Consort An, standing nearby, continued her sarcastic remarks: "That bitch Song Wanwan, how come she's so lucky? She was taken out of the Cold Palace by the Emperor and even got pregnant with his son!"

"You slut! You slut! You disgusting slut, why don't you just die already!"

As she spoke, An Ying looked at Tao Yue with a terrifying gaze: "Tao Yue, hurry up and give me that thing."

Upon hearing the voice, Tao Yue stiffened slightly. As Consort An's confidante, she naturally knew what the Empress was talking about. It was a witchcraft doll with Consort Wan's name written on it, covered with densely packed silver needles.

The silver needles, gleaming with a cold light, appeared even more sinister and terrifying against the backdrop of the strangely shaped doll and the distorted face of the person holding them.

The people inside the room trembled with fright, but dared not show it, so they could only stare silently at that spot.

After venting her emotions by holding the witchcraft doll and stabbing it with countless needles, An Ying finally calmed down and was able to think about other ideas.

"Consort Wan's child cannot be born, and she must be abandoned by the Emperor before she dies." Consort An mechanically bit her lip until she tasted blood, then she moved away from that spot slightly.

Hearing the Empress's bold words, the people in the room were not surprised. They had no choice; they were members of the An family, their people planted in the palace to help the Empress. If they didn't do their best, their families back home would also be doomed.

So even if they didn't want to do these dirty things, they had to do them because the Empress wanted them to.

Taoyue was one of them, as were the others.

Thinking about it, An Ying couldn't help but think of her old method from her youth: when she encountered a young lady from a prominent family whom she didn't get along with, she would first tarnish her reputation, and then spread rumors that the person would have no way to get along with her.

Thinking of this plan, An's eyes lit up with each passing thought. Not only would that bitch die, but that woman would also die a humiliating death! Hahahaha!

"Taoyue, find some time to send a message outside the palace asking my father and the others to buy me a packet of aphrodisiacs, and make sure they are strong."

Tao Yue's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected her mistress to resort to such a vicious method again. As someone who had followed her mistress since the An family, Tao Yue knew very well what kind of person An Jiali was.

She was inherently vicious, sensitive, and jealous, and she had an extreme aversion to women who were prettier than her. At that time, many beautiful palace maids died at her hands. If she hadn't been unattractive, Tao Yue had no doubt that her mistress would have killed her long ago.

Tao Yue readily agreed, but could only silently pray for Consort Wan, hoping she could escape her mistress's scheme.

Others offered suggestions, and some even tried to persuade the Empress to change her risky plan, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Wan is protected by the Emperor and is pregnant, so you might not find an opportunity..."

"What's there to be afraid of? We should take this opportunity to get rid of that bastard in her belly."

"Your Majesty... what?"

"Stop talking. If you're just bored, why don't you think about which opportunity is best to strike?" After saying that, Consort An gave the surrounding palace maids a vicious look.

The cold, sinister gaze was like a venomous snake lurking in the darkness, filling everyone with fear. Yet, they still offered their master advice: "The palace holds a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet every year, and it's almost here again. By then, Consort Wan will be fully pregnant, and the Emperor will definitely want her to go out. Why not take advantage of that opportunity..."

“Okay, not bad.” An’s eyes lit up, and she glanced approvingly at the maid who made the suggestion. After some careful consideration, she came up with a plan.

Time flies, and a month passes in the blink of an eye, slipping through our fingers like sand.

Three months later, Qingyin was pregnant.

As He An had expected, Qingyin was indeed going to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. However, it wasn't at the Emperor's request; she was simply bored in the palace lately, being treated like a fragile vase by Fulin, and wanted to go out and experience something new to avoid the monotony.

Fu Lin wanted to stop her, but he couldn't go against Qing Yin's wishes. He was forced to give in after just one expectant look from her.

After thinking it over, he realized that banquets were prone to accidents, but with the additional manpower he had sent, it would still be safe. With that thought, Fu Lin felt less pressure.

As usual, he continued to massage Qingyin's calves diligently. This was something he did every day after Qingyin became pregnant. Now that he had a sweetheart and a father, Fulin went to the Imperial Hospital and asked the imperial physicians. They said that massage was good for pregnant women, so he specially learned to massage Wanwan for an hour every night before going to sleep.

Qingyin enjoyed the emperor's exclusive services and fell into a sweet sleep.

When the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet arrived, the palace was indeed unusually lively.

The banquet was attended not only by princes and members of the imperial family, but also by officials from the court who would bring their wives and children, making the scene incredibly lively and the venue exceptionally spacious.

The officials arrived early, and acquaintances had already gathered in twos and threes. The women's and men's seats were mostly occupied by young men and women.

This was another hidden purpose of the banquet.

In ancient times, men and women could not meet due to various rules, but marriage was still a must, so matchmaking was necessary. However, people rarely met openly because of these rules, so banquets came into being.

The banquets in the palace were the emperor's banquets, which meant they were prestigious and people from less privileged backgrounds couldn't get in, which also made it easier for them to find a partner.

Therefore, most of the ministers who attended brought their unmarried children with them.

In the women's section, young and beautiful women secretly sized up the men in the men's section on the other side, occasionally showing shyness and whispering to the girls next to them. The men opposite them were not fools either; they all stood tall and maintained good posture, hoping to find a wife who suited their taste.

In this enthusiastic atmosphere, Qingyin was led to the banquet by the Emperor and Empress.

Feeling incredibly awkward, Qingyin wanted to pull her hand away to show that the relationship wasn't particularly complicated.

But those present probably didn't think that way, because the first person the eunuch noticed was the familiar yellow figure—the Emperor, followed by the Empress, and finally, Qingyin in the very center.

Upon closer inspection, one's eyes nearly popped out. The woman, as beautiful as a celestial being, was being led by the Emperor and Empress on either side. Her features were exquisite, her appearance flawless, and her beauty was so captivating that it was impossible to look away.

People subconsciously began to guess the identity of this beauty, but those with a keen eye also intuitively guessed Qingyin's identity. It was perfectly normal for such a stunning beauty to become the emperor's favorite concubine.