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

The fireworks display lasted for about half an incense stick's time. The area in front of the main hall was noisy and chaotic, and no one noticed the slight movement in these two places.

Halfway through, a guard rushed over and asked Zhu Er to announce that he wanted to see the emperor.

Xiao Heng was still pointing to a firework for Wei Rong to see: "This purple one suits you, but if you like red, I'll have the Imperial Wardrobe make a few more new styles for you in the next couple of days. Red looks good."

Before Wei Rong could refuse, he said, "Since the beginning of winter, I have neglected you. Tonight is New Year's Eve, I will go to the Phoenix Palace to keep you company."

What's meant to happen will happen; Wei Rong's prediction in the palace just now was indeed correct.

She was trying to come up with an excuse when Zhu Er, who had come to her knees, interrupted her: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the guards have reported that they have found an item that is difficult to decide. They request Your Majesty and Your Highness to come and make a decision."

Wei Rong had a gut feeling that Zhu Er's expression was off.

If it were an ordinary matter, the guards could handle it themselves; why report it to the emperor?

The only possibility is that this matter is related to the imperial concubines or Xiao Heng, so the guards dared not make a decision.

As expected, Zhu Er glanced at her with an indescribable expression, and she only dared to whisper, "It is... Her Majesty's thing."

Wei Rong felt that she had been careful and cautious all night and had not made any mistakes. She had only been accompanied by a few palace maids from her own palace when she came, and she had not brought anything important, so she was unlikely to have lost anything.

Unless someone does it intentionally...

She suddenly looked at Shen Mingxiu, but the other woman didn't look at her; she was focused on the fireworks, as if she hadn't heard anything.

"What are you stammering about? What's so shameful about the Empress's things? Bring them here!"

Judging from his tone, he clearly didn't trust Wei Rong. His first thought was that Wei Rong might have done something with Wei Xing while he was changing clothes tonight.

He even lowered his arm from Wei Rong's shoulder, reverting to his cold and indifferent demeanor.

"This—" Zhu Yi hesitated, "Perhaps Your Majesty would like to move aside, or have the Empress go and confirm it. It's not a big deal—"

"You dog slave!" Xiao Heng roared, "When did I ask you to teach me how to do things? Bring it here!"

Just then, the fireworks ended, and everyone heard the emperor's angry voice. No one dared to utter a sound, wondering how things had changed so quickly.

The head guard, who had been waiting, dared not delay any longer. He stepped forward with something in his hands, covered by a cloth, so that the contents were completely hidden and could not be seen.

After carefully considering everything that had happened today, Wei Rong realized that she really had nothing that Shen Mingxiu could use to frame her.

Could it be that they used her as a front to do something harmful?

Who can it harm?

She doesn't have much of a conflict of interest with the other concubines in the harem. In terms of favor, Wei Rong is currently less favored than even the other concubines in the palace, so Shen Mingxiu is not good at taking advantage of that.

If it's not harming people, then it's—an insult.

The only thing she was wearing tonight was the palace dress she had changed out of. Because the riding outfit needed to be tight, she even brought her undergarments from the Phoenix Palace to change into.

The clothes that had been changed were then sent back to the Phoenix Palace by the young palace maid Caiyue.

Could it be that Shen Mingxiu is—

As Zhu Yi just said, it's not something very important, but it shouldn't be shown to others.

In Dajing, although men and women are not strictly separated, and women are not restricted to their private quarters, their reputation is still very important. If a woman's personal clothing is exposed in public, especially if she is the empress, she will become the laughing stock of Yunjing the next day.

The Wei family has been criticized recently, and Wei Rong's reputation is related to the entire Wei clan.

She couldn't risk it.

Before she could even speak, Wei Xing jumped in to protect his sister: "Since it concerns you, Your Majesty, why don't you check it out privately first? You've been working hard tonight; you might have lost something."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng seemed to agree and beckoned Zhu Yi to take the tray.

"It is precisely because it concerns Her Majesty the Empress that we must be even more cautious," Shen Mingxiu spoke up at just the right moment. "Just now, when I went to change my clothes, Her Majesty seemed to have been gone for quite a while. I was just about to go out for some fresh air when I happened to see General Xiao Wei leaving with Her Majesty. I wonder where you two went and who you met?"

Her pointed remark served as a very timely reminder to Xiao Heng.

How could Wei Xing return to the palace without an imperial edict? Although he came with news of victory, his appearance at the palace banquet was so timely, as if he had come specifically for rewards. I absolutely cannot refuse to reward him, otherwise I would chill the hearts of my subjects.

Could all of this have been Wei Rong's idea?

After leaving the main hall, what did the brother and sister discuss?

Are the contents of this tray related to this matter?

He should have known long ago that Wei Rong was not a docile person, and wondered if she had met someone else and was plotting something.

He had been drinking too much earlier and hadn't paid attention to the people coming and going in the hall. Who could be an accomplice of the Wei family?

What are they planning?

Do you intend to steal my empire from my hands?

The more Xiao Heng thought about it, the deeper her eyes became, as if she wanted to pierce through Wei Rong with her gaze.

Wei Rong was well aware of his suspicious nature. In the past, she might have been hurt by such a gaze, but now, she was only left with a cold heart.

"Your Majesty, why listen to the Consort's side of the story? I haven't seen A-Xing for a long time, and he will soon be returning to the Southern Frontier. Therefore, I had a few more private words with him in front of Liufang Palace. The guards who passed by can corroborate this. On the contrary, Consort, who did you see while you were lingering near Liufang Palace?"

Actually, what Wei Rong said wasn't true. There were only a handful of guards around Liufang Palace tonight. I wonder if Ling Xianru deliberately sent them away so he could talk to Shen Mingxiu.

But as soon as these words were spoken, Shen Mingxiu's face turned deathly pale.

She didn't know that Wei Rong was changing clothes in Liufang Palace. She went there to find Ling Xianru. If Wei Rong was really there, wouldn't she have overheard her conversation with Ling Xianru?

How much did you hear?

She wrung out her handkerchief, her panicked eyes pleading for help as she looked at Ling Xianru.

Strangely, what she saw was a man eight feet tall, standing right behind Wei Rong. His face was illuminated by the tall candlelight under the eaves, making him look extremely handsome. His expression was like that of a demon, making it impossible to read his emotions.

Is this... a warning to her?

Their meeting must, of course, be kept secret, not even a little bit.

Neither his official career nor his position as a concubine could withstand the slightest setback.

His words in the main hall just now would have moved anyone who heard them. Even though the woman he loved was already married, he was still willing to take advantage of her.

—It was she who wronged Ling Xianru.

"...Your Majesty, I have no one to see. I just noticed that Your Majesty and my younger brother have a good relationship, and I was very envious. So I paid a few extra glances. As Your Majesty knows, I have always been lonely in the Shen family."

Xiao Heng was already impatient: "Alright, we've gone off on a tangent. Zhu Ai, bring the things up!"

He was convinced that this thing was related to Wei Rong, but he wanted to see who Wei Rong could possibly ally with.

"Your Majesty!" Wei Rong pressed down on his wrist: "I rarely ask Your Majesty for anything, but please let me see this first."

Xiao Heng's response was to shake off her hand.

Along with that, Wei Rong's dignity and self-respect were also shaken off.

Without hesitation, he lifted the cover, and what lay quietly in the tray was not the undergarment Wei Rong had thought it to be.