"Big Brother!"

  The morning dew was angry and shouted out loud.

  This was a title she had never had before, and Qu Yun was shocked on the spot.

  "I want to know that you're acting so recklessly, even in the underworld you won't be at peace - why do you have to do such a dangerous thing! You're treating your own life as if it's nothing!!"

  The morning dew trembled slightly, and it wasn't until a while later that she calmed down.

  "Now that I'm back, my enemies will have to come and find me themselves. Let me make one thing clear: Xiaoyun, you can help me, but don't get yourself involved in danger again. Otherwise, I'll immediately wash my hands of this and leave all these old grudges behind!"

  "Xiao Chen... it's been 26 years already. You're no longer familiar with the current situation in the imperial court, nor are you aware of the various forces at play... and as for your current abilities..."

  Gu Yun suddenly realized he had said too much and looked at Chenlu with concern.

  "Tai Xi's sage said: Life is like crossing a river, the same river, never twice - Xiao Yun, am I that kind of fool who drowns repeatedly?"

  Her voice was light and confident, even with a hint of playful teasing, but Qu Yun felt a dull ache in his entire chest, his iron-like large palm trembling, actually sinking two inches into the table.

  "In these twenty-six years, the world has produced what kind of people, I also want to see - you can rest assured, 'he' this time, under the heaven, there is no one who can make me drink the 'poison'."

  Her tone was soft and gentle, with a radiant glow in her eyes that eclipsed even the brightness of the moon.

  Even the most beautiful things cannot compare to the splendor of this moment.

  But she was born with a radiant glow of sunshine on her, shining brightly white, only to reveal an endless thinness and desolation.

  He could no longer bear it, tightly embracing her, just like when they were young, warm and peaceful.

  "Even if there's no one else, don't be afraid, with Shixiong here, no one can harm you in the slightest..."

  Chenlu was held in his arms, and suddenly let out a giggle.

  "Smelly Ah Yun, don't be shy, you're so blunt and straightforward, just like an older brother... Clearly I'm three years older than you..."

  This often-repeated phrase finally eased the atmosphere.

  Qiu Yun slowly let go of her, smiling indulgently, no longer his usual calm and elegant self: "Master clearly said it, no distinction of age, only looking at the order of entry - I should have been the senior brother from the start. Moreover, based on our current ages, I am actually a generation older than you - who said I was an uncle?"

  At this time, someone outside the door reported that Qin Xi, a eunuch by the emperor's side, had arrived.

  "This is a very young eunuch, who respectfully greeted Qu Yun first, then bowed to Chen Lu: "The emperor has arranged for you, Shang Yi, to have a place to live, and had me bring a few little ones to help you move in."

  Chenlu thought for a moment and said: "I still want to go back to the Imperial Garden once, would it be possible to move in the afternoon?"

  Qin Xi smiled and bowed: "It's this humble servant who was too hasty, Shang Yi, please don't mind - since it's like that, then it's good, the sun is also warmer."

  Gu Yun looked on with a smile, teasing him: "The monkey's temper is up again. Whatever the emperor's orders are, you can't wait to get them done as soon as possible... Here, take this, and take good care of Chen Lu, that little girl."

  Qin Xi took the silver note and put it in his bosom, smiling and bowing again: "General, you always show concern for us servants - don't worry, we brothers are all accounted for. In fact, you can rest assured that the Emperor will definitely give Shang Yi a hundred favors."

  After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he finally took his leave and went out.

  Gou Yun said to Chen Lu, "Don't look at how quickly this monkey responds, it's because he knows I'm the emperor. If it were any other palace master, he would have turned around and gone back to report already."

  Chenlu smiled: "The emperor has picked a good talent...it's actually better than his father at recognizing people."

  The next sentence was spoken very softly and couldn't hear any tone, Qu Yun didn't know whether she was praising or criticizing.

  ****

  Morning dew went to the Imperial Garden to bid farewell to the old palace people, saw her this emperor's appointed lucky child, some people sincerely congratulated, some were both envious and jealous, and some even fabricated many speculations.

  In her past life, she had experienced a lot and was already familiar with worldly affairs. She ignored those complicated glances and bid farewell to Aunt He directly.

  Perhaps due to the warmer weather, He Auntie's complexion had improved a lot.

  "You're a lucky kid too. Now that you've become a Shang Yi, be careful and do well - in principle, I shouldn't be giving advice based on my age, but I'll just remind you of this one thing."

  "Now, Auntie's words of gold, I truly benefited from them. In this palace, one must be cautious - for example... some of Auntie's flowers and plants, it's better to plant them in a more secluded spot, or else if they were to encounter an expert, what would happen?"

  "You... how could you!"

  "Yinmu Jin, Lu Hua, Dan Ju... Although they are among the famous flowers, their branches and leaves are similar. But if someone recognizes them, this palace will inevitably be filled with blood and rain."

  The morning dew smiled leisurely and got up to bid farewell, leaving behind a sentence:

  "I'll come visit Auntie again another day."

  ****

  Chenlu followed Qin Xi all the way and arrived in front of Changgong Palace.

  On the road, the palace people saw Qin Xi and asked him with respect, while Qin Xi was not arrogant at all. Seeing that he knew how to advance and retreat when dealing with people and things, it can be seen that he did not disappoint the emperor's expectations.

  "Please don't be offended, Your Majesty. The Qianqing Palace has never had a female official, and the Emperor is afraid that you ladies will have idle thoughts and cause trouble, so he let you stay in the Chang Palace instead. Fortunately, it's not far from the Qianqing Palace. Every morning, you can take the palace carriage to attend to the Emperor."

  Chang Palace is a small and exquisite palace, its advantages lie in the two words "near" and "quiet". It is close to the emperor, yet it is exceptionally peaceful and serene. Although it does not stand out, it is a place of extreme elegance and nobility. At this time, it was early spring, the sun was shining brightly, the willow branches were swaying gently, the clear ripples were sparkling, accompanied by the birds chirping on the flying eaves, which really made people feel carefree and joyful.

  Not yet at the main hall, a soft and gentle laughter was heard:

  "Has Shang Yi come yet?"

  All I could hear was the tinkling of jade pendants, but it turned out that a crowd of people were surrounding a beauty, welcoming her with open arms.

  She wore a sky-blue cloud-patterned shirt, which made her face look crystal clear and beautiful. In the sunlight, she smiled and showed a childlike innocence and sincerity.

  "I heard that Shang Yi sister is moving in, I'm overjoyed. Thank goodness, finally someone is coming to live with me."

  She took Chenlu's hand and happily entered the main hall.

  This was Mei Niang, only sixteen years old, the mistress of Chang Gong, who had been pregnant with Yuan Qi's dragon son for over a month.

  ****

  After the busiest courtesy, Chenlu moved into the small courtyard on the west side. As a royal maid, she also had a small maid assigned to her, who was allocated from the Qianqing Palace.

  Her name is Bao'er. The common name was because after entering the palace, she had been in the Qianqing Palace all along, and naturally there were no elegant female owners to change her name.

  Mei Niang came secretly in the evening, bringing many sweets and palace snacks. The two of them chatted casually, and she curiously asked about the situation outside the palace. When Chen Lu apologized and told her that she hadn't left the palace in half a year either, Mei Niang's eyes dimmed with discontent: "I really want to see Beihai...and I don't know how Mother's body is doing..."

  Mei Gui had been pregnant for a month, and the people in the palace were taking good care of her. She had only just arrived at the front hall when someone came to find her, lecturing her on the importance of getting an early night's rest. Reluctantly, she returned to the front hall.

  ****

  On the second day, as soon as the sky was bright, Chenlu got up early, washed and dressed in a high-quality palace attire, and the palace carriage came to greet her.

  The carriage was not luxurious, but it was warm and stable. On a chilly early spring morning, the dew arrived at the Qianqing Palace, and Yuan Qi got up from the temple, saw her, nodded slightly, and boarded the Nine Dragon Carriage.

  This mighty and majestic procession marched on, soon arriving in front of the Taihe Hall.

  On the vast and majestic white marble path, the guards stood on either side with an air of majesty. Yuan Qi, however, glanced at Chen Lu with a hint of meaning and asked in a low voice, "How was your stay in Chang Palace?"

  Chen Lu looked straight ahead and said in a low voice, "You want to ask about the master of that palace, don't you?"

  "What brings you here?"

  "In the Qianqing Palace, there are already female officials. Living in this palace is a matter of course. Are you still afraid that people will make wild guesses? You just want to use Changgong's ferocity to test my weight."

  Yuanyi smiled silently and gave a look of appreciation.

  "Your Majesty... I must say, this kind of bodyguard work, being on guard against thieves for a thousand days, is not my forte. Moreover... many of these thieves have special identities, and catching them would only bring guilt upon me."

  "Heaven? What a joke! I am the Son of Heaven, as long as I don't punish you, who can do anything to you!"

  In front of them was the Taihe Hall. The two men stopped talking. Yuan Qi walked up to the throne, and the officials shouted "Long live" three times. The morning court session began.

  Chenlu, like others who served the emperor, was diligent in her duties, but her ears never missed a single sentence of court discussion.