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

"The Empress's younger sister is really not a woman at all. It seems she's already past the age of marriage, hasn't she? If she's not disciplined in time and taught some needlework, she'll probably never find a husband in this lifetime," Lan Yue said with a cold laugh.

When Mu Yunshang heard her speak the Yunnan dialect, her face instantly turned terrifyingly dark.

She doesn't mind if you say bad things about her, but you can't say anything about Yunnan.

“Yunnan doesn’t talk about her husband’s family because she doesn’t want to, not because no one is talking about it. From the day she came of age, matchmakers came one after another. But Yunnan was a great general who stood tall and protected the country and its people. Her life cannot be judged by marriage and childbirth. Her achievements are enough for historians to write about her for three days and three nights.”

"If she wanted to marry, a bunch of respectable young men from noble families would be willing to marry into her family the very next day. Unlike women, whose husbands have three wives and four concubines, and who dare not resist and are ridiculed behind their backs."

This was the first time Mu Yunshang had ever said something so sarcastic to someone.

She felt extremely refreshed after speaking, an experience she had never had before.

Princess Lanyue was pale. She knew that many noble ladies were gossiping and mocking her behind her back. But none of them dared to make any sarcastic remarks about her to her face.

Mu Yunshang was the first.

"Do you know my identity, Princess? I am the Emperor's aunt!"

"So I call you Aunt. But Aunt, you no longer have any backing, do you?"

Princess Lanyue looked at Mu Yunshang, who was smiling gently at her, and her eyes reddened. She had always looked down on this empress.

The position of Empress should have originally belonged to Jiaojiao. If Jiaojiao could become Empress, her husband wouldn't dare to bring concubines into the mansion one after another.

But the Emperor actually asked the Empress Dowager himself, specifically requesting the daughter of the Mu family.

Although she was beautiful, she lacked the courage to be an empress; she was timid and submissive, easily manipulated by others.

Unexpectedly, she had misjudged the person.

That makes sense. How could a child born from the union of two families of generals be truly weak?

"Mu Yunshang, you are very good." Princess Lanyue said with a smile through gritted teeth.

"Auntie, you flatter me."

Xiao Yuxi tried to reach the koi in the water, but Yan Shanshan grabbed her by the back of her neck with her clothes. "Slow down, or you'll fall in and I won't be able to get you out."

Xiao Yuxi looked at her seriously and said, "Xixi can swim, there's no need to fish her out."

"You can swim?" Yan Shanshan was somewhat surprised. None of the girls who had attended private schools since childhood knew how to swim. Such an impolite thing was strictly forbidden by the nanny when she was taught. This was the first time she had heard of a girl she knew who could swim.

"Xixi is a great swimmer!" Xiaoyuxi said with pride.

Last year, while she was washing clothes, a boy from the same village pushed her into the water. She struggled in the water for a long time before Yun Niangzi pulled her out with a tree branch. From then on, she had Yun Niangzi accompany her to secretly practice swimming in the small pond every day.

"You're so amazing!" Yan Shanshan exclaimed sincerely. She quietly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Can I secretly teach you sometime?"

Xiao Yuxi nodded, "Okay."

Yan Shanshan couldn't help but mentally elevate her status even further. She took out a bulging little purse from her bosom, poured out a delicate pastry, and placed it in Xiao Yuxi's hand. "I don't like the vegetarian food here, so I always have the maid secretly pack some for me. Here, have a piece, let's eat together."

Xiao Yuxi took it with both hands and ate it bite by bite like a hamster.

Yan Shanshan poked her cheek and asked in confusion, "Am I your best friend?"

She had only recently returned to the capital and probably hadn't made many friends yet.

Moreover, Ye Shuyin's purpose is very clear: to help her older sister. It's not necessarily possible for her to win over this little girl.

People from other prominent families couldn't even come close to her, so she must be her favorite friend.

"No," Xiao Yuxi answered honestly.

Yan Shanshan's smile suddenly faded, and she looked at her silently, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

"Who is that?" Yan Shanshan's words carried a hint of jealousy.

"Second sister." Xiao Yuxi's expression was extremely serious.

Yan Shanshan breathed a sigh of relief. "Family is family, not just friends. It has to be someone outside of your Mu family. Think about it, haven't I been the best to you? I even brought you food. Do other people do that?"

Xiao Yuxi obediently shook her head, "No, there really isn't any."

"So am I not your best friend?" Yan Shanshan coaxed gently.

Xiao Yuxi nodded slowly.

"So good." Yan Shanshan rubbed her little face and couldn't help but sigh. If only her half-sister at home was this obedient and wouldn't slander her in front of their father.

-

The Empress Dowager, copying scriptures, glanced at Princess Lanyue, who was sitting there restlessly, and couldn't help but sigh softly. "This matter was Jiaojiao's fault to begin with, and she has already been punished accordingly. This matter is over."

"How can this be considered the past? The Emperor directly humiliated my husband during the morning court session and even ordered him to reflect on his actions behind closed doors. What does this have to do with him? Even if the Emperor favors the Empress, he can't be so biased, can he?"

The Empress Dowager was somewhat speechless. "As for the matter of the morning court, you might as well ask Marquis Yan whether it was because of the harem or something he did wrong. His Majesty has always been clear about the boundary between the court and the harem, and would never do something like this that involves officials of the court because of problems in the harem."

“My husband has always been honest and law-abiding. How could he possibly offend the Emperor in court?”

"Honest and dutiful? Do you even believe that yourself? I've advised you before to get a divorce as soon as possible. Wouldn't it be better to find someone who treats you well and cares for you?" After copying the last page of the sutra, the Empress Dowager put down her pen, looked at her, and sincerely advised her.

“How can we get a divorce? Our children are still young. What will happen to them if we divorce? Besides, there are already rumors circulating in the capital. If we divorce, I will become even more of their gossip. Moreover, Yan Lang hasn’t really done anything wrong. He’s just a bit playful. But he’s married so many concubines, and he hasn’t promoted any of them. He must have feelings for me.” Princess Lanyue looked at the Empress Dowager sincerely.

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long while before placing the scriptures in front of her. "Read the scriptures more often in your spare time, and read fewer storybooks. What if he were to be promoted in the future?"

"He wouldn't do that. I'm a princess. He couldn't possibly treat me like that." Princess Lanyue felt a pang of sadness at the thought. She silently wiped away her tears, clutched her handkerchief, and looked at the Empress Dowager with some worry. "Will he really lift it?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head. "I don't know." She paused for a moment, then decisively changed the subject. "What do you think of the title 'Yongchang'?"

"Title? Why are you suddenly thinking about titles?"

"I intend to bestow the title of County Princess upon that little girl from the Mu family."

Princess Lanyue was startled. "What?"