When paying respects to the Empress, as expected, many concubines stabbed Zhuang Yuyan in the name of concern, among whom Concubine Yan and Su Xiuyi were the worst. Zhuang Yuyan didn't have to do anything, just pretended to be hit, which not only fulfilled the other party's idea of ​​not wanting her to have an easy time, but also fulfilled the miserable appearance of a postpartum woman.

As for the other concubines, they were happy to watch the show and did not help either side.

The Queen watched the show for a while, and when she saw Zhuang Yuyan's face becoming increasingly ugly, she spoke up, "It's almost the New Year the day after tomorrow, so we should go pay our respects to the Queen Mother."

Zhuang Luyan raised her eyebrows in surprise. She thought the Queen Mother had retired. Thinking about how the Queen Mother suddenly intervened in the affairs of the harem a few days ago, and then inexplicably returned to Kang'an Palace to worship Buddha and no longer intervened in the affairs of the harem, Zhuang Luyan was a little puzzled. She didn't know whether it was the Queen Mother or the Emperor who made her stop.

There was also the eunuch who was inexplicably struck to death by lightning outside the Taoyu Pavilion. Why did the empress dowager inexplicably punish a palace maid with a stick? This was really inconsistent with the empress dowager's charitable image of worshiping Buddha.

Seeing Zhuang Yuyan burying her head and not saying anything, Concubine Yan thought that she had not yet recovered from the shock of miscarriage, so she smiled and said, "Zhao Xiuyi looks unwell, is she feeling unwell?"

"Thank you for your concern, Noble Concubine Yan. I'm fine." Zhuang Yuyan forced a smile and stood up as everyone else did. From her weak appearance, anyone could tell that she had not yet recovered.

Concubine Yan watched Zhuang Yuyan walking out with the hand of a palace maid, and snorted coldly, "Who are you showing your pitiful appearance to?"

Concubine Rou, who was walking by her side, glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and said in a low voice with a half-smile: "If you don't like to watch it, it's OK if others like to watch it."

Everyone who heard it knew who the "other" that Concubine Rou mentioned was. Concubine Yan glared at Zhuang Yuyan's back unwillingly, then glanced at Concubine Rou who had a forced smile on her face, pouted her lips and followed the crowd.

There was a faint scent of sandalwood in the Queen Mother's Kang'an Palace. Zhuang Luyan lowered her head and listened to the Queen Mother and the Empress greeting each other warmly. It was impossible to tell that there was any open or covert struggle between the two.

"I heard that Zhao Chongyi had a miscarriage?" The Queen Mother finally turned the topic to Zhuang Yuyan.

Everyone present knew that the Ye family was the Empress Dowager's family. The Ye sisters had been demoted one after another, all because of the miscarriage. The Empress Dowager brought up this matter now and called Zhuang Yuyan a "Chongyi". Anyone could hear that she disliked Zhuang Yuyan.

The queen replied without changing her expression, "Mother, the emperor has already invited my sister to be a concubine a few days ago."

"Oh, I didn't know about this. I heard that Wange was demoted to a noble. What's going on?" The Queen Mother stopped the Queen from speaking and looked at Zhuang Yuyan. "Zhao Chongyi, tell me what's going on?"

Zhuang Yuyan did not feel embarrassed when the Queen Mother still called her Chongyi. She stood up and saluted the Queen Mother, saying, "Your Majesty, this matter is decided by the Emperor. I do not know the reason. I believe that the Emperor must have his reasons for doing this."

The Queen Mother's face was gloomy. This Zhuang Yuyan was obviously using the Emperor to silence her, but she couldn't say that the Emperor's decree was wrong. Thinking of the things the Emperor had shown her, the Queen Mother could only temporarily suppress her anger. "In this case, when the Emperor comes to pay his respects, I will go and ask him."

Although the Queen Mother did not deliberately embarrass Zhao Xiuyi, everyone present understood that the Queen Mother was displeased with Zhao Xiuyi. It was a pity that the Queen Mother ignored the affairs of the harem, otherwise they would have been able to watch a few good shows.

Ye Ronghua's expression remained normal, and she did not seem flustered by the Queen Mother's words. It was hard to tell that Ye Wange's situation was entirely due to her.

The Queen sneered and glanced at the Queen Mother. Others didn't know but she knew very well in her heart that the Emperor and the Queen Mother didn't have such a deep relationship as mother and son. They didn't even come to pay their respects every day. If the Queen Mother wanted to blame the Emperor for this matter, it would only make the Emperor more disgusted.

The Ye family has long lost its former glory, and the emperor's surname is Feng, not Ye. The empress dowager only thought about the glory of her mother's family and forgot this point.

"I am tired. You all should kneel down and greet me. Ye Ronghua and Mr. Ye will stay."

When Zhuang Yuyan walked to the door, she turned around to glance at the backs of the Ye sisters. The empress dowager so blatantly left only the Ye sisters behind after all the concubines paid their respects. Was she trying to upset the emperor?

After leaving the sandalwood-scented Kang'an Palace, Tingzhu put a thick cloak on Zhuang Yuyan, carefully helped her onto the sedan chair, and told the eunuchs who were carrying the sedan chair, "The ground is slippery, be careful."

"We respectfully bid farewell to Princess Zhaoxiu." Concubine Jiang Xian and some concubines of lower status bowed respectfully and watched Zhuang Yuyan and her group leave.

"Look at her frivolous look," Su Xiuyi said angrily as she got on the sedan chair, "Go back to the palace!"

Concubine Jiang Xian and others bowed again and saw them off respectfully. Looking at Su Xiuyi's back, Concubine Jiang Xian lowered her eyelids. With this kind of brain, it's no wonder that she is a cousin of Concubine Shu Guifei. They are both equally beautiful, but in the end one is a Guifei and the other is just Xiuyi.

Inside Kang'an Palace, the Queen Mother pointed at Ye Ronghua with an unpleasant expression and said sternly, "Tell me what you did. You two sisters are now so lowly in the harem. What use are you?"

Ye Ronghua pouted and said, "But I didn't expect the emperor to punish my sister. I thought that if I exposed that palace maid, the emperor would look at me more."

"What's wrong with you? That palace maid is the senior palace maid who is always by your sister's side. How could the Emperor not get angry with your sister?!" The Queen Mother was so angry that she threw the Jade Ruyi in her hand away. The jade handle hit Ye Ronghua's forehead, and blood immediately covered it.

Seeing her like this, the Queen Mother waved her hands impatiently, "Get out of here!"

After Ye Ronghua left, the Queen Mother looked coldly at Ye Wange, whom she had always disliked, and said, "You are also useless. Leave."

Mr. Ye's face turned pale and he retreated with a gloomy look.

"Master, is your forehead okay? I'll ask someone to call the imperial physician for you." The palace maid beside Ye Ronghua looked worriedly at the silk that was already stained with blood on the wound.

"It's okay," Ye Ronghua covered his forehead calmly, "Besides, now that the emperor hates me, there are no good doctors willing to come. I don't care if they are not good doctors."

"But..." The palace maid was interrupted by Ye Ronghua before she could finish her words.

"No need to say more," Ye Ronghua calmly sat on the sedan chair and looked at the white snow on the ground. "This is a predetermined ending. It's fine this way."

She had been favored before, and when she was favored, people fawned on her and paid her respects constantly. Now that she had lost favor, not to mention fawning, even her daily expenses were not deducted because she was the niece of the Queen Mother. Now even the Queen Mother hated her, and I was afraid that life in the harem would be dull.

But even so, it is better than losing your life in the end. The Queen Mother may not have thought it through, but she can see clearly that the Emperor cannot tolerate the Ye family, just like he cannot tolerate the Zhao family.

Ye Ronghua and Zhuang Yuyan didn't have much in common, so when they met on the same road, she took a closer look at the favored Zhao Xiuyi. Her appearance was not the most beautiful in the harem, and even her complexion looked a little bad because of the miscarriage. How did such a woman get promoted from Wanyi to Xiuyi in just one year?

Zhuang Luoyan had not expected to meet Ye Ronghua, who was using her property to cheat her sister, on the road. Looking at his wolfish look, she almost forgot how glorious he was when he was a second-rank lady. It was only when he got off the sedan chair to pay his respects to her that she reacted.

"Ye Ronghua, there's no need to be so polite," Zhuang Luyan looked at this person with a humble and compliant appearance. In just half a year, this person seemed to have washed away all the luster, as if she had always looked like this, and her former flamboyance was just a mask.

Ye Ronghua still finished her greetings before standing up, her eyes always fixed on Zhuang Yuyan's chin, not looking at her straight in the eye, "I have never met Zhao Xiuyi before, I am sorry for being rude."

"Ye Ronghua's forehead wound is bleeding a lot. Have you called the imperial physician?" Zhuang Yuyan didn't think about which look was the real Ye Ronghua. In the harem, there were too many women acting. If it was not necessary, she should not be too curious.

"Thank you Zhao Xiuyi for your concern, it's just an accidental injury, it's not serious." Ye Ronghua replied in a flat tone.

Zhuang Yuyan turned to the eunuch behind him and said, "This won't do. A woman's face must not be taken lightly. Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Doctor Hu to take a look at Ye Ronghua. Tell him to treat her carefully." Then he said to Ye Ronghua, "The Emperor has just ordered to see you, so I won't stay any longer."

"Farewell, Princess Zhao Xiuyi." Ye Ronghua watched Zhao Xiuyi leave, being carefully served by the palace maids and eunuchs, his expression indescribably complicated.

"My lord, Doctor Hu is best at treating skin diseases. This time you will definitely not be left with scars." The maiden said with joy.

Without the emperor's favor, what difference does it make whether there is a scar on the face? Ye Ronghua sat back on the sedan chair and said calmly: "Go back."

When Zhuang Yuyan entered the Qianzheng Palace, she saw the emperor sitting comfortably in the old chair, several stunning dancers were dancing gracefully, and musicians were playing music beside them. The whole scene was so comfortable that it was hard to describe it.

"I have seen the emperor," the emperor said before Zhuang Yuyan finished her greetings, pulling her to sit on his lap. "This dance was carefully rehearsed by Yuefu. I see that you like to watch these dances, so I will let you take a look first."

How could Zhuang Yuyan have the nerve to tell the other party that what she was watching was not the dance, but the beautiful woman dancing. However, she was not stupid enough to spoil the emperor's fun.

Sitting on the human cushion, Zhuang Yuyan played the role of a qualified favorite concubine, watching with great interest the beauties spinning and bending over. She felt so indescribably comfortable that she even ignored the emperor's hands playing with her.

Her intuition told her that the emperor had asked her to come for more than just to watch a dance.

After all...with the emperor's complex intelligence, he can't do such a simple thing.