Halfway through today's morning meeting, there was a noise at the door.

At that time, the queen was sitting on the phoenix chair, arranging many matters that were about to unfold in the palace in an orderly manner.

The emperor issued an edict that Zhao Changzai had successfully given birth to a son and had made great contributions to the country, so she was promoted to concubine.

The position of concubine is the main position in a palace. It is inappropriate for Zhao Changzai to live in the palace of Concubine Shu anymore, and she will move to Tingxue Hall soon.

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Changzai couldn't stop showing her surprise. She hurriedly stepped out of the queue, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly. After thanking the emperor and the queen, Zhao Changzai, with tears in her eyes, continued to express her reluctance to part with Concubine Shu.

Concubine Shu gently took Zhao Changzai's hand and comforted her with a smile: "You are now a concubine with a noble status. If you still live with me, it will be inconvenient. Tingxue Hall is in a good location, it is more than enough for you and the third prince to live there."

"The sisterhood between you and me will not be blocked by the palace walls. When you are free, remember to come back and visit me." Concubine Shu gently instructed.

"Yes, your majesty." Zhao Changzai responded sincerely.

In addition to Zhao Changzai's promotion, the queen also talked about two major events that were about to take place in the palace.

First, this year's selection of beauty queens has gone through many twists and turns, and there can be no mistakes in the second round of selection.

Secondly, the Queen Mother’s birthday is approaching, and it is also a time to show filial piety. I hope that all sisters can use their strengths and make careful preparations.

Forget about the concubines, but the Queen Mother's birthday is a top-notch event. Just preparing the gifts takes a lot of effort from the concubines.

Halfway through the morning meeting, an accident happened.

"——Empress, please save me! Someone is secretly plotting to kill me!"

"——Your Majesty! I beg you to have mercy and save me from this dire situation!"

The woman's voice, sharp and trembling, penetrated the endless rain curtain and hit the main hall of Kunning Palace directly, tearing the originally peaceful atmosphere into pieces.

Her appearance caused a commotion outside the door, and the servants rushed forward but failed to stop her from speaking.

Concubine Shu stopped talking and couldn't help but look over with a worried look on her face.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Today was another rainy day, and the sound of human voices could easily be drowned out by the sound of rain. However, the woman's voice outside the palace was shrill, overwhelming all the noise.

The queen put down the teacup, frowned slightly, and asked Xiao Luzi to go out and find out what was going on.

Xiao Luzi went and came back quickly, reporting: "Madam, the heavy rain has washed away the outer wall of Jingyixuan, and many rooms of Jingyixuan have collapsed."

"...Jingyi Pavilion collapsed?" The Queen was surprised. "Have you found out? Was it the North Courtyard or the South Courtyard that collapsed?"

Xiao Luzi continued, "Both the north and south courtyards collapsed, and the damage to the houses in the north courtyard was more serious."

Upon hearing this, the Queen frowned even more tightly, with doubts filling her heart: "Wasn't the North Courtyard renovated in recent years?"

[Because they cut corners during the renovation. ]

Wu Qing was also awakened by the noise outside.

She yawned and replied silently to the queen in her heart.

[Back then, the Imperial Household Department falsified accounts and embezzled no less than five thousand taels of silver. The Queen could take this opportunity to investigate and perhaps turn the Imperial Household Department upside down.]

The queen woke up instantly and asked hurriedly, "Is anyone injured in Jingyi Pavilion?"

"My Lady, there are only five people living in Jingyixuan. When the incident happened, the rest were out and had not returned, so they were lucky enough to escape unscathed."

The queen frowned, "If that's the case, then who is the woman crying out for justice at the door?"

Xiao Luzi replied, "She is the only beautiful girl in Jingyixuan, Miss Qiao Xiao."

The queen's eyes flickered slightly, and she noticed something strange.

When Jingyixuan got into trouble, instead of Qiao Xiao staying where he was and waiting for rescue, he ran all the way to Kunning Palace to appeal for justice?

"Please invite her in. I would like to know what injustice she has suffered that has induced her to come straight to Kunning Palace," said the Queen.

Soon, Qiao Xiao walked to the center of the hall under the guidance of Xiao Luzi.

Because she was the Queen Mother's niece, the Queen had met Qiao Xiao once.

In her memory, Qiao Xiao had an elegant temperament and was a typical lady from a noble family.

Qiao Xiao in the hall had disheveled hair, with a few strands of wet hair sticking to her pale cheeks, making her look more fragile and helpless.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Qiao Xiao kowtowed deeply to the queen and said in a panic, "Queen, please save me! I accidentally discovered a big incident and someone wants to silence me!"

Queen: "Don't worry, take a deep breath and calm down. What happened? Tell me first."

The queen's voice was gentle, but Qiao Xiao gave a bitter smile.

She shook her head and said softly, "Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but this matter is of great importance. One move will affect the entire body, so I... dare not say anything."

The more Concubine Sun looked at her, the more she disliked her. She felt that she was very similar to Concubine Yue who had just entered the palace, both of whom were pretentious.

Concubine Sun sneered, "You are a concubine of Jingyixuan, and you have not been selected by the emperor. What big thing can happen to you? Don't be mysterious in front of the queen. If you have something to say, just say it."

Yuepin also stared at Qiao Xiao with a half-smile, and followed the words of Sun Guiren: "That's right, Miss Qiao. This is Kunning Palace, there is no room for any dirt. If you really have something to hide, you might as well tell me directly."

Qiao Xiao had never expected that he would be refuted by Concubine Sun and Concubine Yue just after he made an opening statement.

The queen was of a gentle nature, but she was not fooled by her embarrassed appearance. Instead, she asked her to state the facts first.

As expected, the palace was full of dangers and no concubine was easy to get along with.

Qiao Xiao lowered her head, put on a timid attitude, and said in a trembling voice: "My queen, someone took advantage of the incident in Jingyixuan and sent someone to sneak into my room, intending to take my life."

She slightly opened her collar, allowing the concubines to see the red mark on her fair neck.

It looked like... someone had pinched her hard.

"I struggled for several moments before I managed to escape. I was terrified, and after much thought, the only place I could go was Kunning Palace. I am sorry to have disturbed your elegant morning meeting, but I had no choice. I hope you will forgive me." Qiao Xiao said with red eyes.

Lady Sun interrupted her impatiently: "Do you know who murdered you?"

"I don't know, but I have some vague guesses in my mind."

The queen followed her words and asked, "Who is it?"

Qiao Xiao kowtowed deeply again, his forehead lightly touching the cold ground.

Although her voice was trembling, everyone in the main hall could hear her loudly.

Qiao Xiao said: "I accidentally discovered Lady Ji's secret. Lady Ji was so angry that she wanted to silence me in private! Please, Queen, help me!"