The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Because Noble Princess Consort Chu was upset, Anning didn’t stay long at Yuxian Palace. She stood for a while and then bid her farewell.

Only after Anning left did Emperor Jianyuan begin to properly comfort Noble Princess Consort Chu.

When he coaxed her out from the inner chamber, Noble Princess Consort Chu had already become a crying mess.

This made Emperor Jianyuan feel terribly heartbroken.

”Chuchu, what’s the matter with you? If you’re angry, let it out; why trouble yourself, come on, don’t cry.”

Emperor Jianyuan moved to embrace Noble Princess Consort Chu, but she slapped away his hand.

”Your Majesty, leave me be, let me cry myself to death.”

Noble Princess Consort Chu sobbed while angrily saying: ”I am not one to covet vanity. I said from the start I wouldn’t enter the palace. If Your Majesty remembered the grace of me saving your life, you would arrange a small house for me in the Capital, just to give me a place to stay; but Your Majesty insisted I enter the palace. I liked Your Majesty and couldn’t let go, that’s why I came to the palace. Do you think I truly covet the luxurious life here? Such a grand Imperial Palace is nothing but a cage for prisoners. Since entering the palace, I’ve never gone out. I have no parents, no friends or family, no attachments, and I’m not afraid to die. I originally lived freely and did whatever I wanted, but over the years I have suppressed myself for Your Majesty. If Your Majesty had feelings for me, you wouldn’t make me feel like this... Even if you make me suppress and suffer, I say nothing, having gotten used to it. But, I just accepted a goddaughter and this caused trouble. It seems the palace truly cannot accommodate me.”

As she spoke, she retreated to the inner chamber, returning shortly with a bundle.

”Your Majesty, grant me death, or let me leave. I’ll shave my head and become a nun in a convent.”

Emperor Jianyuan felt both heartache and anger.

Yet, he couldn’t bear to scold Noble Princess Consort Chu: ”Chuchu, I won’t let you suffer such grievances for nothing. Just endure for a while, and in a few days, I’ll seek justice for you, okay?”

Noble Princess Consort Chu tossed the bundle onto the table and sat down angrily: ”I know what Your Majesty is thinking, you still don’t trust me, assuming I have ulterior motives. Anning is Bai En’s daughter, and Your Majesty thinks it’s inappropriate for me to recognize the daughter of an eunuch, suspecting that I aim to ally with Bai En, right? If so, why keep me? Might as well end me with a poison cup.”

Emperor Jianyuan indeed had been suspicious, but now upon Noble Princess Consort Chu’s words, all his doubts dissipated.

”I never thought that way; how could I possibly think like that about Chuchu?”

Noble Princess Consort Chu snorted: ”For Your Majesty, I have been taking medicine all these years; I dare not have my own child. What thoughts could I possibly have? I have no sons or daughters; why would I ally with Bai En? Your Majesty always says you’re good to me, yet keep stabbing my heart. I’m fed up with these days.”

Emperor Jianyuan felt somewhat guilty, so he could only gently coax Noble Princess Consort Chu: ”I know you feel wronged, and that you’ve sacrificed a lot for me. If you like children, then how about we have one? I swear here, if you have a daughter, I’ll make her the most distinguished Princess. If it’s a son, I’ll appoint him Crown Prince to succeed the throne. How does that sound?”

”Enough, enough.”

Noble Princess Consort Chu waved her hand: ”I have no children, and Your Majesty still suspects me. If in the future I truly have a son, we might not even know how we die. It’s better not to have any. While Your Majesty lives, so shall I; and if Your Majesty truly goes before me, I’ll follow Your Majesty. Why bother seeking such displeasure?”

As she said this, there was deep love in her eyes, warming Emperor Jianyuan’s heart; he reached out to embrace Noble Princess Consort Chu: ”Neither this works nor that, I truly don’t know what to do with you. Enough, do as you wish. Since you like Bai En’s daughter, I’ll treat her well in the future.”

Noble Princess Consort Chu kept her face cold and remained silent.

That night, Emperor Jianyuan intended to stay with Noble Princess Consort Chu but was driven away by her: ”I’m not feeling well in my heart or in my body and can’t serve Your Majesty. Your Majesty might as well go to another sister so that there’s no need to miss others and no need for jealousy and secret cursing of me.”

Emperor Jianyuan truly got driven out from Congyue Immortal Palace.

He was both angry and amused, truly out of options with Noble Princess Consort Chu.

He even complained to Bai En: ”Look, spoiled by me, her temper’s getting bigger.”

Bai En lowered his head and remained silent.

For several days, Noble Princess Consort Chu stayed in Yuxian Palace without coming out, and when Emperor Jianyuan went over, she wouldn’t see him.

Emperor Jianyuan, unable to see Noble Princess Consort Chu, didn’t dare to visit other palaces and spent every day at Qianyuan Palace, feeling frustrated for not seeing Noble Princess Consort Chu.

The more frustrated he was, the more Emperor Jianyuan took his anger out on the Empress and Princess Le Ping.

A few days later, Princess Le Ping snuck out of the palace and got into an altercation, prompting Emperor Jianyuan to scold the Empress and then moved Princess Le Ping out of the Empress’s palace, placing her in the coldest, quietest corner of Qiyue Palace.

Not only that, Emperor Jianyuan personally hit Princess Le Ping and confined her in Qiyue Palace, forbidding her to leave, even requiring her to recite prayers for her deceased birth mother.

This undoubtedly signaled to the outside world that Princess Le Ping wasn’t favored, even rejected, also indicating to the harem and previous dynasty that the Empress wasn’t favored by His Majesty.

Originally, many noble families in the Capital saw Princess Le Ping cared for under the Empress’s knee, seemingly well-favored, considering seeking Emperor Jianyuan’s permission to marry Princess Le Ping.

Now seeing Princess Le Ping confined, they quickly abandoned the idea.

For a time, Princess Le Ping’s marriage was put on hold.

Despite this, Noble Princess Consort Chu hadn’t seen Emperor Jianyuan for a month. After a month, her anger dissipated, allowing Emperor Jianyuan back into Yuxian Palace.

Anning knew some palace matters.

She said to Xiao Yuan when no one was around: ”My godmother has really high-level methods; just watch, the Empress will eventually fall into her hands.”

In the past life, Noble Princess Consort Chu passed away early, and the Empress lived to the end, becoming Empress Dowager. But this time, with Noble Princess Consort Chu alive and well, the ending might be rewritten.

Just Noble Princess Consort Chu could disturb the palace peace, and with Bai En added to the mix, ha, Anning could imagine what state this world would be in once Emperor Jianyuan passed away.

Xiao Yuan pondered over Anning’s words, then temporarily set aside his studies and quietly followed Bai En to meet many people.

Bai En hadn’t stayed by Emperor Jianyuan’s side these ten-plus years for nothing.

He had his network and organized a merchant team to probe and relay information, additionally placing personnel in Jiangnan among other places. Even inside the palace, Bai En collected many adopted sons; his sons held various palace positions.

Currently, Bai En was introducing Xiao Yuan to these people.

Beyond connecting Xiao Yuan with contacts, Bai En also provided Anning with a lot of money.

Moreover, he handed over his largest salt field in Jinmen to Anning.

This salt field had considerable earnings, annually bringing Bai En tens of thousands of taels of silver revenues, now transferring to Anning’s hands, making her suddenly wealthy.

Anning joyfully accepted the salt field, then discreetly visited it while it wasn’t too cold. She met the salt field’s steward and improved the salt production method, enhancing quality and yield, requiring fewer laborers. With these improvements, the annual profit of the salt field increased even further.

Upon returning, Anning received half a year’s earnings from the salt field, totaling over twenty thousand taels of silver, stored the silver notes away, and said to Xiao Yuan with a smile: ”It seems we’re going to win effortlessly this time.”