The prince supports her, and the reborn princess kills people

According to Shen Qingyan's suggestion, Gu Beihuai decided to take those 18 disabled women into the harem.

However, taking in so many concubines at once requires a lot of procedures. Only after the Ministry of Rites has completed its work can all of them be brought into the palace.

The people in the Ministry of Rites were all newly promoted by him and were loyal to him, so the lists of concubines were kept secret from the outside world. The ministers only knew that Gu Beihuai was going to take eighteen women into the palace, and they were all very happy. They even praised Gu Beihuai's virtue and wisdom at the morning court.

Little did they know that once the imperial edict was issued, they would start crying and wailing again.

*

On his birthday this year, Gu Ruxiao held a birthday party as usual.

The difference is that this year there are more people trying to curry favor with her.

Especially those noble ladies, they all wanted to make friends with her, but it was a pity that Gu Ruxiao was different from before. She didn't like to go out or make friends. On weekdays, she was only on good terms with Concubine Zhao and Princess Yu, and they didn't even have a chance to talk to her.

Today I finally have the chance, I must curry favor with him.

They had heard that the emperor had secretly issued an order to accept eighteen new people into the palace, and they might be one of them. Even if not, what if they became friends with the princess?

In short, in the eyes of those noble ladies, the competition at today's banquet was very fierce.

As soon as we entered the door, someone couldn't wait to present a gift.

"Your Highness, these are pearls that my eldest brother brought back from Jizhou. There is only one box of them. I think these pearls are crystal clear, flawless white, and dazzling. They are just right for your Highness' temperament, so I present them to you."

The flattery was just right, and Gu Ruxiao felt happy after hearing it.

"Yes, this princess likes it very much."

The other woman, not willing to be outdone, also stepped forward.

"Princess, this is a long-lost famous painting that I found, "The Fairy's Journey", painted by the painter You Chunjing of the previous dynasty..."

All kinds of rare treasures were presented, all of them trying to please Gu Ruxiao.

Gu Ruxiao was very satisfied. It had been a long time since he had been complimented by so many people, and his mood suddenly became great.

But there was one woman who was different from the others.

She was the last one to present a gift to Gu Ruxiao. Everyone else was vying for it, but she remained calm and did not fight for it until the last one.

She was wearing a dress embroidered with silver silk and flowers, which showed off her delicate beauty and grace. It was eye-catching yet not ostentatious.

Coupled with that small and beautiful face, many women looked at her with surprise and jealousy.

It is conceivable how excited a man would be if he saw her.

"Your humble servant pays respect to Her Royal Highness the Princess, Her Majesty the Concubine Zhao."

Her manners are graceful, and her every smile is gentle and soft. Such a perfect woman is rare in Tianfeng Country.

Gu Ruxiao quietly asked Shen Qingyan, "Do you recognize who this is?"

Shen Qingyan whispered back, "Do you think I, a pregnant woman who stays at home all day, can recognize a few newly promoted noble ladies in the capital?"

Also.

Neither of them knew who this woman was.

It was Xiao Lingtong Qingmei who rushed to explain and rescued the two of them.

"Your Highness, Princess, this woman is the younger sister of Right Prime Minister Rong Lan, Rong Fenghua. Miss Rong is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as martial arts. She is the most talented woman in the new capital."

Oh?

Gu Ruxiao and Shen Qingyan both became interested. After all, the aristocratic families used to dominate the court, and the young ladies from each family had enjoyed wealth and glory since childhood and were spoiled. There were very few talented women like this.

After Gu Tianyan became emperor, he promoted children from poor families and suppressed arrogant aristocratic families. This allowed some talented children from poor families to come to the fore.

Gu Ruxiao coughed lightly and asked Rong Fenghua to stand up.

Rong Fenghua presented the gift respectfully with a polite smile on his face.

"Your Highness, this is a white jade ruyi that my father specially went to Nanhu Island and spent a lot of money to get. It is carved from white jade, feels warm and smooth, and symbolizes good luck."

She smiled gently, and the more Shen Qingyan looked, the more she felt something was wrong.

Why do Rong Fenghua's every move look so familiar?

Qiu Ying, who was standing by, felt the same way and tightened her grip on the teacup.

When Gu Ruxiao heard that it was Ruyi again, his face immediately fell.

Well, it’s Ruyi again!

She was a little disappointed, but didn't show it too obviously. She raised her hand and let someone take it.

Little did she know that this was information Rong Fenghua had spent a lot of money to find out. She heard that the emperor gave Gu Ruxiao a jade ruyi every year, so she must be very fond of the ruyi.

But looking at Gu Ruxiao's appearance, he seemed unhappy. Could the news be wrong?

Rong Fenghua was quick-witted and immediately said respectfully, "The princess' birthday gift was prepared in a hurry. I apologize to the princess first. When there is a chance, I will present a more precious gift."

Look, how good at talking. He saw that Gu Rushao was unhappy, so he immediately took the problem on himself and promised next time. Although it might seem like flattery to outsiders, as long as Gu Rushao was happy to hear it, it was the right thing to do.

As expected, Gu Ruxiao's expression eased a little, and she said softly, "It doesn't matter, this princess likes any gift."

She was not stupid. Rong Fenghua did this just to treat her specially and give her a chance to meet next time. But she refused to do so and insisted on treating everyone equally.

Shen Qingyan saw it and secretly gave her a thumbs up.

Not bad, Ruxiao, you have made a lot of progress compared to before. At least your brain is more active now.

Gu Ruxiao raised her eyebrows and smiled. She couldn't have lived her life in vain, could she? As she grew older, she felt more and more the importance of having a flexible mind. So during this period of time, she read a lot of books and gained a lot of knowledge. In addition, she followed the Queen Mother to worship Buddha every day, and she became more stable.

When Rong Fenghua saw that Gu Ruxiao didn't fall into her trap, her eyes changed.

Why is this princess different from the stupid and brainless one rumored to be?

But she had a second plan.

She suddenly turned to Shen Qingyan and bowed gracefully again.

"My Lady, I have also prepared a gift for you."

Shen Qingyan narrowed her beautiful eyes. All the noble ladies were busy trying to curry favor with Gu Ruxiao, but she was the first and last one to remember her.

"This agate bracelet was also found on Nanhu Island. The agate beads are round and smooth, bright in color, and noble. It is very suitable for you, Madam Zhaofei."

Shen Qingyan gladly accepted it and gave gifts together with Gu Ruxiao.

Rong Fenghua felt proud. Fortunately, she had the foresight to prepare an extra copy.

Everyone in the capital knows that the Emperor favors Concubine Zhao. Although she is now neglected and even sent to the Princess's Mansion to recuperate, who knows if she will be favored again one day?

Rong Fenghua wanted to enter the palace, so of course she had to make preparations. She was aiming for the position of queen, so before entering the palace, she had to please the people in the palace first.

I heard that there was a noble who was demoted and confined to his house, so she didn't even consider trying to please him.

Rong Fenghua's popularity naturally attracted the contempt and jealousy of many noble ladies, but she didn't care. Just as she was about to return to her seat complacently, a lazy female voice rang out.

"What about mine?"