Early Spring, Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Changchun Palace

At this moment, the hour of the rabbit had already passed, and the sky was bright. The concubines had been seated for nearly an hour. The tea in front of them had been changed three times and had completely cooled by now. However, the Empress at the head of the table still showed no signs of dismissing them, which was quite vexing.

The young concubines suppressed their resentment as they looked at the chair in front of the Empress, which naturally belonged to the Noble Consort.

Yet today, the Noble Consort was still nowhere to be seen. It was no wonder the Empress's expression was so unpleasant, even directly dismissing them without summoning her.

Before becoming pregnant, although the Noble Consort was willful and arrogant, she still adhered to the palace rules. Daily greetings and managing the palace affairs were unavoidable.

Now that the Noble Consort was pregnant and nearing the end of her pregnancy, with the prince about to be born, she felt more confident. Recently, she even used the excuse of feeling unwell to avoid coming often, not even showing up on the first and fifteenth of the month unless it was just before their departure.

Hastily paying respects to the Empress, she acted as if she had fulfilled her duty, truly arrogant. If they were in her position as the Empress, they wouldn't tolerate it either.

Of course, what annoyed people the most was the audacity of the Noble Consort's actions, yet the Emperor seemed to turn a blind eye to it all. Allowing her to behave so recklessly made others envious.

Setting aside all of the above, what the young concubines regretted the most at this moment was drinking too much tea.

Today's early spring chill made them feel cold, and they thought drinking more tea would warm them up. Little did they expect it to turn out like this.

Wanting to leave was impossible, and wanting to relieve themselves with so many people watching was indecent. They could only endure it silently, soon breaking into a sweat all over their bodies.

As for some of the older and higher-ranked concubines, they were the most observant. Sensing something amiss, they dared not eat or drink too much. Now, it seemed they were indeed fortunate.

After all, the Empress was still the Empress, and no one dared to blame her. Everyone felt that it was all because the Noble Consort had gone too far.

Just when everyone was inwardly complaining, familiar noises finally came from outside Changchun Palace. Then came the greetings of the palace maids and eunuchs.

"Announcing the arrival of the Noble Consort."

"May the Noble Consort be auspicious."

"Sisters, I'm really sorry. I'm not feeling well today, so I overslept. Please don't blame me."

The thick door curtain lifted and fell, accompanied by a gust of cold wind.

With this gust of wind, a woman in her twenties, with a beautiful and dazzling appearance, was supported by her attendants as she slowly walked into the room.

The woman's abdomen was high and round, and her palace dress was embroidered with lotus flowers entwined. Perhaps to keep warm, the fabric around her abdomen was deliberately thickened, making her look somewhat plump and lovely against the backdrop of the pure white rabbit fur.

Of course, only she found it cute. The other concubines, especially the Empress who had yet to bear a child, found it particularly glaring.

Perhaps due to the late stage of pregnancy, the woman's waist was no longer slender, but she seemed indifferent to it. Coupled with her innate constitution, whether her hands or her face and neck, they were still as delicate as before, showing no signs of swelling.

Even in their jealousy and resentment, the concubines couldn't help but admit that the Noble Consort was indeed extraordinarily beautiful. Throughout the palace, even among this year's newly selected beauties, none could compare to her dazzling charm.

It was precisely this temperament that made people reluctant to praise her.

Although the Noble Consort apologized, judging from her expression, she didn't really feel guilty.

After enduring for a while, the Empress said, "Noble Consort, how many times have you been late this month? Have you forgotten the rules set by our ancestors?"

"I understand that bearing a child is not easy, but you must not forget the duties of a concubine."

Compared to the Empress, even the Noble Consort was just a concubine.

Yet, the Noble Consort still believed that after the Emperor's previous Empress passed away, the position of Empress should have been hers. It was through the machinations of the current Empress that the position fell into her hands.

Moreover, in the court, the Empress's father repeatedly troubled her father and brothers. The two families were originally at odds, and within the palace, the Empress made things difficult for her at every turn.

With both old and new grievances, it was pointless to maintain surface harmony.

The Noble Consort's temperament couldn't bear such grievances. She immediately retorted, "The rules of our ancestors also prioritize offspring. If I remember correctly, when Empress Deming was alive, she only required the concubines to pay respects in Weiyang Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month, especially for those in their seventh month of pregnancy, they were exempted."

Empress Deming was the Emperor's previous Empress, implying that the current Empress was not as benevolent.

She never had so many troubles when Empress Deming was alive. Why did a mere secondary consort like her have so many rules?

The Noble Consort was never one to suffer losses. Just as the Empress touched on her sore spot, she also had to retaliate.

The exchange between the two made the nearby concubines break out in a cold sweat.

This woman truly had audacity.

If not for the Noble Consort's illustrious background, with her temperament, how could she have stood in the palace for so long?

"Empress, my body is feeling a bit weak today. Since I've paid my respects today, I'll take my leave." Since becoming pregnant, the Noble Consort had felt extremely unwell from the day she conceived. Although it didn't show much on the surface, her reactions behind the scenes were significant.

To the point where the Noble Consort's feelings towards the child in her belly were particularly complex, both loving and hating. When she felt uncomfortable, her hatred outweighed her love.

Every time this thought arose in her mind, the Noble Consort felt panicked.

Because society seemed to assume that a mother naturally should love her own child and treat them well. So even a Noble Consort who had been indulged since childhood like her felt that her attitude was deviant.

The Noble Consort had never thought of herself as so despicable.

She even doubted her own character, whether it was as bad as others said.

Under such daily torment, the Noble Consort's temper naturally became more irritable. Coupled with the Empress's occasional troubles and interrogations, it was strange that the Noble Consort's mood could be good.

After speaking, without waiting for the Empress's reaction, the Noble Consort made a perfunctory gesture of respect and left without waiting for the Empress's permission, truly coming and going like the wind.

For a moment, the entire Changchun Palace fell into a

strange silence.

As for the Empress, her expression was as calm as ever, but a trace of coldness flashed in her eyes.

In the distance, the figure of the Noble Consort gradually disappeared from view, leaving only the sound of the soft wind passing through the eaves.

Looking at the Empress, one of the concubines hesitated for a moment before asking, "Empress, shall we leave as well?"

The Empress glanced at her before saying slowly, "No need. Since she's already left, let's sit and chat for a while longer."

The concubines all responded, not daring to disobey the Empress's words. They could only sit obediently, thinking that the early spring chill outside was nothing compared to the chill inside Changchun Palace.