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

"Yanyun Palace? What could be happening there?"

Fei Wan, who was chatting happily with Concubine Ming, felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this and called Xiang Yi in. "Didn't the Empress order that winter clothes and quilts be provided to the servants of every palace, including Yanyun Palace? The people there suffer from the cold every winter, but this year, thanks to the Empress's grace, they can finally get some warmth. Could it be that anyone is still dissatisfied?"

Xiang Yi was a little anxious and reported: "My Lady, it's not about the winter clothes and quilts, but..."

She looked at Concubine Ming Guipin, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

Fei Wan frowned: "Why are you hesitating? Ming Guipin is one of the legitimate concubines in the palace. Is there anything she can't hear? Just tell me."

Xiang Yi looked embarrassed but didn't dare to say anything, and stammered, "It was...it was Yu Shuren...she was attacked and almost lost her life..."

"What? Why would someone do this to her?"

Fei Wan stood up upon hearing this and nodded apologetically to Ming Guipin, "Come back another day. I'll go see what's going on first."

Ming Guipin hurried to see her off.

"My queen, please go and get busy. Come back when you have time."

She asked someone to fill a small jar with the sweet soup stewing in the small kitchen and put it in an insulated lunch box for Fei Wan to take away.

"It's almost lunchtime. If Your Majesty is too busy to eat, use this to fill your stomach first."

She escorted Fei Wan all the way to the palace gate, and watched her walk away before she led her people back to the courtyard and closed the gate.

Ever since the eldest princess's birthday was designated as auspicious, the emperor no longer prevented her and her daughter from traveling. However, Concubine Ming had long since developed a habit of socializing and remained secluded.

However, because of the incident with the eldest princess's clothes, she paid more attention to the movements in the palace than before so that she could protect herself at any time.

So later on, he sent someone to the imperial kitchen to ask for ingredients, and went outside to inquire about the affairs of Yanyun Palace.

The inquisitor returned with a report that the story was true: Yu Shuren of Yanyun Palace had been nearly murdered by someone delivering her winter quilts, who had attempted to suffocate her under the thick blankets while she was away. Fortunately, the Yanyun Palace's nanny, on a whim, had come to explain the rules to Yu Shuren and stumbled upon the incident, saving her life.

"Who wants to kill Yu Shuren?"

"Your Majesty, the details of the matter have not been verified. However, the eunuch who committed the crime was from Chunxi Palace. Therefore, some people secretly said that Madam Yu came to the palace to visit Concubine Zhao the day before yesterday and also went to see Yu Shuren in the cold palace. So Concubine Zhao was jealous of the relationship between her biological mother and Yu Shuren, and coupled with the old grudge, she secretly sent someone to kill Yu Shuren. Anyway, no one cares about Yu Shuren now. His silent death in the cold palace is a small matter. They can just drag him out and burn him and bury him."

Ming Guipin was stunned when she heard this: "Who said that?"

"Your Majesty, the kitchen deals with people from all over the palaces and is one of the places with the most information. This isn't just said by one person, but many people in the palace are whispering about it. When I went to the kitchen, I heard two groups of palace people discussing this matter privately. If I stayed longer, I'm afraid I would hear more people talking about it."

Ming Guipin said, "Even if Concubine Zhao wanted to deal with Yu Shuren, she wouldn't use people from her own Chunxi Palace to do it. This is clearly a frame-up."

She instructed the wet nurse and the palace maids to take good care of the eldest princess. She packed her clothes, found out that Fei Wan was currently in Fengming Palace, and then went there as well.

The maidservant close to her was one she had recently promoted. Unlike the people who half served and half supervised her before, she was wholeheartedly thinking about her.

"Your Majesty," he advised, "Empress Zhao, the Imperial Concubine has received great favor from the Emperor. Even if she has been wrongly accused, nothing will happen to her. But you and the Grand Princess have only just been at peace for a few days. It's better to stay out of trouble. Stay home and live your life, and ignore the turmoil in the palace."

As Concubine Ming walked, she whispered to her maid, "You're thinking of me, and I understand. But although I don't socialize easily, I can't really isolate myself in the palace. The eldest princess is getting older, and the child is growing up fast. In the blink of an eye, she'll be a teenager. When the time comes to talk about marriage, I have neither favor nor support in the palace. How can I secure a good marriage for the child? Concubine Zhao has favor and power, and she's sincerely trying to befriend me. Wouldn't it be foolish if I didn't take this opportunity to get close to her and make friends with her?"

The maid Xiaoying listened carefully and thought seriously.

After a while, he said, "...But, Your Majesty, the ladies in the palace are always promoted today and demoted tomorrow. There's no fixed schedule. Yu Shuren, who was murdered today, was a favorite concubine a year ago. Who knows, more than ten years from now, when the eldest princess is about to die, will Concubine Zhao still be a favorite concubine? If you make friends with her now, and she falls later, your efforts will be in vain. Moreover, if you make friends with her, and she falls, she will implicate you and the eldest princess. What will you do then?"

Ming Guipin was both angry and amused. "You are quite clever, girl. It's worth promoting you. But I know my limits when it comes to my friendship with Concubine Zhao. I won't let myself become her friend and get implicated. Besides, I've observed with a cold eye over the years that many concubines have been as powerful and lucky as Concubine Zhao. She may not fall. And even if she does, I can use my friendship with her to gradually gain a foothold in the palace. When the next concubine rises, I'll just make friends with the next one."

Mainly, she didn't want to be isolated and helpless in the palace like before.

There was no way before, but now that there is room for maneuver, I have to move around and earn more living space for myself, especially for my daughter.

He couldn't help but think of his old love, Zhao Huaisheng, who was far away in Huzhou.

Things have changed and it is no longer possible for him and I to be together, but I still hope he lives a good life.

If I had a position in the palace, if Zhao Huaisheng was in trouble, I might have more ways to save him.

Instead of just sending a letter out of the palace at great risk like now, it's just to give him some advice, and I don't even know whether he will listen to it.

Ming Guipin's mind was in a mess. When she arrived at Fengming Palace, she found that she was late and there were already quite a few people there.

The ill Queen Yan sat in the hall, without any makeup on, and her face looked a little depressed, but she still kept up the spirits and presided over the overall situation.

Fei Wan sat below her.

Sitting in two rows in order were Concubine De, Concubine Shun, Concubine Ying, several minor concubines from Chunxi Palace, and other concubines from the palace who were here for unknown reasons.

Several palace maids were kneeling on the ground.

He Shuangying stood beside a few people with tears on her face, for some unknown reason.

Ming Guipin walked around a few people and went to pay her respects to Queen Yan.

Empress Yan asked sickly, "You're here too. Did you hear about what's going on here and rush over? You don't come out often."

Ming Guipin bowed to several high-ranking concubines and said, "When the incident at Yanyun Palace occurred, Zhao Guipin was speaking in my palace. So when I heard that Zhao Guipin was being criticized, I had to come out and speak a few words on behalf of the imperial concubine."

"Oh?" Queen Yan raised her eyebrows, looking a little better. "What do you want to say?"