Concubine Shu slanted in the direction where Steward Li and the others left, and a trace of resentment crossed her beautiful eyes.

Seeing this, the queen smiled secretly, and hurriedly went back to discuss the investigation with her henchman Aunt Lin and others, and directly gave an order, and the flower god sacrifice ended hastily.

On the way back, Steward Li scolded Zhi Wei with a shelf, to the effect that she was a broom star and caused trouble for him all day long, if she hadn't raised flowers so much, he wouldn't care if she lived or died.

Zhiwei knew that Steward Li was a paper tiger, so she would only be addicted, so she didn't bother to defend herself, she just thought she was a quail and listened to the training honestly.

Aunt Qing listened to a few words but opened her mouth: "Steward Li, you are also an old man in the palace, although today's incident has not found out the mastermind behind the scenes, but you still can't understand the trick?" ”

Steward Li's heart froze, as if he had thought of something, and he also stummed his mouth.

He didn't ask, Aunt Qing didn't explain, and the others didn't dare to ask, so they went back in silence.

Zhi Wei vaguely guessed in her heart that most of the Rose Flower Branches were intervened by a lady in the palace, otherwise, she couldn't easily mix in the hands of the person assigned by the queen to do this thing of stealing the dragon and turning the phoenix.

But why would the people behind the scenes do this?

Empress Fang Cai had already asked people to check on the spot, and only the rose had a problem with all the flower branches at the scene.

If that person knows the preferences of the concubines and concubines of each palace, and knows who will choose the rose today, and deliberately swap it, why did the flower branch end up in the hands of a gentle beauty with mediocre favors?

If that person wants to teach a certain concubine to vent, the target should also be the concubine who is the first person in the palace to be favored!

Many people in the palace know that Concubine Shu loves peonies the most, and the pot of flowers that was planted to death by Zhiwei and almost stoned to death is peony.

"If you want to poison your hands, directly on the branches with special meanings such as peonies or pomegranate flowers, such as soaking medicinal juice or something, and then harm the concubine's miscarriage, wouldn't it be more hidden than changing to a thorny flower branch?" Zhi Wei muttered in her heart.

It's no wonder that she thinks too much, it's really that the tricks of the people who do it this time are a little weird, as if some kid is playing a prank, and the rank is too far from the harem battle that Zhiwei knows.

Shortly after returning to the flower field, Zhiwei welcomed an unexpected visitor.

Kunxu Palace.

The palace people waited for the queen to change into her regular clothes, and then retreated one after another at the signal of Aunt Lin, leaving only the two confidants of Lu Lan and Lu Tao, as well as Aunt Lin, the confidant grandmother, to talk to the queen in private.

"What did Niang Niang see about the Imperial Garden?"

The queen heard the tentative meaning in Aunt Lin's words, and was a little impatient: "Aunt Lin has something to say, why bother beating around the bush between us?" Do you have any guesses about the person who changed the flowers? ”

Aunt Lin shook her head: "Niangniang, the old slave said more than this. That palace person from the Siyuan Bureau, Your Majesty just glanced at her a few times! ”

This is very clear, even a straight person like the queen understands.

"You mean, Your Majesty has a crush on that palace person?"

His Majesty came suddenly, and the queen was so flustered by the public case of the flower branch that she really didn't notice this.

However, as the queen's right-hand man, Aunt Lin's eyes were very vicious, not only did she see His Majesty's demeanor clearly when he looked at each concubine and palace person, but also took this opportunity to look at Zhiwei who was kneeling on the ground several times.

"Although the palace people are embarrassed and don't apply fat powder, they are also a rare beauty. In the palace, many little concubines are carefully decorated, and I am afraid that they are not as good as her. ”

The queen frowned and said: "It's just a beautiful palace person, if Your Majesty likes it, it's fortunate." Her background is too low, even if she can give birth to an imperial heir in the future, she will be a Jieyu at most, the same as Li Jieyu. You don't have to think about the position of the nine concubines, unless she has a belly and blooms again and again......"

Aunt Lin lowered her voice and said, "The slave maid inquired, the matter of the Imperial Garden yesterday was not so simple. Originally, His Majesty's intention seemed to be intended to be heavily responsible. It's just that the one named Hua Ying suddenly jumped out and said that Zhiwei cursed Concubine Shu, and then didn't know what to defend in front of His Majesty, and actually coaxed His Majesty to change his mind......"

The queen's face sank, and of course she understood the unfinished meaning of Aunt Lin's words.

That palace man is a scheming person, most of them are using the name of Concubine Shu to exonerate themselves and invite favor, either cleverly holding Concubine Shu to coax His Majesty, or finding another way.

In any case, Concubine Shu is the confidant of Kunxu Palace.

Concubine Xiao Shufei has been in the palace for more than two years, just before this pregnancy, His Majesty was in her palace for at least ten days in a month, but now she can't sleep, and Her Majesty often goes to visit, which is not the same situation at all as Concubine Xian and Li Jieyu when they were pregnant.

Although Concubine Shu's family is not as strong as her, she is also a scholarly family, her grandfather was the first assistant in the first emperor's dynasty, and now her uncles are also in the six departments of the court.

If Concubine Shu gives birth to the emperor's eldest son this time, she has not had good news for a long time, and in the long run, the middle palace has no children and no favor, but I am afraid that she will not be able to do the position of the queen!

The queen's mouth was bitter: "Auntie, how can this palace not know?" However, His Majesty's heirs, this palace must not stretch out his hand. Otherwise, what kind of face does this palace have in the world......"

Aunt Lin hurriedly said: "Niangniang, you just want to do it, the slave definitely doesn't mean that!" ”

The queen was suspicious: "Then what do you mean?" ”

Aunt Lin whispered over and said so.

The queen listened to a few words, but her brows did not loosen.

"Auntie, let me think about it again."

Not only did he unconsciously change his name, but even his tone was much softer, which was a bit of a coquettish girl in the boudoir, but more confused and fragile.

Aunt Lin couldn't help but say again: "Niangniang, even if we don't interfere, there are still so many people in the harem." That Zhiwei, there are probably a lot of people who want to win her over now...... However, it is imperative that we still strive to conceive a dragon heir as soon as possible. Otherwise, there is only a thousand days to be a thief, and there is no reason to prevent thieves for a thousand days. ”

The queen nodded indiscriminately, and her expression was even more resentful.

Why didn't she want to conceive an heir as soon as possible?

But His Majesty comes twice a month on the fifteenth day of the new year, and it is clear that he has coped with things, and when he comes, he may not necessarily call for water, so how can she be pregnant?

How the master and servant in Kunxu Palace whispered, Zhi Wei naturally didn't know at all.

She is not afraid of the edge she shows when she defends herself in the garden, but if she doesn't speak for herself, who will think about her?

I'm afraid that Steward Li and the queen want to find a scapegoat, and he is the best candidate.

Fortunately, she passed the customs safely for the time being, and not long after she was scared out of a cold sweat, her palms were wet again.

Zhi Wei knelt on the cold and hard floor tiles, looking down at the auspicious cloud pattern above in a daze.

There are palace people coming and going, and most of them have to cast a strange look when they pass her, or sympathy, or indifference, or curiosity, or mockery......

Half an hour ago, when someone said the words "Cining Palace" with a straight face, she had an ominous premonition.

Sure enough, as soon as she was brought into Cining Palace, the middle-aged female official went into the inner hall and replied, and before half the tea time came, she came out directly and asked her to kneel.

The thin lips of the female official spat out a sentence: "According to the mouth of the Empress Dowager, a slave like you who neglected her duties and harmed His Majesty could have been killed with a cane." The Queen Mother is merciful and Your Majesty is forgiving, so you are exempted from the death penalty. But capital crimes can be avoided, and living crimes cannot be avoided......"

In the end, Zhi Wei ended up kneeling in Cining Palace.

The female official didn't say how long she would kneel, but Zhiwei guessed that most of the kneeling until dark would be over, after all, the Queen Mother was not "merciful" enough to let her kneel for half a day and cancel her errand of carrying the bell.

It's still the beginning of February, and even at noon, the sun is not strong and dazzling.

Compared to when I first entered the palace, it was much better.

Zhi Wei knelt there like a sculpture, and her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to seven or eight years ago.

At that time, it was a scorching sun that was even more vicious than today, and she didn't learn the rules well, and she was punished by her aunt in charge, and she knelt in the middle of the courtyard like this.

At that time, she was still young, and she didn't even have a ten-year-old birthday, and she was the thinnest one among the palace maids who came in the same batch, and she was also yellow and thin, not very popular with her aunt, and not very popular with her peers.

The other little palace maids didn't like to take care of her, and no one took pity on her when she was punished, except for a little girl whose real name was Da Niu and was later renamed Qiuyue by her aunt, who handed her a hot handkerchief to her knee that night.

In a trance, she seemed to see the round face of Qiu Yue smiling at her again, with dimples on one side and no on the other, which was still very cute.

However, in the next second, a big white and puffy face flashed in front of her eyes, and her eyes were closed and never opened......

A gust of wind blew through the hall, and Zhi Wei looked solemn and knelt straighter.

Under the sleeves of the short coat, there are a pair of clenched fists, and there are subtle scars and thin calluses on the head, all of which are the traces of the work of serving people over the years.

This Miyagi is a cannibal, she has to endure it, and there is hope for survival.

The sun is slowly turning west, and the palace people who were busy with cloth dishes have already retreated, and the palace is quiet, thinking that the queen mother has finished lunch and gone to rest.

Zhiwei's stomach was already grumbling with hunger, she only ate half a cake and porridge in the morning, and she was busy for a long time, and she was ordered to the concubines, and she was punished by the queen mother to kneel, and her physical strength had already been exhausted.

At this moment, her only solace was the half of the dry cake hidden in her arms.

But it is definitely not okay to eat secretly when you kneel, even if it is the time between the queen mother's lunch break, there is no one around, and she does not dare to move, at most she loosens her stiff back and saves some effort.

Zhi Wei has been in the palace for all these years, and she doesn't know that it is easy for the people inside to spy on her every move without being discovered by her.

The queen mother was angry with her because of the emperor's injury, and she couldn't cross the emperor to kill her, so she was naturally happy to see her show her handle.

So, you can't move, you can't lose.

The palms had already been pinched by the short nails, and the knees had begun to numb, and the slightest movement was mixed with the slightest stinging pain of paralysis.

Zhiwei could only use the pain to divert the burning hunger in her abdomen, waiting for it to pass.

Of course, the children of poor families know that hunger is like a monster, and the more you pay attention to it and fear it, the more fierce it becomes. If you ignore it, after half an hour, it will most likely retreat. Even if it has a good chance of making a comeback, at least the moment can be passed.

Zhi Wei was silently imagining the appearance of the little monster that had fled into the wilderness, and a gust of incense swept past her, with an undoubted unattainable height.

The visitor suddenly stopped in front of her.

"Hey, this palace man...... Look at the color of the dress is not from Cining Palace, did she bump into her aunt? ”

This young female voice full of curiosity is probably He Jieyu.

After all, how many women in the entire harem can call the Queen Mother an aunt?

The palace man who led the way didn't explain, and seemed to be just laughing and not saying a word.

He Jieyu didn't think it was wrong, and said casually: "Look up! I want to see what the who dares to annoy my aunt looks like! ”

The palace man who led the way still didn't say anything, but Zhi Wei felt several burning gazes fall on her, almost piercing herself.