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

"I have received your help many times, Your Majesty. Whatever Your Majesty needs me to do, I will do my best."

Fei Wan did not admit her feelings for the Phoenix throne, but she did not deny it either. She just responded to Concubine Qing's words.

The two looked at each other and reached a tacit understanding.

Concubine Qing took out the "magic stone" from her purse embroidered with a lone goose in gold thread.

The black stone is the size of a baby's palm, with naturally formed gray-white lines lingering on it like several galaxies, and a faint luster flowing.

"Why do you think I have this thing? It was passed down from my great-grandmother. She was the 'Xuan Nu' of the Qu Kingdom many years ago."

What is Xuannv?

Fei Wan was not familiar with the customs and culture of the Qu Kingdom. It was just that in her previous life, when she was defending the border against enemies, she had learned some Northern Qu dialect by chance.

Concubine Qing told her that before the founding of the Qu Kingdom, it was just a few small countries and many tribes. The goddess they worshipped for generations was called Tianxuan Goddess.

And "Xuannv" is the reincarnation of the goddess in the human world.

He governed over thousands of tribes near and far and was worshipped by millions of people.

But Xuannv is not always available. Sometimes she appears every few decades, and sometimes she appears every hundred years.

Since the death of Concubine Qing's great-grandmother, a new Xuannv has not appeared for more than seventy years.

Under the Xuannv throne, there are three "divine messengers," who are considered high-ranking priests. The three sacred stones are the symbols of their status.

The stone in Concubine Qing's hand was secretly passed down from her great-grandmother to her descendants. Before the new Xuannv appeared and reassigned the divine messenger, she could use this stone to gain some power in front of the people of Qu.

For example, when the Tartars entered the palace, they were ordered not to harm the concubines.

"In fact, before the official establishment of the Qu Kingdom, Xuannv was almost equivalent to the supreme king of the Qu Kingdom. However, after the first emperor of the Qu Kingdom conquered the various tribes two hundred years ago, established a court, appointed officials, and learned from the Han people to promote etiquette and education, the belief in Xuannv gradually declined."

This is also the reason why when the Tartars entered the palace, Concubine Qing could frighten them temporarily with the magic stone in her hand, but could not really make them withdraw.

Although the people of Qu still respect the goddess, they still have to obey the commander when marching and fighting.

"The Queen actually has such a background!"

Fei Wan was very surprised.

In the bright candlelight, Concubine Qing smiled and nodded. "My great-grandmother was 'Xuan Nu,' but my great-grandfather was Han Chinese. At that time, the country of Qu was in turmoil. My great-grandmother felt the country was in danger, so she sent a loyal servant to take her four-year-old son, my grandfather, back to Han China. Later, my grandfather married the servant's daughter and gave birth to my father. Only my great-grandmother and grandmother were from Qu; the rest of my blood relatives are Han Chinese. Now all my elders are gone, but I still have a brother."

Her smile became softer when she talked about her family.

The light gray eyes are curved and look very friendly.

Fei Wan had noticed before that Concubine Qing's eyes were a slightly different color. Especially on clear days, Fei Wan had seen her pale eyes glow with a silvery sheen in the sunlight, a truly beautiful sight.

It turns out it’s because of bloodline.

"Your Highness, with both the bloodline and the divine stone in hand, can you become the new generation of 'Xuan Nu'?"

Fei Wan suddenly had an idea.

Imperial Concubine Qing smiled. "The reincarnation of Xuannv requires a revelation from the previous Xuannv before her death. Then, the priests and the most devout believers must verify it based on divine oracle. It's not something anyone can claim. Bloodline and appointment are the imperial court's methods of conferring titles, and they differ from the ancient rituals of the Qudi faith."

So troublesome?

Fei Wan actually has a bold idea.

But since that’s the case, let’s put it aside for now.

"Your Majesty already knew the Empress's background, and also knew that you had the divine stone in your hands?"

"Yes."

Fei Wan sighed.

Everyone said that Concubine Qing was favored by the emperor because she came from the imperial residence and had a good temperament. But it turned out that there was another reason behind it.

Fei Wan asked, "So when the Qu soldiers entered the palace that day, Your Majesty hid away alone somewhere, leaving you and the others behind... Could it be that you were certain that the Qu soldiers would listen to you, Your Majesty, and therefore weren't afraid that they would harm you?"

There was a sharpness in Concubine Qing's gentle smile.

Disdain flashed in his pale eyes.

"That's not the case. The imperial court of Northern Qu has deliberately suppressed the belief in Xuan Nu for years. Since my great-grandmother's passing, Xuan Nu hasn't appeared in years. One of the remaining two sacred stones is enshrined in the Qu imperial palace, and the other is missing. Therefore, the other two divine messengers are essentially non-existent. Your Majesty's knowledge of the sacred stones' effects is limited to the classics, and he isn't convinced that the sacred stones can intimidate the Qu soldiers."

Fei Wan understood.

So on that day, the emperor really abandoned all the concubines in the palace and went to take care of the overall situation alone.

Concubine Qing said, "Over the years, I've come to understand His Majesty's character better than you do. Therefore, although he promised to help me bring back my brother, who is trapped in the Qu Kingdom, he has taken no action in the years since he ascended the throne. With the Qu army invading, I've been forced to reveal the sacred stone. The Qu Kingdom court will undoubtedly be wary, and my brother has become a ready-made hostage there, making them even more reluctant to let him go. This is what I'd like you to do."

"The Queen's brother... is in Beiqu?"

Fei Wan didn't expect this.

Before, I only heard that Concubine Qing's family was a minor official family, and her parents died before she entered the palace as a concubine, so she had no family at all.

I only found out today that she has Qu nationality ancestry and also has a brother.

And this brother is still trapped in Beiqu?

Concubine Qing sighed.

Continue to tell the other half of your life story.

Decades ago, my great-grandfather traveled between the two countries as a merchant, becoming fluent in the Qu language. By chance, he met Xuannv in Qu and secretly fathered a son. He died in Qu, and his son was sent back to Han territory. When he grew up, he also took up merchant business, but when the two countries went to war, he was forcibly conscripted into the army as an interpreter.

After the war, I continued to work as an interpreter.

Concubine Qing's grandfather, father, and brother all worked as interpreters in the envoy post under the Honglu Temple, and accompanied the delegation on a diplomatic mission to the State of Qu.

Strangely enough, my brother, because of his handsome appearance, was noticed by the widow of a lord of a large tribe in Qu State during his last diplomatic mission. She forcibly detained him and refused to let him return home. For the first two years, he still sent letters home, but in recent years, there has been no news at all.

"He still has a wife and daughter at home. When my brother left, his daughter was only two years old, and now she is eleven. I have the divine stone in my hand, but I am trapped in the palace and dare not act rashly. Last month, my niece wrote to the palace, saying that she dreamed of her father's soul returning home, and woke up at midnight. I am worried, I am afraid that my brother has already..."

When Concubine Qing said this, she became rarely emotional.

He kept coughing while covering his face with a handkerchief, and a blush appeared on his pale face.

Fei Wan couldn't sit comfortably on the couch, so she quickly stood up and poured half a cup of warm water to moisten her throat.

She solemnly promised, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. If there's a chance in the future, I'll do my best to find your brother's whereabouts. Regardless of whether Your Majesty helps me or not, no official in Daliang should be held captive for no reason!"

Concubine Qing drank some water and tried to catch her breath.

He looked up and saw the coldness flashing across Fei Wan's face, and couldn't help but hold her hand.

"I knew it, I didn't make a mistake."

Since Fei Wan, as a maidservant of Concubine Chun, stepped into Fengyi Palace with injuries all over her body, trembling and bleeding, she had stained the former queen's carpet...

She felt that this girl was not simple.

Observing secretly, approaching tentatively, experiencing everything together...

She finally confirmed that Fei Wan had big ambitions and was definitely capable of realizing them!

"You may not stop at the throne." Concubine Qing asserted.

Fei Wan pondered for a moment, but still asked.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for asking such a question. Since you are helping me, why don't you help yourself?"

With Concubine Qing's qualifications and scheming, if she wanted to become the queen, she might not have to wait until today.

Imperial Concubine Qing smiled and said, "With my current body, I can only live for another ten years at most."

"Miss?"

"This is Doctor Wen's judgment."

Fei Wan was silent.

Doctor Wen was a seasoned and prudent doctor, and being an imperial physician meant that they were more cautious than ordinary doctors. Since he dared to make such a statement, Concubine Qing must have been unable to hold on.

Can……

When I was chatting with Wu Xiangrong before, I heard her say that Concubine Qing was actually a few years younger than her.

I'm only twenty-five this year.

However, due to long-term illness, he moved without energy and looked older than Wu Xiangrong.

"Your Majesty, how did you get injured in the first place? Is there really no way to fix it?" Fei Wan felt sorry for her.

Just as Concubine Qing was about to speak, she heard Xiangyi calling out "Empress" from a distance outside.

Fei Wan let her in, knowing that she must have something to do.

There were light footsteps as Xiangyi approached the door and came in through the curtain.

She reported, "Your Majesty, Aunt Shixiang requests an audience."