The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

That evening, the emperor arrived at Changchun Palace.

“It’s been investigated. The eunuch who delivered the message to Miss Bai is Miao Wu, a cleaning eunuch who was transferred to Shou Kang Palace from the Imperial Household Department two months ago. Everyone in the palace calls him Little Miao. He was just a messenger. I was worried about alerting the enemy, so I released him back to Shou Kang Palace first. He knows the implications and won’t say anything to the Empress Dowager.” Rongyin reported to the Emperor.

The Emperor said, "Hmm, the Empress is always very capable, which puts my mind at ease. Let's leave it at that for now, and we'll find an opportunity to transfer this promising talent away from Shou Kang Palace later."

Rongyin then said, "Regarding Miss Bai, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "The empress speaks."

Rongyin carefully considered her prepared remarks: "Although Miss Bai is the Empress Dowager's person, she is also helpless in this palace and has a difficult life, so she sought refuge with the Empress Dowager."

The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Does the Empress intend to plead for Lady Bai?"

Rongyin said, "Your Majesty, I dare not interfere with His Majesty's wishes. However, I have spent the last few days with Miss Bai. Although she is a bit impetuous, she is not an ungrateful fool. She knows that His Majesty treats her well. Today's incident, though said to be at the behest of the Empress Dowager, is also her own attempt to gain His Majesty's favor. In the end, she still loves and respects His Majesty more."

If Your Majesty truly cares, then simply treat her less favorably in the future. On the surface, wrongdoing should naturally be punished, but if her future is truly ruined, I fear someone might take advantage of the situation.”

After thinking for a moment, the emperor said, "The empress is right. Very well, I will go and sit with Bai Ruiji."

An hour later.

As the emperor stepped out of Changchun Palace, he said to Jinzhong, "Pass on my decree: Bai is rash and willful, and has offended Consort Xian. She is hereby confined to her quarters for one month, ordered to copy the Diamond Sutra ten times, and suspended from receiving her salary for three months. However, Bai will soon be officially conferred a title, and it is I who wish to keep her by my side. No one in the harem should despise her because of her humble origins."

He added, "I ate a bit too much for dinner and would like to take a walk."

Surrounded by a group of eunuchs, he strolled around and unknowingly arrived at Yanxi Palace.

His mind suddenly went blank.

The emperor stepped through the gates of Yanxi Palace.

Ruyi changed into her nightgown, and Suxin helped her comb her hair. Just as she was about to rest, the Emperor arrived, and the three of them were overjoyed.

The emperor sat on the bed with Ruyi in his arms.

Ruyi said, "Your Majesty comes so late, in the dead of night and with the frost so thick, yet you don't seem to care about your health."

The emperor took her hand and placed it on his left breast: "It's not safe here if I don't come. Don't worry, I won't let you suffer any injustice from now on."

Ruyi nestled in the Emperor's arms and said, "Your Majesty, I love hearing these three words the most. With these three words, even if I were imprisoned in the Censorate, I would feel at ease."

The emperor was suddenly taken aback and said, "The Shenxing Division is in charge of criminal justice in the three banners. You are innocent, so naturally you will not be imprisoned by the Shenxing Division."

Ruyi was taken aback, then said, "I just remembered that on the day I married you, Your Majesty said those three words to me. My peace of mind in this life began from that day. I only ask that my heart be with you for a long time, and then I will have no worries or fears."

The next morning, Ruyi woke up from her sleep and saw that the Emperor was already dressed in his court robes. She said sweetly, "Your Majesty!"

The emperor said, "Don't get up, sleep a little longer. I'll come over later to have dinner with you."

Ruyi, half-reclining, happily replied, "Yes."

The emperor left Yanxi Palace, feeling somewhat joyful but mostly bewildered. He shook his head, casting aside the unease deep within him, and entered his sedan chair.

A'Ruo saw the Emperor out, then returned beaming. She knelt before the bed, propping her head up, and said, "Your Majesty, guess what the Emperor said before he left?"

Ruyi said coquettishly, "What did the Emperor say that made you so happy?"

A'Ruo mimicked the emperor's tone, speaking in a serious and measured manner: "A'Ruo, take good care of your master, and remember to prepare some white jade frost cakes. I will come over these few days to accompany your master in enjoying some."

Ruyi laughed and turned over: "I didn't hear anything."

A'Ruo said, "Master didn't hear that? This servant remembers it all very well!"

Ruyi smiled and waved her hand, then burrowed back into the covers.

Su Xin smiled outwardly, but her heart was filled with worry. She had originally planned to serve Ye Xin some ointment after her mistress had rested, but the Emperor had suddenly arrived, and she was unable to leave for the time being. She wondered how Ye Xin was doing now.

Hearing that Ruyi had regained the Emperor's favor after being neglected for so long, Hailan was naturally delighted. Zezhi also flattered her, saying, "Xianzhu was the Emperor's darling before, so he naturally still dotes on her. He only pretends to be cold because of the Empress Dowager and the Empress."

Hailan said, "I'm relieved that my sister is alright. Zezhi, help me to see my sister."

Zezhi helped Hailan out the door and bumped into Yexin walking towards them.

Yesterday, Ye Xin stopped Hai Lan, and Hai Lan was reprimanded by the Emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Thinking that Ye Xin's words were just like the Emperor's, protecting the Empress and not caring about Ruyi at all, Hai Lan immediately became suspicious. After Ye Xin was beaten with a cane, she was forced to kneel for an hour breaking tiles and was sent to the flower room, forbidden to enter the palace to serve again.

She had been chilled twice when she went to Xianfu Palace before, and now she was being severely punished. In addition, she was originally a senior palace maid of the Xin generation, and she was senior and respected among the palace maids. Now she was demoted and sent away, allowing Zezhi to surpass her. How could she be happy about this?

Therefore, after Hailan's treatment, she collapsed to the ground, unable to support herself. Hailan's maids and eunuchs, who were already struggling with Hailan, had no time to care for others. Seeing that their usually timid and kind-hearted mistress had become ruthless this time, no one dared to help her. They simply carried Ye Xin back and dared not seek medical treatment.

Ye Xin lay in bed all night, and the next day, she mustered all her strength and climbed out of bed to walk step by step to the door of Hailan's bedroom.

Her hair was disheveled, her face was pale, and the hem of her dress was stained with blood. She staggered over, but finally couldn't hold on any longer. Her knees buckled and she knelt down at the gate, trembling as she said, "Noble Lady Hai, I have always been loyal to you and have never betrayed you. I am innocent!"

Hailan said coldly, "I told you long ago that if you said anything that would estrange me from my sister again, I would kick you out. In the end, it's because I've been too lenient with you, so you don't remember what I said. I also want to consider our past relationship, but if everyone in this courtyard is like you in the future, how will my sister guard against them?"

Zezhi chimed in sarcastically, "Our Yanxi Palace can't accommodate Sister Yexin. You'd better leave quickly. Maybe one day you'll climb the social ladder by marrying the Empress and be more respectable than us servants of Yanxi Palace! But the Emperor said he's been staying with Consort Xian these past few days. The flower room is probably already trying to curry favor with Consort Xian. Maybe you can even come back for a visit while delivering flowers!"

After saying that, the two turned and left.

Ye Xin opened her eyes wide and knelt on the spot in a daze.

Only after Hailan and Zezhi walked away did the young palace maids muster up the courage to help Ye Xin up.

Wu Fu stepped forward and whispered, "Sister Ye Xin, the master is angry right now. You should leave first. Maybe the master will remember your kindness in the future."

Several palace maids also tried to persuade Ye Xin and helped her back.

At noon, Hailan and Ruyi had lunch and sat together to paint.

Hailan smiled and said, "The dishes in my sister's little kitchen are sour and refreshing, and that bowl of sour bamboo shoot and shredded chicken soup is the best."

As Ruyi painted, she said, "If you like it, I'll add some more for you later."

Hailan declined, saying, "That won't do. The Emperor said he's coming tonight, and the kitchen is probably already overwhelmed with work. I wouldn't want to add to the chaos."

Ruyi smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

While Hailan and Ruyi were painting, Su Xin secretly went to find Ye Xin, only to be told by Wu Fu that Ye Xin had already gone to the flower room.

Su Xin asked in surprise, "How come they were directly expelled from Yanxi Palace?"

Wu Fu was a little embarrassed. He looked around to make sure no one was watching before whispering, "Ye Xin said a few words in defense of the Empress yesterday, and the mistress got angry. She said that the Empress had bribed her with a bowl of ginger soup and that keeping her around would only cause trouble, so she was not allowed to serve in Yanxi Palace."

Su Xin said anxiously, "But Ye Xin is injured, and the work in the flower room is heavy, this..."

She thought it over and over, but she was still worried, so she hurriedly went to find Jiang Yubin.

On the other side, Rongyin went to Xiefang Palace to visit the princes as usual.

Mingyu opened the food box, took out two plates of pastries, and said with a smile, "This was specially prepared by Her Majesty the Empress for the First Prince and the Second Prince."

Yonghuang and Yonglian respectfully said, "Thank you, Your Majesty." Then Yonglian picked up the pastries and began to eat them heartily.

Yonghuang, however, was somewhat dazed, staring blankly at the pastries in his hand.

Rongyin said, "Does the eldest prince not like these pastries? If he likes anything else, just tell me, and I'll bring it again next time."

Yonghuang lowered his head and stammered, "It's not that I don't like it, it's just... I remember that Mother used to make pastries for me."

Yonghuang's wet nurse broke out in a cold sweat, inwardly blaming the First Prince for mentioning Consort Zhe in front of the Empress, fearing it would displease her.

Rongyin put her arm around Yonghuang's shoulder and asked softly, "Does the eldest prince miss his mother?"

Yonghuang said in a low voice, "Everyone says that Mother is no longer in this world. I don't understand why Mother is no longer in this world. I haven't seen Mother or heard Mother's voice for a long time..." His voice was already trembling with sobs as he said the last sentence.

Rongyin thought for a moment and said, "Has the eldest prince paid attention to the trees in the palace? Can you tell your mother the difference between trees in spring and autumn?"

The eldest prince lowered his head, wiped his eyes, and replied, "In spring, the trees are full of green leaves, but in autumn, all the leaves fall off."

Rongyin said, "The eldest prince is right. In fact, people are just like the leaves on a tree. When the time comes, the leaves will fall. The leaves fall to the ground and turn into soil, and the trees grow from the soil, allowing new leaves to grow."

The eldest and second princes were like new leaves on a tree. The eldest prince's mother, however, was like a fallen leaf; though she no longer seemed to be on the tree, she still watched over him in a different way.

Yonghuang then smiled and said, "Your son understands. Thank you, Your Majesty."

The wet nurse standing nearby secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yonghuang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then, Mother, may I plant a tree myself to remember your teachings today?"

Rongyin said, "The eldest prince is still too young to plant trees himself. The eldest prince can plant some potted plants like Podocarpus macrocarpus, which are easy to place and care for. Moreover, plants have spirits. When they grow up, they can be offered in front of your mother's spirit, so that your mother can know your filial piety."

Yonglian, clinging to Rongyin, said sweetly, "Mother, I want one too!"

Rongyin affectionately tapped his nose and said, "Alright, Your Majesty will take you to the flower room in a little while, and each of you can pick a pot to take back."

The Emperor had been standing at the gate of Xiefang Palace for quite some time. Before stepping inside, he hesitated, then sighed softly and said, "I will not go in. Li Yu, tonight let the princes and the Empress have dinner together at Yangxin Palace."