The Evil Emperor's Favorite: The Sickly and Poisonous Concubine Goes Crazy

When Shen Zhiyi turned to leave, she saw Su Jingning standing in the corner. His eyes never fell on her from beginning to end, as if she didn't exist in his eyes. The jealousy and hatred that she tried hard to suppress in her heart could not be suppressed in the end.

"Hey? Why didn't Second Miss Su get on the dragon boat?" Her voice sounded extremely surprised, attracting the attention of everyone on the shore.

Su Jingning looked at her calmly with disgust in his eyes, and said nothing, as if he was waiting for Shen Zhiyi to finish the show.

Seeing that Su Jingning didn't say anything, the maid beside Shen Zhiyi took over the conversation on behalf of her young lady.

"Miss, have you forgotten? Dragon boats are not for ordinary people to ride on."

Shen Zhiyi seemed to suddenly realize something, and looked at Su Jingning with full of provocation in his eyes.

"Oh, look at my memory. I forgot that Prince Beiyang and Miss Su Er haven't exchanged engagement letters yet. They can't get on the dragon boat yet!"

As soon as she said this, everyone around her looked at Su Jingning. She even knew such a private matter as the Gu and Su families had not yet exchanged engagement letters, and she even said it in public. Now, even the dumbest person could see that Shen Zhiyi was deliberately making trouble for Su Jingning.

Su Jingning looked at Shen Zhiyi with his dark eyes. Looking at Shen Zhiyi's moon-blue dress, there was a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Miss Shen is really well-informed. She even knows the news in the residences of two super-first-class princes."

"However, I don't know where Miss Shen got the information from. If it was an ordinary mansion, it would be fine, but our mansion and Beiyang Palace have been guarding the border for many years. It is inevitable that there are some military secrets related to the Great Zhou in the mansion, which must not be stolen by someone with ulterior motives."

Su Jingning's voice was clear and cold in the crowd. She looked at Shen Zhiyi coldly, his expression becoming more and more flustered as she spoke.

"They're just some random rumors. How could they be so serious?" Shen Zhi interrupted Su Jingning with a cold face.

Then he snorted softly and turned to leave with a group of palace servants.

Then he heard Jiang Heling, who was standing next to Su Luoshu, say to Su Luoshu:

"I felt a few days ago that Shen Zhiyi had changed a lot since she returned to Beijing. Even her clothes and appearance were different from before, but I always felt familiar with her. Today I realized who she looked like."

Su Luoshu looked puzzled:

"Like who?"

"She looks like Sister Jingning! Sister Jingning loves plain blue skirts. Even her hairpins are similar!" Jiang Heling's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for people around to hear clearly.

Everyone looked at Shen Zhiyi. They remembered that Shen Zhiyi used to be flamboyant and loved bright colors. She wanted everyone to see her at a glance. Miss Jiang's words just now enlightened them. Shen Zhiyi's current dress was 70% similar to the second lady of the Su family. But even if her personality has changed now, it still can't change everyone's impression of her. So she didn't wear this moon-blue gauze dress with half the elegance of Su Jingning, which made people feel awkward.

When Shen Zhiyi heard the people behind him whispering, he paused and his face turned dark instantly, but he could only pretend that he didn't hear it and quickly left the lakeshore.

But she walked too fast, which made people feel that she was running away.

The people behind her saw her leaving, and the disgust hidden in their eyes was no longer hidden. They started to discuss:

"I thought Shen Zhiyi had changed and lost her former arrogance, but now it seems that she has just changed her way of being arrogant."

"Now that she has the Empress Dowager's backing, and I heard that Concubine Shu is going to be restored to the throne, how can she not be arrogant?"

"Humph, so what? No matter how arrogant she is, she is just a young lady from an official family with a vicious mind and who has been imprisoned."

The ladies and young ladies of the noble families in the capital did not like Shen Zhiyi's previous style of showing off her power. Today, she came here specially to show off her superiority, and her words and deeds were all about showing off that she was valued by the Queen Mother. This made the ladies and young ladies of the noble families here dislike her even more.

Su Jingning watched her figure walking away, then glanced in the direction of the dragon boat with a playful smile in his eyes.

Shu Guifei? I hope that the soon-to-be-restored Shu Guifei can accept the great gift she gave her today.

In the distance, the dragon boat and the huge building ship were parked on Biyun Lake. The carved beams and painted buildings were exquisite and majestic, showing the dignity and majesty of the royal family.

The dragon boat set off slowly.

The Emperor Zhou and the Queen Mother stood at the bow, with the accompanying ministers and their relatives standing not far behind them.

Emperor Zhou and the Queen Mother looked at the various pleasure boats on the lake, and watched the excited people on the boats with smiles on their faces.

"I didn't expect that after leaving Beijing for several years, there are still people in this city who remember me." The empress dowager was dressed in a black and red phoenix robe, looking dignified and noble.

Emperor Zhou smiled, with a sharp look in his eyes, "My Queen Mother, you are joking. You are the founding mother of the Great Zhou. You are kind to the world, and the people will naturally remember your kindness."

Emperor Zhou had a smile on his face, but there was always a sense of distance in his expression.

After hearing this, the Queen Mother just smiled and said nothing more.

After a long while, she seemed to have thought of something and said:

"By the way, I just returned to Beijing and I'm feeling a little unwell, so I asked Arui to accompany me."

"Even if she did something wrong out of confusion, she is the mother of the Prince of Chen after all. You have punished her now, and I will be watching over her in the future, so let's just leave it at that."

The Queen Mother spoke in a calm voice, as if she was discussing something with the Emperor Zhou, but there was no hint of negotiation in her words.

Emperor Zhou put his hands behind his back, frowned, and said in a cold voice: "If your mother thinks that she serves you well, I will make her a noble concubine and let her stay by your side."

"Noble concubine?" The Queen Mother seemed dissatisfied and said.

"Why, mother, don't you know why she was sent to the cold palace? If what she did had not been suppressed by me, it would be the royal family that would be embarrassed." Emperor Zhou's voice was cold and hard, with displeasure on his face.

"Today is a lake cruise banquet, so please don't mention this matter again, mother." After saying this, Emperor Zhou bowed to the empress dowager, turned around and strode into the boat hall.

The Queen Mother was left behind by Emperor Zhou, and her expression turned a little cold, but she quickly covered it up. Seeing that there was no sign of Concubine Shu on the boat, she asked Shen Zhiyi who was waiting on the side:

"Shugui...Where is Guipin?"

Shen Zhiyi was puzzled when she heard the Queen Mother address her. Wasn't her aunt going to be restored to the throne? Why was she a noble concubine?

"Replying to the Queen Mother, the Queen should be in the room."

"They are becoming more and more unruly. The lake cruise party is about to begin. Go and call her over." The Queen Mother frowned.

"Yes."

Shen Zhiyi did not dare to delay and immediately turned around to invite Concubine Shu.

On the other side, in the ship hall.

Gu Yan'an sat beside King Beiyang with a sullen face, exuding impatience.

He had just finished dealing with the matters of the Imperial Camp outside the capital and rushed back to go boating on the lake with Ningning, but unexpectedly he met the old man and was dragged onto the dragon boat without any explanation.

He hasn't had time to see Ningning since she returned to Beijing.

Prince Beiyang seemed not to notice Gu Yan'an's unhappy face, and said cheerfully: "You are so busy that you can't see me every day. My father and I haven't had a good meal since we returned to Beijing. Today, we must have a good drink together!"

Seeing that he was about to pour the wine, Gu Yan'an raised his eyebrows, reached out and took the wine jug in front of him, then glanced at King Beiyang:

"Old Lin said you can't drink alcohol, so why are you coming out to drink now that there's no alcohol in the mansion?"

Prince Beiyang was stunned. He didn't see this kid every day and thought he didn't know that Old Lin had taken all the wine in the mansion.

Prince Beiyang withdrew his hand and said unhappily, "I was pouring wine for you, not drinking it myself."

Seeing his expression, Gu Yan'an smiled and asked seriously, "Why did Lao Lin suddenly take away all the wine in the mansion? Are you feeling unwell?"

The old man has always been addicted to alcohol, so it's strange that he suddenly stopped drinking. He has been busy with many things recently, so I forgot to ask him.

"What's the problem? I'm just old. No matter how much I drink, I still have to be careful. I'm fine, old man!"

King Beiyang glared at Gu Yan'an and said nonchalantly.

Seeing that he was the same as usual, Gu Yan'an nodded.

"Drinking is harmful to your health, so it's better to drink less. I'll let Doctor Ye take your pulse later."

"I'm fine! I don't need Doctor Ye!" King Beiyang was unhappy when he heard it.

Doctor Ye liked to nag, and he found it annoying to listen to him.

Gu Yan'an glanced at King Beiyang, who had a look of rejection on his face, and shook his head.

I made a note of it and asked Doctor Ye to check on the old man when I got back. I felt that he looked more haggard than before in recent days.

Not long after Emperor Zhou took his seat, the Queen Mother also entered the banquet hall.

Everyone in the hall hurriedly bowed to her.

The Queen Mother, dressed in a black and red phoenix robe and with delicate makeup, slowly stepped into the banquet hall. Behind her followed the Netherworld Guard leader, Dark Ghost, who was tall and strong, holding a huge sword and with a red face.

She stepped up to the high seat, smoothed her robe and sat down, then waved to the kneeling courtiers below and said in a gentle voice:

"Everyone is safe!"

The ministers in the audience then turned around and sat down. The old ministers in the court looked up and saw the familiar figure of Kuiba behind the Queen Mother, and the feeling of oppression and fear they once had emerged in their hearts.

He has a gluttonous ghost mask on his face, holds a giant sword in his hand to break mountains, and is the dark ghost, the master of the underworld.

The killing was merciless, and how many souls died under that giant sword? How many of those souls were innocent and wronged, and died with regrets? No one knows.

The Queen Mother smiled as she looked at the exquisite and elegant boat hall. "I have been away from the capital for more than ten years. The capital has changed a lot. Even this Biyun Lake Cruise Banquet is a little different from before. Back then, it was I and the late emperor who proposed to hold this Biyun Lake Cruise Banquet. So many years have passed in a flash. Now that I am older, I am a little uncomfortable with such a lively atmosphere."

The Queen Mother spoke in a gentle voice, with a hint of loneliness in her voice.

"I wish you a long and healthy life! How can you be old? You are devoted to Buddhism and practice Buddhism, praying for the Great Zhou. That is why you protect the Great Zhou to be prosperous and lively today! I am a great contributor to the Great Zhou."

The Crown Prince, who was sitting at the lower table, saw the sadness in the Queen Mother's eyes, so he stood up, bowed to her, and said with a gentle expression, trying to cheer her up.

After hearing this, the Queen Mother laughed out loud, and with a cheerful look on her face, she shook her head at the Prince and said, "I am an old man, how can I do that?"

After saying this, he looked towards Emperor Zhou and said with a smile: "Emperor, everyone is here, let's start the banquet!"

Emperor Zhou nodded, and Sheng Fu turned around and served the meal and started the banquet.

At this point, the weird atmosphere in the banquet hall after the Queen Mother came in was resolved a lot, and the original liveliness was gradually restored.

Emperor Zhou glanced at the dark ghost standing behind the Queen Mother, but the coldness in his eyes was not concealed. Then he turned his head and spoke to the Concubine beside him.

The Queen Mother swept her eyes across everyone at the banquet, and finally set her gaze on the Beiyang Prince's Mansion. She looked at the Beiyang Prince, who was as unbridled and ostentatious as ever, and the jade-like young man sitting beside him, with a meaningful look in her eyes.

She has now lost the navy of the East Territory, and the Shen family has also lost an arm. Fortunately, Prince Beiyang will not live long and there is no need to be afraid. However, the Prince of Beiyang is very meticulous in his work and is loved by the emperor, which is a trouble.

Prince Beiyang was talking to Gu Yan'an when he felt that ambiguous gaze. He knew who the owner of that gaze was.

He raised his eyes and met the Queen Mother's gaze, which was filled with deep murderous intent and warning, without any concealment.

The Queen Mother was startled by him for a moment, her whole body trembled, and she looked away before she calmed herself down.

When she raised her eyes again, she saw King Beiyang with a normal expression on his face, turning his head and talking to the young man next to him, smiling happily with his eyes narrowed, as if the terrifying murderous intent just now had never appeared in him again.

Gu Yan'an lowered his eyes and listened to the King of Beiyang telling his rambling stories. The murderous intent that suddenly emerged in the old man and then disappeared in an instant, was it directed towards the Queen Mother?

The Queen Mother was upset by this incident, and when she saw that Concubine Shu was still not around, she became even more unhappy. She whispered to Bai Lan beside her:

"Where is Shen Rui? Go check on her. If she doesn't come, let her stay in the cold palace for the rest of her life!"

"Yes."

Seeing that the Queen Mother was angry, Bai Lan quietly retreated and quickly left the hall.