When she woke up the next day, Chu Jinyao felt uncomfortable all over, especially in her waist.

Chu Jinyao got up from the quilt in a daze, and suddenly found that her skin was exposed and she was not wearing any underwear.

Chu Jinyao quickly pulled up the quilt to cover her body. She was stunned when she heard footsteps outside the bed curtains, and then the innermost curtain was lifted, and the bed sank slightly.

Qin Yi sat on the edge of the bed and asked leisurely: "Do you remember what you said yesterday?"

Chu Jinyao held the quilt with one hand and shook her head blankly.

What did she say? Could it be that she said something treasonous after drinking, which annoyed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and then she felt pain all over her body? But even so, why does it hurt in that place!

Qin Yi sighed, not knowing whether it was regret or helplessness: "Looking at you, I know that you definitely don't remember anything. Otherwise, how dare you?"

Chu Jinyao asked cautiously after hearing this: "Your Highness, after I came back yesterday...what did I do?" To be able to make the prince use such an expression as "how dare you", it must be something serious.

Qin Yi smiled without saying a word, and suddenly leaned down and pecked Chu Jinyao on the lips. The scene in front of her eyes suddenly went dark. Chu Jinyao was slow to react because she had just woken up. After Qin Yi moved his lips, she realized what had happened.

She protected the quilt with one hand, with both arms exposed, and her face blushed shamelessly.

Qin Yi did not move away after the kiss, still looking at Chu Jinyao silently from such a frighteningly close distance. Seeing that Chu Jinyao's face was getting redder and redder, Qin Yi finally showed mercy and took the initiative to move away.

Today she had to meet the empress, receive gifts, and return to her parents' home. There were many important things to do, so she should not make trouble for herself.

After Qin Yi put down the curtain and went out, Chu Jinyao was stunned for a long time, and suddenly covered her head with a quilt.

Oh my God, what just happened! She actually, the prince actually...

Chu Jinyao dodged all morning, and didn't even dare to look in Qin Yi's direction. She had no idea what she had for breakfast. After Qin Yi put down his chopsticks, Chu Jinyao breathed a sigh of relief in an extremely long way.

The prince finished his meal, which meant she could go out and pay her respects to the empress.

However, Chu Jinyao had just stood up and had not had time to say goodbye to Qin Yi when she was interrupted by Qin Yi: "Go quickly and come back soon."

Chu Jinyao was stunned for a moment and said tactfully: "Your Highness, today is the first time I pay my respects to the empress, and I have to hold a sedan chair in front of the harem..." "

I know." Qin Yi said, "Just tell the empress that I asked you to go quickly and come back quickly."

Before Chu Jinyao finished being shy, she heard Qin Yi continue: "You have to leave the palace to pay your respects to the empress in a while. It's very troublesome to go in and out, don't be late."

"...Oh." Chu Jinyao responded expressionlessly.

After Chu Jinyao came out of Ciqing Palace, she immediately rushed to Kunning Palace. Today she has to pay a visit to the Empress, and then return to the Changxing Marquis's Mansion, so time is very tight.

Because today is the day for the Crown Princess to entertain guests, other concubines in the harem also rushed to watch the excitement. The deep palace is boring, and a little big movement will become a grand event for all the people in the palace.

The previous two days were grand ceremonies, and only the top-notch people could attend, so Chu Jinyao saw the entire harem of His Majesty the Emperor today. Chu Jinyao thought silently in her heart, isn't it said that Empress Xiaoqi is the most favored of the six palaces and the most powerful in the harem, why are there so many beauties in the Emperor's harem?

Then she figured it out for herself, their Emperor is indeed affectionate, but he didn't say that he is affectionate only to one person. The Empress

Qi sat in the center of the upper seat, and behind her stood many palace maids holding fans and serving dishes. On the armchairs on the left and right sides below, there were many beauties sitting. They were all fat and thin, and each had their own age.

When the founding emperor was strict, he stipulated that there could only be three levels of harem: empress, concubines, and imperial concubines, and there were also many restrictions on the number of concubines. The more self-disciplined and strict the founding emperor was, the more corrupt and dissolute his descendants were. The throne has been passed down to this day, and the number of people in the harem has doubled. When it comes to the current emperor, the harem is full of beauties. In addition to the positions of empress, concubines, and imperial concubines, the emperor also took the titles of imperial concubines, imperial concubines, and talented people from the previous dynasty, and the harem is in a mess. Today, Chu Jinyao was in charge of serving the empress with a carriage and serving meals. Only high-ranking concubines above the rank of nine concubines could attend. Even so, the Kunning Palace was full. Unfortunately, there were still many lower-ranking concubines.

Chu Jinyao sighed in her heart, but her actions were unambiguous. Chu Jinyao wore a Zhaiyi and bowed four times to Empress Xiao Qi under the guidance of the palace maids. She took the meal prepared by the female official of the Shangshi Bureau, placed her hands in front of Empress Xiao Qi's table, and then withdrew. This meant serving the uncle and aunt in serving carriages and serving meals, which showed the filial piety of Chu Jinyao, the new bride. Empress Xiao Qi looked at the food on her table, not knowing what she was thinking. She did not pick up her chopsticks, but smiled and said, "Time flies so fast. In a blink of an eye, the prince has married a concubine. No wonder we are getting old. The younger generation is pushing the older generation out. We old ladies should make way for the newlyweds."

Empress Xiao Qi looked at the Zhaiyi on Chu Jinyao, and her eyes were stung.

Empress Xiao Qi entered the palace in a hurry, so the ceremony of crowning the queen was naturally rushed through. There was no one like Chu Jinyao, who did everything one by one. The entire front court and the harem followed the pace of the couple. Which woman does not want a grand wedding? Chu Jinyao and Qin Yi found it troublesome, and in the eyes of those people in the harem, I don't know how jealous they were.

Empress Xiao Qi comforted herself that she had to enter the palace earlier because she was pregnant, so as not to make things more embarrassing, and the ceremony of being crowned as queen could be saved. As long as they were both the legal wife and empress, what was the big deal about a formality? But now, after watching Chu Jinyao's wedding and seeing how much importance the court attached to their wedding, the hidden thorn in

Empress Xiao Qi's heart was aching again. Just as the crown prince's crown clothes were very similar to the emperor's crown clothes, only downgraded in details such as embroidery and crown tassels, the crown princess's zodiac clothes were also very similar to the empress's zodiac clothes. The crown prince was the crown prince, and what about the crown princess? Wasn't she the reserve empress?

The Queen looked at Chu Jinyao's clothes which were very similar to the Queen's dress, and felt upset. This made the Queen feel as if Chu Jinyao came to replace her.

And this person was not her daughter-in-law, but someone else's descendant.

The Queen couldn't help but think that since she had taken her sister's things, they were all hers. Why did they have to go around in circles and return to the hands of the Queen?

The position of the Crown Prince didn't matter, the position of the Emperor and Empress in the future would definitely belong to her son!

In front of everyone in the harem, the Queen did not accept the Crown Princess's advice, but instead said some words of lamenting the passing of time. The concubines who were watching the ceremony exchanged glances with each other and smiled meaningfully.

Before Chu Jinyao left, she had expected that without outsiders around, the Empress Xiao Qi might embarrass her. Now that it had come true, Chu Jinyao did not panic, but continued to lower her head slightly, respectfully and gently saying: "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. I just came to the capital and I don't know anything. It is a blessing to be able to meet such a fairy-like figure as the Empress. My mother and grandmother also taught me that the Empress had been in charge of the six palaces for ten years and never made any mistakes. She is an extremely outstanding person, and asked me to learn from the Empress. In the future, I will have to rely on the Empress to teach me."

Chu Jinyao's plan now can be summed up in one word: delay. She is already the Crown Princess. As long as she doesn't make mistakes and doesn't annoy the Crown Prince, she can win without much trouble. Chu Jinyao can't interfere with the affairs of the court. If Qin Yi loses, Chu Jinyao will be defeated. If Qin Yi survives and takes the stage, she can become the Empress as long as she maintains the status quo. Therefore, Chu Jinyao doesn't stand out, flatter, or offend Empress Xiao Qi. It would be even better if she can leave Empress Xiao Qi with the impression that she is weak and useless, so that Empress Xiao Qi won't target her. When

the other concubines heard this, they thought that the new Crown Princess was being self-deprecating, but when Empress Xiao Qi heard this, she couldn't help but think of Chu Jinyao's life experience.

According to the nanny outside the palace, Chu Jinyao was originally the daughter of the wife of Marquis Changxing, but she was taken away by mistake because of the war when she was born. Chu Jinyao grew up in a farmer's family for the first thirteen years of her life, and it has only been three years since she was brought back to the Marquis Changxing Mansion. During these three years, she spent one year just preparing for her marriage.

Girls from powerful and noble families are carefully brought up before the age of ten, and after that, they are taken out by their mothers and elders to socialize. Chu Jinyao came back at the age of thirteen, so it can be said that she had completely misled the education of noble girls. How much scheming and tricks can a girl who almost came out of the mountains have? The best proof is that Chu Jinyao speaks over and over again, and she only knows a few sentences, which can be heard as temporary teachings by her elders. Unlike the local ladies who were carefully cultivated, no matter they were lively or quiet, they could always speak to the point. Empress Xiao Qi

had a smooth life and boasted of her nobleness. Before she got married, she only compared herself with the top few noble ladies in the capital. Later, when she became the empress, the only ones who could compete with her were the top smart women such as Consort Shu and Consort Li. Empress Xiao Qi really had no interest in Chu Jinyao.

Empress Xiao Qi secretly laughed at herself. Why would she care about a beautiful embroidered pillow? It would only lower her status. Queen Qi picked up the chopsticks but did not attack. Instead, she said, "I have watched the prince grow up, but after he grew up, I don't know who instigated him and he gradually became estranged from me. It's difficult to be his stepmother. As his stepmother, I can only worry a lot of the time and cannot interfere in his affairs. But now that he has married you, I can rest assured. In the future, you have to advise the prince more, do you understand?"

Chu Jinyao thought to herself, it's a good thing that Qin Yi didn't hear what you said, otherwise, you would see if Qin Yi would embarrass you on the spot. But it was fine that Empress Xiao Qi insisted on pretending to be a virtuous stepmother. Chu Jinyao pretended to be very touched and said, "Your Majesty is really kind-hearted. A family should naturally be harmonious. Your daughter-in-law has remembered your words." Empress

Xiao Qi was stunned when she heard this. Qin Yi had never been willing to give her a good face in these years, and the Crown Princess he married was so easy to manipulate? What do you mean a family should be harmonious? Who is his family?

The Concubine Shu, who was sitting on the side, heard this and laughed, "The Crown Princess is really filial. The Queen is so lucky."

Concubine Shu was over 30 years old and older than Empress Xiao Qi. Shufei entered the palace early and was canonized when Empress Wenxiao was still alive. Because of her long seniority, although she has lost favor in recent years, the emperor still treats Shufei with respect and always visits her once a month. Therefore, Shufei has a very high status in the palace. Even Empress Xiaoqi has to give Shufei some face.

Empress Xiaoqi and Shufei are old rivals. Shufei's words sound nice, but in fact they are indirectly poking at Empress Xiaoqi's lungs. The Crown Princess is filial, but she is not your daughter-in-law.

Chu Jinyao was secretly distressed when she heard this. If the two gods in the palace fight, don't use her as a scapegoat. Chu Jinyao smiled softly at Concubine Shu: "Thank you for your compliments, Her Majesty. I didn't do well. If I have made Her Majesty the Empress angry, please give me more advice."

Concubine Shu was stunned when she heard this. She was not complimenting Chu Jinyao... Concubine Shu was used to the way people in the palace spoke in circles and with sarcastic words. Suddenly, when she encountered Chu Jinyao's sincere thanks, she didn't know how to respond.

Concubine Shu paused and said with a smile, "You are the Crown Princess. I dare not instruct you. How can I say anything if the Empress has not spoken? The Empress now loves you like a daughter. If I say something too harsh, the Empress will not let me off the hook." Empress

Xiao Qi just smiled at this, neither agreeing nor objecting. Seeing this, Concubine Li smiled coquettishly and said, "The Empress and the Crown Princess are in harmony, the mother is kind and the son

is filial, which is really enviable." From the title of Concubine Li, it can be seen that this is a new concubine in the past two years and she is very favored. Empress Xiao Qi has a delicate appearance. Her facial features are not magnificent and beautiful, but the corners of her eyes have a bit of seductive aura. Concubine Li is the opposite. Her facial features are extremely beautiful, showing a kind of exquisite beauty.

Those who dared to answer the empress in such an occasion were all very powerful people. Concubine Shu relied on her seniority, while Concubine Li relied on her beauty. Empress Xiao Qi was unwilling to lose face in front of these two old enemies, so she smiled and said, "The Crown Princess was carefully selected before marrying into the palace, so of course she must be a good one."

Empress Xiao Qi's tone focused on the word "marry", and as expected, when the concubines in the palace heard this, their faces were not very good. The Queen of Qi took it upon herself to win back a game. She thought for a moment and continued to ask Chu Jinyao, "You are a child with a pure heart and a clever way of speaking. I guess the elders in the Marquis' Mansion have put a lot of effort into your upbringing, right?"

Chu Jinyao showed a look of astonishment: "Respecting your uncle and aunt and serving your elders are what you should do. Madam, am I wrong?" The Queen

of Qi understood. This girl probably grew up among the common people. Seeing that the common people were like this, she thought that the world should be like this. It makes sense. She didn't grow up in a high-class family. Unlike those noble ladies who have been exposed to the corruption of the big families since birth, how could she understand intrigue and ulterior motives? A person who had no education for noble ladies dared to enter the palace.

Empress Xiao Qi immediately lost interest. She could still feel the satisfaction of talking to Concubine Shu, who was a seasoned woman, but with Chu Jinyao... Empress Xiao Qi didn't even want to talk. Empress

Xiao Qi deeply felt that this was a waste of her time. This time, she did not hesitate. She raised her chopsticks to indicate that she picked up two chopsticks, then covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said, "Okay, you are a good child, I know. It's getting late, and you still have to go back to see your parents, so I won't keep you."

As soon as Empress Xiao Qi said this, Chu Jinyao bowed her head and agreed. The concubines sitting around also stood up and bowed to Chu Jinyao: "Go slowly, Crown Princess."

Chu Jinyao returned a half-bow and walked out of Kunning Palace. Before Chu Jinyao went out, her sleeve accidentally brushed against someone. The person who looked like a concubine was startled and hurriedly took a few steps back.

Her action was so abrupt that it even scared Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao hurriedly asked, "Madam, are you okay?"

"Nothing is wrong." The woman had her hair tied up, but her demeanor was not like that of a concubine at all. She lowered her head, put her hands on her abdomen awkwardly, and did not dare to look Chu Jinyao in the eye. The woman looked quite delicate, with delicate eyebrows and drooping eyes. She looked at me with pity. Chu Jinyao secretly said that the emperor had a wide taste. But looking at the concubine's appearance, she seemed to be frightened and angry, her eyes were full of panic, Chu Jinyao felt sorry, so she had to say: "I was careless just now and disturbed the queen. Otherwise, the queen, please call the imperial physician to take a look?"

Although Chu Jinyao just accidentally brushed against this person with her sleeve, it was not really a disturbance, but the other party was so panicked that Chu Jinyao felt that she had done something unforgivable. When

the woman heard that she was going to call the imperial physician, she seemed to be more frightened. She shook her head hurriedly: "No need to call the imperial physician, thank you for your concern, the Crown Princess." As she spoke, she squatted deeply to Chu Jinyao and said: "Thank you for your concern, the Crown Princess, I disturbed the Crown Princess on her trip, which is really a serious crime. Please forgive me, the Crown Princess."

Chu Jinyao felt even more embarrassed when she was asked to apologize. Fortunately, she had already walked to the door and was far away from inside, so she did not attract the attention of those inside. Chu Jinyao guessed that this should be a newly appointed concubine, but her position was not high, and she still had to do the work of a palace maid, which was why she showed such a panicked look. I guess to her, Chu Jinyao was also a scary big shot.

Chu Jinyao didn't want to embarrass her anymore, and didn't mention the matter of asking for the imperial physician. She nodded to the woman and left. After leaving Kunning Palace, Chu Jinyao boarded the sedan chair of the Crown Princess and quietly called the palace maid over: "The one we met just now is who she is?"

"To the Crown Princess, she is the new palace maid favored by the Emperor. She was originally a little maid beside Concubine Hui. After being favored by the Emperor, she was granted the Holy Grace and rose to prominence."

"Oh?" Chu Jinyao asked, "Does she have a title?"

"No, the Emperor has not given her a title."

Sure enough. Chu Jinyao knew what was going on. An ordinary palace maid was favored by the Emperor for one night, and the Emperor would forget about it after the novelty wore off. The poor thing was that this palace maid's entire life was changed.

If that was the case, Chu Jinyao would not have paid attention to her. There were many such poor people in the palace. What really puzzled Chu Jinyao was the action of the palace maid. She was just brushed by the sleeve. Even the most timid person would not have such a big reaction. Moreover, the first reaction of the palace maid after being frightened was to put her hands in front of her belly.

Chu Jinyao thought for a while and temporarily suppressed this thought. As the Crown Princess, it would be best for her not to interfere in the affairs of the Emperor's harem. At most, she could mention it to Qin Yi, and then she would not care about what to do afterwards.

After Chu Jinyao returned to Ciqing Palace, Qin Yi was gone as expected. Chu Jinyao turned around and asked with some jealousy: "Where is His Highness?"

"His Highness is in the study in the front hall." The eunuch who delivered the message looked at Chu Jinyao's face and said carefully, "I will go and tell His Highness that the Crown Princess has returned."

He also asked her to go early and come back early. That's what he does! Chu Jinyao changed her clothes angrily. When she came out of the inner room, she saw Qin Yi sitting on the couch outside. When he saw her, Qin Yi closed the book in his hand and put it on the table.

"Let's go."

Qin Yi came back to wait for her. Chu Jinyao felt bad: "Your Highness has been waiting for a long time?" Chu Jinyao said, glancing at the maid behind her: "Your Highness is here, why didn't you tell me?" The

palace maids all lowered their heads. Obviously, these were Qin Yi's words, and they dared not disobey. Chu Jinyao did not intend to ask them for an answer. She walked quickly to Qin Yi and said, "Your Highness has been waiting for a long time. Let's go now."

Today is Chu Jinyao's third day back home, and the Crown Prince will also come back with him. This is a big deal. The Changxing Marquis's mansion had been prepared early. Everyone in the mansion wore court robes. The Changxing Marquis led the men to wait outside the door, while the old lady led all the female relatives, maids and servants in the inner house to wait at the second gate.

The royal procession gradually appeared. When the Changxing Marquis saw the procession, he immediately knelt down. After the carriage of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess stopped, he led people to shout loudly: "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and greetings to the Crown Princess."

Qin Yi got off the car and personally helped the Changxing Marquis: "Father-in-law, please stand up." Qin Yi stayed in front to greet everyone, while Chu Jinyao's carriage drove directly to the second gate.

After Chu Jinyao entered the second gate, there was naturally another round of greetings. Chu Jinyao personally helped Old Madam Chu up and accompanied them into the house to talk.

In Rongning Hall, Old Madam Chu made a gesture to greet Chu Jinyao: "Please take a seat, Crown Princess."

"Grandma." Chu Jinyao supported Old Madam Chu and said, "Grandma, what are you talking about? You are my elder after all. Even if I get married, I am still the daughter of the Marquis' Mansion. How can I trouble you to greet me?"

After Old Madam Chu and Chu Jinyao exchanged a few polite words, she reluctantly sat at the top. Chu Jinyao helped Old Madam Chu sit down, and then sat opposite Old Madam Chu. After Chu Jinyao sat down, the rest of the Zhao family, Yan family and others sat on the two sides below according to their seniority.

Madam Chu was the most senior person and the host, so she naturally sat in the highest seat. The seat opposite Madam Chu was usually only occupied by Marquis Changxing, and Chu Jinyao used to sit far below. Now, she can sit on an equal footing with Madam Chu, even higher than her mother and aunt.

After the guests and hosts were seated, Madam Chu exchanged pleasantries for a while and then asked Chu Jinyao, "Crown Princess, how are you doing in the East Palace these days?"

Everyone present knew what kind of good this meant.

Everyone was staring at her and the prince's private affairs. Chu Jinyao felt a little uncomfortable, but thinking that this was her mother's family, she had to give respect to the Changxing Marquisate, so she nodded and said vaguely: "Not bad."

Old Madam Chu was not very satisfied with this answer. Their whole family was now looking forward to Chu Jinyao being favored, and even more so, giving birth to a royal grandson. It was hard for Old Madam Chu to feel at ease when Chu Jinyao just brushed it off with just one word. Old Madam Chu wanted to ask more, but Duan Yinghua, who was standing on the ground, saw that Chu Jinyao was not happy, and hurriedly smiled and said, "The Crown Princess is beautiful and kind-hearted. She is naturally favored by the emperor after entering the palace. My grandfather and mother have been worried about the Crown Princess for several days. Today, after meeting His Highness and the Crown Princess, we can finally rest assured."

Duan Yinghua is a grandson's wife. The daughter-in-law of the Zhao family who has already given birth to children is respectable and can sit down, but Duan Yinghua cannot. In addition to Duan Yinghua, several daughters-in-law of the Yan family were also standing behind them, but they were not as familiar with Duan Yinghua and Chu Jinyao as they were, so they did not dare to speak in front of the Crown Princess's sister-in-law.

Duan Yinghua interrupted, and Old Madam Chu had a good eye and stopped asking about Chu Jinyao's bedroom affairs. Old Madam Chu talked about many changes in the family with a smile, such as Chu Jinxian's letter saying she was pregnant and the addition of a half-brother to the family. Chu Jinyao listened and gradually showed a sincere smile.

And Chu Jinxian's pregnancy was probably the best news she had heard today.

Old Madam Chu saw that the smile on Chu Jinyao's face gradually softened, and it was no longer the standard smile unique to the palace, so she waved her hand to signal the servants to go out. It's strange to say, Chu Jinyao had been in the palace for only two days, and when she came back, she was completely different. She was still the same person, but she was already emitting a kind of palace nobility. Facing Chu Jinyao, Old Madam Chu didn't dare to use the original commanding and ordering tone, and unconsciously became cautious.

Not only Old Madam Chu, but everyone else was also secretly shocked. No wonder others say that getting married is like a second reincarnation. In the past, when they looked at Chu Jinyao, they thought she was just a quiet and beautiful girl. But now, Chu Jinyao changed into a red flowered dress, with jingling jade rings on her head, sitting there sideways, dignified and distant. Even though they look exactly the same, no one dares to confuse her now with Chu Jinyao before she got married.

Now that there are only her own people in the room, Old Madam Chu dares to ask some private questions: "Crown Princess, is the Queen treating you well? Do you want the family to prepare a few more maids for you?"