When Concubine Li, who had just returned to Fengxiang Palace, heard the news, she dropped the cup in her hand.

"What did you say? His Majesty just appointed a beautiful lady and granted her the title of Lady Shu to live in Fengyi Palace?" Concubine Li was extremely shocked.

Although Qin Mu did not directly confer the title of consort on this beauty, or give her the rank of one of the nine concubines, she was still a beauty of the fourth rank.

"Who is this beautiful lady Shu?" asked Concubine Li with a serious face.

"Your Majesty, this beautiful lady was said to have been sent into the palace by Cheng Shaoqing, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Department. She seems to be an ordinary merchant's daughter, and she only sells tofu." The maid who delivered the message replied.

"A tofu seller...a merchant's daughter?" Concubine Li didn't expect that she had such a background. With such an identity and family background, how could she be named a beauty as soon as she entered the palace?

You should know that this is the only beauty in the palace, and she is a legitimate daughter of the Wang family of Langya.

The noble lady of Wang family of Langya was only given the title of beauty, and a little tofu girl was on the same level as her?

Even Concubine Wang didn't have a title, but this new maid who had just entered the palace had already received a title from His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, do you want to..." Li Guifei's trusted maid asked in a low voice. She didn't say the second half of the sentence, but her expression showed how cruel her words were.

A young girl with no background was named a beauty by His Majesty as soon as she entered the palace and was given a palace with the word "Phoenix" on it. Of course, they could not let her continue to enjoy such honor and favor.

Concubine Li curled her lips and said, "No, there is no need for me to do anything."

Concubine Li said, "Find someone to tell Concubine Shu about this. I'm sure Concubine Shu will take action on our behalf."

Concubine Shu and the Zhao family behind her really wanted to have another empress dowager, so they would not allow the emperor to have a girl who was not from their Zhao family as his favorite concubine.

Over the years, Concubine Li has been fighting with Concubine Zhao Shufei and Concubine Liu Xianfei for a long time, each wanting to defeat the other and ascend to the throne themselves.

Concubine Li knew Concubine Shu very well. If she really knew that the emperor had a favorite concubine, she would definitely take action.

After all, the emperor has treated all the women in the harem equally and treated them equally over the years.

The emperor rarely entered the harem because he had no queen, so he would rest in his own bedroom on the first and fifteenth days of the month. He would only enter the harem eighteen days a month, with two days for each of the nine concubines, and he would never give anyone an extra day.

Concubine Li was very curious about whether this new beauty Shu could withstand the persecution of Concubine Zhao.

The palace maid was Concubine Li's confidant, and of course she knew the situation on Concubine Shu's side very well, so after her master said this, she quickly figured it out.

…

"Aunt~" Concubine Zhao Shu, who was originally under house arrest, was called over by the Queen Mother. As soon as she saw the Queen Mother, she couldn't help but step forward and act coquettishly.

"Aunt, Your Majesty is so cruel! You've actually confined me for so long..." Concubine Zhao Shu held the Queen Mother's arm and said coquettishly, "I've been confined for so long, I can't even come to see you. I miss you so much~"

Concubine Zhao Shu was the most beloved girl of the Zhao family and the daughter of the empress dowager's eldest brother. She often went to the palace to see the empress dowager since she was a child.

The relationship between the aunt and niece is really good. When Qin Mu ascended the throne and chose a concubine, it was the Queen Mother who decided that she should enter the palace.

The Queen Mother really didn't expect that her niece was so incompetent. She had been in the palace for so many years, but she had not given birth to a child, and she didn't even get much favor.

For the empress dowager, the favor she received was similar to that of other concubines, that is, she was not favored.

"Aunt, I heard that His Majesty just conferred the title of Lady Shu?" Concubine Zhao Shu said, holding the Empress Dowager's arm. "I knew that the Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Concubine must have been behind this news. They were counting on me to be the first to speak out."

"I'm not stupid," Concubine Zhao said, "This beautiful lady, I'm sure that beautiful lady Wang really dislikes her."

Although Concubine Zhao Shu looks stupid, she is not really brainless. Moreover, she has the queen mother, the champion of palace fighting, to help her. Of course, she will not provoke Wushuang as Concubine Li and others wish.

Although both of them were beauties of the fourth rank, the first one to get restless was definitely the Concubine Wang who came from the Wang family of Langya.

The Queen Mother looked at her and said, "I asked His Majesty to release you, not to let you cause trouble."

"You should understand why Zhao sent you into the palace. After so many years, you should find a way to have a child." The Queen Mother looked at her seriously.

When Concubine Zhao Shu heard this, she lowered her head silently.

She does want to give birth, but how can she do it alone?

How could she have the nerve to tell others that in all the years she had been in the palace, His Majesty had never even touched her?

Concubine Zhao Shufei didn't dare tell anyone, mainly because she lost face.

She is the dignified Concubine Shu, and her aunt is the current Empress Dowager. However, His Majesty has never slept with her in all these years since she entered the palace. How dare she let others know?

How embarrassed would she be if Concubine Li, Concubine Liu, and other concubines who were at odds with her knew that she had never slept with His Majesty?

She didn't want to tell anyone.

So the Queen Mother's words of urging her to give birth made her feel guilty.

The Queen Mother frowned at her silence and said, "Alright, who are you showing this to? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

"No, no..." Concubine Zhao Shu hurriedly explained that she had no intention of offending her aunt. She was her golden thigh and biggest backer. How dare she make her unhappy?

"Concubine Li has already delivered soup to the Emperor today... But I can have him come to the Cining Palace to eat with me."

The Queen Mother fiddled with the lid of the teacup and said calmly, "Yinyin, this is all I can do for you. Please don't let me down."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhao Shu looked up with surprise and asked, "Your Majesty is coming to the Cining Palace for dinner?"

After being happy, Concubine Zhao Shu was worried, "Aunt, if His Majesty really gets married with my niece... in the Cining Palace..."

Wouldn't it be bad for the Empress Dowager's reputation to do such a thing in the Cining Palace?

The Queen Mother had a calm expression and looked indifferent.

She really didn't care. She had experienced a lot, so of course she didn't think such things were shameful.

As long as Concubine Shu can become pregnant with the emperor's child and give birth to the emperor's eldest son, it will be enough for the Zhao family to have a reason to support her to become the queen.

The glory of the Zhao family will surely reappear. She will surely be able to preserve the glory of the Zhao family for several generations and it will not be easily cut off.

With the Queen Mother's permission, Concubine Zhao Shu was even more looking forward to today's dinner.

She will definitely try her best to make His Majesty like her and will definitely try her best to give birth to His Majesty's eldest son.

She must get the position of queen and the position of queen mother in the future.

Many people in the harem were looking forward to what Concubine Zhao would do, but they did not hear the news that Concubine Zhao was causing trouble for the new Concubine Shu. Instead, they heard the news that the Empress Dowager invited His Majesty to have a meal at the Cining Palace.

At this time, Concubine Shu was still in the Cining Palace.

Everyone:!!!

I see!

The Empress Dowager and Consort Shu actually had such plans in mind!