Thinking about Princess Fuqing, Concubine Xian stayed awake almost all night.

Princess Fuqing had just met with danger during the Lantern Festival a few months ago. The Empress would not let Princess Fuqing leave the palace again. She even had no intention of holding a flower-viewing banquet because the princes had been causing trouble for the Emperor recently.

If you think about it carefully, the only time to do it is when Princess Fuqing goes to and from Cining Palace.

In the past, when Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess went to Cining Palace together, they would each bring a palace maid. After the Lantern Festival, only the two princesses went together.

It seems that Princess Fuqing encountered danger during the Lantern Festival because of problems with her personal maid, so she simply stopped taking her maid to Cining Palace.

The princesses were afraid of disturbing the Queen Mother's peace, so they only took one maid with them. Later, when the maid they usually brought with them had problems, only two princesses went. Was this a natural development, or was it the Queen Mother's early plan?

The Empress Dowager had asked Princess Fuqing to visit her every day from the beginning. Princess Fuqing was finally fine during the Lantern Festival, and then there was such a convenient opportunity to take action. She didn't believe that these were just coincidences.

The more Concubine Xian thought about it, the more she felt that the Queen Mother was unfathomable.

The Queen Mother is undoubtedly cautious and shrewd. With such a person lending a helping hand, Zhang'er's chances will surely increase greatly.

The sky was turning pale, and the early summer days began to get brighter early.

Concubine Xian simply stood up, walked to the window wearing her cloak, and opened it a little.

The cool morning breeze blew in, causing her to shiver involuntarily and cough twice.

The maidservant who heard the noise was shocked: "My lady, why are you standing here in the wind? Be careful not to catch a cold--"

Concubine Xian glanced at the maid and did not answer her. Instead, she looked out the window at the deserted courtyard and asked, "Why is there no one walking around?"

As far as I can remember, in the past there were already many palace servants doing the sweeping and other chores at this time, but ever since I fell ill and had little energy, I no longer paid attention to it.

After hearing what Concubine Xian said, the palace maid's expression froze and she hesitated without saying a word.

Concubine Xian noticed something was wrong and asked with a frown, "What's the matter?"

The maid lowered her head and said dryly, "Maybe the person on duty today was lazy--"

Concubine Xian understood and sneered, "I'm afraid you are not lazy today, but you just don't care about the task anymore now that I've lost my position?"

"Your Majesty--" The palace maid hurriedly knelt down.

Concubine Xian looked down at her and said calmly, "No need to do that. Get up. I won't take such a small matter to heart."

Taking advantage of the powerful to bully the weak and adding insult to injury, this kind of thing happens both inside and outside the palace, especially inside the palace. She has lived for so long, how could she not understand it.

If this matter gets out, it will be a joke if it gets out.

She won't do that now, and will wait until the day she stands at the top.

Concubine Xian gathered her cloak and slowly walked away from the window.

The desolate and lonely atmosphere of Yuquan Palace that day made her more resolute: she would rather die in glory than live in disgrace.

She absolutely did not want to end her life in such a miserable and miserable way. Even if she lost the gamble, it was better than dying in misery.

What's the point of being contented? If you take a step back and live a stable life, others may be willing to do so, but Ji Yan doesn't care.

She has endured it for most of her life. Even if she was furious, she would always smile politely in front of the other palace ladies. Is it because she likes them?

It's just because I want something that I'm willing to endure a little longer.

If you really have to endure until death, what's the difference between you and a turtle with its head retracted?

"Go get some scissors and give me a manicure."

The palace maid quickly brought the silver scissors.

Concubine Xian pointed to her bald pinky nail and said, "They are all cut so short."

"Your Majesty?" The palace maid was shocked.

Concubine Xian said coldly: "Just cut it if I tell you to. Don't waste your words."

She had to pay her respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress several more times, on the one hand to seek a guarantee from the Queen Mother, and on the other hand to consider the road from Cining Palace to Kunning Palace to see where it would be easy to start.

The Cining Palace was bustling early in the morning, but in the Queen Mother's bedroom there was only a maid combing her hair.

The long hair held in the nanny's hands was almost completely white and too sparse to hold a comb.

The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes, her expression peaceful.

It should be said that the Queen Mother has almost always been like this. Even yesterday when she asked Concubine Xian to take Princess Fuqing's life, her expression remained calm.

The maid who was combing the Queen Mother's hair couldn't help but ask, "Do you think...Will Concubine Xian do it?"

The Queen Mother opened her eyes and said calmly, "I have persisted in this obsession for most of my life, and I have not been able to act recklessly for even a single day. How many people can be content with this?"

Mammy smiled and said, "The Queen Mother is very clear."

The Queen Mother stopped talking and looked towards the door.

If things go as expected, Concubine Xian will have to come to Cining Palace to pay her respects more frequently in the future.

Sure enough, a few days later, Concubine Xian came to pay her respects again.

Perhaps she had made up her mind, and had calmed down her hidden shock towards the Queen Mother. This time, Concubine Xian was much bolder and said straight to the point, "Queen Mother, my life is not a pity, but the Emperor is not stupid and incompetent. If I take action, I may not be able to escape unscathed. By then, the Emperor will definitely hate Zhang'er and his family, and I will be dead, how do I know that you--"

The Queen Mother smiled and asked, "Are you worried that I might go back on my word?"

Concubine Xian pursed her lips and said nothing.

The Queen Mother shook her head: "You shouldn't ask this question. With my status, would I deceive you? If I really was just deceiving you, what can you do to me? You and I have never had an equal cooperative relationship. I am the one who planned it, and you are just a chess piece in the game, so you shouldn't have asked this question in the first place."

Concubine Xian's face turned pale, and she smiled bitterly, "I know, but I am too worried, and I can't feel at ease when I think about Zhang'er..."

The Queen Mother turned the rosary on her wrist and said calmly: "I can tell you that the Prince of Yan is now the son of the Queen, and I will not see him sitting on that throne. Besides the Prince of Yan, there are only these few left. Should I keep my promise and help the Prince of Qi, or should I help someone who has nothing to do with me?"

When Concubine Xian heard the Queen Mother's words, her heart skipped a beat.

Because that evil boy, the Seventh Prince, was related to the Empress, the Empress Dowager directly said that she would prevent him from ascending the throne. And the Empress Dowager also wanted to get rid of Princess Fuqing. Does this mean that the Empress Dowager has a grudge against the Empress?

If the Queen Mother resented the Empress and devoted herself to the Empress' children, it would be understandable.

But she had been in the palace for many years and had not discovered that the Queen had done anything to offend the Queen Mother...

Concubine Xian looked at the Queen Mother, but her expression was so calm that she could not make out any clues.

She sighed again.

There were so many secrets in this palace that she didn't know about, and she was really self-righteous in the past.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" asked the Queen Mother.

Concubine Xian lowered her eyes and shook her head.

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "Knowing more is not necessarily a good thing. Shouldn't you go to Kunning Palace to pay your respects?"

Concubine Xian was startled, and nodded respectfully at the queen mother's meaningful smile: "Yes, I should go to Kunning Palace to pay my respects."

After that, Concubine Xian went to pay respects to the Cining Palace and Kunning Palace several times, until she felt unwell one day in May and stopped.