Hailanzhu waved her hand and said, "I'll thank you after it's all done."

"Yes," Qingluan replied with a curtsy.

In order to devise a foolproof plan, Hailanzhu needed to be meticulous, so she dismissed Qingluan, then went to her bedchamber, lay down on the soft bed, and pondered deeply.

The first step is to rescue their mother, which is also the most important step. Only when their mother's life is safe can the two of them reveal Yan Zha Qiurong's evil deeds without any worries.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she began to mutter to herself: Yan Zha Fulin judges people by their appearance. If she 'ruined' her appearance, would he still want her?

It's obvious they won't want it.

Thinking of this, she immediately lost her sleepiness and hurriedly got up, but then stopped. After all, she was inside the palace and had no say in matters outside.

"By the way, let's see if Yu'er has any ideas."

Without hesitation, she quickly tidied her clothes and went with Qingluan.

"Sister, if there's anything you need, just call Yu'er. Why come here in this heat? What if it gets too hot for the baby in your womb?"

Seeing that Hailanzhu's face was flushed and beads of sweat were on her forehead, Da Yu'er hurriedly stepped forward and said.

Hailanzhu replied with a smile, "How can my child be spoiled?"

"Can…"

Da Yu'er wanted to continue, but Hai Lanzhu stopped her, saying, "I came to see you because it's important."

"Important matter? Please speak freely, sister." Upon hearing this, Da Yu'er's face revealed panic.

"Do you know anyone reliable outside the palace?" Hailanzhu whispered in Dayuer's ear.

Da Yu'er hesitated at first, but finally nodded.

Seeing this, Hailanzhu smiled knowingly, "That's wonderful." Then she took out a packet of medicine powder from her bosom and placed it in Dayuer's hand.

Da Yu'er asked in confusion, "What is this? Is it arsenic?"

Hailanzhu quickly shook her head, "How could I have such a thing? It's powder made from moneywort and costus root."

"What is its purpose?" Da Yu'er asked, frowning.

“Applying it to the face will temporarily disfigure you,” Hailanzhu said truthfully.

"Who does my sister want to use it on?"

Hailanzhu lowered her eyes slightly, "One of Yanzha Fulin's concubines."

"What?" Now Da Yu'er was even more confused.

To dispel her doubts, Hailanzhu whispered in her ear about the upcoming plan and the factors involved.

Da Yu'er naturally agreed to such a small matter.

"You're really capable, Yu'er," Hailanzhu praised. No matter how favored she was in the palace, her influence couldn't extend beyond the palace walls.

Da Yu'er didn't agree, but instead asked, "Sister, don't you want to know who that person outside the palace is?"

Hailanzhu shook her head. "Everyone has their own secrets. As long as you don't tell me, I won't press you for details."

Hearing this, Da Yu'er smiled and said, "Sister, you are so kind. If it were Aunt, she would have asked a lot of questions long ago." She paused and then said, "I will definitely tell you when the time is right."

"Okay." Hailanzhu nodded. Like Dayuer, she wouldn't care too much as long as it didn't harm her.

The two smiled at each other. If the eunuch hadn't informed them that Huang Taiji had gone to Guanju Palace, Hailanzhu would not have been willing to leave.

"Sister, you should leave quickly! Don't keep the Emperor waiting."

"Um."

Hailanzhu nodded and then left.

Inside the Guanju Palace, Huang Taiji waited with his back straight as always, until Hailanzhu stepped in.

Huang Taiji turned around, smiling as he went to greet her, and pulled her into his arms. "Lan'er, I have ordered the kitchen to make you some chicken soup to nourish your body."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty," Hailanzhu said softly.

Huang Taiji affectionately pinched her nose, "We're both mothers, why are you always running around?"

“This is called strengthening the body. You need to move around more, and the child’s body will naturally become stronger as well,” Hailanzhu said with a smile.

"I can't argue with you," Huang Taiji said with a smile.

A short while later, a palace maid brought over the chicken soup, which Huang Taiji took and personally fed to Hailanzhu.

Hailanzhu looked slightly embarrassed. She wasn't sick, nor did she lack limbs, so feeding her like this was a first for her.

However, she couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and drink it.

Only when the bowl was empty did Huang Taiji put down his chopsticks and say, "Lan'er, I have good news to tell you."

"What good news?" Hailanzhu suppressed a burp in her stomach and asked him curiously.

"Wu Keshan will arrive in the capital in three days," Huang Taiji said happily, thinking that Hailanzhu would be happy to see her maternal family.

To everyone's surprise, Hailanzhu simply responded with an "oh," her face remaining expressionless.

"What's wrong? Is Lan'er unhappy?" Huang Taiji looked at her, puzzled.

Hailanzhu gave an awkward laugh, "I'm happy, but I just heard Yu'er mention it, so I wasn't really surprised." But in her heart she thought: How could I be happy when my heartless maternal family comes?

"So that's how it is." Huang Taiji had no doubts.

Seeing that he no longer brought it up, Hailanzhu quickly changed the subject. She wanted to speak directly, but Huang Taiji was, after all, the emperor, so she first probed, "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."

"Lan'er, as long as you say it, I will do whatever you want. Besides, didn't we agree that you don't need to be so careful in front of me?" Huang Taiji replied without hesitation.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" That's what she said, but Hailanzhu still had to follow the proper etiquette.

"Your Majesty, I would like to request that Manchus and Han Chinese intermarry, and that Han Chinese be allowed to benefit the Qing Dynasty and its people through the imperial examination system." After Hailanzhu finished speaking with great courage, she held her breath and waited for Huang Taiji's reaction.

But she was met with a moment of silence. She couldn't help but look up and saw that Huang Taiji was staring at her intently, his gaze deep and penetrating, as if he could draw her in.

Hailanzhu's heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily lowered her gaze to hide her unease.

Huang Taiji stared at her for a long time before slowly saying, "I agree."

Hailanzhu was stunned for a moment, then raised her eyes and looked at him in disbelief: "Really?"

She thought he would ask why, but to her surprise, he agreed so easily.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Huang Taiji indulged him as always. "It's just that I don't understand why Lan'er would have this idea."

Hailanzhu had already prepared her answer and immediately said, "I am thinking of Your Majesty, and even more so of the Qing Dynasty."

Huang Taiji nodded slightly, completely trusting Hailanzhu's words.

Hailanzhu was deeply moved and said generously, "Nowadays, all the officials in the court are descendants of the Eight Banners. Almost all of them obtained their positions through the merits of their ancestors. To be honest, most of them are neither literate nor martial. With their abilities, they can barely serve as local officials, let alone hold high positions. In that case, it would be better to appoint capable people to these positions, so that Your Majesty can be relieved of his worries."