So it was finally decided that Consort Jingxian, Consort Rongshu, Consort Hui, Ye Yun, Consort Yi, Qian Shunrong, Consort Qin and Consort Ying Wanrong would accompany the emperor.
Eight people is not a small number.
But Ye Jun is now very wary of Concubine Jingxian, so he doesn't want her to go with him.
So when she was taking a walk with Ning Chen, she mentioned that the Fifth Prince was still young and could not go with them, the Queen Mother was also "recuperating" in the palace, and Qi Xiurong was pregnant and needed someone to take care of her, so maybe they should leave a reliable person in the palace to take care of her.
If this is reliable, now in Ning Chen's heart, apart from Ye Jun, Concubine Jingxian and Concubine Hui are more stable.
Concubine Jingxian is the head of all the concubines, so naturally she has to take responsibility.
So Ning Chen went to Zhongcui Palace for dinner in the evening and told them about his decision.
There was no room for Concubine Jingxian to refuse, as this was the emperor's trust in her.
Guarding the harem for the emperor would allow the emperor to see her abilities and help her to move to a higher level. But she couldn't go to the garden with him, otherwise she wouldn't be able to personally control the arrangements in Zhao Chunxuan.
After Ning Chen left, Concubine Jingxian's face darkened.
"Ye actually tricked me here. I really underestimated her."
If the plan cannot be implemented normally, all her arrangements during this period will be wasted. How could she be willing to do that
Tan Xiang frowned, "Your Majesty, what should we do? How about asking the Emperor to let Concubine Rong Shu stay?"
"No." Concubine Jingxian shook her head. "Ye has no evidence. She is not trying to throw dirty water on me. She must be praising me for taking care of the harem for His Majesty. That's why she asked me to stay. If I refuse, I will not only reject His Majesty's trust, but also let that bitch Concubine Shu take away the credit."
Looking at the flickering candlelight on the table, Concubine Jingxian's eyes were gloomy.
After a moment, he spoke, "Go and call Concubine Qin."
Tan Xiang nodded and went there immediately.
Soon, Qin entered the main hall.
"I pay my respects to the Majesty."
"No need to be polite, please take a seat. I have something to explain to you."
Qin didn't know at this moment that Concubine Jingxian had to stay in the palace and couldn't go to Lingxi Garden, so she was still a little confused.
After she sat down, Concubine Jingxian told her about this.
At once, Qin understood that there must be something that Concubine Xian couldn't do herself and had to be handed over to her.
Sure enough, Concubine Jingxian spoke.
"Although you gave birth to the fifth prince, you are only a concubine now and are not favored. The emperor has not found a noble adoptive mother for the fifth prince. I think he still has some expectations for you. But now, Ming Zhaoyi is pregnant with one, and Qi Xiurong is pregnant with another. They are both favored and have good family backgrounds. If they both give birth safely, how will the fifth prince survive in the middle?"
"I am incompetent and born in a humble family. I cannot give the Fifth Prince anything good. The Fifth Prince can only rely on the mercy of Your Majesty." Concubine Qin said with her head down.
Concubine Jingxian sighed softly, "For many years, I have not been favored by the emperor. I only rely on the old relationship with him. How much mercy can I expect from him? In the end, you, as his mother, have to do your best."
Qin Jieyu understood this point very well, so she continued the conversation.
"I am stupid, please give me some advice, madam."
Concubine Jingxian was very satisfied with her advice and then she started talking about business.
"This palace is also for your and the Fifth Prince's good. Parents have always loved the younger ones. Isn't the Fifth Prince just a little kid now? It's too early for Qi Xiurong, so let's not talk about it. Ming Zhaoyi is about to pass away. Can the Emperor still see the Fifth Prince?"
"He's going to lose his father's attention before he's even one year old. And he's a boy, so how can he have a good future?"
After hearing this, Concubine Qin's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She originally thought it was something else, but she didn't expect that Concubine Jingxian was so cruel that she actually wanted her to take action against Concubine Ming's fetus.
Isn't this like walking on the edge of a knife? If you are not careful, you will lose your head.
"Your Majesty, I do not ask for the Fifth Prince to be very prominent in the future, I only ask that he can be protected by the Second Prince and live a peaceful life..."
"If the Second Prince wants to protect him, he must be able to sit in that position." Concubine Jingxian interrupted her coldly, "Now the Fourth Prince is quite favored by the Emperor, and Concubine Ming wants to have another child. If you don't help, the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince will probably be trampled under the feet of Zhao Chunxuan in the future and will never be able to turn things around!"
"You should know that without my protection, you might not be able to give birth to a child. I can give your child a life, and I can also take it back at any time."
The threat and coldness in Concubine Jingxian's tone made Concubine Qin's shoulders tremble.
She knew that at this moment, because of her small refusal, she had already angered the person in front of her.
At this moment, no matter how unwilling she was, she had to agree for the sake of her child's life.
So she immediately lowered her head even lower, "The lives of this concubine and the Fifth Prince were given by Your Majesty, so we are willing to die for Your Majesty."
"That's right, I have always liked your intelligence." Concubine Jingxian curled her lips slightly.
All the servants in the room retreated, leaving only the two of them sitting in the room for half an hour.
After coming out of the main hall, Concubine Qin had a solemn look on her face. Although she tried hard to look relaxed, it was still obvious that she was worried.
"Jieyu, what happened? What did the virtuous concubine say to you?" the personal maid Pinqiu asked worriedly.
Qin rubbed her forehead and didn't intend to tell her the truth. "The Queen said that I am still young and should strive for favor. This trip to Lingxi Garden is an opportunity. Although she can't go, I want to make a name for myself."
"That's true. Concubine, you are young and beautiful. You were praised by the emperor when you were selected for the imperial concubines. Now you have given birth to the fifth prince. There must be some favor between you and the emperor. You may be able to gain his favor if you try hard." Pinqiu said with a smile.
Qin Jieyu curled her lips unnaturally and took a sip of tea before speaking.
"Pinqiu, you have been following me since entering the palace, and I trust you the most in the palace. The Fifth Prince is too young to go with us to Lingxi Garden, so I want to leave you in the palace to look after the child for me. Although the Concubine Xian is good, she still has many things to take care of, and may not be able to take care of the Fifth Prince. Are you willing?"
"Of course I am willing. If the Concubine treats me well, I will protect the Fifth Prince with my life!" Pinqiu said seriously.
Qin knew that although this girl did not have any scheming ideas, she was absolutely loyal.
He took her hand and warned her, "Remember, you and I are the only ones in the palace who truly hope for the best for the Fifth Prince. If you notice anything unusual, even the Concubine Xian will have to be on guard. Do you understand?"
Pinqiu also nodded seriously, indicating that he had taken note of it.
Even though Qin was extremely worried, this was all she could tell.
This time she planned to bring another maid, Linglan, to Lingxi Garden. This Linglan was given to her by Concubine Jingxian.
If the truth comes out, it will less likely implicate the loyal Pinqiu.
The child's life was in the hands of others, and she had to do many things she didn't want to do.