The Rebirth of Li Fei: The Strongest Palace Fighting System

Following the emperor's order, several guards rushed in. They quickly lifted Baojuan up and prepared to take her away.

Baojuan was horrified when she saw this. She shouted:

"Empress! Empress, save me! I am innocent..."

Baojuan was escorted by the guards, walking farther and farther away, and her cries gradually became weaker.

The emperor listened to Baojuan's accusation and turned to the queen with a sharp gaze, his eyes full of questioning and scrutiny.

The Queen's heart tightened, but she quickly adjusted her mindset and began to defend herself with an unquestionable firmness in her tone:

"This kind of thing, framing the master, is a taboo in the harem! Even as the head of the harem, I will never condone it! Even begging me is useless. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments, and I will never favor anyone because of personal feelings."

After she finished speaking, she secretly glanced at the emperor's reaction, only to see that the emperor remained expressionless and indifferent.

The Queen was secretly anxious, but she knew she had to be more cautious at this moment, so she adjusted her tone, becoming gentle and respectful:

"Princess An has indeed been wronged this time, and I apologize to you. Speaking of which, I was sorting through Empress Chunyuan's belongings these days and noticed that several of the embroidered items were slightly worn. I wanted to send them to the embroidery workshop for repair, but I was worried that the embroiderers there wouldn't be skilled enough and would damage my sister's belongings."

Having said this, the Queen paused and turned her gaze towards me:

"How about handing the repair task over to you, Concubine An? Your embroidery skills are among the best in the harem, and I believe you will be able to properly handle these relics. Your Majesty, do you think this proposal is a good one?"

The Emperor nodded slightly upon hearing this, his eyes revealing his approval of the Empress and his longing for Empress Chunyuan:

"Well, the Queen's suggestion is a good one. Concubine An, you should take on this task. You must be very careful and cautious, and there must not be any mistakes."

As expected, the emperor was moved when he heard the name "Queen Chunyuan".

So I bowed respectfully and replied:

"Yes, I will do my best to live up to the trust of the Emperor and the Empress."

A satisfied smile blossomed on the queen's face, as if a huge stone had fallen from the ground, and she felt much more relaxed: "That's good now. Concubine An has always been thoughtful and has outstanding craftsmanship. I am truly relieved to hand over my sister's things to Concubine An." As she spoke, she glanced at the emperor, her eyes full of expectation and affirmation.

The emperor nodded slightly.

However, at this moment, Concubine Hua suddenly spoke, with a hint of sarcasm and provocation in her tone:

"I, too, feel guilty. I bear the title of Assistant to the Six Concubines, yet I knew nothing about such a trivial matter. If I had known about this earlier, I would have investigated it thoroughly and gotten to the bottom of it. I would never have troubled Your Majesty with such a trivial matter, and I would not have let Concubine An kneel here for so long in vain and suffer such injustice for no reason."

Every word of Concubine Hua was like a sharp knife, pointing directly at the Queen's poor governance.

The queen's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She chuckled, as if mocking herself:

"Look at my memory. It's really muddled. I was so preoccupied with Empress Chunyuan's affairs that I forgot that Concubine An was still kneeling here. Quick, Jianqiu, go and give Concubine An a seat."

The Queen mentioned Queen Chunyuan again in her words, trying to divert the Emperor's attention and exonerate herself.

Upon hearing this, Jianqiu quickly brought over an exquisite chair.

I stood up, bowed, and sat down.

The Queen wore that same unchanging smile, but her eyes flickered slightly as she tried to change the subject lightly:

"I suddenly remembered something that I had mentioned to the Emperor before, concerning the future arrangements for the Fourth and Fifth Princes."

As soon as she finished speaking, it was like a stone thrown into a lake, instantly causing ripples and attracting the attention of everyone in the hall.

Everyone's attention was instantly focused, especially on Concubine Duan, whose eyes flashed with an eagerness that was difficult to conceal.

She had long been in love with the Fifth Prince and longed to adopt him as her own child. Her anticipation was almost beyond words.

The emperor nodded slightly, his expression solemn and serious:

"Well, I do have plans for this. I have been looking for suitable adoptive mothers for these two princes outside the palace, hoping that they can grow up in a warm environment."

Everyone in the hall was moved upon hearing this, their eyes filled with hope and longing. Raising a prince not only meant securing one's position, but also an investment and expectation for the future.

Seeing that the time was ripe, the Queen slowly spoke:

"I believe that Concubine An has always been gentle and considerate. Now that something like this has happened, she needs some comfort. How about letting Concubine An serve as the Fifth Prince's adoptive mother? This way, it will comfort Concubine An and provide the Fifth Prince with a caring support."

The queen had a smile as warm as spring on her face. There was a hint of depth and calculation in that smile, but it also made people feel an inexplicable affinity.

Xiaotao whispered in my ear:

"The Empress has pulled this off beautifully. She's gained something without leaving the impression of discord with the Emperor. It's truly brilliant. Her previous schemes against you didn't pan out, and now they won't arouse the Emperor's suspicions."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness when I heard this. Yes, the situation in this palace has always been complex and volatile. If you are not careful, you may be doomed.

I pondered silently that, apart from Concubine Duan, Concubine Hua and Concubine Jing, there was no one else in the palace who was above the rank of concubine and had no children.

As for Concubine Hua, with her domineering personality and family power, how could the emperor be confident in letting her raise the prince?

As for Consort Duan and Consort Jing, both of them came from distinguished families, had extensive experience, and their positions within the palace were extremely secure. If either of them bore a prince, the Empress's position would be greatly threatened.

It was precisely because of this that the Queen took advantage of this opportunity to choose me, a concubine of humble family background and not favored by the emperor, to take on this important task.

On the surface, she said she was trying to appease me, but in reality, she was secretly plotting something to try to consolidate her position.

I bowed slightly, a gentle and appropriate smile on my face, and my voice was soft but with unquestionable firmness:

"I am overjoyed to be so highly regarded by the Empress. However, the Concubine above me, Concubine Duan and Concubine Hua, are childless. I know that in this palace, every step must be taken with caution, and I dare not even attempt to assert myself. If Concubine Duan and Concubine Hua both wish to do so, I will naturally yield and not compete for it."

"Empress Hua, although I know the secret of her Huan Yi Xiang, I might as well do her a favor now. After all, the Emperor has already made up his mind and will never let Empress Hua raise the prince."