The most beautiful lady in the harem

The news came unexpectedly.

When the Empress Dowager Cixi heard the words, she thought she had misheard and was stunned for a moment, but the eunuch who came to report was none other than the servant of Emperor Yongjia.

When the man said it again in a trembling voice, the Empress Dowager Cixi immediately softened, and Qin Liuse quickly went over to support her.

"How?"

"How could that happen?"

After being able to eat that day, the Queen's condition gradually improved and her complexion looked better than before. So on New Year's Eve, even the sickly Queen went to the family dinner and participated in the rare fun.

I thought she was getting better.

"He was fine at that time, but for some reason, after the New Year, he became thinner and thinner, and his spirit became worse day by day. This morning, he couldn't hold on any longer." The eunuch said with tears.

The Empress Dowager sat down on the chair and sighed.

Because there was no hope in the first place, people thought the queen would not live long, and they were mentally prepared to see her die young.

But I didn't expect that things would turn for the better later. My heart was lifted up again, held high, and I thought that things would turn for the better.

Having given hope, and now suddenly letting it go, it makes me even more sad.

Qin Liuse felt relieved for the Empress Dowager Cixi. They had not received any news in the past few days. It must be the Emperor's order, not wanting the Empress Dowager Cixi to worry.

Qin Liuse was filled with emotion. In her previous life, the queen had died before the New Year.

In this life, after getting over that hurdle, Qin Liuse almost thought that things would be different, but he didn't expect that he would still go.

Upon seeing this, the aunt sent away the eunuch who had come to deliver the letter for the Empress Dowager. When she left, she went to the small kitchen and brought back a bowl of soup for the Empress Dowager to drink to calm her mind.

The Empress Dowager ate it in small bites, wiped the corners of her mouth, and then patted Qin Liuse's hand, "Child, go and see her. Send the Queen off for me."

Qin Liuse nodded, bowed to the Empress Dowager Cixi and left. She knew in her heart that after staying in the Empress Dowager Cixi's palace for so long, it was like stealing a few days that did not belong to the red walls of the imperial palace.

But the Empress Dowager Cixi was right, it was indeed time for her to return to the Emperor's harem.

-

Before going to Kunning Palace, Qin Liuse made a special trip back to Shu Yuexuan.

It seems inappropriate to be wearing this festive and brightly colored New Year's outfit when sending the Queen off to the west.

She changed into a plain palace dress and had her hair done up in a Qingqing Zijin style. She simply tied her hair into a bun with a wooden hairpin inserted diagonally. She took off all the other hairpins and jewelry on her body and then went to Kunning Palace.

She was so plain and simple to avoid suspicion, but when she arrived at Kunning Palace, in Qin Huaijin's eyes, she still felt that she was pretending to be weak and helpless.

Qin Huaijin twisted his handkerchief and glared at her. He had obviously only spent a few times with the Queen, but his attitude acted as if he had a deep affection for her.

He really pretends to be pretentious whenever he gets the chance!

The Kunning Palace was full of concubines. Qin Liuse deliberately chose a secluded location, stood there in a daze with red eyes.

He looked at the queen lying on the sickbed, then looked at the ground.

I thought of my mother in my previous life. I don’t know if it was fate playing tricks on me. I originally thought that the queen would be fine, but in the end she was still no match for the Black and White Impermanence at the gates of hell.

Tears flashed in Qin Liuse's eyes, and she felt a little discouraged for a moment.

Emperor Yongjia sat beside the empress, looking at her intently, not knowing what he was thinking.

Qin Liuse also knew in her heart that young couples were always different from them, the concubines.

But ordinary people cannot see the emperor's sadness.

Qin Liuse gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. At this moment, Empress Dowager Dong led Wei Lanxin over.

Emperor Yongjia was in great pain, but he still had to stand up and greet Empress Dowager Dong, "Why are you here?"

The Empress Dowager Dong said with a sad face, "The Queen has passed away due to a serious illness. How can I not come to visit her?"

This sounds as if it would be unkind of the Empress Dowager Cixi not to come and see.

As she spoke, she seemed like she was about to cry, as if she had a very good relationship with the Empress as mother-in-law.

God knows that the two of them had no intersection at all. Before the new emperor ascended the throne, the Ninth Prince's wife came to pay respects to the Queen Mother, but since she was bedridden after a serious illness, it was the concubines who accompanied the Ninth Prince into the palace to participate in various ceremonies and activities.

"Wasn't she fine a few days ago? How could she be gone suddenly?" The Empress Dowager Dong sat on the edge of the bed and said to the Queen who had passed away.

Emperor Yongjia shook his head and stood aside, "I saw the Queen a few days ago and she was fine."

Wei Lanxin was crying beside him, "I just came to see the queen yesterday, and she was still talking and laughing. How come she is gone today? My queen sister, how could you just leave like this?"

The Queen's sister? Qin Liuse pouted at the side. Wei Lanxin's tone was really too casual, as if she was really a sister of the Queen.

It was only a short period of time that he entered the palace to accompany the Queen Mother.

But at first glance, their faces do look like sisters.

The Queen Mother summoned the Queen's personal maids and asked them, "Who was serving the Queen in the end?"

Then he asked, "What's different about the Queen today?"

The Queen's personal aunt knelt down and replied, "Your Majesty, I was not in the palace this morning. It was the Virtuous Consort and the Virtuous Consort who were serving the Queen. The maid who was boiling the medicine in the small kitchen said that they brought the medicine in and then left."

Putting it this way, it seems to be closely related to Concubine De and Concubine Xian.

The Empress Dowager Dong narrowed her eyes slightly and touched her long fingernails. "I have a question. Why was he fine yesterday and able to eat this morning? But he is gone just after noon."

Just as Concubine Dong was about to speak, Concubine Xiao was quick to act. She reached out her hand and grabbed her from where no one else could see, signaling her not to speak or explain.

Concubine Xiao De looked miserable. "I and Concubine Xian come to the Queen's palace to serve her every day. Today's incident happened suddenly, and we don't know why. Please investigate, Queen Mother and the Emperor."

Emperor Yongjia said, "Defei and Xianfei work hard day and night to take care of the queen. Even if they have no credit, they have worked hard. The queen has been in poor health for many years. Xianfei and Defei have worked so hard for so long. It is not impossible for them to have any other thoughts about her when she is better."

Emperor Yongjia directly pointed out the doubts implied in Empress Dowager Dong's words.

With Concubine Xiao De in such a humble attitude and Emperor Yongjia speaking for them, Empress Dowager Dong had no room to express her views and it was not easy to rebuke her loudly.

But as a queen mother, she still had to save face, so she said, "Since this is the case, this matter naturally cannot be let go. We must give the queen an explanation. You two must have been negligent. Go back to your own palaces and reflect on your mistakes. Once the matter is investigated, we can make plans."