Bang!
"Sang Shu, get out here!"
With a loud crash, the door was kicked open.
Sang Shu had just opened her eyes when she saw a red figure burst in. Several people around her were trying to hold her back.
"Your Highness, Consort Shu!"
"Your Highness, you can't go in!"
The woman in red held a whip, glaring at Sang Shu over the human barrier. "Sang Shu, if you've got the guts, stop hiding!"
"System, the plot!"
There was no way she was going over there yet.
She still hadn't figured out what was going on.
"Right away, Host!"
The system's ingratiating voice rang out in her mind.
Outwardly cheerful, inwardly weeping—it truly had it hard.
What system was as miserable as it?
Fresh out of the factory, it had been swallowed by this female bug. If not for a twist of fate that forced a binding, it would have already been digested into waste!
It couldn't think about it. The more it did, the more it wanted to cry.
This Zerg wasn't human—she would really eat a system!
The next moment…
The plot flowed into Sang Shu's mind.
The original owner, Sang Shu, was the only daughter of General Sang, the Northern Guarding General.
By imperial decree, she entered the palace and was immediately made Noble Consort, receiving abundant favor from the emperor.
Unfortunately…
That favor was fake.
The emperor had a true love in his heart. The original owner was merely a target set up as a shield.
When her father, the Northern Guarding General, died, the original owner lost her usefulness as a shield. A cup of poisoned wine ended her life.
Only at the moment of death did she learn that her father had been killed by Murong Bo, who feared that her father's military merit overshadowed the throne.
[Mission One: Prevent Father from being framed and killed!]
[Mission Two: Make Murong Bo pay the price!]
"Host, completing missions earns points. With points you can unlock the shop and purchase items!"
In order to avoid being eaten, the system was working extremely hard.
"Everyone, withdraw."
After receiving the memories and understanding the situation, Sang Shu stepped forward. "I have something to discuss with Consort Shu."
"Your Highness!"
Baihe looked at her mistress disapprovingly.
Consort Shu was still holding a whip—how dangerous!
Sang Shu recognized her as the original owner's personal maid, now hers as well.
Seeing Baihe's concern, Sang Shu said calmly, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
The servants exchanged glances but eventually retreated.
"Sang Shu, you—"
With no one blocking her, Consort Shu strode forward, brows raised, about to explode.
However—
Before she could finish, Sang Shu dropped a bombshell:
"I'm pregnant."
"Impossible!"
Before Consort Shu could react, the system leapt up inside its space. "The original host died a virgin. How could she be pregnant?"
It hurried to check the plot, suspecting a mistake.
"Exactly. I'm not pregnant."
Sang Shu spoke calmly.
As the system said, the original host had indeed died a virgin.
Who would have thought that this favored consort had remained untouched until death?
She had lost her mother young and knew nothing about relations between men and women, and Murong Bo had fooled her repeatedly.
"You're not pregnant, then why did you—"
The system stopped flipping through the plot.
At that moment, Consort Shu finally processed what she had heard. "You're pregnant, so what does that have to do with me? Wait—what did you just say? You're pregnant?"
Her pupils trembled.
She stared at Sang Shu's stomach in shock.
"That's right. I'm pregnant."
Sang Shu stroked her belly with a loving expression.
Never in her wildest dreams—
Consort Shu suddenly blurted, "It wasn't me!"
Sang Shu: "…"
You'd need the ability first.
"Ahem!"
Realizing what nonsense she'd just said, Consort Shu coughed and instinctively stepped back.
But as she retreated…
Wait, something wasn't right.
"What does your pregnancy have to do with me? Just because you're pregnant, you can eat the fish I raised? I worked so hard raising those fish! I hadn't even eaten them—no, I mean, I hadn't finished admiring them!"
Sang Shu's mouth twitched.
The fish really had been eaten by the original host.
However—
She hadn't known they belonged to Consort Shu.
In the original plot, this had been a minor matter, but Murong Bo's instigation turned it into a full-blown feud. The original host offended Consort Shu completely.
And not just her. Through Murong Bo's schemes, the original host alienated every high-ranking concubine in the harem, becoming the public enemy.
All hostility focused on her—the shield—while Murong Bo and his true love, Li Rou'er, enjoyed their sweet romance.
Heh.
"The child in my belly belongs to your Zhang family."
Seeing Consort Shu still rambling, Sang Shu suddenly spoke.
"Hic!"
Startled, Consort Shu hiccupped.
Her eyes widened even further.
"You don't believe me?"
As if anticipating her reaction, Sang Shu continued, "A month ago, before I entered the palace, I happened to meet your brother at the temple. An accident occurred. The child was conceived that day."
"Hic!"
Another hiccup.
The news was too explosive.
Sang Shu raised an eyebrow. "If you still don't believe it, go ask your brother. Surely he wouldn't lie to you."
Consort Shu: "…"
She was speechless.
Who am I? Where am I?
After who knew how long, she finally snapped out of it—and then exploded.
"How is that possible? If it were true, how could you have entered the palace? How could the emperor not have noticed?"
"I entered the palace by decree without going through the selection process. As for the emperor? He's never touched me. How would he know?"
"If I'm not mistaken, perhaps all the elder sisters in the harem are still virgins as well?"
Consort Shu's pupils shrank.
How did the Noble Consort know?
She had never told anyone the emperor had never touched her. She had assumed it was because she preferred martial arts over delicate accomplishments, making her less appealing.
But according to this—
Had the emperor never touched anyone in the harem?
Could there be something wrong with the emperor's health?
The flames of gossip burned within her.
But—
That wasn't the most important thing right now.
"What matters is… are you really pregnant? With my brother's child?"
Sang Shu simply smiled without answering.
She said nothing—and yet said everything.
"I have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave first!"
Consort Shu shuddered and rushed toward the door.
Halfway there, she stomped her foot and turned back. "You… take good care of yourself and the child."
After a pause, she added painfully, "If you still want fish, have someone come ask me."
It hurt.
Her precious little fish.
With that, she clutched her chest and left.
Perhaps her expression was too tragic—it caused quite a misunderstanding among the onlookers.