Xuanyuan Che rode on Zhuifeng's back, his face stern and silent. This emperor, always known for his ruthlessness, now had a murderous look in his eyes. The secret guards behind him dared not utter a word, fearing they would bring bad luck upon the emperor.
The early spring morning was chilly, a sharp wind ruffling his robes. Xuanyuan Che frowned slightly, his wound from last night aching slightly, but he couldn't care less. Palace affairs couldn't be delayed, especially the Queen's actions, which filled him with anger.
As the sky gradually brightened, the outline of the imperial palace finally came into view. The magnificent palace walls glowed golden in the morning light, majestic and solemn.
Eunuch Li had been waiting outside the palace gate for a long time. Seeing Xuanyuan Che's figure, he hurried forward, his face full of worry:
"Your Majesty, you are finally back! I was so worried."
Xuanyuan Che dismounted, a trace of fatigue flashing across his brow. Eunuch Li immediately noticed his abnormality and his eyes fell on Xuanyuan Che's slightly pale face:
"Your Majesty, are you injured? Would you like to summon the imperial physician to come and see?"
"No problem."
Xuanyuan Che waved his hand and walked towards the imperial study. "First, secretly summon the imperial physician to the imperial study."
Eunuch Li quickly responded and left. A short time later, the imperial physician quietly entered the imperial study. After examining the injuries, he prescribed several medicines and urged the patient to take good care of himself.
After the imperial physician left, Eunuch Li hesitated for a moment and then stepped forward to report:
"Your Majesty, the Empress is constantly inquiring about your whereabouts and seems...very anxious."
Xuanyuan Che's eyes darkened, and he tapped the table lightly with his fingers:
"Send the Queen to see me."
Inside the Phoenix Palace, Su Wanwan was pacing back and forth anxiously. Hearing the emperor summoned her, her heart tightened. Suppressing her uneasiness, she straightened her dress and headed towards the imperial study.
In the imperial study, Xuanyuan Che sat behind the dragon table, his eyes cold. Su Wanwan knelt and saluted, her voice deliberately soft:
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
“Snap!”
Xuanyuan Che slammed his palm on the dragon table, causing the teacup to bounce. "Su Wanwan, you're so brave!"
"Queen, let me ask you, why did you drug my wine?"
Xuanyuan Che's voice was icy cold.
Su Wanwan trembled and rested her forehead on the ground:
"I...I just want a child. Your Majesty has been on the throne for ten years and still has no children. The court officials are all talking about it. I am really...really too anxious."
"in a hurry?"
Xuanyuan Che sneered, "So you disregarded my safety and casually drugged the wine? If it weren't for my good fortune, do you know what the consequences would be?"
Su Wanwan trembled all over: "I know I am wrong, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Confine yourself to Fengyi Palace for three months and reflect on your actions."
Xuanyuan Che waved his sleeves and said, "Back off."
Su Wanwan bit her lip and reluctantly left the imperial study. After returning to Feng Palace.
Su Wanwan was confined to the Phoenix Palace, her heart filled with resentment and unwillingness. She fiercely smashed the teacup in her hand to the ground, the sound of shattering porcelain echoing in the empty hall, sounding particularly harsh.
"Bitch! Bitch!"
Su Wanwan's face was grim, her eyes flashing with madness. Her hair was disheveled, and her phoenix robe was in disarray. She no longer had the dignified demeanor she usually wore as the mother of the country.
"Your Majesty, please calm down and be careful not to hurt yourself."
Cuizhu, the personal maid, knelt on the ground, trembling as she tried to persuade her, but she didn't dare to look up at Su Wanwan.
Su Wanwan turned around abruptly, kicked Cuizhu, and shouted, "Get out of here! You useless thing!"
Cuizhu was kicked and staggered, but she didn't dare to complain at all. She quickly got up, knelt aside, lowered her head, and dared not speak again.
Su Wanwan paced back and forth in the palace, her chest heaving violently. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. She was the queen, the mother of the country. Was it wrong for her to want a child? Why did Xuanyuan Che treat her like this?
She thought back to the ten years since she married into the imperial palace. She had tried every trick in the book to please Xuanyuan Che, but she could never gain his true love. She watched him grow increasingly cold towards her, watching him set his sights on other women, and the jealousy and resentment in her heart grew day by day.
"I won't accept this! I will never accept this!"
Su Wanwan gritted her teeth and said this, a sinister glint in her eyes. She knew she couldn't just give up. She had to find a way to win back Xuanyuan Che's heart and regain his favor.
She walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside. She knew that she had embarked on a path of no return, but she would never regret it.
But in Concubine Li's bedroom, the Lichun Palace was a completely different scene.
Concubine Li, Huang Shuangshuang, reclined on a soft couch, fiddling with a golden hairpin, a smug smile playing on her lips. She was dressed in a gorgeous palace dress, her hair adorned with pearls and jade, accentuating her beauty and allure. Her eyes gleamed sinisterly, as if she were calculating something.
"Your Majesty, the Queen has completely fallen out of favor this time."
The personal maid Hongyu said with a smile, a gloating gleam in her eyes.
Huang Shuangshuang chuckled, put the hairpin back into her bun, and said nonchalantly, "She brought this upon herself. Who can she blame?"
She paused, then continued, "However, the harem is not just missing a queen."
Hongyu immediately understood what she was saying and quickly agreed, "Your Majesty is right. This is a great opportunity for you to ascend to the throne!"
A glint of ambition flashed in Huang Shuang's eyes. She slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the stars in the night sky. There was a hint of pride in her tone: "I have been waiting for this day for a long time."
She knew that within the harem, it was a world of the jungle, where the strong preyed on the weak and only the fittest survived. To survive, she had to climb the ladder, no matter what. Now that the queen had fallen from power, it was the perfect time for her to flex her muscles.
But inside the bedroom of Concubine De Cheng Rongrong, the scene was quite different.
Cheng Rongrong sat at her desk, carefully studying an ancient book. She wore a simple palace dress, with only a few pearl hairpins in her hair, appearing exceptionally elegant and refined. Her eyes were gentle and calm, as if she were at peace with the world.
"Madam, are you still reading?"
The personal maid Qing'er came over with a cup of hot tea and spoke softly.
Cheng Rongrong put down the book, took the teacup, took a sip, and said lightly: "What's wrong? What happened?" Her tone was calm and there was no emotion on her face.
Qing'er hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but say:
"Your Majesty, you said that the Queen this time..."
Cheng Rongrong raised her hand, interrupting Qing'er. She sighed softly and said, "Harem affairs are inherently complicated. We just need to do our own duties well."
She paused, then added, "Remember, disaster comes from the mouth, so be careful with what you say and do."
Qing'er responded quickly and didn't dare to say anything more.
Cheng Rongrong put down her teacup and walked to the window, gazing at the scenery outside with a thousand thoughts in her mind. She knew that the Queen had made a grave mistake this time, and it would be difficult for her to recover. But the harem was always full of unpredictable circumstances, and who could predict the future?
She knew very well that she was like a floating duckweed in this harem, drifting with the current. She didn't want to compete for favor, nor did she want to harm others. She just wanted to protect herself and live a stable life in this harem full of intrigues and deceptions.
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