18. Waking up with a smile as if laughing at oneself alone.

  In the sixteenth year of Qianyuan, it arrived amidst such intermittent waves. The empress managed the six palaces, old grudges had gone, and new favorites were not worth worrying about. I was still the sole leader, safely and stably being the favored concubine. In my free time, I only summoned Wen Shi Chu, asking him to help me regulate my body, so that I could get pregnant as soon as possible. The death of Murong Shilan made me feel even more that the love in the palace was too fleeting, not as reliable as having a child of my own flesh and blood.

  Then Wen Shi Chu frequently came and went from Cui Ju Tang, both to take care of me and to tend to Mei Zhuang's injuries.

  For some reason, Mei Zhuang's wound, which should have healed quickly, was recovering very slowly and almost relapsed every few days. Wen Shi Chu had a headache that wouldn't go away, but couldn't explain why, so he could only take extra care of him.

  Meizhuang didn't blame him, only saying: "It's just that I have a sensitive constitution, and it's troublesome to have Lord Wen run back and forth several times."

  Meizhuang didn't mind that I was frequently summoned by Xu Ling, and as we lived together, my initial apprehension gradually dissipated.

  That winter was particularly cold, with snow falling intermittently. I often held hands with Xuan Ling to admire the snowy scenery, and we would spend half a day doing so. At that time, he was in a particularly peaceful mood, although he rarely spoke, his lips seemed to hold a hint of a smile.

  One time, I braved the snow to ride a sedan chair to the eastern chamber of the Yiyuan Hall. Xuan Ling was just taking up his brush and ink to paint. Seeing me arrive, he grasped my hand and placed the brush in my palm, saying: "The snowy scenes you saw on your way here must be very beautiful; why don't you paint them for me to see?"

  Painting is not my forte, but Xuan Ling insisted, and I couldn't refuse. With a flash of inspiration, I spread out a snow-white sheet of rice paper, without drawing a single stroke, and smiled at him: "I've already finished painting, what do you think, Fourth Brother?"

  He burst out laughing, "You're so mischievous and lazy, you don't even lift a brush and claim to have painted it, are you teasing me?" I smiled and leaned on his shoulder, saying: "Isn't the snow vast and white? The snow is white, the paper is also white, your humble servant doesn't need to move her brush, the snowy scene is already on the paper."

  He clapped his hands and laughed too.

  Or, I leaned against the plum garden and picked some plum blossoms, red plums or dried plums, white plums, green plums, with different colors. One by one, I put them into the transparent crystal vase in the east room, which had melted snow water, especially clear. I threw the flowers into the water, and then smoked them with charcoal fire, the fragrance was exceptionally fresh. I half-leaned my body to hook the flower petals for fun, and he quietly watched me by my side.

  Everyone says I'm the most favored by the Emperor, but what I call imperial favor is just this peaceful and joyful time together.

  Ever since that day when I witnessed the death of Empress Hua, my heart has been uneasy for some reason. Sometimes, even when I'm laughing and chatting with Xuan Ling, my heart will suddenly skip a beat, and Empress Hua's beautiful yet blood-stained face will appear before my eyes, startling me. After the shock passes, I unwittingly wonder if I, who have received the emperor's favor, will meet a similar end. And this faint thought seems to have taken root in my heart, occasionally jumping out to disturb my emotions, adding a few notes of anxiety to this peaceful life.

  Miss, you're being overly cautious. The Murong clan is arrogant and domineering, but you are prudent and have the emperor's favor, how could you be like them?

  I sighed and said slowly: "Wasn't she also the most favored in the harem back then?"

  She thought for a moment and then said, "In the end, she lost because she didn't have a son. If you can produce an heir, your position will be truly solidified."

  I furrowed my brow and said, "It's not that easy, is it? You can't just think something into existence."

  Ling'er thought for a moment, then leaned in close and whispered, "Why don't we secretly go find some folk remedies that can help with conception?"

  My face turned red, I poked a finger at her forehead and said: "You're just talking nonsense. Wait until you get married, see if you still dare to speak nonsense?"

  The blue-faced girl turned around and said: "I'm just trying to help the young lady come up with a plan, if it's not good then so be it, why bother making fun of others."

  I suppressed a smile and pulled her hand, saying: "Where is the joke? In just a year or two, you won't be by my side serving me - are you going to accompany me for a lifetime?"

  The maid listened with a serious expression and said, "I'm telling the truth to you, Miss. I don't want to get married, I just want to stay with you. Although this place is good in some ways, it's also not good, and it's too hard for you to be alone."

  I remained silent for a while, then forced a smile: "This is nonsense, once I become an old maid, no one will really want me."

  Lan Caihe didn't say anything, just gazing at the six auspicious window flowers pasted on the window, and murmured a sentence that had nothing to do with the current situation: "When will this snow come to an end?"

  The harem is quiet, and the court politics are also in order. With the precedent of the King of Runan, Xuán Líng was quite cautious with the meritorious officials of this pacification, and did not grant too much real power, only more gold and silk. As for the daughters of the meritorious officials who entered the palace to serve, they were not quickly promoted or overly favored.

  I carefully observed that Fu Gui Ren was gentle and harmonious, Rui Gui Ren was calm and composed. The four noblewomen were secretly vying with each other, but they were too busy to pay attention to anything else. Xian Cai once asked me in private if I wanted to subdue one or two of them to use for myself. I smiled and said: "Let them fight among themselves, wait until only the strong ones are left, then I will observe the situation and choose who to use."

  Rong Yu Hui nodded, "Guigui's family and the princess's family are about to form an alliance through marriage. If all else fails, I can think of a way to help her out of this predicament."

  I nodded: "Now she's in her element, let's not intervene for now."

  Among the newcomers, Rui Gui Ren Luo Shi gradually gained favor and had a peaceful spring color with Qi Gui Ren. On that snowy day, I met her by the Tai Ye Chi.

  At that time, the wind by the lake was cold and there were not many people passing by. I had just returned from paying respects to the Empress Dowager and took a shortcut along the lake back to the palace. Seeing her disembarking from a small boat on the lake with her maid, I couldn't help but feel surprised and ordered my attendants to stop in their tracks.

  Snowflakes continue to fall, silently dropping into the water, the sky and earth are vast and cold. She wears a snow-white woven fur cloak, as if she has merged with the snow, revealing only her clear and beautiful face, standing quietly.

  I asked her: "Aren't you cold, Little Rui? On a snowy day like this."

  She simply curtsied and said quietly: "It's clean after a big snow."

  "Clean?" Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and she didn't fawn over me just because I was the favored concubine. I rather liked that about her.

  She glanced at me faintly, smiled slightly, and seemed to be not smiling: "Does the princess think this palace is very clean? Only when it snows can everything be covered up, then it's a bit cleaner."

  I didn't expect her to speak like that, and I smiled warmly, "Sister thinks that covering up makes it clean? If the heart is free of dust, everything is clean. If the heart is full of dust, then one's own self is in a state of filth. Moreover, true cleanliness doesn't need to be concealed."

  The wind blew up her cloak, revealing a curved sky-blue skirt corner, the ribbon on the cloak fluttered slightly, making her look like a elegant and refined water lily by the spring water of a jade pool, clear and fragrant.

  Her eyes had a hint of brightness, and she bowed to me with a slight smile: "The concubine has learned. But if I were to fall into the dust, I would rather die embracing the branch." As I looked at her calm and peaceful eyes, I felt ashamed of myself first.

  On February 2nd, the day of "Dragon Raises its Head", the sky seemed to have signs of clearing up. Xuan Ling was in the Empress's palace and also summoned me and Ling Rong to accompany her for a chat.

  I arrived late, and the interesting palace maid had already lifted the curtain to let me in. I only felt that the warm air in the hall "hums" a sound and rushed up to my face, hot and comfortable. Xuan Ling and the others were already there, surrounding the stove and cracking open small walnuts while chatting.

  Ling Rong saw me coming and smiled: "Sister came late, punish you to peel the walnut meat, not allowed to eat it yourself."

  I rubbed my hands and smiled: "It's so cold outside, I originally used a hand warmer, but it cooled down halfway, so I went to change one, who knew it would delay."

  Xuan Ling called me over, grasped my hand and said sympathetically: "Your hands are really cold as ice, warm them up before eating."

  The queen smiled warmly: "Yes, otherwise it would be uncomfortable to eat coldly and the intestines wouldn't warm up."

  I thanked him hastily and sat down on a small stool under the eaves of the Xuanling Temple.

  After chatting for a while, the queen smiled and said to Xuan Ling: "In the past two years, there have been many changes in the palace, and the selection of concubines has been delayed. Now that there are many vacancies among the imperial consorts, does the emperor intend to select a few more sisters to fill them?"

  Xuan Ling slowly chewed on a piece of walnut meat and said, "Empress, please go ahead and speak."

  The Empress was like a precious treasure: "According to the etiquette of the harem, there should be one noble and virtuous empress, three madams, four consorts, nine concubines each with one rank, five noble concubines, and the rest have no fixed number. There are two noble concubines and also two fourth-rank consorts, which is not a problem. Among the nine concubines, there was only one Li Xiurong. Although the four consorts of noble and virtuous empress were vacant, their ranks were extremely high, so it could be done slowly, while the position of madam had never been established in large numbers."

  Xuan Ling said with a hum: "The other consorts are nothing, but the Imperial Noble Consort must be established as one, and she will be the leader of all the consorts."

  The Empress continued: "Many ranks below Guifei are still vacant."

  Xuan Ling looked at me and said: "Then please ask the Empress to choose a good day to promote Guan Gui Pin." He also asked: "Are there only two of the four consorts?"

  I understand what he means, and hastily said: "Your Majesty's concubine is still inexperienced..."

  The queen smiled and interrupted me, saying: "This is not a matter of seniority, it's not that anyone who has been in the palace for a long time can be promoted to imperial concubine. Guixi Concubine's virtues are outstanding, so there's nothing to say about her." She turned to Xuanying and said: "However, Concubine Gui has only just entered the palace, and she doesn't have any children yet. If she gives birth to a child in the future, being promoted to imperial concubine would be an even greater honor."

  The Empress saw Xuan Ling hesitating and said: "Why don't we first make her a Ninth Rank Concubine?"

  Xuan Ling tossed a chestnut into the fire, producing a crisp and fragrant sound. He clapped his hands and said, "Let's follow the Empress's words for now and first make her a Consort."

  I hastily knelt down to thank her, and Ling Rong's face was full of smiles as she said, "Sister is overjoyed."

  Xuan Ling Wen said to Rong Yu, "How do you know she's not happy?" He turned to the Empress and said, "Promote An Pin to be a fourth-rank Fen Yi." After a brief pause, he continued, "Let's choose a date for her promotion to coincide with Guan Gui Pin's, so they can share the joy together."

  On the second day, the empress decided on a date for the promotion ceremony: February 12th.

  I accompanied Xuan Ling to the study in Yuanyuan Hall, quietly keeping him company as he read the memorial. Outside, several clumps of fine bamboo carried the remaining snow and hummed softly, the sound of melting snow dripping and echoing, the wet mud on the ground had become somewhat muddy and unbearable.

  It's as if some truths in this world are the most unpalatable and unacceptable, so it's better for everything to be covered up and unknown.

  Xuan Ling finished reading a scroll and suddenly became displeased, saying: "There is a minister who reported that Xuan Ji often spoke ill of me in prison, calling me 'a petty person', and used his wife and children's lives to coerce him."

  I smiled faintly and said, "The winner is the king, the loser is the bandit. He was once a noble prince, but overnight he became a prisoner in chains, it's hard to avoid complaining." I turned my head and asked him, "How does His Majesty plan to deal with this?"

  A flash of ferocity flickered in his eyes, and I was suddenly enlightened.

  I nodded and said, "Your Majesty's decision is also justified, after all, Xuanji is a treacherous minister and son, killing him would not be a waste." I changed my tone and continued, "But Your Majesty got angry today, was it just because of Xuanji's complaints?"

  He looked at me, "Xian Xian, I care more about the whispers of the world."

  As expected. I relaxed my eyebrows and said calmly, "Then please Your Majesty grant a nominal title to the son of Xuanji. Xuanji resents Your Majesty for using his wife and children as leverage, but Your Majesty has instead bestowed favors upon them, not letting the widow and orphan be without support, also so that there will be no basis for criticism from the people."

  Xuan Ling sighed, "I'm still young..." However, he soon laughed, "That's exactly what I like about him being young."

  The next day, Xuan Ling ordered Xuan Ji's son Yu Bo to succeed him as the King of Ru'nan. Of course, Yu Bo was only seven years old, and the title of King of Ru'nan was just an empty name, with some salary to pass the days.

  The queen seemed puzzled and said: "Why, Your Majesty..."

  I interrupted her, with some emotion: "When I lost my child and fell out of favor, there were so many people in the palace, but only two came to see me - Empress Jingzhuang and the Queen of Runan. No matter what motives she had, at least it was a timely help. Now that I'm in a good position and she's fallen on hard times, and I hear she's become a concubine with a young son, her circumstances are bleak. If I can help, I'll lend a hand. At least my son has a royal title, and his life will be better."

  Qingyu nodded silently and said, "Your Ladyship is going to repay the kindness of that day's dripping water."

  I smiled, but another layer of thoughts remained unspoken. The experiences of Empress Hua's life made me feel even more sorrowful about the cold and difficult love in the palace. Although King Runan was arrogant and domineering, he would not hesitate to sacrifice himself for his wife and children. I may not be satisfied with him, but I admire that.

  The night before the ceremony, I stayed in the east chamber of the Yiyuan Hall.

  The pale, white moonlight passes through the curtains and falls on the golden tapestry, like frost or snow. It is also swayed by the faint red glow of the candles in the hall, giving birth to a few warm feelings.

  I leaned against Xuan Ling's chest, the incense burner emitting a wisp of white smoke that was as thin as silk threads, slowly rising and dispersing in all directions.

  Xuan Ling's night clothes were loosely tied, the hall was warm and cozy like a spring morning, and he didn't feel cold at all. He held me in his arms and said softly: "Tang Li Palace has been renovated, tomorrow at 1 o'clock you will be crowned, and then you can return to Tang Li Palace as usual."

  I casually brushed his slightly pale chin with my fingers and smiled: "It's also a hardship for Gui Ren, squeezing in with Xin sister. It's not convenient for the emperor to go see her either."

  "He burst out laughing: 'What's inconvenient, it's just whether I want to see her or not.' He stopped laughing, grasped my shoulder and said: 'I've thought about it. The Tongli Palace will still be yours alone. Once when I came to visit you, Gui Guiren was also there, truly unpleasant.'"

  I smiled faintly: "The fourth son's intention was to like her and live with the concubine together, why not let her move back now? I'm afraid Gui Guiren will be worried."

  Xuan Ling's tone was laced with sincerity, and he spoke word by word: "From now on, Tongli Palace will be reserved for you alone. In the spring, I'll drink with you amidst a courtyard full of peach blossoms, watching you dance the Surprising Swan Dance among the pear flowers. In the summer, we'll admire the lotus flowers together at Taiping Xing Palace."

  My heart was moved, and my eyes were filled with emotion, as well as a smile. I slowly opened my mouth to say: "In autumn, we brewed Osmanthus wine together with Si Lang, and in winter, we watched the snowflakes dancing in the sky together."

  He seemed to be sighing, yet sincere, "Yes, I will accompany you, and you will also accompany me."

  My heart was filled with joy and emotion, my head rested on his chest, as if I wanted to cry, but ultimately it was an indescribable happiness.

  I said softly: "Yes, Huanhuan is always with Si Lang."

  He murmured to himself: "Gwangui-buin? Gwang-gwang, gwang-gwang."

  I wanted to lift my head, but his arm was strong, tightly pinning me against the solid warmth of his chest. The air was a bit stifling, and all I could smell was the scent on his body.

  Gūn gūn? He seemed to have called me that before. I feel tired, yawn, and fell asleep soundly.

  The night is deep. With my eyes closed, I sleep drowsily, and in the midst of tossing and turning, I vaguely hear the distant sound of a watchman's rattle, one long drawn-out note after another. Although spring has begun, the snow is still falling, and the dark night stretches out endlessly, while the heated kang and charcoal brazier make the room warm and cozy like spring, only the howling wind outside reminds me that this warmth is hard to come by and not real.

  I wanted to fall asleep but remained awake, the tight and mysterious hug made me sweat slightly, wanting to struggle free a bit, but ultimately couldn't bear to, preferring to be slightly damp with sweat.

  Tomorrow is the day of my coronation. There's no special joy, as long as the person beside me has a little sincerity in his heart, it doesn't matter if I don't get crowned.

  Xuan Ling was fast asleep in his dream, he turned over and hugged me tightly with one hand, muttering "Jun Jun" in a low voice.

  It seemed like he was calling me, I woke up clearly and responded by holding his arm, saying softly: "Si Lang."

  He was still in a deep sleep, his palm gently stroking my neck, the lines on his palm were rugged, and his tone was filled with deep emotions like the sea, "I've been searching for you everywhere." Only in his dreams, only in his dreams, did he call me like this - "Jiāo Jiāo", a term that condensed countless deep feelings and affections, my heart felt a little sour, gradually spreading out, my whole heart was painfully aching with tenderness.

  He is the ruler of a country, can he really treat me like this, with his true heart? In my dreams, I still think about it. Tears rolled down one by one, silently seeping into the soft silk pillow, wet and hot on my cheeks, initially warm, but gradually cooling down. This coolness reminds me that I didn't mishear.

  His body had a deep dragon's saliva fragrance, one star at a time, as if it was carved into his bones and heart. When I got closer, there was still a hint of peppermint oil on his temples, cool and refreshing to the bone, so cool that it made me feel bitter, and the scent rushed straight to my nose. My heart felt soft and silky, as if it had been soaked in spring water. I reached out and hugged him tightly around the neck, whispering softly: "Fourth brother, I'm always here." He didn't know whether he heard or not, but his hands subconsciously held me tighter. The room outside was like a warm spring, and I closed my eyes with joy and fell asleep soundly.

  When she got up, Ling Rong was waiting outside the Yiyuan Hall. It was still early, and she smiled: "I deliberately waited for my sister to go together to pay respects to the Empress Dowager."

  Xuan Ling was behind me, having just finished washing up, still a bit sleepy, said: "I'm going to the imperial court."

  I knelt down and said: "Your Majesty's concubine also wants to go to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay respects and bid farewell to Your Majesty."

  His eyes swept over the surroundings and then focused on me again, saying softly: "Guan Guan, come here tonight as usual."

  My face turned red and I nodded slightly, urging: "Your Majesty, hurry up, the morning court can't be late."

  Turning back, I saw Ling Rong's puzzled and deep smile, which made me even more flustered.

  Because it was early, no other consorts had come to pay their respects yet. After waiting for a while, the Empress finally came out and said, "You two are quite early."

  I smiled and bowed respectfully to Ling Rong: "It's time for me to pay respects and thank the Empress Dowager."

  The queen said with a smile: "It's not thanks to me that you have been promoted, it is because of your own good character and the emperor's favor."

  Ling Rong covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled quietly, "If we talk about favoritism, who can compare to Elder Sister Guan? This morning I went to the Yi Yuan Palace to wait for Elder Sister to come together to pay respects to Her Majesty, but unexpectedly it was a surprise."

  I'm sorry, I hurriedly stopped her: "Ling Rong——"

  She smiled at me: "Sister, what are you ashamed of? The empress is the one who loves us the most." Seeing the empress smile, she continued: "This morning, I heard the emperor call sister's nickname 'Guan Guan'."

  I let out an "aiya" and my face flushed layer by layer as I said, "Your Majesty, don't listen to An's nonsense."

  The queen seemed to be stunned for a moment, and a faint, cold smile slowly floated on her lips. The more she smiled, the more it seemed to have a mocking meaning. "Xuan Xuan?" She murmured, repeating a sentence, "Xuan Xuan", her voice seemed to condense with biting coldness, but not quite, maybe it was just my illusion.

  The empress, she wouldn't speak in such a tone, she was always elegant and gentle, dignified and refined, a model for the world. Only that one moment of distraction, the empress quickly regained her usual composure, smiling warmly and slowly saying: "Your Majesty must truly dote on you to call out to you like that."

  Ling Rong saw that I was flushed and hurriedly apologized with a smile: "I just spoke too quickly, sister, don't blame me."

  A thread of doubt stirred in my heart, she had never been one to speak so hastily and recklessly before.

  Just as he was about to scold her a few words, Ling Rong's expression changed to one of anxious self-reproach, saying: "I dare not do it again."

  The queen smiled and said, "In the palace, sisters themselves, a few jokes are nothing." After a sentence, she said, "An Bin's promotion is simple, Gu Bin, you go back to the palace and wait. The ceremonial dress for the enthronement ceremony is still not quite right, after noon, this palace will send someone to deliver it to you again."

  I answered vaguely and we parted ways.

  In the afternoon, the weather warmed up a bit. I sat with Mei Zhuang, head to head, examining the scars on her arm from burns. Mei Zhuang said lightly: "What a big scar, it's really ugly." As she spoke, she was about to roll down her sleeves.

  "I'm glad it's finally scabbed over, what's the harm in looking a bit ugly? It was festering just the other day and that really scared me." I smiled: "Ling Rong once gave me a bottle of good stuff, it's most effective for removing scars." I pointed to my cheek: "The scar left by Songzi's scratch has completely disappeared now."

  She looked carefully and smiled after a moment: "Indeed, it's gone. But the scar on your face is small, mine is so big, I'm afraid it won't work."

  "I said, 'I still have some there, you use it first. If it's good, after Ling Rong finishes the ceremony of presenting the imperial seal, let her send some more over. What's so rare about this thing? As long as one has the heart, why worry that there won't be any?' I said, calling out to Liu Zhu: 'Is there still some of that Shu Xing glue that An Xiaozhu sent over before? Go look for it.'"

  Li Zhu came in with a smile and said, "If it were any other maid, I'm afraid she would have burned it to ashes by now. But this is a rare item, and the bottle looks nice too, so I picked it up and will go get it right away."

  Meizhuang smiled slightly, and I said: "Look at how clever it is. The heavens are also sincere in not letting this scar ruin your beauty." Meizhuang playfully poked me with her finger, but she couldn't help smiling herself.

  Liuchu quickly came in and said: "Wen Taifu has arrived, she wants to take Shen Jieyu's pulse."

  Meizhuang smiled: "Please, hurry up." And then said to me: "You always think he's long-winded, and you don't even let him invite us, just telling him to watch me. Now isn't it good, coming every day to bother me?"

  I stuck out my tongue, but ignored it. In the delicate porcelain vase with a depiction of flowers, filled with Shu Xiangjiao gel, there was a semi-transparent white paste that emitted a cool and fragrant scent. Mei Zhuang took a sniff and said: "Indeed, it smells good, just one whiff and you can tell it's something great."

  Just as I was speaking, Wen Shi entered and sat down opposite me to take Zhuang's pulse. Seeing me playing with the Shu Xing rubber, she looked at it intentionally or unintentionally for a couple of times and asked: "May I ask, Your Ladyship, what is this?"

  I handed him "Scar Away Silicone Scar Gel."

  "Huh?" He seemed to have taken an interest, took it over and examined it carefully again, and then used his pinky to pick some up and sniff it lightly on the back of his hand. I asked in puzzlement: "Is there something wrong with it? This palace has already used more than half of it, and didn't feel anything out of place."

  Wen Shi's expression was somewhat strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. After a while, he said: "I also can't think of anything for the time being, I don't know if Your Majesty would allow me to take him back and have a look."

  I knew he was always meticulous and steady, and especially careful with my affairs, so I immediately nodded and said: "Good. Please, Imperial Physician, take a good look at me."

  Meizhuang saw me suddenly looking serious and was startled, saying: "What's wrong?"

  I feel anxious and uneasy in my heart, with an inexplicable sense of fear and panic, always feeling that something is wrong.

  Meizhuang grasped my hand and asked with concern: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? We still have to go to the Temple of Heaven for the ceremony later."

  I forced myself to calm down and smiled: "It's okay."

  However, before I could think much about it, the time for paying respects had arrived. After completing the ceremony of presenting the imperial seal in the Ancestral Temple, according to custom, I had to go to the Empress's palace to listen to her teachings and thank the Emperor and Empress for their kindness.

  Just as they were halfway there, suddenly a red-faced "Ah" sound came out, saying: "Miss, this..."

  I lowered my head and looked up, unaware of when the hem of the ceremonial robe I was wearing had a slit about an inch long. My heart skipped a beat as the ceremonial robes were bestowed by the emperor himself, how could there be any damage? If it's discovered in front of the emperor and empress later, wouldn't that be a great crime? The Director of the Imperial Household Department, Jiang Zhongmin, was also attending at this moment. Since the ceremonial robes were made by his department, he couldn't shirk responsibility if there were any mistakes, and he couldn't help but turn pale with anxiety.

  The anxiety in my heart lasted only for a moment, and I quickly calmed down and said, "Can someone be found to mend it?"

  Jiang Zhongmin said, "The ceremonial robes for the imperial seal were woven by a few weavers using gold and silver threads. The silk threads used were only enough to weave this one piece, now it's probably impossible to find another set, I'm afraid they will have to open up the warehouse and make a big show of it."

  I shook my head: "No."

  Time passed bit by bit, and Huāng Bì said: "We can't delay any longer, if we miss the timing, His Majesty and Her Highness will be even more displeased."

  Jiang Zhongmin hastily turned around, the cold sweat dripping down like rain. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed: "Two days ago, the Empress's palace brought a piece of clothing to be mended, which looked quite formal at first glance. Although it doesn't look exactly like the one Her Majesty wears, if we take it out and temporarily put it on, it should be able to pass."

  "Can I?"

  Jiang Zhongmin said, "That dress is a bit old-fashioned and was made in previous years. I'm afraid it's something the Empress Dowager used to wear. Since no one has asked for it, I've had it repaired and put away for two or three days. It should be fine." He whispered, "At present, only that dress can make do."

  Li Zongwu's face turned red with anger, and he urged: "Since you can hold your own, why don't you go quickly?"

  "I blocked his way: 'It's not allowed, how can I casually wear the empress's clothes, isn't that overstepping and rude?'"

  Yi Zhen is an old hand in the palace, she sees that things are urgent, frowns and thinks for a moment: "If it's the Empress's ceremonial dress, then it's absolutely impossible to wear it. But if it's everyday clothes, it can be used as a temporary solution, only the princess needs to apologize to the Empress. After all, when the princess was promoted to Guifei in the past, she also used Jingfei's clothes because of the urgency of the day, and there is a precedent for this."

  Jiang Zhongmin thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, it is the usual attire, and probably the clothes of the Empress when she was a concubine. It uses peacock brocade and embroiders the swallow phoenix, not the phoenix pattern of the imperial dress."

  "That's all right then."

  Jiang Zhongmin didn't dare send anyone else and rushed there himself in a flurry, soon returning with the news.

  He carefully lifted it up, and indeed it was a beautiful outer garment, long and trailing to the ground, with crimson silk interwoven with peacock patterns, densely embroidered with gold thread and pearls, depicting clouds and lotus flowers. The scarf had a pattern of clouds and water made from twisted silver threads, dotted with aquamarines, and amidst its splendor, it showed elegance. And when I looked at its size, it was just right for me.

  The eunuch said: "The empress's clothes, even if they are old, are indeed good things."

  The maid hastily helped me get dressed and said: "Miss, hurry up, the Emperor and Empress are waiting."

  I couldn't help but hastily change into a new set of clothes, put on my formal attire, and get into the jade-green carriage. The curtains fell down, and all I could hear was a puzzled sigh from behind me, "Why does this look so familiar."

  I didn't have time to dwell on the meaning of her words, all I could think about was not being too late.

  However, there was also a layer of doubt in his heart, as if something was wrong, but he didn't have the extra time to ponder it.

  Note: (1) Shēn time one moment: around 3:30 pm