The Apo Master dressed up as Concubine Ling and killed the Ruyi sisters

The weather was hot and Concubine Jia was feeling unwell during her pregnancy, so she lay down on the bed to rest after lunch.

At this time, a palace maid came to Qixiang Palace to deliver ice, but she slipped and dropped the ice in her hand to the ground, waking up the sleeping Concubine Jia.

When Concubine Jia woke up, she knew what had happened. She recalled that when she was pregnant with the eighth prince Yongxuan, she was awakened late at night by Concubine Ling, who was still Ying'er, knocking over a candlestick.

Concubine Jia thought that Yanwan was just a concubine without children, and she dared to talk back to her. At this time, a short-sighted little palace maid came, and she immediately took out her anger on that palace maid.

"What's your name?" Concubine Jia asked the palace maid who was kneeling on the ground anxiously.

The maid replied, "I am Ai'er, the maid in the ice room, and I am here to bring ice to Concubine Jia. I did not mean to knock over anything and disturb your rest! Please forgive me, Concubine Jia!"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Jia was even more furious and scolded, "You didn't make such a big fuss on purpose. If you did, why didn't you demolish my Qixiang Palace on purpose?!"

"Each of them is not good at their duties, but they are so sharp-tongued! Come, let Ai'er kneel in the sun for me. She is not allowed to eat or drink water. Remember this lesson well!"

Today is the day when Master Anji and his disciples will stay in Anhua Palace to pray. Ruyi and all the concubines will go to welcome them.

Ai'er knelt in Qixiang Palace for several hours. Her legs were sore and she had difficulty moving. She happened to meet Master Anji who was heading to Anhua Palace. She couldn't hold back and fell to the side.

Master Anji had a disciple named Anduo, who saw Ai'er fall and gently helped her up.

Ai'er was in charge of delivering ice to Qixiang Palace. After what happened last time, Concubine Jia always deliberately made things difficult for Ai'er. Ai'er felt depressed and thought of Master Anduo's kindness to her, so she went to Anhua Palace to find him.

Ai'er complained, "I am Ai'er, the maid in the ice room, and I am responsible for delivering ice to Qixiang Palace. I know it is my fault for disturbing Concubine Jia's rest, but Concubine Jia always holds on to it. Whenever I go to Qixiang Palace to deliver ice, Concubine Jia always beats and scolds me!"

"It would be fine if Concubine Jia just scolded me a few times, but the people in Qixiang Palace followed suit and united to make things difficult for me. I really can't stand it! I have no one to rely on in this palace and I am bullied by others!"

Master Anduo was a Buddhist. He felt sympathy when he heard about Ai'er's experience, but he could not help her, so he could only comfort her in a gentle voice.

“As long as you have peace of mind, everything will be fine.”

Ai'er said gratefully: "Thank you Master Anduo for your guidance! In this palace, you are the only one who speaks to me in such a gentle tone. I will remember it all."

"I dare not have any extravagant hopes in this life. I hope you can give me the Buddhist beads in your hand, so that I can feel your mercy and calm my heart. I also hope that I will no longer be a slave in the next life!"

Master Anduo was compassionate and took off the Buddhist beads in his hand and gave them to Ai'er.

When Concubine Jia saw that the maid delivering ice today was not Ai'er, she asked, "Why didn't Ai'er come to Qixiang Palace?"

The maid replied, "To answer the Empress Jia, Ai'er and I have switched jobs today and are going to Anhua Palace to pray for blessings."

Concubine Jia sent the maid who brought the ice away and said mockingly, "How dare Ai'er, a lowly maid from the ice room, go to Anhua Palace to pray for blessings? What blessings can she pray for? She is just daydreaming!"

Speaking of Anhua Palace, Concubine Jia thought that Ruyi had often gone to Anhua Palace during this period, and Master Anji always talked with Ruyi.

She said angrily, "Humph, Ruyi was made the Imperial Noble Consort by the Emperor, and there are snobbish concubines like Lingpin in the palace to flatter her, and Master Anji, as a Buddhist disciple, also fawns over Ruyi everywhere. Are they so sure that Ruyi will definitely become the Empress?!"

Li Xin comforted him, "Master, take care of yourself and calm down. Master Anji is being so attentive to you for no reason. They are alone together, who knows what they will do in the future?"

After hearing what Li Xin said, Concubine Jia immediately came up with a plan.

Since Master Anji moved into Anhua Hall to pray, the Hall has been bustling with people coming and going.

On this day, the emperor and Ruyi went to Anhua Palace together. After Master Anji finished his prayer, there were still many memorials in the Yangxin Palace that had not been reviewed, so the emperor prepared to go back first.

The emperor had just turned around and walked away a few steps when Ruyi lost her balance and fell to the side. Master Anji, who was traveling with her, saw this and hurried to support Ruyi.

The noise here alarmed the emperor. When the emperor turned around, he saw Master Anji supporting Ruyi, and the two of them were holding hands tightly!

The over-closeness between the concubine and the outsider made the emperor feel uncomfortable. The emperor knew there was a reason for this and told Ruyi, "Ruyi, be more careful when walking."

After the emperor left, Concubine Chun sent Ke Xin to Anhua Palace and gave the mantra she had copied to the magician of Anhua Palace to pray for the eldest and third princes.

When Ke Xin was placing the mantra copied by Concubine Chun on the altar in the side hall, she heard Master Anji say to Ruyi in the main hall.

"Your Highness, you have been working hard lately. I have two things to give you. I brought this incense stick specially. After it is lit, it can gather blessings and virtues, and it will be more beneficial to your qi, meridians, and mind. Your Highness, you can give it a try. The seven-treasure beads have the effect of increasing peace and tranquility. Your Highness, you can wear them on your hands."

Master Anji was handsome and had profound knowledge of Buddhism. Every day after finishing their work, the palace maids would meet together in Anhua Hall to listen to Master Anji chanting scriptures.

When the emperor heard about this, he was displeased and said, "Although Master Anji is a monk, he is still a man after all, and he still needs to avoid suspicion in the palace. When he finishes his prayer, send him out of the palace immediately!"

Ever since the eldest and third princes were disliked by the emperor, Concubine Chun blamed Concubine Jia and Ruyi.

But Concubine Jia is pregnant with the dragon offspring and has a powerful maternal family to rely on. Ruyi is only one step away from the position of Queen, and she is protected by the Emperor. Although Concubine Chun is resentful, she dare not act rashly.

Now, knowing that the Emperor was somewhat dissatisfied with Master Anji, and hearing Ke Xin talking about the Seven Treasures Beads, he deliberately revealed the matter to Qixiang Palace.

Jiang Yebi came again to check Ruyi's pulse. Seeing that惢心 and Jiang Yebi were in love with each other, Ruyi promised.

"I am so happy to see you like this. I know that you are not young anymore, but you are still in the mourning period for Empress Xiaoxian. I promise you that after half a year of mourning for Empress Xiaoxian, I will ask the emperor to grant you marriage!"

"If you have a child, you must bring him to the palace to visit me often."

惢心 had already told Jiang Yubin about Ruyi's refusal to let her leave the palace that day, and both of them felt sad. Unexpectedly, today, things took a turn for the better and they got the promise of marriage.

However, it had been less than half a year since Empress Xiaoxian passed away, and there were still two or three years before the day when Ruyi promised to leave the palace.

Although惢心 and Jiang Yubi did not want to wait that long, they would probably be happy when the Imperial Noble Consort gave in, and they thanked her profusely with joy.