At the palace banquet, everyone was eating absent-mindedly.

They all pricked up their ears to listen to what the concubines said.

However, the concubines only talked about romantic matters and did not reveal any key information.

Except for the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo who looked worried, all the other wives of the dukes looked calm and composed.

The Queen is ill, that’s a good thing!

There is no time to celebrate, so why worry?

The only thing he needed to worry about was whether the emperor would take advantage of the Empress's death to stir up a major storm, and whether it would affect his family.

Furthermore, the power dynamics at court needed to be reshuffled. Shouldn't my family act early and take the initiative? However, I was worried about arousing the emperor's suspicion, which would be more trouble than good.

You know, the older Emperor Kaiyao gets, the narrower his mind becomes, and he can't tolerate any sand in his eyes.

If anyone makes Emperor Kaiyao unhappy, he will make his entire family, including three generations of his family, unhappy.

After thinking about it this way, the wives of the dukes tacitly decided to remain silent and wait and see what would happen.

The palace banquet was tasteless, so Gu Jiu just took a sip of wine.

The ice-cold wine rolled down his throat, and he felt cold from head to toe.

never mind!

This palace banquet cannot be eaten.

Gu Jiu put down his wine glass and knelt quietly behind Zhang and Xie.

Gu Yue kept her head down, her mind unclear.

Gu Shan was as quiet as a chicken the whole time, and I didn't hear her say a few words today.

Bang!

Someone's wine glass rolled to the ground, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

In front, Concubine Xue smiled, covering her lips, glanced at the wine glass on the ground, and said, "Sister Xianfei, what's wrong with you? Are your hands cold? These damn servants actually gave Sister Xianfei a cold wine glass. Damn it."

"My Queen, please spare me, my Queen, please spare me!"

All the palace servants present, regardless of rank or not, knelt down and kowtowed in unison.

Concubine Xue snorted coldly, full of majesty.

The virtuous concubine said expressionlessly, "Your Highness, you're overthinking it. It's my fault for not holding it firmly. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Concubine Xue laughed, "Sister Xianfei is as kind as ever. Well, since Sister Xianfei has spoken, I will not make a fuss about it."

Xian Fei frowned and stared at Concubine Xue, her previous calm and gentle demeanor gone. "Care about it? I just smashed a wine glass, and I don't care, so why are you fussing about it? Do you really think you're the Empress?"

The air in the hall suddenly became quiet.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

This is going to cause trouble!

Can the concubines really not bear it anymore?

The Queen is not dead yet, but they are already causing trouble. Aren't they afraid that the Queen will drag someone down with her before she dies?

Concubine Xue's expression changed drastically, and she looked cruel. "Sister Xianfei, please be careful with your words. You may be dissatisfied with the Empress's indulgence, but you shouldn't curse her. The Empress is the mother of a country, how can you slander her?"

The virtuous concubine was so angry that she was shaking all over. It was obvious that Concubine Xue was confusing right and wrong and putting the blame on herself.

"You are the one who is slandering me. You are talking nonsense. I wonder who has evil intentions. Do you really think you have the final say in this harem?"

Concubine Xue laughed sarcastically, "Sister Xianfei, you must have misunderstood. In this harem, my words don't count, and neither do yours. Naturally, the final say lies with His Majesty and the Empress. Sister Xianfei, you're already quite old, so please be more careful with your words."

The virtuous concubine was so angry that her face turned red. She snorted coldly, stood up, and left with a flick of her sleeves.

Concubine Xue smiled contemptuously. With such little ability, he dared to fight with her. He was overestimating himself.

Concubine Shu sat still, without saying a word from beginning to end, just drinking by herself.

Concubine Xue smiled and said, "Sister Shufei, let's drink."

Concubine Shu looked at Concubine Xue with a half-smile, "No thanks! I don't want to be pissed off by you."

Concubine Xue's hand holding the wine glass paused in mid-air, as if she was frightened, or as if she had heard something ridiculous.

She covered her lips and smiled, "Sister Shufei is really good at joking."

Concubine Shu glanced at Concubine Xue and said, "I never joke."

Concubine Xue snorted inwardly, "Forget it, why should I bother to show my affection to a cold butt?"

Concubine Shu ignored her.

Gu Jiu's position was a little far from the front, so he couldn't hear the ladies talking, but he could see their movements.

From the moment Concubine Xian turned away and left, to Concubine Shu's cold rejection of Concubine Xue and Concubine Xue enjoying herself, Gu Jiu saw it all.

She was secretly shocked. Could the relationship between these ladies really have reached this point? They didn't even bother to hide it in front of others, and directly exposed their conflicts in front of everyone?

Is this really okay?

Or has the conflict in the palace reached a fever pitch and there is no need to conceal it anymore?

Gu Jiu heard Zhang sigh.

So she asked quietly, "Aunt, is it serious?"

Zhang whispered to Gu Jiu, "Leave the palace as soon as possible. If you stay any longer, I'm worried something might happen."

As the Queen's health deteriorated day by day, the concubines almost tore off their relations and rolled up their sleeves to fight bare-chested.

Gu Jiu felt sympathetic.

This harem is really not a place for human beings to stay.

She thought of Jiang Yan, desperately striving for the upper echelons of her career. Did she successfully enter the palace? Where was she now, and was she content? Or was she suffering at the bottom of society, with no hope or future in sight?

A girl's best youth only lasts a few years. If Jiang Yan can't seize the opportunity and climb up in her prime, her life will be difficult.

Gu Jiu was lost in thought and continued to suffer at the palace banquet.

No one enjoyed the food at this palace banquet and it soon left.

Zhang took Xie to see the old lady Wei, wanting to leave the palace early.

Madam Wei nodded and said, "Let's leave the palace. Let's all leave. This year is not peaceful, so everyone should be cautious."

Zhang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, hurried to the old lady's side.

"Madam, my daughter-in-law just received some news."

"What news? Could it be the Queen..."

Old Madam Wei's expression changed slightly, and she thought to herself that the Queen might not even make it through the first day of the Lunar New Year.

If the Queen is really gone, then everyone present today...

Old Madam Wei frowned, her face pale. She was so frail that she feared she wouldn't survive the Empress's funeral and would die in front of the mourning hall.

Madam Wei hurriedly said, "It's not what the old lady thinks. My daughter-in-law has received news that the emperor's grandchildren will collectively choose wives in the next few days. If nothing unexpected happens, Qi'er and Ying'er are both on the list."

"What?"

The second wife, Wang, and the third wife, Duan, were both anxious.

"Sister-in-law, is this news accurate?"

Madam Wei said with certainty, "The news is confirmed. The wives of the Dukes were the first to hear the news, and they are already discussing countermeasures."

Everyone searched the crowd for the wives of the dukes, and sure enough, they were gathered together, each with a solemn look on their faces.

Madam Wei asked, "Who came up with this idea? How did they come up with the idea of ​​having the emperor's grandchildren collectively choose their wives?"

Madam Wei whispered, "I heard it was the Empress's idea, and His Majesty agreed. This time, the girls from the Pei family probably won't be able to escape."

How many people are eyeing the marriage of the girl from the Pei family, because the Duke of Lu is powerful, holds military power, and holds a high position of authority.

As the daughter of Marquis Lu, she received far more attention than other princesses and princesses.

Pei Yun ran away from her marriage to the northwest. Did she really think that no one in the capital knew about it? It was just that everyone knew it tacitly.

Since they couldn't marry Pei Yun to their own family, they certainly didn't want to see other families marry Pei Yun.

Pei Yun was able to leave Beijing smoothly and head to the northwest. It can be said that many people helped him in both open and covert ways.

This time, Pei Yun quietly returned to Beijing from the northwest before the New Year.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Pei family was planning to arrange a marriage for Pei Yun.

Everyone is paying attention to whether Pei Yun will marry into the royal family or into a noble family.

Because Pei Yun's marriage indirectly represents the attitude of the Duke of Lu.

Over the years, the Duke of Lu's attitude has always been ambiguous and vague.

The nobles said that he was not firm in his stance and had a crooked butt, and they were afraid that he would stab them in the back.

The civil officials said he was corrupt, ambitious, and unworthy of a career. Some even said the Duke of Lu should be cut into pieces.

However, no matter how the nobles and civil officials slandered and abused the Duke of Lu, in fact, everyone wanted to win him over.

By winning over the Marquis of Lu, the throne of the emperor was basically secure.

However, this bastard, Duke Lu, took a lot of money. He dared to take money from anyone, but he did nothing after taking the money.

A complete bastard.

What the Duke of Lu did made people hate him to death.

But no one can do anything about him.

However, although the Duke of Lu was unmoved, he still had children. His daughters were still unmarried, so this was an opportunity.

The sons of the Marquis of Lu married either the daughters of nobles or the daughters of his subordinates. His position was not clearly reflected.

Now it is the turn of the Marquis of Lu's daughters to propose marriage. He can't possibly marry his precious daughter to the son of one of his subordinates.

It's said that marrying a daughter of high status is better than marrying a daughter-in-law of low status. Letting Pei Yun marry the son of a military commander is like sticking a flower in cow dung. What a waste!

Therefore, Pei Yun’s marriage involves many operations and also represents many meanings.

After thinking about it, Old Madam Wei realized that although it seemed like the emperor's grandson was choosing a wife, it was actually a game of many forces.

"This pool is too deep, you are not allowed to touch it. Qi'er and Ying'er's marriage, after discussing it with the old marquis, will be finalized as soon as possible. Let's go, hurry out of the palace."

Old Madam Wei looked solemn, and everyone was also worried.

Zhang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she didn't give birth to a daughter, otherwise she would have been worried to death.

Xie had evil intentions. It was a good thing for the emperor's grandson to choose a wife.

Gu Yue’s marriage has been settled, but there is still Gu Shan.

If Gu Shan could marry the emperor's grandson, it would be a blessing from her ancestors.

Seeing this, Zhang hurriedly reminded Xie, "Sister-in-law, this matter is not as simple as you think. Don't do anything rash or you'll harm the whole family."

Xie pursed her lips and smiled, "Sister-in-law is right to remind you. Don't worry, I will definitely not do anything rash. My Shan'er is still young, and Lun can't say anything about her."

Zhang frowned, her expression serious, "Let's go, follow the old lady out of the palace."

But she had already made up her mind that after returning home, she would have someone remind Lord Gu.

No matter what ideas Xie has, they must be nipped in the bud.

Gu Jiu walked with Gu Mei, "Sister Mei, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But Sister Qi and Sister Ying are in trouble."

Gu Jiu asked quietly, "Has the situation at Prince Zhao's Mansion been resolved?"

When Prince Zhao's Mansion wanted to marry Gu Qi, the Marquis' Mansion flatly refused and even cooperated with the Empress.

Gu Jiu has been thinking about this matter and doesn't know what will happen next.

Gu Mei whispered to her, "There's been no movement from Prince Zhao's Mansion for now. It looks like they've given up. But this time, when the Emperor's grandson is choosing a wife, I'm worried that Prince Zhao's Mansion will cause trouble again. I heard that once the Emperor's grandson chooses someone, His Majesty will directly decree the marriage."

Gu Jiu shook his head slightly, "Sister Mei can rest assured about this. If you want His Majesty to issue an order to grant a marriage, the prerequisite is that the wife chosen by the emperor's grandson must meet His Majesty's requirements.

For example, Sister Pei Yun from the Marquis of Lu’s Mansion cannot be chosen as a wife by just any grandson of the emperor.

If someone fails to understand the situation and chooses a wife haphazardly, His Majesty will not only not grant the marriage, but may even be furious."

Gu Mei said, "Sister Jiu has never met those emperor's grandchildren. They are all cunning and calculating. I think that when the emperor's grandchildren choose a wife this time, there will definitely be people who will take advantage of the situation to stir up trouble."

Gu Jiu nodded, that’s true.

The emperor's grandchildren received the best education of the era. Their thoughts, vision and abilities were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

When it comes to tricks and scheming, these imperial grandchildren are far ahead of most of their peers.

A simple matter of choosing a wife for the emperor's grandson is likely to be played out in various ways by them.

The Empress proposed that the emperor's grandchildren choose their wives collectively, and it turned out that she had no good intentions.

It is estimated that the Queen wanted to do something big at the last moment of her life to make the situation even more chaotic.

The more chaotic the situation is, the more clowns will pop up, which will highlight the kindness and excellence of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

In this case, what reason does the emperor have to depose His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

The rottenness of the emperor's grandchildren indirectly highlights the rottenness of the princes and sons.

There is no limit to being worse than the worst.

Rather than letting a bad prince inherit the throne, it is better to let the crown prince inherit the throne. After all, the crown prince still has the advantage of being kind and benevolent.

Gu Jiu pondered it for a while, and felt more and more that the Queen was unfathomable and had extraordinary means.

It’s a pity that she couldn’t fight for her life or Emperor Kaiyao.

Gu Jiu secretly sighed. The Empress was as capable as any man, but it was a shame that the son she gave birth to wasn't even half as good as her. How sad.

I'm afraid the Queen is also very unwilling.

The Gu family left the palace smoothly and boarded a carriage to return home.

Lord Gu also rushed back in the afternoon.

Xie sent someone to invite Mr. Gu to Furong Courtyard.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master."

Lord Gu had a stern face and a gloomy expression. "I heard that at the harem banquet, Concubine Xian smashed her wine glass and left with a wave of her sleeves?"

Xie was stunned for a moment, then hurried to Mr. Gu's side, "Does even the master know about this?"

Lord Gu snorted coldly, "What happened at the harem banquet was immediately reported to His Majesty. I know everything about this matter, which means that almost everyone in the capital knows it."

Xie secretly cried out in fear.

"I didn't expect to see that scene. But I was far away and didn't hear what the ladies said."

"That's all right! I already know the general reason."

Xie was curious and asked, "What's the reason? Is there a grudge between the virtuous concubine and the noble concubine?"

Lord Gu whispered, "Some time ago, probably only two or three months ago. The King of Zhao slapped the King of Yan."

"ah?"

Xie couldn't believe it.

Lord Gu continued, "This happened right here in the palace, right under your Majesty's nose. The Prince of Zhao is the elder, and the Prince of Yan is the younger. The Prince of Yan was slapped by the Prince of Zhao, and he couldn't fight back, so he'll definitely hold a grudge. Xianfei is the Prince of Yan's biological mother, so naturally, she'll hold a grudge against Concubine Xue and the Prince of Zhao and her son."

Xie was terrified. "Have the princes and queens gotten to this point?"

Lord Gu nodded, "The old marquis reminded me that I should stay away from these princes in the future. I must not get involved in the fights between the princes."

Mrs. Xie nodded repeatedly. "Master, what you said makes sense. I also heard a piece of news today. It is said that the emperor's grandchildren will collectively choose wives in the next few days. The old lady is very worried, worried that Gu Qi and Gu Ying will be chosen."

Lord Gu frowned, "This is indeed a troublesome matter. But the old lady and the old marquis should be able to deal with it."

"Master, when the emperor's grandson chooses a wife, everyone is afraid to avoid it. But if the girl can marry into a prince's palace that does not compete for the throne, I think it would be great."

Master Gu narrowed his eyes, "What does Madam want to say?"

Xie was apprehensive, but she still said, "I'm wondering if Shan'er should seize this opportunity."

"absurd!"

Lord Gu scolded him harshly, "Did all the words I just said go to waste? Did you not listen to a single word? I told you to stay away from these princes, emperors, and grandchildren, yet you still came close to them. Are you afraid that I won't die quickly enough?"

Xie panicked, "Master, I don't mean that. I just want Shan'er to marry into a good family."

Lord Gu was furious. "Shut up. There are so many good families in the world, why do you have to marry the emperor's grandson? I tell you, this is the capital, not the northwest.

Do you know that if you make a small mistake, you may be doomed?

Do you think that if a certain royal palace doesn't participate in the struggle for the throne, it will be safe and prosperous forever? You are dreaming.

You really disappoint me. How can you be so greedy that you only see the immediate benefits and not the risks? You really want to kill me."