Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

The palace became quiet again.

Xiao Fuzi quietly stood up and left the hall.

Wei Yanting finally couldn't help but gritted his teeth and said: "Thank you for your good education, sir, for raising her like this... Are you bullying my niece Lan because her relatives are all in the border and there is no one in the court?" The words entrusted by the old man of the Lan family before he left were still in his ears, but he didn't expect that Concubine Yi was bullied like this in the palace!

Leng Qujing looked coldly at Xie Zhiyun. The Grand Master frowned slightly. This matter might well affect the previous dynasty. Civil officials and military officials have always been in conflict. Civil officials despise the vulgarity of military commanders, while military commanders despise the pedantry of civil officials. The emperor has always been a mediator. However, due to the historical records left by the Human Emperor, the emperors of the Great Sheng Dynasty have always not prioritized civil officials over military officials. Many emperors were even accomplished in both civil and military fields, with the Divine Martial Emperor being a prominent example.

Qian Hui looked at Xie Zhiyun in a low voice and said, "My Lords, please do not forget the title of Emperor!"

Xie Zhiyun's face looked even uglier, and he just knelt on the ground and couldn't get up.

The master looked up quietly, only to see the emperor with an unfathomable expression, and he just gently turned the jade ring in his hand.

Outside the palace, Xiao Luzi came in again and reported: "Your Majesty, just now, Cao Shuren sent someone to convey that she is willing to be confined to the palace with Noble Lady Yi."

Emperor Shenwu looked indifferently at the civil and military officials standing in the hall. Xiao Fuzi hurried into the hall again.

Li Xiang felt a headache when he saw Xiao Fuzi entering the hall again. Emperor Shenwu said directly: "Speak!"

Xiao Fuzi swallowed hard and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Liang heard about this while she was ill. She was overwhelmed with emotion and, despite her condition, went to the Empress Dowager's palace to cry. She said that Concubine Xie's words were like ice, reminding her of General Liang who died on the battlefield. Concubine Liang said...she no longer wanted to be a concubine in the harem with Concubine Xie. She has come to report to Your Majesty that she will be confined to her own palace. The Empress Dowager is helpless."

Xie Zhiyun couldn't help but shudder. Concubine Liang's father, General Liang, had died fighting on the border years earlier, and now her brother held military power in a local area. The Grand Tutor's brow furrowed even more. Seeing the situation escalate, he glanced at the kneeling Xie Zhiyun. He knew Concubine Xie would have to be sacrificed to quell the situation. And so did the Xie family. Would such a foolish woman be sent to the palace, eager to give someone a handle?

Xiao Luzi reentered the palace and spoke with resignation, "Your Majesty, it was Concubine Yang who claimed she was incompetent, unable to stop Concubine Xie from speaking without restraint, nor to stop Concubine Yi and the others from transgressing the law. She has sent someone to apologize, saying she is voluntarily confined to the palace. Concubine Qi also said the same thing."

After a moment, Li Xiang watched numbly as Xiao Fuzi reentered the palace: "Your Majesty, the two Noble Ladies Su, Lady Li, Lady Zhang, Lady Liu, Lady Wei, and Lady Zhou...please be confined to the palace."

The hall fell silent again, and the atmosphere between the civil and military officials became increasingly tense and stagnant.

The emperor finally stood up, his tone indescribably indifferent: "It seems that Xie Qing's daughter has single-handedly confined most of my six harems!"

Xie Zhiyun felt pain on her cheeks and quickly bowed her head to the ground: "Your humble servant is terrified!" Your Majesty did not call his daughter Xie Pin, but called her Xie Qing's daughter... Xie Zhiyun did not dare to think about it.

Emperor Shenwu slowly gazed at the civil and military officials below him, his tone solemn: "I have always valued both civil and military virtues. The Dasheng Dynasty established the world with military power and ruled the world with civil virtues. We are all pillars of the Dasheng Dynasty, so why should we distinguish between high and low? I never imagined that the trend of valuing civil and suppressing military virtues is so rampant in my harem! You should think about this. The Xisha countries are about to set foot on Dasheng land. Seeing the discord between the generals and ministers of the Dasheng Dynasty, will the small border nations still respect the Dasheng Dynasty as before and send congratulations?!"

The emperor's words struck like a heavy hammer among the tense atmosphere among the civil and military officials. Those present in the palace were all the emperor's trusted ministers and confidants. They all knelt with shame on their faces and pleaded guilty. Xie Zhiyun was even more ashamed: "Xie Concubine's nonsense shocked me. Please, Your Majesty, punish Xie Concubine. I will not say anything more!"

One minister hesitated, "Is it inappropriate to punish only one person? After all, Noble Lady Yi also truly committed an offense and overstepped her bounds."

Emperor Shenwu's expression was expressionless. "Isn't she under house arrest? Then keep her all under house arrest. Li Xiang, send someone to Heyao Palace to pass on my order. Concubine Xie... is under house arrest. Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave!"

Emperor Shenwu walked down the steps and headed out of the hall: "All the ministers, please take your leave."

Li Xiang followed closely behind: "Your Majesty, you..."

"Go to Suowu Palace." The emperor's voice came faintly.

Prince Ding was the first to rise in the hall. He looked at Qian Hui and said, "General Qian, as the Grand Commander, you must remain calm. Your Majesty is right. We cannot allow discord between the general and the minister at this time."

Qian Hui was silent for a few breaths. "When I heard that... it reminded me of the soldiers who died in battle, and I'm really a little upset. Your Highness, don't worry. I will control myself and not cause Your Majesty any more worries."

Prince Ding nodded and walked towards the Grand Tutor and Xie Zhiyun. He couldn't help but lament that the civil officials were even more fussy and pedantic, making them even more difficult to deal with.

The emperor mounted the dragon chariot and had just started when he saw the three concubines approaching together. The Emperor Shenwu watched them kneel on the ground without saying a word.

Concubine Jiang could only speak first: "Your Majesty, I and others have just heard about this matter. It is because of my improper management of the harem that so many concubines have been affected. Your Majesty, please punish me."

Emperor Shenwu said indifferently: "I usually don't discipline Concubine Xie's words and deeds, allowing her to speak wildly and recklessly even more without restraint. Now you all come to ask for punishment, do you want to cause chaos in my harem again? Go back to your own palaces!"

The dragon chariot moved farther and farther away. The three concubines were slowly lifted up by the help of palace maids. Several ministers who had left the Qianzheng Hall saluted the three concubines and then left the palace.

Concubine Wan was indignant: "Your Majesty, you say that...it's all because of Concubine Xie's disgusting mouth. That Concubine Yi is no pushover either!"

Concubine Chen's lips curled up. "That's the true grace of a daughter of a military family. She possesses the unwavering integrity and unyielding pride of a military family. If she endured such a humiliation and remained silent, she wouldn't be herself. Even the cowardly Concubine Fang couldn't endure it. If Concubine Yi endured it, how do you think His Majesty would view her, sister?"

Concubine Wan couldn't help but frown in thought. Concubine Jiang said softly: "This is a dead end. We can't control Concubine Xie's self-righteous arrogance of the aristocratic family. The daughters of military families all have backbones that would rather break than bend. Sooner or later, both sides will suffer. I just didn't expect..." Unexpectedly, Concubine Yi's words were so sharp, and the matter became so serious. I heard that Concubine Xie was so angry that she almost lost her mind, and it affected so many concubines.

The Emperor Shenwu and his entourage soon arrived at Suowu Palace. Seeing Ruping and Ruhan guarding the door outside the palace, the Emperor frowned. Ruping, who was kneeling, sensed that the Emperor was even more displeased and quickly said, "Your Majesty, the master will not allow us to enter the bedroom."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Shenwu opened the door and entered the bedroom alone. Lan Qingwu sat on the bed, hugging her knees with both hands, blankly sitting there, her eyes expressionless.

She didn't notice until the Emperor Shenwu was about to reach the bed. Lan Qingwu quickly knelt on the bed and said in a slightly hoarse voice: "Your Majesty..."