After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

While listening to Yao Ji's conversation with Physician Lu, Gan Cai'er kept rummaging through her memories. After thinking for a long time, she finally pulled out a piece of gossip circulating in the streets.

There were rumors that Empress Yao Ji was once banished to the Cold Palace because she had gone mad.

After Emperor Jinghe ascended the throne, he and his empress lived in perfect harmony and deep affection, which was widely regarded as a beautiful story in the Dayong Dynasty and even as a model for couples throughout the land.

However, too much praise will inevitably draw dissenting voices. Gan Cai'er recalled that for a time, rumors circulated that Empress Yao Ji was jealous, and that the reason Gongsun Rui had no more children was all because of her.

Because her body was damaged during the birth of the eldest prince, rendering her unable to conceive again, she could not tolerate other women bearing children for Gongsun Rui. Even more egregiously, some say she killed several pregnant concubines.

Murdering a royal heir was a serious crime. If the empress dared to kill a pregnant concubine, once the crime was verified, she would be deposed at best, and at worst, lose her life. Later, rumors circulated that Yao Ji had gone mad and lost her mind, was banished to the cold palace, and was even sentenced to death.

However, the reality was that Yao Ji remained Empress for many years, and her position was very secure. Therefore, the rumor quickly disappeared and was never mentioned again.

However, judging from the current situation, it's not that no concubines in the palace are pregnant. Is it that they ultimately failed to give birth, or is the situation in this life different from the previous one?

As for Consort Zhu, Gan Cai'er had never heard of her. However, in her previous life, she had limited social circles and few opportunities to meet members of the imperial family, so she didn't know much about the inner workings of the palace.

As Gan Cai'er was deep in thought, she suddenly heard Yao Ji say to her, "Madam Lan, are you finding my handling of palace affairs boring?"

Gan Cai'er snapped out of her daze upon hearing this and realized that the old imperial physician had left sometime earlier, leaving only Yao Ji, herself, and a few maids in the room.

"Her Majesty the Empress is in charge of the inner palace and is very busy with palace affairs. It was I who disturbed Her Majesty."

"It's not a disturbance at all. I live deep within the palace and rarely go out. It's quite nice that Lady Lan can come into the palace and tell me about things outside to relieve my boredom," Yao Ji said with a smile.

Then, she changed the subject, saying, "Madam Lan, are you aware that the court will be holding a summer hunt in two months?"

"Yes, my husband has mentioned it." Gan Cai'er nodded.

Summer hunting was a tradition of the Dayong Dynasty, held every three years, usually in the same year as the spring imperial examinations, and taking place in June or July. The hunting tradition can be traced back to the beginning of the Dayong Dynasty, and is divided into summer hunting and autumn hunting.

Originally, hunting was a way for the emperor to inspect and test the cavalry and infantry in the army. However, as the Dayong Dynasty gradually emphasized civil affairs over military matters, hunting also shifted from a military activity to a cultural one, gradually becoming a form of relaxation and entertainment. In particular, summer hunting was more like a large-scale outing than a true hunting expedition.

“According to custom, the summer hunt should be attended by officials of the fifth rank or above in the court, along with their families. However, last year the weather was favorable, the harvest was plentiful, and the national treasury had a slight surplus. Therefore, His Majesty has made an exception this year, allowing all officials in the capital to participate,” Yao Ji said.

Gan Cai'er nodded, and Lan Tingzhou had also told her about it. Upon hearing this, she immediately became excited and kept urging Lan Tingzhou to participate, as she had never been to a hunting party before.

However, Yao Ji keeping her behind and suddenly bringing up this matter must have had a deeper meaning.

"Is Her Majesty the Empress also going?" Gan Cai'er asked tentatively.

"Yes, I will go with Your Majesty." Yao Ji smiled slightly. "I have been living in the inner palace for a long time, and it is rare for me to have a chance to go out. Not only can I relax, but I can also see my family."

Gan Cai'er immediately understood Yao Ji's intention.

So she smiled and said vaguely, "Your Majesty the Empress is the mother of the nation and is blessed by Heaven. I believe your wishes will always come true."

"It is truly comforting to speak with Lady Lan. I hope to have more opportunities to meet and chat with her at the hunting grounds."

When Gan Cai'er left Fengqi Palace, she was thinking that she should hurry up and buy Du Ke some new clothes so that he and his mother, father and son, would look presentable and smart when they met.