Despite her lack of response, the Pure Consort did not care. As if she wanted to vent all the resentment she had accumulated in her heart over the years, she said sarcastically, “His Majesty only ordered the servants to fish me out of the pond before leaving coldly. He didn’t even look at me, and he didn’t even pretend to care about me. It was a bitter winter, and falling into the water, along with depression, made me ill, but His Majesty didn’t say a single word. He’s truly a cold and heartless man.

To be honest, I was a little resentful of him back then. How could he be so unkind? I was just a young girl. Was his heart made of stone? Was that why he was so indifferent?”

Lu Liangwei frowned. Hearing someone speak about the Emperor this way made her uncomfortable. She said coldly, “As far as I know, it was your wish to enter the palace back then, and you even asked your father to plead with a few senior court officials in private. His Majesty only agreed to take you in because those officials submitted a Palace Memorial jointly.

His Majesty never forced you to enter the palace, but you started blaming him when you couldn’t win his love. Because you like him so much, you expected him to return your feelings in the same way, but when you couldn’t get the result you wanted, you blamed everything on him. You selfishly take things for granted, but you never thought of blaming yourself for not considering the consequences before entering the palace. You can never force someone to love you!”

The Pure Consort’s face turned deathly pale, and she clenched her fists tight.

Indeed, the Emperor had not asked her to enter the palace at all. She had thrown herself in blindly.

Who else could she blame but herself for ending up like a grumbling spinster?

Who else could she hate?

After a long moment, the Pure Consort laughed bitterly. “You’re right. It was all just my wishful thinking. I was too naive, thinking that His Majesty would treat me differently one day. When I was younger, I did a lot of stupid things to attract His Majesty’s attention. However, so many years have passed, and I’m still nothing to him.”

Lu Liangwei could tell that the Pure Consort’s feelings for the Emperor had already been exhausted over the years, leaving only indignance and resentment.

She had only chosen this path today to take revenge on the Emperor.

However, was it worth it?

Lu Liangwei glanced at Zhan You.

This man was probably about the same age as the Pure Consort.

When the Pure Consort spoke about the past, there was a clear flash of pain in his eyes.

His heart must be aching with pity for the Pure Consort, right?

However, the Pure Consort did not seem to notice.

“Enough about me. Do you know how long the Virtuous Consort had been in the palace, Your Highness?” asked the Pure Consort.

Lu Liangwei knew, of course. Before she entered the palace, her grandmother had, out of worry, told her a lot about the Four Chief Consorts and their families.

She knew everything, but she did not say a word.

The Pure Consort murmured, “The Virtuous Consort was the first among us four to join the harem. She had been in the palace for twelve years, but she eventually got killed by His Majesty. Don’t you think he’s too cruel for doing that? Even though the Virtuous Consort couldn’t win his heart after all those years, she was at least a senior. How could he just kill her like that? His Majesty is terrifying when he’s ruthless!”

Lu Liangwei glanced at her. How could she not understand her intentions?

The Pure Consort was using the Virtuous Consort’s story to warn her. Although the Virtuous Consort had been in the palace for so many years, the Emperor had still killed her in cold blood. In the same way, she may be favored at the moment, but she might end up like the consorts one day just because she angered the Emperor.