Grudges Behind Palace Walls! A Consort, Never an Empress

He: Nalan Xun, the sovereign of the empire. She: Murong Yinruo, daughter of the head of the Murong clan. He met her when she was twelve. At fourteen, she entered the palace for the imperial selection and became Ru Pin, the foremost of the six Pin consorts. She was the first to be summoned. He understood her, and that night he took her as his bride and spent the night with her as her husband. Rumors and speculation swirled through the harem. Disputes erupted again, and she miscarried her first pregnancy as a result. Once she recovered, she changed. She learned how to protect herself. Little by little, she became a woman the other consorts feared. Yet in the emperor's eyes, she remained an innocent woman who needed his protection. Under his protection, she rose steadily through the harem. Within three years, she became Ru Fei, the foremost of the Four Consorts. The emperor favored her alone for three years. She changed from an innocent girl into a woman full of schemes, yet with him alone she remained guileless. She loved him and was willing to change herself to survive in the harem. That meant becoming ruthless. He loved her and was willing to defy his ancestors' rules to favor her. The harem had no choice but to fear her, and the realm had no choice but to respect her. She became the 【First Consort Under Heaven】. She was kind and innocent, and helped the emperor solve his troubles. Her standing rivaled the empress's. The emperor loved her, and everyone in the realm knew it. She was the niece of the late Empress Murong, who had once been deeply beloved by the people, and the granddaughter of a wandering prince who championed the common folk. Her mother was a First-Rank Honored Lady, her family was respected, her father was a prince of a different surname, and noble blood ran through her veins. The empress hated her but couldn't defeat her. After waiting three years, a new imperial selection was finally about to begin. Someone would come along to help the empress get rid of her. The empress had endured for three years, waiting for the selection. Now the harem was about to erupt in conflict once more.