After killing four concubines, the queen was sentenced to death and reborn

Weiyang Palace

Zheng Xiyan walked out of the darkness of the side hall, and the palace lantern gently swaying in Biluo's hand reflected her tired and gentle face. She had just coaxed Xiao Shuyue into a dream, and there was a sweet smile on her young face, as if she was still immersed in the warm embrace of her mother.

Returning to the bedroom, she sat down in front of the dressing table. The bronze mirror reflected her slightly haggard but still dignified face. She frowned slightly, as if in deep thought, and asked softly, "Is Concubine Zhang supposed to be in the Purple Palace by now?"

Biluo stood aside, bowed her head and replied respectfully: "I think it has arrived, your majesty."

Zheng Xiyan sighed softly, as if lamenting the impermanence of life in the deep palace. She yawned, and a hint of relief appeared in her tired expression, "Okay, you can leave now."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Biluo and Shuangning answered in unison. They helped Zheng Xiyan lie down, and then quietly left the bedroom.

Shuang Ning walked out of the bedroom, looked back at the tightly closed door, and whispered to Biluo: "Biluo, why do I always feel that the queen has changed?"

Biluo shook her head gently, her eyes deep, "The Queen no longer cares whether or not His Majesty favors her. Now that she has His Majesty the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, as well as the Princess by her side, His Majesty's favor is no longer that important to her."

Shuang Ning nodded, but she was still a little confused. "That being said, I still feel like something is wrong with the queen, but I can't put my finger on it."

"Don't think about it." Biluo said softly, "We will do whatever the queen says."

"Yeah." Shuang Ning responded.

In the bedroom, Zheng Xiyan lay on the soft quilt and fell asleep quickly.

Prince Xiang's Mansion

At this time, Prince Xiang was standing in the yard, looking up at the bright moon. The moonlight sprinkled on his handsome face, adding a bit of mystery and majesty to him. Jing Yang walked over from a distance, with a trace of doubt and uneasiness on his face, "Your Highness! Just as Your Highness expected, Concubine Zhang will sleep with you tonight."

King Xiang smiled softly, as if everything was within his expectations, "I understand."

After Jing Yang hesitated for a long time, he finally couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, there is something I don't understand."

"What's the matter?" King Xiang turned his head, his eyes sharp.

"Why did the Queen choose Concubine Zhang to enter the palace? With Concubine Zhang's beauty, she will definitely be favored by His Majesty after entering the palace. This is not good for the Queen!"

Prince Xiang chuckled and said, "Because she doesn't care about Xiao Xuanchen's favor at all."

"I don't understand." Jing Yang frowned.

Prince Xiang sighed, as if lamenting the unpredictable world in the palace. "For the queen, the most important thing has never been the emperor's favor, but that her son is the crown prince. As long as Xiao Chengji is firmly on the throne of the crown prince, she won't worry about who Xiao Xuanchen favors. Didn't you see that Xiao Xuanchen has repeatedly favored Concubine Yi over the years, and she didn't panic at all."

King Xiang sighed, "A truly smart woman will not lose herself for a man and mess up her position. For her, it doesn't matter whether she has the emperor's favor or not. It's just icing on the cake, and it won't threaten her position if she doesn't have it. Why should she care?"

"My subordinate understands."

King Xiang smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with a deep light, as if he could see through the future. "Now we just have to wait and see how Concubine Zhang performs in the harem." There was a sense of confidence in his words, as if everything was under control.

“Your Highness, why are you so sure that His Majesty will…” Jing Yang frowned slightly, a puzzled look on his face.

King Xiang shook his head slightly, with a mocking arc on his lips. "Hmph, don't be fooled by appearances. You think he is a wise ruler, but that's just because he hasn't revealed his true face as a tyrant. When my father first came to power, he worked hard to govern the country, but what about his later years? He indulged in women and believed in slander. I don't believe Xiao Xuanchen can be faithful to one person."

Upon hearing this, Jing Yang couldn't help but sigh in his heart and nodded gently. "Zhang Jieyu's beautiful face is so beautiful that any man will be moved. She can indeed confuse Your Majesty."

King Xiang chuckled, with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Minister Zhang really has a good daughter."

"Your Highness is absolutely right." Jing Yang agreed.

Outside the Purple Palace, the day had already dawned. The eunuch in front of the emperor was standing outside the palace, his eyes full of anxiety. The time for the morning court session was approaching, but there was still no movement in the palace. He couldn't help but start to feel uneasy, fearing that His Majesty would delay the morning court session.

In the bedroom, Xiao Xuanchen embraced Zhang Mengxi, and the two were lingering. Zhang Mengxi gently moved her body, a blush appeared on her face, and she called softly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

Xiao Xuanchen lazily opened his eyes and looked at Zhang Mengying's beautiful face, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes. "What's wrong, my beloved?"

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Shouldn't you go to the morning court?" Zhang Mengying lowered her head shyly, with a hint of worry in her voice.

Xiao Xuanchen looked out the window at the bright sky, and couldn't help feeling annoyed. This was the first time in all the years since he ascended the throne that he was as obsessed with women as he was last night. He gently patted Zhang Mengxi's shoulder, "Come here!" he shouted.

Upon hearing the voice, the eunuch in front of the emperor hurriedly led a group of palace servants into the bedroom. "Your Majesty!" he asked respectfully.

"Change clothes!" Xiao Xuanchen ordered.

"Yes!" The eunuch in front of the emperor quickly ordered the palace servants to come forward and help Xiao Xuanchen change his clothes.

Xiao Xuanchen slowly got off the bed, while Zhang Mengying wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and sat on the bed shyly, following his figure closely with her eyes. She watched the palace servants change Xiao Xuanchen into court clothes, and she couldn't help but feel an inexplicable fear in her heart.

After Xiao Xuanchen changed into his court robes, he turned around and glanced at Zhang Mengying, with a gentle smile on his face. "Pass the decree down, promote Concubine Zhang to Xiuyuan," he said softly.

The eunuch in front of the emperor was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and quickly responded: "I obey your order!"

Zhang Mengying was also surprised. She didn't expect that she could be promoted directly to Xiuyuan, bypassing Chongyuan, Chongrong and Chongyi. But because she hadn't put on any clothes, she could only kneel on the bed to thank the emperor, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Xiao Xuanchen came to the bed, gently pinched her little face, and said softly: "My beloved concubine, there is no need to be polite. Sleep a little longer! When I finish my morning court, I will come back to have breakfast with you."

"Yes!" Zhang Mengying nodded obediently and watched Xiao Xuanchen leave the bedroom.

The eunuch stood there, stunned. He stood there in disbelief, as if he had seen something incredible. What was going on? He muttered to himself, he had never seen His Majesty delay the morning court for a woman, even the Empress, the mother of the country, had never...

Xiao Xuanchen has been known for his diligence since he ascended the throne. Today, he was delayed in attending the morning court because of a concubine. This was the first time in history. Outside the Taiji Hall, the morning glow was rising, and the sunlight shone on the golden glazed tiles, reflecting a dazzling light. However, this light could not cover up the suffocating silence in the hall.

In the Taiji Hall, the ministers had been waiting for a long time. They looked at each other, their faces full of confusion. In the past, Xiao Xuanchen always appeared here on time, handling state affairs and deciding major events in the world. But today, he was late, which puzzled everyone.

"Your Majesty has never done this before, but what happened?" an old minister asked in a low voice, his voice full of worry.

"Yes! Your Majesty has never missed the morning court over the years." Another minister echoed, with a hint of uneasiness between his brows.

Listening to the discussion, King Xiang stood aside, his face looked calm, but he was secretly delighted in his heart. It seemed that he had made the right move. He was thinking about the next plan in his mind, but his face remained calm, as if everything was under his control.