The calm and peaceful Jing Fei returned to the palace from Changxin Palace, her face as still as dead water. Jing Fei was best at maintaining a "calm" demeanor, no matter if she was happy, angry or sad, her face remained expressionless, making it impossible for others to read her thoughts.

  Jing Fei arrived at Hua Yang Palace's He Huan Hall and found that someone had been waiting for her.

  Just now, people rushed up to welcome her, holding onto Jing Fei's hand and saying: "Just now in the Empress Dowager's palace, the concubines didn't dare speak with Your Ladyship... Your Ladyship, this news of the betrothal is like a thunderclap on a clear day, I wonder if you have any plans to deal with it..."

  She was no longer young when she entered the palace. Due to her ordinary appearance and humble origin, she has remained a cairen until now, able to survive only by relying on Qing Consort.

  Those few years when the Queen was in a coma were simply unbearable for her. But she understood her own value, and apart from the Queen, it would be hard to find another tree that could appreciate her. So she didn't try to move palaces, but instead stuck it out in Huayang Palace for five years, finally waiting until the Queen woke up.

  Jing Fei looked at her, a faint smile on his face, shaking his head: "Cai Ren, don't worry too much. What's meant to come will come. Now that we haven't even seen their faces, it's not good to make rash decisions."

  Just now, the person looking at Jing Fei's face with a light cloud and gentle breeze felt himself relax, took a deep breath and said: "Yes, although the five families of Zhao, Wei, He, Xie, and Ren are big clans, they have long since declined and cannot be compared to the Shangguan and Xiao families. Even if their daughters were married into the palace with a generous betrothal gift, their ranks would not be too high. Your Majesty is a consort, far above them."

  Jing Fei listened, her expression unchanged, but waved her hand and said: "The imperial concubine can return to the palace first, this palace doesn't have anything else to instruct."

  The man nodded and acknowledged, then retreated and left.

  Jing Fei gazed at her with narrowed eyes from behind, then turned to face Mei Gu Gu and said: "Go invite that one over."

  Just now, the person in front of her was Jing Fei's subordinate, but he wasn't her confidant.

  Some people are slightly clever, but relying on this alone is not enough to make Jeonghui appreciate and reuse them. The ones who can truly be called "heart" by Jeonghui are all unknown to others.

  Jing Fei let out a soft sigh, thinking that some people were too simple-minded. Although those five clans and the Wei family were all fallen nobles, who made the Emperor want to give them face?

  In the "Northern Palace Rebellion", there was merit? Humph, even if one wants to do something meritorious for the emperor, not everyone has this qualification. In the past, Xiao You, the Prime Minister of the Right, was able to gain the recognition of the Emperor in the Northern Palace Rebellion, and secretly spent a lot of effort. If Taizong did not acquiesce, could those five clans have obtained this benefit?

  If His Majesty can reuse a cold door, he can also reuse Zhao and Wei.

  All the actions of the emperor, with only one purpose, that is to cultivate his own power. Whether it's a humble family or those unremarkable small aristocratic families and declining nobles, they can rise to prominence all because of Tuoba Hong's grace, knowing gratitude is an ancient virtue. Those powerful clans with deep roots, were able to establish themselves thanks to the favors of the previous emperor and Taizu, having nothing to do with Tuoba Hong.

  In the ninth month of the eighth year of Qianwu, the Emperor pacified the Northern Palace Rebellion; in the eleventh month, the Emperor executed the Shen family and established the Military Machine Office. By the second month of the tenth year of Qianwu...the Military Machine Office had barely stabilized when it seized the opportunity to promote dozens of poor scholars and five aristocratic families, the Emperor's move was perfectly timed.

  As for the titles of these five noble ladies after entering the palace... His Majesty is just trying to win people's hearts, so he won't treat them unfairly.

  At this time, Jing Fei's mood was even worse than Xiao Huang Hou's. She looked at the back of Mei Gu Gu as she left, and the handkerchief in her palm tightened - the matter of the five girls entering the palace, she had not thought of it before. And this unexpected event also disrupted her careful plan. The previous plan, I'm afraid it will have to be changed a bit.

  At this time, the curtain at the gate moved twice, and a slender woman flashed out from behind the door, saluting Jing Fei. When Jing Fei saw her coming, there was finally a genuine smile on her face, beckoning: "Come over and sit..."

  nb***

  The outside had already made a big fuss, but at this time, Tuoba Hong was accompanying Lin Yu in the Brocade Smoke Building.

  Lin Wan looked at Tuoba Hong, who was moving the desk into Jianzhang Palace, and said with a yawn: "Your Majesty, take a break. You've been busy for three hours already."

  It's not easy being an ancient emperor. Although Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei often indulged in pleasure within the palace, he spent most of his time working diligently.

  He is writing on the last page of a memorial, densely packed, and it makes one dizzy just to look at it from afar. It seems that this minister is highly valued by him, as when he submits three lines, the emperor responds with three pages.

  Tuoba Hong put down his brush and stretched his arm, then picked it up again to continue writing. Without lifting his head, he said: "These days the national affairs are busy, Yuane, I have no time to talk to you."

  Lin Wan had no choice but to shut her mouth. It was already good that Tuoba Hong could come over to accompany her, and this was because he wanted to select new people to enter the palace, so he came specifically to see if she had any grievances or resentment.

  Actually, the most troublesome thing about the imperial concubine selection is the high-ranking consorts like Empress Jing and Consort Tian. Once they become pregnant, even if there are no new consorts to compete with, they still cannot serve the emperor in bed, which makes them anxious and grit their teeth, and they have to wait in line.

  Lin Yu'an was at ease with her pregnancy, while Tuoba Hong remained busy as usual. The other consorts outside still had to live their lives.

  The selection of imperial consorts is as troublesome as the selection of concubines. The Ministry of Rites must prepare rituals and ceremonies, and the palace also needs to send eunuchs to the homes of noblewomen to teach them etiquette, and they cannot enter the palace for a short time.

  Lin Wan had been pregnant and became a pin after being sealed, the days she went out increased instead. She knew that staying at home was not good for the child, going out and walking was beneficial to production.

  The scenery in the palace is diverse. Either go to Siji Pavilion to enjoy the view, or go to Qianli Pond to feed fish, or go to Mingtai to feed pigeons.

  Every time she went out, she was surrounded by a large group of servants, with three layers inside and three layers outside, completely encircling her. Not to mention any concubine with ill intentions, even if a skilled assassin were to appear, they would not be able to penetrate the thick wall of people in a short period of time. Before she walked on a path, she would order Chun Tao and others to go ahead and carefully investigate, not just for slippery small stones, but even the earthworms that she feared were swept away cleanly.

  Tuoba Hong rewarded Lin Yu's servants and guards, totaling forty or fifty people. In the past, the concubines in the palace had miscarriages easily because they did not have the same capital as Lin Yu.

  On March 25th, it was finally the day when the five girls entered the palace.

  The illness of Empress Xiao had just relapsed, so she could only sit quietly in the Changxin Palace with a group of palace concubines and was unable to accompany the Emperor to attend the ceremony. Since it was a welcoming ceremony for a concubine rather than a formal wedding, the palace did not make much preparation, merely hanging more red lanterns to signify good fortune. However, outside in the capital city, there was great excitement.

  That was the cheer of ordinary people. After the poor scholars were reused by the emperor, the people of Daxia were extra happy. The five women from not too prominent families entered the palace in a grand manner, and their good fortune was exactly the same as that of the scholars. Ordinary people saw the hope of changing their fate in the emperor's will.

  Kings, dukes, generals and ministers - are they born to be so? The influential Shen family was overthrown with just a word, while the humble Zhao and Wei families rose to power. The rigid hierarchical system had been cracked open, allowing for a glimmer of hope that it could be broken.

  There are still many people who know that in the palace there is a most favored concubine named Hui Bin, whose origin was also humble.

  In the Changxin Palace, Empress Xiao endured the icy pain in her lower abdomen and sat calmly, her face unruffled.

  Most of the concubines hung their heads low, hiding the displeasure on their faces. No one spoke.

  At this difficult time, a concubine inappropriately burst out laughing, her voice clear and bright: "The new sisters-in-law will arrive soon, it's not good for us to sit here looking so gloomy. In my palace, there are newly pickled plums and apricots that taste different from elsewhere. Servant, quickly go fetch them and let the ladies try some, when the new sisters-in-law arrive later, we can also treat them."

  It was Xu Ronghua who spoke up.

  She said it lightly, and the other concubines also realized that the atmosphere was too dull, and they also learned from her to show a smile.

  Although I'm not happy in my heart, if the Emperor comes soon and sees them showing such a bitter and resentful appearance in front of the new concubine, he might scold them for being narrow-minded and not knowing how to get along.

  Xu Ronghua's palace maids quickly brought up several jars of dried fruit and served them to the concubines one by one. Empress Xiao looked at the withered fruit in the plate, then at the black chicken soup and eight-treasure pastries that had been prepared for the consorts in Changxin Palace, as if she saw something funny, and couldn't help but purse her lips.

  Xu Ronghua continued to offer the treasures: "These plums were picked by the concubines on an autumn day, then soaked in a mixture of honey and white wine, sealed in a jar for three whole months before being taken out. No white sugar was used on top, but the flavor is even more delicate and refined than white sugar, I'm sure all you sisters will like it. As for these apricots, the pits have been cracked open to remove the kernels, which are then pickled together with the apricot flesh...the flavor is not ordinary..."

  Then someone chimed in: "Xu Ronghua's clever idea!"

  The queen smiled and ordered, "The soup and eight-treasure cake must have gone cold, take them away first. The fruit that Sister Xu brought looks tempting, let the sisters try some. Xu Ronghua, leave more for the new sisters."

  Lin Wan also reached out and took a dried fruit to eat. Xu Ronghua didn't exaggerate, it was indeed delicious. However...

  Those pickled fruits are so beautiful and delicious, they're something that ordinary people can eat casually, how can they be compared to the pastries in the palace? Not to mention that black chicken soup with added red dates and ginseng.

  Xu Ronghua used this thing to entertain the new concubines, obviously a warning shot.

  Lin Wan couldn't help but secretly admire Xu Ronghua's cleverness.

  The five new consorts, even if they have grievances, cannot express their suffering. What about the pickled fruit? That was made with care by Xu Ronghua, and its flavor is different from that of ordinary folk. The value of a gift cannot be measured by its preciousness or cheapness! Moreover, no matter how prominent the new consorts are after entering the palace, they cannot surpass Ronghua in status. This is Xu's intention, and they dare not refuse.

  Looking at the previous Shu Huanghou, Lin Yuen secretly thought to herself. She knew that Xu Ronghua had climbed up to become the Empress, but she was clear about Xu Ronghua's character and knew that she wasn't a loyal one.

  Is today's move an attempt to show loyalty to Empress Xiao?

  She knew that Empress Xiao was unhappy in her heart, so she came up with a plan to concentrate the malice of the five new consorts on herself.

  This is a military expedition with a dangerous strategy.

  But it was also the only way to move Empress Xiao.

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