After the matter of Xīn Gōng Fēi entering the palace was settled, Lín Yǐ also finally had time to bring Zhuāng Shì and Lín Wǎn into the palace.

  Lin Xuan hadn't seen her for more than half a year and as soon as she saw her, she rushed over, excitedly shouting: "Sister."

  Zhuang's family saw her, frowned and scolded her in a low voice: "Have you forgotten all the rules I taught you at home?"

  Lin Xiang then stuck out her tongue and curtsied, saying: "I've seen you, Your Ladyship."

  Lin Xiao smiled and pulled her over, saying: "There's no outsider here, what's the point of being polite."

  Lin Xuan turned around and said seriously to Zhuang Shi with a pout: "That's right, there's no one else here."

  Zhuang's family helplessly shook her head, while Lin Xiao couldn't help but laugh and pinched her face, saying: "Let sister take a good look at our Yu Yu, our Yu Yu has almost changed beyond recognition."

  Lin Xiang has indeed grown taller and stronger than she was at the beginning of the year. She is now in her fastest growing period, and after just a few months, she seems to have changed completely.

  Her eyebrows and eyes opened wide, and she looked more and more like Lady Zhuang.

  Lin Xiao asked her: "It's been more than half a year since we last met, have you missed your sister?"

  Lin Xuan pouted and said, "I don't want to."

  Zhuang Shi looked at her and smiled: "At home every day, she would talk about going to the palace to see her sister, now she says she doesn't want to go?"

  Lin Xuan looked at her discontentedly and said, "Mother."

  Zhuang Shi smiled faintly and didn't say another word.

  Lin Daiyu stayed with Lady Xiangling in the Changkun Palace for lunch, asked her about the date of her trip to the northwest, and then had someone escort her out of the palace.

  Before leaving the palace, she smiled at Zhuang Shi and said: "Let Yu Yu stay in the palace with me for a few days."

  Zhuang's family was worried.

  Lin Daodao said: "Don't you still trust me? I won't let anything happen to Rourou in the palace."

  Zhuang thought that this time going northwest, the young girl would also follow, and the two sisters didn't know when they could meet again, so she agreed.

  Lin Xiang was lovely and charming, speaking cleverly, often making witty remarks. In less than a moment's work, she had already won over everyone in the Long Kun Palace, from top to bottom. Even Mu Qing, who was normally stern, couldn't help but be amused by her.

  In the evening, the emperor arrived at Changkun Palace. The emperor was quite fond of this little girl who was like a living treasure.

  Lin Xiang didn't fear him, using her hand to point at her own chin, making a difficult expression, and said in a childish tone: "You are my aunt's husband, yet you married my sister, so should I call you 'Imperial Uncle' or 'Imperial Brother-in-law'?"

  The emperor smiled and pointed at her towards Lin Daiyu: "This younger sister of yours is quite like you when you were young, very bold."

  Lin Yan smiled silently and didn't say anything.

  The Emperor said: "Suit yourself, shout whatever you want."

  "Then I'm closer to my sister, so I'll call you Emperor Sister-in-law."

  She took another look at the pendant hanging from the emperor's waist, her eyes shining brightly as she stared at it, and then pointed to it, saying: "This pendant is really beautiful."

  The emperor asked: "Do you like it?"

  He took it off from his waist and handed it over to her, saying: "Here you are."

  Everyone around the Emperor, including Eunuch Wan and others, was shocked. Even Lin Yi said: "Your Majesty, this is a royal object, how can you casually give it to Yu Yu?"

  The emperor said indifferently: "It's just an object." Nor was it something he particularly cherished.

  Lin Xuan happily accepted it and knelt down to say: "Thank you, Your Majesty's sister's husband."

  The emperor looked at her and thought of the eldest princess, saying: "She is about the same age as Liu'er, they should get along well, let her play with Liu'er more often in the future."

  Compared to her, the eldest princess's temperament seems too dignified and lacks vitality. At this age, it's better to be more innocent and lively, let her influence the eldest princess a bit.

  Lin Yan reached out and gently stroked her sister's hair, a warm smile on her face. "Yu Yu's temperament is too wild, I'm afraid she'll lead the eldest princess astray."

  The Emperor said: "You are just a child, what is there to be afraid of?"

  The emperor thought of something and asked: "By the way, is your father leaving in these few days?"

  Lin Yan said: "Yes, my fourth brother and sister-in-law, as well as Yu Yu, are also going with us."

  The emperor nodded.

  Lin Huan sighed again: "My mother has gone, nothing else, just very worried about my grandmother. My grandmother is old and her body is getting worse, but my mother can't take care of her."

  Zhuang wanted to take Zhuang's old lady away together, but was afraid that Zhuang's old lady's body could not withstand the northwest wind and sand.

  The Emperor asked again: "I remember that your maternal grandfather died in battle and sacrificed his life for the country."

  Lin Dai nodded and said, "My maternal grandfather was a brave general under my grandfather's command. More than 20 years ago, he died in battle against the Hu people to save my grandfather."

  Twenty years ago, the emperor was only about ten years old, but he also knew that the Huns had launched a large-scale invasion of the northwest that year. That winter was cold and the Huns' water and grass were not abundant, several tribes joined forces to invade the northwest and plunder the border, the battle was fierce. The court sent troops late, it was the Lin family who led the Lin family army to defend the northwest until the arrival of reinforcements.

  The Emperor said, "Your maternal grandfather died a heroic death, and your maternal grandmother kept her chastity for over twenty years after his death, which can be considered as 'chaste' and 'benevolent'. I will order the Ministry of Rites to grant her an imperial edict, making her 'Madam Chastity and Benevolence'."

  Lin Xiao hesitated and said, "Won't this be a bit inappropriate?" After all, her great-grandfather had been dead for over twenty years, and now was not the right time to come and bestow a title. It would be easy for people to think that her great-grandmother had received the imperial edict because of her.

  "The Emperor insisted: 'There is nothing improper about it. I also want to let those soldiers know that the court will not treat those who have made contributions to the country poorly.'"

  Since the Emperor said so, Lin Yi didn't say anything else and smiled: "Then I'll thank the Emperor on behalf of my grandmother."

  The emperor smiled and said nothing more.

  When the palace maid brought in the meal, Lin Xiang let someone set up a table in the side hall, and the three of them sat around it to eat together.

  Lin Di took care of her sister by her side, constantly picking dishes into Lin Wan's bowl. The emperor saw this and picked up some dishes to put in her own bowl, saying: "Don't always take care of others, you should eat too."

  Lin Daiyu turned her head and smiled at the Emperor, then picked up a chicken wing and ate it. Then she tossed a peach to Li Bao and handed him a piece of roasted rabbit meat.

  Lin Yun buried half of her face in the bowl, opened her eyes to look at them, and chuckled: "Sister-in-law and brother-in-law eating together, just like my parents eating together."

  The emperor listened with an "oh" and looked at her with interest, smiling: "What's your parents' eating like?"

  Lin Xiang put down her chopsticks and gestured, saying: "My father is also like the emperor, always picking dishes for my mother, and my mother picks dishes for my father. Although they can pick their own food and there are servants to do it for them, they insist on doing it themselves. What if someone else picks a dish that you don't like to eat? How boring."

  The emperor burst out laughing at this. He didn't think it was anything special, but hearing her say it in such a childish and naive way made him find it funny.

  Lin Yan glared at her and tossed a piece of chicken wing into her bowl, saying: "Did your parents give you any dishes to bring home?"

  Lin Xiang smiled and said: "Got it."

  "Then don't talk nonsense."