When Cai Wei returned to the Cold Palace in disarray, it was already past lunchtime. An old lady saw her about to enter the house and hastily called out to her, "Miss Cai, you haven't had lunch yet, I saved a few buns for you, do you want them?"

  "No, I don't have an appetite today, you keep it for yourself." Yan Xijun shook her head at An Ayi and turned around to enter the house, closing the door behind her.

  "What's wrong with her?" Lai Ya came over and looked at the tightly closed door of Yan Xijun's house, asking An Ya in a gossiping tone.

  "I don't know!" Auntie An shook her head too and walked away.

  Yan Xijun flopped her entire body onto the bed, closing her eyes weakly as she thought back to that previous scene.

  If it weren't for that woman in white who lent a helping hand today, I would have lost my life. Who is she after all? Why does even Chu Yixuan, the ruler of a country, listen to her and follow her advice?

  She had never seen Chu Yixuan listen to any woman's words, nor had she ever seen him with such a gentle and approachable expression. It seemed that only when he was with that white-clothed woman did he not become so cold and emotionless.

  What's to be done? She knew too many secrets of the palace, and the more she knew, the more dangerous it was for her to stay in the palace. Yan Xijun couldn't help but worry about her own future.

  Yan Xijun anxiously waited on the bed until dusk, and soon after sunset, several eunuchs and palace maids arrived at the cold and deserted Cold Palace.

  Luo Zhong's face lit up with a smile as soon as he saw Yan Xikun, saying: "Yan beauty, our family has received an imperial decree to come and take you out of the Cold Palace."

  "Has His Majesty allowed me to leave the Cold Palace?" Yan Xijun looked at Luo Zhong in surprise, then thought of what had happened that morning and begged: "Luo Gonggong, can I not leave the Cold Palace? Let me stay here, it's quite good here."

  What a joke! If she leaves this Cold Palace, who knows if Chu Yixuan will punish her again? She doesn't want to lose her life at his hands.

  "This...?" Luo Zhong had never encountered a concubine who refused to leave the Cold Palace before, and despite having experienced many strange things, he was at a loss for how to respond this time. He simply stared blankly at Yan Xiu Jun, unable to say a word.

  "Yan Niang, what nonsense are you talking about? What's good about staying in this Cold Palace? Since the Emperor has specially instructed Old Man Luo to take you out, it means that the Emperor may still have feelings for you. Hurry up and follow Old Man Luo back, that's where your world is." An Niang pulled Yan Xiu Jun and advised her, what kind of stimulation did this child receive, what's good about this Cold Palace, she actually wants to stay here.

  "Auntie An, I..." Yan Xijun didn't know what to say. When she first entered the Cold Palace, she had made up an excuse that she was a concubine disliked by the Emperor, so Auntie An and the others all thought she was a fallen-out-of-favor concubine.

  "Beautiful Yan, why don't you just come with me? The Ganquan Palace has been cleaned and your serving palace maids and eunuchs have been waiting for a long time. Don't you want to see them?"

  Right, since being imprisoned in the Cold Palace, I haven't seen Wenqin again. I don't know how that girl is doing or if her injuries from the beating have healed. When Xuelian brought clothes over that time, she told me that Ganquan Palace had lost its master and all the palace maids and slaves had been reassigned to other palaces. Do you think they've been bullied by others?

  "Let's go, Yan Mei Ren." Luo Zhong instructed her to move forward in the same way he had brought her to the Cold Palace before, and Yan Xi Jun reluctantly followed him, worrying about Wen Qin and the others.

  After returning to Ganquan Palace, the master and servants gathered together, talking endlessly with a thousand emotions. Finally, when it was time for bed, they dispersed one by one.

  It's been some time since I came out of the Cold Palace, and when I count the days, it's already been half a month. In this half month, Chu Yixuan hasn't set foot in Ganquan Palace even once.

  The more he didn't come, the deeper the unease in Yan Xizhen's heart grew. Looking at him, he didn't seem like a forgiving ruler who would let things slide, but rather a very meticulous man.

  Although she hadn't spent much time with him, she was confident and still trusted her intuition.

  For half a month now, the concubines in the palace have come to visit her quite often. Each woman would hypocritically offer their congratulations first, merely for the sake of maintaining appearances.

  Every concubine in this harem wants fewer competitors, they all wish she would be imprisoned in the Cold Palace and never come out again.

  If it weren't for her queen sister's face, I reckon this group of women would have been cold-shouldering and ridiculing her long ago.

  For this half month, the imperial palace has been preparing for the emperor's birthday banquet, with lanterns and streamers, it's quite lively.

  Tonight is the long-prepared birthday banquet, and envoys from various countries have also arrived at the palace one after another today to attend tonight's banquet.

  Yan Xijun never thought that she would also be attending the banquet, and had assumed that as a lone, fallen concubine, she wouldn't have the qualifications to attend.

  Who would have thought that at dusk, the eunuch general manager Luo Gonggong had someone come to invite her to move to the Qiankun Temple to attend a banquet.

  "Beautiful Yan, please hurry up and change your clothes, Lord Luo is still waiting for you in the Kunyun Hall."

  The round-faced palace maid holding a lacquered red tray anxiously said to the beauty sitting at the desk.

  She was an imperial palace maid by the emperor's side, but Luo Gonggong arranged for her to do such trivial matters, and she had a hundred thousand unwillingness in her heart.

  A small concubine also dares to not take her seriously, if it weren't for the fact that she is the emperor's wife's younger sister, she really wanted to leave immediately.

  The round-faced palace maid looked gloomy and thought reluctantly in her heart.

  "Beautiful face."

  Yan Xijun glanced at the round-faced palace maid's tray of exquisite clothes and said faintly, "Alright, put down the clothes, you can go out first."

  The round-faced palace maid shot her a glance, dissatisfied, put down her clothes, and then retreated with a sense of propriety.

  Good fortune is not lasting, misfortune will not be avoided.

  Yan Xijun stroked the clothes on the table, feeling very soft to the touch. The high-quality silk and exquisite embroidery were of the highest quality, with a few large red flowers embroidered on the cuffs, adding a touch of elegance.

  "Master, are you going to attend the banquet?" Wenqin asked curiously as she saw her simply stroking the clothes without intending to put them on.

  Yan Xijun withdrew his hand and said, "Go!"

  Xue Lian said with some concern: "Master, what do you think the Emperor means by this?"

  "It's hard to fathom your mind! Can others guess what an emperor does?"

  Yan Xijun stood up and instructed Xue Lian: "Xue Lian, come over and help me change clothes!"

  "Very well, master." Xuelian picked up the silk clothes on the tray and followed the master into the inner chamber.

  It wasn't long before Yan Xijun changed into her clothes, and she had Wenqin put on some light makeup. Only then did she lead Wenqin and Xuelian to the Qiankun Hall with a gentle smile.