This time was still the same as last time. Empress Fang's illness had not yet recovered, but all the ladies of honor had come. They had already been disappointed last month, and it would not be good to not see her again this time, so Concubine De came out to meet these ladies of honor.
The Defei's belly was getting bigger and bigger, and it looked like she was about to give birth, but her complexion was better, not at all haggard because of the pregnancy. After exchanging greetings with the ladies, she served them the Tremella soup, drank a sip, and said to them with a smile: "The Queen has not been in good health, and you have come here for nothing."
Everyone was timid and didn't dare to speak.
To put it bluntly, even if the Empress was really ill, according to the rules, it should not be Concubine De who came to accept the greetings from the imperial edictists. The palace accepted the sign as usual, thinking that Empress Fang's illness had recovered. However, Empress Fang's illness was still not cured, and it was Concubine De who came to meet the imperial edictists.
They were all savvy people who mixed in the circle of nobles in the capital. They knew that there were waves hidden beneath the calm surface, so they were cautious and did not dare to interrupt.
Concubine De smiled and asked Princess Chang'an, "Why didn't Princess Changying come?" She sighed and said, "Although they did something wrong before, His Majesty is kind. He heard that she was sick and asked her many times how she was. I also gave her a reward on behalf of the Empress. I wonder if she is feeling better now?"
It was hard to accept what she said.
What does it mean to issue rewards on behalf of the Queen
No matter how ill the Queen is, the Queen is always the Queen and it is always the Queen who should take care of these matters. Defei is only in charge of palace affairs, but now her hands are getting longer and longer.
Princess Chang'an's mansion waited for a long time before cautiously saying, "Changying has been ill for a few days and has only gotten better in the past few days. When she gets better, she will come to thank His Majesty and His Majesty."
Concubine De took a sip of tea and rinsed her mouth. She held the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and nodded gently. She turned back to look at Old Madam Wei and said, "How is your health, Madam? I heard that in summer, every family will take turns to hold a lotus festival to appreciate the lotus flowers. Madam, don't be too restrained by such young girls. I noticed that Miss Seven was different recently. It shows that children should go out and walk around more often."
Old Madam Wei looked very embarrassed: "I am worried about this matter. I want to ask the Queen for advice. Princess Zheng's birthday is just around the corner. An An should fast and pray for the princess..."
Concubine De raised her eyebrows and sighed, "Yes, I forgot about this. It's my fault. Since it's the birthday of Princess Zheng, Shouning is a daughter, so she should fast for a whole month to pray for the princess. Let's do it."
He made the decision on his own without even informing Fengyi Palace.
Everyone realized that something was wrong, and they became quieter and more honest.
Defei spoke to them for a while before letting them go.
Princess Chang'an frowned as she left the palace.
Concubine De is being too arrogant - the Empress is still here!
But... ... She looked at the post that the Peng family had sent a long time ago with some annoyance and was quite hesitant.
Should I go or not to this so-called Lotus Banquet invitation sent by the Peng family
If he goes, it means he will be getting close to Concubine De, but we don't know whether the baby in Concubine De's belly is a boy or a girl.
To put it another way, even if he is a little prince, he is the one born to Queen Fang, so he is the eldest and the legitimate son!
She bit her lip and asked the chief secretary when she returned home.
The chief official did not even raise his eyebrows: "Princess, it is better for you to keep your troops in place..." He stroked his goatee and whispered: "The emperor always treats the queen differently. It is still unknown who will win!"
Emperor Longqing still went to Fengyi Palace three times a day, but Empress Fang didn't like to see him very much. Otherwise, the palace affairs would have been taken back long ago, and how could Concubine De be in charge
"But..." Princess Chang'an sighed inwardly, "The Queen's temperament has been spoiled. I'm afraid it won't be so easy to change her mind."
Empress Fang, relying on the favor of Emperor Longqing, actually started to have a quarrel with Emperor Longqing like an ordinary couple. It has been several months, and she still refuses to pay attention to Emperor Longqing.
But Concubine De is making frequent moves. If this continues, Emperor Longqing’s patience will probably run out.
Queen Fang doesn't look like the material to be the mother of the country. Who knows when it will take for her to bow her head
By that time, it would probably be too late to turn to Concubine De, right
The chief historian stroked his beard and smiled: "The time is almost right. The Empress will have to take action. Princess, why don't you just sit back and watch the fight."
Princess Chang'an thought about it for a while and had to nod.
Old Madam Wei was able to let Wei An live in peace for a month as she wished. She now had a legitimate reason to send away the Peng family and Princess Changying's mansion, but she did not feel relieved.
There had been no fighting in the palace for so many years, but who would have thought that things would start to get turbulent since Queen Fang became pregnant.
Relying on the grace of saving Emperor Longqing's life and the royal heir in her belly, plus the fact that she had been in charge of palace affairs for more than half a year, Concubine De saw her ambition gradually grow.
She frowned and thought for a while, then asked Wei An, "Is this the back-up plan of the King of Linjiang?"
Wei An raised his head and looked at her.
She continued in a low voice: "Prince Linjiang has long known the temperament and behavior of the Fang family and Queen Fang. Queen Fang was able to maintain a cold war with His Majesty for a month because of Fang Zhengrong, but now her family's reputation is almost completely gone, and she cannot let it go with His Majesty. She has been spoiled by His Majesty, and she will not care about the consequences when she gets angry..."
"But Concubine De is not a pushover. She took advantage of this opportunity to gain a firm foothold." Old Madam Wei said calmly, her eyes and eyebrows were also calm: "In the eyes of Queen Fang, she felt that the emperor had changed his mind and treated her coldly..."
Queen Fang will not be reconciled in her heart, and once people are unwilling to accept their fate, resentment is likely to grow.
It seems that Concubine De is not an easy person to get along with.....After her appetite was enlarged, it would be difficult for her to go back to eating light porridge and side dishes.
I'm afraid these two women will end up fighting each other sooner or later.
If this happens, there might really be turmoil in the harem again.
Prince Linjiang really had a far-sighted plan. With a series of schemes, he had entrapped Prince Duan and the Fang family as well as Empress Fang and Concubine De. No one was left out, and by the time the time came, these people would not know how the situation would end.
Wei An brought the prepared herbal tea to Old Lady Wei, smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with us anyway. I have to fast for a month... What happens outside has nothing to do with us."
Mrs. Wei tapped her nose and couldn't help but smile at her: "You little fox, you've already thought it through!"