Quick Wear: She is the White Moonlight

After Concubine Shu met the Second Prince, she naturally complained about Qin Gongxiao's favoritism. The princesses had all left the palace to build their own residences, but the princes were still staying in the palace, and no princesses had been chosen for the two princes.

"Mother, when will you persuade father? His son has reached the age to leave the palace and establish his own government and participate in politics." The second prince did not look very good as he sat at the dining table. He entered the harem in the name of accompanying his mother to eat and showing filial piety, so they only had time for lunch, and the two of them had to abandon the rule of not talking to each other.

"Mother, isn't cousin Duan very close to the emperor's younger sister? Why can't he speak for us?"

Concubine Shu had no choice but to put down her silver chopsticks and sighed, with a look of sadness on her face. "It's not that mother doesn't want to plead for you. Your father may have forgotten to use the title of mother. Mother hasn't seen your father for a long time, and the imperial concubine has been the only one in the harem for a long time."

The second prince was about to say something, but Concubine Shu shook her head to signal him to be silent: "The palace of my mother is exposed like a sieve. If you have anything to say, you should go to your cousin."

The two finished their meal in silence and left.

Duan Huaichuan, who was being cared about by two people, was in the princess's mansion. Because his status had been determined early on, his courtyard was included in the princess's mansion when it was first built.

Now, for the sake of convenience, he moved in directly. After all, men do not need to care about their reputation as much as women, and Yuebai is tolerant of his behavior.

Yuebai returned to the princess's mansion after a busy day. Duan Huaichuan immediately arranged for someone to help her wash and change her clothes, and also brought her food.

"Summer is coming soon, Princess, try this lotus leaf soup." A small bowl of exquisite soup was carefully brought to Yuebai. The soup was emerald green in color, as fresh as the lotus leaves in early summer. The soup in the bowl was still steaming, obviously it had just been taken out of the pot not long ago.

Yuebai took the bowl of soup, but she had no intention of drinking it. She just put the bowl on the table and looked at Duan Huaichuan with a faint, almost indifferent look.

Duan Huaichuan stood in front of Yuebai, his figure seemed a little thin under the candlelight. His face was still handsome, but his expression was a little stiff at this moment, and he seemed a little at a loss.

"You don't need to do this, and you don't want to be a male concubine, right?" Yuebai's voice was calm and cold, as if it was just an ordinary question. However, this sentence was like a sharp sword, piercing Duan Huaichuan's heart.

Duan Huaichuan's body trembled slightly, and some emotion flashed quickly in his eyes, but he quickly concealed his emotions and regained his composure.

"A young man from a noble family is better off being an aide than a male concubine. You won't have to do these things in the future." Yuebai continued, her tone without any ups and downs, as if she was stating a fact.

Duan Huaichuan stood up after hearing this and calmed down a bit before he slowly spoke and mentioned what happened today: "Huairou mentioned this to a fellow minister today, and she also hopes to do her part for the princess."

Yuebai immediately thought of the girl named Huairou. She remembered that it was a long time ago, when Huairou was just an innocent little girl. Now, so much time has passed, Yuebai doesn't know if Huairou is still the same as before, but she still has a deep impression of the girl, especially the admiration in Huairou's eyes for her brother.

Yuebai thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, bring her to me later." Her voice was calm and gentle, revealing a reassuring power.

Duan Huaichuan nodded in agreement, and then talked about the refugees outside the city: "Someone secretly found out that the refugees outside the city and their kickbacks seemed to have been recruited." His tone was a little solemn, and it was obvious that this news made him feel a little tricky.

"It seems?" Yuebai put down the soup in her hand and tapped the table lightly with her perfectly manicured nails. "Who do you think it is?"

"It's nothing more than the power of the vassal states. They are the only ones who need to maintain troops."

For some reason, Yuebai suddenly thought of the blind girl he met that night. It was an unforgettable night, the moonlight sprinkled on her pale face like water, but could not illuminate her empty eyes.

Yue Bai thought that the princes were always restless, like a group of hungry wolves, and would never be satisfied with the existing power and wealth. And the emperor's intention was obvious, which was to weaken the power of the princes and strengthen the centralization of power.

Those foreign kings were not fools, they could definitely sense their father's intentions. After all, the struggle for power was like a war without gunpowder smoke, and if you were not careful, you would lose everything. In order to preserve their own wealth and glory, they would definitely try every means to resist their father's move to reduce the power of the vassal states.

Day two.

Yuebai sent people to inquire about the situation outside the city yesterday. When his men were reporting, the doorman came to report that the young lady from the Duan Mansion wanted to see the princess.

Yuebai had never expected that Duan Huairou would be so eager to see her. She couldn't help but feel puzzled, but still ordered the servants to invite Duan Huairou in.

Duan Huairou hurried through the hanging flower gate, her eyes anxiously searching for Yuebai's figure. Finally, she saw Yuebai in front of the corridor, sitting elegantly, with a soft posture and gentle temperament, like a blooming white lotus.

Duan Huairou had heard all kinds of rumors about this princess. However, she knew in her heart that her brother had an indescribable feeling for this princess. This feeling might be admiration, attachment, or some other complicated emotion.

Putting aside the thoughts in her mind, Duan Huairou quickly stepped forward, picked up the luggage with both hands, bowed slightly, and said softly: "Your servant greets Her Royal Highness Princess Luohe."

Yue Bai smiled and waved to Duan Huairou to stand up, then asked suspiciously, "I heard from your brother that you also intend to become a staff member of the princess's mansion. I wonder why?"

Duan Huairou obviously did not expect Yuebai to be so straightforward. She was slightly stunned and hesitated, as if she did not want to explain too much.

However, Yuebai did not give her much time to think, and immediately asked: "What exactly do you think?"

Facing Yuebai's direct questioning, Duan Huairou took a deep breath helplessly, calmed himself down, and answered with courage: "I... I don't want to be a pawn in a marriage."

Although her voice was not loud, it was extremely firm, as if she had repeated this sentence in her mind countless times.

Marriage between aristocratic families is an unspoken understanding, but Duan Huairou is unwilling to follow this tradition.

Yue Bai raised her lips slightly, revealing a faint smile. She thought to herself that it was a pleasant surprise that there were still women in this world who could bravely resist. Liu Qinglan's family tradition was so open-minded that she was able to take charge of the military power and become a female general. However, among those women from aristocratic families who were strictly disciplined, there was a rare Duan Huairou.

Yue Bai stared at Duan Huairou, with a hint of admiration in her eyes. She said slowly: "Okay, I will help you. But before that, I need to see your value."

Duan Huairou answered without hesitation: "At the princess' command." Her voice was firm and confident, revealing an indomitable spirit.

Yuebai's thoughts gradually drifted away, and she remembered the news that the servant had just reported. There were still some women and children in the refugee area outside the city. Since the recruitment team only accepted adult men, the lives of these women and children who had lost their able-bodied men became increasingly difficult.

Yue Bai said, "I plan to build some shelters for the refugees. You can finalize the details."

Duan Huairou's eyes lit up and she immediately responded, "Don't worry, Princess. I will do my best to get this done." She knew in her heart that this was a test from the princess and she had to seize this opportunity to prove herself.

Duan Huairou returned home in a particularly happy mood, with a faint smile on her lips. She went to the study to meet Duan Huaichuan.

When Duan Huaichuan saw his sister coming back, a smile appeared on his serious face. He noticed the smile that Duan Huairou couldn't hide, and he immediately understood that his sister must have gotten what she wanted this time.

Duan Huaichuan stood up, walked to Duan Huairou and said softly, "Congratulations, little sister." Although his voice was low, it was full of sincerity and blessings.

Duan Huairou looked at her brother with a touch of emotion in her eyes. She knew that Duan Huaichuan had always cared about her, and now seeing her so happy, he was naturally happy for her.

Duan Huairou smiled slightly and said, "Brother, I know why you are tempted. The princess is really a very special person. She is not only smart and wise, but also cares about the world. She is a good monarch worthy of trust."

Duan Huaichuan nodded. He was also deeply impressed by the princess. Her beauty, intelligence and kindness moved him deeply, but he also understood that there was an unbridgeable gap in status between him and the princess.

However, Duan Huairou's words moved his heart. Perhaps the princess could really change the fate of the country and become a great monarch. And he was willing to do his part for the country and the princess.

Duan Huairou told Duan Huaichuan what Yuebai had assigned her, and immediately began to prepare. She consulted a lot of information about building shelters, and went outside the city to investigate the situation of the refugees. In her contact with the refugees, she learned about their needs and difficulties, and gradually came up with a plan in her mind.

After a few days of busy work, Duan Huairou came to the princess's mansion again with a detailed plan. She reported her ideas to Yuebai, including site selection, materials, construction period, etc. After listening, Yuebai nodded with satisfaction: "You did a good job, let's implement it according to your plan."

With the princess's approval, Duan Huairou gained confidence. She led the craftsmen and volunteers to start construction, working day and night. With her efforts, the shelter was soon built and the refugees had a place to live. Duan Huairou also won Yuebai's trust through this incident and officially became a staff member of the princess's mansion.

"You don't need to worry about your marriage anymore." After getting along for a long time, Yuebai also became more casual with Duan Huairou. One day, the two of them finished their business and were planning to have a casual meal.

"Oh no, Princess. His Majesty asked you to go to the palace immediately." The butler's voice was heard, and then a group of eunuchs came with the command to enter the palace.

Duan Huairou looked at Yuebai worriedly, but Yuebai gave her a comforting smile and said, "Let's go into the palace."

She probably knew in her heart that her father was going to depose the queen.

Sure enough, when Yuebai arrived, several old princes were there. Yuebai and Zhu Wan exchanged glances and felt more at ease.

As expected, the queen was seen kneeling in the hall in a Taoist robe. She said, "I am a virtuous concubine who is ashamed to live in the palace and have no heirs. Today I ask to leave the palace to practice and pray for the country."

The palace suddenly became quiet, and you could hear a pin drop. The old princes looked at each other, their eyes full of surprise and confusion. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face gloomy, and he was silent for a long time. Yuebai stood aside, her eyes swept across everyone's faces, thinking in her heart that this matter was just something her father and mother knew, and today they just wanted to find someone to go through the motions.

Suddenly, an old prince stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen's move is indeed a serious matter and needs careful consideration." The other old princes also echoed. The Emperor frowned and was about to speak, but the Queen said firmly, "Your Majesty, I have made up my mind. I hope Your Majesty will grant me your approval."

Yuebai took a step forward and bowed, saying, "Father, if the Queen's action can pray for the country, it will be a good thing." The emperor looked at Yuebai, then at the Queen, and finally nodded slowly.

The queen stood up, bowed to the emperor for the last time, and then turned to leave. Yuebai looked at her back, feeling a lot of emotions in his heart. This queen had also schemed in the harem, harmed others and been harmed by others, but the court and the harem have always been like this. In the fights between the powerful and the wealthy, it is already good to be able to retreat unscathed and preserve one's reputation.

The fate of a deposed queen is always bad. If the Empress loses Zhu Wan, she will also give her a good place to go, and she can return home after a few years.

The queen's request to leave the palace for training seems to be a helpless move, but in fact it may be the result of the game between various forces. What kind of waves will be set off in this palace next?

Those old princes were also survivors of the fight for the throne, so how could they not see that the emperor was just putting on an act? When they came to their senses, they were shocked to realize that Qin Gongxiao probably wanted to make the imperial concubine the queen.

Sure enough, the next second Qin Gongxiao spoke up: "Since the Queen has asked to leave the palace to practice Buddhism, the harem cannot be without a master for a day. The Imperial Concubine has always been in charge of the six palaces. She has worked hard and made great contributions over the years. She is virtuous and worthy of the position of the Empress!"

"Your Majesty, you can't do that!" The position of Queen was vacant, so naturally everyone wanted their own person to sit on the position. How could they allow the Imperial Concubine's family to dominate the position? Even if it was just an empty title, they still wanted to get some benefits for themselves.

Qin Gongxiao looked at the clan member who was speaking, already looking a little impatient: "Oh?"