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They were not ungrateful, having spent a period at Canglan Court, Master Lian had already won their deep affection, and if anyone wanted to harm Master Lian, how could they not be enraged?

Moreover, they could imagine that if either Lian Hua or Nanny Qi met with trouble, His Majesty would surely be thunderously furious, and not only would they be implicated, the entire harem would undergo a thorough investigation.

Furthermore, His Majesty had not returned yet, and if he found out, he would certainly explode in anger, thinking of that scenario made everyone fear for their own safety.

Even if Huang Zude was usually slow to catch on, even if he was normally immersed in his medical studies and not attuned to accidents, he sensed something was amiss this time.

His mind was a mess, and he intuitively felt that the matter was not simple.

Xiao Jizi withdrew the murderous intent emanating from him and politely said to Huang Zude, "Master Huang, please follow me, there is something you need to see. Given the gravity of the situation today, it’s not convenient to explain too much, and we don’t want to get you involved unnecessarily."

"As long as Master Lian and Nanny Qi are unharmed, all is well," Huang Zude nodded, asking no further questions, as he was not interested in these matters.

Once the two had finished speaking, a procession made its way majestically toward the Side Hall, taking along the Young Eunuch who had been left earlier to guard the door.

With the door now closed, there was no need to leave anyone behind—first, they would send the message back to report, then see what Nanny Qi and Lian Hua had planned next.

Already in no mood for laughter, each one of them was filled with anger and murderous intent; however, they couldn’t help but break discipline when they were not far from the Side Hall.

Inside the Side Hall, Lian Hua could barely wait any longer; she had perked up her ears earlier and seemed to have heard people returning, and now, unable to contain herself any longer upon hearing footsteps, she walked out.

As if there was a great celebratory event, her face was lit up with an excited smile, and she called out to everyone eagerly, "Hurry up, the pastries and melon seeds are ready, we are just waiting for your triumphant return."

The crowd was taken aback, and immediately everyone’s spirits were roused, quickening their pace toward the Side Hall.

Xiao Qing and Xiao Linzi also came out, excitedly inviting everyone in, and soon the Side Hall was abuzz with noise and excitement.

Huang Zude remained behind, standing there in a daze, watching this scene unfold before his eyes, until the sharp-eyed Xiao Linzi spotted him, hurried over, and dragged him into the Side Hall.

Once inside, he saw the bustling Beauty Lian, her cheeks flushed with excitement, busily questioning the plump Little Palace Maid about something, with Xiao Jizi contributing to the conversation, while a group of Young Eunuchs from Star Palace gathered around, all interjecting and adding to the tale in a cacophony of voices.

Nanny Qi, meanwhile, was lying on a lounge chair, watching this spectacle with a silent smile.

The excitement became too much, louder than the bustle of the marketplace outside; and Beauty Lian, as though she remembered something, started making arrangements, telling everyone to sit down and stuffing a bag of melon seeds and pastries into each person’s hands, then asking them to tell their story more slowly, which finally reduced the noise a bit.

He too was seated with a bag of melon seeds stuffed into his hands, watching as everyone around him engaged in an animated conversation as if at a tea party, each eagerly painting the picture with their words.

Everyone’s face was aglow with joy as they spoke as if they were discussing the greatest of good news, yet the content was about how they had tricked someone, leaving Huang Zude stunned and confused.

Contrasting with the warm jovial atmosphere in Canglan Court was the harem, which seemed to be brewing a massive storm. Beneath the concealed surface, turbulent waves churned as each palace grew restless, quietly passing messages back and forth.

They had all received news, both openly and covertly, about the trouble at Canglan Court, particularly with some deliberately spreading the news, the spread was swift.

Before long, nearly the entire harem knew that the dragon seed within Lian Hua’s belly seemed to be in danger of not being preserved.

Xiao Jizi and Pang Ya played their parts very convincingly. Their apparent attempt to deceive people was noted by many, furthering their belief in its truthfulness.

Although the Palace Concubines of each palace did not understand why the dragon seed was suddenly at risk, it did not stop most of them from taking pleasure in Lian Hua’s misfortune.

Some of them were inwardly pleased and couldn’t wait to see Lian Hua’s sorrowful and desperate expression, even hoping for a fate of one dead body and two lives lost, which would restore the harem to its former state.

Daying Jia was one of them. She harbored deep resentment towards Lian Hua, seeing her as a curse. She believed that her current plight was all Lian Hua’s fault, thinking that without Lian Hua, she might be able to hold her head high again.

The concubines had different thoughts, but no matter what they thought inside, they all outwardly displayed a look of concern. They were waiting for further news from Canglan Court and observing the Emperor’s actions.

However, there was no news from the Emperor’s side, no signs of action, as if it was the calm before the storm, which made the concubines feel insecure. The wise ones had already shut their doors and ignored outside matters, while the unwise ones were still probing for information.

This group did not include Noble Consort Xue, Consort Liu, Consort Xu De, and Concubine Fang.

Huaqing Palace, under Noble Consort Xue, remained as usual, without any sign of action, not even attempting to inquire, just quiet, as if unaware of everything that was happening.

Consort Liu received the news the moment it came out. She furrowed her brows and pondered deeply, sensing that there was something amiss, but she couldn’t guess who was behind it.

She didn’t receive any message of action from her "good sister," and moreover, she knew the Noble Consort well. A time like this was meant for laying low and nurturing strength, not taking rash risks, at least not by taking direct action herself.

Eliminating Beauty Lian and losing the dragon seed was in the interests of many, and after much speculation, she decided to restrain her palace attendants and quietly watch for changes.

At this time, she sincerely hoped that nothing would happen to Lian Hua.

She had waited for this opportunity for so many years, earning the Emperor’s deep favor while also establishing factions against the Noble Consort.

With the Noble Consort not yet ousted, she couldn’t let anything happen to this critical piece.

She wanted the factions to fight each other. If they wouldn’t fight on their own, she was ready to provoke conflicts between them, hoping they would fight to the death and eventually bring down Noble Consort Xue. This was the outcome she most desired.

While Consort Liu was deep in thought, frowning, Concubine Fang had yet to receive any news.

In an inspired moment, Concubine Fang was engrossed in her painting retreat. She didn’t have much of a foundation in the palace unlike the others and had her own set of survival rules. She wasn’t as well-informed as the others, her news coming much later. At the moment, she was completely unaware.

Over at Consort Xu De’s place, she learned of the news while tending to palace affairs. She was both shocked and angry, and on the spot, she left the Managers reporting to her and hurried over with her attendants.

These days, she was so caught up in palace affairs that she couldn’t extricate herself.

Even a leaky boat has three thousand nails, and Noble Consort Xue had dug many pits for her in advance.

Plus, she was not adept at these trifles.

Some Managers, although intimidated by her at first, became unwilling to submit afterwards, making trouble for her under the guise of her lack of understanding palace affairs.

Nevertheless, she handled them all decisively, cleaning up one after another, and recently things had just started to improve, and she was getting organized.

Yet today, she received this terrible news. In the harem under her management, someone had managed to reach into Canglan Court. How could she not be both shocked and furious?