A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

"That Lady Jin actually said that Consort Zhen was not only unchaste, but also entangled with many men?"

"Although madmen often behave erratically, I am truly curious..."

"After all, even if it's made up, there's always some basis for it..."

Consort Chen's words were loaded with meaning.

Consort Rong suddenly chuckled softly, "You're overthinking it, Noble Consort. Everyone says he's insane, so he's obviously having a fit of hysteria. Who knows what kind of logic a person having a fit of hysteria might have?"

"That's just something made up, isn't it?"

Consort Chen was so angry that she froze, never expecting Consort Rong to stand up for Consort Zhen.

But the more this happened, the more Consort Chen wanted to bring down Zhou Mingyi.

To prevent those two scoundrels from joining forces.

After all, one of these two women is His Majesty's new favorite, and the other is the daughter of a powerful minister.

Consort Chen truly never expected that Lady Zhou would be so fortunate.

The task that Chaoyang specifically ordered His Majesty's secret guards to do—she was almost sent to Qingzhou territory, yet she still managed to return unscathed.

Fortunately, Chaoyang had already given prior notice along the way, as this "Consort Zhen" was quite controversial.

With some careful maneuvering, she might just fall out of favor.

It's not uncommon for the women in this palace to be of all shapes and sizes, some plump and some slender, some as beautiful as celestial beings.

For Your Majesty, the most important thing is still offspring.

If her belly doesn't cooperate, no matter how beautiful she is, it's useless.

Although she never bore His Majesty a prince, she did have a princess.

On this point alone, what do they have to compare with her?

Thinking of this, Consort Chen felt a little better.

She glanced at Zhou Mingyi, and seeing her bright and elegant appearance, her heart skipped a beat. Then she said:

"How come I heard that Consort Zhen was once sent to the Qingzhou military camp?"

"And you even unexpectedly met General Shen Kuo, Consort Rong's adoptive brother? You two, a lone man and a lone woman, spent several hours together at the foot of the cliff..."

"Now that my sister is a concubine, we cannot allow such rumors to continue."

"It's better to explain things clearly while everyone is here."

"Sister, don't you think so?"

Consort Chen then passed the question on to Zhou Mingyi.

Zhou Mingyi's expression was serious, but tears fell like pearls.

She immediately knelt down and performed a grand salute, saying, "I was fortunate to meet Your Majesty at Hanshan Temple, and even more fortunate to be favored by the Empress Dowager, allowing me to enter the palace and stay by Your Majesty's side. This is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes."

"But I don't know whose eyes I've offended!"

"Why are these baseless rumors coming at me one after another, like knives? Are they trying to tear me apart alive?"

"I'm just a young lady confined to my chambers; how could I have had so many thrilling experiences?"

"This makes me wonder, why does Your Highness say the same things as that Jin Baolin?"

"Now that my reputation is ruined, I have no face to live on; death is my only option!"

As she spoke, Zhou Mingyi immediately rammed into the nearest pillar with lightning speed.

Emperor Qianwu had just stepped into the main hall, intending to keep a low profile and not instructing the eunuchs to make a fuss. However, upon entering the hall, he witnessed a scene that made his eyes widen in fury.

Zhou Mingyi bumped directly into Emperor Qianwu's arms.

The man has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a hard chest.

pain.

His forehead must be red from the impact.

Emperor Qianwu frowned deeply.

Before he could speak, Zhou Mingyi tried to push him away.

"Get out of my way! I know not where those baseless rumors came from; I can only prove my innocence with my death!"

But Emperor Qianwu's arms were like an impenetrable wall, and Zhou Mingyi couldn't push him away at all.

Emperor Qianwu frowned, his voice low.

"Today is your big day, what's all the fuss about?"

Zhou Mingyi's eyes were red, as if she had just realized that she had bumped into Emperor Qianwu's arms.

She raised her eyes, her watery eyes seemingly filled with autumn water.

"His Majesty!"

She had just asked the system to keep an eye on Emperor Qianwu for her.

Conferring the title of imperial concubine was a national ceremony.

Her receiving the congratulations from the noblewomen in the palace was a matter for the imperial family.

Emperor Qianwu is currently very interested in her, and he will definitely come whenever he has free time.

Sure enough, he rushed here as soon as he finished dealing with things there.

Zhou Mingyi timed this whole thing perfectly, which is why this good show is happening now.

Even if something goes wrong, she won't actually hit the pillar; she'll just faint before she does.

He was so angry he fainted; he didn't have the strength to bang his head against the pillar.

Emperor Qianwu frowned deeply, turned to the people in the hall and asked, "Has anyone offended Consort Zhen?"

This statement clearly sided with Zhou Mingyi.

Zhou Mingyi lowered her eyes, a hint of smugness in them.

Consort Chen's face turned pale instantly.

"Your Majesty, we were just joking with Consort Zhen."

Emperor Qianwu ignored Consort Chen and instead walked directly towards the Empress Dowager with Consort Zhou in his arms.

"Today is a special day for Consort Zhen, and I'm sorry to trouble Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager gave Zhou Mingyi a complicated look. "The Emperor works tirelessly for the country and its people. I am old and can only do my best for the Emperor in the inner palace."

"However, although Consort Zhen is good, there are some things that the Emperor should clarify."

Emperor Qianwu's gaze deepened slightly.

"What Mother says is true."

He turned his head and cut straight to the point, "I heard about this from the palace servants on my way here."

"How dare someone openly slander the concubines and curse me during the ceremony for the concubines' investiture!"

He turned to Zhou Mingyi, his tone softening slightly, "Consort Zhen has been frightened."

"I will give you, and the people of the world, a clear and just explanation regarding this matter."

He wanted to release Zhou Mingyi, but looking at her heartbroken and resolute appearance, he was afraid that she would hit the pillar to prove her innocence.

After all, she was the most beautiful woman who was most compatible with him, and Emperor Qianwu was somewhat reluctant to let her die.

He then tightly grasped her slender waist and, in front of everyone, protected her by his side in an extremely intimate and forceful manner.

"This case will be jointly handled by the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and a report will be submitted directly to me. What does Your Majesty think?"

With a "thud," Consort Chen's fan fell to the ground, her face turning deathly pale.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Consort Chen subconsciously, thinking to herself that this fool had corrupted her precious granddaughter.

However, right now, the most important thing is to clear Consort Zhen's name.

She finally received a clear instruction from Master Jingming at Hanshan Temple, and this woman was also fortunate enough to have an affair with the emperor in a side room of the temple. In the Empress Dowager's eyes, this was entirely the will of Heaven.

In any case, I can't miss it.

However, the royal bloodline cannot be confused, so it really needs to be thoroughly investigated.

But it's also the emperor's fault. She was just a woman who hadn't given birth to any children. It would have been fine to just give her the title of Baolin or Meiren.

How can someone be made a concubine right away?

When she gives birth to an imperial heir in the future, she can be made empress immediately.

It's indeed a bit early for her to be made a concubine as soon as she enters the palace. No wonder Consort Chen was wary of her and instigated Chaoyang to take action against her.

On the way to Qingzhou... Zhou's innocence must be thoroughly investigated.

If Consort Zhen is truly defiled, or if she has had any inappropriate behavior with General Shen, and becomes pregnant, it will put her and the Emperor in an awkward position, making them the biggest joke in the world.

However, both she and the emperor knew that this matter was inextricably linked to Chaoyang.

Chaoyang was her and the emperor's precious treasure, so the emperor would naturally show mercy.

It was this Chen who gave birth to Chaoyang.

It's truly a case of being neither too lenient nor too harsh... No wonder she's been so fearless all these years!

The Empress Dowager intended to give Consort Chen a warning.

He immediately replied, "We will do as the Emperor says."