A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

The letter was sealed with wax.

Shen Kuo frowned.

If Consort Rong wanted to have a private conversation with Madam Xue, she could have simply written to Madam Xue directly. There was no need for her to use the pretext of sending snacks to Madam Xue to write to General Xue.

Unless... it's trying to convey some message...

Shen Kuo lowered his eyes, a faint shadow falling over them, making his eyes appear even darker.

Having lived in the deep palace for a long time, Consort Rong is now helping the Empress Dowager manage the harem and has begun to take control of the palace. What message will she pass on to General Xue?

It must be said that Shen Kuo was extremely curious...

Could it be related to the recently popular Consort Zhen?

Once the thought slowly rose in my mind, it could never be extinguished.

Shen Kuo made a decision that went against his own conscience.

He picked up the letter and turned back to the Shen residence.

Shen Kuo's parents had both passed away, and he rarely spent time in the capital.

There was only one gatekeeper and an old steward in the mansion.

The staff that Shen Kuo arranged for himself was after His Majesty bestowed this general's mansion upon him.

Shen Kuo preferred quiet, so there were no outsiders in his mansion, not even a maid.

After entering the gatehouse, the old steward hesitated for a moment before saying to Shen Kuo, "General, Madam Xue has sent over several maids..."

Shen Kuo's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was indifferent, "Send the person back and say that I appreciate Madam Xue's kindness."

The old butler immediately looked troubled.

"But……"

Shen Kuo stopped and glared at him.

Just then, a woman rushed in and bumped into Shen Kuo, making the old steward's heart jump!

He also didn't want the beautiful maids that Madam Xue had sent to stay.

These women all had sharp eyes and a restless air about them.

Those who were sent to the Shen residence by Madam Xue were clearly people with "lofty aspirations".

If they were to enter the manor, and General Shen were to go to the border in the future, wouldn't he have to serve these delicate young ladies and let them trample on his old bones to act arrogantly?

But the old steward dared not disobey Madam Xue's wishes.

Madam Xue said that she and General Xue were nominally General Shen's adoptive parents.

General Shen is now twenty-three years old. Most men his age would already have both a son and a daughter.

General Shen remains all alone to this day.

That won't do.

General Shen had no woman he liked and did not want to get married, so his adoptive parents could not bear to urge him.

But how could General Shen, a man, manage without a woman by his side to take good care of him?

Madam Xue said that these women were all carefully selected by her and General Xue, and that they were not only beautiful but also had good figures.

No matter what General Shen asked them to do, they did it willingly.

The old housekeeper understood that Madam Xue might not have been acting out of kindness.

Saying they couldn't bear to rush them is clearly just a way of saying they don't want to put in the effort.

General Shen is unmarried, yet she openly gave him four beautiful maids. Isn't her purpose obvious?

The general has a concubine before he is even married. What good girl will he be able to marry in the future?

Any talented and beautiful girl, loved by her parents, wouldn't be interested in him anymore.

Madam Xue is a ruthless woman; she always uses open and aboveboard schemes.

These maids were indeed restless. The most charming one among them was particularly cunning, and she immediately threw herself into his arms.

The old steward also wanted to see his general's attitude.

However, before the maid could even touch a corner of the general's robe, she was grabbed by the neck and lifted up.

Having led armies for many years, Shen Kuo possessed an extremely fierce aura.

Those were forged in piles of dead bodies; they are far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The maid was beautiful, with a slender neck like a swan, and General Shen lifted her up as if she would break with the slightest twist.

The maid's pretty face suddenly turned purple, but she couldn't make a sound.

She instinctively reached for Shen Kuo's arm with both hands, pleading for mercy with great difficulty.

"General, spare my life!"

Shen Kuosheng had thick eyebrows and big eyes, but there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes. With a swing of his arm, the maid was thrown out on the spot, landing on the bluestone ground, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

But she dared not make a show of it and hurriedly knelt down to beg for mercy.

The other three maids rushed over, terrified, and immediately begged for mercy with expressions of panic.

"General, spare my life!"

Shen Kuo didn't even glance at them.

"Go back to where you came from."

After saying that, he turned and strode away.

The four maids looked ashen-faced.

Shen Kuo didn't care what the maids did. He went into the room, closed the door, placed the letter over the candle flame, carefully melted the wax seal, and took out the letter.

The more he looked, the tighter his brows furrowed, almost enough to trap a mosquito...

Inside Consort Rong's palace.

"What? You gave the things to Shen Kuo?"

The young eunuch was startled when he saw Consort Rong's expression change drastically. "Your Highness..."

"As soon as I left the palace, I ran into Lord Shen. Lord Shen recognized me and knew that I worked in your palace. He immediately stopped and took the initiative to talk to me..."

As the young eunuch spoke, he secretly observed Consort Rong's expression.

Consort Rong's expression was inscrutable for a moment.

Shen Kuo was young but deeply trusted by the Emperor. Therefore, Consort Rong did not mention her true relationship with Shen Kuo to those around her.

Shen Kuo was raised by her parents and was an adopted son of the Xue family.

Everyone in the capital knows this.

Even if the Xue family treated Shen Kuo badly, it could not change the fact that the Xue family had been kind to Shen Kuo.

Consort Rong did not mention that she actually had a bad relationship with Shen Kuo...

Unexpectedly, a young eunuch in his own palace made a mistake...

But Xue Rong quickly calmed down.

She knew Shen Kuo well; he was a rigid and unromantic man.

Even as a child, I was as stubborn as a donkey.

Actually, everyone was still young at the time, and although they thought he was their father's illegitimate son, they deliberately teased him.

But if he weren't so stubborn, they wouldn't have kept bothering him.

But he just wouldn't admit defeat...

Stubborn donkey.

Since he took the initiative to approach her palace maid and accepted the snacks and letter, he shouldn't have been peeking at them...

Moreover, the letter was sealed with wax.

Thinking this way, Consort Rong felt a little more at ease.

In fact, concubines in the palace were not allowed to privately bestow gifts upon their family members outside the palace.

But now that Consort Rong is in power and there is no Empress in the palace, this prohibition has been relaxed considerably.

However, she quickly recalled what she had written in the letter.

In her letter, she said that the Empress Dowager seemed to be dissatisfied with Consort Zhen's background and even with her inability to conceive for a long time.

We could use this as an opportunity to make His Majesty dislike Consort Zhen.

Consort Zhen had been in the palace for a long time, and Shen Kuo was a military man who only knew how to lead troops into battle. How could he pay attention to these things?

Consort Rong slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Rong was never as nonchalant as she appeared on the surface.

Her previous indifferent attitude stemmed from a lack of hope.

Consort Chen had a daughter, but Xue Rong only had admiration for His Majesty.

But youthful infatuation always has an end.

After entering the palace, Consort Rong gradually lost her allure for Emperor Qianwu.

But power is damn alluring!

Now that Consort Rong holds power in the palace, she wants to make her rule more legitimate...

"It's alright. Since my sworn brother helped me send those snacks to my mother, I am at ease."

The little eunuch's back was soaked with sweat; he was completely terrified.

Hearing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

……

Weiyang Palace.

"Oh?"

"Have any of the palace servants in Consort Rong's palace had contact with General Shen?"

Shi Liu gently waved her fan. The fan was exquisitely crafted, with the ribs made of fine warm jade.

The jade pieces were thin and finely shaved, and felt warm to the touch.

The fan surface is made from a complete piece of Shu brocade.

After it was made, it was carefully fumigated with the finest spices for forty-nine days, allowing the fragrance to penetrate deep into the jade marrow.

As the pomegranate gently sways its small fan, wave after wave of fragrant breeze slowly caresses the face, a truly delightful experience.

Zhou Mingyi lay on the chaise longue with her eyes half-closed, her voice languid.

Shi Liu said, "Yes, it is said that the Imperial Kitchen made some new pastries, and Consort Rong, knowing that Madam Xue liked them, specially ordered the palace servants to send the pastries back to the Xue residence."

Zhou Mingyi smiled and said, "Consort Rong is truly filial."

She paused for a moment, then said, "It's a pity that my parents died early. If they were still alive, I would definitely think of them all the time."

However, when it comes to family, Zhou Mingyi specially sewed a set of clothes for her brother.

The materials used are simple and unpretentious.

Of the fine fabrics bestowed upon her by the palace, she specifically selected those in bright yellow and other colors, and had Shiliu and Lianwu make several sets of clothes for the dog emperor.

Most of them are pajamas, to show closeness and care.

The materials used for his elder brother Zhou Mingchong were all the most ordinary.

However, she sewed them all by hand.

On the surface, it's clear that she cares more about the dog emperor.

Zhou Mingyi has always been good at putting on a show.

Having come this far, she didn't want all her efforts to be in vain.

"You should also send the set of clothes that I sewed from scraps to His Majesty and ask him if it is permissible to bestow it upon my elder brother."

Shi Liu hurriedly replied, "Yes!"

Zhou Mingyi glanced at Lianwu again, "Find a way to tell Consort Chen about Consort Rong secretly sending pastries to the Xue residence."

Lianwu lowered her eyes meekly and said, "This servant understands."

At this moment, a palace maid from Consort Rong's side arrived, "Greetings to Consort Zhen, may Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Zhou Mingyi looked up and saw an unfamiliar palace maid, neither Jingfang nor Jingmei, who served Consort Rong.

She closed her eyes again.

"No need for formalities. What brings your lady here to see me?"

The palace maid said respectfully, "Her Majesty wishes to invite Consort Zhen to Xianyang Palace to discuss the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingyi couldn't help but feel excited.

What's the point of fighting with those people in the palace?

The Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, also known as a family feast, will certainly be attended by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Perhaps, Emperor Qianwu would also invite some important ministers and their families.

It's going to be quite a spectacle then.

However, on the surface, she did not show any expression that was inconsistent with her status.

"I understand. You may leave now."

The young palace maid immediately replied, "Yes! This servant takes her leave!"

Zhou Mingyi stared at her back for a while, then said, "Shiliu, help me change my clothes."

Zhou Mingyi knew that the incident at the Buddhist hall had indeed angered the Empress Dowager.

It's laughable when you think about it.

Back then, in the back room of Hanshan Temple, she was the one who was personally sent to the emperor's bed by the Empress Dowager, and she was the real victim.

She simply followed the same method and played a thrilling game with Emperor Qianwu, which the Empress Dowager couldn't resist.

Fortunately, Emperor Qianwu was on her side this time.

Of course, Mingyi wouldn't be foolish enough to be swayed by that scoundrel emperor.

The emperor openly defied the empress dowager, causing her to resign and hand over power to her and Consort Rong. This was a great thing for them.

However, this palace banquet was also a challenge for the two of them.

If the palace banquet is not well organized, the Empress Dowager may immediately retaliate.

There was also Consort Chen, who was eyeing the throne with predatory intent.

Consort Rong was also clever; she clearly took control of the palace earlier than her, and perhaps she had planted people all over the harem.

It was just a Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet. According to custom, it was nothing more than arranging for the imperial harem and the imperial relatives and ministers favored by Emperor Qianwu to eat, drink, and have some fun together.

What's there to discuss?

Consort Rong said she wanted to discuss it, which meant she was to share the responsibility with Consort Rong.

She had just gained power in the palace and could not refuse, otherwise she would be considered incompetent.