Outside the Cining Palace, the night was dark and the palace lanterns swayed in the wind, reflecting the anxious faces of the palace servants.
A young eunuch knelt outside the palace gate, his voice trembling: "Empress Dowager, please save Concubine Jia! Empress Dowager!"
The hall was silent.
The Empress Dowager had the habit of drinking calming soup before going to bed. She was sleeping very soundly at this time, and the head nanny did not dare to wake her up.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the hall through the carved window lattices, and the empress dowager slowly woke up.
The head nanny knelt before the couch, her expression solemn: "Your Majesty, something big happened last night at three o'clock in the morning, and I didn't dare to wake you."
The Queen Mother gently stroked her temple and said lazily, "What's the matter?"
The head nanny whispered, "Empress Jia has been taken to the Shenxingsi."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother sat up abruptly, a flash of shock in her eyes: "What's going on? Who is so brave as to arrest her?"
The head nanny quickly explained:
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Last night, the Imperial Guards searched the palace and found a small figurine buried in the southwest corner. Inscribed on it was the name of Consort Chen. The Clothing Bureau determined that the silk thread used to sew the figurine was gold thread, which had been taken by the Xuankun Palace the other day. The Emperor, in a rage, had Consort Jia banished to the Ministry of Prudence."
The Queen Mother's face was gloomy, but she knew in her heart that there was another hidden story behind this matter.
"Is someone using Concubine Jia to harm the dragon fetus in Concubine Chen's belly, thus killing two birds with one stone?"
"Go and carefully investigate which palace has used the golden silk, not just recently, but also six months ago and a year ago. I don't believe Luan'er would do such a thing. Also, take someone to the Shenxing Division and tell them to be careful with Luan'er. If they lose even a hair, I will not let them go!"
The head nanny quickly responded, "Yes, your majesty."
Before noon, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Sheng Xiyan was leaning on the Luohan couch, and Hua Xia was feeding her nutritious meals.
She was wearing a pale purple brocade skirt with a peony pattern and a collar embellished with pearls and gems.
His face was slightly pale.
A palace attendant announced from outside the palace: "The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
Sheng Xiyan covered her face with her hands and sighed softly, "I really don't want to see you. If I had known, I would have returned to Guanju Palace this morning."
She was a little afraid of the Queen Mother, always feeling that her eyes could see through everything.
The Queen Mother took the hand of the head nanny and walked in with dignity and grace.
She wore emerald Buddhist beads on her wrist and an orange phoenix robe. Her figure was in perfect shape, her face was fair, and she had no gray hair on her temples. She looked like a beautiful old lady. When she was young, she was indeed the most favored woman in the harem.
Sheng Xiyan quickly stood up and saluted: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."
The empress dowager glanced at her coldly. The little girl had her hair combed into a bun, with a few loose strands of hair hanging on one side. A golden hairpin was inserted diagonally in her hair, and strings of pearls and jade hung down from the thin golden threads, which swayed with her movements, making crisp clinking sounds.
A pair of teardrop-shaped pearl earrings hung on her earlobes, complementing her hair accessories.
The skin is white, smooth and tender, with a natural radiance.
The eyebrows are as dark as distant mountains, the eyes seem to contain a clear spring, and the nose is straight and upturned, which sets off the facial proportions just right.
The most eye-catching thing is her red lips, with a faint smile always at the corners of her lips.
She is so beautiful that one can't take their eyes off her. No wonder the emperor can't tolerate my Luan'er in his eyes.
The Queen Mother sat on the couch, her tone sarcastic: "The Imperial Concubine has an appetite and eats well, but my niece is imprisoned and suffering."
Sheng Xiyan stood aside and smiled slightly, "Hehe, I don't want to eat either, but the children are making a lot of noise and can't let them go hungry. Have you eaten?"
The Queen Mother glared at her and said, "How can I have the appetite? Luan'er is suffering in the Shenxing Division, and my heart is broken."
Sheng Xiyan lowered her head and said nothing.
"Why did the imperial concubine remain silent?"
? ?
Sheng Xiyan's heart was beating fast. What should she say? If she said anything wrong, she would be punished. It would be better to say nothing. Xuan Ling would be back soon anyway, so she could wait a little longer.
The Queen Mother persisted, "Is the Imperial Concubine gloating over someone else's misfortune? Because of you, Concubine Jia was thrown into jail. You are so capable."
"I absolutely do not mean that. Although I am not a virtuous person, I am definitely not a mean person who takes pleasure in other people's misfortunes."
The empress dowager stared at Sheng Xiyan from head to toe again. For some reason, she always felt like looking at her. Her eyes were sharp and filled with disdain, but she didn't want to look away.
"Could it be that the imperial concubine has cast a spell on me?"
? ?
Sheng Xiyan forced a difficult smile: "Empress Dowager, my mind has been a little confused since I became pregnant. It's possible that I was poisoned by a Gu. Or maybe... I don't know who gave it to me, and what its name is..."
"What a mess of nonsense! Why does the emperor favor you? What makes you worthy of his favor?" The empress dowager snorted coldly, but her expression softened a little.
Sheng Xiyan kept smiling foolishly. Since she couldn't be provoked, she could only make do with a smile.
Mingyue brought over a soft chair and said, "My Lady, please sit down."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, "Mingyue knows how to serve the master."
Mingyue knelt down hurriedly, "Please forgive me, Empress Dowager. It's just that the imperial concubine is pregnant with the royal heir, and her legs and feet are swollen due to advanced pregnancy, so she can't stand for long."
The Queen Mother said, "Please sit down, Noble Concubine. Otherwise, when the Emperor returns, you will complain that I tortured you again."
"I dare not." Sheng Xiyan sat down, holding her stomach.
The Queen Mother stared at her again, making Sheng Xiyan feel uneasy. Why does this beautiful old lady always stare at me? It wasn't me who arrested Concubine Jia and took her to the Shenxingsi.
The Queen Mother thought that in her life, she had only experienced the process of pregnancy and childbirth once.
Life was hard at that time. She had to make straw sandals and embroider to make money even when she was pregnant. Her husband was a peddler and often went from street to street and came back very late.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Library Category Author Full Book Ranking
Home Page Click List Recommended List Collection List Temporary Bookshelf
PC Version All Novels Latest Updates Site Map Member Bookshelf
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
