Yuqiongyin

The sunlight shines through the carved window lattices and falls onto the corridor, casting a mottled light and shadow.

Xie Chenning was walking in the Imperial Garden at a leisurely pace, enjoying the beautiful scenery around him leisurely.

Her calm demeanor was in stark contrast to the original owner's cowardice.

At this time, she had elegant manners and graceful demeanor. She was no longer as cautious as when she first entered the palace, but instead showed confidence and composure.

Behind her followed a group of maids, palace servants and eunuchs. The huge procession looked particularly spectacular.

They served Xie Chenning carefully, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Xie Chenning, on the other hand, didn't care about all this at all. Her eyes were always fixed on the scenery in front of her, and she seemed to be thinking about something.

It was late spring and the flowers in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom, a sight to behold.

Among them, several pots of dark purple flowers are particularly eye-catching. They are growing very well, like exquisite paintings.

Xie Chenning was strolling among the flowers. She was not paying attention to her hands and accidentally picked a flower.

Before she could react, she suddenly heard a scream, which scared her back to her senses instantly.

"you you you--!"

She raised her eyes and looked towards the source of the sound, only to see a young man in a dark grey robe and with a round head standing there, looking a little immature.

When the attendant saw the gorgeous palace dress Xie Chenning was wearing, he immediately realized his mistake and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen."

Xie Chenning waved his hand casually, indicating that there was no need to be polite.

Seeing the horrified and dazed expression on his face, Xie Chenning couldn't help but chuckle and asked softly, "Are you the flower slave responsible for planting these flowers?"

Although she had a smile on her face, her peach blossom eyes revealed a kind of majesty that made people dare not look directly at her.

Being stared at like this by Xie Chenning, the little follower was so scared that his legs were shaking, and he stammered in response: "Yes...my young master planted it..."

"Sir?"

Xie Chenning couldn't help but feel puzzled. How could there be a young master in the harem?

Her eyes scanned the little attendant, and her confusion grew even more intense.

Seeing that the little attendant couldn't explain it clearly, Xie Chenning turned to look at Nanny Lu beside him, hoping to get an answer from her.

Nanny Lu replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, it was the former crown prince of the Eastern Palace..."

Her tone was calm and solemn, as if she was accustomed to this fact.

Xie Chenning understood. It seemed that Wei Ming was afraid that Crown Prince Wei Lu would make a comeback, so he directly demoted him to a flower slave and kept him under his nose so that he could be controlled more easily.

As a result, Crown Prince Wei Ke lost his power and status and became an ordinary flower slave, no longer posing a threat to the throne.

Xie Chenning thought to herself, since Wei Ming was so afraid of Crown Prince Wei Lu, she might as well pull Wei Ming down and support a puppet to take the throne.

In this way, she would be able to control the power of the harem and even have the possibility of influencing the government, and naturally there would be no need to worry about the Xie family being wiped out.

However, although this idea is tempting, it is not easy to implement.

Xie Chenning knew very well that if she wanted to support Wei Lu to take the throne, she had to be cautious and take every step carefully.

Yesterday, the letter was sent back to the frontier, and Xie Chenning believed that Xie Feisi would agree.

"I am sorry that I disturbed the Queen's pleasure. Please forgive me."

A voice as gentle as jade was heard, and Xie Chenning looked up. It was Wei Ke.

"Your Majesty, this is the young master." Nanny Lu reminded softly.

Xie Chenning nodded slightly.

Wei Ke, the former crown prince, is now demoted to a flower slave. He works silently among the flowers, but still cannot conceal his extraordinary demeanor.

He was tall and straight, and although he was wearing rough clothes of a flower slave, he was like a strong bamboo, standing proudly and independently in the wind.

Her black hair was no longer tied up as carefully as before, but hung loosely on her shoulders, with a few strands of hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

His facial features were clearly defined, and his sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples. Even though he was in a difficult situation now, his brows still revealed a sense of determination and indomitable spirit.

Her eyes were like the water in a deep pool, dark and deep. Her thin lips were tightly pursed under her high nose bridge.

Xie Chenning's eyes fell on Wei Ke's hands as he saluted. Although they were a little rough from fiddling with flowers and plants, they were still slender and powerful, as if they could grasp the reins of power again at any time.

In Wei Ke's body, the nobleness of a life of luxury in the past and the calmness of having gone through hardships today are intertwined, making him like a dusty pearl among the flowers in the harem. Although temporarily dim, he still exudes a unique charm.

"You are too polite, sir. I was careless and broke your flowers."

Her heart moved, and then she smiled.

Xie Chenning took off the nine-tailed phoenix hairpin from her bun, raised her delicate hand, and casually pinned the dark purple flower on the side of her jet-black hair.

At that moment, the beauty of the woman's eyes and eyebrows was not as great as her natural beauty.

Wei Ke was slightly startled, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

But soon, he regained his composure, lowered his head, and dared not look directly at Xie Chenning's face.

Of course, Xie Chenning saw all of this.

"Consider this flower as a request from you, sir. If you are willing, please come to Kunning Palace."

Xie Chenning's voice was soft and gentle, yet it carried a kind of authority that could not be refused.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty." Wei Ke replied respectfully.

Xie Chenning extended an olive branch to him, but now she is more curious and wants to exploit the prince.

After seeing the prince being demoted to a flower slave, she saw an opportunity to overthrow Wei Ming and realize her own ambitions for power.

Wei Ke was given the opportunity, it just depended on whether he could seize it. In her own Kunning Palace, she could observe the prince quietly and evaluate whether he was worthy of becoming a puppet emperor.

The seemingly casual conversation with him just now was actually a test of his mind, talent and character.

During this period, she will show a certain goodwill so that Wei Ke will let down his guard towards her and lay the foundation for future support plans.

Wei Ke stood there, looking at Xie Chenning's gradually receding back, with a faint smile on his lips.

He knew clearly in his heart that Xie Chenning's invitation was definitely not a coincidence.

She saw that the former crown prince Wei Ke was in a very difficult situation at the moment, and if he could get the support of Xie Chenning, he might still have a chance to turn things around.

In his sea of ​​consciousness, Shen Xi was jumping with excitement, full of anticipation.

[Sir, let's go now! I really want to be with the Master! ]

Wei Ke smiled gently, stroked the dark purple petals of the jade flower with his hands, and said softly: "Don't be anxious, let her wait a little longer."

Chen Xi cried anxiously, "Wuwuwu, we have been waiting in this imperial garden for a long time. We finally got back the master's soul fragments. Why don't we go find her immediately!"

Wei Ke patiently explained: "What she needs now is an obedient puppet emperor, and how could the prince who was once high and mighty bow his head so easily? More time and more struggles will allow her to better let go of her original self-esteem..."

Only then can she feel more at ease with herself.