It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

The early summer sunshine shone gently, and Concubine Pei's birthday banquet was held as scheduled. The scene was grand and solemn.

Emperor Xuan was so generous that he not only invited civil and military officials from the court, but also the women from various mansions.

The hall was filled with people, melodious music, graceful dancing, and a peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

All the ministers raised their glasses and praised the emperor's filial piety and benevolence. All the previous unfavorable remarks about Concubine Pei seemed to disappear along with the joyful atmosphere of the banquet.

In such occasions, the old ministers are only willing to listen to words that can soothe people's hearts.

If something unexpected really happened in the Imperial Garden, causing Concubine Pei to suffer misfortune, then these old ministers would inevitably be severely criticized and might even be infamous in history books.

Therefore, Concubine Pei's dealings and efforts among these old ministers over the years can be said to be enormous.

At the banquet, Su Wanyu and the eldest princess stood side by side, close to the aloof Emperor Xuan. The two smiled at each other, with a tacit understanding, waiting for Concubine Pei's "performance" today.

Pei Chi'an sat alone in a corner of the banquet, his face calm, drinking by himself, as if he was out of the matter.

Halfway through the banquet, Pei Chi'an stood up, slowly walked towards Concubine Pei, and bowed: "Aunt, my nephew has prepared a special gift for you."

At this moment, Concubine Pei was wearing a step-shaking peony crown inlaid with golden stars, which was extraordinarily luxurious, and her lips were as red as blood. She slightly turned sideways and smiled like a flower: "Oh? What kind of gift is it that makes my nephew so cautious?"

Pei Chi'an leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Miss, I found a few old acquaintances in Chenyang who can prove your true origin."

When Concubine Pei heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Can those people be trusted?"

Pei Chi'an nodded firmly: "They are very reliable. They are all old people from the Pei Mansion back then. They are enough to convince the old ministers present."

Concubine Pei gently supported her forehead, which was a little uncomfortable due to the heavy crown, and smiled even more brightly: "Excellent, you quickly arrange it and bring the people here, I will go and inform the emperor right away."

"Yes, girl."

Pei Chi'an bowed and retreated silently.

At this time, the emperor held a golden cup in his hand and raised his cup to Concubine Pei: "My parents died when I was young. Thanks to the Concubine's care and concern over the years, today, I would like to toast to the Concubine."

He said affectionately: "May the Concubine be blessed with great fortune and live as long as the Southern Mountains."

As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor drank the wine in the glass.

In response to this respect, Concubine Pei stood up and raised her glass, her eyes sparkling with gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

The emperor put down his wine glass, a gentle smile on his face.

When people saw this, they all sighed: "This is really a model of a loving mother and a filial son."

The banquet continued, and the officials drank and chatted to the sound of music in a lively atmosphere.

Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows slightly, glanced at Concubine Pei, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and the fruit in her hand was inadvertently broken open.

The proud times of some people seem to be quietly coming to an end.

After a few rounds of drinking, Concubine Pei knelt down in front of the emperor and said firmly: "Your Majesty, you once suspected that I was not a true descendant of the Pei family. Today, in front of all the ministers, is the best time to clarify the misunderstanding."

The emperor raised his eyes slightly and asked with interest, "Does the concubine want to prove her innocence at her own birthday banquet?"

"Exactly."

Concubine Pei answered frankly without losing her dignity.

Su Wanyu was standing aside, sipping tea leisurely, her eyes sparkling with great interest.

The emperor smiled and said, "Well, since the concubine has solid evidence, why not show it and let those nonsense disappear."

After he finished speaking, the emperor waved his sleeves, signaling everyone to be quiet and wait for Concubine Pei's next move.

All the ministers and female relatives present focused their eyes on Concubine Pei, their expressions filled with sympathy and concern for the injustice she might have suffered.

The master of the Pei family and Yuan Shi lowered their heads and remained silent in the crowd, their hearts filled with anxiety.

There are still younger generations of the Pei family in their family. If Concubine Pei can really prove her innocence, their fate will probably face a huge change.

A moment later, Pei Chi'an led a woman slowly into the hall.

Concubine Pei turned her head and thought it was the help from Chen Yang, and she couldn't help feeling a little relieved.

She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this is an old servant from the Pei Mansion in Chenyang. She can testify to my true identity."

However, when Pei Chi'an introduced her to the emperor, he said, "Your Majesty, this is a woman named Li. She is the younger sister of Li Ma, my daughter's personal maid when she was in Chenyang."

When these words came out, Concubine Pei's heart was suddenly shocked.

Nanny Li, that name was like a thorn in her heart. She remembered clearly that not long after she entered the palace, she secretly sent people to clean up Nanny Li's family in order to wipe out the roots. Why would a younger sister suddenly appear today?

She was horrified and felt a sense of foreboding.

The woman, who looked plain in coarse linen, had the fire of revenge burning in her eyes. Before the emperor could speak, she pointed directly at Concubine Pei and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Your Majesty, this person is a fake! She is not the daughter of the Pei family at all!"

This shout, like a bolt from the blue, shook the entire hall.

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly, and the banquet that was originally full of laughter and joy was shrouded in an ominous cloud.

The guests' laughter and conversation came to an abrupt halt. The sound of wine glasses being placed gently on the table could be heard one after another, like scattered raindrops in the night sky, foreshadowing the coming storm.

Everyone turned their eyes to the center of this sudden questioning, the woman who suddenly appeared and spoke passionately, and Concubine Pei who was sitting opposite her with a look of horror on her face.

There was a flash of disbelief in Concubine Pei's eyes. Her legs seemed to have lost the strength to support them and her body swayed slightly. She struggled to grab the edge of the brocade stool beside her and barely managed to keep herself steady.

There was a tremor in his voice, and every word seemed to be uttered with all his strength: "You... who are you? I, I don't even recognize you!"

There was both panic that was difficult to conceal in his words, and anger at having his lofty dignity challenged.

The woman's eyes flushed, and a bitter sneer rose at the corners of her mouth. Tears lingered in the corners of her eyes but did not fall, as if she was using all her tenacity to resist the pain of the past: "It doesn't matter if you don't know me. After all, when you issued that cruel order to exterminate my family, I was just a young girl. But I remember you. You were the maidservant beside that gentle lady, Jiao'er. It was you who cruelly murdered the lady while escorting her back to the capital, and replaced her identity, rising to the top in one step and becoming a royal concubine!"

The ministers' whispers spread like a tide. Some shook their heads and sighed, while others whispered to each other, with shock and a bit of amusement in their eyes.

"Could it be that the noble concubine we admire is actually a servant of humble origins?"

An elderly minister murmured in a low voice, his tone full of disbelief.

Another one took up the conversation and said, “If this is true, allowing a servant to mingle in the palace and become a concubine is really a disgrace to the royal family and a joke that will spread all over the world.”

"This matter is by no means simple, it must be thoroughly investigated!"

More voices echoed, and every word revealed a firm and unquestionable attitude.