"Bae Sisi, this despicable woman! She's just given birth, and she already dares to seduce the Emperor!"
Li Mei was furious.
The palace maids watching could only tremble with fear. The Grand Consort was indeed easily angered.
"Quickly summon the Emperor here! Tell him that I'm feeling unwell."
She couldn't tolerate Bae Sisi stealing the Emperor's attention from her, so she immediately ordered someone to summon Xiao Wei.
However, her trick of feigning illness, which had always worked before, failed this time.
Xiao Wei didn't come. She chose to remain at Xixi Palace.
"The Emperor is hugging the Ninth Princess and won't let go. It seems he loves her very much," the palace maid reported in a trembling voice.
After this report, the maid knew she would surely become the target of the Grand Consort's anger.
Sure enough, a hard slap landed across her face.
"Useless! It must be because you didn't explain things clearly, that's why the Emperor didn't come to see me!"
Li Mei shouted angrily.
In her opinion, there was nothing special about a princess. The Emperor already had eight princesses, so it was impossible for him to stay at Xixi Palace just because of the Ninth Princess.
It must be because of Bae Sisi.
After all, their beauty was renowned as the most dazzling in the entire palace.
In the eyes of many, only Bae Sisi could rival Li Mei's charm.
Therefore, when the Emperor visited Xixi Palace twice in one day, Li Mei's heart was filled with unease.
But this time she guessed wrong.
Xiao Wei did indeed stay at Xixi Palace, but not because of Bae Sisi, but for the sake of the newborn.
However, her wish was not fulfilled.
She had come specifically to hear what else the little baby would think, but it turned out to be nothing.
Xiao Lula simply ate, cursed "Heaven," and then asked for milk. After drinking, she immediately fell asleep again without saying anything important.
The Emperor could only leave disappointed.
"I will come again tomorrow to visit Lula," he said before leaving.
"Congratulations, Niang-niang! You're finally getting attention again!" exclaimed Bae Sisi's two personal maids, shedding tears of joy.
But Bae Sisi felt uneasy.
Why had the Emperor suddenly become so attentive?
In the past, even when she was favored, the Emperor had never visited this often.
That night, many in the palace couldn't sleep—except Xiao Lula, who was unaware.
After she had her fill, she went to sleep, and upon waking, she drank some more. Her life was peaceful and relaxed.
The next morning, Bae Sisi had just woken up when a servant came to inform her that the Grand Consort had arrived with the Third Prince.
Bae Sisi was startled, quickly got up, changed her clothes, and dressed neatly.
"Grand Consort, please wait a moment. Our Niang-niang is changing and will be back soon," said Lüran, one of her maids politely.
However, the Grand Consort's chief maid, Xuanlu, slapped her.
"Who are you to block our Niang-niang's path?"
Li Mei barged into Bae Sisi's chambers.
Seeing Bae Sisi, who had just given birth but remained as beautiful as ever, her heart was filled with jealousy.
She still remembered how ugly she had been after giving birth—her body weak and her face pale. But Bae Sisi remained fresh and looked even more charming than before.
No wonder the Emperor felt so at home here.
She touched the corners of her eyes, which were beginning to wrinkle, feeling increasingly old and worthless.
"I have met the Grand Consort," Bae Sisi said, suppressing her discomfort as she saluted.
Xiao Lula, who was in the nanny's arms, heard the words "Grand Consort" and was immediately frightened.
"Ah! Why did this evil woman come now? Wasn't she going to bully my mother after I was one month old?"
"It's over! I'm afraid my mother will be executed prematurely!"
Bae Sisi's heart was pounding. So this was the woman who would be the cause of her death?
But... she felt she had done nothing wrong. How could she offend the Grand Consort?
She could only suppress her anxiety.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince, Xiao Rui, suddenly looked around in shock.
"Who? Who's speaking?" he exclaimed reflexively.
Bae Sisi instinctively looked at her daughter, feeling both panicked and sad.
It seemed Xiao Rui had heard her sister's inner voice.
They were indeed sisters, and there was naturally a bond between them.
Unfortunately, due to palace rules, Xiao Rui couldn't call her "Mother Consort."
"Who's speaking? Don't joke around," Li Mei rebuked sharply.
"Hurry and congratulate Bae Jieyu on giving birth to a daughter, your new sister."
Li Mei hadn't heard Xiao Lula's inner voice, so she didn't know what was really happening.
Xiao Rui wanted to argue, but seeing her adoptive mother's intimidating gaze, she could only lower her head and say softly,
"Congratulations, Jieyu Niang-niang."
Hearing that title, Bae Sisi's heart ached.
When she gave birth to Xiao Rui, she was only a lowly fifth-rank concubine.
In the palace, only concubines of third rank and above were allowed to raise their own children.
As soon as Xiao Rui was born, he was immediately taken in and raised by the Grand Consort.
Now, even though her son was standing before her, he couldn't call her "Mother Consort," and her son could only call her "Jieyu Niang-niang."
How could her heart not be broken?
Seeing the pained expression on Bae Sisi's face, Li Mei felt a sense of satisfaction.
"What's there to celebrate about getting a little sister? I already have so many," Xiao Rui muttered softly.
Xiao Lula's ears were sharp. Upon hearing this, she was immediately irritated.
"Third Prince? Xiao Rui? Oh, so this is my stupid older brother!"
Xiao Rui was shocked. He heard the voice again, and this time it was calling him stupid!
"I was held by an evil woman and made her a child! She just wanted to make you stupid, keep you away from your birth mother, and you still think she's kind! I've never seen anyone as innocent as you!"
Xiao Rui looked around, but no one reacted. He quickly realized that he was the only one who could hear his sister's inner voice.
But what did she mean by "I was made a child by an evil woman"?
Xiao Lula looked at her sister with a mixture of annoyance and concern.
"Six years old, but you haven't memorized the Three Character Classic. No wonder you'll be pushed into the pond and drown without anyone caring."
"Drowning…?" Xiao Rui was shocked.
Bae Sisi was also growing increasingly worried. Her own life was already in danger, and now even her child's fate seemed tragic.
Thinking about this, tears began to fall.
"Who are you putting on this show for? Are you deliberately trying to make people think I'm bullying you?" Li Mei snapped sharply, clearly looking for trouble.
"I didn't mean it," Bae Sisi replied quickly.
Seeing her mother treated like that, Xiao Lula was utterly enraged.
"Evil woman! You dare bully my mother! Water, come! Drown her!"
Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed from the sky. The previously clear sky darkened, accompanied by a flash of white light striking the roof of Xixi Palace.
Heavy rain poured down.
Surprisingly, the rain fell directly on Li Mei.
Everyone there froze in fear and confusion.
"Ah!" Li Mei screamed in panic as she ran outside.
But the more she ran, the more the rain followed her.
"Ehehehe…"
Xiao Lula, still being carried, burst out laughing as she watched Li Mei run around drenched.