As early as October, when Qu Muge entered Beijing, Emperor Yongdi listened to Wei Dexian's confession in Baifu, and he sensed a problem in his heart.

Wei Dexian said that day that Concubine Zuo left Jinling because she found out that she was pregnant, and for the sake of the child, she left Concubine Wen who was waiting to give birth.

But at that time, Emperor Yong had left Jinling for more than four months, whose child was Concubine Zuo pregnant?

Emperor Yong later secretly ordered someone to turn over the medical case of the imperial hospital, and the medical case recorded that Zuo Concubine was pregnant after returning to the palace, and she was indeed pregnant for nine months before giving birth to the second prince.

The time was completely inconsistent with what Wei Dexian confessed, and he didn't know who to believe for a while.

Before she conceived the second prince, did she have any other wild species?

Or is the second prince the evil seed she conceived outside the palace?

Emperor Yong imagined many possibilities, but the imperial doctor who recuperated Zuo Guifei's body back then had already passed away, and now there is nothing to check in the palace except for the medical case.

During this period, he had been secretly sending Gu Nanye to investigate outside the palace, and he didn't expect that there would be key witnesses sent to the palace.

Emperor Yong was so angry that he couldn't calm down, and said: "Give me a check to the end, I want to know how she doesn't keep the woman's way, and I want to find out whether the second prince is my blood and blood!" ”

Gu Nanye persuaded firmly: "Your Majesty, the birth medical case of the second prince is complete, and there is no problem with his identity. ”

"How do you tell me to believe her? She covers the sky in the harem, how can the medical case be believed? ”

Once the seeds of doubt are planted, they grow wildly.

Because of the assassins, this Spring Festival in the palace was very tense.

On the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, Emperor Yong and the Empress Dowager led the palace concubines and princesses to worship their ancestors in the Huangji Hall, during which the second prince inadvertently coughed, and was severely punished by the Yongdi Emperor and ordered him to stand outside the Huangji Hall.

After coming out of the Imperial Palace, everyone turned to the Jiaotai Hall for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.

Emperor Yongdi was more silent than in the past, and relied on the Empress Dowager Yu to support the scene.

Qu Muge saw that the emperor was in such a bad mood, so he probably guessed a few reasons, and he was silent, not daring to say more.

But there is a virtuous concubine who can't see the situation clearly, she is in a happy mood because of the grounding of Zuo Guifei and the punishment of the second prince, and she can't settle down at the banquet.

She smiled and talked to the Empress Dowager Yu, and sent the third prince Li Youxiang to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Xiang'er hasn't seen the imperial grandmother for half a year, and often tells the concubines that she misses you very much. ”

Empress Dowager Yu looked at the third prince and said with a faint smile: "Xiang'er has grown up a lot, how is your homework?" ”

As soon as he mentioned his homework, Li Youxiang frowned, he likes to ride and shoot, and his reading has always been inferior to his two elder brothers.

Concubine Xian hurriedly said for the child: "Mr. checked his homework before the holiday, and said that Xiang'er has improved better than before." ”

Empress Dowager Yu was a little dissatisfied and said, "Xiang'er, you say it yourself." ”

Li Youxiang replied nervously: "My father and emperor have repelled the enemy army this year, and we will think about how to clean up the mountains and rivers and restore the livelihood of the people in the frontier." The grandson and the royal brothers wrote articles and handed them in, and they were all praised by the husband. ”

Empress Dowager Yu asked, "Oh? You all wrote? Xian'er, what plan did you offer? ”

Concubine Xian is angry, Empress Dowager Yu is always most concerned about the eldest prince, she wants her son to show more, but the Queen Mother will not give her a chance.

The emperor's eldest son, Li Youxian, stood up and said: "Back to the emperor's grandmother, the grandson's strategy is aimed at reducing taxes and promoting farming, so that the people who have just experienced the war have time to recuperate. ”

Empress Dowager Yu was very satisfied: "Yes, Xian'er knows how to sympathize with the people, and also understands that the foundation of the country lies in the people, and she is benevolent and virtuous, and she has learned well." ”

Concubine Xian hurriedly interjected and asked, "Xiang'er, what did you write, tell the imperial grandmother about it." ”

Empress Dowager Yu interrupted: "Well, now it's the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and Concubine Xian won't want to test the school's children's homework, and let them eat at ease." ”

She turned to Emperor Yong and said: "It's almost time for the banquet, call Fei'er to come back for dinner, the child is rude for a while, the emperor doesn't have to worry too much." ”

Emperor Yong said with a dark face: "What a momentary faux pas, I see that he has no one in his eyes recently, so let him reflect on it in front of his ancestors and ancestors." ”

The people in the Jiaotai Hall were silent.

No one expected that when the emperor was having the New Year's dinner, he would not even give the queen mother's face.

Everyone can see that the second prince and Zuo Guifei are afraid that there is really going to be a big problem.

The scene cooled down, and the Queen Mother thought that Emperor Yongdi loved Taixuan the most, so she changed the topic and said: "This year is the first year that Taixuan has returned to the palace for the New Year, you have to eat more, so that you will have enough food and clothing in the coming year." ”

Qu Muge stood up and said, "Grandmother Xie Huang, granddaughter must eat more." Imperial grandmother, granddaughter saw that this winter was particularly cold, and made a scarf for you and your father, granddaughter had not studied female red seriously before, and the workmanship was rough, and I hope that the imperial grandmother will not dislike it. ”

She presented the two scarves, and Empress Dowager Yu smiled: "It's enough for you to have this thought." ”

Emperor Yong's face also softened a little, and said: "You are a princess, it doesn't matter if you don't become a woman, do you want to do needlework yourself in the future?" ”

Qu Muge said: "What I gave to my father and grandmother, my daughter doesn't want to borrow the hands of others, I will study hard in the future, and I will definitely be able to learn well." ”

"Good boy."

Concubine Xian answered: "Ah, yes, the concubine has also prepared a New Year's gift. ”

Naturally, everyone present prepared New Year's gifts, and then gave gifts to each other, and the atmosphere became harmonious.

Qu Muge received a lot of gifts, except for the queen mother and the emperor, all the concubines prepared gifts for the prince and princess.

After the banquet is over, the emperor will keep vigil, and after asking the queen mother to go back first, he will take the concubines and children back to the emperor's palace.

Outside the Imperial Palace, the second prince Li Youfei was almost frozen into a popsicle, standing on the stone floor shivering, and the eunuch serving on the side held a hand stove and cloak in his hands, and he didn't dare to use them for him.

Seeing that the emperor was coming, Li Youfei stepped forward to ask for sin: "Father, the child is wrong, he shouldn't lose his honor in front of the ancestors and ancestors, please forgive the emperor for this time." ”

Emperor Yong snorted, ignored him, and led everyone in.

In the warm pavilion of the Imperial Palace, the palace people raised the brazier and brought melons and fruits.

Li Muzhen, who had never spoken at the New Year's dinner, saw that the Queen Mother was not there at this time, and finally became bold and asked, "Third sister, how did you spend the New Year in the people?" Do you also have New Year's dinner to eat, and do you have new clothes to wear? ”

Qu Muge glanced at her, this little girl really wanted to trouble her endlessly, asking these questions was nothing more than to embarrass Qu Muge.

The sixth princess, Li Mujin, suddenly said, "Fourth sister, what do you mean by this?" Under the governance of his father, how could the people of the Yong Dynasty have no food and no clothes? ”

Li Muzhen choked, only to realize that her former little follower had completely stood on Qu Muge's side.

"Don't distort what I mean! I haven't been to the people, but I just want to ask the third sister to talk to me. ”