Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

The Prime Minister, whose methods were widely discussed throughout the court and among the people, was now holding a blade of grass he had somehow plucked and woven into a butterfly that only a child would like.

The withered grass stems were nothing special, but the butterfly was incredibly lifelike.

His face was calm, as if he were attending a palace banquet or a government official, but rather like he was going to a spring banquet.

Whether it was because Wei Rong's scrutiny was too obvious, or because he was tired, he changed his posture, holding the butterfly in one hand and propping his head up with the other, and looked over.

Wei Rong didn't dodge or avoid it. She slowly raised her cup, took a small sip of the warm wine, and felt a burning sensation in her throat.

Just then, the palace maids served the first course of soup, blocking Ling Xianru's unwitting gaze.

Two palace maids dressed in pink knelt down and presented steaming soup bowls to the table.

The dishes were served according to the usual order, with one pot per person per table.

It's clear that Shen Mingxiu put a lot of thought into this banquet; the details were so meticulous that even the patterns on the ceramic cups were different.

The younger palace maid, who had clearly only recently entered the palace, imitated the older maid and placed the soup bowl in front of Feng Zuyi.

The head palace maid lowered her voice and reminded her, "That bowl of yours belongs to the Empress."

The two ceramic figures are glazed; one depicts a phoenix, and the other a peony.

The young palace maid happened to be holding a peony. Upon hearing this, she hurriedly placed the soup bowl in front of Wei Rong, saying, "This servant deserves to die! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Wei Rong smiled faintly: "Don't burn yourself. What's so special about the pattern?"

The young palace maid was terrified: "Your Highness, this...this servant doesn't know either!"

If there's nothing suspicious about this, then Wei Rong's three years in the palace have been wasted.

Feng Zuyi glanced at it indifferently, a hint of sarcasm flashing across her eyes.

"Won't the Empress try the soup that the Imperial Concubine specially prepared for you? This will surely chill the Imperial Concubine's heart." Feng Zuyi took the damp cloth, washed her hands, and said with a somewhat ambiguous tone.

Knowing there was something wrong with the soup, she decided to stand by and watch the show.

Based on Wei Rong's understanding of Shen Mingxiu, she wouldn't be foolish enough to poison the soup at such an important palace banquet.

With all the officials present, and moreover, before this soup could be served, it had to be tested for poison by palace maids using silver needles.

Once you've passed the test with the silver needles, the soup isn't a poison issue.

Wei Rong deftly deflected the question: "As Your Majesty knows, I do not like medicinal soups."

This soup contains a lot of expensive medicinal herbs, and you can smell the bitterness of the medicine.

"What are you afraid of? If she really wants to harm you, the entire court can witness it. It was her first time organizing a palace banquet, and if something went wrong, she wouldn't be able to explain it to His Majesty."

On the dragon throne, Xiao Heng was clinking glasses with Shen Mingxiu, the two of them playing music together, as if Shen Mingxiu were the empress he had rightfully married.

Whenever Wei Rong is jealous, the harem will never be peaceful.

She understood Feng Zuyi's meaning perfectly well.

The other party was implying that Shen Mingxiu could use her wits to get her hands on this soup, and she could take advantage of those wits.

If Shen Mingxiu were to take even a sip, Wei Rong could feign unconsciousness, or, to be more ruthless, swallow some harmless poison that causes diarrhea, and then summon an imperial physician. In that case, all of Shen Mingxiu's achievements at the palace banquet would be for naught.

Wei Rong understood, but this would do her no good.

Feng Zuyi wanted to use her to teach Shen Mingxiu a lesson, but Xiao Heng was very protective of Shen Mingxiu, so why would he stand on Wei Rong's side?

Wei Rong disdained such a tactic that would result in losing both her wife and her army.

"There are many people coming and going tonight. If something goes wrong, it could endanger Your Majesty's health. Since this soup is still piping hot, Your Majesty should be patient and wait for the show to unfold."

Seeing that she wasn't falling for it, Feng Zuyi gave a soft snort.

"The Empress Dowager and the Empress's relationship remains as strong as ever; they are truly a model for the entire court and the people."

It turned out that they had been watched for a long time while they were speaking in hushed tones.

Wei Rong composed herself, finding it amusing. If they knew what she and Feng Zuyi had discussed, they probably wouldn't have said those words.

"Your Majesty the Empress has always been favored by the Empress Dowager," Shen Mingxiu said with an envious expression. "Your Majesty is a model of filial piety and virtue, and a role model for all the concubines. I would like to offer a toast to Your Majesty. I was just impatient and ignorant, and that is why I offended Your Majesty. Please don't hold it against me, Your Majesty?"

With nothing major happening in the palace, the commotion in front of the palace gates became mere gossip. Now that Shen Mingxiu had brought it up herself, it made Wei Rong seem petty.

But she kept talking about filial piety and virtue.

Feng Zuyi finally got into the act, took a sip of tea, and said, "Didn't you hear that? It's a slap in the face."

Wei Rong dismissed this harmless provocation, replying, "It's alright. I appreciate your hard work preparing for the palace banquet. It just so happens that you added donkey-hide gelatin to this soup, and I can't stand the smell of fish lately. Would you mind doing it for me instead?"

Feng Zuyi glanced at her.

He seemed rather surprised.

She knew that although Wei Rong came from a military family and was straightforward, she was not someone who would deliberately cause trouble after three years in the palace.

Therefore, the way this arrow was fired surprised her quite a bit.

Shen Mingxiu glanced at the bowl, her eyes darting away. "This is a medicinal meal that I specially prepared for Your Highness. How could I presume to do it for you?"

"Is it because you dare not overstep your bounds, or is it because you, Consort Xian, are feeling guilty?"

Seeing Feng Zuyi speak as well, Shen Mingxiu frowned, her face instantly breaking into tears: "Whatever I do is wrong. What is there for me to feel guilty about, a mere bowl of soup?"

Seeing her like this, and considering the story of the Goddess of Mercy who grants children, Xiao Heng suddenly felt that Wei Rong and Feng Zuyi were targeting Shen Mingxiu. He waved his hand and pulled her into his arms: "Alright."

"The Consort Xian is willing to apologize, so why should the Empress make things difficult for her?"

This, in turn, became a fault of Wei Rong.

The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment, and many scrutinizing gazes were cast upon Wei Rong.

Rumors of the Empress falling out of favor were rampant, but nothing could compare to seeing it with one's own eyes.

Originally, many people had already sympathized with this empress. Without the support of her maternal family, the title of empress was useless, as she was trampled underfoot by the daughter of a mere scholar.

Few are concerned or curious; many are gloating.

Because of Wei Rong's good family background, there were countless noblemen in the capital who came to her door seeking her hand in marriage because of Wei Beimu's title.

Later, when Wei Rong married Xiao Heng, they saw her as someone who was trying to climb the social ladder.

But she actually became empress, and no matter what, no court official interfered with the empress's affairs.

But now the emperor's attitude towards her has changed drastically, and the favored one is clearly the virtuous concubine.

Many of those who had drunk too much tonight started having thoughts of kicking someone when they're down and currying favor with the powerful.

So, following Xiao Heng's words of protection, the officials couldn't wait any longer.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I was also present this afternoon and overheard a few words. The Imperial Concubine was indeed in a hurry to prepare for the palace banquet, which is why she offended you a little. It's nothing serious, so why are you making such a fuss about it?"

"Just now, Her Majesty said she couldn't stand the smell of fish. Is it good news that she has an heir? Three years without a child, and Her Majesty the Empress is still so jealous. This is not good, not good at all."

"I have also heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager recently intended to invite back the Guanyin Bodhisattva who grants children, but Her Majesty the Empress was not sincere. Not only did she show no respect, but she also caused the Noble Consort to suffer from health problems because of it. I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will reflect on your actions!"

"We are grateful to General Wei, and His Majesty is also a man who cherishes the past. Now that Your Highness is enjoying all the benefits and is the Empress, you should also manage the harem well for His Majesty!"

What should have been a pleasant palace banquet turned into a battleground for attacking Wei Rong.