The concubine is extremely cautious

After the concubine left.

Lian Rui whispered, "Master, I will ask His Majesty to come and save you!"

"No need to go." Ning Wanyin shook her head.

She guessed that the emperor would not come.

She is the emperor's pawn to suppress the Xue family.

But as a pawn, you also need to understand that the emperor will not suppress the Xue family all the time.

The art of ruling lies in checks and balances.

In the eyes of the emperor, Mr. Xue and Mr. Cen were not only powerful enemies who bullied the emperor, but also ministers who jointly defended the country.

It's a lose-lose situation where both sides suffer.

The emperor supported his favorite ministers in order to check and balance the two ministers, not to trample them to death.

Otherwise, wouldn't his favorite minister become the new Xue Cen?

Once you understand this logic, everything becomes clear.

As a chess piece, she charged into battle when the emperor suppressed her, and lay dormant quietly when the emperor withdrew.

The promotion of Concubine Xue shows that the emperor and the Xue family have reached some kind of tacit understanding.

The empress dowager's right to admonish and punish concubines was her right as the empress dowager.

The emperor would not deliberately break the rules of imperial power.

Unless the emperor needs to suppress the empress dowager, he might support her and humiliate the empress dowager.

If it were the situation of Concubine Song back then, there is a high possibility that the emperor would come.

The timing is not right and the situation is not in my favor.

Since you are not sure about inviting him over, don't go and make a fool of yourself.

What's more, is there anything in the palace that the emperor doesn't know?

Even if she didn't send someone to invite him, he would know what happened in the Cining Palace today.

……

In Qianxin Palace.

Wang Degui trembled as he told the story of Ning Wanyin being punished to kneel, and tentatively said, "Lady Ning has always been a person who follows the rules. She has been kneeling for a whole day, so her knees must be injured."

He didn't dare to say openly that the Queen Mother was looking for trouble.

Just say a few good words for Ning Wanyin.

The emperor, who was reviewing memorials, asked coldly without even looking up, "What benefits did you receive from her?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down! I have not confiscated anything. It's just that Your Majesty has always favored Concubine Ning, so I...I am reporting the truth." Wang Degui was so scared that he knelt on the ground.

Helian Qi's angular face was expressionless, and he was a little irritated. "Mind your own business, get out of here."

"I admit my guilt!" Wang Degui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and crawled out.

As Helian Qi was writing comments on a memorial, the image of Ning Wanyin with her sweet smile appeared in his mind.

Cinnabar paused on the memorial, leaving a red dot.

Coming back to his senses, Helian Qi continued writing. It was just a trivial matter.

Not worth mentioning.

Wang Degui just came out of Qianxin Palace.

Then a palace maid knelt on the ground crying, "Thank you, eunuch, for reporting. My master has been punished by the Queen Mother! Please save me, Your Majesty. The Queen Mother punished my master on purpose!"

It is Danli.

Ning Wanyin told them not to report it.

Lian Rui obeyed, but Dan Li had her own ideas. She witnessed how the emperor favored Lady Ning...

She believed that the emperor would definitely rush to the Cining Palace to vent his anger for Concubine Ning.

At that time, he would also reward her as a loyal servant! Who knows, he might even look at her with a higher regard and choose her as his concubine.

Wang Degui had just been reprimanded and realized the emperor's attitude of not caring about anything, so he scolded: "It's unbecoming to cry in front of the Qianxin Palace. Why don't you leave!"

"But my master is waiting for His Majesty to save him..."

"How could the Empress Dowager admonish a concubine and cause a death? If you keep talking nonsense, I will send you to the Xinzheku!" Wang Degui interrupted sternly. Thinking of Lady Ning's former favor, he gave her some leeway and said:

"Your Majesty already knows about this. All right, you should go back quickly. Disturbing the emperor is a capital crime!"

Danli couldn't believe it. His Majesty already knew about this, but he didn't care about the master?

Is it...

My master has fallen out of favor?

Everyone in the palace was watching what was happening in Qianxin Palace.

When the concubines heard that Danli was kicked out, they were shocked.

The emperor had protected Ning Wanyin so much before, but now he allowed her to be punished by the empress dowager.

Could it be that he has fallen out of favor?

……

The left hall of Zhongcui Palace, Mozhuxuan.

"Master, good news! The people from Lingxue Pavilion went to ask His Majesty to come forward, but were driven out. Ning Wanyin has fallen out of favor!" Shi'er came back happily to report.

Song Qingzhi was surprised and happy, and her heart dropped back into her stomach. She was very worried that the emperor would go to save Ning Wanyin.

The emperor once even refused to pay his respects to Ning Wanyin.

How could he not care about what happened today?

Unless, he no longer likes Ning Wanyin!

"If you count carefully, the emperor hasn't been to Lingxue Pavilion for quite some time." Song Qingzhi said to himself.

It seems that the emperor's favoritism towards Ning Wanyin is just a temporary novelty.

After the novelty wore off, she became just an ordinary concubine. In the eyes of the emperor, she was nothing special.

After figuring this out, Song Qingzhi felt very happy.

……

When the sun sets.

Ning Wanyin returned to Lingxue Pavilion with the help of Lianrui. Everyone in the pavilion was in panic.

"What's wrong?" Ning Wanyin asked with a frown.

Danli was at a loss. She thought Ning Wanyin was the only one favored by the emperor, so she looked down on others and was fearless.

Once the emperor no longer has her back, Ning Wanyin might not be able to survive for many days, considering how she had offended the empress dowager. Wouldn't she be implicated?

"I went to the Qianxin Palace to invite His Majesty, but His Majesty ignored me..." Danli's panicked tone was filled with resentment:

"Master, you were too arrogant and offended the Queen Mother. You will never have a good life in the future..."

Lian Rui interrupted sharply, "How dare you disrespect the master and say such offensive words!"

"Didn't I tell you all not to go?" Ning Wanyin's eyes darkened as she looked at Danli.

The stern gaze frightened Danli. She took a step back and said with her neck stiff, "I am also worried about the safety of my master. Who knew that you would fall out of favor so quickly..."

"How dare you curse the master, you--" Lian Rui was very angry.

Ning Wanyin's eyes were calm, and she had made up her mind to replace Danli. She couldn't afford someone who made decisions on his own.

But she didn't run the Imperial Household Department, so she couldn't just change people whenever she wanted.

I'll do this tomorrow.

"Lianrui, help me in first. I'm a little hungry. Let Xiaoguizi go to the imperial kitchen to get dinner." Ning Wanyin had been hungry for a day and didn't have the energy to talk nonsense.

Xiao Guizi is trying to find connections to change her job as soon as possible, as she hasn't found a new one yet. She has to work in Lingxue Pavilion for the time being and cannot disobey her master's orders, so she goes to the imperial kitchen reluctantly.

Lian Rui helped Ning Wanyin change her clothes. Seeing the bruises on her knees, she cried out in pain: "Master, your knees are bruised and swollen..."

The master has never suffered such injustice.

Although the Ning family fell into decline, Ning Wanyin was still the daughter who was raised with great pampering by her mother, and her mother had never been willing to punish her.

"Your Majesty is so cruel. You haven't done anything wrong..." Lian Rui raised the back of her hand to wipe away the tears that overflowed from her eyes, feeling sorry for Ning Wanyin.

Ning Wanyin reached out and stroked her head to comfort her, "Don't cry, I'm fine. The Queen Mother is in a high position and has great power. It's justified for her to punish me. Your Majesty should not interfere."

"But His Majesty clearly protected you before..." Lian Rui was puzzled.

"Your Majesty has protected me."

Ning Wanyin changed her clothes, and Xiao Guizi came back with a lunch box.

Unlike the eight dishes in the past, today there were only four dishes and one soup, and there was an unpleasant sour smell in the air.

"It's all rotten, how can we eat it!" Lian Rui looked at the dish in front of her in shock and looked at Xiao Guizi:

"You took the wrong one, go change it."

"I discovered it was rotten a long time ago, and asked the steward to change it for the master. But the steward said that it was for the master... and said there was no other food in the imperial kitchen, so he would not allow it to be changed." Xiao Guizi replied weakly.

"But we gave silver. The imperial kitchen could even give us desserts before!" Lian Rui was puzzled.

Xiao Guizi shook her head and sighed, "That was before no one deliberately made things difficult for the master, so the imperial kitchen would naturally not offend silver. But now, silver is nothing."

He was an old man in the harem and did not find this situation strange.

Everyone in the harem knows that Ning Wanyin has fallen out of favor!

There are many people who don't like Ning Wanyin. If any concubine goes to the imperial kitchen and says something...

Ning Wanyin will never have a good life.

Being hungry makes people feel bad.

Ning Wanyin, who hadn't eaten all day, was in a very bad mood when she saw the table full of rotten food.

I had originally planned to meet His Majesty tomorrow.

But nothing can stop her from having a full meal!

Go now!