“Huá Fēi niángniang, it really is that Ān mèimei is pregnant, and it’s not suitable for her to drink.”

Zhēn Huān stood up and walked to the table, bowing to Huá Fēi as she spoke:

“Please, Huá Fēi niángniang, be understanding and allow this humble servant to drink this cup on behalf of Ān mèimei.”

“Wǎn Guìrén, although you and Ān Chángzài are as close as sisters, you can’t do everything for her.”

“However, if you really want to show off, I won’t stop you.”

“Enough! Huá Fēi!”

The Empress intentionally waited until Huá Fēi had thoroughly offended someone before stepping in to mediate:

“Today is a family gathering. It’s rare for us sisters to be together. Can’t we just enjoy ourselves and be happy?”

“When have I not wanted to be happy?”

Huá Fēi gave the Empress a disdainful glance:

“Ēr Chángzài is relying on her pregnancy and doesn’t take me seriously at all!”

Ān Língróng, seeing Zhēn Huān still adhering to formalities because of her, and the Empress and Huá Fēi arguing over her, thought to herself that it would be better to avoid trouble. So, she picked up the wine cup from the table and said:

“To disturb everyone’s mood because of my situation, it’s truly my fault.”

“If Huá Fēi niángniang insists that I drink this cup of chrysanthemum wine to feel better, then I will drink it.”

As she spoke, Ān Língróng was about to drink the wine.

Zhēn Huān stopped her.

“Huá Fēi niángniang, if Ān mèimei drinks this wine today and it affects the dragon fetus, the Emperor will surely blame you. Please think carefully.”

“Wǎn Guìrén, you really have a big…”

Before Huá Fēi could finish, the Empress sharply interrupted:

“Huá Fēi, stop causing trouble! Look at what you’ve done to this banquet!”

Qí Fēi also stood up and said:

“Huá Fēi, the Empress has already spoken. Don’t make Ān Chángzài drink the chrysanthemum wine anymore.”

Huá Fēi, not wanting to escalate the situation and disturb the Emperor, smiled and said:

“Since Wǎn Guìrén and Ān Chángzài are as close as sisters, why don’t you drink a few more cups for her?”

Somehow, Zhēn Huān felt that the Empress’s attitude toward Huá Fēi today was too indulgent.

It seemed like the Empress was deliberately allowing Huá Fēi to make things difficult for Ān Língróng in front of everyone.

Such a good banquet had turned into a mess because of Huá Fēi, and it was clear that everyone must be uncomfortable.

But all of this seemed to be a scheme set up by the Empress…

However, Zhēn Huān really hoped she was just overthinking it…

As she was lost in thought, the Empress’s voice continued to echo in her ears:

“Today, the Imperial Kitchen made a new dish. Although it smells a bit stinky, it tastes quite good. I really like it, so I had it specially prepared for you sisters to try…”

As she spoke, a palace maid brought the dish the Empress mentioned to the table.

All the other concubines, upon smelling it, instinctively covered their noses with their handkerchiefs. It truly smelled terrible!

Jiǎn Qiū, standing nearby, explained:

“This is a new dish developed by the Imperial Kitchen. It’s made with tofu, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It tastes wonderful.”

The Empress, seeing the other concubines’ reactions, smiled and ate a piece herself.

Seeing the Empress enjoying it so much, the other concubines hesitantly followed suit.

The Empress looked around at the others and then smiled at Ān Língróng:

“You don’t need to drink any wine. Drink some hot soup to warm yourself up.”

Ān Língróng stood up to thank the Empress for her kindness.

When compared to Huá Fēi, who had been so difficult, who wouldn’t praise the Empress for her virtuousness?

“The Empress’s intentions are good, but you can’t just focus on your own tastes. You have to consider everyone else’s preferences as well!”

Huá Fēi rolled her eyes at the Empress:

“This overwhelming stench is completely inappropriate!”

As she spoke, Huá Fēi used her handkerchief to cover her mouth and waved it in front of her nose in disgust.

It seemed like every time she went head-to-head with the Empress, it made her extremely happy.

“I know this dish has a strong smell, so I specially had them prepare some fresh flowers… that way, the smell will dissipate quickly…”

As she spoke, the Empress glanced at Jiǎn Qiū, who then went out and instructed the servants to place flowerpots by the door.

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

Ān Língróng, who was very sensitive to smells, had almost thrown up after eating a piece of tofu earlier, but she hadn’t noticed anything wrong at the moment.

Zhēn Huān, seeing how uncomfortable Ān Língróng looked, immediately stood up and said to the Empress:

“Empress, perhaps Ān mèimei, being pregnant, can’t bear such a smell, which is why…”

The Empress immediately ordered for the dishes to be removed.

“Take it away, take it away! Quickly take it away!”

Jiǎn Qiū was also urging the servants, “Hurry up, hurry up and take it away!”

“Yes, yes, we’ll take it away right away!”

The palace maid, in a hurry, ran up to Ān Língróng with the plate.

“Clink.”

While retreating, the palace maid accidentally dropped all the stinky tofu onto the floor.

The palace maid was so frightened that she quickly knelt down and begged for forgiveness:

“I have failed, I have failed, please forgive me, Empress!”

“How are you handling things? Hurry up and clean it up!”

Jiǎn Qiū shouted at the palace maid who was still begging for forgiveness.

“Yes, yes!”

Since the tofu was cut into small pieces and had sauce, it took the maid a bit longer to clean it up.

Plus, the tofu smelled so strong that all the concubines in the hall covered their noses with their handkerchiefs in disgust.

Huá Fēi, smelling the sharp stench, became even more irritable:

“Everyone in the palace praises the Empress for handling things well, but I never expected that today, at the banquet, such useless servants would be used!”

“This banquet hall has become unbearable. How can anyone eat in this environment?”

Huá Fēi said as she stood up, preparing to leave.

At that moment, a strange sound suddenly reached their ears:

“Did you hear something strange?”

“Sound?” Sòng Zhī instinctively repeated.

Everyone put down their chopsticks and listened carefully.

Yú Yīng’ér listened closely and said: “It sounds like the flapping of wings…”

Just as everyone was curious about what the sound was, suddenly, thousands of bats appeared, dark as night, swarming toward the crowd.

The banquet hall immediately became chaotic.

Everyone covered their faces with their hands, constantly swatting at the bats flying toward them.

Zhēn Huān, forcing herself to remain calm, tried to protect Ān Língróng but was knocked apart by the crowd rushing from behind.

In the face of disaster, people’s instincts are to survive.

It wasn’t until they managed to retreat outside the pavilion that Zhēn Huān and Shěn Méi Zhuāng were knocked into the railing.

One of the palace maids hit her head on a pillar and fell to the ground.

Everyone was continuously attacked.

Jiǎn Qiū quickly pulled a piece of cloth and placed it over the Empress’s head, shouting loudly:

“Hurry, hurry and call the guards!”

Huá Fēi, somehow, was pushed to Ān Língróng’s side by the crowd. She covered her face with her hand while shouting fiercely:

“Someone come over and protect me! Whoever dares to shout or run around will be dealt with according to palace rules!”

Jú Qīng had already been knocked to the ground by the crowd. Ān Língróng was hiding behind a pillar, terrified and screaming.

Yú Yīng’ér saw this and quickly fought her way through the crowd, trying to run toward Ān Língróng.

Just then, she saw Bǎo Juān reach out from behind and attempt to push Ān Língróng from behind.

Without time to shout, Yú Yīng’ér rushed forward and grabbed Ān Língróng’s arm.

Bǎo Juān, frightened, quickly pretended to fall, lying on the ground.

“Someone! Someone, quick!”

Zhēn Huān and Shěn Méi Zhuāng had been shoved back and forth by the crowd, as if someone was deliberately preventing them from getting through.

At this moment, no one cared about Yú Yīng’ér’s cries for help.