My bad father married a princess, my mother divorced me, and I became the group's favorite

The empress dowager watched Emperor Jingxuan stride away before calling someone in.

"Empress Dowager, is your headache acting up again?" Aunt Zhao beside her noticed that she looked strange and asked cautiously.

The Queen Mother frowned slightly and shook her head slowly, her expression full of worry. "You have also seen the Emperor's attitude today. I am really uneasy. Your Majesty seems to be okay with Pingle on weekdays, but I know very well how much he actually likes her. Pingle is the only daughter of Prince Shun. No matter what, I can't let Your Majesty slap her in the face like this!"

Zhao Ma had accompanied the Queen Mother all the way here, so she naturally knew that she was partial to Prince Shun, and that she loved Princess Pingle as well. But now, His Majesty obviously disliked the princess, and if the Queen Mother insisted on showing partiality, it would probably make the relationship between mother and son even more tense.

"The Queen Mother is kind and has always loved the princess, so she will naturally understand. Since His Majesty has allowed the princess to stay in the mansion to get married, he also has the intention of protecting her. In recent years, Your Majesty's temper is well known, so why should you let His Majesty make him unhappy?"

The Queen Mother knew very well that His Majesty only appeared gentle, but His Majesty's insistence on rewarding Liu was already a slap in the face of Prince Shun's Mansion. How could she be willing to accept this?

"Isn't the Queen's birthday banquet coming up soon? As a princess, Pingle will naturally have to enter the palace on that day. Since Liu has been conferred the title of a first-rank imperial lady, she cannot be left out of the invitation. You go to Fengyi Palace in person and ask the Queen to arrange for Liu and her daughter to enter the palace together on that day."

Zhao Ma was shocked, but she didn't dare to say anything. She could only reply, "Yes, Queen Mother. But if Liu really went to the Queen's birthday banquet, she was born in the common people, so I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble."

The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes slightly and said firmly, "I just want to let everyone see that Your Majesty has always been wise, and his rewards are not so casual. Since Liu has received the imperial edict, she should show her face in front of everyone. If she is really as good as Your Majesty said, I would like to see her for myself."

Nanny Zhao had no choice but to obey the order and leave.

The Queen Mother sat there with a complicated look on her face. She wanted to see if this Liu was really as good as His Majesty praised her to be.

Fengyi Palace.

"Thank you for the trouble, Madam Zhao. I will make sure to arrange everything according to the Queen Mother's instructions. Qingyun, you go and see Madam off in person."

Madam Zhao quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your words are too polite. I am only following your orders. Your Majesty is virtuous, and the Empress Dowager has always trusted you. I will take my leave now."

After Nanny Zhao left, the Queen frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

"My queen, I'm afraid that the Queen Mother's arrangement will make this birthday banquet unpeaceful."

After Qingyun came back, he saw that his master looked worried and said anxiously.

The Queen frowned slightly, and the displeasure in her heart gradually spread.

She naturally understood the deeper meaning behind the Queen Mother's action. She was simply dissatisfied with Liu and wanted to use her birthday party as an opportunity to embarrass Liu.

But the Queen had her own considerations in mind.

Liu was a newly promoted first-rank lady with no foundation in the palace. If she really caused any trouble at the banquet, wouldn't it be a disgrace to her as the queen?

If His Majesty knew about this, what good would happen to me?

It is nothing more than that the Queen Mother herself does not want to offend His Majesty, and wants to use her own hand to suppress the Liu family and promote Princess Pingle?

But what can I do?

The Queen Mother is not only Her Majesty's biological mother, but also her aunt. Her position as Queen is also due to the Queen Mother's mediation.

The Empress' maiden name was Shen Si. She was the eldest daughter of Duke Shen. The Empress Dowager was Duke Shen's younger sister. The two were aunt and niece.

Ever since she could remember, she knew that the Queen Mother intended for her to marry His Majesty and become the mother of that country.

That year, His Majesty had just ascended the throne and was determined to marry Xiao Qing as his queen and to make her a noble concubine. If the Queen Mother had not been in control of the government at the time, and if General Xiao had not died in battle, Madam Xiao was seriously ill, and Xiao Mu was not yet a powerful figure, he was afraid that he would not be able to compete with Xiao Qing.

She was naturally grateful to the Queen Mother, but now that she had Crown Prince Murong Yu, she naturally had to consider him as well.

It would be fine if the Queen Mother usually favored Prince Shun, but now she actually ignored the mother and son for the sake of Princess Pingle. It is really chilling.

The Queen sighed and said to Qingyun,

"I know what the Queen Mother is thinking. But I am caught in the middle and it is really difficult. The Queen Mother is the elder and Your Majesty is the sovereign. I cannot offend either of them. Although Liu has just been promoted to the imperial position, she cannot be manipulated by the Queen Mother. If there is any trouble at the birthday banquet, I will also be blamed."

Qingyun said worriedly, "Your Majesty, what should we do? We can't really let the Queen Mother arrange to take action against Liu."

The queen paced gently, thinking to herself: If she lets the empress dowager act recklessly at the banquet, once His Majesty blames her, the empress dowager will naturally be fine, but I am afraid I will not be able to bear his anger; but if I favor Liu, the empress dowager will be dissatisfied and feel that I am ungrateful.

"Qingyun, what do you think I should do?" the Queen asked softly.

Qingyun lowered his head slightly, thought for a moment and said,

"Your Majesty, I think this matter needs to be handled with caution. Since the Queen Mother intends to suppress Liu and support Princess Pingle, you naturally cannot go against the Queen Mother's wishes on the surface, but I'm afraid you still have to protect Liu in private. Otherwise, Liu has just been canonized as a first-rank imperial edict, and she makes a fool of herself at your birthday banquet, which is also a slap in your face!"

The Queen nodded slightly, thinking that what Qingyun said made sense.

Furthermore, the Queen really did not like Princess Pingle. Not to mention her usual arrogance and domineering behavior, the last time she suggested to the Queen Mother that she wanted to marry her aunt's cousin to Xiao Mu, she caused disgust among her mother and aunt.

The Marquis's wife in the Marquis An's Mansion was his aunt, who had always loved him and had only one son and one daughter.

The Song cousin had already broken off an engagement, and her aunt's family felt sorry for her and wanted to find her a man from a lower-class family with a gentler personality so that she wouldn't have to suffer in the future.

But who knew that Princess Pingle, for some unknown reason, actually instigated the Queen Mother to marry her cousin to Xiao Mu.

Let's not talk about the past between her family and the Xiao family. Just look at Xiao Mu himself. He has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, killing people like crazy. His whole body exudes a ferocious temperament. How can he be a match for the cousin from the Song family?

I really don’t know what the Queen Mother was thinking. She actually agreed to Princess Pingle’s idea. She is so biased.

The Empress pondered for a moment and said slowly, "First, do as you said. Arrange someone to send an invitation to Liu. Then have someone pay attention. I will also find a chance to report to His Majesty to avoid being implicated by the Empress Dowager. As for Princess Pingle, if there is a chance in the future, I will definitely let her know that I am not someone to be trifled with."

Qingyun nodded and said, "Yes, Madam, I will pay close attention to ensure that there will be no big chaos at the birthday banquet that day."

The queen said nothing, and walked slowly to the window, looking out, her worry still lingering in her heart. This birthday party was destined to be a troubled one!

Qingyun looked at his master's back, swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and retreated silently.

Liu Yunniang was very surprised when she received the invitation from the palace. She had thought that she would have to enter the palace in the future, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon!

She gently stroked the edge of the post, her mind full of thoughts. The Queen asked her to bring Xiaoxiao into the palace with her. Was it not just out of curiosity?