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

She married Xiao Heng, accepting any exchange of benefits, but he couldn't force her to bend her spine and become one of the many who dressed up and painted red.

This is Wei Rong's only source of pride.

"Besides—" she smiled gently.

Qiaoyu was surprised, and then she saw that the osmanthus tree outside the window was covered with a layer of snow. A gust of wind blew, and the snow fell to the ground.

Qiaoyu, having grown up alongside her, could somewhat understand her thoughts and knew that her mistress wasn't someone entirely without plans: "Besides?"

She softly uttered four words: "A tall tree catches the wind."

Shen Mingxiu's eagerness for power and the limelight is not uncommon.

After all, her maternal family wasn't considered a high-ranking one, and she didn't have any children to rely on. She was an ambitious woman, and such a woman would naturally plan for herself.

A palace banquet is needed to prove oneself and gain recognition from the court and the public, so that one can secure the position of Imperial Concubine.

But the more this is the case, the more eyes are watching.

Wei Rong didn't fight for herself, firstly because a palace banquet meant nothing to her, and secondly because she wanted to see if Shen Mingxiu was truly uneducated, aside from vying for favor.

A palace banquet, if done well, will be praised and celebrated; if done poorly, it will become the target of public criticism.

Wei Rong had been handling this for three years and knew how much effort and attention she had put into the details.

Qiaoyu was still somewhat indignant: "When His Majesty ascended the throne, the palace was in chaos. You painstakingly established many rules and regulations to fight against the old system. But she just enjoys the benefits of others' hard work."

"Not entirely," Wei Rong said, her expression still blank. "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Shen Mingxiu is so eager to prove herself that she will definitely adjust the rules."

That's not unreasonable. Qiaoyu said worriedly, "Should we just stand by and let her do whatever she wants?"

If Shen Mingxiu truly shines at the palace banquet, then Wei Rong's situation in the palace will become even more difficult.

"Let her do whatever she wants," Wei Rong took a sip of warm water. "Tell the palace servants below that whatever she needs your cooperation with in her palace, do as she asks. But whatever she asks for, you must sign and fingerprint it, otherwise make excuses. Understand?"

Qiaoyu didn't quite understand what Wei Rong was wary of, but she knew that her mistress must have a plan.

"Qiaoyu understands."

After a moment of silence, Qiaoyu hesitated and asked, "Should we thank that Physician Qian? It would be good to have an acquaintance in the Imperial Hospital so that he can look after us in the future."

Although the physician Qian was unknown, Qiaoyu always felt that something was strange about the matter.

It's quite a coincidence that a newly arrived imperial physician happened to prescribe the right medicine when Wei Rong's condition was critical.

"Need not."

Wei Rong patted the back of her hand: "If he really came for us, thanking him will only attract the attention of Physician An and the others."

Her situation in the palace was not good. If Imperial Physician Qian was an old subordinate of her father, or simply a kind-hearted person, he would easily be made difficult by being near her.

But if it was one of her father's former subordinates... she wouldn't be completely unaware of it.

In Yunjing, the Wei family had no close ties with the Qian clan.

Based on a prescription alone, she couldn't be sure of the other party's intentions. In such turbulent times, it's always better to avoid trouble.

From that day on, the Phoenix Palace was indeed kept closed for a period of time.

Only when the twelfth lunar month arrived and the weather warmed up a bit did the gloom over Yunjing dissipate, bringing a long-awaited sunny day, and the palace gates were opened again.

Wei Rong's health improved, and she went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.

There were two empress dowagers in the harem. One was Empress Su, the legitimate empress of the late emperor. After the palace coup, the crown prince was exiled to the Lingnan fiefdom by Xiao Heng, and she was given a nominal title and lived in seclusion in Changyang Palace, rarely showing her face.

The other was Xiao Heng's birth mother, Lady Feng. She did not come from a high social class, but she rose to the position of Empress Dowager because of her son and enjoyed great honor.

When she first married Xiao Heng, Feng Zuyi bestowed gifts upon Wei Rong every three days, showing more devotion to her than offering incense.

After the Wei family's incident, her attitude changed drastically.

Wei Rong was dressed in moon white today, which made her look even more light and elegant. She took off her fur coat and bowed. Feng Zuyi's eyes swept over her lower abdomen.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Thank you for your concern, Mother. I'm all better now."

It was no secret that she was ill, but for the past two weeks, Feng Zuyi had not sent anyone to visit her.

"I thought you were pregnant with the Emperor's child," Feng Zuyi said with displeasure. "But it was another false alarm. When will your belly finally produce a son? Are you really going to wait for a son born out of wedlock to be born first?"

These words were extremely offensive, and the palace servants around bowed their heads. Some of the young maids in Cixi Palace couldn't help but laugh.

Wei Rong glanced at it and said softly, "That is the blessing of the concubines."

She used to feel guilty for not having children and would be saddened by Feng Zuyi's words. Perhaps her serious illness changed her mindset, and now she is fortunate not to have children.

"If you don't fight for yourself, what can I expect from you?" Feng Zuyi scoffed. "Only that little slut got the better deal."

The "bitch" she was referring to was Shen Mingxiu.

The Feng family had been related to the imperial family for generations, but unfortunately, all the princes and princesses they produced were born out of wedlock.

When it came to Feng Zuyi, her ancestral graves seemed to emit auspicious smoke, and she gave birth to a son who became an emperor.

The Feng family naturally wanted to raise a legitimate prince, but with Wei Rong ahead and Shen Mingxiu behind, Xiao Heng didn't take a liking to any of the Feng family's carefully selected daughters.

Feng Zuyi placed her hopes on Wei Rong, but Wei Rong remained childless for three years.

She therefore vented all her resentment on Wei Rong.

"A few days ago, I went to Huguo Temple to offer incense. The Imperial Preceptor saw that I was eager to have a grandson and gave me some advice," Feng Zuyi said casually, taking a sip of tea and hiding her eyes with the cup. "The Guanyin statue in the side hall is the one I brought back. You should kneel there for an hour every day. The Imperial Preceptor said that sincerity will bring results."

Upon hearing this, Qiaoyu found it absurd and, with a heart full of concern for her mistress, said, "Your Majesty! My mistress is still recovering from her illness; this is truly too much to bear..."

"How dare you! How dare you, a lowly servant, interrupt the Empress Dowager's presence!"

Gui, the old woman beside Feng Zuyi, was no pushover either, and immediately scolded Qiaoyu.

Wei Rong's expression remained unchanged; instead, she smiled gently: "Your Majesty's concern is well-known, but Your Majesty resides deep within the Cining Palace and likely pays little attention to His Majesty's whereabouts. Even if my heart is sincere, how could I conjure a child out of thin air before the Goddess Guanyin?"

In the past, when Feng Zuyi would scold her, Wei Rong would listen obediently without uttering a single word of rebuttal.

How come you've become so eloquent after being sick?

"Are you blaming His Majesty for not going to your Phoenix Palace?" Feng Zuyi sneered. "You're incompetent yourself, so who can you blame?"

Just then, a palace maid came to report that Consort Xian had come to pay her respects.

Shen Mingxiu, dressed in magnificent palace attire, with her hairpins swaying gently, appeared obedient and well-behaved: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. May the Empress Dowager and the Empress enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Before Feng Zuyi could speak, she ordered her personal maid to bring over a soup: "I personally stewed a bowl of bird's nest soup today, thinking that with winter approaching, Your Majesty will need nourishment and health. I'm sure Your Majesty won't mind this small act of filial piety from me?"

She then turned to Wei Rong, her smile tinged with self-reproach: "I just didn't know the Empress was also there. I didn't stew a pot. Your Majesty has been confined to the palace for half a month. Has your health fully recovered? His Majesty was furious that day, and I dared not visit you. It was all my fault."

When the bird's nest was served, Feng Zuyi glanced at Granny Gui, who immediately took it and placed it on the side of the table, clearly having no intention of drinking it.