I swept the harem by pretending to be weak

The Jingming Palace where Defei lived had very beautiful scenery and a very good geographical location, as it was very close to the Yong'an Palace where the emperor lived.

But Concubine De has always been a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune, at least that's what everyone in the palace says. She rarely hangs around in front of the emperor, and has never used tricks like vying for favor, which simply wastes this advantage.

However, she was a devout Taoist and copied scriptures every day. Even in the palace, she often dressed up as a Taoist nun. When the emperor came before her, she did not ask about changing clothes or anything like that. She just bowed from a distance and then entered the palace alone.

The emperor was not angry with her because of this matter. He walked in with a worried look on his face. As soon as he sat down, he said straight to the point: "De Fei, I need your help."

When dealing with the new concubines, the emperor would still be a little reserved, trying his best to maintain his image of wisdom and bravery, but with the old people who he already knew well, he was relatively relaxed.

After all, they have been supporting each other since their youth, and have seen each other in all kinds of miserable situations, so there is no need for them to maintain their image.

"Your Majesty, is there anything else you want me to do?" Defei did not look at the emperor. Her eyes were fixed on the teacup, as if the pattern on the teacup was very eye-catching.

"Defei, everything has passed, and it's time for you to move on. Shen was arrogant and domineering and brought about her own destruction. You don't have to feel guilty anymore." The emperor wanted to bring up the matter of Concubine Lan directly, but seeing Defei's pitiful appearance, he couldn't help but feel pity for her.

There was once a deep love between the two of them.

"I'm not that noble." Defei laughed and said softly: "I just feel very sorry for my wife."

"I am also sorry for her. She is my first wife, but I couldn't protect her and our child. Perhaps it is because of this that God punished me and made me childless for many years." The emperor sighed with a heavy face.

"She was so smart and kind. Even when she was in danger, she did not use her intelligence to harm anyone. That's why I posthumously gave her the title of Empress Huimin. If she were still alive, I think she would feel gratified." The emperor had a premonition that if the conversation continued like this, it would most likely get out of control, so he hurriedly ended his condolences for his old friend.

Sometimes he was actually reluctant to be around these people. When he was around them, he would inevitably mention old friends. Every time he mentioned old friends, he would not feel relaxed or happy, but sad and grief.

He tried his best to forget the humiliating past, but he couldn't do it in the end.

He is now the emperor who is high above all others, the ruler of all people, and can control the life, death, honor and disgrace of everyone without restraint. However, he was once a person who was trampled underfoot and ridiculed and mocked by others.

In order to defeat his enemy and achieve a trivial goal, he was even willing to pay the price with the life of his beloved child.

That was such a sad past.

The emperor actually hopes that Concubine De can successfully realize what he wants to express, stop reminiscing about the old friends, and shift her attention to the people in the present.

But De Fei may not understand, or may understand but not care, still in a dreamy and ethereal tone, she continued: "I dreamed of Nan Nan again yesterday. She was still so young and beautiful, innocent and kind, and she was warm to everyone. I really wanted to hug her and keep her, but when I chased after her, she disappeared like smoke."

The emperor had to interrupt her dream talk and said, "I have something to ask of you. Concubine Lan in Weiyang Palace is pregnant, but I found that Concubine Xian has been acting strangely recently. Concubine Chun may have been responsible for the incident. There is really no one I can trust in this palace, so I can only ask you to take care of Concubine Lan."

The emperor was afraid that she would turn the subject to some unknown corner, so he spoke very quickly about what he wanted to ask. Concubine De listened very politely. After the emperor finished speaking, she asked slowly, "Lady Lan, do you know when his birthday is?"

"I don't care about this little thing. Is it important?" The emperor asked casually. Seeing Concubine De nodded, he waved his hand and asked Lu Jin to go down and check it out.

The birth dates of the concubines who entered the palace were all calculated in detail. After all, no one wanted to offend the nobles because of the newly introduced concubines. Although since the establishment of the Xin Dynasty, due to the influence of Taizu's open-minded character, no one paid much attention to this, but there would still be people from the Imperial Observatory who calculated it.

After receiving the order, Lu Jin quickly found out Ai Ziyi's birthday and presented it.

The emperor only took a glance at it and then handed the text to Concubine De.

Concubine De showed a smile that she had expected, then put the document aside and asked softly: "Have you heard of the Five Ghosts Delivering a Child Spell?"

"No, but I think it's just some supernatural story like the Five Ghosts Moving Technique that people spread." The emperor didn't take it seriously. He knew that Concubine De had been reading scriptures over the years and must have come into contact with a lot of supernatural things, so her ideas might have gone astray.

He himself did not believe in these things. If gods and ghosts really existed, and if there really was destiny, then it would never be his turn as a son born to a palace maid to ascend the throne.

He doesn't believe in these things. He only believes in his own efforts and everything he can see.

"I just heard about this by chance. This technique has no other use. Its only function is to help women get pregnant. Tell me, who is the most anxious to conceive a prince in this huge palace right now?" Concubine De continued to say what she wanted to say slowly.

The emperor's heart skipped a beat, and his expression immediately turned cold. "What do you mean, Concubine De?"

"Your Majesty knows best what I mean. Your Majesty is already prepared to take action against the Lin family, right?" Defei asked coldly.

"General Lin is my right-hand man. Why should I do such a self-destructive thing?" The emperor was so angry that he laughed.

"Although General Lin is loyal, his prestige in the army is too high, especially since he does not know how to restrain himself. He promotes the younger generation in the name of promotion, but in fact he is trying to win people's hearts. He has done countless such things. How can the emperor sleep peacefully if he does not get rid of him?" At this time, Defei revealed her sharp side without any scruples.

The emperor was silent. Although he had indeed used Concubine De before, this time, he came to Concubine De not because he wanted to take action against Concubine Xian.

What Concubine De said now seems to make sense. Is she overthinking it, or is this the truth?