Ah, you traveled through time too?

As the power struggle between the inner palace and the imperial court gradually intensified, the outbreak of conflict seemed inevitable. Although Lian Di and Lian Fang's precautions temporarily stabilized the situation, Mei Fei's conspiracy was also brewing in secret. Finally, a sudden conflict broke the apparent peace of the inner palace.

On this day, Lian Di was handling affairs in her own bedroom, when suddenly a maid ran in in a panic: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! The maid of Concubine Mei had a conflict with our maid in the Imperial Garden, and it's a big deal!"

Lian Di immediately put down what she was doing and rushed to the Imperial Garden. From a distance, she heard fierce arguments and the noise of the crowd. When she got closer, she saw Mei Fei's maid accusing Lian Di's maid. The two of them were red in the face and almost fighting.

"Stop!" Lian Di shouted sternly, and everyone immediately quieted down and saluted her.

Mei Fei walked over slowly with a sneer on her face: "Sister Lian Di, what is going on? Your maid actually dared to attack my maid. It's really lawless!"

Lian Di suppressed her anger and said calmly, "Madam Mei Fei, please calm down. I believe there must be a misunderstanding. We should investigate it clearly."

Mei Fei insisted: "Investigate? This matter is already very clear, it was your maid who provoked it first. Such behavior cannot be forgiven lightly, otherwise the palace will be in chaos, right?"

Lian Fang also rushed to the scene. Seeing this situation, she immediately stepped forward to mediate: "Madam Mei Fei, Lian Di, we all work together in the palace. Why do we have to quarrel over such trivial matters? Why don't we each take a step back and handle it calmly?"

Mei Fei snorted coldly: "Deal with it calmly? Sister Lianfang, this matter concerns the dignity of this palace, how can I let it go so easily?"

At this time, the Queen Mother heard the news and came to the Imperial Garden in person. Seeing the chaotic scene, the Queen Mother frowned and said majestically: "Stop it! What is going on?"

Lian Di and Lian Fang immediately bowed, and Concubine Mei did not dare to be negligent and respectfully paid her respects to the Empress Dowager.

The Queen Mother glanced at the talisman paper and scattered items on the ground and said coldly, "What on earth happened here? I want a reasonable explanation."

Lian Di took a deep breath and recounted the incident in detail. She emphasized that it was a misunderstanding and asked the Queen Mother to investigate it.

Mei Fei said that the matter was already very obvious. It was Lian Di's maid who provoked first, and her maid was just defending herself.

After listening to the statements of both parties, the Queen Mother had made up her mind. She looked at Concubine Mei coldly and said, "Concubine Mei, don't jump to conclusions before the matter is fully investigated. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If there are indeed any lawbreakers, they will be severely punished."

Although Mei Fei was reluctant, she could only agree: "The Queen Mother is wise, I believe that the Queen Mother will handle it fairly."

The Queen Mother ordered the maids of both parties to be taken away temporarily and detained separately, awaiting further investigation. She knew that there was a deeper conspiracy behind this conflict, which could not be easily resolved.

After returning to the palace, Lian Di and Lian Fang sat together, feeling heavy-hearted. Lian Di couldn't help but say, "Sister, Concubine Mei must have deliberately provoked this conflict. What is her purpose?"

Lian Fang comforted her, "Sister, Mei Fei's purpose is very clear. She wants to weaken our prestige through this incident and create more chaos. We must respond calmly and not let her conspiracy succeed."

Just as they were discussing countermeasures, a eunuch hurried in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has summoned you."

The two looked at each other and realized that the emperor had also paid attention to this matter. They immediately went to the imperial study to see the emperor.

The emperor's face was gloomy, and he was obviously unhappy about this conflict: "Lian Di, Lian Fang, I have heard about this incident. Do you have any explanation?"

Lian Di stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I believe this is a misunderstanding. Concubine Mei's maid had a conflict with my maid, but the truth of the matter has not yet been found out. Please understand, Your Majesty."

Lian Fang also said: "Your Majesty, we are willing to fully cooperate with the investigation, and we ask Your Majesty to make a fair judgment."

The emperor nodded: "I will thoroughly investigate this matter and will not easily favor any party. When you return, you must also appease the people in the palace. Such things must not happen again."

Lian Di and Lian Fang responded in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Back in the inner palace, Lian Di and Lian Fang immediately arranged for someone to secretly investigate the truth of the conflict. They suspected that Mei Fei must have been behind this incident, but they had no solid evidence.

A few days later, the results of the investigation gradually surfaced. They found that the talismans were indeed brought by Mei Fei's maid on purpose to provoke a dispute. However, due to the lack of direct evidence, they were unable to make Mei Fei's conspiracy public.

Lian Di and Lian Fang decided to remain silent for the time being and wait for stronger evidence. They strengthened their surveillance of the palace and kept in close contact with the Queen Mother and some loyal ministers to gain more support.

Although the conflict has been temporarily resolved, the turmoil in the inner palace has not stopped. The various forces are still competing secretly. Lian Di and Lian Fang know that the challenges in the future will only be more difficult. They must be more careful and cautious in order to protect themselves and those around them in this complex power struggle.

As the night deepened, the palace regained a temporary tranquility. But behind this tranquility, various conspiracies and struggles continued. Lian Di and Lian Fang firmly believed that as long as they united, they would eventually overcome all difficulties and usher in true peace in the inner palace.

Although the conflict in the inner palace has temporarily subsided, Lian Di and Lian Fang have not relaxed their vigilance. They know that only by exposing Mei Fei's conspiracy can they truly ensure the peace of the inner palace. After several days of investigation and deployment, Lian Di and Lian Fang decided to take decisive action to strive for a preliminary victory.

One morning, Lian Di and Lian Fang met secretly in the Queen Mother's bedroom. They reported their recent investigation results to the Queen Mother, hoping to gain her support.

After listening to their report, the Queen Mother nodded and said seriously: "You have done a good job. Concubine Mei's conspiracy must be exposed, but we need solid evidence to convince everyone."

Lian Di said, "Queen Mother, we have some evidence, but it is not comprehensive enough. We need an opportunity to completely expose Mei Fei's conspiracy."

The Queen Mother pondered for a moment and said, "I will give you this opportunity. Tomorrow is a grand banquet in the palace, and all the concubines and ministers will attend. This is a good opportunity."

Lian Fang nodded, "Yes, Queen Mother. We will expose Mei Fei's crimes at the banquet, but we need your full support."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will fully support you. I will personally host tomorrow's banquet, and you just need to act according to the plan."

The next day, the palace banquet was held as scheduled. Concubines and ministers from all sides gathered together, and the scene was very lively. The Queen Mother sat on the main seat, and the Emperor sat beside her, observing the progress of the banquet with a calm expression.

Lian Di and Lian Fang were also at the table, secretly nervous but appearing calm. They knew that today's action was crucial and they had to go all out.

Halfway through the banquet, the Queen Mother smiled, stood up and said, "Everyone, I have an important announcement today."

Everyone immediately quieted down and looked at the Queen Mother, waiting for her to speak.

The Queen Mother continued, "Some unpleasant things have happened in the palace recently. I have decided to take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate these events and restore peace to the inner palace."

After that, she motioned for Lian Di and Lian Fang to come forward. Lian Di walked up to the Queen Mother, holding some evidence in her hand, and said loudly: "Everyone, we recently found some evidence related to Concubine Mei. This evidence shows that Concubine Mei has been secretly planning, sowing discord, and creating discord in the inner palace."

Mei Fei's face changed drastically, but she remained calm. She stood up and retorted: "Sister Lian Di, what do you mean? I have never done these things. You are slandering me!"

Lian Di did not back down and continued, "Madam Mei Fei, you can deny it, but facts speak louder than words. These talismans and related letters all point to you, and we have some eyewitnesses who can prove it all."

After that, she signaled the maids to present the evidence. The maids took out the talisman paper and the letter and distributed them to the concubines and ministers present.

After everyone saw the evidence, they began to talk about it, and some ministers and concubines began to question Concubine Mei's behavior.

The emperor frowned and looked at Concubine Mei coldly: "Concubine Mei, how do you explain these evidences?"

Mei Fei still insisted on her position and argued: "Your Majesty, these evidences are just some forged things, meant to frame me. Please understand!"

At this time, the Queen Mother slowly said, "Mei Fei, the evidence is irrefutable. How long will you keep quibbling? I have already ordered a thorough investigation, and the conclusions reached are consistent with the evidence."

Lian Fang also stepped forward and added: "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, in order to ensure the authenticity of the evidence, we have also invited some witnesses related to these letters, who can testify on the spot."

The Queen Mother waved her hand and several palace maids and eunuchs were brought to the center of the hall. They were all witnesses who had seen Mei Fei's maid engage in some suspicious activities.

These witnesses testified one by one, describing in detail what they had seen and heard, confirming Mei Fei's conspiracy. After hearing these testimonies, the emperor's face became even gloomier.

The emperor stood up and said coldly: "Mei Fei, do you have anything else to say?"

Mei Fei finally realized that she could no longer argue. She turned pale and knelt on the ground powerlessly: "Your Majesty, please have mercy. I was confused for a moment..."

The emperor waved his hand to interrupt her and said sternly: "What you have done has seriously affected the peace of the inner palace. Come, take Concubine Mei to the cold palace and discuss it later."

Mei Fei was taken away by the guards, and everyone watched her leave with their own thoughts. Lian Di and Lian Fang were relieved by the initial victory in this power struggle, but they knew that this was just the beginning and the challenges in the future would still be severe.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere was different. The Queen Mother praised Lian Di and Lian Fang for their performance: "You did a great job. I am very satisfied. Next, you need to continue to work hard to ensure harmony in the palace."

Lian Di and Lian Fang agreed in unison: "Don't worry, Queen Mother, we will definitely do our best."

The emperor also expressed his recognition of them: "I have seen your efforts, and I hope you will continue to maintain them and protect the peace of the inner palace."

In the dead of night, Lian Di and Lian Fang returned to their own palace, looking back on the day's experience, feeling tired and relieved. They knew that although they had initially won, Mei Fei's power had not completely disappeared, and the road ahead was still full of challenges.

They decided to remain vigilant and constantly strengthen the management of the inner palace and the surveillance of hostile forces. Only in this way can they be invincible in this complex power struggle.

Lian Di and Lian Fang looked at each other, their hearts filled with determination. They held each other's hands tightly and silently vowed that no matter how difficult the future would be, they would face it together and protect the peace of the inner palace and the emperor's trust.

The Queen Mother, the lofty mistress of the palace, is not only the mother of the emperor, but also the pillar of the entire palace. Her prestige and power make her an existence that no one in the harem dares to despise. But under her majestic appearance, she hides a complicated and far-reaching background.

The Queen Mother's original name was Xiao Minghui. She was born into a prominent family, the Xiao family. The Xiao family had been officials for generations, and many talented people were born in the family. Xiao Minghui was smart since she was young, well-read, and especially good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She not only had peerless beauty, but also extraordinary wisdom and courage. When she was sixteen years old, the Xiao family fell into crisis because of a power struggle in the palace. In order to protect the status of the family, Xiao Minghui was forced to enter the palace and become an imperial concubine.