Emperor Empress and Noble Consort

her as well. Besides... You're in my hands now. Do you think that if someone else tells me about this secret, I would believe them just because they say so"Mu Qingcang was silent for a moment before s...47. Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Consort

Mosiu Yao's guess was indeed correct; hardly two days had passed since the engagement when an imperial messenger came to deliver a message from Concubine Ye, requesting that Third Miss come to court as she missed her.

Third Miss knew perfectly well who wanted to see her. Although Second Miss’s relationship with her hadn't deteriorated to everyone's notice while at home, it certainly wasn’t any better than her relationship with Fourth Miss. Unfortunately, even though Second Miss was merely a concubine rank of Ye, Leafi did not have the right to refuse because she had yet to officially become the wife of Duke Ding.

So Leafi accepted the imperial decree and went back to her own courtyard to change into proper attire before accompanying the eunuch who delivered the message to court.

The capital city, Chu Jing, was located in the northern part of Chu. Its palaces were grandiose and majestic, exuding an overwhelming aura that set it apart from ordinary mansions with their intricate carvings. The imperial palace highlighted its grandeur and vastness even more. Dragons carved on gigantic stone pillars seemed to warn people not to violate the authority of the emperor. Anyone who arrived for the first time would be intimidated by its magnificence, but Leafi, having seen many magnificent buildings both at home and abroad, could only appreciate it lightly.

After getting off her carriage at the palace gate, she followed a eunuch inside. Along the way, she discreetly observed the environment of the palace while keeping track of where she was.

They passed through several gates before finally stopping in front of an exquisite palace—the Palace of Jade Fragrance. Leafi remembered that Second Miss had been granted residence there.

"Third Miss Ye, please wait here briefly while I inform them inside," the eunuch said loudly.

Leafi nodded and replied politely, "Please proceed."

The eunuch went in to announce her arrival but did not come out quickly. Leafi stood there for nearly a stick of incense without anyone coming out. Qingyu whispered anxiously, “Miss, what does Concubine Ye mean by this” Qinglu reprimanded softly, "Don't speak unless Miss says so." Qingyu knew that the palace was no ordinary place to talk freely and felt ashamed as he shut his mouth.

Leafi smiled gently, saying, "Stay calm."

Qinglu hesitated a moment before looking around and asking softly, “Miss, do you think Concubine Ye...” Leafi shook her head with a smile, saying, "Concubine Ye wouldn’t use such lowly methods." Qingyu and Qinglu were very intelligent; they quickly understood what Leafi meant. They closed their mouths and waited without further ado.

Half an hour passed, and no one came out of the Palace of Jade Fragrance, but a group of people shuffled over from nearby. From their appearance, it was clear that someone important must be traveling through here. The three of them stepped aside to avoid running into anyone.

Soon enough, a group of eunuchs and maidservants escorted two ladies in court attire over to the Palace of Jade Fragrance’s entrance. They stopped about ten steps away from where Leafi was standing. One of the blue-clothed women examined Leafi curiously and said, "Hmm This lady looks unfamiliar. Why are you here"

Leafi stepped forward and bowed gracefully, saying, “I am Ye Li, daughter of the Minister of Revenue. I greet these two noble ladies.”

"So you're going to be Duke Ding's wife in the future," said a pink-clothed woman quickly stepping aside with a smile covering her mouth. "Why are you standing here then Are you visiting Concubine Ye"

Leafi nodded and smiled, "I'm here as commanded by Concubine Ye."

The blue-clothed woman said, “If that's the case, we’ll go in together,” and extended her hand to take Leafi’s.

Leafi politely refused with a smile on her face, saying, "I am new to court and don’t know the rules. I cannot enter without being summoned by Concubine Ye. Please excuse me from interrupting your ladies' business. Thank you."

The pink-clothed woman smiled and said, “If that’s so, we’ll go in first. Concubine Ye is now pregnant and often gets tired easily. She might be asleep, and the lower servants are afraid to disturb her. Third Miss Ye will have to wait.”

“Thank you,” Leafi replied.

"Miss, why aren't we going in with them" Qingyu asked softly. Was it her imagination or did she notice more people passing by now than when they first arrived

Leafi turned and smiled gently at him, asking, "Do you think we would be allowed to enter if we went inside with them"

"Should... shouldn't we" Qingyu said hesitantly. If they were thrown out by the palace, it wouldn’t just bring shame on Miss; Concubine Ye would look bad as well.

“Hey… Over here, over here…”

A small head peeked from under a tree near the corner of the building and waved at Leafi with a smile. She looked around before pointing to herself, revealing that she was hidden behind a flowering shrub. The child nodded at her and said, "Come."

“Miss”

Leafi shook her head and walked over slowly, asking the child in front of her, “You’re going to be Duke Ding’s future wife, aren't you” A beautiful young girl around eight or nine years old was squatting behind a bush with a cute bun hairstyle. Pearls were woven into her hair, and gold phoenix patterns embroidered on her clothes suggested that she came from an important family.

“I am, who are you”

"I won’t tell you," the child replied with bright eyes and a sweet smile.

Leafi didn't mind as she smiled back, saying, "Do you know Duke Ding Have you ever seen him Lying isn’t good for children. Everyone knows that Duke Ding hasn’t left his house in years; he’s probably older than you."

The child gave her a look of contempt and said, "I haven't seen him, but my cousin Xiangxiang told me about him. Uncle Ding is the most skilled martial artist, smartest, and best-looking man in the world. I want to marry him when I grow up!"

Xiangxiang

Leafi couldn’t help smiling at the earnest child who was looking at her with big bright eyes.

"Do you know how old Duke Ding is" Leafi asked gently, not wanting to hurt the child's fragile heart. "By the time you're grown up and ready to marry him, he’ll be very old too. Someone better than him will come along. He won't be the best anymore then. What would you do"

The little girl was confused for a moment, “What… what should I do No, that’s not it! You’re lying to me because you want to marry Uncle Ding!”

“I’m telling the truth,” Leafi said gently, gesturing with her hands. "Look at how much older than you I am now; you’ll need to grow up to be my age before you can marry him. By then, I will also be old and Duke Ding is even older than us both. When that time comes..."

The child sighed dramatically, “Uncle Ding would certainly be as old as grandfather by then! If I married him, I'll surely become the laughingstock of my elder sister. Alright, Uncle Ding, you're all yours.”

Ye Li held back her laughter and nodded sincerely, saying, "Alright, thank you, Your Highness the Princess."

"How do you know I'm a princess"

Ye Li blinked her eyes, "Not only do I know that you're a princess, but I also know which princess you are."

"I don't believe it. You've never seen this princess before."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Is my guess right when I say that you’re Princess Changle, the daughter of Empress Dowager"

The little princess tilted her head to one side and sized up Ye Li for a while before nodding, saying, "Alright. I agree with Auntie Xiangxiang’s words. You are indeed very smart. This princess reluctantly accepts you as my friend."

Seeing the small girl trying hard to act like an adult and look regal while looking at herself, Ye Li smiled and said, "Alright, thank you for Your Highness's favor. But how did Princess Changle come here… oh" She pointed towards the flower tree where Princess Changle was hiding in.

Princess Changle didn't mind twisting her body to look out of the bush, saying carelessly, "This princess heard that Ye Clan has beautiful ladies. Lady Ye and Ye Ying who could be blown away by a wind are famous beauties. So this princess came here to see if Ye Clan truly only have beautiful women. Now I admit, you're prettier than them and can be considered as a beauty too. I guess you’ll still wait for a long time. How about going out with me"

Ye Li was confused, "How do you know that I will still wait for a long time"

The little princess pouted and said, “My mother told me that women in the palace have nothing to do. Therefore they try their best to create trouble for others. If anyone annoys them, she would make them wait or kneel longer during greetings. These are what those women love doing most. But don't worry, my mother won’t do this."

Ye Li smiled without saying anything. Princess Changle glared at her unhappily, "Are you going to go out and play with me"

Ye Li shook her head helplessly, “I still have to wait for Lady Ye’s summons. You know that if she can’t find me when she wants to see me, it will be a problem. Besides… there's someone coming.”

Princess Changle looked outside and immediately pulled back her head, "Imperial Concubine Liu is here. Don't say you’ve met me. She’s the most annoying one." Ye Li nodded and helped put the tree back to its original state, “Understood, hurry up and go back before Empress Dowager worries about you.” After finishing tidying up the bushes, Ye Li stood up and walked back to Qinglun and Qingyu's side, waiting for an even larger entourage.

One could smell a faint floral fragrance from afar. A group of palace maids and eunuchs簇擁著而來的女子一身鵝黃色芙蓉鳳紋宮裝，窈窕的身形包裹在合身的宮裝裡顯露出優美的曲線。雪膚如畫，櫻唇微點，帶著七分的嫵媚和三分冷意。葉璃這些日子見過的諸多美麗女子，秦箏如蘭花之幽雅，華天香如牡丹之雍容，棲霞公主如桃花之絕豔，而這位柳貴妃則是如梨花，純白的嫵媚，看似柔弱卻帶著一絲高不可攀的冷意。

"Are you Ye Li" Imperial Concubine Liu asked as she stopped in front of Ye Li.

“This servant maiden is. I pay my respects to Imperial Concubine Liu.” Ye Li bowed slightly.

The delicate eyebrows of Imperial Concubine Liu rose slightly, “Shouldn't you not have been into the palace How do you know who I am”

Ye Li smiled and said, "A few years ago when Emperor conducted a ceremony to worship heaven, this servant maiden had the fortune to see Your Excellency's beauty. That’s why I remembered."

Imperial Concubine Liu was startled for a moment and sighed with some sentimentality, "That should have been about five or six years ago It's amazing that you could remember it when you were so young back then."

"Your Excellency’s beauty is unparalleled, naturally leaving an unforgettable impression on people," Ye Li smiled.

“You’re more likable than your second elder sister. Why are you standing here Come in with me.” Imperial Concubine Liu said indifferently, her tone carrying a hint of imperiousness that made refusal impossible. Ye Li paused and bowed slightly, saying, "Please let Your Excellency enter first."

In Yaohua Palace, when Princess Yuezhu saw Ye Li coming in with Imperial Concubine Liu, she was stunned for a moment. Imperial Concubine Liu looked at her indifferently, “Sister invited Miss Ye to come in as well since she was waiting outside the door. Will you blame me for doing so” Although she said this, there wasn’t even a hint of fear on her face that she might offend Princess Yuezhu. Princess Yuezhu pulled the corners of her mouth and forced out a smile, "Imperial Concubine sister speaks jokingly. I’ve been feeling terrible these days, always forgetting things. If it weren't for you bringing my younger sister in, how much longer would she have had to wait It's all your fault!" She glared at the maids and eunuchs in the chamber with a pout, causing everyone present to grovel.

Imperial Concubine Liu was somewhat annoyed. "Enough, you forget about it, what’s the point of tormenting them I'm sure Miss Ye won't blame you."

Ye Li followed her words and said with a smile, “Imperial Concubine speaks jokingly. This servant maiden only waited for a while, there’s no reason to be offended.”

Princess Yuezhu smiled broadly when she heard this, pulling Ye Li to sit next to herself. "My younger sister doesn’t like going out much, I haven’t seen her since entering the palace. Now that I've finally met you, it’s been a year or so without seeing each other and my younger sister looks even more beautiful than before. Is everything at home alright" Ye Li answered one by one to all of Princess Yuezhu's questions about family life. But surprisingly, Imperial Concubine Liu didn’t seem to notice that there was a reunion between relatives in the room, but sat calmly with an indifferent smile on her face.

Princess Yuezhu lightly stroked her slightly protruding abdomen and asked Ye Li smilingly, "How is my fourth sister getting along How are she and Prince Li doing after their marriage"

Ye Li thought back to the gloomy look on Ye Ying's face when she returned home a few days ago. The situation wasn’t good at all, but there was no intention of mentioning it to Princess Yuezhu now. She just smiled and said, "Fourth sister and Prince Li are naturally happy after their wedding. I've been rather busy recently and haven't had the chance to talk with my fourth elder sister." Princess Yuezhu knew that Ye Li’s relationship with her fourth elder sister was strained so she wasn’t surprised. Instead, she held Ye Li's hand and said smilingly, "Since they are sisters, after marriage it's no longer possible for them to meet or play as frequently as before. Therefore, it would be better for them to maintain contact outside of the house. Since I can't do that in the palace, you girls should look out for each other outside the palace and avoid causing father and grandmother any unnecessary worry. What do you think"

Ye Li nodded and said respectfully, "Your Excellency is very wise."

The two sisters were just talking about Ye Household when a servant came in to announce that Empress Dowager wanted to see Miss Ye.

Princess Yuezhu was stunned for a moment before turning around with a smile and saying, "Since the empress dowager is calling on you, my younger sister should go quickly. The empress dowager’s grace covers the world, she's most affectionate towards her juniors. You don't have to be afraid, I won’t accompany you there since it’s inconvenient for me." Ye Li nodded and looked at Princess Yuezhu’s well-cared-for jade fingers stroking her abdomen softly with a faint nod, "This servant maiden thanks Your Excellency for the reminder. If that's so, may this servant maiden take my leave now," she said respectfully.

Princess Yuezhu smiled and said, "My younger sister should walk slowly, come on, someone, escort Miss Ye out."

"Sister, I'm also going to pay respect to the empress dowager. Why not go with Miss Ye together" Imperial Concubine Liu stood up and suggested.

Ye Yue nodded, "If that's the case, it will be a bother to Imperial Concubine Senior Sister."

Liu Guifei gave a faint nod. "Third Miss, shall we go"

Ye Li followed Liu Guifei out of Yao Hua Palace and glanced back at the lavishly decorated palace gate. When Ye Yue had been informed that the Empress Dowager wanted to see her earlier, if she hadn't misread the situation, Ye Yue had appeared nervous. As for Liu Guifei... Glancing at Liu Guifei who was leading the way ahead with her people, she still couldn’t tell whether this Liu Guifei was friend or foe. Accompanying herself into Yao Hua Palace and then accompanying her to see the Empress Dowager Ye Li could guarantee that if not for Liu Guifei sitting there all along, Ye Yue definitely wanted to say more than what had been said today. But if one were to say that Liu Guifei was kind towards her... Forget about them never having met before; even beneath the faint arrogance and disdain she couldn’t be bothered to hide made it hard for Ye Li to believe in her sincerity. She shrugged helplessly and walked behind her calmly. The people of this palace are really troublesome...

The Empress Dowager's residence was located in the northwest corner of the imperial city, with an area that rivaled that of Yao Hua Palace and a grand and magnificent mansion that indicated the high status of the emperor’s birth mother.

"Zhangde Palace is a palace built specially for the Empress Dowager after the Emperor ascended to the throne," said Liu Guifei as she stood before Zhangde Palace awaiting her summons. "And don't listen to your elder sister's nonsense. The Empress Dowager isn’t someone with good temper, so you have to be careful." Ye Li smiled and replied, "Thank you for reminding me, Your Excellency." Liu Guifei snorted and pushed her sleeve aside before stepping into Zhangde Palace first. Following behind, though Ye Li’s face showed no reaction, she was already spinning through all kinds of thoughts in her mind. Although she had only just entered the palace recently, things here were strange enough to exceed her understanding. The current Emperor was said to have been elevated to the throne with the Empress Dowager's sole support. She was also renowned as a virtuous consort who foresaw and guided the future, but Liu Guifei, one of the emperor’s favored concubines, showed no respect whatsoever towards the Empress Dowager. Moreover… raising her head to look at three big characters inscribed on the plaque under the eave. Zhangde—she hoped that this was something written willingly by the Emperor.

"Your daughter-in-law Ye Li greets Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager," said Ye Li as she entered the hall, her face flashing with surprise before she bowed respectfully to see a tall man clad in bright yellow robes.

“Rise. Chang’er, what are you doing here” Mo Jingqi glanced at Ye Li before his gaze fell on Liu Guifei beside him and he rose from the dais to pull her to stand beside him. Liu Guifei snorted and said coldly, "What Do you think I can't pay my respects to the Empress Dowager"

Mo Jingqi sighed and replied in a gentle tone, "You know that’s not it."

"Your Majesty!" A voice filled with sternness and displeasure rang out from the dais. Ye Li cast an inconspicuous glance over there. The Empress Dowager must have been a stunning beauty when she was young. Though she was said to be the sister of Queen Dowager Xianzha, her appearance looked even younger than that of Queen Dowager Xianzha’s. However, at this moment, those phoenix eyes gave off an indescribable sharpness, but Ye Li knew that in her youth, these very same eyes must have been beautiful and bewitching. At this moment, the Empress Dowager didn’t notice Ye Li; instead, she turned a fierce gaze upon Liu Guifei and there was even a hint of murder in her eyes. Clearly, the Empress Dowager disliked Liu Guifei.

"Mother," Mo Jingqi frowned and pulled Liu Guifei onto the dais. "Mother, Chang’er came here to pay her respects. She probably met Ye Third Miss on the way."

The Empress Dowager replied coldly, "Pay respects It’s rare for Imperial Concubine Liu to remember that she should come and pay her respects today."

"Mother, you know that Chang’er hasn’t been well since Jing兒 was born," said Mo Jingqi with a somewhat awkward expression. But he still firmly stood by Liu Guifei's side. Seeing the Empress Dowager’s gloomy face, Ye Li wanted to feel sympathy for her in her heart. After much effort and hardship, she finally gave birth to two sons, outlived the former emperor’s first consort to become empress, and struggled to make her son ascend to the throne as Emperor so that she could enjoy a life of luxury as Empress Dowager. But who would have thought that her youngest child was occasionally brainless and her eldest, who happened to be the reigning emperor, was someone who chose his wife over his mother

"Mother, didn’t you say you wanted to meet Ye Third Miss Why not take a look at the concubine selected for Xiu Yao" Mo Jingqi hurriedly asked seeing the Empress Dowager’s unhappy expression.

Ye Li felt her blood pressure rise. Your Majesty, are you trying to divert the blame

The Empress Dowager turned her gaze back towards Ye Li very quickly; Ye Li silently decided that she should believe Liu Guifei more. Just the attention focused upon her alone by the Empress Dowager wasn’t something an ordinary person could bear.

"You are Ye Li" The Empress Dowager asked after a long moment.

Ye Li respectfully lowered her gaze and answered, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this humble daughter is Ye Li."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly. "Look up so that I can take a look."

Ye Li did as she was told and allowed the Emperor and Empress Dowager to examine her.

"I have seen your mother several times when I was young," said the Empress Dowager, "Xu’s granddaughter is truly not like those who can’t make it onto the stage. Too bad..." What exactly did she mean by that Of course no one would ask something so tactless. Ye Li noticed Liu Guifei's displeased expression as she sat beside the Emperor. She felt a little puzzled, but didn't think this was an indirect insult to Liu Guifei. After all, being the daughter of Chancellor Liu, she couldn’t be considered someone without status.

"My Li’er is young and foolish; don’t take what happened during his wedding ceremony to heart," said the Empress Dowager sternly while still staring fixedly at Ye Li.

Ye Li smiled and replied, "The Empress Dowager overestimates me. It’s fate that my daughter-in-law and I are not compatible with Prince Li; it is better for him to raise this issue before marriage than after the wedding. This humble daughter is very grateful."

"Oh How does Miss Ye view what happened at Prince Li's wedding"

Ye Li said, "This… It’s a private matter of his highness; I shouldn’t make guesses without knowing all the facts."

The Empress Dowager asked, “What if I want to hear your opinion”

"Your humble daughter thinks that perhaps Prince Li was too excited at the prospect of wedding his beloved younger sister and didn't rest well," Ye Li said with an innocent smile but also a hint of fear in her eyes when looking at the Empress Dowager. "Prince Li is deeply in love with Fourth Miss; everyone knows about it in the whole city. He must be so happy to finally get his ladylove that he can’t help feeling excited, right"

"Miss Ye, I heard you said Prince Li didn't pay for his purchases and asked him for a lot of silver," Liu Guifei suddenly spoke up from beside the Emperor.

The temperature in the hall dropped immediately; Ye Li blinked blankly with embarrassment. "Your humble daughter was childish, please forgive me, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager. Since my mother passed away, I seldom went out and lost control when managing things for the first time. Afterward, my grandmother reprimanded me too, and I also had people return the silver to Prince Li’s residence and apologize to him. But…" She was thrown out with her silver.

Afterwards, Ye Li gave two hundred taels of silver to the steward who came back as compensation for emotional distress and kept the remaining silver in her own pouch.

This matter was originally Mo Jingli’s fault; even if it were the royal family, they would have no face to blame her. Seeing Ye Li's shocked and ashamed expression, Mo Jingqi coughed lightly and shot a warning look at Liu Guifei before soothingly saying, "Forget about it. It was Prince Jingli who hadn’t thought things through properly; this isn’t Miss Ye’s fault. The Empress Dowager doesn't mean to blame you."

Ye Li happily thanked him: "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager are magnanimous."

The Empress Dowager nodded calmly and said, "Forget it. I don't mean to blame you. Have a seat."

Two palace maids carried a cushion embroidered with patterns up and placed them behind Ye Li. After thanking them, she carefully sat on only two-thirds of the cushion. She felt no gratitude towards the Empress Dowager’s offer of seating. If given a choice, she would rather stand than sit like this. Sitting made her appear shorter to people already in an inferior position and also severely affected her field of vision. Moreover, sitting properly was even more exhausting than practicing horse stance when she was little. At least then, she could use her legs as leverage. Sitting elegantly required special training since she would only pray that she wouldn’t fall off the cushion.

"Miss Ye, is Mr Qingyun well" Emperor Mo Jingqi looked at Ye Li with a scrutinizing expression.

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. My uncle mentioned that my grandfather’s health was still good."

Emperor Mo Jingqi grinned and said, "You needn’t be so nervous. I once witnessed Mr Qingyun’s charm and felt envious of him back then. However, it has been many years since we last met." Ye Li lowered her head guiltily and replied, “Since my mother passed away, this daughter hasn't seen grandfather in a long time either. Not being able to repay his love for me by serving beside my late mother is truly regrettable.”

"Oh Miss Ye will be marrying the Prince Ding soon; surely Elder Mr Qingyun wouldn’t miss your wedding"

“Grandfather is old and can't bear the travel fatigue. I’m afraid he won’t be able to see this daughter... But grandfather has sent my eldest uncle here in his stead, so I am very pleased.”

The emperor’s eyes twinkled as he said, "Oh Scholar Hongyu has already come into town Then… Mr Xu"

Ye Li smiled openly and replied, “My cousin and the other uncles also came to the city. Since my uncle doesn’t hold any official rank, there isn't much fanfare.”

The emperor laughed loudly, "The Xu Family never cared for titles and prefers seclusion. However, Scholar Hongyu is still one of my teachers; it’s a little impolite not to have paid our respects."

Ye Li hurriedly said she was unworthy but did not think much about his words. After all, her eldest uncle had only briefly guided the emperor on some academic matters at the behest of the previous emperor, and there was no question that he was his teacher. Moreover, if he truly cared to welcome him, he would have gone long ago. She didn’t believe for a moment that Emperor Mo Jingqi was unaware when her eldest uncle had entered the city.

The emperor clearly wasn’t interested in this matter anymore and looked at Ye Li as he said, "Miss Ye won the first place of the annual Flower Festival banquet. Even Princess Ronghua has complimented you a few times before Empress Dowager. Would Miss Ye entertain us" He gave her no chance to refuse. With a wave of his hand, palace maids brought up an intricately carved bookcase complete with ink and paper.

"This daughter will do my best."

Ye Li stood behind the desk while drawing and cursed the emperor in her mind one hundred times. She simply could not understand why ancient emperors enjoyed having people compose poems on a whim. Not everyone was fond of poetry, nor did all have quick wit to write such verses offhand. What if she couldn’t produce a poem when called upon

Ye Li drew a standard picture of orchid with the addition of an accompanying poem written by her grandfather years ago. The only impressive thing might be her handwriting. As she watched the eyes of those in attendance switch from curiosity to surprise and then disappointment, Ye Li stood respectfully behind the bookcase waiting for their evaluation.

"Orchid Is this Mr Qingyun’s work" asked Concubine Liang with a frown.

Ye Li felt ashamed as she said, "This daughter is not very proficient in poetry. Please forgive me."

A trace of contempt flashed across the concubine's eyes as she glanced at the painting and said, "Miss Ye’s handwriting is indeed quite good."

The Empress Dowager also agreed with Concubine Liang; after all, Ye Li’s work from the Flower Festival was in the palace. The paintings were neither impressive nor bad but average while the poem… the three people on the dais simultaneously suspected that the dazzling peony poem must not have been her handiwork. After all, the Xu Family didn’t lack talented men and someone could easily find a substitute of equal caliber to write it for Ye Li; hence, it was no wonder she had such an impressive poem.

"Miss Ye’s handwriting is indeed good."

Ye Li clearly felt that their interest in her had waned significantly. Although she didn’t understand why ancient people believed calligraphy and painting represented one's capability and intelligence, at least this outcome wasn't bad for her.

Afternoon came before the Empress Dowager dispatched someone to escort Ye Li out of the palace gates. During this time, she used her calligraphy skills to copy a volume of scriptures for the Empress Dowager. No one thought about sending her to Princess Ronghua’s place to bid farewell either; thus, Ye Li did not want to trouble the people sent by the Empress Dowager and pretended that she had forgotten too. Accompanied by palace servants, she left the imperial city with gifts from Emperor Mo Jingqi, the Empress Dowager, and Concubine Liang. Only when sitting inside her carriage did Ye Li slowly exhale a breath she had been holding in for the whole morning.

"Miss, rest a bit first. Your face looks rather pale," Qingyu said as she checked her pulse gently with one hand.

Qinglun sighed helplessly and said, "Miss must have felt nervous on your first visit to the palace. Unfortunately, we can’t go into Empress Dowager’s quarters."

Qingyu smiled faintly and replied, “You would only scare yourself if you were in there too; don’t make trouble for Miss.”

Lying back against the carriage, Ye Li closed her eyes to rest while recalling what had happened in the palace. While inside, she could only be careful everywhere she went without time to ponder over anything. The emperor, Empress Dowager, and Concubine Liang… each seemed normal but also hid some unknown complications. And then there was Ye Yue...

No!

Ye Li suddenly opened her eyes, startling Qinglun and Qingyu.

"Miss, what’s wrong"

“The carriage is going the wrong way!” said Ye Li. As soon as she finished speaking, a whizzing sound was heard before an arrow pierced through their carriage.

--

Author's Note:

The story has been V-Enforced (VIP subscription required). Thank you for your continuous support! From now on, I’ll be updating with 8k words daily. Not sure if readers will accept this, but as a workaholic with limited writing skills, 10k or more per day is not something I can achieve. In addition to the word count and pacing issues, chapters may also end up being too abrupt at times. Thank you for those who have donated diamonds and given me support! Flying kiss~ the dark-clothed child sitting between Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. Although proud of her beauty and despite disliking Emperor Moxingqi, she couldn't deny that he looked handsome. However, their two sons and...