[031] A Room of Enchantment
That night, Li Luoluo’s joy knew no bounds—an entire room filled with delight!
Jun Yancheng and Bei Mingye spared no effort, ensuring that Li Luoluo experienced the utmost pleasure in life.
Compared to Li Luoluo, who was showered with attention and affection from all sides, Li Yaoyao’s days were full of suffering.
First, Bei Mingheng was sent back to the Snake Clan to face punishment. After that, he was completely reduced to a useless pawn, so Li Yaoyao did not hesitate to abandon him.
But that was only the beginning. Soon after, Huā Qingcheng, Tuoba Jinghao, Huo Sinen, and Zhonghua, among others, betrayed her one after another, catching Li Yaoyao completely off guard.
Worse still, even the people she had relied on the most—the Grand General and the Grand Marshal—suddenly turned against her.
These two were as cunning as old foxes. Faced with the shifting situation, they chose to remain inactive, completely disregarding Li Yaoyao’s feelings.
The ripple effects of these events extended even further. Li Yaoyao’s father, driven by impatience and ambition, fell out of favor with the Empress and suffered severe punishment.
From that moment on, life in the palace for Li Yaoyao and her father became extraordinarily difficult, each step filled with hardship and struggle.
Especially when Li Yaoyao learned of Li Luoluo’s secret departure from the palace and prepared to report it to the Empress. But the secret agent the Empress had planted beside her warned her: the Empress had issued a secret decree—anyone who leaked the news of the crown princess’s departure would be executed on the spot.
At that moment, Li Yaoyao felt as if the sky had fallen.
The Empress’s past affection for her had become the biggest joke!
It turned out that the shameless Li Luoluo was the person the Empress wanted to protect most. All the favor and privileges that Li Yaoyao and her father had received over the years had been used by the Empress as a shield!
They had taken countless blows, both direct and indirect, for that shameless Li Luoluo—too many to count!
The hatred in Li Yaoyao’s heart blazed like an uncontrollable fire, threatening to consume her entirely.
Yet she could not release this hatred and could only endure it in silence.
For she had a far more important task—to care for her father, who had suffered severe punishment and injury, and help him regain his health.
Li Yaoyao tirelessly tended to her father, cleaning his body, changing his bandages, preparing nourishing soups, and doing everything she could to aid his recovery.
Moreover, she gave him a precious secret medicine she had purchased at great expense from the black market, without hesitation.
This medicine was said to have miraculous effects: it could accelerate wound healing, enhance physical strength, and particularly in matters of intimacy, improve endurance dramatically.
After taking the medicine, her father gradually began to recover.
He felt grateful to Li Yaoyao, believing that his care for her had not been in vain.
However, relying on his past relationship with the Empress, he began to feign weakness and pitifulness, trying in every way to relay the news to her.
The Empress, out of past affection, had no choice but to visit him daily.
Whenever she came, he always appeared extremely frail, evoking her pity. The Empress was moved by this display, caring for him with utmost attentiveness, often laughing heartily at his occasional coquettish behavior and playful antics.
But all of this harmony was just a facade on his part.
That night, Li Yaoyao prepared a lavish dinner to celebrate her father’s recovery.
Together, Li Yaoyao and her father coaxed the Empress into a good mood. But while the Empress was off guard, her father secretly drugged her wine and seized the opportunity to climb into her bed.
As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window, the Empress slowly opened her eyes.
Unlike usual, her brow was slightly furrowed, as if harboring an uncontrollable anger within.
As a long-reigning ruler, the Empress was accustomed to hiding her emotions, keeping joy and anger from showing.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Though the fury in her heart made her want to destroy the world, she relied on her immense self-control to suppress it.
When she rose, she did not punish the attendants for the previous night as usual.
On the contrary, she appeared unusually calm, giving off the impression that she had been well-served by her father and was in high spirits.
During the morning court session, the Empress sat on the Dragon Throne, expressionless, scrutinizing the ministers.
When her gaze landed on Li Yaoyao, she suddenly declared, “From today onward, Li Yaoyao shall participate in state affairs and assist this Empress in handling national matters.”
This decision was like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the court.
The ministers exchanged glances, secretly speculating about the Empress’s intentions.
Based on intelligence from palace informants, they had expected the Empress to be displeased with the events of the previous night, perhaps even punishing her father.
Yet now, it seemed she not only held no grievance, but was apparently quite satisfied with him.
All eyes turned to Li Yaoyao, the poised second princess, now enjoying the Empress’s favor—a sight that surprised many.
Some ministers began to wonder if the Empress intended to groom Li Yaoyao as her successor, abandoning the previously spoiled and unruly Li Luoluo.
The ministers had originally planned to stay on the sidelines, watching events unfold.
But now, the Empress’s move left them uneasy.
They realized the situation might have changed, and they needed to reassess their positions and strategies.
Li Yaoyao felt ecstatic, but she knew she had to remain composed and humble in such a formal setting.
She took a deep breath, knelt slowly, and spoke with solemn grace: “Your Majesty, your humble subject thanks you for your great favor. I shall devote myself fully to assisting Your Majesty in state affairs, never betraying your trust and expectations.”
Then she lifted her head, meeting the Empress’s gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips.
That smile, like spring blossoms, was gentle yet captivating. Different from her usual composed intelligence, it exuded poise and quiet confidence, as though she believed completely in her own ability.
She then lowered her head again, speaking earnestly: “I am aware that I still have many shortcomings. Should I err in handling state matters, I humbly ask Your Majesty for guidance. I shall accept your counsel and strive to improve.”
Her words were humble and appropriate, a stark contrast to Li Luoluo’s arrogant demeanor at court.
The ministers whispered among themselves, exchanging looks of surprise.
Li Yaoyao felt a prickling unease, as if sitting on pins and needles—she wanted to escape, yet there was nowhere to run.
