Responses

I believe its the current emperors because in chapter 7 yeon lok heun confronted 2 maids because they were crying about how mean his favored consort was(AKA his wife) & in chapter 9 the emperor's attendant compared yeon lok heun to the forth prince implying that she shouldn't too be happy because she's only a substitute to whoever the forth prince is(doesn't mean its his kid but sure seems like it)
Really hope the emperor isn't the ML the age gap is killing me, i feel very uneasy that he has other women and Kids, and she's such a strong and great MC it'd be a waste if her character gets downsized and she has to be kept up in a palace just so she can be 'Empress' noo. also hopes she reunites w/ her father.