But in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Fu Yin was demoted to a commoner and thrown into the Cold Palace, while Li Xiao Yi was reduced to the lowest rank of maid and confined to the Yinyue Pavilion. The news spread throughout the imperial harem.

  For a time, everyone was in a state of panic and alarm.

  No one had expected that they had just heard yesterday that Su Jing was moving her fetus and was not in great danger, but before they could lose hope, today they heard such news.

  After all, the emperor rarely got really angry, just like when Ruan Mei lost her child, the emperor only mentioned it heavily and put it down lightly, and finally demoted her.

  But this time, it's obviously not that simple.

  Before they could figure out what the Emperor meant, the Emperor quickly issued a third edict. Xiang Gui Pin, Ning De Yi, and Ling Liang Yu were all demoted one rank, and Xian Fei was forbidden from leaving her quarters for three months as punishment.

  Everyone who heard it was frightened and uneasy, terrified beyond measure, with rumors spreading like wildfire.

  The more he guessed at the emperor's thoughts, the more he was on edge, afraid that he would be next, and could only constantly pray to heaven, hoping to escape disaster.

  Cining Palace

  "The Emperor really doesn't put me in his eyes anymore, and he can't wait to pull out this nail," the Empress Dowager said angrily after hearing the palace maid's report, slamming her cup on the ground.

  Liu didn't dare to call the palace maid to clean up, but instead went forward himself, poured another cup of tea, "Your Majesty, calm down, don't get angry and hurt your body."

  The Empress Dowager snorted, "It's not worth it. I've ruined my body with grief, and I'm afraid that's exactly what the Emperor wants. He can't wait for me to die now."

  "He doesn't look for anyone else, and unexpectedly he doesn't care about right or wrong, no matter what the evidence is, he just happens to look for people who have recently been close to my family, except for Mei'er, it's an exception."

  Liu Momo sighed, the emperor's move was clearly intended to take this opportunity to tell the concubines in the harem that if anyone dared to get close to the empress dowager again, they would end up like this, and even Xianfei, who had been immersed in the harem for many years, was no exception.

  Thus, what the empress dowager wanted was increasingly difficult to achieve.

  "It's fortunate that Master Qi is safe and sound, otherwise..."

  "Otherwise what?" The empress glanced at her sideways, "If he dares to operate on Mei'er, I wouldn't just be venting my anger here right now."

  "The Empress Dowager said," Liu Mu hastily lowered his head, regretting his previous slip of the tongue.

  "Do you know who did this thing?" The empress calmed down and asked in a low voice.

  Liu Momo thought carefully, "That day, Xiang Gui and Xiang Yu mentioned to the Empress Dowager that it's good to raise fish in a green lotus pond. The Empress Dowager then casually told the eunuchs to prepare for it. As for what happened afterwards, I think it was Yu Fu'en who took action, but he should have been forced into it."

  "Hmph," the Empress Dowager sneered coldly, "The Yu family was forced to extinction, leaving only her alive. What's the point of her struggling to survive in this world? If she really had a conscience, when the previous Empress died, she should have followed her to death as well. Otherwise, lingering in the palace, she would be trampled by others for nothing."

  "The Empress Dowager said that she was probably too afraid at first," Liu Moumou continued.

  Although she was the emperor's mother's maid, she also had some face in front of other concubines, but after all, she was still just a slave. Therefore, she understood that when people are alive, they are not afraid of death, but when death really comes, they are always unwilling to give up like this.

  It's better to live in shame than die with honor.

  The empress dowager didn't know if she had listened or not, and didn't care about all this, "Then the people behind her, that is, these few, are undoubtedly them."

  Liu Momo thought for a moment, "The Empress Dowager means that Lixiaoli should change clothes or Xiang Yu"

  "Perhaps not, they may not be the real masterminds, but after all, they should have provided convenience for Yu Fuqin and were also aware of this matter, including Mei'er." The empress dowager shook her head, "Fortunately, she's fine this time, or else she'd regret it again."

  The Empress Dowager was indeed kind and well-intentioned towards Shangguan Wan'er, but unfortunately, she always ended up being a disappointment.

  Since Shangguan Wan'er entered the palace, she has been constantly helping her with her own abilities, promoting her position and lifting her ban, such things have not happened only once.

  Even if Shangguan Wan'er changed her temper a bit under the three orders and five declarations, the difference was not great. Moreover, there is another one, no matter what kind of person Shangguan Wan'er becomes, she is invisible to the emperor who sees her but does not see her.

  But no matter what kind of person Shangguan Mei is, and no matter how many wrong things she has done, as long as she is Shangguan Mei, as long as the blood of the Empress Dowager flows through her veins, the Empress Dowager will not abandon her.

  For this, I would rather make a scene with Your Majesty and end up in today's situation.

  The Empress's thoughts, Liu could always guess two points, "Yes, this time it was indeed a narrow escape, I suppose the Master will also learn from his lesson."

  "I've followed her and helped her clean up the mess, it's not a small amount. Now I don't ask for much change from her, just hope she can live well under my protection," said the Empress Dowager with emotion.

  "I suppose you can understand the Empress Dowager's good intentions."

  The empress laughed and said, "Alright, let's just consider this matter a lesson for Mei'er. I won't bother with it anymore. Let's just pretend it never happened."

  Changchun Temple

  "The Emperor is indeed ruthless and heartless," Xian Fei said as the eunuch's figure disappeared from view.

  Qing Yi was very worried, as the Empress had rarely been confined to her quarters before. It seemed like an eternity since the last time, which was probably when she first entered the palace. "Your Majesty, perhaps the Emperor is just temporarily angry, and once his anger subsides, everything will be fine. Please don't exhaust yourself, Your Majesty."

  Xian Fei hooked the corner of her mouth, turned around and walked towards the inner chamber, "Why would this palace be angry? It's just house arrest, after all. Compared to others who have been demoted, this palace has already received preferential treatment."

  The young lady in green didn't know what to say, according to her understanding of her own mistress, shouldn't she be throwing a tantrum at this time? Then wait for the anger to dissipate before seeking a solution, no matter what, it would never be as calm and peaceful as now.

  Xian Fei walked over to the chair and sat down, "You haven't thought it through"

  Seeing her shake her head, Xian Fei picked up the teacup and took a sip before saying, "Guì Dé Xián Shū, if even the Emperor himself were to demote my position, what would I be?"

  Qing Yi was shocked, suddenly enlightened, the four consorts were respectively Gui De Xian Shu, each position had only one person, Consort Shu did not offend the Emperor, so if her own princess was also demoted in rank, although it was only by one level, then she would no longer be one of the four consorts.

  And will be demoted to Shu Fei afterwards.

  This is certainly something that our own princess cannot tolerate. In comparison, the current confinement can be said to be much better.

  After all, the emperor did not say to exempt his own queen from assisting in the management of the six palaces, and there was still the second princess. His own queen only needed to wait for three months to pass, and she would naturally be able to restore her former glory.

  "The young lady has a long-term view, I am ashamed to be inferior," said the green shirt sincerely. "What does the young lady plan to do?"

  "Let's just leave it at that for now. The Emperor is truly enraged this time, and when the Son of Heaven gets angry, countless people lose their lives. It's better not to provoke him further, or we'll end up losing more than we gain."

  Qing Yi nodded and responded with a sound.

  "Right, Yu Fu Yin didn't confess anything, did he?" Xian Fei suddenly asked.

  Qing Yi shook her head, "At that time when Yu Fu was taken to the Cold Palace, according to the slaves in Qingyan Pavilion, she was very calm at that time, as if she had expected it, without any struggle or resistance, and did not have a specific conversation with Su Shun."

  Xian Fei nodded, but she didn't really put her mind at ease. She had always been cautious and not speaking now didn't mean that she wouldn't reveal anything in the future. A living person was far less safe than a mute one.

  At first, Yu Fu was dependent on Li Xiao Yi, who is now known as Yu Geng Yi. However, in reality, she was actually a person of Xian Fei. Otherwise, how could a small instrument like her enable the daughter of a guilty minister to survive in the palace?

  When she told her that Yu Congmei hated Su Jingzhen with a mortal enmity, Xianfei knew the opportunity had come.

  Using Yu Xunmei as a shield, Xian Fei only needs to hide behind Yu Xunmei. Even if she is discovered later, she can let Yu Xunmei be the scapegoat.

  What surprised her even more was that during the process, she unexpectedly discovered that Yu Xiu Mei had joined forces with Xiang Gui Bin, now known as Xiang Jie Yu. She had no idea when the two of them had gotten together, but with Xiang Jie Yu around, Consort De could feel even more secure and confident in her position.

  Xiang Yu proposed the matter of the goose egg stone to Empress Dowager, allowing Yu Fu to have a tool to use. Yu Xunmei cleared the obstacles for her, and perhaps, there was also the convenience provided by Qi Guiren, who had similar resentment towards Su Jingzhen. The virtuous concubine only needed to arrange her troops in the back, and enjoy the fruits of victory.

  It was originally a foolproof thing, and Xianfei should not have been implicated no matter what. However, the emperor grasped this point and refused to let go, even if it meant wrongly killing someone, he would not let her escape or avoid it.

  "Your Ladyship, do you think the Emperor truly dotes on Zhenhuan?" asked Qingyi, unable to hold back her curiosity.

  The entire palace, from top to bottom, has been abuzz with the eunuchs and palace maids discussing how the Emperor treats Zhenxiu as if she were a second Shu Guifei, perhaps even more so.

  Xian Fei smiled slightly, "You've been following me for many years now. Do you remember how the Emperor treated Shu Gui Fei in the past? When she was at the palace, she had two miscarriages. What did the Emperor do back then?"

  Qing Yi thought carefully, although it had been a long time since the incident occurred, she still remembered it very clearly. "I remember that when Consort Shu first miscarried, the Emperor stayed in her quarters for half a year. It was only after Empress Dowager received the late Emperor's edict that she advised the Emperor not to favor one consort alone, and only then did he go to other people's rooms."

  At that time, the queen had just entered the palace and hadn't been favored for a long time due to Consort Shu's miscarriage. She lived a very difficult life and suffered many grievances for half a year.

  Xian Fei apparently also remembered the details from back then, "So, don't be blind to one side, the Emperor will not fall in love with just anyone."

  Palace Concubine (Yi Shu)

  Gong Shu