Chenlu suddenly remembered that at noon today, Qu Yun heard that she was going to the Empress Dowager's banquet in the evening, and her shocked expression had reached an extreme.

  "You're crazy!"

  "Xiao Yun, what you just said is too strange - who curses me like this!"

  "You can't suppress your resentment - with just one move, she would be beheaded, can you bear not to think of doing so?!"

  "Xiao Yun, you left out one thing - thinking of myself having to kneel down and pay respects to her, the anger in my heart is like a bursting dam, uncontrollable! Seeing her enjoying honor and prestige, seeing Yuan Xu die of old age and become a wise and mighty 'former emperor', even if I were to pour all the water from the four seas, how could it quench the hatred in my heart?"

  "Xiao Chen!!"

  "Even so... Xiaoyun, I still want to go, I want to see with my own eyes this noble and glorious 'Empress Dowager'!"

  ****

  The Empress Dowager sat in the center, listening to Ye Gu Gu introducing in a low voice: "This is the Shang Yi personally appointed by the Emperor."

  She ordered the girl to stand up and examined her carefully once again ——

  She was indeed as lovely and delicate as the legend had it, in a crimson morning dress, which made her skin look like snow.

  She didn't shrink back like ordinary concubines, standing still and looking up at the empress dowager.

  Those eyes, clear and transparent, without the usual flattery and fear, shining with a refreshing and elegant spirit.

  Indeed, as expected!

  The empress dowager nodded in secret admiration, knowing that the woman before her was someone who had established herself through her own abilities and was also a trusted confidante of the emperor, vastly different from the other ladies present.

  "She smiled and said: 'Our Red Thread Maiden has arrived! Hurry up and sit down, let this old woman take a good look at you too!'"

  Ye Gu Gu personally gave her a seat of honor, such an honor made the imperial consorts glance at her sideways.

  Chenlu's face was respectful, under the sharp gaze of the Empress Dowager, even more sincere: "Thanks to the Empress Dowager's favor, I am really terrified, how dare I sit with Your Highnesses?"

  The empress dowager saw that she was not overstepping her bounds and thought even more highly of her: "It doesn't matter, you may sit behind the two princesses!"

  The palace people brought over a few tables and placed them behind the two consorts, Zhou and Qi. Except for being slightly smaller in scale, they were exactly the same as the others.

  The imperial concubines and consorts didn't say anything, but in their hearts they were crystal clear - these two noble ladies had very bad tempers and looked down on everyone; this time letting a low-ranking female official sit behind them, they must have been displeased.

  Is the empress dowager doing this intentionally or just following her mood?

  Contrary to everyone's expectations, the faces of both Zhen and Qi Fei were as usual, without any sign of displeasure. Qi Fei even asked a maid to hand her a cushion when she sat down at Chenlu.

  There are good things that can't be said, this Shang Yi's face is really big and extraordinary!

  ****

  Zhou Guifei didn't care about face at all. She was deaf to the soft and gentle voices in her ear, her whole body tense as if facing a great enemy.

  This was the Empress Dowager Cixi's palace, not the humble tent where she grew up as a child. Yet, she felt an aura of sharp and mournful energy emanating from it, piercing through the sky.

  Who is it?

  Emitting such a heavy killing intent!

  Her sleeves clenched into fists, on her snowy skin, a layer of goosebumps emerged - this was the sixth sense of a martial artist, a natural chill born when facing an extraordinary master.

  She looked around, but found nothing, and was just about to laugh at her own imagination when she sniffed the air, and a look of shock flashed in her eyes.

  A faint scent of blood!

  Among the fragrance and beauty of her hair, people's sense of smell seemed to have lost its function, but she was an exception.

  As Zhou Jun's daughter, she wandered through life in the military, the taste of blood had long become a heavy part of her memories.

  Who is it?

  In this resplendent and dreamlike grand banquet, flowed out...this faint and obscure, fresh blood...

  Ziqi was also somewhat restless, she secretly glanced back with a sideways glance, peeping at Chenlu through the corner of her eye.

  For Shang Yi, she is one hundred percent admirable - the morning dew does not recall past grievances, and when she was in a state of panic and helplessness, she secretly gave her advice, allowing the emperor's favor to return to her side once again.

  I still remember the day before yesterday, in the warm lotus quilt, after a deep night of entanglement, Yuan Qi smiled and said to her: "You little spicy temper, really can't change, but, it's all true nature..."

  Not to mention that her own father, Qi Rong, after being pointed out by Chen Lu a few words, immediately changed his strategy. Not only did she ease her relationship with Zhou Jun, but she also heard from the eunuch on duty in the imperial study that this morning, the emperor saw her father's memorial and praised it, saying: "This is truly a wise and mature word for the country!"

  Such a mysterious and resourceful woman, yet at this moment, she felt an inexplicable fear towards her. This fear seemed to be the same as the one she had when she was young, seeing the dark and eerie ghostly shadows in the depths of the temple corridor...

  She smiled with a respectful attitude that was impeccable and perfect, yet somehow it made her feel unreal.

  This made Zhi Fei recall, under the dim moonlight, the sweet smiling Forest White porcelain doll—

  That's it! That's the feeling!

  The queen's face changed with a sudden shock, she continued to steal glances behind her, and cold sweat broke out all over her body.

  Who can compare with her in terms of observing facial expressions and guessing moods, she who has had a dozen or so aunties at home since childhood?

  Chenlu's eyes were clear and bright, her demeanor calm and composed, with a gentle smile as she listened to the Empress Dowager speak. The smile was sincere, but Qi Fei felt a chill run down her spine.

  Underneath his morning dress, it seemed as if he was wrapped in a sheet of snow-white human skin, smiling like a ghost...

  At this time, the sunlight had completely disappeared. Although two rows of lamps were lit in the hall, it was even more dimly lit. The heavy and low-hanging curtains were blown by the wind, lightly trembling, and long black shadows flowed like water on the ground, forming a menacing shape.

  This majestic hall, at this moment, is like a hellish prison!

  The soft laughter around her, Qifei couldn't hear it either, she was sweating profusely, softly moaning, and fell onto the desk.

  "Empress Qi, is your body unwell?"

  The girl's clear voice came from behind her, and Empress Qi turned around to look, only to see that everything was as usual as the morning dew, and what had just happened seemed like her own illusion.

  At this time, a slight commotion was heard outside the palace, and an attendant came in with a smile to report: "The Emperor and King Jing have arrived together!"

  The empress dowager was delighted, but with a smile on her face, she pretended to scold: "These two children are really not like they used to be. They're only coming now? It seems that from now on, I won't have to trouble them to massage my 'jade feet'!"

  What she said was interesting, and the concubines laughed so hard that they were shaking all over. The Emperor and Jing Wang walked in with big strides, and Jing Wang's sharp ears had already picked up on this sentence. He immediately put on a playful smile and stepped forward, not even bothering to pay his respects, but instead coquettishly said to the Empress Dowager: "Mother, you really wronged me! I had my family bring this thing over, and then dragged my imperial brother into writing an inscription for it, which is why we're running so late."

  He signaled the person behind him to bring something over, and everyone focused their attention on it. It was a huge scroll, tightly sealed, with no hint of what was inside.

  The king personally opened the seal, and let the servant hold it. In an instant, he saw the rice paper unfolding smoothly like flowing water, layer upon layer. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a "Thousand Longevity Picture"!

  The so-called "Thousand Longevity Characters" is written by one or several famous calligraphers in a thousand different fonts and styles, each writing out the character for "longevity" in a unique way.

  He respectfully presented it before the empress dowager, who concentrated her attention and examined it carefully. All she saw were exquisite pieces, floating, thick, eccentric, beautiful... Among these thousand longevity characters, which one was not extraordinary? What's even more surprising is that they were all gathered on the same scroll.

  At the end of the scroll, a line of small regular script was written in a steady and elegant manner. The empress took one look and knew that it was the imperial brushwork of Yuan Zongyi. She used her painted fan to gently tap on Yuan Zongyi's forehead: "You little monkey, have you gone and wasted money again?! Does this old lady need something so expensive?"

  The King's face was full of grievances, and he said with a bitter tone: "Empress Dowager, you're hitting my head again... I'm not as clever as the Crown Prince, it must be because you've been hitting me since I was young... This didn't cost much money, one of my attendants thought it looked good, so I respectfully presented it to you... As the Empress Dowager, under heaven, what can't you use? Just consider it a small token from your son."

  Yuan Qi listened behind him, and couldn't help but laugh and scold: "You're actually nonsense, what's not as smart as me, and then bring up the Empress Dowager hitting your forehead - this is a light fan painting, not a giant stone of ten thousand catties! Just this one Thousand Years Picture, it's really worth seeing - the Empress Dowager might as well take it down, this is also his sincere heart!"

  "You all have a sincere heart!" The empress dowager laughed with joy: "I have you two sons, this life is not in vain!"

  Note: Hong Niang and You Niang are characters from Tang Dynasty legends, belonging to the category of female chivalrous heroes.

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