Everyone in my harem is talented

On the Jiantai beside the Taiye Lake, Qin Zhi was fishing quietly with a bamboo fishing rod. Suddenly, the goose feather float trembled slightly.

Zhang Deli stood aside, even more anxious than Qin Zhi. He looked like he wanted to remind Qin Zhi, but he didn't dare to move, let alone make a sound. He looked humble, as if he was worried about scaring Qin Zhi's fish and afraid that the fish would run away.

Qin Zhi waited quietly until the fish was completely hooked before lifting the fishing rod.

The fish's tails flapped wildly, breaking the calm surface of the water and splashing water everywhere.

The silver scales sparkle under the sunlight.

Zhang Deli: "Your Majesty, this fish is really plump and delicious."

Qin Zhi raised the corner of his mouth lazily, without commenting: "Then this fat fish is a reward for you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reward!" Zhang Deli took the fishing rod handed to him by Qin Zhi with a smile on his face. He couldn't wait to take the fat fish off the golden hook and put it into a small bucket beside him.

He diligently put the bait back on the fishing rod that had taken out the fat fish. Qin Zhi took the fishing rod from Zhang Deli and threw the baited golden hook into the water again.

In the distance, several palace servants came closer and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed."

"I'm safe."

"The servant has something to report."

Qin Zhi: "Speak."

"Your Majesty, Concubine Yi has already investigated the incident in which Concubine Lu was attacked on the road on the day when the new concubine came to see the Queen Mother, and has sent a servant to report the incident to Your Majesty."

"Although the attack on Concubine Lu was strange, it was indeed an accident. The palace maid Liu who attacked Concubine Lu was a second-class palace maid on duty in the Empress Dowager's palace. She usually kept watch in Ci'an Palace. In the early morning of that day, Liu got off her duty and saw that the road outside the gate of Ci'an Palace was covered with mud. She turned around and fetched a basin of cold water to wash away the mud."

"As a result, he happened to bump into Concubine Lü who came to Ci'an Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, and accidentally dropped the basin on Concubine Lü. Liu said that she was extremely frightened at the time and ran away in panic."

"That day, the eunuch serving Lady Lu chased after Liu and held her down, but because he was alone and weak, Liu still ran away. Fortunately, the eunuch saw Liu's face."

"Your Majesty, this is Liu's confession."

"Where are the Lius?"

"Your Majesty, the palace maid Liu who attacked Concubine Lu has been captured by Concubine Yi and sent to the Ye Ting. She is now detained in the Ye Ting, awaiting her fate."

"Has Concubine Yi sent someone to inform the Queen Mother?" An ambiguous smile flashed in Qin Zhi's eyes.

"Your Majesty, after Concubine Yi sent a servant to report to Your Majesty, she went to Ci'an Palace in person to report the matter to the Empress Dowager."

Qin Zhi frowned. He knew the ins and outs of this matter better than Meng Wuyue.

She didn't handle this matter well.

I think the palace servant who was imprisoned in the Ye Ting might have committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

But the fish he hooked took the bait again.

Qin Zhi lifted up the fishing rod and looked at the struggling fish with its tail swinging around. He looked gentle, lowered his eyelashes and chuckled.

"Zhang Deli, pack up and go back to Zhaozheng Palace." Qin Zhi turned his gaze towards the direction of Ci'an Palace.

"Your Majesty, should we take this fish to the imperial kitchen and have it cooked?" Zhang Deli asked, looking at the fish biting the hook.

"Put it back in the pool."

At this time in Ci'an Palace, Empress Dowager Lu was sitting in the main hall with a stern look on her face, while Concubine Yi, Meng Wuyue, was kneeling on the steps.

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat depressing.

Meng Wu Yue's body was trembling slightly, not because of fear, but because he had been kneeling for too long.

She spoke again: "Your Highness the Queen Mother, I respectfully wish you the best of health and happiness."

The Queen Mother asked coldly, "Did you know that the Liu you captured committed suicide out of fear of punishment?"

Concubine Yi replied, "I just met the E-ting Ling in front of the Ci'an Palace and learned about this."

Ye Ting was the department in charge of punishments in the harem of the Yong Dynasty. Ye Ting Ling was the chief officer, a female official of the fifth rank.

The reason why the Queen Mother handed the case of the attack on Concubine Lu to Concubine Yi, whom she thought was the most suspicious, was because she had achieved her goal of dividing the power in the palace, and she felt there was no need to tear her relationship apart and could give the other party a way out.

The palace maid poured water all over Lu Xinyin and hit her head with a basin, causing Lu Xinyin to be later than Qin Zhi who had just finished the morning court session to pay her respects to the Queen Mother. This incident can be a big deal or a small one.

Because Lu Xinyin was late, whether it was a contempt for the Queen Mother or a serious disrespect to the Queen Mother, the initiative and the right of interpretation were in the hands of the Queen Mother. If she said yes, it was yes, and if she said no, it was no.

The one who suffered a minor crime was Lu Xinyin. The Queen Mother did not suffer any substantial loss in this matter, so she handed it over to Concubine Yi. Regardless of whether this matter was instigated by Concubine Yi or not, as long as Concubine Yi handled it properly, she could just find a palace servant to take the blame and punish the person, and the matter could be put to rest.

The Queen Mother did not pay attention to the progress of the case, but only to the result. After the case was closed, she summoned the E-Ting Ling to Ci'an Palace to explain the case.

The Queen Mother then found out that the attacker was someone from her palace and that he had committed suicide out of fear of the crime.

The Queen Mother's nerves were throbbing.

This touched her bottom line. The Liu who was being ordered around could be a palace maid from anywhere, but not from her Ci'an Palace.

She suspected that either Concubine Yi was looking for someone in her palace to be a scapegoat, and was also trying to commit suicide out of fear of punishment, so that there would be no evidence after death, in order to avenge her previous scolding of Concubine Yi for being jealous? Or this Liu was a nail planted in Concubine Yi's palace during her years of managing the harem.

The former is challenging her authority by not following the step she gave him, and the latter is setting up traps to spy on her, which is even more hateful.

The Queen Mother had too many secrets and was so scared that her tight fence actually had a loophole.

Meng Wu Yue had a gloomy look on her face. Ever since the day the new concubine entered the palace, the empress dowager accused her of abusing her power for personal gain and being jealous, trying to undermine her reputation and seize power in the palace. Everything was out of control.

She even suspected that the Queen Mother was directing and acting out something for some other purpose.

The Queen Mother blamed her and suppressed her reputation. She went to His Majesty, borrowed the power of the Central Palace, and led the new concubines to pay homage to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother asked Concubine Lu to break out of her trap and come to Ci'an Palace on her own. The Queen Mother proposed to disperse the power of the palace. Concubine Lu was attacked on the road, was late, pressed her limits, behaved improperly, and was disrespectful. There was Liu, a palace maid in Ci'an Palace, and mud on the ground that came from nowhere... one thing after another came one after another.

Meng Wu Yue's mind was in a mess and he couldn't sort out his thoughts.

Back to the case of the attack on Concubine Lu, unless it was Meng Wuyue who ordered it, she would not be able to escape from this situation and would be destined to confront the Queen Mother.

However, this matter was not instigated by Meng Wu Yue.

Then this scene happened.

"She committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Ha, Liu was actually a palace maid in my palace." The empress dowager was so angry that she laughed.

"Get up." The Queen Mother said with a sullen face.

"Thank you, Empress Dowager." Meng Wuyue staggered a little, and Qinghe supported her in time.

"The eunuch has informed me of the course and outcome of the case. Liu actually committed suicide out of fear of the crime. Let's leave this matter at that."

"I have been feeling unwell recently. Concubine Rou and Concubine Ying are both pregnant. The new women have not yet entered my bed, so they are not considered my daughters-in-law. Starting tomorrow, you will take care of me."

"You should step down for now today."

"Yes, Queen Mother, I obey your order."