In the corner of the wall stood a half-person-high incense burner, with smoke curling up from it and slowly wrapping around the magnificent palace.

  When the first golden rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the vast and magnificent Kun Ning Palace, the soft light dissipated the solemnity of the palace. At this time, in the grand hall, a young girl with her back straight and upright, knelt squarely in the center, the rising sun shining gently on her, as if casting a layer of golden Buddhist light, making the girls entire figure appear even more beautiful and elegant, like an immortal fairy descending to the mortal world.

  Yan Xijun knelt quietly on the ground, her eyes cast down, neither speaking out in protest nor furrowing her brow even slightly, obediently and voluntarily accepting punishment.

  A few feet away from her, facing her directly, was a spacious tea table and a comfortable armchair. In the chair sat a young beautiful woman, who held a teacup on the tea table with a slightly displeased expression, took a light sip, then turned her angry gaze to the girl kneeling on the ground.

  A layer of golden light pierced through her eyelids, which made her very uncomfortable. Yan Wuxin half-closed her phoenix eyes and gazed at the girl kneeling on the ground with a slanted glance, narrowing her eyes to examine her for a moment.

  Her eyebrows were clear and her eyes were bright, with a clear outline of her facial features. Her skin was fair and delicate, and her pretty face still looked so young and tender, like a flower in the prime of youth, with both the innocence of a maiden and the allure of maturity. Yan Wuxin couldnt help but feel more and more pleased, even very satisfied, that this younger half-sister of hers had indeed not disappointed her.

  She has a flirtatious face, a beauty that brings ruin to the country and its people. If she were just a little older, Im afraid no man would be able to escape her charms.

  Thinking of this, Yan Wuxin felt particularly unhappy. As sisters, why could the fourth sister get such a good appearance? Heaven was really unfair.

  Yan Wuxin gazed at the fourth sister kneeling on the ground, looking at her face, and a jealous heart rose again in her mind. Why could this humble concubine-born daughter be so beautiful? As the legitimate daughter, she was slightly inferior. She should think of a way to prevent her from stealing the spotlight.

  "Master...!"

  A faint cry made Yan Wuxin regain her composure, and the thoughts in her mind were interrupted by someone. She glared at the palace maid Xue Rong who was attending to her with a somewhat displeased expression.

  Xue Rong saw the masters displeased gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and she grasped her sleeves tightly, nervously reminding him: "Master, Concubine Cheng has been kneeling for an hour already. You didnt have something to say to her? Im afraid that when the imperial concubines come to pay their respects later, it will clash with this matter."

  "Oh, youre still so meticulous." Yan Wuxin heard Xue Rongs words and suddenly remembered the purpose of summoning Fourth Sister. Thinking of this, her expression changed back to its original state, her face calm and cold, gazing intently at Fourth Sister.

  "Yuaner, do you know what mistake youve made?" Yan Wuxin asked coldly, staring at Yan Xikun.

  "You dont know, sir!" Yan Xi replied calmly.

  "You dont know? It seems that I have been too indulgent with you, and you dont even understand these basic etiquette."

  "Who dares to be so presumptuous in the imperial bedchamber at night, and even refuses to serve? Are you out of your mind or is your brain rotten?" Yan Wuxin sternly asked, still fuming about last nights events. After much persuasion, she had finally managed to convince the Emperor to go to her bedchamber, but instead, she had used her own life to force the Emperor to leave in anger.

  Yan Xikun tightly closed her mouth, not making a sound. Her sister had indeed come for this matter, and her news was truly well-informed. It should be said that the matter of refusing to attend the emperors bed last night had probably spread throughout the entire imperial palace already!

  Yan Wu Xin saw her not making a sound, the anger in his heart grew even more, "What kind of heart do you have? Which concubine in the harem doesnt hope to serve the emperor at night, but youre good, pushing the emperor away with both hands."

  "I dont understand, why did you treat the Emperor like that last night and even fabricated a suicidal incident!" Yan Wuxin slammed her hand heavily on the table, her beautiful face flushing with anger.

  "Madam, calm down! Please take care of yourself!" Xue Rong hurriedly stretched out her hand to pat her back and help her catch her breath.

  "I dont love him, asking me to be his woman, I cant do it!" Yan Xijun raised her small face and looked at the high-and-mighty sister, with a stubborn expression.

  "Love? Haha!" Yan Wuxin seemed to have heard the most hilarious joke, laughing uncontrollably. "Fourth sister, fourth sister, youve already been married for a year, why are you still so childish?"

  "Entering this harem, what love is there? Go and ask the women in this harem, which one of them has love in their heart? Dont think about those so-called romantic things for me anymore, you cant have it in this lifetime."

  "Sister, you clearly know I dont like the imperial palace and I dont like the emperor, so why do you still want me to enter the palace as a concubine?" Yan Xikun crawled on her knees for several steps, moved to Yan Wuxins feet, and asked in confusion while pulling at her hem.

  "Why?" Yan Wuxin looked down at Yan Xijun, who was looking up at her. She suddenly laughed extremely bitterly: "Do you think Im willing to let you enter the palace? Two sisters serving one husband, and hes even my husband!"

  "If so, why doesnt sister let me leave the palace, its better for everyone."

  "Whats good about that! You selfish ghost, why are you always thinking of yourself, cant you think of Father and Mother for once?"

  "Father and mother?"

  "Dont you know how Fathers official position came about? If it werent for me, would the Emperor be polite to our family? Although in the future generations can inherit, but youre not unaware of your third brothers nature."

  "...Yan Xijun of course knew what kind of person her half-brother, the third brother, was. This nominal older brother spent his days idle and lazy, he and the Empress were biological siblings, both born to Madame, whom she called Eldest Aunt."

  "So dont blame me, for the sake of our family, for Father, and also for your third brother, you must enter the palace. With you by my side in the harem, we two sisters will work together with all our might to gain the emperors favor. Only then can I secure my position as empress, and once that is stable, what luxury and wealth wont we enjoy?" Yan Wuxin said with a sigh, patting Yan Xikuns delicate cheek.

  Originally, her sisters intention of strongly urging her to enter the palace as a concubine was just to secure her own position, and at most, she would be used as a pawn.

  Xin Shuang returned with a bitter heart, Yan Xis words were also tinged with bitterness: "Sister is too optimistic about Juner, among the three thousand beautiful women in the harem, how can Juner compete with them and gain the emperors favor?"

  "Dont worry about these things, with me here, I will fight for all the favorable conditions for you. Just stay well in Ganquan Palace and wait for the emperors arrival."

  "Dont dare disobey the emperor again next time, got it?" Yan Wuxin warned.