"Is the Queen Mother confused? She actually suggested that the Emperor hold a beauty contest? Aren't there enough women in the palace?!"

When the Queen learned that the Empress Dowager suggested that Yinzhen hold a beauty contest, she was furious. One Concubine Hua was enough for her to handle, so how could she hope for anyone else?

However, although she blamed the Queen Mother, she knew in her heart that with only a few people in the harem, it was only a matter of time before the selection was reopened.

"The Empress is the master of the six palaces. Why did the Emperor hand over the selection of concubines to Concubine Hua?" Jianqiu spoke up for her master.

Although the queen felt uncomfortable about this, she could understand it.

"The Emperor has just ascended the throne, and the treasury is in short supply. I can't compare to Concubine Hua, who has a reliable family that can give her money continuously. This selection is not an easy job, so let Concubine Hua do it. By the way, how is Concubine Jing's pregnancy going? It's almost four months, why is there still no movement?"

When Jianqiu mentioned this, she looked embarrassed. "The Emperor granted Jingpin special permission not to pay respects to the emperor, so she has been staying in Xianfu Palace and not going anywhere. The Emperor also sent Imperial Physician Zeng to Xianfu Palace every other day to see Jingpin. I'm afraid all our methods have been avoided."

The Queen's eyes darkened. "I didn't expect that Doctor Zeng is such a capable person."

Jianqiu looked at her master and asked tentatively, "Do you want me to send someone to get rid of this Imperial Doctor Zeng?"

The queen shook her head and said, "Imperial Physician Zeng is the imperial physician appointed by the emperor for Concubine Jing to maintain her pregnancy. If something unexpected happened to him, the emperor would definitely be suspicious. Wen Yi is the first child born after the emperor ascended the throne. The emperor has already instructed that we should handle it well." At this point, the queen looked at Jianqiu deeply. Jianqiu understood and said yes.

The first thing Hua Fei did after taking power in the palace was to kick out the previous head of the Imperial Household Department and replace him with her distant relative Huang Guiquan.

In order to plot against Feng Ruozhao's pregnancy, the Queen pretended to be sick for a while and let Concubine Hua take full charge of planning Wen Yi's full-month banquet.

Concubine Hua wanted to hold a grand ceremony, but she also had to take into account that it had been less than a year since the emperor passed away, so the gathering took place in the Yikun Palace.

This was the first banquet after Concubine Hua came to power. Under the deliberate instigation of the Queen, Concubine Hua ordered Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai to visit Xianfu Palace together to invite Feng Ruozhao to attend the full moon banquet tomorrow. The two spoke coldly and in a bad tone, as if they would not leave unless Feng Ruozhao went.

Feng Ruozhao knew the queen too well and knew that if she pretended to be sick and gave up power, she would be planning something.

Now in the harem, the only thing she can plot against is the child in her belly.

She must be trying to pin the child on Concubine Hua. Even if Concubine Hua managed to escape, she could still blame it on Huan Yixiang.

Since she has already guessed it, she can avoid it.

But she didn't want to hide.

Sooner or later, she will drag down the Queen and Concubine Hua. Anyway, she has the pregnancy-preserving pill, so she is not afraid of any monsters.

When Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai heard the news that she was going, they returned to Yikun Palace with their chins held high.

"Your Majesty is pregnant now, and the Emperor has exempted you from paying respects. He just wants you to take good care of the baby in Xianfu Palace. Why did you agree to go to Yikun Palace? What if Concubine Hua wants to harm the young master?" Hanzhu frowned and said worriedly.

"Even though Concubine Hua is domineering and arrogant, she has experienced the pain of losing a child and will not easily hurt a pregnant woman. You don't have to focus on Concubine Hua tomorrow. Pay more attention to the Queen's expression and her actions."

Ruyi opened her mouth wide, "Your Majesty, you mean the Queen?"

Feng Ruozhao also hoped that they would have a plan in mind, so he said to them, "The emperor is forty-five years old, but he has only three sons and two daughters. You have been with me in the palace for so many years, and you know that there have been many pregnant women over the years, but only a few have given birth. If you think about it carefully, you will know the trick."

Ruyi couldn't believe it, and she expressed her opinion, "But how does Your Majesty know that it was the Queen who did it? I think it was Concubine Hua."

Feng Ruozhao shook his head. "Hua Fei entered the palace only three months earlier than me. Many people in the palace had miscarriages before her, and even Hua Fei had lost a child. Moreover, before Hua Fei assisted in managing the six palaces, the Queen held all the power. At that time, the things that the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent to Xianfu Palace with added ingredients were something that only the Queen could do."

Ruyi and Hanzhu finally believed her words and decided to protect their master tomorrow and secretly observe the Queen's movements.

The next day, Feng Ruozhao asked Hanzhu to make herself look paler and wore a light green dress, which made her look even more fragile and delicate.

Seeing her coming, Yinzhen frowned and looked disapproving, "Didn't I order you to rest and take care of your pregnancy in Xianfu Palace? Why did you come to Wen Yi's full moon banquet?" Yinzhen was worried that the fragrance of Huanyi's fragrance filled the room and might harm the already unstable royal heir in her belly.

Feng Ruozhao played the victim appropriately, saying with a bitter face: "Yesterday Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai came to invite me personally, and I couldn't refuse, so I came here."

Hua Fei did not notice the sudden chill on Yin Zhen's face. She snorted coldly when she heard the words, "I invited you here to honor you. Today is a good day for Wen Yi. Since Jing Fei is here, don't look so sad."

Feng Ruozhao looked at Yinzhen with grievance, and the queen came out to smooth things over, "Well, Concubine Hua said it was a good day for Wen Yi, so we should be harmonious. Concubine Jing is pregnant, so you should sit down first."

"Yes." Feng Ruozhao replied softly.

Feng Ruozhao had no idea what the Queen was planning for today, and was still guessing whether it was due to food incompatibility, safflower poisoning, or something else.

When the dishes were served, she found nothing. On the contrary, the food in Yikun Palace was quite delicious. If she didn't have to maintain the unstable and fragile character of the dragon fetus, she would have eaten until she was full.

She knew very well that since the Queen did not tinker with the ingredients, she was going to let something unexpected happen to her.

Sure enough, at the end of the banquet, when everyone got up to leave, the phoenix-wearing peony hairpin on the left side of Concubine Hua's head suddenly broke, and hundreds of golden beads of all sizes scattered all over the ground.

Seeing that Songzhi was suddenly about to pounce towards him for some reason, Feng Ruozhao quickly hid behind Ruyi. Hanzhu also immediately stepped forward to block Songzhi, and fell to the ground with her after the collision.

The two maids wailed together.

Feng Ruozhao glanced at Ruyi, then rolled his eyes and fainted.

"Empress!" Ruyi shouted loudly in cooperation.

Yinzhen wanted to rush over when he heard the noise, but he still had to take care of the beads on the ground. He glared at Hua Fei, making her face pale. Without waiting for her to explain, he immediately ordered: "Xiao Xiazi, take people to pick up the beads quickly. Su Peisheng, go and call the imperial physician. Ruyi holds the beads in her mouth and sends your queen back!"

The hairpin that Concubine Hua wore this time had mostly small beads, which rolled around and got stuck in the cracks of the stone slabs, not causing any trouble, but there were still a dozen large beads rolling around, so Xiao Xiazi quickly led people to pick up the large beads, and Ruyi and Hanzhu helped Feng Ruozhao get on the sedan chair. Yinzhen also followed and got on his own sedan chair.

"Your Majesty, I didn't mean it." When Concubine Hua saw Yinzhen was about to leave, she quickly ran over to explain.

"Hua Fei," Yinzhen finished reading these two words and took a deep breath, "You go back first."

Concubine Cao, who was happily holding her daughter to celebrate the full moon, took advantage of everyone going to Xianfu Palace, gently lifted the bottom of her flower pot, squatted down to pick up the thing that she had stepped on in time, looked at it, and gritted her teeth in anger: if she knew who deliberately ruined her daughter's full moon banquet, she would make that person pay!

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