The matter was investigated quickly, and within half a day the case was traced back to Concubine Wende.
On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, only someone from Chuxiu Palace went to the kitchen, and that person was Baishuang, the senior palace maid beside Concubine Wende.
As for why it was so easy to find out, it was all because Concubine Wende had no family background.
Without a family background, you have no connections. Everything you do has to be done with the help of a few people around you, which makes it too easy to be discovered.
"I thought she was very self-satisfied, but now she can't sit still?" The Queen sneered while holding a teacup.
Su'e answered from the side, "That's right. After all, she comes from a small family, so she wouldn't have the confidence even if she gave birth to a prince. Ming Jieyi hasn't even become one of the Nine Concubines yet, so it's not worth it for her to use such means. She's really not worthy of being on the stage."
Putting down the teacup, the queen's expression lightened a little, and there was a hint of joy in her eyes.
"Doesn't the Emperor always like gentleness and peace? I want to see if the Emperor still thinks An is kind-hearted when the new and old favorites quarrel."
"I know what to do, your majesty, just rest assured." Su'e smiled and turned around.
He was called again, "Don't forget to inform Concubine Ming."
"yes."
As for how to let Ning Chen know the truth, the Queen doesn't have to worry about it, as there are always many ways.
On the other side, Ye Jun looked at the lunch delivered today and felt amused.
As expected, this group of people will not behave themselves unless they are beaten. They have to be disciplined by her before they learn the rules.
Regarding the dinner yesterday, I could guess who was behind it, but since she was under house arrest now and she still had to reflect on herself, I let it go for now.
After this month, all the accounts must be settled.
At this time, something happened in the Cining Palace.
Princess Ping fainted while taking care of a sick patient. The imperial physician found out that she was more than a month pregnant.
The Grand Concubine was overjoyed, and immediately took the man to her own palace and assigned someone to take care of him. She also sent someone out of the palace to pass on a message, asking Prince Ping to come and take the man back home in person.
The relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law is good, but the empress dowager is embarrassed.
The concubine's wife took care of the sick father and fainted from exhaustion. To put it more bluntly, if she had miscarriage due to exhaustion, she would be branded as a person who treated the father harshly.
Prince Ping came to the palace to pick up his wife and first went to Jiuchen Palace to see the emperor.
When I arrived, Ning Chen was reviewing memorials.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Prince Ping knelt down and saluted.
Ning Chen stopped writing at this point, "No need to be polite, second brother, are you here to pick up my sister-in-law?"
"That's right. I didn't know she was pregnant. I just wanted to show my filial piety to the Queen Mother, but I didn't expect such a thing to happen. Instead, I disturbed the Queen Mother's recovery. I am truly guilty." King Ping apologized quickly.
Although he has a gentle personality, he is not stupid. After all, the empress dowager is the emperor's biological mother, so he knows clearly what he should and should not say.
For example, if Fang fainted today, it could only be because of her own negligence, not realizing that she was pregnant. It could not be because the Empress Dowager tortured her too much, causing her to faint and then discover the pregnancy.
Seeing that he was getting the point, Ning Chen didn't say much.
He walked closer and patted Prince Ping on the shoulder. "It's been a few years since my second sister-in-law gave birth to my niece. It's a happy occasion if she's pregnant again. I have some top-quality supplements like Dong'e Ejiao in my storehouse. They are the best for nourishing the body. When my second brother leaves the palace, I'll take them all back with me. It's also my love for my nephew and niece."
"I thank the emperor for the reward on behalf of the princess." Prince Ping breathed a sigh of relief and bowed slightly. "The weather is unpredictable in autumn. Your Majesty must take care of his health. I will go to take the princess back to the palace and will not bother the emperor any more."
Ning Chen nodded.
King Ping then retreated respectfully and carefully.
Watching his receding figure, with a sense of distance, not as close as when he was a prince, Ning Chen felt a little disappointed.
At the beginning, the eldest prince was both talented in civil and military affairs, and he was also the queen's legitimate son. Everyone thought he would be the next crown prince. Who would have thought that such an unexpected change would happen later, making him the emperor
After becoming an emperor, he was alone. His former close brothers no longer dared to get along with him freely. His wife, who was already dignified and steady, became even more bound by the rules. Everyone became more respectful to him because of his change in status.
He had power, but he also felt calm and lonely.
At this moment, Ning Chen suddenly thought of that bold and daring woman.
Ye Jun treated him with awe, but was never afraid of him. She felt relaxed and at ease in front of him, yet did not lose her composure.
Perhaps it is because of this freedom that he likes getting along with Ye Jun more and more.
Once you start thinking about it, you can't stop.
Just as they were about to leave for Yuxiu Palace, Yuan Jiu walked in with a unhappy look on his face.
"Your Majesty, I heard some rumors, which are not good."
"What rumors?" Ning Chen frowned. "As the chief steward of the palace, when did you start to believe these things?"
Yuan Jiu considered for a moment before speaking carefully.
"It's not that I am gullible. It's really that this matter concerns Consort Wende, and the words are so harsh that I dare not not let the emperor know."
"Princess Wende?" Ning Chen's eyes turned cold, he lifted his robe and sat back, "Speak!"
Yuan Jiulue paused, tried not to use those obscene words, and told the story.
They were a group of servants who were driven out of the imperial kitchen. They were beaten with a stick and no one gave them proper treatment. Some of them could not bear it and died that night.
This made the steward even more hateful. The person who died was a young palace maid. Her sister was furious and scolded the steward for accepting money from Concubine Wende and deliberately making things difficult for Concubine Ming, causing everyone to be implicated and punished.
Once she took the lead, some palace maids who knew something about the situation naturally joined in cursing.
Finally, Concubine Wende was implicated, saying that she was jealous and made things difficult for the concubines. She was not worthy of the title "Wen", let alone being Concubine De.
Of course, there are even more unpleasant things, saying that the eldest prince was born prematurely and weak, and that it was probably because his mother had done bad deeds.
Yuan Jiu didn’t dare to say the following sentence about the eldest prince.
But these first few words were enough to make Ning Chen angry.
"I am the master, Concubine Wende. How can I allow them to criticize me? Give me orders. If they dare to talk nonsense again, I will have their mouths sewn shut!"
"Yes, I will ask someone to go right away. Your Majesty, please don't be angry." Yuan Jiu responded hurriedly.
He thought that Concubine Wende was indeed favored for many years and had given birth to the eldest prince, so the emperor still protected her.
"Wait, go to Chuxiu Palace. I'm going to have dinner with Concubine Wende."
Ning Chen's eyes darkened and he stopped the person again.
Yuan Jiu was stunned for a moment, but reacted in a flash and asked people to prepare the sedan chair.
I'm afraid today's incident will not end well. It all depends on how Concubine Wende deals with it.
The emperor was willing to go to Chuxiu Palace because, on the one hand, he believed the rumors to some extent, and on the other hand, he was willing to listen to Concubine Wende's words and explanations.
No matter what, at the moment, Concubine Wende still has weight.
But whether we can still have such a sufficient portion after today depends entirely on how this dinner goes.
The imperial carriage went to Chuxiu Palace in a grand procession, which still attracted many people's attention.
When the Queen heard that the Emperor had gone to see Concubine Wende, her face did not look very good.
Even with such rumors, the emperor still went to see her. It turns out that Concubine Wende is more worthy of fear.