The crabapple tree is fragrant in the tent, and the bright moon is in my arms

Yanxi Palace.

It was raining and mixed with snow, it was extremely cold. What was even more terrible was that if you were not careful you would slip and break your master's things, for which you would be punished.

"Is Chief Steward Huang here again? Didn't he just deliver a reward yesterday? A bunch of flower hairpins and glass hairpins, so bright that they blinded my eyes in the winter."

"What do you know? Huang Zongguan is here to announce the decree. Concubine Hua has become a concubine."

"Tsk tsk, look at her foresight. She can help Concubine Zhao rise to prominence even though she is in the cold palace." The maid snorted.

"Only she dares to learn this method. All the concubines in the palace are jealous of Concubine Zhao. Look at that... Caiyue has been kneeling for how many days? The main seat of Yanxi Palace, I'm afraid that by then, she will..."

When Baoer opened the door and came out, they immediately fell silent, bowed their heads in haste and left.

Caiyue was kneeling. When she saw Baoer coming out, she wanted to stand up. Her knees were aching so much that she seemed to have lost consciousness, so she had no choice but to shout.

"Bao'er, can Lady Hua see the Imperial Concubine?"

Her skirt was extremely dirty as she knelt in the wet rain. Her usually proud head was lowered and her cheeks were swollen.

He had to kneel during the day and was beaten and scolded by Concubine Gao when he returned.

Caiyue's tears could not stop flowing out, and she seemed to be about to collapse: "Madam Huapin, I beg you!"

Baoer poured the water in the basin onto the ground, without even looking at her, and walked into the hall.

Just when Caiyue was about to faint, she finally heard her heavenly voice: "Come in."

Caiyue kowtowed in gratitude, supported herself on the ground with her hands, and slowly got up. The stinging pain in her knees made her tears flow even more violently.

Baoer didn't help her.

After she struggled to enter the hall like a lame person, she looked at Hua Ni sitting on the couch and knelt down again.

"Baoer, get her a stool."

"Your servant, your servant thanks Madam Huapin."

But just as Caiyue was about to sit down, Hua Ni's voice came lazily again: "Caiyue, how long did I kneel at that time?"

Her face turned pale, and she managed to speak with difficulty: "Every, every three days, the Queen must kneel for a whole night."

Hua Ni's charming eyes pondered, and the corners of her upturned eyes flickered: "Bao'er, how long has Miss Caiyue been kneeling?"

Bao Er snorted, "My Lady, at most, it will only take seven days."

Caiyue didn't dare to sit down anymore, and she knelt down tremblingly. Her knees hurt so much that they seemed to be numb. Her whole body was shaking like a dead leaf, and sweat was pouring down her forehead.

Hua Ni sighed, "That's right. Miss Caiyue is the maid of the Imperial Concubine. She is naturally precious and delicate. I am nothing. I am thicker-skinned."

Because of these, she injured the meridians in her ankle.

She hated it so much that her eyes fell on Caiyue without a trace of warmth.

Caiyue's tense body lost all strength, and the tears in her eyes seemed to be drying up.

"My Lady Huapin, you are jealous of the Imperial Concubine, and you blame me for everything. You want to kill me or chop me up without any complaints. I just beg you to save the Imperial Concubine."

She looked at Hua Ni: "Please..."

Hua Ni raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes affectionately: "What a loyal servant."

It was raining outside. Baoer closed the door and obediently poured Hua Ni a new cup of hot tea.

"As long as you save the concubine, I am willing to do anything."

"Really?" Hua Ni's hands were smooth and slender, with sharp nails. She pointed at the burning charcoal basin and nodded.

With a smile on her face, her voice was cold: "Then you, hold the burning coals, and I will go, okay?"

Caiyue looked at the charcoal basin. The flames were blazing, but there was not a trace of smoke. This was the charcoal that could only be used by concubines.

She is now His Majesty's favorite concubine.

Caiyue smiled silently and crawled towards the charcoal brazier without any hesitation. Her cheeks were illuminated by the firelight and the tears in her eyes were clear, but they could not stop her determination.

She stretched out her hand, and the heat immediately climbed to her skin. Caiyue said nothing when her fingertips seemed to touch the flickering flame.

"and many more."

Caiyue raised her eyes and looked at Hua Ni walking down with her charming figure, and raised her chin.

He smiled at her, no emotion visible in his eyes, only her fingers sliding across her cheek, wiping away the tears from her eyes with steady force.

"I was just joking." Hua Ni leaned over and tidied her sweaty hair.

She had a vicious face and flamboyant manners. Caiyue stared at her lips, watching the mole on them float and disappear as she spoke.

Her voice lowered: "Caiyue, what's the problem...with the Queen?"

Just a question.

Caiyue felt like she had become the prey of a snake. She clamored and bullied the injured snake, which finally opened its lips and bit her pulse tightly.

Her pupils contracted rapidly because of fear.

Hua Ni's fingers slid to her collarbone and gently felt it: "Caiyue, do you know what will happen if I don't obey when I am a dancer?"

"Compared to the punishment in the Ministry of Punishment, the punishment there is the real hell for women."

Caiyue began to tremble, her wrists seemed to have become a snake that strangled her. She swallowed a lot of saliva: "This servant said, this servant will tell the queen everything!"

Hua Ni just touched her neck, stood up straight and stretched out her hand. Baoer then wiped it carefully, glaring at Caiyue with some dissatisfaction in his eyes.

"When did Concubine Gao start investigating the Queen?"

"Ever since she got pregnant, the Queen's body has been very strange. She has taken so many medicines, but she has not gotten better. Ever since... ever since she came back from Shangqing Temple, she has become a different person!"

"During those days at Shangqing Temple, Your Majesty took the Queen to see a miracle doctor. What if the miracle doctor cured her?" Hua Ni withdrew her hand and sat back on the couch.

"You ladies are the masters who entered the palace later, but the Imperial Concubine lived in the same mansion with the Queen. The Queen's health was treated by the Imperial Physician Su Huai, but even he was unable to help. How could a miracle doctor turn the tide in just a few days?"

Caiyue lowered her head: "Besides, if the queen is already well, why would she...!"

"Why bother?"

Caiyue's voice became softer: "Why bother to collude with those outside the palace? Even if you are the queen, you cannot do such things in the palace. Once someone catches you, it will be considered as forming a clique for personal gain. If it is more serious, you can also be accused of interfering in government affairs."

"Noble Concubine Gao knew that Houhai was where the Queen contacted the Nangong family."

"I know." Caiyue paused: "But the Queen's weirdness is not in Houhai."

Hua Ni's fingers stroked the edge of the teacup: "Mass grave."

"You, you know?"

"So, what is the Queen doing?"

Caiyue showed an embarrassment: "That's all... Noble Concubine Gao only knows this much. Maybe she will know it soon, but something happened to the queen, and Houhai has been sealed off."

Hua Ni stopped asking and looked at her instead: "The Queen has caused Concubine Gao's current situation. Doesn't she have any resentment and is not going to tell Your Majesty about this?"

"Your Majesty..." Caiyue sneered.

Suddenly she gave Hua Ni a harmless smile. Like the Imperial Concubine, she had a face that was not overbearing, even dull. But at this moment, she looked inexplicably beautiful: "Madam Hua, how do you know that the Imperial Concubine did not... do anything to the Queen?"