Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Qingyu immediately explained, "Peony isn't what you think..." Before she could finish speaking, Peony angrily took the plate and left.
Qingyu wanted to chase after him to explain, but after glancing at Chen Shi, she hesitated and turned back.
He's still standing there, completely oblivious to romance!
Chen Shi couldn't help but sigh: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and chase after them!" He then tapped the table to remind them.
"Oh, oh!"
Having received permission from its master, Qingyu immediately let out a howl and rushed out, accompanied by a shout of "Peony, listen to me!" Shen Shi laughed happily.
Ever since Sakura entered the palace, there has been constant strife within the harem.
This story begins with the newly presented pearls from the East.
In previous years, after the pearls from the East entered the capital, the Empress, as the principal wife, would receive half of them, and then some would be sent to the Empress Dowager, with the remainder going to the Imperial Concubine.
The other women in the harem could only watch with envy.
Consort Zhang only received half the amount of pearls she had received in previous years. She initially thought it was because the tribute had been reduced, but then she saw Consort Ying wearing a shawl made of pearls in the Imperial Garden.
Judging from the number of beads on the shawl, it even has more than hers.
Since entering the palace, Consort Zhang has been the sole favorite, even though time has passed and she is no longer as beautiful as the young concubines.
Every year, new women enter the imperial harem. Shen Tu Nan had also favored several young concubines, but those were fleeting moments, and none of them could shake her position.
Consort Zhang naturally didn't take the mere beauty Ying seriously and swaggered over with her entourage.
"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine." Half a month after entering the palace, Consort Ying could already speak fluent Chinese.
Consort Zhang looked down at the kneeling Consort Ying from her high position: "You've been in the palace for over half a month, Consort Ying. Why are you still wearing a veil? Don't you respect the rules of the palace?"
As a concubine, it was only natural for her to reprimand a beautiful woman.
"Your Majesty, it was His Majesty who permitted it," Consort Ying replied humbly and confidently.
“You…” Consort Zhang pointed at her angrily, not expecting her to dare to talk back.
Unexpectedly, Consort Ying was not buying it at all. She realized that Consort Zhang was clearly making things difficult for her on purpose, and that if she were to be told to get up, her knees would probably be ruined from kneeling.
Consort Ying stood up abruptly, flicked her sleeves, and said impatiently, "If Your Highness has no other instructions, I will return to the palace to welcome Your Majesty!"
After saying that, he left the Imperial Garden without looking back, ignoring Consort Zhang's reaction.
At that time, other concubines were also admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden. Upon seeing this scene, they couldn't help but feel worried for Consort Ying.
Everyone knows that the Imperial Concubine is the Emperor's beloved, and even the Empress shows her deference. How dare a newly arrived beauty be so presumptuous?
The news spread quickly throughout the palace, and even Shen Shi, who rarely left his residence, heard about it.
The women in the harem were all waiting to see Sakura make a fool of herself.
To everyone's surprise, Shen Tunan not only did not punish Consort Ying, but also advised the Imperial Concubine, "Consort Ying is young, so she should be more accommodating."
Consort Zhang had never suffered such humiliation before, and immediately made a scene.
The Emperor continued his affectionate relationship with Consort Ying, subtly indicating his neglect of the Imperial Concubine.
Consort Zhang had enjoyed the emperor's favor for over a decade, and had always acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the palace. In the past, she had even defied the empress. This was the first time she had been humiliated.
This has led many to speculate that the inner palace is about to undergo a major upheaval.
When these things reached Shen Shi's ears, he just listened to them as amusement. Even if the women in the harem made a big fuss, it was nothing more than a minor squabble.
There are more important things to do right now.
The annual Wanchao Assembly is next month, which will be a great opportunity for all parties to show their skills.
As the saying goes, "Disorder breeds change."
Once the envoys arrive at the capital, the city will be a chaotic mix of people, which will actually be a good opportunity for Shen Shi.
Shen Shi dispatched a considerable number of people to keep an eye on the movements of the envoys heading to the capital.
But the matter was of great importance, and there was a fear that something might go wrong. After much deliberation, Shen Shi still called Gu Yuanbai into the study.
"Greetings, Fifth Prince." Seeing that Shen Shi was looking through documents, Gu Yuanbai bowed and then tactfully waited to the side.
It seems that the environment really does change people. Even a stubborn person like Gu Yuanbai has learned the principle of "being pragmatic" under the high pressure of the palace where "you can lose your head at any time".
Shen Shi felt a mix of emotions: "Have you adapted well since coming to Guangyang Palace?" She started by asking some unrelated questions.
"Reporting to Master, all is well," Gu Yuanbai said, bowing.
In fact, he was lying; life in the palace was far less comfortable than what he experienced in the Prime Minister's residence.
Assassinating Shen Tunan was not as simple as he had imagined.
After staking out the area for half a month, Gu Yuanbai discovered that besides dozens of guards, Shen Tunan also had secret guards on standby at all times.
Even if he were to fight with his life, he would still find it difficult to get even a fraction closer to Shen Tunan.
But a real man doesn't give up once he's made a choice, especially when it's against an enemy who killed his father.
If there's no opportunity, create one. Gu Yuanbai plans to find an opportunity and start with Chen Yu.
While Gu Yuanbai was pondering, Shen Shi was also caught in a deep dilemma.
Why take this risky step? Why not just kill Gu Yuanbai?
These past few days, I've been asking myself these same questions.
However, Shen Tunan's dissatisfaction with Shen Yu, the crown prince, and his fear of the Wang family's military power were like a sword hanging over his head, which would fall sooner or later.
Gu Yuanbai is Shen Tunan's son. Killing him will not only bring no benefit, but will also anger Shen Tunan, and Shen Yu's position as crown prince will still be in jeopardy.
It is not a wise move to put oneself in an even more dangerous situation in order to avoid future dangers.
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