Story of Yanxi Palace: Fu Ying's banner will never fall

Then, the Queen Mother looked around at the concubines present. Everyone had different expressions and whispered among themselves, so she said in a stern tone:

"Today is New Year's Day. I brought up the matter of the selection not to make you jealous and slander each other! Instead, I want to remind you that as concubines in the harem, you must not only know how to manage the palace people, but also be tolerant of others, so as not to corrupt the atmosphere in the palace."

After that, the Queen Mother looked at Empress Fucha again and said earnestly: "Queen, you must teach these concubines well and don't let them act recklessly."

Empress Fucha nodded quickly, with a hint of guilt in her eyes.

The Queen Mother thought for a moment, looked at Concubine Gao and added, "More importantly, you should know what you shouldn't say and don't talk nonsense. Don't talk about the Queen's maid anymore. This is also for the Emperor's face."

After she finished speaking, the Queen Mother reached out her hand and slapped the table hard as a warning.

Everyone stood up and saluted, saying in unison, "Yes, I understand."

Concubine Gao became more and more upset. She didn't expect that her plan to throw mud at the Queen had failed again. Instead, she was secretly reprimanded by the Queen Mother. She actually still defended the Queen so much, which really made people jealous.

"Okay, everyone leave. The Queen stays." The Queen Dowager waved her hand, signaling them to leave.

Everyone bowed hurriedly and left Shoukang Palace.

The queen knelt down immediately and said respectfully, "I am guilty. Please punish me, Madam."

The Queen Mother sighed, stepped down from her seat, and reached out her hand to help Empress Fucha up. The Empress looked up at the Queen Mother with red eyes. The Queen Mother couldn't bear to see this, so she warned:

"Okay, Queen, I know you feel wronged, but in this harem, who is not wronged?"

"Your servant..." The queen choked up but could not utter a word.

The Queen Mother patted her hands gently and continued, "You must remember that as the mother of a country, you cannot be bothered by these trivial matters. You must remain calm and rational."

"But, Empress Dowager, I..." The Queen couldn't help crying.

The Queen Mother said comfortingly: "Okay, stop crying, let's end this matter here. In the future, you must pay more attention to your words and deeds, and you must control the palace servants. They are all your dignity, don't let others catch you."

The queen nodded, wiped her tears, and looked at the queen mother gratefully, "Thank you for your teachings, my lady. I will keep it in mind."

"Rong Yin, you are good in everything except being too kind. As the Empress of the Central Palace, it is good to be tolerant and generous, but you must first protect yourself and my grandson."

The Queen Mother took Empress Fucha's hand and patted it gently, her eyes full of concern and heartache.

Empress Fucha felt warm in her heart. The Empress Dowager had always been very caring and protective of her, but she always let her down. She couldn't help but blame herself:

"Yes, I understand. I will do my best to live up to the expectations of the Empress Dowager."

After a while, inside Changchun Palace, the Queen was having dinner with the Second Prince Yonglian in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

After being comforted by the Queen Mother, the Queen was obviously in a much better mood, and the smile on her face became much more genuine.

Wei Yingluo and Mingyu, who were serving at the side, saw that the queen's mood had improved, and they also became happy and diligently picked up food for the queen and Yonglian.

However, at this moment, Zhang Jianyi hurriedly ran into the hall and brought a piece of news - the emperor was coming to Changchun Palace.

This news instantly broke the silence in the palace, and everyone looked surprised.

Empress Fucha quickly stood up and prepared to greet the emperor.

After the emperor entered Changchun Palace, he walked straight to the queen, stretched out his hand and held her hand tightly, and said sincerely: "Rongyin, I am sorry for you, let me explain it to you."

Empress Fucha looked at the emperor, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes.

The corners of her mouth rose slightly, revealing a faint smile, but her eyes revealed a barely perceptible helplessness and sadness.

She gently broke free from the emperor's hand, then gracefully picked up the dishes and chopsticks beside her and placed them carefully, as if everything happened so naturally.

Her voice was calm and gentle, and she said slowly, "Your Majesty, I understand in my heart that you have worked hard all day. Yonglian is still here, so why don't you have dinner with us first?"

The emperor was moved by the queen's gentle tone. He felt a little guilty and reached out to touch his "bald head", as if trying to hide his inner uneasiness.

Finally, he replied softly, "Of course," and then sat next to Empress Fucha.

However, when they started eating, the originally harmonious atmosphere gradually changed. The whole room was filled with a tense atmosphere, and the three of them chewed their food carefully without making any noise.

This sudden silence confused Yonglian. He keenly noticed that something was wrong between the Emperor and the Empress.

So, after dinner, after talking for a while, he stood up, bowed to the emperor and empress and took his leave.

Yong Lian said respectfully, "Father and Mother, I still have some books to read, so I will take my leave now."

"Go, and take care of yourself." The queen's eyes revealed pity for her son. She knew that Yonglian must have noticed the subtlety between them, so she chose to leave in a hurry, leaving them some space to be alone.

The emperor also quickly agreed: "Yes, Yonglian, you must take care of your health."

Yong Lian nodded obediently and responded, "Yes, Father and Mother Royal have worked hard today, so you should rest early. Everything will be fine after a good rest."

After saying this, he slowly turned around and left the room, signaling the palace maids and eunuchs serving beside him to step back.

The emperor and the queen were left sitting there quietly, their eyes intertwined with each other, and the emperor clearly saw the endless sadness and loss in the queen's eyes.

The emperor was shocked. He realized that he had really hurt the queen's heart deeply this time.

However, when he recalled Li Yu's words that the Queen refused to make Yonglian the Crown Prince, he couldn't help but wonder: What does Rongyin mean by this? Is she still unwilling to forgive me?

The emperor frowned and said helplessly, "Queen, I clearly remember rejecting your request yesterday, but then I inexplicably lost consciousness..."

Although he was somewhat dissatisfied in his heart, he knew he was in the wrong, so he took the initiative to admit his mistake.

Empress Fucha smiled slightly, with tenderness and understanding in her eyes: "Your Majesty, I naturally believe you. You don't need to say more, and you don't need to compensate me with the position of Crown Prince."

Emperor Qianlong held Empress Fucha's hand tightly, his eyes firm and affectionate:

"But Rongyin, why on earth did you reject me? Yonglian is our legitimate son, smart and unparalleled in the world. I believe he can shoulder this important task."