After the death of the host: the tyrant cried red eyes

After a while, Fan Yun'er was the first to break the silence. She exclaimed excitedly: "This poem is so wonderful! With only twenty words, the purity and tenacity of the plum blossom are fully displayed!"

The people around also nodded and whispered to each other, expressing their admiration for Shen Bingning's talent.

Lady Zheng's face became increasingly ugly, because she knew very well that she could not improvise such a beautiful sentence.

I originally thought that Shen Bingning's last poem was just a coincidence, but I didn't expect that she had such a profound literary foundation.

Madam Yu on the side nodded repeatedly and praised: "Madam Shen's poem is really a stroke of genius, with profound artistic conception and endless aftertaste!"

At this moment, a clear and powerful applause suddenly rang out outside the door, like the first thunder in spring, breaking the silence in the hall.

Xiao Yi, the majestic and handsome emperor, slowly walked into the magnificent hall. His steps were steady, and every step seemed to tread on everyone's heartstrings.

Following behind him were several ministers dressed in gorgeous court robes. Their faces showed either awe or hidden deep meanings. They followed the emperor's steps and respectfully walked into the hall.

"My beloved concubine, this poem is also quite flavorful and extraordinary."

Xiao Yi's voice was deep and magnetic, as if it could penetrate people's hearts, making everyone present listen attentively.

His words not only showed his admiration for his beloved concubine's talent, but also contained a hint of imperceptible tenderness.

Upon hearing the voice, everyone hurriedly bowed and saluted, their voices uniform and rising and falling like waves: "Greetings to Your Majesty!" These salutations not only showed respect for the emperor, but also implied fear and obedience to the imperial power.

Xiao Yi sat in the upper seat with a calm attitude. He gently raised his hand, signaling everyone to stand up. His movements revealed a majesty that could not be ignored.

"The poem "Appreciating Peonies" written by my beloved concubine a few days ago has already won great praise. I didn't expect that today's poem is even more exquisite and amazing."

His words were full of praise and his eyes sparkled with admiration for his beloved concubine's talent.

Madam Yu, a gentle and elegant woman, showed her love for the poem. She asked eagerly, with a hint of urgency and curiosity in her voice: "Sister Shen, have you thought of a name to match this poem?"

Shen Bingning, the talented woman, smiled gently. Her voice was clear and pleasant, like the gurgling of a mountain stream: "This poem is named "Plum Blossoms", which is appropriate and has a profound meaning."

Madam Yu heard this, savored it carefully, and murmured "plum blossom" twice, then nodded with satisfaction, with a flash of approval in her eyes: "It is indeed very suitable. The meaning of the poem and the title complement each other. It is really wonderful."

Changing the topic, Madam Yu cast her eyes towards Madam Zheng, with a barely perceptible challenge in her tone: "Madam Zheng, is your masterpiece ready as well?"

Everyone present knew that even if Mrs. Zheng could write poetry, she would never be able to reach the level of Shen Bingning.

Therefore, when everyone looked at Mrs. Zheng, in addition to expectation, there was also a bit of a mentality of watching the fun. It was a subtle and indescribable complex emotion.

Facing the complicated gazes of the crowd, Mrs. Zheng bit her lower lip tightly. A glimmer of help flashed in her eyes, and she looked at her father, the Minister of Revenue Zheng Yanmin, who came with Xiao Yi.

However, Zheng Yanmin had a cold expression on his face and showed no intention of helping, which made Mrs. Zheng's heart sink to the bottom.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and held her head high. Although her voice was choked with sobs, the pride in her bones was not diminished at all: "I admit defeat."

These three words, heavy and resolute, seemed to have exhausted all her strength.

Although no one dared to laugh openly in Xiao Yi's presence, the mockery hidden in their eyes was enough to make Madam Zheng feel ashamed.

He waved his sleeves lightly, and his words were full of unquestionable authority: "Mrs. Zheng's conduct is not good. From now on, you must study etiquette in Hanqing Palace until you pass the assessment before you can go out. Half a year's salary will be deducted."

This verdict was tantamount to pushing Mrs. Zheng, who had just escaped from a predicament, back into another cage.

Madam Zheng wanted to plead, with a hint of despair in her voice: "Your Majesty..."

"Rebellious girl, why don't you thank His Majesty for his grace!" Zheng Yanmin's voice was stern and cold, interrupting Madam Zheng's request, his eyes full of blame and disappointment.

With tears in her eyes, Madam Zheng endured the humiliation and knelt down to salute Xiao Yi. Then, with the help of her maid, she sadly left Chengde Palace, leaving behind a series of lonely and heavy footsteps.

Shen Bingning looked around calmly. Those who had previously surrounded Madam Zheng and flattered her now had expressions of gloating on their faces.

Although Madam Yu restrained her usual indifferent smile and frowned slightly, as if she felt sympathy for Madam Zheng's situation, the maid behind her could not hide the gloating smile on her lips. All this made Shen Bingning realize that Madam Yu might not be as detached as she seemed.

With the end of Mrs. Zheng's incident, the banquet gradually came to an end.

It seemed that Xiao Yi was just taking the ministers here for a casual tour. After a brief inspection, he was ready to leave. Before leaving, he instructed Eunuch Wei to copy down Shen Bingning's new poem, and then slowly left the hall with the ministers.

After going through all that happened at the banquet, Shen Bingning had no intention of staying any longer. She said softly, "Sister Yu, I feel a little unwell. I want to leave first."

Madam Yu looked concerned when she heard this: "Do you need to call the imperial physician to come and take a look?"

Shen Bingning shook her head slightly, with a hint of fatigue in her tone: "No need, His Majesty asked me to copy Buddhist scriptures recently, maybe I didn't get enough rest."

"Then Sister Shen should go back and have a good rest."

Madam Yu's words were full of concern.

"Ok."

Shen Bingning responded and turned to leave.

On the way back, the night breeze was chilly and she accidentally caught a cold. As soon as she stepped into Fengqing Palace, she felt a splitting headache, as if the whole world was spinning.

Qing'er, her most caring maid, stepped forward and gently massaged Shen Bingning's forehead with her warm and soft hands. Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze: "Miss, you haven't had a good rest these days. You should rest early tonight."

Shen Bingning forced herself to stay awake for the last bit and whispered, "Then remember to call me early tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Miss. I will."

Qing'er's voice was full of determination.

However, the next morning, when Shen Bingning was still immersed in her dreams, there was already a lot of noise outside the palace.

She opened her eyes in confusion and asked puzzledly: "What happened outside?"

A young palace maid hurried in to report, looking anxious: "Miss, the ladies who attended the banquet last night all had severe diarrhea after returning home. They said that there was something wrong with the food at the banquet. Now the eunuch Wang from the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to take Qing'er to question him."

"what?"