The whole family is reborn, and their five-year-old child becomes the darling of the entire capital.

After exchanging pleasantries with the Empress Dowager, Xiao Yuxi was led by her older sister into her palace.

Upon entering the palace, Xiao Yuxi was so shocked by what she saw that she couldn't close her mouth.

A brand new little pond has appeared in the yard!

She ran to the pond in surprise and looked down to observe the goldfish swimming in the water.

“Last time, didn’t you say this place was a bit empty? So I had the people from the Imperial Household Department come and build this pond.” Mu Yunshang smiled as she walked to Xiao Yuxi’s side, her eyes crinkling as she looked at her younger sister who was focused on the goldfish in the pond.

Xiao Yuxi lay sprawled on the rock, gently touching the water with her hand, creating ripples. After a while, she seemed to suddenly remember something important, hurriedly got up, and ran towards Yingrui.

A moment later, Xiao Yuxi came running up to the older sister with a wooden box in her hands. She carefully held the box in both hands, gesturing for the older sister to take it.

She looked at her older sister with bright, expectant eyes.

Mu Yunshang took the wooden box with some doubt, opened it, and found several very ordinary, square green pastries inside.

She slowly picked up one of the pieces and put it in her mouth, taking a gentle bite. Instantly, a delicate fragrance filled her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the unique flavor as it gradually spread in her mouth.

However, at that moment, a soft "pia" sound came, and a tear of Mu Yunshang quietly slid down and dripped onto the small plate containing pastries.

Mu Yunshang looked puzzled, gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks, and then looked up at the extremely ordinary pastry in her hand.

She couldn't understand why she was crying uncontrollably for no reason, but the tears flowed like a flood, continuously sliding down from the corners of her eyes, one drop after another, silently falling to the ground.

Seeing this, the personal maid standing to the side hurriedly reached out to take the pastry box from Mu Yunshang's hand. However, Mu Yunshang held the box tightly in her hand and refused to let go.

After she came to her senses a little, she hurriedly let go of her hand and let the maid take it from her.

Xiao Yuxi witnessed all of this and was so frightened that she stood there dumbfounded. She hurriedly tiptoed, picked up a handkerchief, and wanted to wipe away the tears from her older sister's eyes.

Mu Yunshang slowly took the handkerchief, wiped away the remaining tear stains on her face, looked at Xiao Yuxi with a somewhat confused expression, and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "This...who did this?"

Xiao Yuxi was stunned when she heard this.

This pastry was specially delivered by Brother Yaochuan early this morning, and he repeatedly told me not to reveal that it was from him. Although I don't know why Brother Yaochuan did this, the royal physician had already examined it carefully and confirmed that there was nothing wrong with it.

However, since she had promised Yaochuan to keep this secret, she absolutely could not break her promise and reveal it to him.

"It was...taken from the manor. Is it not tasty?" Little Yu Xi looked up at her older sister with some concern.

Mu Yunshang shook her head. "The manor? I haven't been home in so long, I can't even taste the flavors of the manor anymore."

"No wonder you said it always felt like a taste you'd forgotten." Mu Yunshang smiled helplessly and pinched another piece.

The maidservant beside her chuckled softly, "The Duke's mansion's food has always suited Your Highness's taste. It must have been made with great care that Your Highness was able to recall her youth with just one bite."

Mu Yunshang's smile faded as she looked at the mung bean cake in her hand. It had been so long that she couldn't even remember what the mung bean cake she ate as a child tasted like.

This must be what it tastes like, right?

Song Ci stood at a distance from the palace gate, his gaze piercing through the many gates to land on the Empress. At that moment, the Empress was gently stroking the hair of the Mu family's cousin, speaking softly to her. Her eyes were filled with affection, and a faint smile played on her lips, as if the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them.

Song Ci watched this scene silently, a surge of indescribable jealousy welling up within him. He knew he shouldn't have such thoughts, but deep down he couldn't suppress the spreading emotion. After all, he wasn't a member of the Mu family, much less the Empress's biological child. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been an unloved child, lonely and isolated.

However, Mu Yunshang's appearance brought him a touch of warmth. She always treated him so gently, spoke to him in a mild tone, patiently taught and guided him, and encouraged him to study hard. This care made him feel a warmth he had never experienced before, and it also made him develop a deep dependence on Mu Yunshang.

"If...if she were my mother..." Song Ci murmured to himself, his eyes filled with endless longing. How he wished he could receive the same care and protection as the Empress! But reality was so cruel, leaving him only to watch from afar.

At this moment, the old nanny noticed Song Ci's unusual behavior. She looked at the prince, who was hiding in the shadows, with some confusion, wondering why he had suddenly stopped and refused to go any further. She gently approached him and asked with concern, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Why won't you go in?"

Song Ci slowly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before looking up at the old woman and saying softly, "I...I want to stay here a little longer." His voice was slightly hoarse, as if it contained many complex emotions.

Song Ci stood there, gazing at the Empress and the Mu family cousin from afar. His eyes held both envy and disappointment. He silently vowed to himself that he must strive to become outstanding, to earn the recognition and affection of more people. Perhaps one day, he too could be like the Mu family cousin…

Every time that young lady arrived, he would silently walk past her, secretly hoping that the Empress would show him a little more favor. However, each time he received only a polite but distant smile, as if she had completely isolated him from the entire palace.

However, when facing the cousin of the Mu family, her smile was so sincere and genuine.

He knew that his presence would only make him a superfluous person, and might even spoil the Empress's rare moment of joy.

In this palace, she must have been just as unhappy as he was.

Just then, a maid rushed into the courtyard and whispered a few words.

Mu Yunshang's brows furrowed instantly, and she asked in astonishment, "What do you mean Yan Fei's brain was damaged?"

The maid shook her head. "When Consort Yan kicked the maid, she lost her balance and hit her head on the sedan chair. After waking up, she kept saying strange things about the Yue Kingdom being gone."