"Have you ever learned to play chess?" Zong Zhengjin asked calmly.

  Su Jing didn't even lift her head, her eyes fixed tightly on the chessboard, thinking about how to make this move. "No," she said, raising her head and giving him a sly smile, "but the concubine has seen the chess manual."

  Zong Zhengjin was speechless for a moment, even if he thought himself clever, but his chess skills started at the age of four and have been studied for over twenty years now. He has played against famous masters and accumulated countless experiences to reach his current level.

  These cannot be compared with just a chess manual.

  However, she seems to be not proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. The last time I saw that painting, it was already unbearable to describe as miserable.

  He chuckled and didn't have high expectations for these requirements for women, it seemed that whether or not she would make it wasn't a big deal, looks like she was really lucky.

  "It's your turn," Su Jing said with a sigh, seeing that he didn't know what to think, his expression was helpless and nostalgic.

  Zong Zhengjin glanced at the chessboard casually, and within the first ten moves, he could have ended this game. But it had dragged on until now. He could give her dozens of ways to lose, but he shook his head and placed a piece in an unimportant position.

  "Have you ever learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting?"

  Su Jingxiao saw that he was in the wrong position, and couldn't help but laugh. She continued to furrow her brow in thought, "I've studied before, Father even had a tutor for the concubines."

  She has a good appearance and talent, she is also quite capable, otherwise how could she enter the palace and be selected.

  Zong Zhengjin didn't need to ask and could guess, with her temperament, even if she had asked for a tutor, she was probably just thinking of slacking off and hadn't studied properly, which is why she ended up like this today.

  Actually, he misunderstood Su Jing. She did try hard when she was young, but she already had the soul of an adult. The things of later generations were already deeply rooted in her mind, and it was obviously extremely difficult to abandon what she originally learned to study these more complex things.

  Moreover, when she was young, she really didn't think she would enter the palace, but thought it would be romanticized, finding a soulmate, growing old together, loving each other for life. It wasn't until later that everything in this world constantly told her with cruel reality that these things were impossible to achieve. In addition, in order to help her own family, she chose to enter the palace.

  Zong Zhengjin didn't ask any more questions, purely accompanying her with the mindset of having fun playing chess. After all, seeing her frown and think, blink and pout, and a series of rich expressions was also very interesting.

  The atmosphere inside the Drunken Cloud Pavilion was just right, with a lingering sense of romance, but outside it had already turned into chaos.

  The Emperor spent the night in Kunning Palace, but after the curfew had passed, news arrived that the Empress Dowager had angered the Emperor, and she cried all night. The Emperor then returned to Qianqing Palace.

  Just as they woke up early, they were about to go to the Kunning Palace to pay their respects and have a look at the Empress's jokes, but the Empress announced that she was not feeling well and did not need to be visited.

  The emperor went down to the early court, they thought there would be news of the emperor punishing the empress, but unexpectedly the emperor directly went to Zuiyun Cave, and after waiting for an hour, he issued a decree that no one was allowed to enter Zuiyun Cave, not even giving any reason.

  It was secretly guessed whether this was the meaning of being forbidden, but then heard that Taishan Hospital's Zhang Taishan personally went to Zuiyun Pavilion, the specific matter is unclear. At the beginning of the tenth hour, the Emperor took people to Zuiyun Pavilion again and did not leave that night.

  Then this strange state lasted for three days.

  Kunning Palace

  The queen cried all night after the emperor left, thinking that the next day she would be deposed or confined or punished in other ways, and had no heart to respond to the concubines, so she issued a decree exempting them from paying their respects.

  Anxiously waiting for a whole day, apart from the news that the Emperor went to Zuiyun Pavilion twice, there was not a single edict about her.

  The efficacy of aphrodisiacs is so great, and it only works for men. The more suppressed, the greater the rebound. It must be used with a woman to relieve it, and the time and number of times are necessarily long-lasting, so this medicine can make people pregnant. Brave and mighty, no need to say more.

  She had actually guessed it, the woman the emperor was looking for was probably Su Jinglian, and she herself was probably making a wedding dress for someone else. Whether it was because Guan Yun Palace was more convenient near Kun Ning Palace or the emperor still had his heart set on that person in Zuiyun Pavilion, these were things she didn't care to know anymore.

  Compared to others, she is more concerned about how the emperor will punish her. As the empress dowager, using such a lowly aphrodisiac is enough to warrant being deposed, and she still can't forget the emperor's icy and disgusted gaze at that time, which chilled her to the bone.

  Under such anxiety and unease, the queen finally fell ill, exhausted.

  "Your Ladyship, the imperial physician ordered me to decoct this medicine for you. Please drink some," Jin Momo said as she brought in the medicine, her face full of worry.

  The queen shook her head, she was suffering from a mental illness. As long as the emperor did not announce her punishment, she would not be able to rest easy for a single day. At night, she either couldn't fall asleep or had nightmares one after another. She knew that the emperor was doing this on purpose, intentionally making her fearful and afraid, which was also a form of punishment for her.

  "Useless, take it away."

  "Your Ladyship, why must you be so stubborn? The Emperor may not even punish you, and there's Master too, he will surely stand up for you," Jin Mu comforted.

  The queen smiled wryly and said, "There's no need for you to comfort me, Father. I know exactly what kind of person my father is."

  "Little Girl"

  Changchun Palace

  "Can it be found out what really happened in Kun Ning Palace that night?" Xian Fei asked hastily as she saw the palace maid Qing Yi walking in.

  Qing Yi hastily finished her curtsy, "Your Majesty, what happened that night in Kun Ning Palace our people couldn't investigate, only knowing it was very suspicious. After the Empress returned from Cining Palace, she stayed in the inner chamber with Jin Mu all along, even Hui Zhu and Hui Lin were just guarding outside."

  "After the Emperor left in the evening, only Su Gonggong and Jin Momo were left to attend at the entrance as usual. Not long after, news came that the Emperor was furious and had returned to the Qianqing Palace."

  "There's nothing unusual." Xian Fei furrowed her brow, this matter clearly had a hidden agenda.

  "That afternoon, Jinmomo seemed to make an excuse that she was not feeling well and went to the kitchen to decoct medicine. However, it wasn't until later when we discovered the problem and went to look for the dregs of the medicine, only to find that they had all been disposed of."

  Xian Fei let out a cold hum, "This is right," furrowed her brow and thought for a moment, "The Emperor did return to the Qianqing Palace that night without a doubt."

  Qing Yi was also uncertain, "When the emperor's sedan chair was present, our people stayed in Kun Ning Palace that night and didn't dare to observe the emperor much. Someone saw Su Shun following behind the dragon carriage towards Qian Qing Palace, as for later, the sedan chair directly entered Qian Qing Palace, we couldn't even peek."

  "Since Su Shunan is there, the Emperor should also be there," guessed Xian Fei, "but why did the one in Zuiyun Pavilion suddenly ask for a royal doctor, and it's Zhang Taishi who was appointed by the Emperor?"

  "Have you sent someone to the hospital to ask about it?"

  Qing Yi nodded, "I've personally been to the Tai Hospital before, Your Majesty also knows that Zhang Taishi is a separate institution from other doctors, what he's doing and which medicines he's prescribed are unknown."

  "Isn't everyone supposed to go get the medicine? Isn't the medicine supposed to be registered and recorded?" Xian Fei asked.

  "Go back, young lady. This time, the medicinal herbs taken by Dr. Zhang were indeed from the imperial hospital. Those registered medicinal herbs are just ordinary ones for treating wind and cold, nourishing the body, which are very common in this palace and there is a large quantity of them. It cannot be confirmed that they were used specifically for Concubine Zhen."

  Xian Fei stood up and walked a few steps in the room, "It's so strange, what happened?"

  "Mother, is there no connection between these two things?"

  Xian Fei thought for a moment, shook her head, "This palace also doesn't know, instruct them to be careful these days, this palace didn't send anyone to find them, let them not expose themselves."

  The last time the empress was under house arrest, Consort Shu took power and pulled out not only the nails that the empress had buried in the palace, but also hers. Fortunately, the loss was not too great, and there were still some that could be used.

  "I understand, I'll withdraw first."

  Cining Palace

  "I didn't expect her to be so bold, speaking one way in front of me and another behind my back," the Empress Dowager said loudly, slapping the table heavily.

  Liu hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it over, "Empress Dowager, drink some tea to calm down, it's not worth getting angry for someone else."

  The empress slowly let out a breath of air, "Amitabha, what you said is right. How can those lowly people be more important than the body of our Ah family?"

  "She thought she was the queen, but I have no way to deal with her. Ha! How could I not have a backup plan? Since it's useless to reason with her, then I'll just have to use force. Let her know my power. Offending me will only lead to a bad outcome."

  Considering the current relationship between Yu's family and Yuan's family, as well as the sensitive period they are in, she wouldn't abandon her or take her life, but other than that, if nothing is done, it would be unfair to herself.

  "Empress Dowager, His Majesty is looking for you, Master Qi." Liu Mu sighed and said with some difficulty.

  The empress dowager sneered, "I've long known he wouldn't touch Mei'er. Mei'er is still intact, what's strange is that sometimes it's not that he doesn't want to touch her but can't. Before this, I must let the empress know the consequences of her hypocrisy towards me."

  It's indeed important for Shangguan Wan'er to get pregnant with a child, but at this moment, it's clearly not the right time. It would be better to first vent out the hatred in her heart.

  "The Empress Dowager said that the Queen was simply unaware of her own power and overestimated herself," Liu said sincerely.

  She followed the Empress Dowager into the palace, and now it has been more than thirty years. She has accompanied the Empress Dowager all the way, and she is most clear about the Empress Dowager's methods, having seen them with her own eyes countless times.

  "Then just do as I say," Empress Dowager whispered a few words in Liu Momo's ear, then said.

  Liu Moumou bowed and said, "Yes, I understand."

  Palace Concubine (Yi Shu)

  Gong Shu