Thirteen: Frost and cold rise all over the ground

  As I walked out of the Rain Flower Pavilion with Zhenfei, I found that I had an extra basket of water caltrops in my hand. The two horns were sharp and the flesh was tender. Zhenfei's words still lingered in my ears, "The flesh of the water caltrop is delicious, but you must first cut off its two horns and remove its hard shell to taste the pulp. Otherwise, it would be easy to get hurt by its sharp horns, and it would not be worth it."

  I smile, and yet others are no different, wanting to gain something must first avoid its harm.

  The red sun rises, with no clouds for thousands of miles, adding a few degrees of heat. I couldn't bear the heat, and my body had already produced a few beads of sweat, so I chose a shaded and quiet path to return to Yifeng Pavilion.

  When we arrived at the "Jade Belt Paulownia Shade" area, the road was lined with paulownia trees, their dense leaves hanging down to the ground, naturally exuding a cool and quiet atmosphere. The scenery was excellent, and it wasn't hot either. I held onto Liuxiu's hand and slowly walked while taking in the view. Suddenly, I lifted my head and saw Empress Hua leading Cao Zhenyin and Qiao Caiyu, followed by a group of palace maids and eunuchs, walking towards us with grandeur.

  The Empress was originally high-spirited and eloquent, but as soon as she saw me, her expression suddenly turned cold.

  Since her reinstatement, I have tried to avoid direct confrontation with her again. I lost my child and fell out of favor because of her, she was demoted and lost favor because of me, the hatred between us is deeply ingrained and cannot be dissipated.

  It was just a narrow road encounter, and my position was under hers, but it was an unavoidable meeting, and I had promised to tolerate her for the sake of the greater good.

  I tidied up my disheveled spirits, and with a respectful bow, I made a deep curtsy, "Greetings to the Honorable Empress." The two ladies-in-waiting beside her, Cao Jieyu and Qiao Cai, also nodded at me in greeting.

  The Empress did not hurry to call me up, her eyes scrutinizing and suspicious. Time slowly passed quietly, so quiet that the sound of birds was not heard. I thought about kneeling for a long time in the Miao Xiu Palace that day, my heart tightened involuntarily with hatred, biting my lip to control myself from revealing a hateful expression, and knelt down with a calm and serene demeanor.

  "After a long time, she said: 'Get up.'"

  She gazed at me intently, her eyes filled with complex emotions - hatred, fear, disgust, contempt and provocation. In an instant, a mix of five flavors, the Empress Huawang seemed to smile yet not smile as she said: "When I regained my position today, did you ever think it would happen?"

  I maintained a humble expression, stepped aside and bowed: "Your Highness's good fortune is boundless, how can a concubine like me dare to guess or predict it?" I bowed again to her and said: "I haven't had the chance to congratulate Your Highness on your reinstatement yet, let me do so now."

  She coldly said, "Forget it. I don't dare to accept this gift from you, Imperial Noble Consort." She gave me a sideways glance, barely concealing the disgust in her tone, and furrowed her beautiful arched eyebrows, saying: "The more obedient you are, the more frightening I find you."

  I didn't think it was a big deal, and smiled slightly: "The Empress said with a smile, 'Is the concubine not being respectful to Your Majesty, speaking out of turn and offending you?' I lowered my eyelids and said, 'The concubine doesn't dare to be presumptuous and offend Your Majesty.'"

  Her disdainful expression was not concealed in the slightest, and it all flowed out from her eyebrows to the corners of her eyes: "Honorable Concubine is being polite. Not daring to offend has already offended. The palace will never forget past events."

  Her tone was extremely overbearing, and the crowd around her fell silent under her aura.

  I just humbly and calmly said: "Your Ladyship's teachings are correct. The concubine is willing to listen to Your Ladyship's teachings at all times."

  The Empress Hua saw that I was in high spirits and couldn't find any fault with me, so she became angry and said: "You may be willing to listen all the time, but this palace is not willing to see your face all the time."

  The Empress was getting angry, when suddenly a soft female voice beside her said: "Your Majesty, don't be angry. Your precious body is worth thousands of gold, it's not worth getting hurt over some trivial palace maid. In this world, there are rules for the noble and the humble, where has it ever been heard that a noble person gets angry at a lowly one? Isn't that just elevating the lowly person too much?"

  These words were sharp and pointed directly at me. I was puzzled, thinking that Cao Zhen would not say such things from her position. So...I looked up to see a palace maid dressed woman, who was actually the newly appointed Qiao Caiyu. She was petite and had a pretty face, because she was one of the Empress's personal maids, Xuan Ling also favored her somewhat. At this time, she was respectfully supporting the Empress's elbow, smiling obsequiously, as if she were still a maid, very obedient and clever.

  Yu Zhu's face changed, and she was about to refute Qiao Caiyu's words. I quickly pulled her behind me and smiled: "Isn't this the newly favored Princess Qiao? Princess Qiao's words just now were indeed reasonable, as there is a proper order between high and low in society. With your eloquence, you must be from a noble family, and it's a pity that you're only an adopted daughter of humble origins. I will definitely speak to the Emperor on your behalf, and you should at least be promoted to 'Huan' or 'Guiren' rank to match your status."

  She was originally a palace maid, and when she heard me speaking in such a way that both praised and subtly criticized her, even Consort Hua couldn't refute it, and her face flushed red as she shot me an angry glance.

  I sneered, I was going to tolerate Empress Hua. But Empress Hua also knew to be cautious of me a little. Qiao Caiyu flattered Empress Hua excessively, but didn't know the heights of heaven and earth, speaking to me with no reserve.

  Cao Jieyu originally remained silent and observant, but seeing the situation, she hurriedly smiled and stepped forward: "Your Majesty invites you and our sisters to go to the Jade Mirror Pavilion to listen to the opera, I heard that they have arranged your favorite 'Niangzi Guan', why bother arguing in this hot weather with so many people?"

  The Empress Hua hummed softly and took Qiao Cai with her as they left. I said gently, "Liu Zhu, let's go back."

  Upon arriving at the palace, Huan Bi had already led someone to greet me and help me change into casual clothes. She also poured some cool tea for me and said: "I saw that it was hot outside and you hadn't returned yet, so I was just thinking of sending someone to take a look."

  "I smiled and said: 'What could possibly happen in the imperial palace?'"

  Li Zhu Hu's face was red with rage, and he puffed out his chest as he spoke to Huan Bi: "You don't know, do you? Today is really going to be the death of me! We actually ran into that Imperial Consort Hua and that newly favored concubine Qiao Cai, causing our young mistress such great humiliation!"

  "What's going on? Now that Miss is favored by the Emperor, they actually don't know how to be cautious?"

  Li Zhu sneered and changed her expression, saying: "It's fine that the Empress is like this, she has always been at odds with Miss. What's ridiculous is that insignificant Jo Zhai girl, a small palace maid who dares to point fingers at our Miss everywhere, every sentence with a hidden meaning." She pouted and complained to me: "Miss is too kind-hearted. We can ignore the Empress, but do we have to tolerate Jo Zhai's arrogance? If it were up to my temper, I would definitely give her two slaps and report to the Emperor to send her to the 'Penalty Room' for hard labor."

  "I pointed at Liu Zhu and smiled at Fen Bi: 'Listen to this girl's mouth, it's getting more and more vicious. I can see that she'll be the one in charge soon.' Stopping my smile, I turned serious and said to Liu Zhu: 'Your temper is too impatient. Can you accomplish things just by being impatient? I've already warned you not to offend Empress Hua, now I'm telling you again, don't even offend the people around her, just humor them and that's all - are you afraid there won't be a next time?"

  Li Zhu gritted her teeth and said resentfully: "Qiao Cai Nü is so openly rude to Miss, can Miss just let it go easily?"

  I plucked a branch of white jasmine from the pot and held it in my hand to admire, asking Biyu: "What do you think?"

  "Let's endure this for now and seek revenge later."

  I suppressed my anger and smiled slightly: "Enduring is a must for the time being. If I were to turn against her immediately, others would definitely say that I don't have the dignity of a queen. Moreover, I should avoid offending Queen Hua at this moment. Besides, I wouldn't stoop to using violence on someone like Qiao Shi. Just because I'm enduring Qiao Shi doesn't mean I won't take action against others." I tossed the flower branch onto the table and continued: "Qiao Cai Nü dares to be so arrogant only because she has Queen Hua backing her. Do you think she's capable of this on her own? She's just a lowly servant girl."

  "Miss means..."

  I will put a flower branch on my collar and leisurely ask: "What does the sixth poem of Du Fu's 'Going Out of the Frontier' say?"

  "Shoot their horses first, then shoot the men; capture their king before capturing the bandits!"

  I plucked a branch of jasmine, snapped it crisply into two segments with a "crack", and tossed them into the large celadon vase on the table, freezing my smile.

  In the late afternoon, a cool breeze came from the lake, bringing with it the freshness of lotus flowers and mist. The windmill turned slowly, causing the wide, pale silk sleeves with scattered flower patterns to flutter and settle. Because I feared disturbance, a small eunuch had earlier used a bamboo pole smeared with glue to catch and remove all the cicadas that were crying out. The courtyard where I sat was filled with evening jasmine and white osmanthus flowers, their fragrance filling the halls and creating a cool tranquility.

  I lay on the bamboo bed, still feeling a bit warm, so I changed into a light and thin cicada silk dress, and removed my heavy hairpins. Jing Qing and Hei'er took turns fanning me, while Huan Bi prepared ice bowls and fruit, chatting with me from time to time.

  Just then, he looked up and saw Xuan Ling enter, hastily stood up and said: "Your Majesty."

  He pulled me up with both hands and said, "You're quite carefree."

  I sat down with him hand in hand, smiling and saying: "I'm also idle, just being lazy." I took a slice of watermelon that had been cut into pieces and handed it to his lips, saying: "It's cooler now, did Your Majesty come from the Water Green South Fragrance Hall?"

  The smile at the corner of his lips faded a bit, and he took a bite of watermelon, saying: "Just came from Feiyu Pavilion."

  Yu Run Tang was originally Mei Zhuang's old residence in the Taiping Palace, but now it is where Ling Rong lives. Therefore, this time she came with several concubines, and the Empress arranged for her to live in Fei Yu Guan.

  I saw Xuan Ling's expression was calm and serene, but there seemed to be a hint of unease between his eyebrows. I smiled carefully and said: "Sister Mei's lotus seed paste and osmanthus cake are the most flavorful, it's best to eat them during this season, has the Emperor tried them?"

  He looked at me and smiled: "The lotus seed paste cake is indeed sweet, but unfortunately that person is not sweet. Every time I go, two out of three times she pushes me away and doesn't get close to me." He shook his head: "Is she still resentful about the mistake I made in blaming her in the past?"

  I heard a tone of blame in his words, and hastily knelt down, bowing my head to say: "Please, Your Majesty, do not blame Sister Mei at all, it's all my fault."

  Xuan Ling didn't understand and said: "I haven't blamed her, how come you're admitting it's not right first?"

  "I said, 'Why would Mei sister blame the emperor for past events?' I quickly thought of an excuse in my mind and smiled: 'Actually, it was all because of my previous mistakes. Mei sister and I have been close friends since childhood, and we both entered the palace together, hoping to stay by the emperor's side forever. Mei sister has always considered the emperor's health, and if there were too many concubines, it would inevitably harm the emperor's body. So, she privately expressed her concerns to me. The emperor has always been more fond of me and An sister, so Mei sister decided to follow the example of ancient virtuous consorts, taking care of the emperor's health without competing for his favor, hence this move.'"

  Xuan Ling smiled: "It seems that Shen Jieyu is quite concerned about me."

  I nodded and said: "Yes. In this matter, I am inferior to Sister Mei."

  He raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested, and said: "What's up?"

  I saw him leaning on his elbow, reclining on a bamboo bed, under the moonlight, his divine appearance stood out, I couldn't help but blush, and whispered: "Because I, your concubine, cannot be a virtuous empress, I want to spend more time with Your Majesty."

  Xuan Ling's expression was joyful, and he hugged me in his arms, saying: "Although Xian Fei is good, having too many loses the charm of the boudoir. Not like you..."

  I pushed him gently and said with a blush: "Your Majesty is also shameless, I'm so embarrassed."

  Xuan Ling kissed my cheek and said, "Let's just talk among ourselves, what business is it of others?"

  I saw him in a good mood, unlike when he came, so I took the ice bowl and ate with him. On the side, I gently persuaded him: "Mei's sister is straightforward, her actions and words are easy to offend small people, if someone speaks ill of her in front of the emperor one day, I hope the emperor can carefully discern and not blame her."

  Xuan Ling grasped my shoulder, and the silver tassel of my cat-eye earrings gently brushed against his arm, giving off a faint coolness. He wound a strand of my hair around his hand and said softly, "You're afraid that someone will speak ill of Shen Jieyu in front of me, but you don't know that today, someone has already spoken ill of you in front of me."

  My heart sank for a moment, but I quickly calmed down and smiled slightly: "Is it Queen Hua?"

  He gazed at me with affection, stroking my cheek and said softly: "I know you've been tolerant to the best of your ability."

  I nodded vigorously, my eyes slightly moist: "Your Majesty won't believe it, will you?"

  He grasped my hand and said, "Yes."

  I was still in front of him, and my heart suddenly felt warm and solid. Xuan Ling hugged me and said: "But the Empress is born with a stubborn temper, she will not give up until she reaches her goal. Today, she told me that you were disrespectful to her, and also joined forces with Qiao Cai to cry and whine endlessly. She must have targeted you by now."

  I uttered an "oh" and asked: "How does Your Majesty plan?"

  His eyes dimmed, and the darkness of the night seemed to seep into them. He whispered a few words in my ear.

  I fell silent for a moment, then said softly: "It's been three years since I entered the palace. This autumn is also the time of the grand selection of beautiful women, and with new beauties by his side, His Majesty will surely forget about me."

  He solemnly said, "Even if there are thousands of beauties, the only one in Si Lang's heart is Huan Huan, and no one can replace her." He spoke seriously, I couldn't help but be moved, leaning on his chest and looking up at the stars, seeing the Milky Way shining brightly, vast and endless, all so far away, only he was close.

  I just sighed and said: "It's just that my brother and the King of Ru Nan are getting closer and closer."

  After these days, the Imperial Consort Hua and Concubine Qiao gained great favor, Emperor Xuanling often stayed overnight with them. Imperial Consort Hua tolerated it, but the other consorts harbored deep resentment towards Concubine Qiao.

  That evening, Xuan Ling set up a banquet on the veranda in front of the Shui Qing Nan Xiang Palace. All the pavilions and buildings were hung with red lanterns that shone brightly, casting a reddish glow over the entire pool of water in Fan Yue Lake, like the blush on a woman's face when she is drunk. The ripples on the lake sparkled and shimmered, as resplendent and luxurious as a fine Shu brocade.

  The imperial consorts, led by the empress, raised their cups one after another to toast and congratulate Xuan Ling. The scene was filled with an atmosphere of harmony and joy that cannot be described in words. Hua Fei stood beside Xuan Ling, smiling cleverly and elegantly, her beauty unmatched, and the splendor of the entire hall seemed to be monopolized by her alone. For a moment, I felt as if I had returned to the past, when she was still the favored consort who had not experienced any setbacks, and her path had been smooth and glorious. I covered my sleeve and took a sip of wine, and this scene was so similar to that year. However, in the blink of an eye, we had all gone through so many ups and downs, twists and turns.

  I calm my mind, raise my eyes, and stand up to Xuan Ling: "Today, all the sisters in the palace are present. I, your concubine, would like to offer a toast to Your Majesty and Her Majesty, wishing you both good health and longevity."

  The queen nodded, smiled with pleasure, and Xuan Ling was also delighted, together they raised their heads and drank to the end. However, Hua Fei only had a faint smile at the corner of her lips, but her eyes were slanted towards Qiao Cai Nu.

  Qiao Cai's expression changed, and she immediately stood up and walked to the front of Xuan Ling. With a charming smile, she said: "Your Majesty, I wish you good health and prosperity. Wine can harm your body, so I carefully selected a plate of fine fruits for Your Majesty to taste."

  Xuan Ling held a pale white grape in his mouth and said faintly, "Not bad."

  I glanced at Qiao Cai and smiled: "Is Sister Qiao the fruit that was carefully chosen for the Emperor? The Emperor didn't praise her to the skies, it's clear that sister still needs to make an effort to understand the Emperor's preferences."

  Qiao Cai was favored at the time, and couldn't stand my words. Her face suddenly turned purple, and she said in a low voice: "The empress is right." But her mouth didn't want to admit defeat, saying: "As a concubine serving the emperor for just over a month, there are still many places where I am not good enough. Please instruct me, Your Majesty. However, although I may not be as good at reading the emperor's mind as you are, I dare say that I have been diligent in all matters concerning the emperor." She turned to face Xuan Ling, bowed her head and curtsied, saying: "Your concubine thinks day and night, always thinking about the emperor. Please, Your Majesty, be wise and discerning."

  Xuan Ling said "en" and said: "You can rest assured, I know." He looked at me deeply and said: "With me here, no one dares to say such things about you."

  Xuan Ling has always been courteous to me, and it's rare for a newly appointed palace maid to speak like this. I sank my face, forced a smile, and said with a pleasant tone: "Sister is absolutely right. Who isn't guessing the emperor's intentions bit by bit? It all depends on one's enthusiasm towards the emperor." My smile deepened, "However, sister must work harder, okay?" I counted on my fingers, and the three gold-inlaid emerald rings on my right hand sparkled, making the copper-plated gold rings on Jo Zai's hands dull in comparison. "Now it's already July, and the emperor will return to the palace in early August. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it will be time for the triennial selection of talented women, and new people will emerge. Sister will have a lot to do then."

  Xuan Ling saw me and Qiao Cai talking enthusiastically, but he didn't intervene, instead focusing on chatting with Empress Hua. He occasionally smiled intimately at her. I pretended not to notice, glancing over to see Mei Zhuang, who was tightly gripping her wine cup, staring blankly at Empress Hua in a daze.

  Qiao Cai's words were sharp and biting as she chased after her, laughing: "The concubine is still young, only sixteen years old, and doesn't understand many things. The noble concubine is two years older than the concubine, and has also gained the emperor's favor, so it's natural that she can teach those new sisters who are about the same age as the concubine with ease."

  As a newcomer, my age can no longer be considered young. Even if the mirror still shows youthful beauty, those sparkling eyes have already been tainted by worldly dust and are no longer as clear and pure as they were in my youth. In the palace, it is taboo to be old, taboo to lose favor. Using all sorts of methods, just to make oneself look more delicate and pale, so that one can "be looked at with a smile by the king", and be gazed at for a longer time.

  Qiao Cai's words struck a chord in the hearts of the women in the palace, and I forced a smile, with a hint of disdain on my brow. In a clear voice, I said: "This is indeed true. It's said that diligent people don't age easily, and Sister used to work hard in the palace of Empress Huafeng. She was more capable than me when it came to enduring hardship. Moreover, Sister was able to serve Empress Huafeng so well, which shows that she can read the Emperor's mind and navigate situations with ease. This is something I absolutely cannot do."

  As soon as the words fell, the entire stage was quiet, and only the distant sound of silk and bamboo instruments could be heard, which sounded even more clear and lingering on the lake.

  Everyone in the palace knew that Qiao Caiyu was originally a palace maid, with a humble status. Moreover, because she had received some favor and grace, people behind her back had long been complaining and criticizing her without stopping. However, Qiao Caiyu was most taboo about others mentioning her origins and status, always pretending to be ignorant, yet unable to stop the whispers of the palace crowds.

  As expected, Qiao Cai's face turned red and white, her breathing rapid and urgent, and with a "wow" she burst into tears on the nearby table.

  The atmosphere was awkward, but I stood with a disdainful attitude, coldly looking down at her. The concubines all stopped drinking and laughing, their eyes falling on me and Jo Zai Nü, each with different expressions.

  Xuan Ling turned around, his expression somewhat cold and distant, his eyes scanning me and Qiao Cai's face, faintly silent.

  The Empress Hua let out a soft, silvery laugh, and before she had even moved, the numerous pearls and jewels on her hairdo emitted a crisp, tinkling sound as they collided with one another. The sound was especially pleasant to hear from the lakeside pavilion. The Empress's eyes sparkled with amusement as she gazed at me and smiled at Xuan Ling: "Is Your Majesty going to ignore this?"

  Xuan Ling just pretended to be unintentional and asked the Empress: "What does Your Majesty think?"

  The empress smiled and said, "With many women, it's inevitable to have some disputes over words. Today, being happy and having drunk a couple of mouthfuls of wine, I wasn't intentionally trying to cause trouble. After the banquet, my concubine will properly talk things over with them." The empress spoke thus, originally intending to calm down the situation and make a big deal smaller.

  Xuan Ling's face had a hint of drunkenness, but upon hearing the Empress's words, he suddenly changed color and said: "Is this how you usually manage the harem for me? No wonder there are always storms brewing in the harem!"

  The queen saw Xuan Ling's outburst and hastily knelt down to pay her respects, saying: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger, it is this servant's fault."

  The queen knelt down, and everyone immediately followed suit, kneeling all over the place. I stopped arguing with Jo Tsai Nü and also hurriedly knelt down on the ground.

  Xuan Ling was slightly drunk, and Empress Hua hurriedly supported his body, saying: "Your Majesty, be careful."

  Xuan Ling shook off her hand and rebuked the Empress: "Do you know where you are? The women in the harem can't even settle their petty squabbles, isn't that incompetence?"

  The queen rarely saw Xuan Ling speak to her in such a tone, and she trembled slightly as she knocked her head on the ground. Qiao Cai knew that this disaster originated from my dispute with her, and was so frightened that she didn't even dare to cry.

  The queen repeatedly begged for forgiveness, but Xuan Ling ignored her and coldly called out: "Guan Gui Fei."

  I was startled and hastily kneeled forward, bowing my head and saying: "Your servant is here."

  "Be off!" he said coldly.

  After drinking, I felt a burning heat all over my body. At this moment, I should be flustered and frightened, and I called out to him in a sad voice: "Your Majesty——"

  He simply took the hand of the Empress and turned away without looking back. Mei Zhuang originally had a cold expression, only watching with cold eyes, but now seeing that things were not going well, finally spoke up: "Your Majesty's intention is..."

  Xuan Ling raised his wine cup, and Empress Hua poured a cup of "Pear Blossom White" for him. With a gentle smile, her beauty was instantly revealed. "The Emperor has always been fair and strict, so he certainly won't be biased."

  Xuan Ling stroked her smooth, snowy cheek with his finger, without raising his head, and said in a cold tone: "Guan Gui Fei Zhen Shi was rude in front of the emperor, spoke out of turn, and lost the virtue of a concubine. Tomorrow, she will be sent to Wu Liang Temple for reflection, and is not allowed to leave without an imperial edict."

  My tears fell slowly. The Wu Liang Temple is located in the center of Fan Yue Lake, with no roads leading to it, and only a small boat can reach it. It was used by Empress Dowager Cixi to imprison Consort Shu. The temple is remote and has been uninhabited for years. The main hall has no beams, not even a beam to hang oneself from in desperation. On that day, Consort Shu suffered greatly while imprisoned here.

  I reached out and grasped the hem of his robe, saying: "Your servant has attended to Your Majesty for three years. Although there have been instances where I have failed in my duties, I implore Your Majesty to consider that your servant has always served you with diligence and care. Please forgive me this one time." I sobbed, "I will never dare again."

  Xuan Ling frowned, pushing away my hand and saying: "Just now when speaking to Qiao Shi, wasn't it arrogant? In front of me, you dare to have jealous words and actions, I don't know how much more sinister it is behind my back. I really misjudged you."

  I protested: "Your Majesty knows that I have always been straightforward and outspoken." He did not listen to my explanation, and I looked both angry and regretful, hanging my head in shame and sobbing quietly.

  Empress Jing stepped forward and begged on my behalf: "Your Majesty, could you perhaps..."

  But before she could finish speaking, she was cut off by Imperial Consort Hua: "The Emperor's edict has already been issued, how dare you contradict it!"

  Xuan Ling gazed at Jing Fei with a slanted glance and said lightly, "The Wu Liang Temple is spacious, do you want to go too, Jing Fei?" Jing Fei trembled slightly, looked at me helplessly, and deeply lowered her head.

  The Empress Hua smiled with satisfaction and said in a soft voice: "Qiao Cai has been wronged..."

  Xuan Ling nodded in agreement, a smile suddenly appearing on his originally impatient face, and said warmly: "Let Jin Qiao be the seventh rank selected servant."

  Xuan Ling gave a glance, and Li Chang hurried forward saying: "Your Ladyship please, I will arrange for someone to escort you to the Wu Liang Temple to rest for a while."

  I know it's irretrievable now, I deeply bow and say: "Your servant withdraws."

  No one dares to plead for me, the queen is implicated, and Jing Fei is also blamed. Who else would dare say another word? The situation of this battle, in everyone's eyes, I have clearly lost miserably.

  The Empress Hua smiled: "Goodbye, Imperial Noble Consort Gui."

  Qiao Caiyu is no more, now she is Qiao Xuan Shi. She has long since turned her tears into smiles, with a self-satisfied expression: "Concubine is incompetent, can only accompany the emperor well for the empress. Goodbye, Noble Concubine."

  I stood up straight, my footsteps a bit unsteady. Mei Zhuang's expression changed as she turned her head, trying her best to hide the reluctance in her eyes. She quickly looked away, but I still saw it.

  Meizhuang, you still care about me after all.

  The Yifu Hall was already in a state of chaos, with occasional sniffling and sobbing from the palace maids and eunuchs. Only Xiangyu and Huanbi were packing up my clothes, while outside, Xiao Yuanyu and Xiao Lianzi were preparing the carriages. I stood blankly by the window, fanning myself alone.

  Liuzhu finished arranging a few urgent summer clothes, and then picked up an autumn long skirt to wear, hesitated and whispered to Qianshui: "Should this be brought?"

  She glared at her and hastily said, "Of course not. The emperor can't keep our young lady for a few days, she'll be back in two days."

  Although the voice was soft, I still heard it, and slowly said: "Bring it with you, bring winter clothes too."

  "Miss..."

  Yulan shook her head, took the rhino horn comb and rouge makeup box from the dressing table, and sighed softly: "The emperor must be really angry, otherwise why would he go to Wuliang Hall? Your Majesty, how did you provoke the emperor's anger?"

  I interrupted her and said, "Where is it peaceful? There are people who stir up trouble, fearing that the world will not be chaotic."

  Just then, Li Chang came in and greeted me with a bow: "Your Majesty, the carriages and boats are ready, and the Wu Liang Temple has been swept clean. Please depart at your convenience."

  I didn't say anything, just kept quiet for a moment, then asked: "Where is Your Majesty now?"

  Li Chang simply lowered his always obedient eyes and said: "Consort Hua."

  I understand, let out a long sigh and stepped out in simple attire with a plain hairdo, treading on the ground covered with delicate flower petals.

  However, just as she was about to get down from the carriage, a soft and gentle voice hastily called out from outside, "Sister Zhen, wait!"