In people's impression, although the peacock is not as noble and beautiful as the phoenix, it is also beautiful. Therefore, although the concubines in the harem did not dare to use phoenix patterns as decorative objects or clothing and shoe uppers, they could use peacocks instead.

The peacock tail presented is very colorful. Although the brushwork is strange, it gives people a strange sense of surprise. The clear edges and exaggerated lines are very different from the way other concubines in the palace paint. The only one who uses this strange technique to paint is So Hyun-nyung of the Heehe Palace.

"Your Majesty, this paper peacock tail is painted with the finest brocade silk from Shu, and it was presented to the emperor in October last year. I have checked, and only eight concubines in the harem have these brocade silks. Except for Concubine Rou, Xu Zhaorong, and Concubine Ning, all other concubines have them." The queen looked at the peacock tail presented to Concubine Ning in a calm tone, "I can't find anything from the fabric alone."

Everyone had reacted at this point. The Queen wanted to take advantage of today's situation to thoroughly investigate the matter, and since all of the concubines were present, no one could escape.

The emperor's eyebrows moved, "Since we can't find anything from the cloth, let's start from somewhere else." After saying that, he looked at Concubine Ning, "Concubine Ning, take a look at this painting."

"Your Majesty..." Concubine Ning hesitated and picked up the painting. She looked at it carefully for a long time, frowned and said in embarrassment, "I really don't know who painted this, but judging from the brushstrokes, it doesn't look like Zhao Xianrong."

Concubine Shu Gui looked at the peacock tail with a smile, "Does Concubine Ning know what the painting style of Zhao Xianrong is like?"

"During the Lantern Festival, Empress Zhao Xianrong personally painted a palace lantern. I was present that day, so I took a closer look." Concubine Ning put down her peacock tail and looked at Concubine Shu Gui. "Could it be that Concubine Shu Gui has forgotten?"

Concubine Shugui smiled and said nothing more.

"Your Majesty has excellent eyesight and memory, which I cannot match," Zhuang Luyan reached out and took the peacock tail. "The paint and fabric used for this peacock tail are the same as mine. If the paper ibis was not painted by me, I am afraid I cannot tell the real thing from the fake."

"Your Majesty, the person who framed me this time had ulterior motives. Not only did he kill Noble Lady Ye, but he also made me suffer injustice. Please seek justice for me." Zhuang Luoyan's eyes were slightly red. "I am not afraid of being framed, but I am afraid that Your Majesty has believed the schemes of those vicious people. If this is the case, if this is the case..." At this point, she was choked with sobs and couldn't speak.

The emperor stepped forward and held her slightly cold hand. "I know you. I have had people investigate this matter for quite some time. I will not let you bear this injustice in vain."

Concubine Shugui looked at this scene, looked away, and the smile on her lips faded a little. She said, "I forgot that I only knew that Concubine Ning was a good painter. Today I know that Concubine Ning also has a very good eye. On the Lantern Festival, she was several steps away from the palace lanterns, but she could still see the painting style of Zhaoxianrong. It is really rare."

Concubine Ning's expression remained unchanged, "I don't know what your Highness intends."

"I didn't mean anything," Concubine Shugui didn't look at Concubine Ning, but bowed to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I was rude just now."

"No problem," Feng Jian held Zhuang Yuyan's hand and glanced at Concubine Shu Gui, "You just said it unintentionally, there is nothing wrong with it."

"Shugui Concubine is just too meticulous. In the past, Concubine Rou and Concubine Lin also had a few arguments because of some unintentional words, but now they are still good sisters," the queen suddenly mentioned Concubine Rou and Concubine Lin, who was demoted from Concubine Yuan. "Concubine Rou, don't you think this is the case?"

Concubine Rou stepped forward and bowed, then smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, I and Concubine Lin are sisters in the harem. How could we harbor any grudges over a single word? What do you think, Concubine Lin?"

Linpin bowed with a fake smile, "Empress Roufei is right."

Feng Jin seemed to remember something, glanced at Concubine Lin, then turned to Concubine Ning: "I remember that Concubine Lin used to drink tea and play chess with you often."

"Your Majesty actually still remembers some of our little things," Concubine Ning said with a smile, "The Ruan Ming Palace where Concubine Lin originally lived has the crabapple flowers that I like, so I often go there to sit in my spare time. Concubine Lin is good at chess, and I lose nine out of ten games when I play chess with her."

"That's true. Even I am not as good as Concubine Lin at chess." Feng Jian pulled Zhuang Yuyan to sit aside, but his attention was on Concubine Ning and Concubine Lin. "Speaking of which, I haven't played chess with Concubine Lin for quite a while."

Concubine Ning smiled and said, "I have been helping the Empress with palace affairs recently, and I haven't played chess with Sister Lin for a while."

Zhuang Yuyan listened to Concubine Ning and the emperor reminiscing about the past, she lowered her head and looked at her hand which was held by the emperor, then she controlled the hand and trembled it slightly, and the emperor tightened his grip on her.

The turn of events became a little strange. How did the investigation of the peacock's tail turn into reminiscing about the past?

Concubine Shugui looked at this scene coldly. Concubine Ning always acted considerate in front of the emperor, so the emperor also liked to talk to Concubine Ning. As for whether Concubine Ning was really as considerate and indifferent as she appeared, only she herself knew.

Since Lin Concubine was demoted, the emperor has never turned over her card again. Now that the emperor suddenly paid attention to her, she had a little more joy on her face, but when she saw the person being held by the emperor, the joy on her face disappeared. No concubine would like an opponent who was related to her demotion.

Zhuang Weiyan noticed Lin Bin's gaze, curled up the corners of her mouth and smiled at Lin Bin, then retracted her gaze, as if she didn't see the gloom in Lin Bin's eyes.

"Talking to Concubine Ning always makes me feel relaxed," Feng Jin smiled and patted Zhuang Yuyan's hand, as if he wanted to stop talking to Concubine Ning, "I usually like to talk to you more."

"It is my honor to make His Majesty feel a little relaxed and happy." Concubine Ning smiled.

"I think so too, that's why I told you a lot of things, such as some tricks I saw when I was young, such as... using phosphorus powder to ignite blue fire, and telling you that the flying paper ibis was a picture drawn by Zhao Xianrong herself." Feng Jin calmly let go of Zhuang Yuyan's hand, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, "Now, I feel that talking to you is not an easy thing."

"Your Majesty," Concubine Ning's expression changed, "Are you suspicious of me?"

Feng Jian didn't look at Concubine Ning, but put down his teacup and said, "Someone, bring Lu Yi up here."

After Lu Yi was half-dragged and half-pulled up, Feng Jin said expressionlessly, "I remember that Concubine Ning once pleaded for mercy for a palace maid who had bumped into me, but who is this person?"

"Your Majesty, it happened so long ago that I cannot remember it," Concubine Ning looked at the emperor calmly, "If Your Majesty suspects me, I have nothing to say, but please do not convict me because of a palace maid whom I cannot remember."

"Concubine Ning is good at painting. All the paints and brushes in your palace are the best. Even the paints in your palace were specially kept for you by me at the Palace Province," Feng Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at Concubine Ning. "If all the concubines had not painted together today, I would not have remembered this matter. Since you are innocent, you can let someone verify it so that you can be cleared of the charges." After saying that, without waiting for Concubine Ning to refute, he sent for a painter to identify it.

The paint from Concubine Ning's palace was taken away and placed together with the Peacock's Tail. The painter soon concluded that the paint in the Peacock's Tail was the same as that in Concubine Ning's palace.

Concubine Ning opened her eyes wide in disbelief, "Your Majesty, I don't know about this. I didn't deliberately collect the cosmetics in the palace. Someone must have deliberately stolen my cosmetics to do this..."

"Even you don't know that I specially asked someone to prepare these pigments for you, how can others know?" Feng Jin lowered his voice, "You are closer to Concubine Lin, and Concubine Lin and Concubine Rou have always had a grudge. Concubine Lin and Zhao Xianrong also have an old grudge, so the palace maid in the lotus pond outside Xihe Palace that day must be someone from Concubine Rou's palace!"

Concubine Ning's legs went limp and she knocked over the paint in front of her. The paint poured all over her. She looked at the emperor as if she knew nothing. "Your Majesty, have you convicted me of a crime based on this assumption alone?"

"Whether it was you who did it, I'm sure you know better than me." The emperor looked at Concubine Ning's ferocious appearance, without any unnecessary expression on his face. "Concubine Shugui said it well. Who else in the harem can imitate better than you?"

Hearing the emperor's words, Concubine Ning actually laughed. She raised her head, tears still streaming down her face. "Yes, who else in the harem can paint better than me? But even so, the emperor still kept Zhao Xianrong, the palace lamp that was not worthy of being on the stage!"

Zhuang Yuyan seemed to be frightened by Concubine Ning's roar, and her hands trembled again. Feng Jin reached out and held her hand again, "There are many palace lanterns left in my place, not just Zhao Xianrong's."

"Of course, the emperor's palace lanterns are not only for Zhao Xianrong, but also for Shu Guifei, Roufei, and many other concubines," Ning Fei laughed while crying, "The emperor has also mentioned many people in front of me, including Shu Guifei, Roufei, Su Xiuyi, Yan Guipin, Zhao Xianrong and even Qian Guiren. They are younger and fresher than each other. I watched you, the emperor, favor one woman after another, and I looked forward to your arrival day after day, but when you came, you still talked about other women."

Zhuang Yuyan sighed as she listened to these words. Concubine Ning chose to be the confidant sister. Perhaps she really had feelings for the emperor, so she became jealous and angry, and eventually hated him. That's why she framed herself, framed Concubine Rou, and even schemed against the empress.

A woman who is originally fresh and elegant can also become jealous because of love. After all, no one is a saint.

When Lu Yi confessed Concubine Lin, Zhuang Yuyan felt a little confused. Although Concubine Lin was once a noble concubine, she was now just a small concubine. In a place like the harem, how many people would be willing to risk their lives for her for the position of concubine?

It was no secret that Concubine Lin and Concubine Rou had a bad relationship, so it was reasonable that the person in the lotus pond was from Concubine Rou's palace, but it was impossible for her to throw a corpse into the lotus pond without being discovered by Lu Yi alone. So even if this matter was related to Concubine Lin, she would not have done it alone. At least the person who did this had a high status in the harem.

As for the later incident of the paper eagle, it was even more suspicious. How could an ordinary concubine have such a powerful hand and eyes that she could send people to find fault with Lady Ye without anyone noticing? Even if Lady Ye was disliked by the emperor, there was still a queen mother above her. Even if she was treated harshly, she was not scolded by the eunuchs, and no one else in the harem heard any news. Therefore, the only ones who could do this were the few people who managed the palace affairs.

The empress would not do something that would only bring trouble upon herself. Concubine Xian was temporarily on the same side as the empress, so it was unlikely that she would be the one to blame. The remaining ones were Concubine Ning and Concubine Shu. However, if Concubine Shu did it, she would naturally restrain Su Xiuyi and would not let her openly humiliate the people in Xihe Palace in the future to arouse suspicion. So in the end, the one who was suspicious was Concubine Ning, who An Ning was getting along with. In addition, Concubine Ning was good at painting, which made her even more suspicious.

Originally, she would not easily suspect Concubine Ning, until a few days ago when she passed by Ruan Ming Palace and found many crabapple trees in full bloom. She remembered that Concubine Ning had said at a flower-viewing banquet that she liked crabapples, so her suspicion became more obvious.

Now that it is confirmed that Concubine Ning and Concubine Lin are in collusion, Zhuang Yuyan does not feel happy. In this harem, you scheme against me and I scheme against you. You will never be able to relax unless you reach the top position. Concubine Ning did such a thing because she could not escape the word love. She seems to be a transparent person, but she did the most irrational thing.

Concubine Ning looked at Zhuang Yuyan and Concubine Shu Gui, and suddenly laughed, "You don't have to be so complacent. Even if you are favored today, there will be more favored ones to replace you tomorrow. A frustrated person like me should have been content long ago. I was wrong, wrong..."

Feng Jian had been listening calmly, but suddenly he lost his temper: "Someone, take Concubine Ning away and keep her under guard. We will make our decision later."