Phoenix Ritual Palace!
The ground in the inner chamber was scattered with broken porcelain fragments, all shattered by the queen in a fit of anger.
The little maids dared not approach to clean up, they kneeled trembling on the ground without standing up.
"Wailing... Your Majesty, I am your legally married wife. It is customary for the mistress to come and pay respects to this palace. How could it be wrong? You actually slapped my face, how can I lead the six palaces in the future!"
The queen wept sorrowfully, crawling on the bed, tears streaming down her face, leaving stains on her cheeks.
In the past, no matter how angry she was, she would not cry. But this time, she was truly hurt by the emperor.
In her eyes, Yu Yao was pregnant. How could she not come and pay respects? Both the Yu Xian Palace and the Feng Yi Palace were close to each other, why couldn't she come over?
In the past, when Wu Yanjie (the former De Fei) was pregnant, she came to pay respects to her even with a big belly.
At that time, the emperor did not say anything.
In essence, it was that the low-born woman was favored, and encountered a shock. The emperor was just concerned.
The queen was truly heartbroken and has completely given up on Nie Beichen. Any lingering expectations she had for him have vanished.
Of course, she also hates Yu Yao even more.
As the empress, she has numerous ways to make Yu Yao suffer. She has subtly instructed the Imperial Kitchen and the six departments of the palace to neglect Yu Xian Palace.
There's no need to be so obvious.
That's when the little eunuch from Yu Xian Palace took a bit too long to get the food, and by the time he brought it back, the dishes were cold and oily.
For example, the fabrics sent to the Shang Yi Bureau take a long time to make into clothes, requiring a long wait.
Or, the monthly ration sent to Yu Xian Palace is insufficient, and so on.
Even if Yu Yao was pregnant, no one would dare to neglect her. She is so favored.
But the empress repeatedly implied it, and those below dare not ignore it.
For a time, Yu Yao's days became difficult.
Looking at the cold dishes and cold rice on the table, even though they are all good things, but there is a layer of oil on the surface, making her have no appetite at all.
But pregnant women tend to get hungry fast.
After three months, almost four months, the belly is when the fetus is rapidly growing.
She gets very uncomfortable when she's hungry.
She endured the discomfort and took a bite, only to find that the taste was also unpleasant. It was obviously made by a young apprentice in the Imperial Kitchen.
The other items sent to Yu Xian Palace were also either in short supply or of poor quality.
Yu Yao could clearly see that it was the empress's scheme.
She glanced at the cold food in front of her, coldly put down her chopsticks, and went back to the inner chamber with a cold face to rest.
The entire Yu Xian Palace was under Nie Beichen's people, and he would learn about this soon.
He first relieved the head of the Imperial Kitchen and replaced him with someone new.
Then he ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a fresh, hot meal and send it to Yu Xian Palace.
After that, he continued with his official duties.
In the evening, Nie Beichen made an unprecedented exception and did not go to Yu Xian Palace, but instead went to Feng Yi Palace.
Feng Yi Palace
"Honorable Emperor is here!"
Hearing the high-pitched announcement from the eunuch, the queen in the inner chamber jumped, wanting to get up to welcome him.
But after thinking of something, she coldly sat back down.
"Your Majesty has arrived at the main hall, Your Grace. Shouldn't you go out to greet him?"
If Nana saw the queen sitting back down again, she would also be confused, and her heart would start to worry.
The emperor was already angry at the queen, and if she didn't go out to greet him, he might get even angrier.
The queen didn't even move her buttocks, still sitting on the bed, and disdainfully said, "I am the legitimate wife, not a concubine. Since I don't expect his favor, why should I bother to please him?"
She was the empress of the Taizhi Dynasty, the mother of the country. As long as she doesn't commit a major mistake, there's no reason for Nie Beichen to depose her.
At this moment, she felt no need to curry favor.
As Nie Beichen walked into the inner room, he saw the queen sitting on the bed, even though he saw him coming, she still didn't get up to greet him.
Now his face is even colder.
"Ah, what kind of wind has brought Your Majesty to my Feng Yi Palace? It's truly a rare occasion."
The queen not only didn't get up, but also opened her mouth with a cold sarcastic tone.
Nie Beichen glanced at her, his thin lips tightly pursed, and said nothing.
He merely stopped in front of her, looking down at her from a position of superiority, and launched into a verbal lashing without any preamble.
"How dare the Guifei, who is carrying a child, be hungry in front of the empress? This is a farce. Does the emperor have no money to support his own woman?"
He laughed coldly at the queen, his eyes glowing with uncontrolled anger, and warned coldly, "If you can't manage the palace well, hand over the palace power to someone else to manage it."
Yu Er, who is carrying twins, the queen dares to make her hungry, truly very good.
The queen stood up excitedly and looked at Nie Beichen, "Is the emperor trying to take away the empress's authority to manage the harem?"
She had never been favored, and now she had even lost the respect of the emperor. If she were to lose the symbolic power of the empress as well...
If she were to lose the symbolic power of the empress as well, then she would be nothing more than a mere ornament.
How could this be allowed?
"If the queen can't manage the harem well, it shows that the queen lacks ability, and of course, I should hand it over to someone else to manage."
Nie Beichen spoke coldly with a look in his eyes.
The queen's eyes were red, and tears rolled down uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty spends every day at Yu Xian Palace, even on the first and fifteenth of each month. It has made me the laughingstock of the entire palace. Has Your Majesty ever thought about how I feel?"
Nie Beichen had no empathy for the queen's tears. "That's your own fault. Yu Er is carrying a child, but you make her come and bow to you every day. How? Are you that precious? Do you want his concubine and the prince to bow to you?"
"Your Majesty, I am the empress, your wife. Yu Guifei is a concubine. Is it inappropriate for her to come and pay respects to me?"
The queen couldn't believe what she was looking at Nie Beichen. Her heart felt colder and colder, and she cried, "Your Majesty, I may not be your favorite, but I am still your wife. How can you treat me like this?"
Seeing the queen's plight, Nie Beichen thought of her as his wife and spoke in a heartfelt tone:
"You, as the empress, should be magnanimous and forgiving. Everything should prioritize the heir to the throne. Paying respects is a minor matter; why must she come with her belly full?"
"Nie Beichen sat down on the chair next to her, and looked at the queen, saying:"
"If she hadn't come to pay respects to you, how would she have encountered an accident on her way back? If it wasn't for her timely protection of herself, do you think the heir of the dragon would still be safe?"
He was again cold as he spoke these words.
The empress's expression froze for a moment, and she spoke resentfully, "That was the mistake of Qin Zheng. I had no idea and cannot be blamed for it."
"Why shouldn't it be blamed on you? As the empress, failing to manage the harem properly is a mistake."
"Night Beichen stared at her coldly and warned again: 'This matter ends here. I don't want to see it happen again. Otherwise, I'm not against replacing you with someone else.'"
He of course would not so rashly abdicate his empress, but rather seeing the queen too arrogant, dare to directly oppose her, wanted to give a warning.
The queen widened her eyes in shock, looking at him with a face of disbelief, and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, what do you mean? Do you want to depose me?"
"If you continue to cause trouble, deposing me is also not impossible."
Nie Beichen mocked her, saying again.
The queen just stared at Nie Beichen without speaking, her expression filled with shock, astonishment, and disbelief.
After a half-hour!
"Yes, I understand. I will definitely take good care of the palace in the future."
Looking at Nie Beichen, whose expression had clearly improved, the queen reluctantly said, "Since Yu Guifei is pregnant, she should be well cared for in the palace from now on and doesn't need to come to pay respects at Feng Yi Palace."
Nie Beichen saw the queen say this and felt much better. He satisfied himself and said, "As long as you manage the harem well for me, I won't neglect you. You will receive the respect you deserve."
In any case, as long as she stays in line and he is willing to give her face.
