Meanwhile, at Cixi Palace, Shuangxi, having just heard the report from the palace maid, went to present it to the Empress Dowager with a grim expression.

Yin Rong's face was grim, but she remained silent for a long time before finally pruning off the extra branches and leaves of the peony in front of her.

"Go and invite the Duchess of Wen and the Duchess of Wei to the palace for a visit."

Shuangxi listened and wanted to remind the Empress Dowager that she had said she would be closing the door to guests for the next few days. Wouldn't it make people say that they were just putting on a show? But she didn't dare to say anything more after the Empress Dowager's order and quickly obeyed and left.

Lady Yin Zhao, wife of the Duke of Wen, and Lady Jiang Yuezhu, wife of the Duke of Wei, were of similar age and were sisters-in-law. They often visited each other and lived only one street apart, so they entered the palace at the same time.

The autumn scenery was bleak, but there wasn't a single fallen leaf in the palace. Instead, there were beautiful flowers lining both sides of the path, which eased the melancholy of autumn. The two duchesses, dressed in their duchess robes, were riding in sedan chairs toward Cixi Palace.

Both women were among the most noble women in Tianzhong. One gave birth to General Song Yi, and the other gave birth to the promising young Deputy Commander of the Jade Unicorn Cavalry, Yin Chen. However, in recent years, Duke Wen has gradually distanced himself from the center of power and politics, remaining in the position of Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

However, the Duke of Wei was the commander of the camp in the suburbs of the capital, wielding real power. Among the sisters-in-law, the sister-in-law, Jiang Yuezhu, was more prestigious.

Upon arriving at Cixi Palace, the two entered the hall together.

These days, Yin Rong has lost her appetite and can't sleep soundly. Her face is extremely unpleasant. She has always been the one who has the final say in the harem, but she has been repeatedly humiliated by a concubine who has only recently been made a Mingfei. How can she be happy?

Although the two did not enter the palace every day, they could still keep in mind what happened there.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's grim expression, the two exchanged a glance, and Yin Zhao spoke first: "Sister, what has happened that you summoned us to the palace in such a hurry?"

The three were close relatives, so they were less reserved with each other. Yin Zhao then asked with a smile.

Yin Rong felt she had never met someone so unpredictable. She had a lot to say, and now that she saw her close friends, she asked in a deep voice, "Have you seen His Majesty's newly appointed Consort Ming?"

Both of them were taken aback, then shook their heads. Yin Rong then told them what had happened recently, and the Duchess of Wen and the Duchess of Wei looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although I knew this newly appointed imperial concubine had a bad temper, I never expected her to be this bad.

"She's just a minor concubine, yet she's so arrogant. If she were to rise to a higher rank one day, wouldn't she be completely out of control?" Yin Zhao was filled with righteous indignation, and his face turned cold.

Yin Rong sneered twice and said, "I summoned her to attend to my illness, but she brazenly interfered in the affairs of my palace. I cannot tolerate her!"

Lady Wen and Lady Wei were stunned again. Why did the Empress Dowager say such things so directly? She used to be such a cautious person. How come she has changed her behavior so drastically now? Has she been angered by Consort Ming?

Seeing their reactions, Empress Dowager Yin realized her lapse in composure. The hall fell silent, and no one spoke until a while later, when Empress Dowager Yin's voice rang out again.

"I heard that the old lady of the Shen family, Shen Furong, the younger sister of the Duke of Rong, came to the palace to see Consort Ming. I guess she was probably there because of the second master of the Duke of Rong's family's dereliction of duty and embezzlement. The Shen family wanted to use Consort Ming to protect the Duke of Rong's family, but I will not let them have their way!"

Then he instructed Yin Zhao: "Don't you have many illegitimate sons and daughters in your household? The Lu family is small, and the Duchess of Rongguo has no legitimate son, only a daughter. Now that she is in the prime of her life, you should let your illegitimate son marry her. Once she is married, you can do whatever you want with her."

As Lady Wen listened, her face flushed. What kind of talk was this? Marriage between children is just a game. Even if she was not the best, she still knew etiquette and rules. How could she take her anger out on such a thing? Wouldn't that be a sin?

The Duchess of Wei fell silent. The Empress Dowager was clearly delirious with anger and was now talking nonsense.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Yin Rong felt even more irritated and had nowhere to vent her anger. She sat on the high seat and looked at them coldly, "What are you two keeping quiet about? Come up with an idea!"

Yin Zhao really wanted to say, "Do you still need us to give you advice? What happened to those missing concubines in the harem? You're just putting on an act here. If you can't stand them, then find a way to get rid of them. Why are you so troubled?"

The Shen family.

At this moment, Old Madam Shen was lying listlessly on the large pillow, too weak to speak, but she still forced herself to listen to Granny Tian's report.

"We have already asked Abbess Jinghe of Daci Temple to help us calculate an auspicious date, and the Fifth Miss's dowry is being prepared in full swing. Madam, you can rest assured. Worrying like this will only harm your health."

Old Madam Shen had been strong-willed all her life, but now she had to be mindful of others' feelings. In addition, the affairs of her maternal family also worried her. With all these worries, she forced herself to go to the palace, and fell ill after returning.

The old lady waved her hand, "Bring the roster here, I'll look at it myself."

Her son and daughter-in-law didn't approve of the marriage, so how could they be happy? But her only selfish desire was to stick with her family.

The Duke of Rongguo has no legitimate son, and Lu Chengye will inherit the title in the future. If Shen Mingrong marries into the family, she will gain the support of the Gu family of Yongning, and will not be isolated and helpless without any help from her wife's family in the future.

In addition, Shen Mingrong has the best temperament among the girls in the family, and she can only feel at ease if she marries into the family.

Madam Gu was indeed not optimistic about this marriage. She only had one daughter, and how could she bear to send her to the mess of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion? She was so heartbroken that she couldn't sleep for nights on end. However, Shen Mingrong, the person involved, didn't seem to have any reaction.

She's a slow-paced person. Since the marriage is already arranged, even if she's unhappy about it, she can't change it, so why add to her worries?

However, Madam Zhao was not entirely opposed to the marriage. You see, according to the old lady's wishes, she wanted her eldest grandson, Shen Anqing, to marry Lu Ming. If it weren't for her husband's opposition, it would probably be her own son who would have been dragged into this mess.

Now that Shen Mingrong and Lu Chengye are engaged, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Little does she know that the old lady actually looks down on the Zhao family's current situation and thinks the Zhao family is not as good as the Gu family!

Compared to the mixed feelings of joy and sorrow within the Shen family, the atmosphere in the Hehuan Palace was warm and cozy.

When Jiang Wang learned of her outburst in the Yeting Palace today, he couldn't help but laugh. He patted the head of Shen Mingzhuang, who was smiling sweetly in front of him, and said, "I have found you ten highly skilled bodyguards. In the future, if you want to teach these people a lesson, you don't need to do it yourself. Just give them the order."