The emperor just doesn't treat everyone equally, and it's none of my business!

The entire dinner was basically just the princes and princesses interacting with the emperor, empress, queen mother and imperial concubines, while their concubines were eating and drinking below and had little sense of participation.

Unexpectedly, when the dinner was about to end, the concubine called Gu Shijin's name.

"Who is Jin Ronghua?"

Gu Shijin was stunned for a few seconds when she heard her name suddenly. Then she quickly stood up and walked forward a few steps, bowing and saying, "I pay my respects to the Emperor and Empress, and to the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Dowager."

"Are you Jin Ronghua?" The concubine stared at Gu Shijin and said.

Gu Shijin really wanted to complain. She had already stood up. She was not the one who mattered. If she had something to say, she could just speak up! Didn't she see that everyone in the audience was looking at her?

"It's me." Gu Shijin nodded.

"Well, raise your head and let me have a good look."

The Concubine Dowager spoke, and Gu Shijin could only raise his head with his eyes lowered.

The concubine stared at Gu Shijin for a long time before nodding with satisfaction, "Yes, she is a pretty and intelligent girl. No wonder the emperor likes her so much."

Bah, what on earth do you want to say!

Gu Shijin said with some fear: "Your Highness, you are too kind."

Lu Junze: "Jin Ronghua is indeed smart."

Your Majesty, could you please stop adding fuel to the fire?

The concubine looked between the two and smiled, "I really like the music that Jin Ronghua gave me. Jin Ronghua is very thoughtful."

"This is what I should do."

"I wonder if I have the honor to hear Jin Ronghua's singing with my own ears?" The concubine said as soon as Gu Shijin finished speaking.

Although several concubines had just performed, Gu Shijin still felt a little uncomfortable with the order from the Concubine Dowager.

Gu Shijin restrained his expression and was about to speak when he heard Lu Junze say, "Jin Ronghua fell off his horse a few days ago and his body hasn't fully recovered yet."

Gu Shijin said, "Please forgive me, Madam Concubine."

The concubine felt a little sorry, but she didn't force it. She said, "I was inconsiderate."

"I really like the gift that Jin Ronghua gave me." To Gu Shijin's surprise, the empress dowager also came in to interject.

What could Gu Shijin do? She could only bite the bullet and say, "My concubine's cooking skills are not good, I hope the Empress Dowager doesn't mind."

Gu Shijin felt that the eyes focused on him were about to poke him into a sieve.

"Your Majesty, I think Jin Ronghua is quite good. She is smart, knowledgeable, and gentle. Why don't you promote her to the position of Concubine? What do you think?"

As soon as the Queen Mother said this, the banquet suddenly became quiet. The Queen suddenly tightened her grip on the eldest princess' hand, but the eldest princess still kept smiling, and there was no sign of blood on her arm from being pinched.

Rong Fei's face changed, and the cup in her hand fell. Fortunately, the maid beside her caught it quickly. It was less than a year before Gu Shijin was promoted from a talented person to a concubine. This speed was too fast.

There was a hint of surprise in Lan Fei's eyes, but she wasn't too surprised.

Song Xiuyi paused while feeding the Second Prince, then wiped the Second Prince's mouth with a handkerchief as if nothing had happened, but the disgust and hatred in her eyes were obvious.

A concubine could not threaten her; what she was worried about was the empress dowager.

The Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Concubine were the only ones who remained calm in the entire audience. They did not change at all after hearing the news.

Lu Junze was also a little surprised, but this was a good thing. He said, "It's up to you, mother. I will listen to you."

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor discussed the matter briefly and the matter was decided.

Gu Shijin knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace, and thank you, Your Majesty the Queen Mother."

Concubine De, who had been quiet throughout the entire dinner, stood up with a smile on her face, walked to the center and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Jin is already a Concubine, it is not appropriate for her to still live in Ningyu Pavilion. I have always felt that living alone in Yonghe Palace is quite lonely, why not let Sister Jin move to the side hall of Yonghe Palace."

Ningyu Pavilion is far and small, and it is indeed inappropriate for a concubine of the fourth rank to live there, but Yonghe Palace is definitely not a suitable place either.

Gu Shijin would never think that Concubine De was trying to please her.

Gu Shijin bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam Defei, but I'm used to living in Ningyu Pavilion and don't think there's anything wrong with it."

The Queen Mother looked at Gu Shijin and said, "Since Concubine Jin is willing, then don't move. I think you are a quiet person, Ningyu Pavilion is not bad."

"Thank you, Queen Mother." Gu Shijin's favorability towards the Queen Mother grew rapidly.

No matter what the Queen Mother did today, it is beneficial to Gu Shijin so far.

The Queen Mother nodded, looking very satisfied.

The banquet ended not too late, but except for Gu Shijin, everyone's expression was not very good, with fatigue and worry coexisting.

"Your Majesty, I have prepared a hangover soup in Fengyi Palace. Would Your Majesty like to have some?" Shangguan Yan stood up and asked.

After returning from the hunting ground, except for going to Fengyi Palace on the first day of the new year, the emperor never went there again.

Shangguan Yan knew what the emperor was suspecting, but as long as he had no evidence, he would not do anything to her.

Shangguan Yan was very confident that the emperor would not be able to get the evidence.

Lu Junze: “Okay.”

Shangguan Yan was so shocked by this answer that the emperor actually agreed.

"Mother, I will take you back to Cining Palace first." Lu Junze looked at the Queen Mother and said.

The Queen Mother also heard the conversation between the Emperor and the Queen, and her eyes were filled with relief. The harmonious relationship between the Emperor and the Queen was also a good thing for the previous dynasty.

The Queen Mother waved her hand and said, "No need. There are so many servants in the palace, why do we need you to come and see me off?"

After saying this, the Queen Mother and Consort Dowager stood up and left.

"Farewell, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Dowager." Everyone stood up and said.

On the way back, Gu Shijin felt that his mind was a little confused.

She didn't think that the Queen Mother promoted her position because of that undergarment, but if it wasn't because of this, why did the Queen Mother mention only her?

She was sure that neither she nor her original self had ever had any contact with the Queen Mother before, and today was their first meeting.

Being in the harem, a place where people are eaten without leaving any bones, Gu Shijin doesn't believe that one person would be nice to another person for no reason, let alone the Queen Mother, the champion of the palace fight last time.

But there is no need for the Queen Mother to harm these little concubines.

As a person without support behind her, she could not bring any changes to the former dynasty and the harem.

Gu Shijin didn't know that the reason why the concubines were so surprised and even angry today was not because she was promoted again. For those high-ranking concubines, Gu Shijin's promotion was not a big threat to them. What shocked them was that this request was made by the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother had been the Queen Mother for six years and had never interfered in anything in Lu Junze's harem. Perhaps because she had her own son, the Queen Mother had always deliberately avoided suspicion and never cared about these things. This was the first time she proposed to promote her to the position of a concubine.

How could this not make the concubines in the harem panic?

"what……"

Gu Shijin was still walking when he suddenly heard a scream, followed by the panicked calls of the palace servants.

Gu Shijin felt that the scream sounded familiar.