Chapter 918 I really should give her a good talking-to.

Jiang Fenghua smiled, "It's a miracle that Consort Fang wasn't hurt. It would be such a pity if her delicate little hands were burned!"

Fang Changzai was trembling inside, and hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I'm fine, it's just... my clothes are a little dirty, stained with millet porridge. I'll go change them right away."

Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "Go!"

"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave," Consort Fang replied cautiously.

As soon as she left, Gao Qingtong lowered his voice and said, "Fang Yao has always been quite well-behaved in the palace. What kind of show is she putting on today? Does she really think that she will be rich and powerful just because she has won the emperor's favor?"

Gao Qingtong understands the Emperor. He only uses the women in the harem as tools. They enter the palace as concubines because the royal family needs them to produce imperial offspring. The Emperor has no feelings for them whatsoever.

The only person the Emperor truly loved was the Empress.

They should also learn to be smart and not try to seek affection from the emperor. Staying true to their duties is the greatest help they can give to themselves and their families.

Clearly, Consort Fang was overly nervous about being summoned to the Emperor's bedchamber.

Jiang Fenghua glared at Chunfang and said in a deep voice, "Hurry up and have someone clean the floor. Go down and get ten strokes of the cane and reflect on where you went wrong."

Regardless of the circumstances, it was wrong of them to deliberately serve such hot porridge to Fang Changzai, and Chunfang should be punished.

Chunfang quickly replied, "This servant accepts the punishment."

Lianye also realized that it was Chunfang and others who had taken it upon themselves to embarrass Consort Fang. Although she was also dissatisfied, she was only dissatisfied with the Emperor and not with Consort Fang.

Last night, it was so late, and the Emperor escorted the Empress back to the palace but did not stay. He went directly back to Chengqian Palace and even sent a green plaque with the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department.

Lianye said, "This servant will also go to receive the punishment. It was my negligence in not instructing them properly."

Jiang Fenghua clenched her fingers. She knew that Fang Changzai had deliberately spilled the porridge, and Chunfang had also deliberately brought the scalding hot porridge to Fang Changzai. Lianye wouldn't do something so stupid; why should she be punished?

She said in a deep voice, "Go!"

Seeing this, the concubines present dared not discuss it anymore, and the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Fenghua said to Hongxiu, "I forgot to give the congratulatory gift I prepared for Consort Fang. You can send it to her. Since she has already served the emperor, let her move to Qinghua Palace. Send more people to serve her."

If Fang Yao can conceive a royal heir, her rank will definitely be promoted.

The other concubines who were not summoned by the emperor felt extremely resentful. Fang Yao, who was of the lowest rank, had suddenly caught the emperor's eye.

After breakfast, the concubines left one after another.

Gao Qingtong looked at the increasingly deserted hall and suddenly sighed.

Jiang Fenghua took a sip of tea. "Qingtong, why are you sighing?"

Gao Qingtong spent her days reading and writing, her life utterly dull. She said, "Your Majesty has guessed what Consort Fang is thinking, hasn't she?"

She wanted to say that all the concubines who entered the palace back then and were favored by the emperor were either dead or injured, which explained why Fang Yao was so easily frightened.

"What His Majesty desires is for the imperial family to have many offspring. As the mistress of the harem, I will certainly share His Majesty's burdens and do my best to arrange for the concubines to serve him and give birth to imperial heirs, so that the imperial family can continue to flourish. Consort Fang is overthinking it," Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice.

Gao Qingtong said, "It's a pity they judged a gentleman by his own petty standards."

Jiang Fenghua continued, "I know what Qing Tong is thinking, and I also know what Consort Fang is thinking. The day we stepped into the palace, we should have known that our status was different from when we were outside the palace. I still maintain that as long as they behave themselves, I will not mistreat them. Their family honor will be given to them by the Emperor. If they want to live a peaceful life in the harem, I can grant their wish. However, if anyone tries to cause trouble, I will not tolerate it."

Gao Qingtong froze upon hearing this, and suddenly hugged Jiang Fenghua tightly, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, you're back!"

Jiang Fenghua paused for a moment, seemingly not quite understanding, then smiled and said, "I've always been here."

Gao Qingtong's eyes were red and her nose was sore. She always felt lonely in the palace. The only person who could talk to her was the Empress. She felt that only the Empress understood her.

Since the Empress left the palace, she found life in the palace meaningless. After the Empress returned, she became distant and estranged from her, which made her wonder if it was because the Emperor promoted her to the rank of Consort that the Empress distanced herself from her. But she knew that the Empress was not that kind of person.

The Queen is a good person.

Jiang Fenghua noticed her body trembling. "If the Imperial Concubine cries while hugging me, people will think I've bullied you."

Gao Qingtong quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and sat up straight. "I am so happy."

Gao Qingtong asked directly, "Actually, Your Majesty's personality changed drastically after returning to the palace. Your Majesty and Consort Song both noticed something was wrong, but we never dared to ask. For a while, Your Majesty even forgot about me, and I was sad for a long time."

Jiang Fenghua had indeed forgotten them all. It was all thanks to Granny Wang who told her about the people in the palace. Thinking of Granny Wang, Jiang Fenghua felt sad. Like Gao Qingtong, she also wanted to see Jiang Fenghua before she lost her memory. Granny Wang left with regret.

Jiang Fenghua said gently, "Qingtong is my friend for life."

Gao Qingtong smiled brightly, her smile radiant. The current Gao Qingtong was quite different from when she first entered the palace. She used to be gentle and graceful, but now she was even more noble.

"Now that Your Majesty has regained your memory, I will speak frankly," Gao Qingtong said, deliberately lowering her voice.

Jiang Fenghua felt that she was being mysterious, "Your Highness, please just say what you want to say."

Gao Qingtong leaned close to her ear, "It seems someone is passing messages to Consort Song, and someone is giving her money..."

Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "I really should give her a warning."

She knew that Xie Shang needed Peng Fei, so he wouldn't touch Song Qing for the time being. Besides, as the mother of the Second Prince, she wouldn't be severely punished if she made a mistake.

She thought to herself: Song Qing is already a winner in the harem, but she is still not satisfied. Being too greedy will ruin her.

Her brothers were indeed useless. If they had half of Peng Fei's abilities, the emperor could have easily promoted a member of the Song family, and the Song clan would have been firmly established in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Unfortunately, they were all as stupid as pigs.

The fact that the Song family members were incompetent suited Jiang Fenghua's wishes perfectly.

Jiang Fenghua then asked, "How is Consort Lan?"

Gao Qingtong then remembered Consort Lan. "I don't know what triggered Consort Lan. After Your Highness left the palace last night, I had someone stew some tonics and send them to her palace, but she smashed them. She used to be such a gentle girl, I don't know what happened, her temperament suddenly changed like this."

"There are some things I'm unsure whether I should say or not."

Jiang Fenghua composed herself and said, "Since you, the Noble Consort, are assisting me in managing the harem, who should be the one to tell me if you don't?"

Gao Qingtong continued, "Consort Lan has been missing for several months, and there are rumors circulating in the palace. Some say she is no longer a virgin, and that what happened on the day she returned to the palace was very strange. I don't think she was seriously injured, so why was there so much blood that day..."

"Who spread these rumors?" Jiang Fenghua asked.