Fortunately, the palace maid A Liang secretly pulled her sleeve from behind, and she suddenly came to her senses, and her blocked throat also cleared. She took a deep breath, took the two things wrapped in bright yellow silk from A Liang's hand, and knocked her head: "The Phoenix Order and the Phoenix Seal are all here... Please let Her Majesty the Empress Dowager inspect them."

  The Empress Xiao's face wore a courteous smile, her eyes fixed intently on her as she spoke after a moment of silence: "Quickly go and receive her, Qi Mama. How can we let the Consort Jing kneel for so long?"

  Qī Qiǎo walked away, taking the thing from Jing Fei's hand. In that instant, she clearly felt the strength of Jing Fei's ten fingers. However, it was something that would have to be handed over sooner or later, and resisting was useless. Qī Qiǎo exerted a bit of force, and Jing Fei's fingers were pinched painfully by her, instantly losing their strength.

  The imperial edict and seal were presented before Empress Xiao. She opened them, scanned them roughly, then ordered someone to take them back. Jing Fei had already struggled to get up from the ground, and Empress Xiao smiled at her, saying: "These days have been hard on you, younger sister Jing."

  "The Empress smiled." Jing Fei forced a smile on her face.

  The Empress Xiao said she was chatting with her sisters, but she didn't have the leisure to do so. After receiving the imperial seal and edict, she exchanged a few words with everyone before dismissing them.

  Everyone retreated in an orderly manner.

  Lin Wan's pregnancy made her walk slowly, and she fell behind. Empress Xiao watched her step out of the palace gate and whispered to those around her: "Hui Bin is also seven months pregnant. Go and send some ginseng and pine mushrooms from the warehouse to Jiyan Building."

  Qie Qie nodded and whispered: "Hui Bin, this fox spirit, after becoming pregnant, her power and influence have grown even stronger. In the past, when Consort Jing was in power, she didn't dare to provoke her, but now that she's pregnant, we can't underestimate her, Your Majesty."

  Xiao Huanghou narrowed her eyes slightly: "Don't worry about her for now. The person we need to deal with right now is Jing Fei."

  Although Jing Fei was in power for only over two months, this period of time was enough for her to do many things. In the past, it was always Empress Xiao who controlled the harem alone, but Jing Fei intervened and inserted herself into various palaces and departments, setting up countless traps and ruining many things for her.

  Xiao Huanghou thought about it and felt annoyed. Later, she would have to spend some effort to clean up Jing Fei's power.

  Qī's servant nodded and said: "I'll go take care of it right away."

  "Keep an eye on Hui Bin for me." The Empress's tone was gloomy: "There are many eunuchs by her side, it's not easy for our people to pry into. But still need to pay attention. Her belly can't be touched, before this palace was splashed with dirty water by her, the Emperor has been guarding against this palace. Whether it's a mule or a horse, wait until she gives birth to say."

  As soon as the child was mentioned, Empress Xiao couldn't help but think of the fifth prince. Ye Shi was originally her biggest bargaining chip, but it was taken away by the emperor, and now even if she cleared her name, the emperor wouldn't mention Ye Shi at all, simply not intending to give that child to her.

  Moreover, she had already been appointed as Empress Dowager...

  The Empress Xiao thought of these things, and her chest felt like it was being pricked by needles, the fine pain gathering in an instant into a sharp pain that cut to the bone.

  She let out a miserable cry and slid down from the phoenix throne.

  The Changxin Palace was filled with screams rising and falling in succession.

  ***

  The news of Empress Xiao's illness was tightly sealed within Changxin Palace and didn't leak out in the slightest.

  At that time, the imperial consorts had just finished paying their respects and left, and no one unexpectedly overheard.

  Xiao Huanghou did not invite the imperial physician, and she would experience pain every day, only getting more severe by the day. Qi Yaoyao and Wan Qiu were worried, but Xiao Yueyi was still nonchalant. Firstly, she didn't want to let others know that her illness was serious, so as to seize power. Secondly, the poison she had ingested in the past was too potent, and countless imperial physicians, even those invited by imperial decree from among the common people, were at a loss for what to do. A few days ago, Liang Yuyi came to examine her, but only prescribed some nourishing medicine, without any better method. Xiao Yueyi knew that this illness was incurable, and it was useless to rely on the physicians, so she might as well give up.

  Besides, she's not afraid either. Someone who has been ill for ten years and is still alive and well now? The pain comes and goes quickly, it's just a momentary thing, completely bearable. At night when her body feels cold, she just covers herself with thick blankets, she's the empress, what can't she have?

  Xiao Huanghou took the Phoenix Seal and Phoenix Order, and immediately began to handle affairs with a loud thunder. She first summoned the six Shang officials to inquire in detail about the accounts of each palace's share, expenses, tribute goods, etc., and then ordered the official in charge of the imperial court to report on the situation of the palace people.

  To be honest, in terms of finance and management, Consort Jing is naturally inferior to Empress Xiao. It's like the people from various palaces, Empress Xiao can remember everyone's name after just one glance, while Consort Jing is far behind. If they were to switch lives and take the college entrance exam in modern times, Consort Jing would struggle to get into a first-tier university, while Empress Xiao would easily get into Fudan University.

  To put it bluntly, Jing Fei's math skills are not outstanding.

  But others' EQ may not be worse than the queen's. If they were bad girls in modern times, didn't study well and couldn't find a job so had to cling to rich men, Jing Fei's would probably have more money than the queen's.

  During these days when the queen was confined, Jing Fei did not show off but also did not cause any trouble. The account books of each palace and department were all in order without major issues.

  The expenses in Zhen Huan Palace were three hundred taels more than usual.

  The small characters on the account book were dense and messy, but Empress Xiao saw at a glance that something was wrong with the numbers for Xianfu Palace. She pointed to the numbers above and asked, "The allowance for the imperial consorts is sixty taels per month. Why did Xianfu Palace receive an extra three hundred taels this month?"

  Liu, the manager of the Imperial Household Department, took office a year ago. Her predecessor was executed by the Empress for problems with ice blocks. The current Liu is much more clever than her predecessor: "Reporting to Your Highness, isn't the Fifth Prince living in Chán Fú Palace? Naturally, this will increase expenses, and it's also been approved by the Emperor... However, according to usual practice, the monthly silver allowance for princes is issued separately. The Fifth Prince receives 100 taels per month, which has already been given to Chán Fú Palace..."

  Liu Auntie understood what the Empress wanted to hear and poured out everything that wasn't right about Xianfu Palace.

  Xiao Huanghou slightly curled up the corner of her lips, coldly smiling: "I heard that Tian Pin reported to the Emperor that the Fifth Prince likes jade decorations, so everything sent to Xianfu Palace is very valuable, even exceeding the standard for a pin... Whether or not the Fifth Prince really likes jade, I don't know, but Tian Pin being so extravagant isn't an example for imperial consorts."

  "If the fifth prince likes luxurious decorations, then perhaps the humble rank of Imperial Concubine is not suitable for raising him." Beside her, Autumn's age was not great, but her thoughts were lively.

  Xiao Huanghou gave her a glance, looking at the joy on her face, and slightly furrowed her brow: "The fifth prince is placed with whoever, it's up to the emperor's intention. It's just a small matter of monthly silver, would the emperor not let Concubine Tian raise the imperial son because of this? Take this message to the emperor, who knows if he'll promote Concubine Tian's rank!"

  Xiao Huanghou thought for a moment, then smiled faintly and said: "Let's do this. Record all the utensils used by the Fifth Prince in the register. If the Fifth Prince wants something, the Shang Gong Bureau will allocate it separately. Liu Gu Gu, you go to Xianfu Palace on my orders and take a look. See if there are any things that were sent under the name of the Fifth Prince but not placed in his room. If there are, you'll ask Consort Tian with my authority: where did she get the nerve to seize the prince's belongings?"

  Aunt Liu immediately understood and backed out with a smile all over her face.

  However, after a few hours, Concubine Zhen was punished by the Empress for her "arrogance" and forced to kneel in front of the Changxin Palace gate.

  Kneeling in punishment may not be a severe penalty, but it hurts one's dignity. Consort Hui had been in the palace for some time and although things hadn't always gone smoothly for her, she had risen rapidly through the ranks and had also given birth to the fifth imperial son, so she was at the height of her good fortune. She knelt stiffly in front of the Changsheng Palace gate, and the people passing by couldn't help but take a second look at her, while some of the more daring consorts snickered and pointed at her.

  Consort Tian's lips were tightly pursed, her expression stubborn. She had long known that compared to Consort Jing usurping the imperial power, she herself had taken the fifth prince, which was even more a thorn in the empress's eye.

  Even if Chen Sheng showed goodwill in the morning, he couldn't wipe out the empress's anger. Jing Fei had already handed over the things of the empress, but the fifth prince would never return to the empress's hands again.

  When Liu's aunt came with the imperial edict, she easily found a jade scepter, two Yue kiln white porcelain powder neck bottles, and a set of emerald green jade tea utensils in her bedroom. She didn't dare to admit to "embezzling the fifth prince's belongings" and could only kneel down and say that she was greedy for wealth and fame, borrowing the name of the fifth prince to take these things, but in fact, none of these were what the fifth prince wanted.

  Chu Huashang was a humble and timid daughter of a concubine, and her stepmother at home was also cruel. Before entering the palace, her life was dull and hopeless, and she was often deprived of her allowance in the mansion, with meager food and clothing. Although she was a noble lady of the Chu family, she lived worse than a decent maid. Later, after entering the palace, she was favored by the emperor and became a noble mistress overnight, naturally blinded by wealth and glory. She didn't take much, just took a little extra profit, not excessive.

  These things were also known by Jingfei before, but unlike the Empress, even if Jingfei wanted to confront her, she didn't bother to care about such matters.

  The sin of extravagance is much lighter than the Queen's hat.

  Despite this, she still had to kneel in front of the Changxin Palace gate for a whole hour.

  At dusk, it was time for dinner, and many palace maids were passing by, she had offended some of them.

  The news of Chu Huashang being punished to kneel quickly spread, and it was actually a few palace concubines with thin skin who came together to watch the excitement at the gate of Changxin Palace, which made Chu Huashang angry to death.

  After this, it became a topic of conversation among the palace people after tea and dinner. Chu Huashang, although favored by the emperor and being the foster mother of the fifth prince, had a noble status, but she couldn't stop the palace women from being bored and gossiping, even if they were jealous of her in their hearts, they still couldn't help but laugh and talk about it.

  Empress Xiao listened to it as a joke and felt relieved in her heart.