As soon as these words were spoken, everyone, from the kowtowing Left Remonstrator and other observing officials to Sima Jiao, all looked at her.

The air froze for a moment.

The smile on Sima Jiao's face faded. He looked at her for a long time without speaking, his expression somewhat frightening. Liao Tingyan didn't know what she was thinking.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, she actually took advantage of her sleeve's cover to secretly squeeze Sima Jiao's hand again.

Sima Jiao moved his fingers, gently inhaled, finally frowned and dropped the two words "forget it". He didn't bring up the matter of letting that woman enter the palace again, sparing the Left Remonstrator's daughter. However, his hand in his sleeve kept holding Liao Tingyan's fingers that she had just reached over, not letting go.

That unlucky woman was fine, but Liao Tingyan was in trouble. After the court session, Sima Jiao grabbed her wrist and dragged her away, asking fiercely, "Has this Lord been too indulgent with you lately?"

Liao Tingyan reflected on herself: yes, I've gotten carried away. Someone who used to prioritize saving her own life now dares to manage the Great Demon King.

Her boldness today was probably indeed related to Sima Jiao's special attitude towards her. It's human nature to get greedy for more. Her current situation could also be described as being arrogant due to favor - those officials with subtle expressions probably all thought of her this way now.

Sima Jiao dragged her all the way back to Furong Palace, sat her down on the couch, preparing to get angry on the spot.

Liao Tingyan sat obediently, putting on the most innocent look in her life, but actually not afraid at all, even wanting to catch up on sleep. When the weather turns cold, one just wants to lie in bed and sleep. She almost fell asleep at the court session just now, because the foot warmer under her feet felt too comfortable.

Especially seeing the officials shivering below while she had a foot warmer, that sense of comfort multiplied.

Sima Jiao stood in front of her, reached out a finger to lift her chin, "Consort, your courage seems to be growing lately."

Yes, brother, you fattened it up yourself. Liao Tingyan thought. Feeling his finger was cold, she couldn't help but ask, "Is Your Majesty too cold? Why not have someone bring in two foot warmers?"

This was the first time he heard such words when putting on an angry look. Sima Jiao's expression froze for a moment.

He subconsciously followed along, "I don't feel cold, what do I need that for, no." Only after he finished speaking did he feel something was off. He pulled the topic back with a solemn face, "Consort, who gave you the courage to rashly interject at the court session earlier?"

Wasn't it the courage you gave me. Liao Tingyan used all her acting skills, wiped the corner of her eye, and said resentfully, "Your Majesty, those words from your concubine all came from the heart. Your concubine truly does not wish to see other women enter the palace."

Good, a jealous wife persona, very fitting for the role of a consort in a palace struggle story.

However, despite her serious acting, Sima Jiao didn't give her face. He seemed to really want to laugh but was unwilling to let her off so easily.

He could only hold it in, resulting in a strange expression, "Speak properly, don't deliberately try to make me laugh." Sima Jiao caressed her chin, dissatisfied.

Liao Tingyan: "..." Where the hell did I deliberately try to make you laugh? Can't you respect my acting skills? What's so funny about my acting!

She couldn't keep acting. She reached out to hold the hand touching her chin. Her chin had been touched cold by him. Her hand was warm and soft, pulling Sima Jiao's hand, "Your Majesty, sit first, your concubine will have Guiye bring some food and autumn pear tea."

Sima Jiao refused with his mouth, "I won't eat." But his body very naturally let Liao Tingyan pull him to sit down.

Liao Tingyan smiled slightly, "Your concubine wants to eat."

Mainly she was thirsty. Sitting by the fire in cold weather easily makes one's mouth dry. Speaking doesn't even sound good. Incidentally, give Sima Jiao some autumn pear tea to quell his temper. Him clearly not looking angry yet insisting on being angry with her, it's really tiring.

"Your Majesty, drink the tea." Liao Tingyan brought the autumn pear tea Guiye offered up to Sima Jiao.

Sima Jiao didn't reach out to take it, but drank a mouthful with her hand, then complained, "What tea is this, no taste at all."

Liao Tingyan was already used to his habit of complaining about everything. Now he complained about no taste. If the taste was a bit heavier, he would say the taste is too heavy. So he shouldn't be listened to.

He just loves to make trouble, and has a natural dislike for things entering his mouth. Liao Tingyan felt he had spoiled himself into this bad habit.

"Your concubine thinks the taste is not bad. Your Majesty, drink another mouthful?"

Sima Jiao drank another mouthful and wouldn't drink anymore. He hugged her waist and lay down on the couch, warning her, "Don't do this again next time."

"Yes, yes, your concubine doesn't dare anymore." Liao Tingyan immediately admitted her mistake.

Because her tone was too perfunctory, Sima Jiao turned her face over, his tone a bit displeased, "Don't look at those old things and think they look pitiful. Each of them has more schemes in their hearts than you. Remember, people who look pitiful may not truly be pitiful, and those who look respectful may not truly be loyal. I bring you to court sessions to watch the excitement, but you are not allowed to get involved in these matters, and don't believe anyone standing there. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died one day."

Liao Tingyan nodded blankly, surprised in her heart. She felt Sima Jiao's intelligence that had dropped below average with her suddenly soared. A foolish person couldn't say these things. Wasn't he set up as a muddleheaded ruler leading his country to ruin? How come he suddenly became so clear-minded and could give her these warnings?

Actually, Liao Tingyan, possessing the perspective of an original story reader, in some sense knew the fates of those officials in the hall more clearly than Sima Jiao.

For example, that fierce, powerful Prime Minister who stirred up trouble in court every day. There were rumors among the people that he was a "substitute emperor", meaning his power was comparable to the emperor's. He excluded dissent and acted domineeringly in court. Whoever he wanted to kill would be killed. The emperor always let him do as he pleased and never opposed.

Such a powerful official cursed in private by many court officials seemed like a treacherous minister no matter how you looked at it. However, in the original story, when the rebel army led by the male lead and the private troops of Lord of Southern Qin attacked, it was the Prime Minister who led troops to resist.

The male lead used an army double in number to his, but still couldn't break through his defense. They fought several difficult battles. But in the end, this Grand Tutor still couldn't withstand the dazzling halo of the male lead. He ultimately died on the battlefield defending the capital and the emperor.

Then there was the other Grand Tutor Duan, although he was the maternal grandfather of Emperor Sima Jiao and had firmly supported Sima Jiao on behalf of the Duan family and other major families over the years, appearing loyal and devoted, when the male lead arrived at the city, he was the first to persuade all the nobles to open the city gates and let the male lead's army enter Luoyang, and quickly pledged allegiance to the new emperor, and was then reused in the new dynasty.

When Liao Tingyan read the original work, she felt that she could not understand why Grand Tutor Duan would treat his grandson in this way. In the end, she could only analyze that he did it to protect the prosperity of the family for generations, making the most correct decision.

After all, the dynasty at that time was indeed in turmoil, and it was understandable to choose the side that was more likely to win. Isn't that the way politicians think?

There were other ministers who did not all appear by name in the original work, and Liao Tingyan only remembered those who stayed in Chen Yun's new dynasty and had roles.

For example, the two old men who sighed every day that the court was going to end and the emperor was going to end, were promoted in the new dynasty and were still active on the front lines in the later period, opposing Chen Yun's favoring of the female lead and demanding that he open the harem more and have more children.

Liao Tingyan was well aware that she was not that smart, so her principle was to talk less and sleep more, and not to get involved in idle matters. This time, she did indeed act on impulse, and at the same time, she had a little selfish motive, wanting to know to what extent Sima Jiao would tolerate her.

Now the facts were in front of her eyes. This Sima Jiao, who could not tolerate people disobeying him and hated others going against his will the most, really tolerated her behavior, without even any serious consequences, and even without the need to appease him with a kiss, just holding his hand solved the problem.

Looking at Sima Jiao, who was now sprawled beside her in a lazy and harmless manner, Liao Tingyan suddenly felt troubled.

Look, she had said before that she couldn't possibly change Sima Jiao, and that as a concubine she couldn't save the people, but now, Sima Jiao had simply given her the treatment of the center of the world, making her have the illusion that she might be able to change the original disaster and save more people. The so-called greater ability comes with greater responsibility, isn't this forcing her to be a savior?

This was too much of a headache.

Liao Tingyan drank a cup of hot tea to calm down, lifted the thin quilt and crawled in, lying beside Sima Jiao. Forget it, the emperor is not in a hurry, what is the concubine in a hurry for?

Seeing her nestling beside him, Sima Jiao very handily hugged her, and the two of them idled away their time on the couch.

Whether it was Liao Tingyan or Sima Jiao, they were both very familiar with this kind of interaction, and the people serving beside them were also used to it. At times like this, they would not come to disturb them.

It is said that there are rumors in the palace that the concubine has monopolized the emperor for a long time, and the two of them mix together in Furong Palace every day, indulging in lust during the day without restraint. There are even people who make a fuss about their complexions, saying that the concubine's complexion is rosy, obviously nourished, while the emperor's complexion is pale, with occasional dark circles under his eyes, which is a sign of physical exhaustion.

Liao Tingyan was speechless. She did live a nourishing life in the palace, eating the best food, sleeping in the most expensive bed, and petting the most irritable emperor, but to say that she made the emperor's kidneys deficient, she dared not agree.

Now she was 80% sure that Sima Jiao had sexual dysfunction, otherwise he wouldn't be so calm every day when he hugged her to sleep. His dark circles were purely the result of not getting enough rest.

In order to let him get more adequate rest time, she had to risk her life to accompany him. In addition to the night, during the day when there was time, she would pull him to lie on the couch, and occasionally she could let him sleep a little longer.

Once Sima Jiao was well rested, his temper would get a little better, and he was very generous. Whatever treasures she wanted from his private treasury, he would give them all to her.

The consequence of Liao Tingyan doing this was that the rumors inside and outside the palace about her making the emperor dizzy and indulging in lust during the day became more and more, and she gained weight.

One must know, Sima Jiao couldn't fall asleep every time, but she could fall asleep every time. Sleeping so long every day and still being able to eat, her figure, which couldn't gain weight no matter how much she ate during the years in Hexia, actually became fat in just a few short months!

When Guiye held up the skirt she liked with some difficulty and said, "Concubine, the skirt of this dress is too small for you. Why don't you let the embroiderer make you a new one based on the style you like?"

Liao Tingyan couldn't believe it and pinched her belly, so sad that she didn't even eat lunch.

Guiye came to ask, and she waved her hand and said, "No appetite, not eating."

From then on, she ate a lot less, and didn't want the seven snacks a day.

Guiye, who served her, saw that her appetite had greatly reduced, and also found that her waist had become thicker. After thinking for a moment, she showed a surprised expression, "Concubine, are you pregnant?"

Liao Tingyan: "...Huh?"

Liao Tingyan: "Don't talk nonsense, I just gained weight."

But it didn't end there. As she wore thicker clothes in the winter, she walked twice in the imperial court meeting, and among the ministers, they began to spread that the concubine was pregnant, and her belly was slightly protruding.

Liao Tingyan, whose sore spot was poked, was furious. Can't these uncles and old men attend the court meeting properly, why are they looking at her belly!

After the anger passed, Liao Tingyan touched her belly and felt very sad. She really can't gain any more weight, it's already causing this kind of misunderstanding.