Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

"My lady." A palace servant hurried in from outside with quick steps.

He Qing's gaze passed over the palace maid and fell on the food box in her hand.

"My lady, I have brought back the dinner. You may..." The palace maid bowed and hesitated to speak.

"Finally, I've got it." He Qing interrupted her. She was well aware of her humble status and her quiet entry into the palace. But even if she hadn't made a sound, she had saved the emperor before. Who in the palace and outside the palace didn't know about it? Before entering the palace, everyone treated her with great courtesy.

However, on the first night in the harem, dinner was so late.

"Young Master, would you like to have dinner?"

Seeing that the young lady was silent, the palace maid asked again cautiously.

Another palace servant beside her also called out softly, "Young Master."

"No need to say more, let's serve the meal." He Qing was indeed hungry, so she signaled the palace servants to prepare dinner. Although the place was not spacious, there was no need to find another place to serve the meal.

While the palace servants were busy, He Qing's thoughts drifted to the afterlife - no, to the delicacies of the previous life.

She glanced at the dinner brought back by the palace maid.

The food was still warm, not cold, suggesting the palace maids still knew of her contribution to the emperor's rescue. However, the dish was truly too ordinary. Was this the diet for all the concubines in the harem?

She had read history books and knew that Concubine Liang had improved many dishes.

Many dishes inside and outside the palace walls have been innovative, so why is the food here so mediocre?

"Is that all?" He Qing couldn't help but ask.

"My lady, these are specially reserved for you by the imperial kitchen. We know you want to have a meal." The palace servant in charge of serving the food answered, wondering why the lady was dissatisfied.

These dishes, as she said, were indeed left over from the imperial kitchen.

Another palace servant called out softly, "Young Master."

He Qing wanted to ask them about the food that Concubine Liang was eating. It wasn't that she wanted to compete with Concubine Liang, she was just curious. But in the end, she chose to remain silent and began to eat.

However, after tasting it, she couldn't help but frown.

This meal is nothing special!

Many modern delicacies from later generations emerged in her mind, and she secretly decided to find an opportunity to present them one by one, so that people could taste them and judge whether her improved meals were better or Concubine Liang's were more delicious.

She wants to compete with Concubine Liang!

Seeing this, the palace servants secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He Qing looked at them and remembered that they had been taking good care of her since she came to the enclosure and had never left after entering the palace.

He Qing's movements naturally attracted the attention of some people in the palace. Some had been following her for a long time, while others had just learned about it. No one commented on her late dinner.

The news that the emperor had not visited had already spread.

He Qing also had an idea of ​​this in her mind.

-

Outside the palace, in the Weiyuan Marquis's residence, Old Madam Yuan heard Nanny Yu's return report, and learned that Zhao had attempted to leave shortly after she left, and even attempted to enter the palace. Yuan sneered, as everything was within her expectations.

The boss had already known about this and sent people to follow and successfully stopped Zhao.

However, after stopping Zhao, the boss took her back to her room and kept the news secret from her. As a result, Yuan was completely unaware of this until Nanny Yu found out.

She felt a little dissatisfied and didn't understand why the boss kept it from her.

What exactly was his plan? What was he planning to do after imprisoning Zhao? Perhaps he had something to say to Zhao? Or perhaps…

But, the Zhao family will definitely make a big fuss, right?

Zhao was determined to enter the palace, and Yuan was well aware of her determination.

"Is there any other news?" Yuan asked. She wanted to know some more details.

However, she also knew that it was not easy for Nanny Yu to find out this information.

"No, old lady," Yu Mama replied, her tone apologetic. She felt ashamed to face the old lady for not being able to get more information. "It's my incompetence."

"That's all, that's all," Yuan said twice, expressing her understanding. She had anticipated the quarrel between the eldest brother and Zhao.

It would be strange if there was no noise!

Zhao was so eager to enter the palace, but the eldest brother was firmly opposed.

She stopped Nanny Yu from blaming herself and stopped her from asking any more questions.

It was late at night. After dinner and cleaning up, it was time to rest.

It’s so late, even if there is something, let’s wait until tomorrow.

After Yuan returned, the second and third brothers learned the news and sent people to visit her, asking about her condition and why she suddenly returned.

They all cared about her so much that they even wanted to come and visit her in person.

But she refused, otherwise the mansion would have been bustling with activity.

The second and third brothers may have heard about what happened with the eldest brother, and they may come to visit again tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

"Madam, is it time to rest?" Nanny Yu asked softly, noticing the old lady's tired expression. Yuan nodded, stood up, and supported her hand. "Rest. The emperor and my son should be well in the palace."

"Yes." Nanny Yu replied.

"He Cairen has just entered the harem. I wonder where the emperor has given her a place to live? Is it the emperor's will, or the arrangement of the empress dowager or the queen? Has the emperor visited her?" Yuan suddenly asked.

"Madam, what are you still worried about?" Yu Mama noticed something was wrong with the old lady, stopped, and looked at her in confusion. Yuan looked out the window at the night: "The emperor said to Consort He..."

"Madam, you worry too much." Nanny Yu comforted her.

"Yeah, why would I be so worried." Yuan smiled self-deprecatingly. After all, she was just a woman.

However, Yuan did not sleep well that night.

She woke up from time to time, thought about the current situation, and fell asleep again.

When she woke up again, she continued to think, repeating this process until morning. When she woke up, she felt a splitting headache and felt unwell. Before she could even get ready, the second and third daughters-in-law came to visit, saying they were worried about her health and asked her about her experiences in the garden in subtle ways.

She didn't say much, just told them what she could, and didn't let Nanny Yu reveal more.

The two daughters-in-law continued to ask questions.

At the same time, Zhao also did not sleep all night.

After being imprisoned by the Marquis, she had nowhere to go, unable to enter the palace, unable to rescue Ci'er, and unable to do anything. She was distraught and at a loss. She wanted the Marquis to release her, but he had already left and ignored her. There were guards outside, and her cries were fruitless. She could only bang on the door in despair.

That night, she kept knocking on the door. As the night faded and the dawn began to break, the knocking sound continued, with despair and pleading: "My Lord, please have mercy and let me out. I can't be imprisoned here. I want freedom, please..." Her heart was filled with uncertainty and fear. She didn't know whether the emperor's decree had been issued, and she didn't know what impact it would have on Ci'er.

Ci'er was now alone, as if abandoned by the world. How could she, young and ignorant, handle this sudden storm? The night seemed to stretch as long as an eternity, excruciating.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Queen Mother, have they made their decision? Is that decision hanging like a sword over Ci'er's head, poised to fall at any moment?

However, Marquis Weiyuan showed no interest in this matter. He didn't even want to see Zhao again, let alone listen to her worries and fears. When the servant came to report about Zhao's situation, he just waved his hand impatiently. He only cared about whether Ci'er was still alive, and didn't want to ask about anything else.

But he didn't sleep peacefully that night. After much deliberation, an idea finally crystallized in his mind. He would write a letter of apology to the Emperor, for Ci'er, for himself, and for the entire Weiyuan Marquisate.

They were wrong, all of them. They hadn't even noticed the Crown Princess' true identity, and might even have wronged Ai'er. Now that I think about it, perhaps what happened to Ai'er wasn't accidental, but rather the result of Ci'er's misfortune.

Thinking of Ci'er's crimes, Weiyuan Hou could not help but feel ashamed. He felt ashamed that he had raised such a daughter, and was even more heartbroken for the shame and pain she had brought to his family.

However, at this critical moment, he had to make a choice. He had to distance himself from Ci'er and let the emperor and everyone know that Ci'er's crime had nothing to do with her or the entire Weiyuan Marquisate. But at the same time, he had to apologize for Ci'er's crime and take the initiative to assume his responsibilities as a father.

He knew full well that a poorly educated son is the fault of his father. Therefore, he decided to confess his faults in a letter of apology, expressing his deep regret and love for his son. He believed that if the emperor were willing to read his letter and see his sincerity and determination, his attitude towards him would surely change.

Marquis Weiyuan quickly set to work, translating his thoughts into words. He carefully considered each word, fearing any omission or error. Finally, a coherent and flawless apology appeared before him. He gently blew the ink dry and sent it to the palace.

At this moment, he could only anxiously await news and reactions from the palace. He didn't know if his apology would impress the emperor, and he had no idea what his fate and the future of his beloved son would be. But he knew this was the only thing he could do.

-

Meanwhile, in the palace, Zhang Tianai was slowly waking up. She had dined with the Emperor the previous night and retired early. However, after the Emperor left, she could no longer fall asleep. Rubbing her slightly swollen head, she listened to Nanny Li's report on the news from the Eastern Palace.

Last night, after returning to the palace, the Crown Prince only visited Luo Liangyuan and several other concubines, but did not visit the Crown Princess. Zhang Tianai couldn't help but sneer in her heart after hearing this. She knew that the Crown Prince was deliberately ignoring the Crown Princess as a way to express his dissatisfaction and punishment for her.

"After one night, is this all the news?" Zhang Tianai asked unhappily.

Nanny Li shook her head helplessly. "Master, we only found out this morning. The Eastern Palace has kept a tight lid on all news, so we really can't learn anything more."

Zhang Tianai nodded in understanding. She knew that Crown Prince Murong Shenxing was deliberately creating a sense of mystery so that the women in the harem would not be able to know his true thoughts and intentions.

At this moment, Nanny Li suddenly mentioned that the women in the harem seemed to be eager to take advantage of the opportunity to please the emperor and the empress dowager. However, before leaving, the emperor specifically told Zhang Tianai not to move around and to stay in Furong Palace.

She chose a pink palace dress and paired it with an exquisite palace flower, making her look lively and lively. She looked left and right in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction. Then, she walked out of Hibiscus Palace with Li Ma, Chunmei and others.

After breakfast, Zhang Tianai went to pay her respects to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. As she was about to return to Hibiscus Palace, she heard a message: "Ms. He requests an audience."

Zhang Tianai was slightly startled. What was her purpose in visiting at this time?