The Little Consort's
Eps. 87: The Story of the Empress Pilu

One loud slap landed on Empress Jin's smooth cheek.

“Yes, I am a crazy woman. Empress Jin, now you've felt the slap of a mad woman, haven't you? How's it feel?”

“Han Jinxi, why are you doing all this?”

Empress Jin or Han Jinxi smiled lightly. The woman rubbed her newly slapped cheek Li Anlan. The elegance that had always seemed to him disappeared instantly. The woman who was sitting quietly on the cold floor of Xingyue Palace only glanced at the King and Royal Empress, then threw her face to the side.

“You asked why? Why don't you just ask yourself?” empress Jin asked after such a long time.

“Jinxi, am I guilty of you?” ask Long Ji Man back. He was still in disbelief mode.

“Don't talk about who's guilty! I know your heart understands it better than anyone!”

“Han Jinxi, you're a Grand Empress. Why did you betray me and try to kill the Noble Empress who never even knew you?”

“No excuses. I'm just happy to do it.”

Li Anlan clucked in annoyance. Han Jinxi is a psychopath. A graceful, gentle, beautiful and beautiful empress unexpectedly was a fox demon so cruel. Li Anlan asked in his heart what he had done until the woman before him tried everything possible to get rid of him. Ever since he came to this place, he had never offended anyone.

If Empress Jin was hunting him down because Li Anlan was becoming the Nobles Empress, it would be a little unreasonable. Li Anlan rose to his own position without the help of anyone else. She was an orphan, a woman who was branded stupid and useless and went into the palace just to save the family's reputation.

Political matters and everything else he had never interfered with, he never even wanted to set foot in the Harem Palace!

It was not Li Anlan's wish if the king was in a lot of contact with him. His appointment as Grand Duchess as well as the king's personal special adviser was not without reason. Li Anlan received his title and position on terms and a covenant letter, not solely appointed due to the king's decision and his own wishes. In essence, Li Anlan had never involved anyone else in his affairs all along.

But why did Empress Jin even intrude on her life?

“Empress Jin, I have never interfered with your life. What exactly do you want from me?”

“You, stupid woman, why suddenly be smart? You should still be Li Anlan the outcast concubine! You shouldn't have appeared in public! The position of the Grand Empress shouldn't be filled by you!”

“Jinxi, what are you saying? Why are you saying as if you want to be the main one?”

Empress Jin again laughed lightly.

“I? To be the main? Since when do I have such big ambitions?”

Empress Jin's words were convoluted and confusing. Many questions have been asked, but the woman's answer is not funny and does not refer to one thing that is certain. It turned out that not only was Li Anlan inconsistent with his words, but Han Jinxi also possessed the same inconsistency trait.

Long Ji Man then ordered the guards who became shadow warriors out. He asked the guards to bring Empress Jin back to Harem Palace and no one would be allowed to see him. Without her permission, not even flies or mosquitoes were allowed into Empress Jin's palace.

The Young King of Dongling Kingdom deliberately did not bring Empress Jin to prison because there were still many complicated matters to be resolved. Han Jinxi's position as the Grand Empress was related to many things. Behind it there are hundreds or even thousands of families who live and relate to each other. If he were to directly imprison him, the political conditions in the palace would instantly be chaotic. He had to investigate everything clearly first, only to decide on a proper punishment for a sheep-furred woman.

Fortunately, Li Anlan understood the difficulties faced by her husband. The woman was not angry that Long Ji Man did not directly imprison Empress Jin. Instead, the Royal Noble Empress Dongling was very curious about the life story of the person who killed her. He believed that bad people are born from good people who are hurt. Empress Jin must have had a bitter story that made her do all this.

Li Anlan then asked Long Ji Man to tell him everything related to Empress Jin. Empress Jin, or whose real name is Han Jinxi, is actually a royal family. He's a distant cousin of Empress Dowager Han Yuemei and grew up in the capital. Since he was six years old, Han Jinxi had often been brought to the palace and became a study companion of Long Ji Man.

She was married to Long Ji Man and was appointed Empress of Dongling Kingdom with the approval of all royal officials and ministers. However, there is one story that the public does not know about the woman's life story.

One year before his marriage to His Majesty the King, Han Jinxi had a lover named Long Ji Yan. This Long Ji Yan is the second sister of Long Ji Man who was still the Crown Prince at that time.

Honey, this lover couple had to separate because Long Ji Yan died in the winter. The heartbroken Han Jinxi was left dead had wanted to end her life, but Empress Dowager Han Yuemei gave her the position of Empress and married her to Long Ji Man who had been her study companion all along.

Han Jinxi could not refuse the marriage. Other than because he had nowhere to go anymore, Han Jinxi was already very tired.

All her life, she felt like she was just a pawn of the family. She's a big miss but lives like an outcast girl. If not for Empress Dowager Han Yuemei and Long Ji Man, Han Jinxi's life in the capital would not have gone that smoothly.

She is a graceful and gentle woman. His heart is like jade. Perhaps, people have always held the view that gentle women have clean souls. They did not know that during becoming the Grand Empress, Han Jinxi's life became imprisoned. He lived in the shadow of Long Ji Yan who was gone, as well as living in the shadow of Long Ji Man who had become king and inherited the throne. Han Jinxi was led to become a perfect Empress, hence she had to forget one of the two men.

Long Ji Man never forbade Han Jinxi to always love her late second sister. Long Ji Man knows that love and heart cannot be forced. After all, from the beginning he had never been in love with a woman. The presence of Han Jinxi as his queen was just to fill the vacancy of position and stability of the government, as well as give life to the woman so as not to continue living in nothingness.

“Maybe that's why he's always acting normal whenever dealing with your women.”

“I just didn't expect that he became like this.”

“Yes, sometimes the inner wound can only be felt by yourself.”

“Maybe.”

“Your Majesty, a woman, though not in love, her heart remains like a mushy porridge. Over time maybe his feelings for you changed.”

“You mean, she likes me?”

Li Anlan nodded. Women, if often through time together, can change their taste.

“But, we never loved each other.”

“Your Majesty, no one knows the human heart. One may know the depths of the ocean, but cannot guess how deep the heart of manusa.”

I don't know. Long Ji Man knew nothing. She never had any idea that her late sister's ex-lover could fall in love with her. Long Ji Man only knew that the woman was the woman he legally married with the intention of saving her and helping her out of grief over the death of her lover. He did not know that the woman's heart had changed.

If indeed everything Li Anlan said was true, then Long Ji Man hurt him deeply. A woman falls in love with him secretly, but she has no idea. Han Jinxi might be the same as her concubines, just different status and fate.

She should have understood that a king had many women, and she should have known that she had to harden her heart.

The story of Han Jinxi the Empress gave Li Anlan goosebumps. The agony of the palace woman who fell in love with the king but could not reach him was truly terrible.

A woman's consciousness should not stop at matters of the heart, but should go along with logic. If Han Jinxi was in love, it should be straightforward so that Long Ji Man could understand. Although she was a woman, but if she fell too deep and chose the wrong path, it was not a virtue or a salvation.

Falling in love is okay, but logic still has to work.

Li Anlan pityed the evil woman a little. Yes, however, people can fall into the mud because they stumble or are unable to find their way home. Before his sympathies grew, Li Anlan immediately recalled the woman's treatment of him. His heart became upset. Both women of the king, why harm each other? It's good if each remains on a predetermined path.

“Your Highness, what's your next decision?” li Anlan asked after pondering for a long time.

“You have an idea?”

“For now I am still deadlocked. Your Majesty, we'd better look all the way to the root.”

“Huang An, you suspect he's not acting alone?”

“Yes, I suspect. A woman, despite great power, will not be able to carry out all plans without support.”

“What should we do?”

Li Anlan whispered something to Long Ji Man. Long Ji Man mustard understood. He would try the advice that his Royal Empress had just said.

“I'll try it.”

“Your Majesty, you should try it.”

Long Ji Man looked at the woman for a moment. Although it was short, the gaze was so deep and gentle.

“Huang An, you never get hurt.”

Li Anlan smiled sweetly. This king is so cute when worried.

...***...