The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

Under the emperor's seemingly gentle yet intimidating gaze, Nanny Tohka lowered her head.

He swallowed nervously and answered very carefully.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager said that because Concubine Hui was confined to the palace, she has been reflecting on many things in the quiet solitude. She feels that life is fleeting, and that many attachments should be let go. This time, she left the palace to worship Buddha, to cultivate her body and cleanse her soul."

The emperor asked, "If that's the case, why bring Concubine Zhao with you?"

"The Queen Mother said that since Concubine Zhao also likes to worship Buddha, it would be a good idea for us to go together. To pray for blessings and to heal any previous rifts. Furthermore, Her Majesty feels that Concubine Zhao needs to recuperate, and perhaps staying on the mountain of Qingluo Temple will be a good place to replenish her energy. Besides..."

Shixiang glanced at the emperor cautiously. "Besides, the Empress Dowager said that once a woman enters the palace, it's difficult to leave. Palace maids can be released when they reach a certain age, but concubines have to stay in the inner court their entire lives. It's not easy for them to see the outside world. I'm sure Concubine Zhao will agree."

The emperor listened and smiled faintly.

There was a fierceness in his handsome eyes.

"Why, when I make women my concubines, do I trap them in the palace?"

Shixiang quickly explained, "No... the Queen Mother didn't mean that. It was my fault for not explaining it clearly. Anyway, the Queen Mother really wants to bring more people to worship Buddha. If Noble Concubine Yue is willing, she would also like to take her. Even... Noble Concubine Qing, the Queen Mother would like to take her too."

"Take all my concubines to Qingluo Temple?"

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother was just thinking about it. There's no need to mobilize so many troops." Shixiang smiled apologetically, "The Queen Mother said that we should only take the most important people with us. Also, if Concubine Zhao goes to Qingluo Temple with us, it will show those outside that the palace is peaceful and there is no trouble."

"So, with so many reasons, if I don't allow Concubine Zhao to go, it won't work, right?"

The emperor pondered for a moment.

nodded.

"I'm sure."

……

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother clearly has bad intentions. She wants to take you into the mountains. That mountain temple is not like the Great Xiangguo Temple in the city. Even if we send more guards to follow you, the surrounding area is still barren mountains and old forests. What if something goes wrong?"

The news reached Chunxi Palace.

Xiangyi's face darkened.

Fortunately, she has now restrained her murderous intent and no longer risks her life easily, otherwise she might go directly to Ciyu Palace to assassinate the empress dowager.

Xiaohui was also very anxious.

He dropped the wood carving he was carving to the side and rushed over to grab the corner of Fei Wan's clothes:

"Your Highness, you absolutely cannot go. Let's go to the Imperial Court and ask His Majesty to revoke his order. His Majesty is watching over you in the palace. If the Queen Mother dares to torture you, she'll surely be even more ruthless outside the palace. By then, you'll be in dire straits!"

Along with the imperial edict, a new embroidered screen from Shu was also sent to Chunxi Palace. It was delicately stitched and extremely gorgeous.

It is a rare masterpiece of Shu embroidery.

Fei Wan lay leisurely on the soft pillow, admiring the exquisite embroidery on the screen.

Listening to the two maids' discussion, she simply sighed, "Your Majesty has already issued an order allowing me to leave the palace with the Empress Dowager, and he will not change his decision. Only two or three such fine embroidered screens have ever been displayed in Chenqian Palace, yet Your Majesty has granted me a larger one as a token of his favor. This is telling me to be sensible and obey your instructions."

Xiao Hui said, "Let's not use this screen. We can't eat or drink. Are we going to take risks for it?"

"It's not for this, it's for His Majesty." Fei Wan's eyes flashed with disdain. "His Majesty has always tacitly agreed that all the women in the palace, and indeed everyone in the world, should willingly sacrifice everything for his imperial ambitions."

It was Yinzhu's foolish words that had caused the Emperor to feel guilty towards her. Fei Wan could sense it, but it was only a small regret. What mattered most to him was his throne.

Xiang Yi's face is as cold as frost.

"Your Majesty, if you cannot disobey the order, then I will accompany you and bring Jasmine, who is a martial arts expert. If anything happens, we will take your place."

Xiao Hui said, "I want to go too!"

"Don't bother going. It's more convenient for me to go alone."

Fei Wan asked the maid to pack her luggage.

On this day, the news that Concubine Zhao was going to Qingluo Temple with the Queen Mother to worship Buddha and would leave in two days shocked the inner palace.

Outside the palace, the rebellious people in Jiangnan occupied several villages, towns and county governments, and their number expanded to tens of thousands. The news that disaster victims also rebelled in another nearby prefecture and county shocked the previous dynasty.

There was also a group of censors who submitted memorials to the Zhongqing Earl's Mansion, implicating him in crimes such as corruption, selling official positions and titles, and forcing innocent people to death, which also attracted the attention of all officials.

The Empress Dowager's Ciyu Palace had just been unsealed, and no one was reporting Huifei and the others. Instead, they turned to reporting the Empress Dowager's family. Why?

Some court officials even followed the censors in submitting memorials, listing the improper and disrespectful behavior of the Chungcheongbo Mansion over the years.

There was a lot of discussion in the court and the country, and undercurrents were surging.

However, the emperor stopped handling government affairs that afternoon and took a rare break to relax.

He ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a banquet, and went boating in the Taiye Lake next to the Shanglin Garden. He also summoned several concubines to the banquet to have fun singing and dancing.

"I've been tired for a long time and feel very exhausted today. I'd better take a rest for a night before continuing with the paperwork tomorrow."

Accompanying the emperor were Concubine Qiu, Concubine Lan, and three less favored concubines.

The emperor just randomly found it in the green card box.

Fei Wan asked someone to send over some snacks.

Not long after, Concubine Yue of Changle Palace also ordered people to send wine.

The Empress Dowager even sent a bottle of broken osmanthus to cheer the Emperor up.

The emperor drank his wine, examined the vase carefully, and asked, "Doesn't this look like something from the palace?"

The maid who brought the flowers said, "Your Majesty, these are the southern goods that Prince Rui brought into the palace when he came to visit the Queen Mother today."

The emperor narrowed his eyes and said nothing more.

The next morning, the emperor issued an edict.

It means that the Queen Mother is leaving the palace to pray for Daliang. It is a happy event, so it is better to double the joy by holding the ceremony of enthroning the concubines and then sending the Queen Mother out.

At the last Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, Concubine Yue and others were verbally conferred titles, but the ceremony had not yet been held. This has now been put into practice.

The news reached Ciyu Palace.

The Queen Mother just smiled and said: "If the Emperor wants to hold a ceremony to confer the title of Consort, then do it. Wouldn't it be nice to have a lively and bustling palace?"

Nanny Shixiang asked, "Is Your Majesty deliberately trying to elevate Concubine Zhao?"

The enthronement ceremony of Concubine Zhao was originally planned to be held together with everyone else to show its solemnity.

After the ceremony of enthronement, she obtained the seal of a second-rank concubine, and her status became truly noble.

Before Fei Wan left the palace with the Empress Dowager, she asked her to enter the Jade Plate and receive the Golden Seal. The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Your Majesty is very thoughtful, just in case I won't treat Concubine Zhao well. He's worrying too much. However, as long as he's happy, let him be."

After the imperial edict was announced, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory had no choice but to change the originally scheduled auspicious day to tomorrow. After looking through the classics and finding many reasons, they proved that tomorrow was a better auspicious day.

The palace embroidery room was more anxious than the Imperial Observatory.

Everyone worked overtime throughout the night and managed to finish several sets of dresses for the imperial concubine and the imperial concubine by the time the sun came out the next day.

There is no way to make the stitches thicker.

The golden-red dress was delivered to Chunxi Palace. Fei Wan had already finished her makeup and put it on.

A dignified and elegant beauty with brilliant embroidery immediately appeared in the mirror.

"Your Majesty is so beautiful!"

Even though they were worried about leaving the palace, the maids couldn't help but be surprised and admired, staring at Feiwan's beauty.