Thought They Could Pull the Wool over Heaven's Eyes? The Princess and Noble Consort Join Forces to Smash the Eastern Palace's Scheme

Several girls looked at her at the same time.

The young lady from the Xu Clan raised her chin slightly.

"The Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday banquet wasn't a big affair, but for this seventieth birthday banquet, my father said that the Emperor intends to grant a general amnesty."

The Zhou Clan girl glanced at her.

"Sister Xu even knows this?"

The young lady from the Xu Clan sensed the probing in her words and smiled even more formally.

"I just heard it from my family in casual conversation."

Whether it's true or not, we'll have to wait and see in the palace.

The Zhou Clan girl stirred the tea leaves.

"If there really is a general amnesty, then the register is what matters."

She paused, then softened her voice.

"The song is wrong, just change it."

"If the roster includes people from the previous dynasty, and the day of the thanksgiving ceremony coincides with the Empress Dowager's birthday, that would be troublesome."

The Xu Clan girl refused to be left behind.

"The amnesty register is to be reviewed by the Ministry of Punishments and the Ministry of Ministry of Rites; how could they be so careless?"

The Zhou Clan girl looked at her.

"When it comes to regulations, even a single mistake is a mistake."

"Didn't Sister Xu just say that one shouldn't wear anything too flashy at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet?"

The young lady from the Xu Clan was blocked, and the lid of her teacup tapped lightly on the rim of the cup.

Chen Qingyuan sat beside her, holding a teacup and sipping her tea.

She only heard the words "amnesty," "list," and "former dynasty," and her mind was already in a daze.

But she remembered Gu Moli had said.

Since they've already picked up the conversation, I shouldn't say anything more.

So she blinked and added quietly.

"Anyway, it's always better to avoid it."

As soon as she finished speaking, all the girls looked at her.

For the first time, the Xu Clan girl didn't smile.

The Zhou Clan girl also glanced at her a couple more times.

Chen Qingyuan looked down at the tea and breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn't embarrass my elder sister and the princess today.

The Zhou Clan girl pondered for a moment.

"This should be reminded of the lady-in-waiting."

With half a piece of cake in her mouth, Chen Qingyuan didn't dare to continue speaking.

Don't interrupt smart people.

She remembered it perfectly.

The next day, under the pretext of learning etiquette, the Zhou Clan girl handed over the words "old songs of the previous dynasty" and "the list of amnesty omits the previous dynasty" to the female officials in the inner court.

When the palace ladies first heard this, they thought the young girl was being overly suspicious.

But once the phrase "former officials of the previous dynasty" entered their ears, no one dared to gossip about it.

If any former officials from the previous dynasty were to enter the palace to express their gratitude for the amnesty at the Empress Dowager's 70th birthday banquet, and were then accused of using their old songs, seals, or surnames to implicate others, no one could bear the consequences.

The lady-in-waiting added a note to the taboo list that very day.

Avoid the old tunes of the Xiao Clan of the previous dynasty.

The list of those granted amnesty was reviewed, and former officials from the previous dynasty were also examined.

The taboo list was sent to the Bureau of Ceremonial, and then presented by the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs to the eunuchs Hanzhang Hall the Bureau of Ceremonial.

When Eunuch Zhang saw the words " Xiao Clan," his finger stopped at the edge of the paper.

Noble Consort Chen was looking at incense recipes when she heard the pages stop turning. She looked up and asked, "What is it?"

Eunuch Zhang handed over the paper.

"Your Majesty, during the birthday banquet, in accordance with the taboo against using certain names, there was an additional Xiao Clan from the previous dynasty."

Noble Consort Chen took the paper, glanced at it once, and then pressed the incense recipe down.

She pressed a crease into half a page of paper.

" The Bureau of Ceremonial has always been well-versed in the rules; why would they deliberately add this?"

Footsteps could be heard outside the door.

Qingwu bowed from outside the curtain.

"Your Majesty, the princess has arrived."

Noble Consort Chen placed the taboo list face down on the table.

"Let her in."

Gu Moli entered the hall, glanced at the paper on the table, and then looked at Noble Consort Chen.

"Did Mother see it?"

Noble Consort Chen raised her eyes, and as soon as she met Gu Moli's gaze, she understood.

" The Bureau of Ceremonial specifically emphasized these points, did you do that?"

Gu Moli did not sit down.

She took a folded piece of plain paper from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

"I copied the letter from the Eastern Palace Princess to Chen Qingyuan."

She didn't write it explicitly.

Gu Moli tapped each word with her fingertip.

"Empress Dowager's Birthday Banquet."

"Amnesty Register."

"Avoid the Xiao Clan."

Noble Consort Chen picked up the letter, read it, and did not speak immediately.

The fragrance inside the hall had faded.

The dampness from the rain seeped in through the cracks in the door, masking the sweet scent emanating from the incense burner.

Gu Moli spoke.

Something must have happened at the Eastern Palace.

" Chen Qinglan dared not write it out clearly. She knew Chen Qingyuan wouldn't understand, which is why she let the letter fall into my hands."

" The Xu Clan has already delivered their message at the small banquet."

"That person from the Zhou Clan will bring the taboo into the palace."

Noble Consort Chen put the letter down.

"Do you know that if this is discovered, the Eastern Palace will be the first to punish you?"

Gu Moli rested her fingers on her sleeve, her fingertips pressing against the edge of the old jade pendant.

"They can't find me."

"They'll only find a bunch of girls who're obsessed with saving face."

"Besides, isn't it the Empress who's backing up Eastern Palace Crown Prince? If she really had the ability, she'd deal with my mother first."

Noble Consort Chen looked at her.

"Don't spread rumors. Although the Empress's family has fallen from grace, she still firmly holds the position of Empress."

"But what you said makes sense."

"If Chen Qinglan dared to send this letter, then something serious has happened at the Eastern Palace."

Gu Moli looked up.

"She's telling us that the Crown Prince plans to take advantage of the amnesty granted during the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet."

She then looked at the taboo list on the table.

" The Xiao Clan."

"Former officials of the previous dynasty."

"If that remnant imprisoned in the imperial jail is really rescued by the Eastern Palace, he'll most likely deal with the Emperor first."

Noble Consort Chen pressed her fingertips against the letter.

The rain outside the hall grew heavier, pattering on the stone steps one after another.

Gu Moli continued.

"The Crown Prince is currently under house arrest and needs a mad dog."

Noble Consort Chen folded the letter back up neatly.

" Chen Qinglan probably overheard something she shouldn't have."

Gu Moli nodded.

She knew she had no way out in the Eastern Palace.

Noble Consort Chen looked at Eunuch Zhang.

Eunuch Zhang immediately lowered his hands.

Noble Consort Chen said, "Go and investigate the imperial prison."

"Don't omit a single name of any former members of the Xiao Clan from the previous dynasty who have been imprisoned in the last ten years."

Eunuch Zhang agreed.

"This servant will go immediately."

Gu Moli added a sentence.

"Focus on investigating those who should have died but didn't."

Eunuch Zhang stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

Gu Moli said, "If the Crown Prince wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work, he wouldn't choose a useless person."

Noble Consort Chen glanced at her.

"You've become quite bold lately."

Gu Moli smiled.

"I learned it from my elder brother, the Emperor."

"He's brave and resilient."

Noble Consort Chen chuckled lightly in anger, then her face turned cold again.

"Don't bother him about this."

Gu Moli looked at her.

Noble Consort Chen pressed the letter under her palm.

"Things are already chaotic enough on his end."