The stand-in didn't take it seriously for three years, and the minister was furious when they b

The emperor was so angry that he swallowed it back:

"Get up."

The emperor waved his hand and asked Defu to step aside first. Beitang Yi stepped forward and lowered his voice to briefly describe the plan that Mu Lianzhi had come up with:

"Your Majesty, it is not a long-term solution for civil and military officials to stay in the palace for a long time. It is better to relax on the outside and tighten on the inside. This will also narrow the scope. If the other party moves, we may have a better chance."

"Besides, we don't know how deep the other party's roots are in the palace. The golden time to solve the case is three days, and this plan will not work if it takes too long."

"Please make your decision, Your Majesty."

Almost immediately, the emperor made the decision.

……

Soon, accurate news came from the palace. In order to reward everyone and make up for the regrets of the Chinese Valentine's Day, an additional meal would be added to the palace at noon, and a banquet would be arranged from the afternoon to the evening for everyone to have a good time. Everyone must attend and register together, and they could leave the palace early the next morning.

In short, it not only calmed the emotions, but also gave everyone enough time to relax and prepare.

Almost instantly, the entire palace was in an uproar.

Now that the restrictions and constraints have been lifted, the ladies, who were originally so fearful and uninterested in anything, are like birds out of cages. Some are packing up, some are visiting neighbors, and some are already planning to get clothes for the party and stroll around the imperial gardens to meet imperial concubines.

When hearing this, Mu Lianzhi was really at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

I have to say, these wives of officials are really generous.

Although she had no interest, she knew she had to follow the crowd. At this time, what she feared most was being different, as there was no guarantee that someone would not secretly monitor their every move.

So, when people in the yard rushed out, she followed them.

She would never take the initiative to make friends with others, but she had no objection to strolling around the courtyard, taking a walk, and getting familiar with the environment. As they walked, Mu Lianzhi also went to the Imperial Garden, but she chose a place where there were not many people.

Following the voices all the way, her whole brain was actually empty, and she didn't notice that she had walked into the grove by the lake.

On a slope, she slipped suddenly without noticing.

"lady--"

"careful!"

Leng Yun and Ying Liu attacked instinctively, but they were still a step too late. Mu Lianzhi stumbled and fell forward. Even though she tried her best to twist her body, she still bumped into the person coming up from the front. Instinctively, she grabbed the man's arm:

"Ouch~"

When she calmed herself down and wanted to apologize, she looked up and met Bao Yanqing's eyes. Then, she also caught a glimpse of the fleeting light in the man's eyes.

My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Squatting slightly, she saluted Bao Yanqing:

"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I was careless just now. Thank you for your help."

"I dare not. Madam, you don't have to be polite. After all, you have been my son's 'second aunt'. As the saying goes, once a second aunt, always a second aunt. It's a piece of cake. It's just a few days since I last saw you, and you seem to have become a different person, becoming more and more beautiful..."

I've never thought a woman was so beautiful.

Bao Yanqing stared at her, unable to take his eyes away. His voice was raised lightly, and his hand unconsciously reached out to support hers. At this moment, Leng Yun and Ying Liu also came over:

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

The two of them naturally noticed that Mu Lianzhi avoided him unnoticeably, but with a glance, they instinctively suppressed the anger that was about to come out of their mouths.

"It's okay, let's go."

Although they didn't understand why, they understood that Mu Lianzhi didn't want them to ask any more questions or take any more actions. This time, the two of them protected her on the left and right and continued to walk forward.

As they walked, Mu Lianzhi pointed to the weeping willows on the side:

"Is that the beauty willow tree? There's also a stone bench. I wonder if you're free tonight. It's the last night. It would be worth the trip if we could enjoy the cool air and the moon together."

Mu Lianzhi glanced back, and Leng Yun understood her meaning very tacitly. He stopped and continued:

"Madam, I think that even if you are not free, you will definitely be able to find time. Moreover, there is a dinner party tonight. Do you want me to find someone to send a message to you?"

"That's fine. The banquet will definitely be over at midnight. Just tell me to come here and wait for him a quarter of an hour earlier. Just wait a quarter of an hour. If he doesn't come, I'll go back."

If Yingliu didn't understand what the two meant at first, she caught a glimpse of the man behind her who also slowed down his pace. She would be dumbfounded if she couldn't figure it out, so she immediately said:

"Madam, how about I go now? My Lord must be very busy today, and I don't know when I can find someone."

"That's right. Then you should come back quickly and get some fish food and shuttlecocks. We will wait for you by the willow tree."

They seemed to be talking in a low voice, but their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Bao Yanqing to hear.

Yingliu and Lengyun protected her and walked for a while until they reached the flat ground by the lake. The three of them exchanged glances, and Yingliu turned around and walked back.

Originally, she just wanted to pretend to go find Beitang Yi, but she was surprised to find someone following her on the way. Even more unfortunate was that she met Beitang Yi halfway. In the end, she was in a dilemma and could only ask for a private opportunity to convey Mu Lianzhi's intention.

"Artificial lake, moon watching?"

Thinking that Mu Lianzhi had asked her to come for something important, this happened suddenly. Beitang Yi was thinking and reacting for a long time, his mind was full of question marks.

Ying Liu couldn't say that Mu Lianzhi might have other intentions, so he could only continue:

"Yes. After all, the Imperial Garden of the Palace is different from other places. This is a rare opportunity. The graceful shape of the willow tree is indeed somewhat unique. Madam may have just had a sudden impulse and wanted to have a good memory with you. So let me tell you. You don't have to force it."

"I see. Okay, I understand."

Without thinking much about it, another guard came to report the news, so Beitang Yi sent Yingliu away.

Taozi found an excuse to accompany the old lady into the palace. She didn't expect that as soon as she found someone, she would hear this conversation between the two. She was so excited that she turned around and left quietly when she saw Beitang Yi was busy.

Similarly, on the other side, after confirming the news, Bao Yanqing didn't know what he was thinking, his heart couldn't help but beat up and down.

At this time, Yingliu was jogging all the way, eager to go back and report to Mu Lianzhi.

Coincidentally, in another corner of the palace, the Crown Princess and the Prime Minister, upon hearing the good news of the lifting of the lockdown, also started moving excitedly.

……

At the 3 p.m. time, the palace banquet started on time. Regardless of whether it was a genuine smile or a pretense, almost everyone had a smile on their face. The Empress Dowager and Empress were not present, and the Imperial Concubine took the main seat.

It is said that due to health reasons, there was a special banquet in the Empress Dowager's palace.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually reached a climax. After a dance, heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.