C169

After lunch, Qiao Qiao and Die'er were still within the palace. They discussed how to find out who had killed Jiang Lanxin from tomorrow onwards. However, they heard a bustling voice coming from the entrance.

"Please inform the elder sister in the palace that Esteemed wangfei requests an audience."

A gentle and pleasant voice came from the door, and Qiao Qiao couldn't help but stop speaking. He frowned and looked towards the door.

In the past few days, she had made Die'er secretly investigate the background of these two concubines.

Ruo Fei's name was Fang Rou, and she was the direct sister of General Fang. Since she was young, she had been the most precious treasure in the old general's possession, and although she was protected and pridefully, she was also closely guarded. Thus, she had developed a soft and strong personality, but from what Qiao was able to get along with, Fang Yun could tell that this person was meticulous, sharp tongue, and ruthless.

According to Die'er, the one who had entered the palace wasn't Yu Wei, but Yu Ao Shan, the direct daughter of the prime minister's wife. Because the prime minister doted heavily on this direct daughter and was afraid that she would suffer grievances after entering the imperial harem, he allowed her to enter the palace in place of his main wife, Yu Ao Shan.

As far as she knew, Yu Ziyi had a gentle, virtuous, and weak personality. As a result, he and his mother had been wronged in the Prime Minister's Estate. Even though he had entered the palace as an imperial concubine, he was still unable to change his mother's status within the Prime Minister's Estate.

Speaking of which, this esteemed wangfei was also a pitiful person. Qiao Qiao still couldn't help but gaze at her. Although he didn't know why she'd suddenly come to visit, he couldn't help but think about their meeting that day.

"Let her in." Qiao Qiao still waved her hand towards Die'er.

"Yes." Die'er bowed and left the palace, inviting Yu Zihui in.

"My little sister greets big sister." Once Yu Ziyi entered the palace, he politely bowed towards Qiao Qiao.

"Esteemed wangfei, there's no need to be so polite. You have the name of a concubine, and I'm only a sinner. I really don't dare to say 'big sister' to Esteemed wangfei." Qiao Qiao's face was still cold and distant as he spoke.

There was a trace of awkwardness on Yu Ziyi's face, but he still smiled gently and explained his purpose for coming here.

"I know it was a bit rude for me to visit you like this, but that day, when I met you in the garden, I wanted to come and get to know you. I didn't get the chance to, and only after knowing that your injuries were recovering did I come to visit you."

Qiao gave a faint smile but did not say much. It was not that she was difficult to get along with and she did not want to be friends with him. However, no matter how gentle and virtuous the women of the harem were, they could not get along too much.

When Yu Zihui saw that Qiao still had a slight smile on her face, it disappeared. There was a slight blush on her face, and he could not help but speak to Qiao once more.

"Sister, don't worry. I have no other intentions, I only know that you are willing to do anything to pursue the happiness you desire. I truly admire you, so I wanted to take a look at you."

Qiao still understood. Yu Zihui's words were about her replacing Jiang Lanxin and marrying into the harem.

Moreover, I once went to the Cold Palace to meet my sister, but I did not expect that my sister was no longer in the Cold Palace. However, when my sister saw my sister put the abandoned cold palace into a small field, she knew that my sister was definitely envious of the free people in the field.

Yu Ziyi couldn't help but nod his head and lower his eyebrows. As he finished speaking, he felt a bit embarrassed himself.

Qiao Qiao could still see that it was probably because of the difficult situation she was in since she was young, and she would pay attention to the expressions of anyone that spoke to her.

Thinking of this, Qiao Qiao's cautious heart could not help but shrink back a little.

"Esteemed wangfei doesn't need to be like this. If there's nothing else to do during the day, esteemed wangfei can tell me about family matters." Joe continued to smile.

"Really? Big sister really won't dislike little sister? " Yu Zihui's eyes flashed with joy. Ever since she was young, she hadn't had many friends, and now that Qiao was still willing to meet her, she didn't have enough time to be happy.

"Of course, it's boring for me to be alone in the palace. If Esteemed wangfei doesn't mind, I'll welcome you here." Qiao Qiao also said with a joyful smile.

"That's great. Elder sister doesn't need to call me Empress. If you don't mind, you can call me Hui'er." Yu Zihui pulled on Qiao Qiao's hand as he spoke, full of joy.

"Alright, then Hui'er will call me Sister Qiao." Qiao Qiao's eyes were still squinted as his face revealed joy.

"So sister's surname is Qiao. Alright, let's call her Sister Qiao."

"Yes!" Qiao Qiao nodded his head heavily and patted the back of Yu Zihui's hand. He couldn't help but let out a sigh in his heart. Yu Zihui's hands really didn't match her age. With a light touch, one could tell that they were hands that were used to rough work.

"Esteemed wangfei has arrived ~"

While Qiao Qiao and Yu Zihui were still happily chatting in the palace, a announcement sounded at the door, interrupting their conversation.

Qiao Qiao couldn't help but frown as he looked over. It seemed that Yan Mo Chen had just ordered her to be allowed to enter and leave the Palace freely. The people from the palace came one after another. Yu Zihui's purpose here was simple, he didn't know that Fang Rou …

Qiao Qiao couldn't help but ponder for a while. Could it be that she had heard of the rumors and knew that she was secretly trying to find out who killed Jiang Lanxin, thus she was guilty of being a thief and wanted to investigate?

If that was really the case, she would admit it …

"Yo, Little Sister Hui Fei is here too." Just as Fang Rou entered the palace, she raised her eyebrows at Yu Zihui, who was sitting beside her.

"Chenqie pays her respects to Imperial Concubine Rou." Yu Zihui got up with a humble expression and greeted Fang Rou.

Although Hui Fei and Rou Fei were of equal status in the imperial palace, Rou Fei was the one who replaced the empress and held the Phoenix Seal in the harem. Therefore, even if Hui Fei saw her, she still had to pay respects.

Fang Rou's brows couldn't help but knit, but she didn't open her mouth to let Yu Zihui get up. Instead, she raised her eyebrows with a face full of arrogance, as if she was waiting for Qiao Qiao to greet her.

However, Qiao Qiao still didn't move. He sat upright in front of the table and carefully sipped the tea in his hand as if he didn't see the person in front of him.

The atmosphere in the room became tense again and again. The awkward cold air had been lowered to the extreme.

Yu Zihui's hands broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that this esteemed wangfei in front of him was no pushover, and even Sister Qiao didn't seem to be someone who would stoop so low.

"Oh, Cai Die, this one really doesn't know. This woman who hasn't even been a concubine before has still bowed when she saw me?" Fang Rou and Qiao still stared at each other for a long time before she could not help but snort coldly at Cai Die behind her.

"In reply, Empress, according to the laws of the Forgotten Nation, as long as a woman does not take on the position of concubine, the imperial palace will place her under the jurisdiction of the palace maids. Even if she is favored by the emperor, it is still the same." Cai Die knew what her master's intentions were, so she could only stand behind Fang Rou, bowing as she spoke.

"Oh? Then, if the palace maids do not bow when they see me, what crime have you committed? " Fang Rou's tone was high, her eyebrows raised as she continued to ask Cai Die.

"In reply to the Empress, according to the laws of the Forgotten Nation, if a harem maid does not pay her respects upon seeing the imperial concubine, it is a heinous crime. The lightest is being expelled from the Imperial Palace, and the most serious is being punished with a palace punishment." Die'er replied.

Qiao Qiao continued to look at the master and servant who had brought her knowledge of the laws of this country to her. She could not help but laugh out loud with her eyebrows arched and her face full of ridicule.

"Then let me ask Cai Die, according to the laws of the Forgotten Nation, if a concubine from this imperial harem trespassed into the emperor's chambers without being summoned, what kind of crime would she have?" Qiao Qiao's expression remained the same, his brows were filled with sharpness.

Cai Die's body trembled, she opened her mouth, but did not say anything.

A trace of surprise flashed across Fang Rou's eyes.

"Miss, Die'er understands." "According to the laws of the Forgotten Nation, if a concubine of the imperial harem were to break into the emperor's sleeping quarters without being summoned, her legs would be cut off and she would be sent to the cold palace."

Qiao Qiao couldn't help but smile complacently at Fang Rou's purple face when he heard Die'er's words. He then said with a bitter tone, "Did Imperial Concubine Rou hear it clearly?"

Fang Rou's heart surged violently, but she feigned calmness on her face. She decided to not reply to his words and instead looked to the side at Yu Ziyi, who still had not awoken.

"Oh, judging from my memory, I forgot to let little sister Hui Fei get up. It was my fault as the big sister." After saying that, she slowly walked forward and helped Yu Zihui up.

"Many thanks, esteemed imperial concubine." Even though she was extremely unwilling, she still had to behave properly.

There is no need to be polite, you and I are a family, and as the saying goes, there is no need for a family to say anything, and now that Little Sister Lan Fei has met a tragic death, only the two of us are left as concubines, and the son of the Emperor is a great matter of the nation. As the head of the imperial palace, Big Sister must help the Emperor share his worries, so … " Fang Rou said while using her peripheral vision to look at Qiao Qiao's face. Seeing that there was not a single ripple, she continued.

"Why don't we hold a banquet in the imperial harem and invite the female members of the families of all the officials and civil and military officials there. First, we can rope in the imperial harem's relationship with the previous harem, and secondly, we can select a concubine for the emperor to add some joy to this harem."

Yu Zihui's face stiffened, his embarrassed expression could not help but glance at the nonchalant Qiao Qiao.

"I wonder what sister's opinion is?" Fang Rou's gaze fell on Zi Hui as she asked with a sincere expression.

Yu Zihui slowly lowered his head, not knowing how to answer.

Qiao Qing couldn't help but sneer. Fang Rou's brain was working really quickly, seeing that she couldn't think of any good things, her mind was focused on Yu Zihui. These words sounded very nice, but it was a burden for the emperor … Who didn't know that she was trying to win him over for herself in the harem.