Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

"Your Majesty has arrived!" a voice was announced, and all the concubines stood up to welcome him.

The emperor strode into the hall and sat down on the throne. The concubines in the six palaces knelt in greeting: "Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"

Emperor Shenwu did not call out. After a few breaths, the emperor spoke: "Princess Jiang, speak!"

Concubine Jiang straightened up slightly and said, "Your Majesty, regarding the incident with the poisonous snake in the Buddhist temple, I have already found out who was responsible."

The emperor's eyes were sharp and deep, showing no emotion. "Who is it? Since the evidence is conclusive, bring it here."

Concubine Jiang replied, "It was Concubine Lin. She was pregnant with Concubine Wen and Concubine Bai Shu, but she accidentally fell in the Imperial Garden during the autumn hunt last year and subsequently miscarried. She was jealous that Concubine Wen and Concubine Bai Shu's fetuses were fine, so not long ago she had her personal maid buy animal-attracting powder outside the palace and mix it into Buddhist incense, in order to frame Concubine Wen and Concubine Bai Shu's fetuses."

Lan Qingwu, kneeling among the concubines, pondered for a moment. Lin Cairen? She had no knowledge of pharmacology and no connections in the palace. Who had she asked to bring Wen Guiren and Bai Shuren here? It seemed...

Emperor Shenwu swept his sharp gaze over the three concubines in the front: "Let her enter the palace and hear what she has to say."

Lin Cairen was brought into the hall. The concubines knelt on both sides of the hall. Lin Cairen staggered to her knees in the center of the hall. She seemed to be trembling slightly, her face was pale, her hair was disheveled, and she looked thin and haggard.

Concubine Jiang turned around and said solemnly, "Lady Lin, your personal maid has confessed. What else do you have to say?"

Lin Cairen looked up at the emperor, only to see that his expression was cold, and his pair of unfathomable phoenix eyes looked at her without any emotion. Her heart was cold. She was not favored to begin with, but she was favored and had a dragon fetus. However, she did not expect that she was unlucky after all. When she had a miscarriage and was bedridden, she was the only one who was truly heartbroken for this child, right?

Heartbroken, she knelt upright and said, "It was I who was the one who was pregnant. Why was it that only my child was in trouble? It was clearly their child who brought bad luck to my child! How could I bear to watch their children being born? I was in so much pain when my child left me. I just wanted to let them have a taste of the same pain."

Lan Qingwu lowered her head slightly. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard it. The jealousy, framing and fighting in the harem were so crazy.

The Emperor Shenwu's voice was as cold as ice: "Since that is the case, Consort Lin will be stripped of her title, banished to the cold palace, and given a cup of poisoned wine!"

All the concubines kneeling in the hall seemed to be shocked, without making a sound. Lan Qingwu unconsciously clenched her own hands. This was the first time she realized directly and deeply how the emperor controlled the life and death of the people in the world.

Lin Cairen seemed incredulous: "Your Majesty...you want to sentence me to death, but I was once pregnant with your royal heir!"

Lin Cairen shouted, "And those two children are fine..."

Emperor Shenwu stood up and gently turned the ring on his finger: "The bloodline of the Dasheng royal family is the most noble and inviolable. How can a mere woman compare with it? Let alone you, a mere talent, today, no matter if it is a concubine in a high position -"

The Emperor Shenwu's sharp eyes swept across the three concubines kneeling in the front. The three concubines felt that the emperor's gaze was like an ice thorn, and they quickly bowed their heads and knelt.

The emperor continued, "Any concubine who already has an heir to the throne, if they cross my line, they will all be given a cup of poisoned wine!"

Emperor Shenwu strode down the hall and walked towards the door: "Princess Jiang, you handle the rest!"

The concubines in the palace hurriedly bowed their heads and saluted: "Farewell, Your Majesty!"

Only when the emperor disappeared did the concubines in the six palaces stand up one by one. Only Lin Cairen knelt in the center of the hall in a daze, muttering: "Impossible! Impossible! Why... do you want to sentence me to death..."

Concubine Jiang didn't look at her. She had already anticipated Lin Cairen's fate. "Someone, send Lin Cairen to the cold palace!"

Two eunuchs came over immediately and dragged the muttering Lin Cairen out of the hall.

The other concubines in the palace watched this scene silently.

Concubine Wan was the first to break the silence: "Your Majesty has always been like this! How bold! You actually set your sights on the Imperial Heir."

Although she was arrogant and domineering, she did not dare to be so bold because of the incident with Concubine An.

Concubine Chen's eyes were deep and gloomy. "I still remember that Concubine An relied on the heir in her belly to frame other heirs. His Majesty did not forgive her either. Wasn't it because of her..."

The second princess's biological mother, Concubine Sun, suddenly looked up at Concubine Chen.

Fortunately, Concubine Jiang spoke up in time: "Alright, stop talking now. Listen carefully, everyone. If anyone sets their sights on the heir to the throne, there will only be one outcome. There are no exceptions! The former Concubine An and the current Concubine Lin are examples of this!"

The concubines bowed and saluted: "I will teach you!"

Concubine Jiang continued, "Let's all go."

The concubines left De'an Hall one after another.

Lan Qingwu returned to Suowu Palace, but seemed unable to come back to his senses.

Ru Ping handed the fragrant tea to Lan Qingwu: "Master, have a sip of tea."

Lan Qingwu took a sip and asked, "Do you know what happened to Concubine An?"

Ru Ping nodded. "This matter is very secretive. Back then, Concubine An was favored and became pregnant. She framed a noble lady who was also pregnant with her and made her drink an abortion drug. The noble lady died, and His Majesty confined Concubine An. When Concubine An gave birth, only the heir was saved. Concubine An suffered heavy bleeding and could not be saved. There are rumors that it was His Majesty's order... Now that child is the Second Princess."

Lan Qingwu was slightly surprised: "So Concubine Sun is not the second princess's biological mother?"

Ru Ping replied, "Master, now Concubine Sun can only be the second princess's biological mother."

Lan Qingwu nodded suddenly, "You go down first."

Such things happened all the time in the harem. Lan Qingwu couldn't help but think of Emperor Shenwu again. He really didn't take the lives of the women in the harem seriously. He valued the royal bloodline the most, and he was most looking forward to having children. He suspected that taking birth control pills to refuse pregnancy had touched his bottom line.

Lan Qingwu shuddered. If the emperor's suspicions persisted, then... would she have to get pregnant as soon as possible? But it truly wasn't her own choice. Was it because her soul didn't belong here that she couldn't get pregnant?

Lan Qingwu hugged himself and stared blankly.

In the previous dynasty, in the Golden Throne Hall, all the ministers stood in awe. Emperor Shenwu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Oh, six kingdoms? Didn't they say there were only three kingdoms?"

Minister of Rites Chen Peijian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is said that the other three kingdoms also wish to see our great majesty and have come along with the Kingdom of Shayue."

Emperor Shenwu said solemnly, "You made this decision on a whim, without even submitting a letter of tribute. Furthermore, the Shajue Kingdom is the most belligerent. This shows that they are here with ill intentions! General Qian!"

Qian Hui immediately stepped out and said, "I'm here!"

Emperor Shenwu stood up and said, "Prepare for all the competitions. Arrange the troops, Prince Ding, and assist the Minister of Rites in handling all the arrangements for the reception at the Bafang Pavilion!"

All the ministers accepted the order.