After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

"Your Majesty, my daughter has been framed. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for my daughter and find the real culprit."

This matter is definitely related to Ye Xiyao. Please, Your Majesty, find her.

Madam Tang wept bitterly, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly. She believed that her daughter had taken the blame for someone else and ruined her reputation, and that Ye Xiyao could not be completely innocent either.

“Madam Tang, my sister is here. This matter has nothing to do with her.”

Ye Yaoyao and the other two walked to the front. Yu Fei looked at Ye Xiyao standing there perfectly fine, showing no signs of being affected by the Chinese medicine, and questioned her in an unfriendly tone:

"Ye Xiyao, Miss Tang said she's with you. Do you have anything to say?"

Ye Xiyao remained calm and answered neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"Your Highness, I was waiting for my younger sister when I suddenly felt dizzy and then fainted. I don't know what happened."

It was only after my younger sister brought Physician Cen that I regained consciousness.

"Doctor Cen treated you?" Consort Yu narrowed her eyes, her expression suspicious, but the effects of the medicine on her body had worn off.

"My daughter was clearly with you, so why is she here?"

Mrs. Tang did not believe them.

“Madam Tang, Xiyao doesn’t know, she only vaguely heard Xue calling me when she fainted.”

"Yes, Mrs. Tang, when I found my sister, she was the only one lying unconscious on the ground. I didn't see Miss Tang!"

"Impossible, you're lying!" The daughter must have shielded Ye Xiyao from disaster.

“I can testify that Xiyao did indeed faint on the ground, and Miss Tang was not with her at the time.”

Xin Chuli didn't know if the Tang family was involved, but judging from tonight's situation, the Tang family and the Ye family were destined to be at odds.

"Impossible. Xue hasn't made any enemies. Who would want to harm her?"

Mrs. Tang could not accept this statement.

"Alright, I will have this matter thoroughly investigated. Now that Miss Tang and Chu Hao have consummated their marriage, both families should find an auspicious day as soon as possible to hold the wedding."

The Empress's expression was serious, and her tone left no room for argument.

"No, I don't want..."

Tang Xue was immersed in grief, and upon hearing the Empress's words, she instantly broke down in tears.

She looked at Ye Lian, the man she was going to marry was a top scholar with both talent and good looks.

"Now that things have come to this, does Miss Tang intend to spend the rest of her life in seclusion, residing in a Buddhist temple?"

The Empress's tone was unfriendly, and her eyes revealed a hint of annoyance. She didn't want to get involved in anything else, as long as it didn't happen in Yuexin Palace.

"Your Majesty, my daughter was so heartbroken that she spoke without thinking. I will take care of everything for her."

With her daughter having lost her virginity, what other family could she marry into besides the Chu family? Madam Tang had no choice but to agree.

"I will have the wedding arrangements made tomorrow." Old Madam Chu's expression was indifferent, showing no joy.

"This concerns Miss Tang's reputation, so this matter must not be spread. If I were to hear of it, I would not forgive her easily. Do you understand?"

The Empress's gaze swept over the crowd with majesty, and they replied in unison:

"Yes, Queen."

Ye Yaoyao looked at Qin Yunshang, who hadn't said a word the whole time.

The eldest princess is indeed quite composed.

[Host, Qin Yunshang and the Emperor are siblings from the same mother; dealing with her won't be easy.]

I know, take your time.

As the palace banquet drew to a close, everyone returned to the Hall of Union.

Seeing that Ye Yaoyao had not yet returned, Mu Ningyan called her personal maid aside.

"How did you do this? Why doesn't Ye Yaoyao have any Chinese medicine?"

"Princess, I've given you the medicine. I marked the teacup, and Xiao Tao said she didn't make a mistake."

"How come Ye Yaoyao is alright?"

"This slave doesn't know."

"Next time, this time put it in the wine, and add a larger dose."

Mu Ningyan wondered if Ye Yaoyao had been taking medicine since she was a child and might have developed a drug resistance. She gritted her teeth, refusing to believe that she could be fine with such a large dose.

"Princess, Xiao Tao said that Ye Yaoyao doesn't seem to drink." Xiao Tao was the palace maid who poured wine for their table.

"Then just cover up the smell of alcohol, you can manage that, right?" Mu Ningyan glared at the maid impatiently.

"Yes, county lord."

"Don't mess this up this time."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will have someone arrange it immediately."

Back in the inner sanctuary, the final act was a dance, with a small lotus flower model placed on the stage.

It really tests a person's dance skills. Nobody knows which noble lady is dancing, so if she dances well, she'll definitely attract attention.

As the music began, the lotus flower gradually opened, and inside the bud, a girl in pink was curled up, hugging her legs.

As the music slowly rose, the dancer opened her eyes, her gaze hazy, like an elf awakening for the first time, full of curiosity about everything around her.

"So it's Miss Mu, you really do look like a spirit!"

Xin Chuli sat with them, while Ye Yaoyao sat close to Ye Jingyang.

As the rhythm quickened, Mu Youqi leaped into the air, her movements light and graceful, like a lotus breaking free from its constraints and blooming in full glory.

In particular, the joy in her eyes as she broke free from constraints made it seem as if one could truly see a lotus flower shining brightly in the sunlight.

The jewels on her dancing skirt shimmered, complementing her graceful movements, much like glistening dewdrops rolling on a lotus flower.

The final dance performance was indeed eye-catching. Ye Yaoyao picked up her freshly served fruit tea and drank it, her eyes never leaving the stage, and she would occasionally look at the audience's reaction.

Turning to look at his two elder brothers, Ye Li'an looked at them with admiration, while Ye Jingyang stared intently with burning eyes.

[My second brother's eyes were filled with fascination as he watched Sister Mu's dance. Could it be that he likes her?]

The next moment, Ye Jingyang felt several pairs of eyes probing at him, and he couldn't help but feel nervous, his ears turning red.

"Little sister, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Second brother, your ears turned red while watching the dance. Do you like Sister Mu?"

Ye Yaoyao leaned close to his ear and teased him.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Sister Youqi is already engaged," Ye Jingyang retorted, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"It's just an engagement, not a wedding."

Seeing his expression, Ye Yaoyao was certain that he truly liked her, and she was overjoyed.

If Second Brother likes someone, then investigate the young master who is engaged to Sister Mu.

If the other person is of bad character, then snatch her away to be your second sister-in-law.

Ye Yaoyao looked at the table of Mu Youxi's future in-laws, but unfortunately, that young master did not come.

“Sister Yaoyao is right. What does engagement matter? If you really like someone, you should snatch them away before they get married.”

Xin Chuli leaned over and looked at Ye Jingyang earnestly.

"So, Second Brother, you really like Youxi?" Ye Xiyao looked at him with a questioning gaze.

Ye Jingyang felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at like that by the group.

"Is...I'm alright!"

Mu Yunmeng was somewhat surprised to learn that her nephew was interested in her niece, and the couple exchanged a glance.

"Let the young people handle their own affairs," Liu Lingchuan patted his wife's hand.

As the music softened, Mu Youqi slowly squatted down, embracing herself, like a lotus returning to peace in the quiet night.

The entire dance vividly portrayed the growth, blooming, and tranquility of the lotus, captivating everyone present.

A round of enthusiastic applause brought the evening's palace banquet to a close.

"Miss Mu dances so well, no wonder Mu Ningyan pushed her into the water."

Xin Chuli finally understood why Mu Ningyan was jealous of others; without Mu Youxi, her dancing was the best.

Ye Yaoyao looked at Mu Ningyan, whose face was gloomy and almost dripping with tears, and felt much better.

[Haha! If you hadn't bullied Sister Mu, she might not have even thought about going up to dance. Now she's been outdone again.]

"Excellent, what a unique dance! Tonight I have witnessed the talents of several noble ladies. The young people of this generation are truly outstanding. They deserve a reward!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mu Youqi bowed and left.