Forced to die for his loyalty, he was reborn in the arms of the cold and cruel regent!

Concubine De lowered her head and smiled lightly. When she raised her head again, her eyes were much sharper and she spoke bluntly.

"It doesn't matter whether you have any intentions or not. The most important thing is to avoid suspicion. The princess doesn't want others to think that you are trying to curry favor with the emperor. What's more, the queen mother is ill. Reputation is very important to a woman."

Shen Mengyao knew that Concubine De did not really care about her, but did it on purpose.

Her words seemed to be a reminder to herself to be careful, but in fact they were a warning, telling her that in the harem, even people around the empress dowager were not allowed to move around casually, and must not arouse unnecessary suspicion.

"Empress Defei is absolutely right. Mengyao has taken note of it." Shen Mengyao bowed deeply to express her gratitude for Empress Defei's reminder.

Seeing her sincere attitude, Concubine De stopped being embarrassed and nodded with a smile.

"The princess is gifted with talent and intelligence, and she will be instantly recognized." Having said that, he turned and left.

Shen Mengyao stood there, sneering in her heart.

Clinging to the emperor's favor? When had Shen Mengyao ever thought of this? Concubine De's reminder made her more alert. It seemed that the harem was ruled by the eldest princess, who had connections everywhere and had to be careful in what she said and did.

She didn't walk around outside for long before going back. After all, sitting back and waiting was the stupidest idea. She just came out for a walk because the empress dowager was asleep.

When we returned, Xingqing Palace was already bustling with activity.

The eldest princess was standing in front of the palace, holding a few pieces of fabric in her hands, and said coquettishly, "Grandmother, I can finally get married. Which piece of fabric do you think suits my skin tone best?"

The Queen Mother was also happy and happily chose for her: "That bright red one is the best looking."

Moreover, the Emperor has set the wedding date so soon, with the intention of bringing good luck to the Empress Dowager.

When a person is happy, his spirits will naturally rise.

Shen Mengyao arrived at an inopportune time and had originally wanted to cancel the class, but the Queen Mother happened to see her with a smile on her face.

"Mengyao, come in. You are familiar with this matter. Help the princess choose the fabric for her wedding dress."

Shen Mengyao walked in quickly. The eldest princess was about to marry the man she loved, and she felt an indescribable pain in her heart.

The eldest princess turned around with a smile on her face: "Princess, you came just in time, please help me choose. Although the Royal Grandmother said that this bright red is good, I like this dark red, what do you think?"

Shen Mengyao suppressed the pain in her heart, walked over quickly and checked carefully.

"The princess has excellent taste. The dark red color is both dignified and gentle, which complements your temperament." Shen Mengyao forced a smile and tried to make her voice sound calm and natural.

She reached out and gently touched the dark red silk. The delicate touch from her fingertips seemed to remind her that all this was about to become a foregone conclusion and could not be changed.

The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction after hearing this: "Mengyao is right, dark red really suits you. Since you like it, let's decide on it."

The eldest princess smiled slightly, with a hint of pride in her eyes. She gently patted the back of Shen Mengyao's hand, as if to thank her, but also as a demonstration.

"Thank you, my lord. I have always trusted your judgment."

Shen Mengyao withdrew her hand calmly, feeling mixed emotions.

She knew that the dispute between herself and Qi Suian seemed so small and powerless in the face of imperial power and authority, but she also understood that she could not give up. She had to find the mastermind behind the framing of Qi Suian, or at least clear his name.

As if she had made up her mind, she felt much calmer and even took the initiative to offer suggestions.

"When the time comes, a phoenix will be embroidered on the sleeves, and it will look even better when the phoenix flies when you raise your hands and move."

The eldest princess narrowed her eyes and glanced at her.

Did she take the wrong medicine?

The princess did not show her emotion, but smiled and said, "My princess has a very good vision, so let's do as you say. I'm sure my wedding ceremony will be grand and unforgettable."

Shen Mengyao forced a smile.

The emperor has decided that the princess will marry out of the palace, which is considered to be a great honor. Even before the date is set, the palace has already made preparations.

She asked Queyue to prepare some gifts and send them specially to the Shanggong Bureau.

When she was young, she grew up in the palace and knew a lot of people in the palace, but many of them left the palace one after another. Only Aunt Liu remained in charge of the Shanggong Bureau and worked as a female official in the palace.

If we want to get to the bottom of the matter and find out where the palace maid works, we'll probably have to rely on Aunt Liu first.

The gift arrived first, and the person came later. Aunt Liu took the gift. Although she liked it very much, she still snorted: "The princess has been married for a long time, and she only remembered me now."

Shen Mengyao hurried forward to apologize.

"Aunt, it's all Mengyao's fault. Don't be angry with Mengyao. She only stayed for a short while in the palace these few times and never found another chance."

Aunt Liu didn't really blame her. Although it was not convenient to get news from outside the palace, she had heard a lot of it. What she felt more was heartache.

"It seems that it is because I am married that I have been busy all the time. After the divorce, I will have the opportunity to stay in the palace for a while."

"Yes, so I specially sent a gift to apologize." Shen Mengyao helped her in with a smile, and then asked about what was happening in the palace.

"Aunt Liu, how many maids are there in the palace? How many of them can serve near the banquet on the winter solstice?"

Aunt Liu thought for a moment and said, "There are at least a hundred of them. The outstanding ones were selected from various departments. The rest of the palace maids cannot move around freely."

"Do you know who they are specifically?" Shen Mengyao asked.

Aunt Liu pondered for a moment and replied, "Each palace will select some maids to serve. However, since the banquet venue is far from each palace, only those who can go are young, strong, smart and capable."

Shen Mengyao nodded slightly, feeling more confident.

"Among these palace maids, are there any newcomers or those who have been transferred recently?" she asked further, hoping to find some clues.

Aunt Liu frowned, as if trying hard to recall.

"There are a number of new maids entering the palace, but most of them are still getting familiar with the environment in their respective palaces, so it is unlikely that they will be selected to serve at the banquet. As for transfers, there are many. There are personnel changes in the palace from time to time, especially at the end of the year. In order to prepare for the banquet, each palace may transfer personnel from other places."

"Then aunt, do you have any way to find out which people were transferred to help before the palace banquet?" Shen Mengyao asked anxiously. She knew that this might involve some taboos, but she couldn't help but want to give it a try.

Aunt Liu shook her head and sighed.

“I may not have the specific list here, but I can ask the person in charge of personnel in the Shanggong Bureau for you to see if I can find some clues.

However, Princess, you must be careful about everything in the harem, and don't go out and ask about these messy things."

Shen Mengyao sighed: "Thank you for the reminder, aunt."