However, she was still disappointed. Not only that, she even saw a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth.

This completely angered Qiu Zhen, "Okay, very good, you are so stubborn, Mu Han. Since you are so stubborn, I want to see how stubborn you are today. Execute me!"

In an instant, the sound of "crackling" boards resounded throughout the Yongning Palace. Everyone watched this scene with anxiety, and their faces were filled with real fear.

This fear was not only because of Mu Han, the first female official beside Qiu Zhen, but more because of himself.

Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, Mu Han is a feared Nun Miejue, but only the people in their Yongning Palace know that without Mu Han, today's Yongning Palace would never be as orderly as it is now.

When her master was in a bad mood, she would rather serve him alone than let them get close to her, in order to reduce more casualties.

Back then, before Mu Han arrived at Yongning Palace, one or two people died in the palace almost every day, and the maximum number reached ten at most.

Qiu Zhen was well-known for her cruelty in the harem. Even though the emperor knew about it, he never stopped her. At most, he criticized her a few times, which further enhanced her status.

At that time, Yongning Palace was not a place that symbolized superiority, but hell.

All this happened until Aunt Mu Han came and gradually took power, and everyone's life became better.

But now, if Aunt Mu Han can't even save herself, then aren't all of them close to death?

In an instant, the entire Yongning Palace was filled with a heavy feeling of sadness.

But Qiu Zhen did not notice this. She was staring at Mu Han with her fierce eyes, watching her gritting her teeth and persevering, but she didn't even look at her. She was so angry that her teeth were about to break.

But at this moment, the eunuch at the door suddenly came to report: "Your Majesty, the Emperor is coming towards our Yongning Palace."

Qiu Zhen was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted: "Who are you talking about? The Emperor?"

"Yes my lady."

A trace of nervousness immediately flashed across Qiu Zhen's face. She glanced at Mu Han who was still carrying out the beating, and gave instructions to the two guards.

"Drag this person down to me and clean this place up."

"Yes, madam."

The guards breathed a sigh of relief immediately, and carried the man and the board down together.

Qiu Zhen said to the palace maid kneeling on the ground: "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and do my makeup! The rest of you, do what you need to do!"

"Yes, my lady!"

Qiu Zhen glanced in the direction where Mu Han disappeared and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As for why she was relieved, I'm afraid only she knows.

After all, they were palace maids trained by Mu Han himself. Even though the emperor was about to arrive, they did not show any signs of panic and everything went on in an orderly manner.

When Rong Zicheng arrived at Yongning Palace, Qiu Zhen had already led everyone to kneel in front of the main hall.

"I pay my respects to His Majesty. I didn't know you were coming. I failed to greet you. Please punish me."

Wei Yuchen glanced at Qiu Zhen's lightly powdered face and said calmly, "Okay, get up!"

"Go and get me my iced orange blossom tea!"

When Wei Yuchen stepped into the main hall, Zhen Fei hurriedly turned around and gave an order.

The maid took the order and left, and she hurriedly walked in, lifting her skirt.

"Your Majesty, it's so hot, how come you have time to come here?"

Concubine Zhen bowed to Wei Yuchen, walked behind him, and naturally massaged his shoulders.

This is something Qiu Zhen often does, so he didn't feel anything was wrong.

Instead, Wei Yuchen turned around awkwardly and pushed her to a chair beside him: "Sit down."

"Your Majesty? Are you worried?"

Qiu Zhen looked at Wei Yuchen's stern face and asked cautiously.

Just at this moment, the palace maid walked in, and Qiu Zhen hurriedly took the orange blossom tea and handed it to Wei Yuchen.

"Your Majesty, this is iced orange blossom tea, it can cool you down and reduce internal heat, please try it!"

Wei Yuchen raised his eyebrows with a half-smile and snorted, "Reduce heat? You are so ashamed to say that?"

Qiu Zhen's heart sank and he knelt down hurriedly. He forced a smile and looked at Wei Yuchen more cautiously.

"What's wrong with your Majesty? Did I do something wrong?"

Looking at Qiu Zhen's face, which was still beautiful and charming even though she was over thirty years old, Wei Yuchen couldn't help but think of the past.

When she thought of the past, she naturally couldn't ignore her sister. Then she thought about what she and this woman had done together, and she became more and more annoyed.

Naturally, the look he gave Qiu Zhen was filled with disgust.

The words he said were also cold and frightening: "What happened here last night?"

With a "bang", the teacup that Qiu Zhen had been holding broke into pieces instantly because of Wei Yuchen's words.

As for her, her face was pale, and her lips were trembling as she looked at him: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, do you know?"

Wei Yuchen glanced at her calmly and said, "If even Concubine Jing knows about this, how can I not know about it?"

Qiu Zhen trembled, and under Wei Yuchen's cold gaze, she dared not hide anything anymore, and immediately gave a detailed account of what happened last night.

Fortunately, it may be a secret to others, but to the two of them, it is not a secret, but an alliance.

Therefore, even though Qiu Zhen was scared to death because of what happened yesterday, when Wei Yuchen asked her about it, she still told him everything without reservation.

It was just because she had nothing to hide from him. He knew everything she had done back then, and it was all authorized and approved by him.

After listening to Qiu Zhen's narration, Wei Yuchen seemed calm on the surface, but he was actually extremely shocked inside.

It has been twelve years. Who could have imagined that twelve years after the Du family was wiped out, there would be signs of a resurgence?

Could it be that these twelve years in between were just a time for the other party to accumulate strength?

Otherwise, why was there no movement in twelve years, but instead, twelve years later, such a huge bloody storm broke out?

What's more, the other party could sneak into his harem quietly and intimidate his concubines with just his own strength?

Although the person was not killed, he believed that if the other party wanted to, Qiu Zhen would not have survived until today.

Who is it? Who is behind all this?

He teased Yongning Palace one foot, and then ran to Wenchang Marquis Mansion and wiped out their entire family. Was the other party demonstrating to him?

When he thought of this possibility, Wei Yuchen subconsciously clenched his fists in his sleeves, and the look he gave Qiu Zhen was filled with a hint of coldness.

"What about Concubine Jing? How did she know?"

Qiu Zhen’s face turned pale. How, how could she know this?

"What did she say in front of you that made you want to fight? Huh?"

At that time, Qiu Zhen's face was as pale as it could be. For the first time, she realized that she had nowhere to hide in front of the emperor.

It seemed that nothing could escape her eyes. No wonder he rushed over at the first opportunity. Was it because this matter involved the Du family?

But how could she repeat Concubine Jing’s words to Wei Yuchen?

Knowing that he was still thinking about that person, how could she allow herself to mention her?

No, she couldn't do that. Concubine Jing was sure that she couldn't say anything, so she dared to mention it so recklessly.

But she couldn't. Even if the emperor knew that the person who came to see her last night was coming for the Du family, she couldn't let him know the content of the quarrel between her and Concubine Jing.

Once he knows, all the doubts will turn into certainty. At that time, even if she wants to dominate the harem by relying on Wei Yuchen's guilt towards her, she is afraid that she can't do so.

Thinking of this, Qiu Zhen, with her beautiful face as pale as snow, shook her head gently at him.

"Concubine Jing did nothing wrong. This is all my fault. This morning, I fainted when I saw the pools of blood. And at this very moment, Concubine Jing brought so many people to see my joke. I am under a lot of psychological pressure."

"So after meeting Concubine Jing, I couldn't help but attack her because of a few unhappy words. I was wrong. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

"What did she say that made you so angry?"

Obviously, Wei Yuchen was not so easy to fool. Even though she was already on the verge of collapse, he still had no intention of giving in and kept pressing on.

Hearing this, Qiu Zhen became more certain of her guess. How could the emperor come here to care about her today?

He clearly came here for Du Yunge. Is he scared?

Is he afraid of hearing some rumors that are unfavorable to him from the mouths of the women in the harem?

Hehe, you, Du Yunge, have been a scourge for thousands of years. Even though you are dead, there are still so many people who miss you and stand up for you.

Concubine Jing is, the Emperor is, and the ghost-faced man from last night is also, where on earth do you get such great power?

Why? Why is all this happening?

Qiu Zhen's eyes were filled with resentment, and she was unaware when her sharp nails dug into her flesh.

When she raised her eyes again, she had a sad face that looked like she was about to cry: "Your Majesty, do you really want to hear this? You won't think too much about it?"

Wei Yuchen raised his eyebrows, and something seemed to flash in his eyes, so fast that even Qiu Zhen, who had excellent eyesight, did not catch it. He just looked at her quietly without saying a word.

I don’t know whether he doesn’t want to say more or wants Qiu Zhen to speak for herself.

Qiu Zhen gritted her teeth and said, "My palace was attacked last night. All the guards and eunuchs are unconscious. Concubine Jing, Concubine Jing said she came to greet me, but she implied that I was, was,"

She couldn't say the next words, and her tears fell down. The expression she looked at Wei Yuchen was full of sadness.

"Your Majesty, I was so angry that I took action. I was already frightened, but Concubine Jing not only did not comfort me, but also insulted me. With my personality, how can I swallow this?"

"No matter what, I am also a member of the harem. How could she insult me ​​like that? She is forcing me to death!"

Perhaps because the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, Qiu Zhen's tears never stopped. She looked at Wei Yuchen who was sitting there expressionless, but her heart felt cold.

Even after she had said so much, he didn't even say a word of comfort. Could it be that he believed what she had made up?

No matter how courageous Concubine Jing was, she would never say such words without any evidence.

But she just made up a story today and put the blame on her. It was just like when she had openly asked her about the Queen and the eldest prince with a smile before. Even if the Emperor came forward to question her, she would not be afraid.

She was even looking forward to how Concubine Jing would answer. Haha, she was speechless, so was she.

"Is that so?" Wei Yuchen asked with a half-smile. Qiu Zhen felt even more unsure, but still said, "To answer your Majesty, that's exactly what happened."

"Okay, since that's the case, I'll trust you this time. Since you were frightened, let's just forget about it. Now, stop kneeling and have a good rest. I'll come to see you another day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to be about to leave. Qiu Zhen's heart trembled, and she quickly knelt down and hugged his legs.

"Your Majesty, I was wronged for what happened last night. I had no choice but to attack Concubine Jing. Your Majesty..."

"Alright, I don't know what kind of person you are. This matter ends here. I don't want to mention it again. Do you understand?"

"Understood. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."

Wei Yuchen glanced at her without mercy and walked away.

After he left, Qiu Zhen completely collapsed to the ground, but she still looked at her trusted female official: "Did you hear it clearly?"

The other three female officials, except Mu Han, had already knelt on the ground like her and nodded vigorously: "Yes, we heard it clearly!"

"Then do it. I don't want to hear any alternative voices, otherwise..."

Before Qiu Zhen finished speaking, the others had already kowtowed: "Yes, we know what to do!"

"Back off!" Although Qiu Zhen was kneeling on the ground, his aura was intimidating without even being angry.

Several female officials stood up with their heads hung, not daring to even look at her, and walked out of the main hall in dejection.

Before leaving, he did not forget to close the door of the hall, blocking out everything from the outside.

Only at this time did Qiu Zhen slowly stand up and wipe away the remaining tears on her face.

Rubbing his aching knee, he thought about Wei Yuchen's expression just now, which was indeed very different from his usual expression. He couldn't help but greet his trusted eunuch.

"Go, check what happened this morning, and where else did the emperor go besides to our Yongning Palace!"

After leaving Yongning Palace, Wei Yuchen raised his hand slightly, and Liu Shi hurriedly followed him: "Your Majesty, what do you want?"

Wei Yuchen stared at the tall red wall in front of the palace gate with a gaze as deep as an ancient well. Although his steps did not stop, his speed slowed down a lot.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he was about to say something, but he didn't know what he thought of. He took a deep breath and said, "Nothing, let's go back to Yangxin Palace."

"Yes." Liu Shi and Qiu Cheng exchanged glances. What happened to the emperor?

Why do you feel so worried?

Wei Yuchen naturally had no idea what Liu Shi and Qiu Cheng were thinking, but his mood was extremely complicated at that time.

There was also a mixture of irritability, and the source of these emotions, not surprisingly, was all because of the word "Du".

Originally, he wanted Liu Shi to go to Concubine Jing to investigate, but then he thought, what would the point of investigating?

Regardless of whether what Qiu Zhen said was true or false, her loyalty to him would never change, which was why he had been doting on her all these years.

Not only did she give birth to a boy and a girl for him, but more importantly, this woman had no so-called backing. Compared with the complicated relationships in the harem, the only person Qiu Zhen could rely on was him.

Therefore, not only did he trust her, but she, naturally, did not have the guts to betray her.

Back then, after knowing Qiu Zhen's identity and discovering her true intentions, he used her as a chess piece.

She watched coldly as Du Yunge trusted her, respected her, and finally made her his woman.

Then, relying on Du Yunge's kindness, her position was promoted step by step.

It can be said that Qiu Zhen is the only woman who has secured the position of concubine without giving birth to any children.

But because of this, she can only be a concubine forever and she cannot be promoted.

The other women in the harem were also unable to do so, because there was only one queen in his heart, and that was Du Yunge.

No matter what he did to her, no matter how tragically she died or how angry she was at him, he couldn't turn back.

He lived with this guilt for twelve years. During these twelve years, he was surrounded by nightmares every night. Although he was only in his early forties, his heart had already experienced many vicissitudes.

In order to make him feel at ease, none of the women in the harem could step out of line. It was impossible for the imperial concubine, let alone the royal concubine and the empress?

That is an honor that belongs to her alone, and no one else can covet it.

Rather than saying that Qiu Zhen hated the Du family, it would be better to say that he helped her to avenge her. However, even though the revenge was taken, neither of them was happy, neither Qiu Zhen nor he.

Wei Yuchen couldn't describe how he felt about this woman, Qiu Zhen. The reason why he treated her differently was probably because they had the same painful memories, the same sins, and the same future.

Since this matter was caused by the word "Du", and he tried his best to avoid this word, why did he go to Concubine Jing to find out the truth?

Would he feel better after learning the truth? Haha, I'm afraid it would only make him more sad, right?

That woman Qiu Zhen always seeks revenge. How could she not take revenge after suffering a loss at the hands of Concubine Jing?

Instead of asking other people, it would be better to let Qiu Zhen solve the problem himself.

In just a moment, Wei Yuchen had thought twice and swallowed the words that were on his lips. At this time, Qiu Zhen probably didn't know that she had been plotted against by this ruthless emperor.

It was not difficult for Qiu Zhen to find out the news about Wei Yuchen, mainly because Qiu Zhen was the most enduring concubine in the harem.

Moreover, she is the sister of the late queen. Of course, not many people know about this, but it is enough to maintain her usual respect.

When Qiu Zhen learned that the emperor went to Kunning Palace and stayed there for most of the day, he was stunned for a quarter of an hour before he slowly came back to his senses.

Facing the maid's whispered greeting, Qiu Zhen waved her hand calmly: "Okay, I understand, you can go down!"

The female official hesitated for a moment, and Qiu Zhen naturally saw what she wanted to say: "Let Mu Han come over."

The female official's face lit up with joy, and she immediately kowtowed and knelt down, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I will go right away."

Mu Han was only beaten with ten boards when the emperor suddenly arrived. Naturally, the punishment was not continued, but even so, his walking was slightly affected.

The fact that Mu Han knew martial arts was a secret to everyone. In order to avoid suspicion, she did not use martial arts to protect herself during the torture. Otherwise, these ten strokes of the board would have been nothing to her, and she would not have come in with her sick body, supported by two maids.

"You guys go down!" As soon as he entered the main hall, Mu Han asked the female official behind him to retreat. The female official hesitated for a moment and said, "Aunt Mu, your injury,"

"It's okay, go down quickly!" With just one look, the two knew that they couldn't go against her words.

"Aunt Mu, please be careful. The queen is not in a good mood."

Mu Han nodded slightly, but he didn't agree in his heart. Is she in a bad mood?

When has she ever been in a good mood?

With a cold snort, he closed the palace door, slowly moved forward, and entered the inner hall. Seeing Qiu Zhen sitting on the chaise longue in a daze, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, then quickly returned to his usual calm state and pretended to pay his respects, but was stopped by Qiu Zhen.

"Forget it, you can't sit down like this, just stand first!"

"Thank you for your grace, Madam."