The Rebirth of Li Fei: The Strongest Palace Fighting System

Xiao Tao nodded after hearing this, as if she understood something. She continued:

"It seems that preventing Zhen Huan from returning to the palace is indeed not easy. The index on the Ulanara side has dropped to 18%, and the situation is critical. We don't need to worry too much about her for the time being. The most important thing now is Zhen Huan's side, which is really too tricky."

I smiled slightly, with a sly look in my eyes:

"Although we lost a trump card, it doesn't mean we have no chance of winning. Do you still remember the little portrait in Yimei Garden?"

Xiao Tao's eyes lit up when she heard this, as if she remembered something:

"Could it be that we can use this incident to deal with Zhen Huan?"

I nodded, a sneer on my face:

"Yes, that little portrait is a good thing. As long as the emperor has doubts about Zhen Huan, our chance will come."

......

Ulanara has always been someone who knows how to assess the situation and protect herself. Over the past month, the news of Zhen Huan's pregnancy has spread quietly, like a spring breeze passing through the ears of everyone, but Ulanara has remained unusually silent and has not taken any action.

Compared with the various storms in her previous life - such as the ruthless means of "killing Concubine Qi and seizing the Third Prince", the sinister scheme of "poisoning the Fourth Prince", and even the "Wei Yueyan Chongyue" farce that ended in failure and led to her own confinement, she now seems to know how to restrain her edge, choose to preserve herself as her top priority, hide in the dark for the time being, and no longer easily stir up trouble.

As for the "Wei Yueyan Chongyue" incident that once caused turmoil in the harem, it did not happen again this time, which made people feel a little relieved.

After all, my actions in the previous life not only failed to achieve my goal, but also backfired, leading to my being grounded.

Now, the Emperor has decreed that Zhen Huan be given the surname "Niuhulu." Three days from now, on an auspicious day, she will return to the palace with a completely new identity. Her age has been cleverly increased by ten years, and her title is "Xi," symbolizing brightness and hope. I responded to all these arrangements with a smile, but within me, I harbored a hidden agenda.

It is particularly worth mentioning that in this life, fortunately I had already made plans in advance and brought the Fourth Prince under my command and recognized him as my own son. In this way, the possible bond between Zhen Huan and the Fourth Prince was severed.

At this moment, I clutch the small portrait I stumbled upon in Yimei Garden that year, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation mingling within me as I await Prince Guo's return. Perhaps this small portrait will become another crucial chess piece in my hand, a thunderclap in the silence, a stirring of the undercurrent.

......

"I'm back, I'm back! My Queen, I'm back!"

As Xiaotao hurriedly entered the inner hall, I knew that the person I was waiting for had returned.

"Xiao Tao, let's go to the Yangxin Palace to pay our respects to the Emperor."

......

"It is only natural for the Emperor to bring his beloved back to the palace. Moreover, I have heard that Concubine Xi is pregnant..."

"The Imperial Concubine Oriole has arrived!"

"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor... Your Highness?!"

The Emperor turned around upon hearing the voice and said with a smile:

"Don't panic, Concubine Li! It's Prince Guo who has returned, safe and sound. May God bless our Qing Dynasty!"

I calmed myself down, suppressed the turmoil in my heart, and bowed slightly, saying:

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. I've heard about your great military achievements, and I've been thinking about you. Now that I see you're safe and sound, I'm relieved."

Upon hearing this, Prince Guo bowed slightly and said:

"Thank you, Noble Concubine Li, for your concern. I did have important business to attend to during this trip. Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission and have returned safely."

The emperor was very pleased to see this and patted Prince Guo on the shoulder and said:

"Good! Good! I'm very relieved. By the way, Noble Concubine Li, didn't you just say you had something to discuss? What is it?"

I quickly came to my senses and said:

"I originally cooked a bowl of bird's nest to nourish the emperor, and by the way, I came to discuss the matter of conferring the title of envoy upon Concubine Xi upon her return to the palace. I didn't expect the prince to be here too. What a coincidence."

The emperor nodded, thought for a moment and said:

"I have already decided on the appointment of the envoy. It will be my Seventeenth Brother. Seventeenth Brother——"

"My brother is here."

"Tomorrow you will use half the empress's procession to welcome Zhen into the palace."

"My brother obeys the order."

Just as Prince Guo bowed and prepared to respond to the emperor's order, Xiao Tao, like a gust of wind, leaped to his side in three or two steps. While no one was paying attention, she gently pulled the purse from his waist. The purse seemed to be unable to bear the weight, and the contents instantly spilled to the ground, mixed with some small items.

Xiao Tao blinked cunningly and quietly mixed an inconspicuous little portrait among the miscellaneous items.

I reminded:

"Your Majesty, your purse has fallen."

The emperor's eyes also turned to the purse on the ground, and he smiled with a hint of reproach:

"You're so old, why are you still so reckless? Is it that your concubines, Meng and Ye, haven't taken good care of you? It seems that it's time to marry you a proper wife who can take good care of you... Hey? What is that? Show it to me."

Upon hearing this, Prince Guo hurriedly bent down to pick up the things on the ground, picking them up one by one. When his fingers touched the small portrait, his face changed drastically, and he clearly recognized the small portrait as Zhen Huan herself. He looked at the small portrait in disbelief, his face unable to conceal the shock, and a trace of panic and anxiety flashed in his eyes.

Afterwards, Prince Guo pretended to be calm and presented the small portrait to the emperor. The emperor took the portrait and said with a smile at first:

"So they're just girls' stuff! No wonder you've been so reluctant to marry a legitimate wife. It turns out you've been showing some leniency, Seventeenth Brother..."

However, when the emperor looked at the portrait carefully, the smile on his face gradually froze and his brows furrowed. He obviously found that the portrait was strikingly similar to Zhen Huan.

"Who is this little statue? Where did you get it from?"

The emperor's tone was serious and questioning, and he stared at Prince Guo with a sharp gaze.

Prince Guo was startled. He had indeed never seen this portrait before, but he was still uneasy because of his affair with Zhen Huan.

He didn't dare look the emperor in the eye, his expression looked extremely suspicious, and he stammered:

“This…this is…”

I watched all this quietly from the sidelines, secretly delighted. Looking at Prince Guo's suspicious expression and the Emperor's increasingly solemn expression, I knew my plan was about to succeed. As long as the Emperor became suspicious of this small portrait, and then doubted Prince Guo's relationship with Zhen Huan, then my goal would be achieved.

I pretended to be concerned and said softly:

"Your Majesty, perhaps the prince accidentally saved a woman while at the border, and the woman gave him this portrait as a token of her gratitude. Your Majesty has always been kind-hearted, so how could he easily show mercy?"