A short night is hard to please! A stunningly handsome prince dotes on her exclusively.

Liufang Pavilion in the Imperial Garden

"Your Majesty, this is a newly presented pre-Qingming Longjing tea. The water used to brew this tea was specially collected by me last year during the White Dew season. I had people collect the morning dew from early autumn and stored it until the beginning of spring and summer. Your Majesty, would you like to try it and see if it is delicious?"

Before Xin Moyan even reached her, she heard a very kind yet dignified female voice.

"Indeed excellent! Of all the concubines in the palace, Consort Ning is the most filial. She not only serves me morning and night, but also accompanies me to the Fanhe Hall to burn incense and chant sutras on the first and fifteenth of each month. It is my son's good fortune to have such a considerate concubine as you."

"It is said that the Empress Dowager has taught the six palaces very well. Who in the palace does not feel grateful and praise the Empress Dowager? I am merely following the example of the Empress Dowager's majesty and kindness..."

"Your Majesty, Consort Ning puts His Majesty first in everything. Even at night, she often embroiders and sews blessing sachets for His Majesty..."

Xin Moyan listened as she walked. These ancient people really loved nitpicking over words. Was she destined to be like them for the rest of her life? She longed to spout nonsense without restraint!

Before they knew it, the two of them had arrived at the pavilion. She was about to go up, but Cailian grabbed her sleeve and hurriedly explained, "Miss, you mustn't! You've forgotten what Cailian told you. To see His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, you must first have someone announce your arrival. You can't just rush up like this."

"Oh, I almost forgot, let someone inform them!"

Upon hearing this, Xin Moyan's face immediately showed a hint of annoyance. Cailian had mentioned too many palace etiquette rules, and she had forgotten about this one for a moment.

Then, Cailian walked to the side and whispered something to an old man. The old man looked at Xin Moyan suspiciously, then suddenly his eyes were filled with amazement and disbelief. He hurriedly turned around and went into the pavilion.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Princess Danhua is requesting an audience outside the pavilion."

Upon hearing this, the woman in the center of the pavilion immediately sat up straight, the worry between her brows vanishing instantly. She quickly said, "Yan'er has arrived? What else do you need to see? Summon her quickly!"

Xin Moyan was quickly ushered into the pavilion, where she saw a large crowd of people all around, while only three women sat at a round table in the center…

She subconsciously looked towards the center and saw a woman in her early forties with a noble air about her. Her face was fair and gentle yet stern. She wore a purple gown and her hair was neatly styled with very few jewels or ornaments, only adorned with a single gold hairpin with a phoenix tail. The simple attire made her appear even more elegant, dignified, and graceful.

Xin Moyan thought to herself, with such a noble temperament and such a gentle and kind look in her eyes, she must be her aunt, the Empress Dowager!

At this moment, everyone in the pavilion was also carefully observing Xin Moyan. It was the first time they had seen such a beautiful woman. The two concubines beside the Empress Dowager had a look of amazement mixed with jealousy in their eyes. The first to come back to her senses was the Empress Dowager Xin Mingwan. She quickly recognized her as her niece, and her eyes immediately lit up with joy. She quickly raised her hand to invite her to come forward.

Xin Moyan only caught a glimpse of the Empress Dowager in the center; she hadn't had time to examine the other two closely. Sensing Cailian subtly tugging at her sleeve, she quickly composed herself, stepped forward, lowered her brows, and curtsied slightly.

"Your humble servant, Xin Moyan, pays her respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, and wishes Your Majesty good health and longevity!"

This was taught to her by Cailian. Unless it was a particularly important occasion, when meeting the emperor and empress dowager, one only needed to give a slight bow, not to kneel and perform a full curtsy. That would be more appropriate; she certainly didn't want to kneel before anyone else!

Upon hearing such a polite and dignified greeting, the Empress Dowager and the two concubines beside her were both taken aback. Princess Danhua had not only changed her appearance today, but also her personality.

The Empress Dowager immediately realized what was happening, and happily beckoned to Xin Moyan, saying with a smile, "Yan'er, come here quickly, let your aunt take a look!"

Xin Moyan straightened up and slowly walked to the Empress Dowager's side, a faint smile on her face. After all, one can't hit a smiling face!

"Your Majesty, I know that Your Majesty has been troubled by my affairs recently. Now that I have just recovered, I have come to pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was not pleased at all; instead, her eyes were filled with confusion and worry. She grabbed Xin Moyan's hand and asked anxiously, "Yan'er, are you feeling unwell? Before, Yan'er only called me 'Aunt,' so why are you being so distant now? Today, seeing Yan'er so well-dressed, graceful, and eloquent, I originally thought that Yan'er had resolved her thoughts and changed her mindset. I never expected that she would start arguing with me about status..."

The Empress Dowager became more and more distressed as she spoke. Yan'er had been by her side since she was a child, but now, because of this marriage, the two of them, aunt and niece, were growing increasingly distant. How could she face her brother and sister-in-law in heaven?

Xin Moyan's face stiffened. She looked up and saw that the Empress Dowager's eyes were filled with tears, and her face was filled with sorrow and grief. Startled, she quickly explained, "It was my fault, Aunt. Please don't be sad. After this incident of falling into the water, I have completely understood. I was just too concerned about etiquette and hierarchy. I hope you will forgive me!"

This... Cailian didn't tell her that she used to call the Empress Dowager "aunt," so she used to call the late Emperor "uncle."

That doesn't seem right! There was a TV series where the female lead called the emperor her uncle, which displeased the emperor!

However, this is a fictional dynasty, so it's unclear whether the hierarchy will be very strict.

Seeing that Xin Moyan addressed her as "aunt" repeatedly and explained with great sincerity, the Empress Dowager's expression gradually softened, and she pulled Xin Moyan's hand to sit down.

"Yan'er! I was relieved to hear that you had woken up a few days ago. I was planning to have Ling'er take you to the palace after you had fully recovered. I didn't expect you to come to see me today. How are you feeling now?"

From the Empress Dowager's tone and eyes, it was easy to see that she genuinely cared for and protected her niece. Xin Moyan was momentarily reminded of her mother in modern times, but she did not forget the important matter of the day and reacted quickly.

She smiled sweetly and said very obediently, "Aunt, Yan'er has fully recovered now. I'm sorry to have troubled you these past few days."

"That's good! That's good! My aunt is always heartbroken when she thinks about how Yan'er was unconscious that day!"

The Empress Dowager reached out her right hand and gently touched her cheek, her eyes full of kindness and affection. She never expected that Yan'er's appearance would become more and more outstanding.

Perhaps it was the power of kinship that the original owner possessed, but Xin Moyan also developed a lot of goodwill towards the Empress Dowager in front of her.

As she was thinking, a soft, feminine voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"I haven't seen the princess for several days; she seems somewhat different today!"