Regardless of whether the Empress was wronged or not, the Emperor's words were law. On the very day that the Empress was banished to the Cold Palace, several high-ranking officials jointly impeached the Empress's father.

  The crimes are too numerous to count, even during the mourning period of Empress Shu's grandmother, Emperor Shun's father did not observe a three-year mourning period because he had an illegitimate child who was born less than six months into the fourth year. Even such trivial matters were dug up.

  After all, although there is a mourning period, who has not had a time of intense desire, and finding someone to relieve it is normal, most people turn a blind eye.

  Unfortunately, when everyone pushed together, the wall collapsed, and in an instant, the Shen family was completely ruined.

  Zong Zhengjin quickly issued an edict, removing Shen Daren from his position as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, due to his acceptance of bribes and buying and selling official titles. The evidence was conclusive, and he was sentenced to be executed at the Meridian Gate three days later. All sons and younger brothers within nine generations were removed from their official positions, and for ten generations, they would not be allowed to enter the imperial court as officials. Within three generations, regardless of gender, all were exiled a thousand miles away, with no pardon to return to the capital.

  But in just one day's time, the Shen family was completely annihilated.

  The speed is so fast that it's astonishing, but what kind of conspiracy is hidden behind this? Even if someone cleverly finds some clues from it, they don't dare to expose them.

  After all, nothing is more important than one's own life.

  For example, Su Jingxu actually knew that there must be some tricks in it, but on the principle of not being related to herself, she chose to pretend to know nothing.

  What Zong Zhengjin presented to her was what she pretended to see, and apart from that, she knew nothing.

  Every day in Guan Yu Gong, An Tai, Zong Zhengjin almost every night would stay in Guan Yu Gong, her fetal movement became more and more frequent, Zong Zhengjin was more and more deeply trapped inside, as if this had become his greatest pleasure every day.

  It's been over a month, and Su Jing didn't know how Zong Zhengjin handled the impeachment of her father, but after he asked if she believed in him that day and she replied affirmatively, she really didn't care about it anymore.

  She didn't know how he handled the matter, but she hadn't received any news that her father had been dismissed or anything like that. The concubines in the harem also didn't mock her about this, so she thought it should be nothing.

  No news is good news.

  Another thing is that the envoys of Siam finally brought up that they wanted to end this visit and prepare to return to Siam, so Zong Zhengjin set up a banquet again to see them off.

  However, there was a stunning piece of news that shocked everyone. "You said you wanted to stay in Chu Zhou country," Zong Zhengjin was somewhat surprised, but not as stunned as the others who couldn't recover for a long time.

  The Ninth Princess curtsied, "Indeed, Your Majesty the Emperor, I have been touring the beautiful scenery of Chu Zhou for over a month and have grown deeply fond of this place. I am willing to stay in Chu Zhou."

  Others were not surprised, after all, although the two countries are friendly and diplomatic, to put it bluntly, Siam is actually a vassal state of Zhouchu, and Princess Jiu staying in Zhouchu cannot enjoy high treatment, on the contrary, she is like a hostage.

  But what's important is that this wasn't proposed by the Emperor of Chu Zhou Country, but rather something she asked for herself.

  Strange things happen every year, but for the first time I saw people rushing to another country to be surrogate mothers, feeling lonely and helpless, it's really unbelievable.

  "Your father can agree." Zong Zhengjin didn't think there was anything wrong with it, after all, he wasn't the one who forced him.

  The only thing that made him a little curious was what the Ninth Princess's purpose was in coming to Chu Zhou State, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Previously, it had been rumored that she was there to enter his harem, but now she hadn't shown any intention of doing so.

  "I will fix it for Father Emperor, he must agree," said the Ninth Princess, who thought it was a matter of course and did not realize that this move was unreasonable.

  Zong Zhengjin glanced at the side, the faces of several envoys, even if they concealed it well, but Zong Zhengjin could still see their helplessness from the bottom of their eyes, hooked his mouth, perhaps this matter can still be done.

  "Since you have not yet obtained your father's permission, let us wait until you get the permit before we talk. In the meantime, why don't you let your envoy wait a few more days and then we will see," said Zong Zhengjin after some thought.

  The ninth princess glanced at the envoy beside her without leaving any trace, a smile on her face, "But I'll follow the emperor's decision."

  The dinner didn't last long and ended soon, everyone went their separate ways without mentioning it again. "What do you think she's thinking?" Zong Zhengjin was indeed a bit curious, previously he had thought that the Ninth Princess came to Chu Zhou country, certainly with some unknown purpose and plot, he had sent people to observe her for so long, every day was just normal, on the contrary, many times, it was like a child.

  Isn't it just for traveling and having fun in Chu Zhou?

  Meng Wentian raised an eyebrow, thinking of something, and decided to say, "Your Majesty, there is one thing, I don't know if I should mention it or not."

  "In that case, don't mention it," Zong Zhengjin ignored him and turned around to leave.

  Meng Wen Tian immediately stood up and followed him, "Your Majesty, do you know? I think the Ninth Princess has already seen the man from Chu Zhou State."

  Ignoring him, he continued, "Your Majesty, do you know who this man is? Not Su Jiewen, but Yuan Moye, that expressionless Yuan Moye."

  Zong Zhengjin walked to the gate of the hall and suddenly turned his head, "You said it was true"

  Meng Wen's face revealed a strange expression, "It should be, but I, your humble servant, have never liked anyone before, nor do I know what it means to like someone. Your Majesty, do you know? Or would you care to enlighten me?"

  Zong Zhengjin didn't respond to his increasingly out-of-tune behavior and coldly snorted, "You should also like a woman now."

  But although it is said so, in her heart she did not think so. A woman still looks for someone who suits her eye, and likes whatever she wants.

  "The mountain has trees, the trees have branches. My heart is pleased with you, but you don't know." Zong Zhengjin suddenly remembered that the little woman seemed to have said something like this before, but he couldn't quite recall the specifics, except for the sentence "My heart is pleased with Your Majesty".

  Meng Wen Tian couldn't understand why he suddenly smiled, so he didn't bother to ask. "The Emperor probably doesn't know what it's like to have a liking for something either, and neither do I."

  "This matter is left to you to handle," Zong Zhengjin said indifferently, turning his head to instruct him before getting on the dragon carriage and leaving him standing alone in the back.

  Meng Wentian was still in a daze, and before he knew it, he was the only one left. Indeed, even the emperor was not an exception when it came to valuing beauty over friendship. "Is what you said true?" Shu Gui Fei suddenly stood up from her chair and asked in a low voice.

  Qingyi nodded, "I just found out that after the virtuous imperial concubine was demoted to the cold palace, she suffered a shock and has now gone mad. Those words were inadvertently revealed by her."

  Moreover, when the slave sent someone to inquire about it, they inadvertently heard that Yu Fu's body was getting weaker and weaker, and she was almost done for. However, what made people puzzled was that on the second day after entering the Cold Palace, she was found to have lost her voice due to poisoning, and now she is just going through the motions of living.

  There must be someone behind the scenes who is secretly plotting, which means that either Yu Fu Rong was previously made a scapegoat for something, or Yu Fu Rong knew some secret of that person's and had to eliminate them to avoid future troubles.

  Qiao Jingyu's mind was occupied by Shu Fei's words, and her heart remained in her own pain. "You said that the child of this palace died unjustly, or rather, this palace actually avenged the wrong person."

  Qingxi didn't know how to comfort her, "Your Majesty, it was only what Du Xiaoyi said before she died that made me send someone to investigate the Cold Palace. But if Shufei had known about this all along, why didn't she tell Your Majesty?"

  Logically speaking, the relationship between the two ladies and Shu Fei was also quite good before. The lady treated Shu Fei like a younger sister. If she had known all along that the one who caused the lady to miscarry was not the Empress but someone else, why did she keep it hidden and silently watch the lady suffer for so many years?

  If she had deliberately done so, then Shu Fei's behavior was also somewhat too vicious.

  "This palace doesn't know, perhaps she also hates this palace," Qiao Jingyu shook her head and paused for a moment, "Even if she didn't hate before, she must be hating now."

  Whether it was because of the sympathy between the two or because of her family background, she had indeed been quite good to Shu Fei before, but that was just her own thoughts. What Shu Fei really thought in her heart, she didn't know and wouldn't find out later either.

  Perhaps there has never been true love in this harem, perhaps since she gained the emperor's favor many years ago, Shu Fei had already hated her to the bone, so she wanted to see her suffer, see her regret for the rest of her life.

  Now, in order to atone for her past mistakes, to ensure the safety of her family members, and to allow the Qiao family to have an heir, she chose to eliminate Shu Fei and the Shen family. As a result, Shu Fei must be hating her from beneath the nine springs.

  But she didn't care, blaming and hating as she pleased, taking all the blame upon herself, and after death, going to Avici Hell to atone for her sins.

  "What's going on with Niangniang?" Qingxie broke her silence and asked.

  Qiao Jing smiled faintly, "As for how I can do it, everything else is fine, but the grudge of my children, I must avenge them in my lifetime, otherwise, how can I be a mother?"

  Qiao Jingmo touched her own belly, inside which was a false life. How ironic it was! Yet, at some point in the past, she had also been able to feel the lively presence within when touching her belly.

  No matter for whom, revenge must be taken and cannot be misdirected.

  Send someone to investigate Yu Fu's background and see if she has any hidden motives," Qiao Jingyu knew that there was no direct connection between the two, but now she had plenty of time and energy, so investigating one more thing would only require her to move her lips and use a bit more brainpower.

  Maybe there will be surprises beyond her imagination.

  Palace Concubine (Yi Shu)

  Gong Shu