Although Chu Jinyao was very fierce towards Concubine Shu and Zhao Lanhui, in fact, her current situation was not good.

The East Palace was surrounded like an iron barrel. Chu Jinyao was in charge of the transfer of palace power and could not step out of the East Palace.

Daily meals were still delivered by the Yu Kitchen, but not only did the meals have to be checked several times, but the eunuchs who came and went were all familiar faces, so it was impossible for them to sneak in, and it was also impossible to pass on messages.

This was almost a disguised form of house arrest. Concubine Shu took the Phoenix Seal from here, and naturally, the power to assist in the management of the six palaces fell into the hands of the experienced and reputable Concubine Shu. Princess Su often followed Concubine Shu and was also exposed to some palace affairs. The Shufei and her mother-in-law controlled the palace, while Prince Su placed his cronies in the court. Fang Pucun was also in control of the emperor, whose attitude was crucial.

After returning from Wala, the emperor trusted Fang Pucun and was accustomed to asking for Fang Pucun's opinion on state and family affairs. The emperor was a person who was easily influenced by others and relied heavily on the opinions of people he trusted. In the past, this person was Empress Xiao Qi, but now, Fang Pucun has replaced her.

When the emperor was captured and held captive in the Wala camp, Fang Pucun was the only Han Chinese in the Wala tribe, so the emperor inevitably felt dependent on him. Later, Fang Pucun showed his loyalty and actively rescued the emperor. In such a helpless situation, it is entirely conceivable that the emperor relied more and more on Fang Pucun.

It would be great if Fang Pucun was really a loyal and patriotic person, but he is smart but lacks empathy and moral restraint. He plotted to let the Oirat people open the city gates of Dayan in the name of sending the emperor back to Beijing, and later proposed peace talks, and made a lot of promises in the peace agreement. This is the abomination of Fang Pucun. Everything he did was loyal to the emperor in the eyes of the emperor, but from the perspective of the court, Fang Pucun was a disaster to the country and the people.

A person who gambles with the life of the country is not a genius, but a devil, no matter how smart and well-planned he is.

Qin Yi refused, which was within Qin Yi's expectations and Fang Pucun's expectations.

Therefore, when the emperor returned, Qin Yi was suspected, while Fang Pucun became a great hero, deeply trusted by the emperor, and wanted to win the emperor's favor.

Chu Jinyao sat in the iron barrel-like Ciqing Palace, looking out the window and sighing softly. The weather was getting warmer day by day, the palace willows were sprouting new green, and the dead trees in front of the windows of Ciqing Palace were also sprouting new branches. These tender greens were lovable, but the environment in the palace was like a long night, endless and hopeless.

The first confrontation between the East Palace and Fang Pucun was a win or a loss. Now, Fang Pucun was not in a hurry and showed his second sickle.

He said in front of the emperor that the prince went to Xishan to rebuild the imperial guards not for the country and the people. The prince just wanted to take the opportunity of reorganizing the imperial guards to train his own private soldiers. This army was created by Qin Yi. They would not be the dynasty's elite troops, but only the prince's personal troops. The day when the imperial guards were rebuilt was the day when the prince would raise an army to seize the throne.

The emperor panicked when he heard this, and immediately listened to Fang Pucun's suggestion and ordered a search of the East Palace. Chu Jinyao not only rejected the East Palace, but also rejected Concubine Shu's lobbying. These actions naturally changed the meaning in the eyes of the emperor.

The emperor's suspicion became even worse, and he ordered people to surround the East Palace. Chu Jinyao was trapped in the palace and lost his freedom, and even worse, his safety could not be guaranteed. Prince Su, Concubine Shu, and Fang Pucun, these three people are all people the emperor trusts, and now these three people are colluding with each other to firmly control the court, the harem and the emperor. The Eastern Palace is now standing on the edge of a knife. If they make the slightest mistake, they will be doomed. Chu Jinyao has been held hostage. If something happens, she and her child will be the first two people to be affected.

The Eastern Palace is in danger, and the atmosphere in the capital is becoming more and more depressing. Officials are now in a state of panic, and everyone is in danger. No matter if they are on the same side or not, they are now keeping their mouths shut and guarding against each other, secretly looking for a way out for their families. Linglong

came in and closed the window quietly: "Crown Princess, you have been sitting in the wind for a long time. You are feeling heavy now. Go inside and lie down for a while."

Chu Jinyao shook her head. How could she feel like sleeping now? Chu Jinyao's due date is in April, which is still more than 20 days away, but Chu Jinyao's movements are already very difficult. Chu Jinyao also knows that pregnant women should not worry too much, but now there are strong guards outside Ciqing Palace. How can Chu Jinyao not worry too much and how can she rest assured to take care of the baby?

Chu Jinyao looked at the furry new buds outside the window and sighed softly. She touched her belly and whispered to the child, "Mother promised you to go see the flowers. Now the palace is full of spring. When you come out in a month, it will definitely be more beautiful. Be good and don't be afraid."

The timing of Prince Su and Fang Pucun's rebellion was really too bad. If time was longer, Qin Yi would have completed the reconstruction of the Imperial Guards, and there would be no need to worry about Fang Pucun and Prince Su, and even the emperor would not have to be afraid. But they attacked when Qin Yi was halfway through. Qin Yi was not strong enough to attack, and Prince Su and Fang Pucun were afraid to enter the West Mountain, so the two sides were in a stalemate.

Prince Su and the Crown Prince confronted each other, and Ciqing Palace was surrounded like an iron barrel. Chu Jinyao was a hostage and a demand. Chu Jinyao had heard that the confrontation between Prince Su and the Crown Prince was getting more and more tense. Fang Pucun used the emperor to send an edict to Qin Yi, asking the Crown Prince to report to the palace.

No one believed that the emperor really wanted to know the progress of the reconstruction of the Imperial Guards at this time. Han Xin was also a powerful minister with his own army, but he was ambushed and killed by Empress Lu when he entered the palace for a banquet, not to mention the Crown Prince whose strength had not yet fully recovered. This edict was clearly a banquet at Hongmen.

Chu Jinyao whispered in his heart that Qin Yi would not return to the palace, and he must not come back. Although it is hard to disobey the emperor's orders, there are also times when the emperor's orders are not obeyed when the emperor is away from the court. Chu Jinyao believes that with Qin Yi's means, it is very easy to find an excuse for not being able to return to the palace.

As for her... before the boy or girl of the baby in her belly is revealed, the emperor and Prince Su will not make things difficult for her. Chu Jinyao calculated her due date and sighed in her heart. They have been forced to the edge of the cliff, and Chu Jinyao has let it go. Just endure it as long as you can.

Linglong finally persuaded Chu Jinyao to get up and go back to the house. Chu Jinyao is very picky about her appetite now, and she feels sick when she smells greasy dishes, but she cannot lack nutrition this month. Since the East Palace was besieged, Linglong and Madam Gong dared not let Chu Jinyao eat the food from the kitchen. They could only bring back fresh vegetables and cook them in the small kitchen. Although it was slower, it was still safer than eating outside. Madam Gong asked Chu Jinyao what he wanted to eat today, and then hurried to the small kitchen to cook. But after a while, Linglong vaguely heard a quarrel coming from the corner door.

Chu Jinyao also heard it and asked, "What's going on?"

Kikyo bowed and hurried out to see. After a while, Kikyo came back with a stiff expression: "Princess, the eunuch who delivered the vegetables came, but he was stopped by the guards outside."

The guards looked for a long time with a knife, but still refused to let the eunuch deliver the fresh vegetables on the grounds that something was hidden in the basket.

Kikyo argued with the guards at the corner gate for a long time, her cheeks flushed with anger: "They are simply going too far! They dared to withhold the vegetables. If they delay the meal of the Crown Princess and the young master, who will be responsible?"

Linglong was also very angry when she heard it: "I thought that even if Prince Su was unfaithful and unfraternal, he at least acted uprightly. I didn't expect him to do such a despicable thing! The Crown Princess has been pregnant for nine months and cannot be neglected. How could they do such a thing as withholding food!"

In the past, Linglong and Kikyo and several maids would definitely not dare to discuss the right and wrong of the royal family, but now that things have come to this point, there is nothing to be afraid of. Either the Crown Prince restores order and Linglong and the others will be fine, or Prince Suo's evil plan will succeed and everyone in the East Palace will probably have a bad end. Since they are going to die anyway, why don't they dare to scold him?

This kind of thing is indeed despicable, but who can stop it? Linglong and the others can bear it, and Chu Jinyao, an adult, can also endure it, but what about the children?

Platycodon was so angry that she couldn't help but mutter: "If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was here, who would dare to do this..."

"Plantocene." Chu Jinyao lowered his voice, and Platycodon immediately lowered her head in fear. Chu Jinyao glanced at her and said, "This is not a big deal. Go to the kitchen and tell Nanny Gong to do whatever the small kitchen has."

"Yes."

Platycodon shrank her neck and quickly retreated. After the others left, Chu Jinyao said to Linglong with a warning in his eyes: "No one is allowed to mention such words again in the future."

Linglong quickly knelt down and agreed to the matter.

Chu Jinyao stood up slowly, holding her waist and walking around the room. It is said that one should be extra careful about walking one month before giving birth. If one takes too much supplements, it is easy to have a difficult delivery. Chu Jinyao walked around twice with the help of the palace maids, and silently said in her heart that she also wanted Qin Yi to be by her side, but in this situation, she hoped that Qin Yi would not come back.

Let Prince Su use these despicable means. With so many people watching, I think he dare not really do anything to Chu Jinyao. However, there are many traps in the capital city. Prince Su and Concubine Shu are waiting in the palace. Qin Yi must not fall into the trap.

The next day, the eunuch who was delivering food still failed to come in. Chu Jinyao didn't say anything after she knew it. She still followed her own pace, eating and sleeping on time, and walking slowly in the palace after eating. After a few laps, she had a thin layer of sweat. The palace servants were afraid that Chu Jinyao would catch a cold, so they quickly brought a hot towel to wipe her.

Just as the maids came back with the things, an eunuch came in from outside. He first bowed politely to Chu Jinyao, but his subsequent words were not polite at all: "Hello, Crown Princess. The Emperor heard that the Crown Princess had a poor appetite recently, so he sent a servant to ask about it."

Linglong secretly spat when she heard this: "It's not that the Crown Princess has a poor appetite, but now there are only dishes that have been stored for a long time and are not fresh. Who can have a good appetite?"

The eunuch just laughed when he heard this and did not answer. Although he smiled, his tone was full of arrogance: "Crown Princess, the emperor is still waiting for you, so go now."

Linglong and others were very alert when they heard this, and they couldn't help but surround Chu Jinyao. Was it really the emperor who summoned her? What if it was Prince Su or Concubine Shu who used the emperor's name to get Chu Jinyao out of the palace, and then murdered the Crown Princess during this time? The Crown Princess is already pregnant, and if she makes a slight mistake, it will be a double death.

Linglong was still trying to make an excuse: "The Crown Princess has edema on her legs and can't walk..."

"Don't worry, young lady. The family has already called for a sedan chair, and there are several experienced maids watching over her. The Crown Princess will be fine."

"But..."

The eunuch opposite her looked impatient. Chu Jinyao interrupted Linglong and said, "Since the emperor has issued an edict, we cannot delay. Eunuch, please wait a moment. I will change into clothes to meet the emperor." The

eunuch frowned and said in a sharp voice, "How dare you make His Majesty wait?"

Chu Jinyao stopped, turned around and stared at the eunuch, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

The eunuch's arrogance weakened. Even if the woman in front of him was in a precarious situation, she was the Crown Princess after all. The eunuch thought about the one in the Qianqing Palace and did not dare to do anything too drastic. He silently let Chu Jinyao change clothes.

When they arrived at the empty inner room, Chu Jinyao lowered her voice and said hurriedly: "Go and get the medicine powder."

"Crown Princess!"

"Go quickly!"

Linglong did not dare to delay, and took out the hidden poison powder with trembling fingers. Chu Jinyao instructed the palace maids to smear all the medicine powder on the hairpin, and she carefully hid the rest under her fingernails.

When they got outside, Chu Jinyao's expression was calm and indifferent, and she could not tell at all. She walked out with the palace servants, and just after taking two steps, she was stopped by the eunuch: "Crown Princess, the outsiders are ready, you don't have to worry."

Chu Jinyao glanced at him and said to the people behind: "Dingxiang, you stay to guard the door. Linglong, you follow me."

Linglong hurriedly sighed and followed quickly. The eunuch smiled with a fake smile: "Crown Princess..."

"I am the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Changxing, the principal wife of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. Since I entered the palace, I have never been without someone by my side." Chu Jinyao glanced at him condescendingly, "Why, do you have doubts about the status of this Crown Princess?"

The eunuch was blocked and could not say anything else. The empress in the palace can't go anywhere without someone. The eunuch thought that a palace maid couldn't make any trouble, so he didn't stop her and took Chu Jinyao out.

This was the first time Chu Jinyao stepped out of the palace in these days, but as soon as she came out, she was half-held and helped to get on the sedan chair. The sedan chair was lifted in a hurry, and Chu Jinyao was a little bumpy when sitting inside. She tried her best to endure it. After walking for an unknown amount of time, Chu Jinyao was helped down from the sedan chair. Chu Jinyao looked up and was immediately surprised.

It turned out to be the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Chu Jinyao thought that the emperor's summons was just an excuse, but she didn't expect that she would actually be sent to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Chu Jinyao remained expressionless, but she was already thinking quickly in her mind, what do they mean? The child hasn't been born yet, and it's not known whether it's a boy or a girl, so they won't be unable to hold back now. Then why did they forcibly pull her out?

Chu Jinyao entered from the side door, and when she walked around the huge screen behind the hall and saw the man in front of her, her pupils shrank sharply.

There were many people standing in the Qianqing Palace at this moment, but the man standing in the center of the palace was tall and elegant, and he could catch everyone's attention at first sight even if there were many people around. He was wearing a black suit with golden coiled dragons embroidered on his shoulders and a leather jade belt tightly tied around his waist. From the side, he looked neat and upright.

It was Qin Yi, he was back.