They are all concubines, so of course they choose the future emperor.

Suddenly, the palace gates were closed overnight, and the imperial guards and internal guards were searching everywhere to arrest people. In just a few days, the whole capital was in a panic and everyone was in danger.

During this period, Prince Jing's Mansion also encountered a wave of internal security investigations.

Fortunately, the internal security guards did not make it too difficult. They just asked some questions and left.

But not all families are so lucky.

Prince Jing had not been seen for the past few days. He only came back one night and told the princess to keep an eye on the door. He left in a hurry not long after that.

After this, Prince Jing's mansion kept its doors closed and no longer received visitors.

The tense atmosphere also affected other people in the backyard.

In Wutong Courtyard, Jiang Wanyue suddenly received a letter.

The letter was sent by her cousin through someone else.

Jiang Wanyue frowned after reading ten lines at a glance.

"How did the Gu'an Marquis's Mansion get involved?"

Xiuchun took a quick look and said, "It's probably that Marquis Gu'an did something without telling my cousin. It's such a pity for my cousin to marry him."

Jiang Wanyue deeply agreed with this.

Her cousin was not bad in appearance and talent, and was also very capable, but her family background was low. Her aunt had married into a poor family and suffered a lot, so she wanted her daughter to marry a rich man and not have to worry about food and clothing.

But life is never perfect. After my cousin married into the Marquis of Gu'an's mansion, she no longer had to worry about money. However, the Marquis of Gu'an's family was really confused and always needed my cousin to clean up the mess.

Look, this time Marquis Gu'an is in trouble again.

The letter was very brief. Su Xin must have written it in a hurry. She didn't have time to write in too much detail, so the handwriting looked messy.

Jiang Wanyue raised her hand to support her forehead, folded the letter over and over again, and finally sighed.

"Xiuchun, go home later and ask my eldest brother. If you can help, please help. If the situation is serious, please get your cousin out first."

Xiuchun nodded.

In the afternoon, Xiuchun took the token and left the house and went to the Jiang family.

The Jiang family is relatively peaceful.

Xiuchun got off the carriage and walked into the gate as if she was familiar with the place. Unexpectedly, she saw an unexpected person.

Lin Shuyan.

Xiuchun saw the eldest young master talking in a low voice to Lin Shuyan.

She subconsciously wanted to avoid it, and the two people over there looked over at the same time.

The eldest master Jiang Yang waved at her.

"Xiuchun is here? But is Wan'er in trouble?"

Xiuchun walked forward and bent her knees.

"I am here to pay my respects to the eldest young master. It's not Miss's business, but that of my cousin... I don't know what happened to Marquis Gu'an, so my cousin wrote to Miss for help, and Miss asked me to come back and ask the eldest young master."

"Marquis Gu'an?"

Jiang Yang frowned slightly and began to think.

But he was not very clear about the situation in the court and could not remember it for a while.

Instead, it was Lin Shuyan who was standing aside who started to explain.

"I know about this. A merchant from Nanhai came to Beijing to compete for the title of imperial merchant and gave gifts to various merchants. Marquis Gu'an was one of them."

"Is this serious? But my cousin sounded very anxious in the letter, as if something big had happened." Xiuchun asked actively.

Lin Shuyan sighed.

"It wasn't a big deal. The inner guards questioned him and let him go. But Gu'an Marquis Chen Jun was too timid. He couldn't answer even one of the ten questions asked by the inner guards. The inner guards got suspicious and arrested him."

Jiang Yang was speechless after hearing this.

"This Chen Jun is really hopeless."

He shook his head and turned to Xiuchun.

"Don't worry about this, Wan'er. It's not easy for her in the palace. I'll talk to father when he comes back."

Xiuchun nodded and knelt down again.

"I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, she turned around and walked out.

Just as Xiuchun was waiting for the carriage to turn around, suddenly, footsteps were heard from behind.

And Lin Shuyan’s shout.

"Wait a moment!"

Xiuchun turned her head and looked at him politely, distantly, but warily.

"Mr. Lin, do you have anything else to do?"

Lin Shuyan lowered his eyes slightly and was silent for a while before speaking.

"How is your lady...recently?"

Xiuchun frowned.

"Why are you asking this, Mr. Lin? What happens to my young lady is none of your business."

Lin Shuyan took a deep breath.

"I don't mean anything else. I'm just worried about her situation."

"Don't worry about that, Master Lin. The young lady is doing very well."

Xiuchun raised her chin and spoke in a cold tone.

Lin Shuyan looked at Xiuchun and inexplicably thought of Jiang Wanyue, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

These two masters and servants are really the same...

He quickly calmed down his emotions: "In that case, I'm relieved. When you go back, don't tell her about your encounter with me, so that she won't think too much."

Xiuchun watched him leave and felt that he was being very confused.

At this time, the carriage stopped in front of her, and Xiuchun turned around and got on the carriage.

She did not return to the palace immediately, but went to visit her godmother and stayed there for a while before returning to the palace.

After returning to Wutong Courtyard, she told the Jiang family everything that happened.

As for Lin Shuyan's instructions, Xiuchun didn't listen at all.

Who knows what he is thinking?

Jiang Wanyue's expression didn't change after hearing this. Since nothing serious happened in Gu'an Marquis' Mansion, she felt relieved.

This turmoil lasted much longer than she expected.

It wasn't until the end of the month that it gradually subsided.

The matter of the blood swallow was just exposed.

Previously, most people outside the palace didn’t know what had happened in the palace, nor did they know what the emperor wanted to investigate. It was not until this time that they knew the reason.

Concubine Guo suffered a miscarriage and the blame was directed at Xueyan.

The entire royal merchant family that paid tribute to the blood swallows was executed and all three clans were exiled.

Many eunuchs and palace maids in the palace who were involved in this incident also died.

The chief steward of internal affairs was even directly executed by slow slicing.

There are two stewards in the palace, one is the chief steward who follows the emperor, and the other is the steward in charge of the internal affairs of the harem.

This matter seems to have come to an end.

But those who were attentive discovered that other changes had taken place in the palace.

For example, two concubines in the palace died quietly due to illness.

For example, the emperor abolished Concubine De's first-rank concubine title, conferred her the title of Master Jingke, and sent her to Tianfu Temple to "pray for the country."

That Concubine Guo was promoted to the rank of second-rank concubine.

It was not until early August that peace finally returned to the capital.

However, what kind of strange and bizarre situation is beneath this calm surface is something that outsiders cannot discover.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and every household is busy again.

The Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet will naturally not be absent.

Prince Jing had some free time, so he went to the main courtyard to discuss things with the princess.

"My father said that this palace banquet should be lively, so I will bring Cui and Yin'er with me to the palace. Ze'er is still young, so he should not go."

Ze'er is the third son of Prince Jing, born to Luo Yudian.

Lu Qingshuang's expression changed.

She certainly didn't want Cui Yan and Li Chengyin to enter the palace together. Previously, she always brought her two children with her every time she entered the palace. But now she has to let her concubine go with her. If the princesses from other royal palaces see this, who knows how they will laugh at her!

But last month, she had displeased Prince Jing because she did not pay attention to Li Chengyin, so Lu Qingshuang had no confidence to object at this time.

She had no choice but to agree.

She only agreed on the surface, but the anger in her heart still lingered.

She had been having trouble eating and sleeping because of what was happening outside, and the weather had turned cold recently, so she got so angry that she fell ill.