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

These days, because of Ling Zhaoyi, the emperor has often given face to Queen Yan.

As a result, Queen Yan's prestige in the palace was greatly reduced.

After she scolded them like this, some people stood up obediently, but some people looked impatient.

If it were in the past, Queen Yan would have dealt with them long ago.

But now Queen Yan's mind is not on the palace struggles. As long as the concubines in the palace are generally okay and nothing goes wrong, she will not interfere or target anyone.

Fei Wan stepped forward with a smile, and after greeting Empress Yan, she said softly, "Today is a great day for Your Majesty, and we should all be in harmony. Empress, is everything going well for the banquet? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Queen Yan then moved on from what had just happened and started talking about the birthday banquet.

"There's nothing more you need to do. As long as you sisters serve His Majesty well at the banquet and make him happy, I'll be pleased. Although the banquet will be simple, with only you sisters and a few clan members in attendance, you must not slack off. Those who are performing must do their best, and everyone else must also show their support. In short, making His Majesty happy is more important than anything else."

"I will follow your Majesty's orders!"

All the concubines should be blessed.

Queen Yan then ordered everyone to go to Xianyue Palace.

Everyone followed Queen Yan, getting into cars and sedan chairs outside Fengming Palace, and headed towards Xianyue Palace in a grand procession.

Gu Shu'er's sedan followed in the procession, and she sat silently inside. Although her position was not low, she was more low-key than the most inconspicuous concubine in the palace.

I heard a few exclamations from the team, but I didn't pay much attention.

The sedan suddenly stopped.

"Ling Zhaoyi, is this your handkerchief?"

A strange female voice asked through the window.

Gu Shuer opened the curtain of the sedan chair and saw an unfamiliar palace maid holding a light pink embroidered handkerchief in her hand. She didn't want to pay any attention to her.

He said calmly, "I never use a handkerchief."

He was about to close the curtain.

The maid said, "But, that person said, this is your handkerchief."

"Who?" Gu Shuer frowned.

Several concubines came up from behind and surrounded her sedan chair.

"Just now, as we were passing through the long alley, the wind blew off an embroidered handkerchief from the body of an inner palace guard. It looked clearly the style used by the imperial concubines. When we questioned the guard, he was frightened and told the truth - this handkerchief was given by you when he met you in the backyard of Concubine Shun."

"Yes, look at this silk, it is the finest Snow Shadow Silk, extremely precious. How can anyone obtain it if they are not someone His Majesty values?"

"It's no use trying to deny it. The guard has already confessed everything."

Gu Shuer's blood rushed to her head and her face turned red.

"You're slandering me! You're a bunch of scumbags, all you know how to do is scheme to harm others. You're actually trying to accuse me of adultery? This is a tactic I'm already tired of seeing!"

The team in front also stopped.

Linglong, who was standing beside Queen Yan, came over and asked what happened.

Several concubines talked about what had happened, and more concubines got out of their cars and sedan chairs and surrounded them.

Not far away, there was a palace guard kneeling there, trembling as if he was terrified.

Gu Shu'er snatched the handkerchief and stomped up to the guard. "You said I gave it to you? I had a secret meeting with you in Concubine Shun's backyard? That's not the way to make up a lie! What evidence do you have to say this is my handkerchief? I don't even know you! Besides, if we were going to have a secret meeting, if we were going to have an affair, why would I choose someone else's courtyard? Wouldn't it be more convenient in my Chengming Palace? If you don't explain clearly today, this day next year will be your death anniversary!"

The guards prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed.

"Ling Zhaoyi, please spare me, spare me, spare me... But this handkerchief was truly given by you. It has a love poem embroidered on it by you. You also told me that it was inconvenient for us to meet. With this handkerchief, seeing it is like seeing you, and it can ease my longing..."

Gu Shuer kicked him over and smashed the handkerchief on his face.

"I can't embroider at all, so you guys should come up with a good way to frame me! Today is the Emperor's Birthday, and you just want to stir up trouble on this day to make His Majesty even more angry with me. Maybe you'll kill me in a rage, and that would satisfy you, right?"

"This... this embroidery technique seems to have been seen somewhere..." Someone picked up the embroidered handkerchief and looked at it carefully.

"Indeed, it looks familiar."

"Hey, is this... is this..."

A concubine pulled her handkerchief out of her sleeve and compared it with this one, "Is this the Imperial Concubine's needlework?"

Someone exclaimed, "They're having a secret meeting in Concubine Shun's backyard! ...The Imperial Noble Concubine lives there!"

"So, is Ling Zhaoyi just a shield? Is he actually meeting the Imperial Noble Consort?"

"The Imperial Noble Consort has been hiding in Consort Shun's backyard for over a month, nearly two months, and has never served His Majesty. Could it be..."

"This team of guards was transferred here from the area near Concubine Shun's palace three days ago. They had been stationed there before, so the timing matches."

Linglong stepped forward, frowning, bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Please be careful with your words, young ladies. The matter has not yet been fully investigated. Please follow the instructions of the Empress and refrain from making groundless accusations."

The concubines finally stopped talking.

However, things quickly spread.

Almost all the concubines in front and behind the team heard about this.

Queen Yan had the guard brought to the phoenix chariot and interrogated him personally.

The guard trembled like a sieve and repeated his previous words.

When people pointed out that he was using Ling Zhaoyi as a shield, he cried out that it was injustice.

Queen Yan looked coldly at the concubine who spoke.

"What do you mean by a shield? Are you saying that he was secretly meeting the Imperial Concubine and deliberately exposed Ling Zhaoyi, who had been frequently visiting the Imperial Concubine's residence recently, as a shield? What a joke! He hasn't even been tortured yet, and he's already casually revealed the secret meeting. Why don't you suspect that he's deliberately trying to incriminate the imperial concubines? Do you insist on believing that he's right and want to embarrass Your Majesty?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I dare not... But, Concubine Ling is unwilling to be your Majesty's woman, and the Imperial Noble Consort has been avoiding you recently. They are indeed... They are all suspects, aren't they? I am just speaking casually..."

"Palm mouth."

At Queen Yan's command, the maid accompanying the phoenix carriage stepped forward and slapped the concubine ten times in public.

Although it was not severe and the number was not large, it was a great punishment.

The concubine didn't dare to speak nonsense anymore, and the other concubines also stopped discussing privately.

Queen Yan ordered them to continue to the Xianyue Palace.

The team moved forward again.

Fei Wan didn't even get out of the sedan chair during the whole process.

An Ran sat in the sedan chair, with a slight curl of her lips, showing contempt.

I don’t know who came up with such a clumsy idea.

Whether it is aimed at her or Gu Shuer, the effect will not be too great.

Gu Shu'er refused to be a palace concubine and seldom appeared before the emperor, but the emperor kept her in mind as he could not get her.

And she even helped the emperor review memorials in secret, so they had real connections.

If you want to take advantage of today to anger the emperor and abort her or Gu Shuer, it will be a waste of time!

Soon, the team arrived at Xianyue Palace.

The concubines entered the hall, took their seats in order, and waited for the emperor to arrive.

The emperor arrived not too late. He had just arrived a quarter of an hour after everyone sat down.

As everyone knelt and kowtowed, the emperor ascended the throne and smiled as he ordered everyone to stand up.

Before the banquet even started, he asked Empress Yan with a smile, "I heard there was something funny just now. Whose handkerchief fell off?"

There are several relatives present here, including princes, princesses, and princesses. He actually brought up this matter. Isn't he afraid of losing face?

Queen Yan was secretly puzzled.

But he gave a brief and respectful answer.

The emperor asked, "Where is the handkerchief? Let me see it."