The Rebirth of Li Fei: The Strongest Palace Fighting System

Concubine Duan opened her red lips slightly, her voice gentle and thoughtful:

"Your Majesty, you are aware that the concubines in the palace occasionally create embroidery pieces and then sell them outside the palace. This is actually an unspoken secret among all the palaces. I have heard that the people outside the palace are extremely sought after for our unique styles. This not only allows the people to have the opportunity to use high-quality fabrics, but also slightly alleviates the financial pressure on the concubines in the palace. It is truly a win-win solution. I dare to think that if such a trivial matter is to be punished, it would be too harsh."

The Queen smiled gently, but behind that smile was a subtle edge:

"Rules are rules after all. A little private money is fine, but once the amount is huge, it's no longer a simple subsidy. It's collusion with outsiders, attempting to exchange palace goods for personal gain. This is undoubtedly a violation of palace rules. In the harem, rules are more important than Mount Tai. They must be observed and strictly enforced."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Hua raised her lips to a meaningful sneer, with obvious sarcasm and provocation in her words:

"Oh? Then, according to the Empress, what does a huge amount mean? What does it mean to collude with outsiders? The Empress has ordered the reduction of expenses in the six palaces, making everyone feel insecure and living in poverty. The Empress may not truly understand the suffering involved. What can we concubines do?"

The Queen's expression remained unchanged, but her tone revealed unquestionable majesty:

"As the head of the harem, I naturally have to set an example and reduce the expenses of the six palaces. I will naturally bear the brunt of this. But look at Concubine Hua, even in such a situation, she still wears fine clothes and eats delicious food without any reduction."

Concubine Hua raised her eyebrows, her tone filled with arrogance and helplessness:

"Hmph, my brother loves me and often sends me gifts. It's only natural. Does the Empress want to punish me for this?"

The Queen sneered and spoke in a harsher tone:

"Of course, I won't punish you for such a small matter, but I want to remind you that even if not everyone has a brother as kind as Concubine Hua, it can never be used as an excuse to collude with outsiders. In the harem, rules are above all else, and no one is exempt from them."

At this time, Su Peisheng hurried into the hall, but what Su Peisheng didn't know was that Xiaotao came back with him.

Xiao Tao, who was beside him, followed him with a smile, her eyes clearly showing pride and relief after completing the task.

I caught Xiaotao's expression and knew in my heart that the matter had been settled.

The emperor looked at Su Peisheng sharply:

"Have you found it?"

Su Peisheng replied respectfully:

"Your Majesty, I have just followed your orders and went to the Yanxi Palace. I have carefully searched the drawers on Concubine An's dressing table. I did find several silver bills from Huaxi Textiles, but they are not numerous. They are all small denominations of twenty or fifty taels, and the largest amount is no more than a hundred taels."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Queen and Baojuan changed drastically. The Queen quickly calmed down from being surprised, and a hint of unwillingness and calculation flashed in her eyes.

Obviously, this result was not what she wanted, but she was obviously unwilling to give up and still wanted to seize the opportunity to bring me down.

So, she asked, with a tone of doubt and provocation:

"Oh? Then, Concubine An, could you explain how you came to be connected with Huaxi Textiles? And why are there these banknotes in your drawer?"

I smiled slightly, already having a plan in mind.

I slowly stood up and walked to the center of the hall, speaking in a calm and firm tone:

"Your Highness, I admit that I did sell the palace's embroidery to Huaxi Textiles, but that was to subsidize palace expenses and reduce the burden on the palace. As for those banknotes, they were only small amounts of income, and I never thought of using them to make a profit. As for Baojuan's claims of colluding with outsiders to make huge sums of money, that is completely nonsense. I am willing to guarantee with my life that this is impossible."

After saying this, I quietly awaited the Emperor's decision, my heart filled with confidence. I knew that as long as I remained calm and adhered to the truth, this storm would eventually pass.

I stated sincerely, with a hint of gratitude and nostalgia in my tone:

"I come from a humble background. Before entering the palace, I was fortunate to reside in the Zhen residence of Lady Wan, and received the careful instruction of Aunt Fangruo. During that time, I benefited greatly from her, and I am still deeply grateful to her."

Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly, as if he had heard about this past incident and gave his approval.

I continued:

"I have always been grateful for Sister Wan's kindness, but I didn't have anything valuable to give her at the time. So, I embroidered some items myself to show my gratitude. Sister Wan didn't despise them, and she praised them highly, praising my outstanding craftsmanship. She also thoughtfully told me that I could use this skill to earn some money to supplement the family income. That's why Sister Wan introduced Huaxi Weaving to me."

Upon hearing this, the Queen's eyes flashed with cunning, as if she had found a new point of attack:

"Oh? So, then, Concubine Wan was also involved in this collusion outside the palace?"

I quickly shook my head, and explained anxiously and sincerely, "No, no! Your Majesty and Your Majesty, please understand that there is no collusion between me and Sister Wan. I was just grateful for Sister Wan's kindness, so I accepted her suggestion and handed the embroidery to Huaxi Textiles for sale. The silver from this is just a small amount of income to subsidize the expenses of the palace. I have absolutely no selfish motives..."

"Making a mountain out of a molehill!"

Before I could finish my words, the Emperor suddenly interrupted me with a tone of displeasure and reproach:

"Making a mountain out of a molehill! In the harem, is such a small matter worth making such a fuss? Concubine An, now that you've explained it clearly, let's drop this matter. Queen, as the head of the harem, you should focus on the overall situation and not lose your composure over a small matter."

The emperor's expression instantly became solemn. When he heard that this matter might implicate Zhen Huan, it was as if the softest part of his heart was suddenly poked. An unquestionable determination and protective desire flashed in his eyes.

Seeing this, the Queen's heart tightened. She knew that the Emperor loved Zhen Huan very much. If she handled this situation improperly, she might end up in trouble. So, she lowered her head quickly, her voice filled with fear and obedience:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. It was all due to my momentary negligence that I nearly wrongly accused Concubine An. Baojuan, that lowly maid, actually dared to frame her privately. She truly deserves death."

The emperor's tone was filled with unquestionable majesty. He said in a deep voice:

"A woman is only embroidering, earning a few dozen or a few hundred taels. If it's such a small amount of money, wouldn't it be a joke to say it's collusion? The harem should be a peaceful place. How can such nonsense be allowed to run rampant?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor looked at Baojuan with a sharp gaze and ordered in a cold tone:

"Baojuan, send her to the Ministry of Punishment to do hard labor as a warning to others!"