from Dantao, but it slipped my mind for a moment." Concubine Shen said, "I've heard that Sister Xie has been feeling down lately—is something troubling you?" "If there is, do tell. Though I may be useless, perhaps I can offer some harebrained ideas?" Xie Run found Concubine Shen quite amusing and smiled. "It's nothing serious—I just tend to overthink." "That's good to hear." Concubine Shen let out a sigh of relief. "I've often heard that a pregnant woman shouldn't overthink, or it will harm her spirit and body. Sister Xie, do take care of yourself."