Consort Rong reached out and touched her lower abdomen. Faced with the Empress's forceful demeanor, she simply smiled indifferently and said, "We were merely praising General Chen a few times, and moreover, we were just stating the facts, so Your Majesty need not be so tense."
Only Consort Rong, relying on the Emperor's favor and now pregnant with the Emperor's child, dared to disregard the Empress's dignity and utter these provocative words.
Her words made it seem as if the Empress had ulterior motives.
Despite her seemingly emotionless expression, the Empress subtly tightened her grip on the teacup.
Suddenly.
Shen Nanzhi’s steady and powerful voice rang out, “Serving the country and repaying the court are the duties of a subject. There is no need for Consort Rong to bring it up. Since today is a flower appreciation banquet, we should focus our attention on the spring scenery in the garden.”
Consort Rong listened to Shen Nanzhi's words and chuckled softly, "With a loyal minister like General Shen, it's no wonder His Majesty can sleep soundly every night."
Consort Rong clearly didn't take Shen Nan's words to heart, and instead continued to flatter him.
Song Liu, who was sitting in the audience, followed up, "If everyone could be like General Shen, wholeheartedly devoted to the country, then our Tianzhao Kingdom would surely prosper."
Song Liu deliberately raised her voice so that almost everyone around could hear her clearly.
The wives of two court officials who were on good terms with Song Liu joined in the praise.
The endless praise cast Shen Nanzhi into the public eye, but now, the more prominent one is, the more likely they are to suffer a backlash.
Suddenly.
A loud bang of shattering sound rang out.
Everyone was stunned, and the murmurs of praise abruptly ceased. All eyes turned to the main stage, where the cup in the Empress's hand was shattered on the ground, and tea spilled onto the table.
Upon seeing this, a palace maid hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down to wipe the table.
The Empress said, "The tea is too hot to handle, please get another cup."
His seemingly calm tone carried an undeniable air of authority.
The palace maid answered tremblingly, "Yes."
The Empress raised her eyes, her gaze carrying the aura of a mother to the world, which intimidated everyone present, and no one dared to utter another word.
"As a general, Nan Zhi serves His Majesty and the court. This is his duty, and there is nothing to praise about it. If you ladies truly wish to admire him, why not respect General Shen's opinion? It is not worth mentioning."
The lady, who had just been praising them, suddenly looked embarrassed and dared not say another word.
Consort Rong, however, looked unconvinced and said, "Even His Majesty praised General Shen highly. What the ladies said is the truth. Besides, today is a flower appreciation banquet. It is a rare occasion for everyone to gather together, enjoy tea and flowers, and chat and exchange a few words of praise. There is nothing wrong with that. Why does Your Majesty take it so seriously?"
The other concubines didn't dare to confront the Empress at all, and were all very cautious in front of her. Only Consort Rong, who was currently enjoying the Empress's favor, dared to speak to the Empress like that.
The Empress glanced at Consort Rong, a slight smile playing on her lips, but her eyes remained unreadable. "Consort Rong, are you implying that I am narrow-minded, or is there another meaning behind your words?"
Consort Rong felt a tremor in her heart under the Empress's gaze, but quickly regained her composure. "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. How could I possibly have any other intentions?"
"I am also tired today, so I will take my leave now."
Consort Rong stood up abruptly without consulting the Empress. Her personal maid helped her leave, and she placed her hand on her lower abdomen, as if intentionally showing something.
Everyone in the palace knows that after Consort Rong became pregnant, the Emperor bestowed great rewards upon her, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, and even a title had been decided upon. This is enough to show that the Emperor's favor towards her is unmatched by any other concubine.
Moreover, Consort Rong had the Duke's Mansion and Qi Mingsen, the commander of the Imperial Guard, behind her. Although they were not as powerful as the Empress's family, Consort Rong, with the Emperor's favor, was enough to do whatever she wanted in the palace.
Therefore, her audacity was simply not considered wrong by the public.
However, some people couldn't help but worry for Consort Rong. Her high profile and arrogance, coupled with her favor with the emperor, might bring trouble upon herself.
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