Zhuang Yuyan followed everyone to the Queen's side hall. The Queen and Consort Shugui were already there. She frowned, and after paying her respects with everyone, she sat down on the chair.

"I summoned you here today because I have some questions that I would like to ask Zhen Cairen," the queen blew on the surface of the teacup and only looked at Zhen Cairen out of the corner of her eye, as if she was something not worthy of being on the stage.

When Zhen Cairen heard the queen's words, she had a bad feeling in her heart, turned around and knelt on the ground.

"What's wrong with Concubine Zhen? I haven't even opened my mouth to ask you, why are you so scared that you kneel down?" The Queen put down the teacup, still not looking at Concubine Zhen's timid look.

"Your Majesty is the mistress of the harem, the mother of the world, and you have your own majesty. Your concubine...your concubine..." Zhen Cairen was not well-educated and could not find a suitable adjective for a while. The more anxious she became, the more she didn't know how to speak.

"You mean I'm scary?" The Queen raised her eyebrows and looked at Concubine Zhen, snorting coldly, "I think Concubine Zhen is very courageous, otherwise how could she use phosphorus powder to stir up trouble in the palace?!"

"Your Majesty, I don't know what you mean." Zhen Cairen widened her eyes, not understanding how this unwarranted title could be assigned to her.

"You were born in a lowly family, and you were only able to be a concubine of the emperor, so you were granted the title of a talented person. But you were jealous of the favored concubine, and killed her maid and wanted to take revenge on her. If it weren't for this phosphorus powder betraying you, I wouldn't have known that the talented person not only danced, but also performed a variety of tricks."

No matter how she heard it, it felt like the Queen's words were meant to create hatred between Concubine Shugui and Concubine Rou. Zhuang Luoyan took the opportunity to glance at Concubine Shugui and Concubine Rou. Concubine Rou was also very suspicious. The person who was beaten to death by the Queen Mother in the peach forest was someone from Concubine Rou's palace, and the palace maid who died in the lotus pond was also Concubine Rou's person. If she didn't believe that Concubine Rou's IQ was not that low, Zhuang Luoyan would have suspected that the deaths of these two palace maids were related to Concubine Rou.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I don't know how there could be a dead person in the lotus pond, and I don't know how such strange things could happen. Please understand, Your Majesty!" Even if Zhen Cairen was a fool, she should understand that the queen was referring to what happened in the lotus pond in Xihe Palace. But what did this have to do with her?

"You are crying out that you are innocent, but in your heart you are probably wondering how the truth could be exposed," the queen asked lazily. "Since you said you didn't know, how did you know that something strange happened in the lotus pond? You should know that the emperor has banned the conversation about this matter, and most of the concubines don't know what happened. How do you know so much?"

"When I went out today, I happened to hear two palace maids talking behind the rockery," Zhen Cairen explained hastily, "This matter has nothing to do with me!"

"The palace maid who was too talkative earlier discussed this matter and was beaten to death. What palace maid would be so reckless as to discuss this matter in a place where people pass by? The excuse of Zhen Cairen is a bit lame," said the queen. "I have already found out that the strange blue fire on the palace maid was caused by phosphorus powder. The concubines in the palace don't know these low-class tricks. Only you were born in a low class and had the opportunity to know those jugglers in the palace, so I went to investigate, and sure enough, this matter is related to you."

After saying this, without waiting for Zhen Cairen to explain, he ordered someone to bring an ordinary-looking palace maid to the palace. "This juggler named Hongyao has confessed everything. What else can Zhen Cairen explain?"

Zhuang Yuyan watched Zhen Cairen explain and protest his innocence, but finally convicted him in the silence of everyone. The matter of the lotus pond seemed to have been settled.

She knew that the cause of the will-o'-the-wisp was phosphorus, but the queen was right, most people really didn't know about this kind of thing, so Zhen Cairen, who was born in a lowly family and had contacts with palace jugglers, was the most suspicious person and the best scapegoat.

A small talent, with no family background and gorgeous clothes, was the perfect scapegoat.

Zhuang Yuyan looked at Zhen Cairen kneeling in the middle of the room. However, just a few days later, she fell into the mud again. She didn't know whether this fall would cost her life.

"Now that the matter has been clarified, I will take my leave," Shugui Concubine stood up and glanced at Zhen Cairen who was kneeling on the ground with a smile, "People with humble origins will always be lowly." After saying that, she bowed to the empress and slowly left the side hall of the empress's palace.

Concubine Rou also stood up and bowed to the empress: "Someone in my palace died for no reason. Fortunately, the empress has found out the truth. I thank the empress for her kindness."

The queen said with a gentle expression: "I am the head of the harem, and these things are my responsibility."

Concubine Ning and Concubine Xiangui, who were still present, did not show much expression after hearing the Queen's words.

Zhuang Yuyan had no interest in listening to these words anymore, so she found an excuse to leave. Before she had taken a few steps, Xu Zhaorong followed her and asked, "Zhao Xianrong, have you ever thought about why Zhen Cairen wanted to frame you?"

Zhuang Yuyan knelt slightly to Xu Zhaorong, "What advice do you have, Madam?"

Xu Zhaorong smiled and said, "Zhao Xianrong is very smart, how could she not understand it? It's a pity for such a young palace maid."

"Your Majesty is kind-hearted, but I am not. When the Emperor ordered his execution, I should have come out to plead for him." Zhuang Yuyan showed a guilty look on her face.

Xu Zhaorong's face changed. Since this question involved the emperor, she knew she had picked an inappropriate topic. She forced a smile and said, "However, it is indeed disrespectful for a servant to offend the master's reputation. The emperor feels sorry for Zhaoxianrong, so it is not too much to be beaten to death."

Zhuang Yuyan smiled, neither refuting nor agreeing. Xu Zhaorong was secretly resentful, but she couldn't vent her anger, so she had to hold it in. Now that this person was more favored by the emperor than herself, she could do nothing about it.

After the two of them separated, the smile on Zhuang Yuyan's face gradually disappeared. Yun Xi and Ting Zhu beside her looked at her worriedly. Ting Zhu hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Your Majesty, Xu Zhaorong is no longer the same as before. You don't have to pay attention to what she said."

"I don't care about that," Zhuang Yuyan sighed, "A new beauty will enter the palace in the spring. Who knows what the scene will be like then."

Yun Xi smiled and said, "No matter who enters the palace, I believe that Your Highness is also a concubine with status in the eyes of the Emperor."

"Status..." Zhuang Yuyan forced a smile, then noticed that this place was not far from Jingyang Palace, and said, "Let's go back to the palace."

In Qianzheng Palace, Feng Jin listened to the Queen's words and slowly said, "Does the Queen mean that this incident was done by Zhen Cairen?"

"Your Majesty, we have already investigated and the witness has confessed. It is indeed Zhen Cairen without a doubt." The Queen paused for a moment, "Does Your Majesty have any doubts?"

"I am naturally relieved when the Queen takes care of things," Feng Jin smiled and pulled the Queen to sit down. "There have been many things to do in the harem these days. Thank you for your hard work."

"Your Majesty is my husband, and I am your wife. Husband and wife are one. Everything I do is not hard." The queen smiled gently.

Feng Jin looked at the empress and patted the back of her hand: "I understand your intention." After that, he turned to Gao Dezhong and instructed, "Ask the people in the kitchen to prepare the auspicious lily soup that the empress loves to eat. The empress will dine with me today."

"Yes," Gao Dezhong retreated as he was told. When he reached the door, he raised his head and glanced inadvertently at the two people who were walking together. They were obviously very close to each other, yet they seemed very far away.

"Outside the curtains, the snow is just beginning to fall. The green canopy is fragrant and the fire is still burning..." Xu Zhaorong stood by the window, watching the snowflakes falling down in a flurry. She looked indescribably lonely. "Liu Xu, how many days has it been since the emperor came to Changtian Tower?"

“My queen…”

"I remember the emperor said that he was the emperor and being with me made him happy. Because I loved to enjoy the scenery, he gave me this building and named it Changtian Building." She looked through the window in the direction of Qianzheng Palace. "It has only been a short time now, and Zhuang Luoyan, who is lower in status than me, has Xihe Palace, while I still live in this building, and the emperor has gradually begun to forget about me living in the building." Xu Zhaorong smiled bitterly, "Maybe soon, the emperor will completely forget about this place."

"Your Majesty, that won't happen. The Emperor was just too busy at the beginning of the court session to come..."

Before Liu Xu could finish her words, she was interrupted by the eunuch who came in, "Your Majesty, the emperor has flipped the card today, it's... it's Xihe Palace."

"Xihe Palace again," Xu Zhaorong's expression changed slightly, "Back in the bamboo forest, I felt that Zhuang Yuyan was a rival, and today it seems to be true."

"Yan Guipin was not favored in the past, and she is still a small Guipin now," Liu Xu consoled her, "Who can guarantee that Zhao Xianrong will not be the second Yan Guipin."

"If she was the second Concubine Yan, how could the emperor allow her to occupy the palace alone and hold the position of Second Rank Xianrong in just one year?" Xu Zhaorong's eyes suddenly became stern. "The fear is that she is the second Concubine Shu."

If it weren't for Su Ruizi, she would have been a first-rank concubine now. How could she still be just a second-rank Zhaorong?

Zhuang Yuyan and the emperor lay in the same bed. Although the emperor had turned over her tooth cards a few times before, the emperor took her miscarriage into consideration and did not do anything else. Now, more than a month had passed, and the emperor finally stopped playing the role of Liu Xiahui.

After a hearty fight between two fairies, the emperor held Zhuang Yuyan's waist contentedly and said, "Every time I hug my beloved concubine, I am always satisfied."

Zhuang Yuyan actually wanted to reply that she was quite satisfied, but she still managed to put on a shy expression.

"The vassal states will leave the day after tomorrow. There will be a dinner party tomorrow night. You can go with them," the emperor added. "I have already decided on the reward for Gao Mei Country. I will give them half of the value of their tribute gifts. After all, it is not reasonable for a master to return a gift more than a servant."

Zhuang Yuyan felt that the emperor was very pleasing to her eyes at this moment, and said, "I also think that it is better for me to stick to my duties as a servant."

"It seems that my beloved concubine agrees with me," Feng Jin smiled and kissed Zhuang Yuyan's forehead, "I have disliked these small countries that take advantage of others but do nothing since I was a child. My beloved concubine is the one I love most."

Then your heart must be very broad, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate so many beloved ones. Zhuang Yuyan despised the emperor's sweet words in her heart, but she said, "Your Majesty is far-sighted, I am just unwilling to give up."

"My beloved concubine, how could you know that I was also unwilling to accept this back then?" Feng Jin was very satisfied with Zhuang Yuyan's little willfulness, and said with emotion, "When I was still young, I saw the envoys from Gao America casually offering some worthless things as tribute, and they received a lot of rewards from my father. I have never been willing to accept this until now, and now I have finally vented my anger."

Hearing the woman in his arms laughing softly because of these words, Feng Jin hugged her tighter, feeling warm.