The next day at the Chen hour, the two were still asleep in the bedchamber of the Bitao Palace.

Because of what happened last night, the two slept a bit late. With no major affairs today, Wang Muhan did not allow the palace servants to disturb them, so they slept straight until the second quarter of the Chen hour.

Chu Shaoling was the first to wake up. Feeling guilty about last night, he spent a full hour coaxing Wei Ji properly. Wei Ji was so grateful that he wished he could devote his heart and soul to Chu Shaoling right then and there.

Chu Shaoling rubbed his brow and pulled Wei Ji into his embrace by the shoulders. In his sleep, Wei Ji was very gentle and obediently leaned over according to Chu Shaoling's intention, docilely placing his arm around Chu Shaoling's waist.

Chu Shaoling raised his brows and chuckled lightly. Wei Ji was now completely unguarded around him. Previously, it took great effort to trick him into bed. Back then, Wei Ji had no choice but to obey orders, lying on the bed stiff as a board, no matter if he was told to sleep on the inside or outside, always sticking to the edge of the bed, afraid of touching Chu Shaoling or stealing his blanket. Now that their relationship had deepened, they were much more natural with each other. When Wei Ji occasionally fell into a deep sleep, he would even burrow into Chu Shaoling's embrace.

In the morning light, Wei Ji's face was peaceful. His inner robe had ridden up from the earlier movement, exposing a stretch of fair skin on his abdomen that gently rose and fell with his breathing. Wei Ji was like a little beast, completely unguarded, sleeping soundly with his belly exposed.

Chu Shaoling gently caressed Wei Ji's swollen eyelids, feeling a bit distressed. In his heart, he couldn't help but resent Wei Ming for causing trouble when things were going well, making Wei Ji anxious and fearful, completely forgetting that it was he himself who had set the trap.

Wei Ji felt a bit ticklish from Chu Shaoling's touch and opened his eyes, stunned for a moment. "Your Highness, what time is it?"

"How strange, we both just woke up and you're asking me." It was already late. Chu Shaoling was too lazy to go to the front hall today. Fortunately, he had handed over most of the affairs at the Ministry of Revenue yesterday, and there were people to handle things below. Chu Shaoling turned over and gently stroked Wei Ji's back. "Are you hungry? If not, let's lie down a bit longer. There's nothing to do anyway."

Wei Ji shook his head and sat up to look outside. He said softly, "We should still get up. It's probably already the Chen hour. If we don't get up soon, Eunuch Wang will come to nag, Your Highness."

Chu Shaoling pulled Wei Ji's hand and dragged him back under the covers. "You're still young but even more long-winded than Wang Muhan. What's wrong with lying down a bit longer?"

Wei Ji had no choice but to curl up under the covers with Chu Shaoling. The two chatted on and off, and the topic turned to Wei Zhan's marriage. Wei Ji explained the family's plans to Chu Shaoling in detail...

Wei Ji always said that the heavens were good to him, but Chu Shaoling felt in his heart that it was his own good fortune to have Wei Ji.

Chu Shaoling's mind was filled with thoughts. Suddenly, Wei Ji's stomach growled. Wei Ji blushed and said timidly, "This subject has lost decorum, this subject is guilty."

Chu Shaoling laughed and rubbed Wei Ji's head, "Knowing your own guilt, eat more later. Get up."

Chu Shaoling could sleep in on a whim, but others were not so lucky. On this day, Consort Li got up early and was the first to go pay respects at the Empress Dowager's palace.

In the past few days, Consort Li had been persuaded by the trusted old palace maids around her and understood a bit. No matter what was in her heart, she could not make things too difficult for the Empress Dowager.

The appearance of Zhen Si made Consort Li realize how naive she had been in the past, relying on the Emperor's favor to always treat the Empress Dowager with indifference.

Consort Li's previous thinking was not wrong. In reality, the Empress Dowager would not outlive the Emperor. Even if she served the Empress Dowager well, what good would it do? Moreover, back then, Consort Li had relied on her good looks to frequently steal the limelight from Empress Ling, long ago thoroughly offending the Empress Dowager. No matter how nicely she spoke now, it would be to no avail. The Empress Dowager could not possibly forget the past and re-accept her. It was better to use that effort to please the Emperor and secure her own favor.

But after Zhen Si entered the palace, Consort Li gradually saw that even if not for the long term, at least superficial harmony was useful.

The Empress Dowager detested her, but would she like Zhen Si? Of course that was impossible. However, Zhen Si's diligence and deference satisfied the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager did not deliberately make things difficult for Zhen Si, or rather, the Empress Dowager could not find an opportunity to criticize her.

Consort Li reflected on herself. It was because of her fickleness that she had given the Empress Dowager so many handles to grab onto.

As long as the Empress Dowager was healthy for a day, Consort Li would have to be under the Empress Dowager's control for a day. Consort Li understood that always butting heads with the Empress Dowager would only be to her own detriment. Even if the Emperor did not place much importance on the mother-son bond with the Empress Dowager, he still had to maintain the Empress Dowager's dignity on the surface.

After understanding this, Consort Li became more diligent in going to Ci'an Palace. She took care of the morning and evening greetings first, so others could not say anything.

The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and chuckled, "You all came quite early today. Zhen Si, didn't I tell you to sleep early and rise late from now on? Coming to pay respects morning and night, as long as you have the intention, that's enough. Now that you are with child, why are you still being so restrained by etiquette?"

Zhen Si quickly stood up and said with a smile, "The pregnancy is still early, I don't feel anything yet."

The Empress Dowager put down her teacup and smiled, "You still need to be careful. Back then, the people from the Imperial Astronomy Bureau said that your fate was to soar high like a phoenix. At that time, I thought, in the future when you give birth to a prince for the Emperor, it would not be a waste of such a good fate."

Zhen Si's face turned pale. She forced a smile and nodded, "This concubine does not dare to presume."

The Empress Dowager chuckled, "What's there not to dare? In the future when you give birth to a prince, you can presume anything."

Consort Li was secretly annoyed. The Empress Dowager had gotten old and indeed placed more and more importance on princes. Now she was increasingly gentle with Zhen Si. Back when Consort Li herself was pregnant with Chu Shaoruan, the Empress Dowager did not have such a good attitude.

Consort Li was irritated and did not see that after Zhen Si sat down below her, Zhen Si's hands were tightly clenched, her bright red nails digging into her tender palms.

Zhen Si looked at the kind Empress Dowager on the noble consort's couch and felt cold inside. Was the Empress Dowager mentioning the "soaring phoenix" matter now because she truly liked the child in Zhen Si's belly, or because she could no longer tolerate Zhen Si?

Soaring like a phoenix - this was the fate of an empress. Even without the Empress Dowager's interference, Zhen Si knew that based on her family background and status, she could not become empress. She herself could not, but now had this fate. Wasn't this forcing others to shift their gaze to her belly? If the child in Zhen Si's belly was conferred the position of crown prince, then sooner or later Zhen Si could also become empress.

Zhen Si understood in her heart how this fate had been divined, but others did not know. Ever since entering the palace, Zhen Si had always avoided this matter, fearing it would bring her calamity. But things did not go as people wished. After paying respects at Ci'an Palace this day, the rumors about Zhen Si in the palace suddenly exploded.

First, they spoke of the fate divined by the Imperial Astronomy Bureau that day. Later, news spread that the Emperor wanted to promote Zhen Si to a consort. And then, it even spread that the Emperor and Empress Dowager favored establishing Zhen Si's unborn child as the crown prince.

In an instant, rumors flew in all directions.