After the interstellar female general died in battle, she transmigrated into the body of a dashing p

Scattered into mud and dust, only fragrant.

For over a month, Muyun Palace was kept away from guests, and all affairs of the harem were handled by Consort De, one of the four consorts and the birth mother of the eldest prince.

There are some things she cannot handle on her own and still needs to consult the Empress, the head of the harem.

Inside the bedchamber, Zheng Zhi'an gazed at the woman lying on the chaise longue, her eyes slightly closed. Rays of sunlight filtered through the window, casting dappled shadows upon her, making her appear like a fairy descended to earth. If one ignored her emaciated body, it would be a picture of serene beauty.

In his heart, Zheng Zhian cursed the two old men who went to get the antidote. If they weren't from the same family, he would curse their ancestors for eighteen generations.

Watching her cough from time to time, it was as if she was coughing up her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Suppression, worry, restlessness... all sorts of chaotic emotions filled Zheng Zhian's heart, emotions she had never experienced in her previous life.

Danqin, who was standing nearby, quickly took the spittoon forward. Several more mouthfuls of blood appeared. Danqin gently rubbed her back, which was sore from the pain, and couldn't help but turn her head to one side, sobbing silently, with tears silently streaming down her face.

"Sister Danqin?"

Hearing the sound at the door, Danqin quickly wiped away the tears on her face. She waited until her mistress felt better before going outside the hall, where she resumed her role as the decisive and authoritative head official.

"What's the matter?"

"Consort De, accompanied by Consort Zhan, Consort Yuan, and Consort Guan, has come to request an audience with Your Highness."

Danqin frowned subconsciously. The Empress's health was not suitable for meeting outsiders at all. Moreover, Consort De was in charge of the inner palace. What was there that she couldn't handle?

Why did these people, who are usually not on the same page, come together today?

She was considering how to get rid of these people.

A weak voice suddenly came from inside the room: "Danqin".

Yun Shu forced herself to get up and walk outside the hall.

"Let's go."

Danqin wanted to step forward to help her, but Yunshu avoided her. She straightened her back, took light steps, and slowly walked towards the front hall.

Danqin knew the Empress's temperament best, so she quickly turned around, picked up Zheng Zhian, and followed.

On the way to the front hall, there are several plum trees. Last time I passed by, there were still red plums standing proudly in the biting cold wind. Now, the petals on the branches have begun to fall one after another, covering the soil, waiting for the spring rain to turn into nutrients to continue nourishing this land.

As the group walked to the front hall, the people inside were shocked to see the Empress.

It seems the recent rumors in the palace are true! The Empress really did suffer health problems due to premature birth.

As they passed by the group, Zheng Zhian smelled two very faint scents that made her feel a little uncomfortable. But when she tried to smell them more closely, they were gone.

Yun Shu took the seat of honor, and Consort De, who was standing at the very front of the lower seat, reacted quickly.

She curtsied gracefully and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Only then did Consort Zhan and Consort Guan behind her come to their senses and hurriedly follow suit in bowing.

"This humble concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

The two women were disheveled, their hair was messy, and their faces were bruised and swollen, making them unrecognizable. If they hadn't been following behind Consort De, they would have looked like shrewish women on the street with no regard for their image.

The two men lowered their heads guiltily, not daring to look at the Empress who had ascended to the throne.

On the contrary, Consort Yuan, standing alone to one side, looked at the Empress with disbelief and undisguised worry, in addition to her initial shock.

Her clothes weren't clean either, but they were much better than the two people opposite her, except for a clear scratch on her face.

Consort Zhan, who was opposite her, clearly didn't get along with her and was about to accuse her of disrespect when Yun Shu didn't give her the chance. She slowly said, "Get up."

Zheng Zhian could roughly guess what these people were here for just by looking at them.

Isn't Consort De currently acting as the regent for the harem? If she can't even handle this kind of situation, then what right does she have to care?

Consort De, sitting in the first seat on the left, looked at her as if she had sensed something. "Is this Princess Le'an?"

The newborn baby, who was only a full-term baby, did not cry or fuss when he saw so many strangers. He was indeed very intelligent, no wonder the emperor liked him so much.

Seeing that she was just looking at him innocently, he glanced at Danqin, who also subconsciously looked back at him before looking away.

Zheng Zhian hadn't expected Consort De to be so perceptive. Luckily, she reacted quickly. This Consort De is quite something!

These things happened in the blink of an eye. Danqin felt that the Consort De's gaze was merely out of curiosity about the little princess.

"Speak," Yun Shu said directly.

The others had long been used to it; everyone in the harem knew that the Empress had been a general who commanded a region before entering the palace.

Even after entering the palace, she still retains some of the habits from the army. If you can resolve something directly, don't mess with her, or she'll show you who's in charge.

Consort Zhan and Consort Guan exchanged a glance, then looked at Consort De, who was simply sipping her tea, clearly indifferent and aloof.

Knowing she could only rely on herself, her eyes instantly filled with tears, and she sobbed, "Your Majesty, please..."

Seeing that she looked deeply aggrieved, Consort Yuan pointed directly at Consort Zhan and said angrily, "She told Consort Guan that Your Highness was framed and therefore had a premature birth and probably wouldn't live much longer. She also said that Princess Le'an was the same. I, Your Majesty, went up to question them about why they said that, but they said they didn't know and instead accused me of talking nonsense. In the end, we started fighting."

As expected of someone from a military family, he was truly direct, clear-headed, and without any reservations.

Upon hearing this, the air in the entire hall instantly froze.

The Yun family held immense prestige in the army, and Consort Yuan's father had even served under the Duke of Yun, whom he greatly admired. This led Consort Yuan to admire Yun Shu even more after hearing her story of joining the army before entering the palace, and she would never allow anyone to slander or harm the Empress behind her back.

Danqin made no attempt to hide her feelings for Consort Zhan. She had been by Yunshu's side since childhood, and although she was called Yunshu's personal maid, they were as close as sisters. She was also the only female official in the harem with a military rank.

Upon hearing the name Le'an, Yun Shu instantly displayed the ruthlessness and murderous aura she had displayed on the battlefield.

Consort Zhan trembled uncontrollably, and with a thud, she knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't expected that the man surnamed Yuan would be so utterly unscrupulous. In a panic, she tried to explain, "I, I, no, I didn't, it's..."

Guan Zhaoyi, who was behind her, shrank back, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, wishing she could dig a hole and bury herself.

Even Consort Zhan is afraid of her now, so what is she? Consort Zhan's father is a third-rank official, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. What is a fifth-rank official like her in front of these people?

Hearing that she still wanted to argue, Consort Yuan couldn't help but take a few more steps forward, her face red with anger. "You didn't? I heard you talking to Consort Guan with my own ears. How could I have wronged you?"

Consort Zhan, kneeling on the ground, stiffened her neck and said with a forced smile, "Who knows? You've always disliked me." She absolutely could not admit this. It would have been fine if the Empress hadn't been hurt, but looking at the Empress's current state, if she admitted it, she would truly be doomed.

Her entire back was soaked with sweat, but she calmed down as time went on.

"I'll kill him, you old hag..." Consort Yuan was so angry that she prepared to take action.

"Yuan Zhu"

The Empress sternly stopped her, only glancing at Consort Guan, who was at the very back with her head bowed.

Looking down at the person at the head of the table who hadn't spoken since sitting down, she seemed to be asking, "What does Consort De think?"