As he spoke, he took Lin Wan and the two of them left Changxin Palace. Although his footsteps were quick, in his heart, he wasn't that ruthless after all. He recalled when he was seventeen years old and had just married Xiao Yueyi, they still had two years of blissful newlywed days. He also remembered one time when Emperor Father punished him to kneel on Mingtai for a long time, during the scorching heat of the three summers, and Xiao Shi, who was being punished alongside him, secretly hid ice cubes in her sleeves and gave them all to him without using any herself.

  Later, something happened and Xiao Yueyi couldn't have children... Now he is the Emperor and she is the Empress, the two people are already completely different, but because of their past happiness, he treats Xiao differently from other women.

  Xiao was the only woman in the palace who had suffered with him. Wang Shu Rong and others, although they also married early, as concubines were not the thorns in the eyes of his political enemies, did not suffer much. Only Xiao Yue Yi was unique and also the reason for his repeated tolerance of her.

  Tuoba Hong secretly laughed to himself, thinking about these women in the harem... Xiang Yueyi was also like this, every time she was neglected, she would pretend that her palace cold syndrome had relapsed. This time it was especially severe. Tuoba Hong didn't know which times were real and which were fake, but he didn't mind. As long as he thought about the hardships of the past, he would be lenient towards Xiang Yueyi. Even if she was pretending to be ill to gain favor, what had happened back then was true, and just thinking about it made him unable to treat her with the same methods he used on Shen Shi.

  Arriving at the Changle Palace, the Empress Dowager was personally holding a Buddhist scripture in the front yard of Shoushan Stone to dry it. The palace maids were all standing by. Tuoba Hong smiled and said: "Empress Dowager has a good interest, is she going to learn from Xuanzang to dry the Buddhist scriptures?"

  The empress dowager looked up at the emperor, called over a palace maid to bring a basin and washed her hands, saying: "This palace is filled with evil spirits, I have no interest in anything. It's just that those concubines were cut off from having children, the Great Qin imperial family has committed such great sins, I feel guilty in my heart, sincerely seeking the blessing of the Buddha to protect our Tuoba clan."

  When it came to this matter, Tuoba Hong also fell silent for a long time before supporting Empress Dowager into the palace hall. He said with shame: "It's my fault that I couldn't manage the harem well and let you worry about me at your age." Then he comforted her: "Don't be too sad about the matter of the crown prince, Mother. Ye Shi has been recovering recently, and the imperial physician says that both mother and child are safe. Lin Shi is also very good, she knows how to serve people and is aware of the overall situation."

  Lin Wan hastily lowered her head and said, "I don't dare to be so presumptuous." The Empress Dowager turned her head towards her, with a warm smile, saying: "You followed the Emperor to Beiping after you left, and haven't come to our house for several months. This Changle Palace has been deserted. When your injuries are healed, still come often to Changle Palace to keep me company, this old woman."

  The empress dowager was cold in temperament, and it was harder to get a word of praise from her than to ascend to heaven. Lin Yu made her blush with praise today, saying repeatedly: "Concubine, what virtue do you have...?"

  "It's all right, you should spend more time with the Emperor." The Empress Dowager smiled at her: "Although your body is weak and you don't have any serious illnesses, you're still young, so take good care of yourself and you'll naturally recover."

  Lin Yanzhi knew what Empress Dowager was referring to was about having children, her face turned even redder, and she could only lower her head in silence.

  Several people sat down in the inner room one after another.

  Inside the inner chamber of Chang Le Palace, a very hot kang was burning, and there were also braziers at the foot of the bed, which was due to Empress Dowager's old age and fear of cold. Lin Wan and Chu Huashang both took off their outer jackets with wide sleeves, but Chu Huashang still felt very hot, and beads of sweat quickly condensed on her forehead and nose tip.

  The palace maids brought up tea, pastries and fruit. The emperor and the empress dowager sat talking. Although Wang Shu Rong was not present today, the date paste yam cake and rose honey dew she made with her own hands yesterday were all brought out by the palace maids and presented to the empress dowager. Wang Shu Rong knew the empress dowager's preferences very well, while asking the emperor about Ye Shi's pregnancy, she was eating the pastries, obviously very much to her taste.

  Chu Huashang felt a bit restless, the sweltering heat making her feel irritable. She watched as Empress Dowager pulled Lin Yuan's hand to ask about her injury, and she clenched her teeth slightly, getting up to pour a pot of bitter tea for everyone, respectfully saying to Empress Dowager: "In winter days, things are dry and parched, the ancestors said that drinking more water is good."

  The empress dowager smiled faintly and said, "Sit down. Today is the day you were just appointed as a pin, it's your good day, don't work so hard." She put down the tea after taking a light sip and said to the emperor, "Wang Shi's tea-making skills are still the best, adding some jasmine flowers to the bitter tea makes it unique in flavor. Although Chu Shi is also skilled in tea-making, she is slightly inferior in terms of thoughtfulness."

  Chu Huashang saw the Empress Dowager's comment, and the tea was also poured to one side. She could only smile awkwardly and say: "The Empress Dowager is right, Concubine will go to Zhongxiu Palace to ask Shu Rong for guidance when she has time in the future."

  The Empress Dowager no longer looked at her and turned to instruct the palace staff to reward Lin Yuan with medicine to nourish her body.

  Chu Huashang suddenly felt a mouthful of stagnant air stuck in her chest. When had she ever been so carefree in the Chang Le Palace, always able to coax the Empress Dowager into a good mood? But now the Empress Dowager only favored Lin Shi...

  How hateful! At first, in order to stand out in front of the Empress Dowager, she suppressed Wen Pin and squeezed Ye Shi out. Lin Shi followed the Emperor to Beiping, which would not be in the way at all. But now... Wen Pin has risen again, Ye Shi is pregnant, and Lin Shi was shot by an arrow and escaped death. One by one, they are all getting back at her!

  Today she was granted the title of Imperial Noble Consort, while Lin Shi was granted the title of Imperial Concubine. Originally, it should have been her who held the higher position. But now, seeing that both the Emperor and Empress Dowager favored Lin Shi over her, she was instead being neglected. The Empress Dowager's only wish was to hold a grandson in her arms, and looking at Lin Xian made her think of a pregnant woman, so she even bestowed precious medicinal herbs like Snow Lotus on her. As for herself - she didn't even have the qualifications to give birth to an imperial heir.

  At such a young age, she cannot have her own children. The prosperity of the family brings Chu Huashang not only power and glory, but also helpless sacrifices. Her father is a military general, and the emperor, in order to avoid the repetition of the misfortune of the Xiao family's imperial relatives, would bestow upon her an abortion potion every time she was summoned to serve him after becoming pregnant. After Sheng Fei became pregnant, she received the most favor, but it was forever impossible to have a result.

  She originally had no complaints about this. The women in the palace were pitiful anyway, and she could become the emperor's pawn, being supported to take a position against Empress Sheng, even if she lost her qualification to give birth, so what? The price was worth it. But now...

  She had a very bad premonition. Since Lin Wan saved the emperor's heart, she began to be inferior to Lin Wan in imperial favor. Even if Lin Wan couldn't serve the emperor at night, her trips to the Mirror Moon Pavilion were more frequent than those to the Xianfu Palace. When she recovered from her injuries, the situation was almost unbearable. She understood that the emperor's favor towards her was not because he liked her, but to support her. But if the emperor favored Lin Wan even more, then who exactly was being supported?

  When she was previously appointed as the mistress of Yonghua, the Empress Dowager had also secretly hinted to her that as long as she followed the Emperor's orders, being promoted to a consort position would not be an extravagant hope.

  The night Shen died, she suddenly understood something very important - she began to understand what the emperor wanted her to do. The queen, Sheng Fei and Shen were in a delicate balance of power within the palace, but after Shen's death this balance was broken. She thought back to when Shen was demoted from Rong Fei to Zhao Yun, the emperor promoted her to Rong Hua; when the emperor went on a hunting trip to Beisi, she stayed behind to serve the empress dowager and received an edict promoting her to Jieyu; after Shen's death, she formally became Pin Bin through the ritual of imperial appointment.

  Although she is not a man, she also knows how to analyze the situation. Without Shen Shi in the harem, it's like a copper tripod missing a corner, always unstable. The emperor now needs someone suitable to replace this corner, and the empress dowager told her that she can grant her the title of imperial concubine... Therefore, if there is no accident, she will be that suitable corner.

  Lin Wan is not worthy of fear, her family background is too poor, and she's not a good candidate. But if the Emperor changes his mind - which is not impossible! Maybe in the Emperor's eyes, Lin is more suitable! When she gives birth to an imperial son and gets a high position, being mentioned alongside Empress Sheng, that would be a great prospect for the Emperor! Moreover, without a strong family background, there's no threat, and although it's difficult for the Emperor to support her, the risk is small.

  No, this won't do... Her future has already begun to blur, and the light is gradually dimming. The power she obtained by trading her children is about to change hands, and all of this will become a futile effort... She can't let things happen like this.

  She thought she needed to get rid of the obstacles in her way.

  The Empress Dowager stayed in the Changle Palace for lunch, Lin Wan and Chu Huashang accompanied the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to have a meal together, and then returned to their respective palaces.

  Because it was the day of the imperial seal, the emperor stayed in Empress Dowager Cixi's Chonghua Palace that night. However, at the same time, the emperor also specially issued an edict to let the Imperial Household Department clean up one of the six eastern palaces, Jingren Palace. Five days later, Consort Hui moved into Jingren Palace and was granted the title of mistress.

  When the news spread, the six palaces cast sideways glances.

  Nowadays, the only decent palaces in the palace are the twelve east-west palaces. The rest, such as the Mirror Moon Pavilion, are all small and insignificant pavilions that cannot be considered main positions. In other words, including the Empress's Zhenggong Longxin Palace, there will be at most thirteen main position princesses in the entire Daxin palace - while Tuoba Hong has dozens of concubines.

  The struggle for the main position is a situation where there are many monks but little porridge for the concubines. According to the ancestral system, only those above the rank of Guifei can hold the position of palace master, but due to the lack of palaces, Jingren Palace and Yanxi Palace have been abandoned for many years without anyone living in them. Yongshou Palace was also sealed off due to witchcraft, and there were several unloved Guifei and Jiunü who could not become the main position and had to live in other palaces.

  At present, Lin Wan is only a fourth-rank concubine, but she has managed to take control of the Jingren Palace. It's not just these people who are unhappy in their hearts, others like Chen Bin, who has been out of favor for a long time and lives in a remote corner of the imperial palace, Zhen Bin, who lives in a side hall of the Linzhi Palace, and Mao Bin, who originally lived in a side hall of the Yongsu Palace but was moved to another palace's side hall, are also grinding their teeth in anger. They are only one step away from being a noble concubine, but given the emperor's lack of favor towards them, even if they were to climb up to Lin Wan's position, it's unlikely they would be able to obtain the title of mistress.