Chapter Eleven: The Empress Dowager Summons

  Feng Changqing's news of staying overnight at Quanxuan spread like wildfire and attracted attention.

  Since ancient times, concubines of the rank of Mei Ren and Liang Yi did not have the qualification to let the emperor stay overnight, unless the emperor summoned them. Otherwise, it was very difficult for them to see the emperor, so many Mei Ren and Liang Yi racked their brains to find ways to see the emperor once.

  However, everyone knows that from entering the palace to now, Qilin's Xuanmen has been deserted, and even the people in the palace have to take a detour. As for Qilin, she has rarely appeared since entering the palace until now.

  This unprecedented event made everyone look at Qilin with envy, jealousy and hatred.

  "Ah Chu."

  Qilin rubbed her nose, and in the past few days, she had discovered that there were many palace maids outside her palace gates. Occasionally, she would even encounter a few beauties who would give her a hard time, but between the lines, they unintentionally revealed a strong undercurrent of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

  Also because of this, Qilin had no choice but to disguise herself as a maid and go out in the dead of night. She hadn't been to Chang Le Palace for many days.

  It's also unknown whether the empress dowager had drunk what Ah Chao made, although she trusted her to do things, but she couldn't ignore the doubts in her heart.

  Even if Ah Piao's abilities are great, how can everything go smoothly without any obstacles? If it were Zi Yun's help, then the Empress Dowager's matter shouldn't be like this, right?

  Thinking of Ah Piao's facial features, Qi Lin boldly guessed and then quickly shook her head to deny that guess.

  She quietly came to the gate of Chang Le Palace, Qilin looked at the tightly closed door, found a hidden place to sit down, in recent days A Piao has not been seen, do not know if today will appear.

  Everyone envied Feng Changqing for being able to stay overnight in her chambers, but only she knew that on that night, they didn't do anything.

  Finally, when she said that she only regarded Feng Changqing as a close friend, Feng Changqing walked alone into the screen, undressed himself, bathed himself, and behind the screen, she did not dare to take half a step forward, nor did she know what to say.

  "Is elm also your bosom friend?"

  She remembered that when Feng Changqing said this, she almost spat out the tea she was drinking, and the scene of Yu Mu and Zi Yin sleeping in bed lingered in her mind for a long time, shaking her head hard.

  "He is my bosom friend."

  All he heard was Feng Changqing humming in agreement, but she didn't say anything.

  When Feng Changqing finished bathing, Qi Lin calmly and nervously made his bed.

  "At first you shared a bed with Yu Mu, today I share a bed with you, you won't mind, will you?"

  Upon hearing this, Qi Lin was taken aback for a moment, looking into Feng Changqing's gentle eyes, and if she were to cover her face with a veil, she might have felt as though she had returned to the days when she was with Yu Mu.

  So that night, they slept together, neither of them touching each other, just quietly sleeping.

  However, Zilin thought about many things, from the past, from meeting Ye Piao to Yu Mu, from Zuihuatang to the imperial palace, from Zi Yin to Feng Changqing. She vaguely felt that there was something she had slowly figured out, but still hadn't figured out.

  As she was thinking, Qi Lin felt a gentle breeze behind her, turned around and saw that familiar figure sitting on the ground, with his back to the moonlight, she couldn't see his expression.

  "You're here." He walked over and greeted him flatly, continuing "The Emperor stayed overnight that night."

  "I know." He said it lightly, as if everything was under his control.

  Qilin listened with a sour nose, turned her back on A Piao and continued "Has it been sent to the Empress Dowager?"

  "It's gone." He didn't want to say much today.

  Qilin softly exclaimed and sat down on a white stone.

  "Today, the Empress Dowager will probably summon you." Then added another sentence "Your purpose is almost achieved."

  What's her goal? What's her purpose?

  Qilin turned her head to look at A Piao, who was as calm as a cloud on a breezy day, and gave a cold laugh before continuing to gaze up at the sky.

  This was clearly their goal, how did it become hers? It sounds like she's using this to achieve some kind of ulterior motive.

  "What's wrong with you?" Feeling Qi Lin's coldness, A Piao habitually opened his mouth to ask, "Isn't it that the Emperor hasn't appeared for a few days and you're disappointed?"

  As soon as the words were spoken, Qilin suddenly stood up. In the dark night, he could also feel the anger and coldness emanating from those black pupils. And he continued to look at her with a smile.

  "Yes, I'm disappointed." She looked at A Piao with a cold and condescending gaze. She didn't know why she was angry, nor did she want to admit the emotions that were stirring inside her. She continued, "The Emperor had promised me that if I could get the Empress Dowager out of the Chang Le Palace, he would allow me to become the Empress. To be the Empress is what kind of honor? One person below, millions of people above, how noble! Qi Lin has never felt that feeling before."

  "Do you want to be an empress?" The question was tinged with a hint of surprise, as he had always thought that Qilin was completely uninterested in fame and fortune.

  Hehe... Qilin sneered coldly, she wants to be an empress? Don't even think about it.

  "Really, can't you see?" But she inexplicably nodded, coldly staring at Ah Piao, her mouth slightly raised.

  A Pi got up, he originally thought Qi Lin would tell him about that night and then explain to him. That night, Feng Changqing was present, and he couldn't get close.

  "Alright." He said and turned around to leave.

  Until Ah Piao left, Qi Lin weakly squatted down, her hands wrapped around herself, and buried her head between her arms.

  What is she doing? When did she become so sentimental?

  "When did you become so impulsive?"

  "Anytime."

  "You!!" Zi Yun pointed at the man with some exasperation "Do you know that what you're doing might arouse the Emperor's suspicion and make him suspect us instead?"

  "Raising suspicions?" Putting down the teacup, he smiled and said "He's been suspicious for a long time."

  Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to investigate the elm tree, let alone investigate Qilin. Fortunately, not many people know about Qilin's background.

  "This time it's an investigation into the relationship between Yu Mu and Qi Lin, but fortunately, nothing was found." Zi Yun walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and continued, "However, what you did tonight may end up killing Qi Lin. You should know that the struggles in the harem are no less intense than those in the imperial court."

  "It depends on her ability now." But... Tonight was indeed a bit impulsive.

  At this time, Xiao Ran's bedroom, all the palace people were still sleeping in their dreams, even the night watchmen were sitting on the ground and fell asleep.

  The only sounds left in the room were the crackling of candles and suppressed breathing.

  Xiao Ran tightly grasped the bed sheet, her black pupils filled with bloodshot anger, she couldn't believe things would turn out that way.

  The severe stomach pain woke her up, and she called the imperial physician who was waiting for orders in the palace. Although they had never met before, the imperial physician also had a waist card specially given by the emperor, so she let him diagnose and take her pulse.

  But what?

  "May I, a humble servant, dare ask one question: Your Ladyship, do you feel a sharp pain in your lower abdomen, as if it were being torn apart, with signs of labor?"

  She nodded and said it was just physical weakness, and the emperor had already sent over some nourishing supplements to regulate her body.

  "The princess is not physically weak."

  The imperial physician's words made her frown slightly. It wasn't physical weakness, what was it? Not giving her a chance to ask, the imperial physician had already spoken out.

  She only remembered that she didn't know how the imperial physician left, but after hearing those words, her mind went blank and she almost fainted.

  "This is a sign of miscarriage. It's just... because you took the red flower decoction, the fetus in your belly has already died."

  Miscarriage? But she wasn't even pregnant, how could she have a miscarriage? With so many imperial physicians diagnosing her before, could they all be wrong?

  But how can we explain the lower abdominal pain and red water in these few days?

  Who wants to harm her? Those concubines who are fighting for favor?

  But even so, the emperor was there that day, and the imperial physician was also the emperor's personal physician. How could he be so bold as to misdiagnose? Unless... unless... it's impossible.

  Thinking of that exception, Xiao Ran's heart ached and she covered her mouth, preventing herself from making a painful sound.

  Your Majesty!!! That's your own flesh and blood, how can you do this? How can you be so cruel? What is the reason for this?

  She was initially shocked and confused, filled with sorrow, but slowly came to understand that the Emperor's actions were all for one person, for that special someone he treated exceptionally.

  And who is that person?

  "A Xue~~~~"

  "Huh? The crowd heard the sound and looked towards the entrance, only to see a slender figure twisting her round body at an unprecedented speed, colliding with many people."

  Qilin was afraid of bumping into herself and ran to the back of Master An, waiting until the "shock" had subsided a bit before poking out her head.

  "Hehe? What's up, slender auntie? Why call me?" Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Qilin was afraid that Miao Tiao would get excited and rush over to hug her.

  Mei Tao was too busy to take a sip of tea and excitedly said "The empress has summoned you."

  What?!

  The imperial kitchen suddenly boiled over, and everyone cast envious glances at Qilin. Having been a servant here for so many years, it was the first time they had heard of the empress summoning a mere errand boy.

  Only Qilin smiled slightly, and naturally understood what was going on in her heart.

  She casually tidied herself up and followed Old Lady Su as they carefully approached the Empress Dowager's palace.

  I thought the main palace of the empress would be filled with Buddhist scriptures or quiet, but after entering, I saw that the interior decoration was also full of artificial mountains and lush flowers and grasses, and every tree had a birdcage hanging from it, inside which were rare birds.

  "Wah~wah~"

  The crow's cry startled Zilin for a moment, which wasn't a good omen.

  But when she raised her eyes and saw a pure white bird, she was surprised. The crow's cry just now came from this direction, how could it be???

  "Wow!"

  It seemed to have noticed Qilin's strangeness, and the bird in the cage chirped again.

  What?! A pure white crow?

  "Chirp chirp chirp"

  "Cack cack cack"

  In an instant, all the birds here jumped up and down, chirping endlessly, and their little masters were also bewildered.

  Qilin recalled what the fortune teller had said and couldn't help but feel a little regretful about her own abilities. Were these birds welcoming her?

  Finally arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, Qi Lin was still curious and imagined what the Empress Dowager looked like in her mind. Feng Changqing's mother should be in her fifties now.

  Summoned by Mr. Su, Qilin walked in with her head down.

  "Ai Xue pays her respects to Her Majesty, wishing her a thousand blessings and golden peace." Qilin carefully said, kneeling outside the beaded curtain.

  Without receiving any instructions from the empress dowager, the sound of the door closing was heard beside her ear, and the room suddenly became quiet to the point where even breathing sounded a bit loud.

  "Relax."

  Qilin was taken aback, and the voice of a woman who seemed to be in her thirties slowly got up with surprise.

  "Good man, you've worked hard."

  "Uh?... Zilin suddenly stopped and then said "I don't know what the Empress means, there is no Hongxue Liangren here."

  "A small slave like her would have the privilege of getting those precious fruits and making such exquisite dishes?" The empress smiled slightly, saying "I've been living in the deep palace for a long time, but I also know everything about the outside world. How could I not know?"

  Qilin slowly knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying "Your Majesty is wise. Hong Xue heard that Your Majesty's appetite has not been good, so she had no choice but to resort to this inferior plan, please forgive her."

  "I have eaten the fruit platter and vegetable juice you provided, and my stomach feels great. Even the imperial physician said that I look much better. It's all thanks to your efforts, what crime could you possibly have committed?"

  "Your Majesty."

  "No matter what your intention is, I will take it as a filial piety from you." The empress said, then got up, lifted the beaded curtain, walked to Qilin's front and softly said "Lift up your head."