Concubine Liu smiled slightly and said, "Eunuch Ying, I know what the emperor means. However, I took the initiative to bring Madam Qin with me, so I will naturally send her to see the emperor in person. This way, it will also show that I, Concubine Liu, am not such a stingy person."
Eunuch Ying had nothing more to say and could only nod slightly.
Sheng Yunrong followed Concubine Liu and Eunuch Ying through the palaces, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Soon, the three of them arrived outside the Yangxin Palace. Eunuch Ying went in first to report.
After a while, a voice came from inside the palace: "Xuan Sheng Yunrong enters the palace."
Sheng Yunrong took a deep breath and followed Concubine Liu into the Yangxin Palace.
Inside the palace, the emperor sat on the dragon throne with a serious expression.
Soon, Concubine Liu brought Sheng Yunrong to the gate of the Yangxin Palace. Sheng Yunrong staggered, her face was pale, and she looked very haggard. Concubine Liu gently patted her shoulder and encouraged her: "Sister Sheng, you have to be strong. The emperor is waiting for us inside."
Sheng Yunrong nodded slightly, trying to make herself look stronger. She took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and followed Concubine Liu into the Yangxin Palace.
Inside the palace, the emperor was sitting on the dragon chair, looking at the memorial in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Concubine Liu and Sheng Yunrong, and smiled slightly: "My beloved concubine is here, this is the wife of the Sheng family, right?"
Concubine Liu walked to the emperor with a smile and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, it is Sister Sheng. She has been unwell recently, so I brought her to see you and asked her to explain to you why she cannot attend the palace banquet."
The emperor gently patted Concubine Liu's hand and said, "If that's the case, let her talk."
Sheng Yunrong stepped forward, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with good health."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Madam Qin, you are not feeling well, so there is no need to be polite. Just tell me why you cannot attend the palace banquet."
Sheng Yunrong sighed softly and said, "I accidentally broke my leg some time ago and it is difficult for me to walk. I wanted to support myself, but I was worried about losing face for the emperor at the palace banquet, so I had to ask for leave."
The emperor frowned: "Are your injuries serious?"
Sheng Yunrong lowered her head, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes: "Although my leg injury is not serious, the wound is infected, causing my condition to worsen. I am afraid that I will suddenly faint at the palace banquet and make the emperor worry."
The emperor looked at Sheng Yunrong's haggard face and felt a little guilty. He sighed softly, "Madam Qin, why didn't you tell me earlier? In this case, you can rest and recuperate in the palace, and don't have to worry about the palace banquet."
Concubine Liu widened her eyes and looked at the emperor in surprise. She didn't expect the emperor to believe Sheng Yunrong's words so easily.
She gently tugged at the emperor's sleeve, hinting him to observe Sheng Yunrong carefully.
The emperor took Concubine Liu's hint and asked, "Madam Qin, your wound is infected, why didn't you treat it in time?"
Sheng Yunrong's eyes flashed with panic, but she quickly regained her composure: "I originally planned to handle it myself, but later found that the condition was getting worse, so I had to seek help from the imperial physician in the palace."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "In that case, you can rest assured and recover from your injuries. I will send a royal doctor to treat you every day and make sure you recover as soon as possible."
Sheng Yunrong looked at the emperor gratefully: "I thank the emperor for his concern."
The emperor looked down at Sheng Yunrong and suddenly asked, "Madam Qin, do you know how Jing Wang Pei Jinxiao feels about you?"
Sheng Yunrong was slightly startled, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes. She lowered her head and replied softly: "I dare not make rash comments on the feelings of the royal family, but from what the emperor said, it seems that Prince Jing has no deep feelings for me."
The emperor nodded slightly, his expression calm: "Yes, Pei Jinxiao feels guilty about you, not true love. I have confirmed it."
At this time, Concubine Liu snorted coldly, her eyes revealing dissatisfaction and contempt. She turned to Sheng Yunrong and said sharply: "Sheng Yunrong, you are really capable. You can make Prince Jing feel so guilty about you. Don't be too happy too soon. How can you easily interfere with the royal family's feelings?"
Sheng Yunrong was startled. She suppressed her trembling and looked up at Imperial Concubine Liu. Her voice trembled slightly, "Your Highness, you have misunderstood. I do not dare to have any improper thoughts."
Concubine Liu refused to let her go and continued to ask: "Then do you know where Pei Jinxiao's guilt towards you comes from?"
Sheng Yunrong hesitated for a moment. She knew she couldn't avoid this question, so she could only bite the bullet and answer, "I once heard Prince Jing say that he felt guilty because he believed in slander and misunderstood me."
Concubine Liu's eyes turned cold, and a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Misunderstanding? Sheng Yunrong, who do you think you are? Are you worthy of Pei Jinxiao's misunderstanding for you?"
Sheng Yunrong felt a pain in her heart, but she still forced a smile: "I am just a commoner, how dare I dream of the love of the royal family. However, what happened back then has indeed left a shadow in my heart."
The emperor frowned slightly when he saw this. He didn't want to see his concubine humiliating Sheng Yunrong like this, so he interrupted: "Okay, Concubine Liu, Sheng Yunrong is already my confidant, you don't have to be so mean."
Concubine Liu glared at the emperor, but seeing that he looked serious, she could not get angry anymore. She just snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Sheng Yunrong took the opportunity to quietly take a step back. She felt her body trembling even more violently and was filled with fear.
Concubine Liu was dissatisfied with her, and today's incident was just the beginning.
The emperor saw Sheng Yunrong trembling and asked with concern, "Madam Qin, are you feeling unwell?"
Sheng Yunrong forced a smile and replied softly, "I am just tired and a little unwell. Please don't worry, Your Majesty."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "In that case, Madam Qin should leave and rest first."
Sheng Yunrong quickly knelt down and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
She slowly stood up and hurriedly left the Yangxin Palace. After walking out of the palace gate, Sheng Yunrong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She felt cold sweat on her back and was terrified.
The emperor looked at Concubine Liu and said in a serious tone: "Concubine, do you know that Sheng Yunrong is my confidant? Is it too much for you to treat her like this?"
Concubine Liu snorted and said dissatisfiedly: "Your Majesty, she is just a commoner. How can she be qualified to enjoy the treatment of the royal family?"
The emperor frowned. He didn't want to dwell on this issue any more, so he said, "My lord concubine, I have already made a decision on Sheng Yunrong's matter. You don't have to worry about it anymore."
There was a flash of reluctance in Concubine Liu's eyes, but the emperor's decision could not be changed, so she could only endure it silently.
Concubine Liu turned her face away and said angrily, "Your Majesty, how can you let Sheng Yunrong go so easily? She is the culprit of the Qin family, and we haven't settled the account yet."
The emperor sat on the dragon chair in the Yangxin Palace with a calm expression, and slowly spoke: "My royal concubine, you don't know. The Qin Mansion has been in turmoil recently. Sheng Yunrong's husband Qin Wenyuan secretly raised a woman, and his son Qin Fengyun behaved improperly. If I detain Sheng Yunrong, I'm afraid people will say that my royal family interferes in the affairs of the people."