After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

With the Empress Dowager's birthday approaching, the Empress was implicated by the Second Prince and temporarily stripped of her Phoenix Seal. Even the preparations for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration were handed over to Consort Hui.

Originally, with the Empress losing power, Consort Ning should have taken charge of the situation, but unfortunately, she fell seriously ill and was unable to intervene, which allowed Consort Hui to reap the benefits.

Of course, Consort Ning didn't care whether Consort Hui could rise to the top. A consort who didn't even have any children was destined to make no waves in the struggle for the crown prince.

Emperor Zhao attached great importance to the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, and Prince Duan was busy preparing, hoping to give the Empress Dowager a surprise. The palace was peaceful and harmonious. Even the incident involving the Second Prince was temporarily suppressed so as not to upset the old lady.

Soon, the Empress Dowager's birthday arrived.

As the morning breeze began to blow through, the vermilion palace gates opened one after another, and eunuchs, carrying gilded lanterns, lined up in a long queue along the white marble passageway.

The announcement from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs pierced the silence.

“The heads of each palace shall wait outside the Cining Palace at the exact hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

As the appointed time approached, officials paid homage in a lively yet solemn atmosphere. The Empress Dowager sat before a gold-lacquered screen with nine phoenixes, dressed in a crimson court robe adorned with phoenixes, and a gold headband inlaid with pearls adorned her forehead. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes concealed an unfathomable majesty.

When ladies of the third rank or above, dressed in ceremonial robes, entered the palace, Consort Hui personally assisted the Empress Dowager to move to Wanchun Pavilion.

At this moment, Fang Xiaoran and Gu Yuqing leisurely boarded a carriage and headed towards the imperial city.

One of them had a title but no real power, and the other was just a leisurely young nobleman. Naturally, they didn't need to enter the palace early to pay their respects, so they leisurely entered the palace around noon.

Along the way, they encountered many children of princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials, who were also riding in carriages to the palace to offer birthday greetings.

Looking at the procession and the valuable gifts prepared, Fang Xiaoran glanced at Gu Yuqing beside her and asked curiously, "Have you prepared a gift?"

Didn't this person say before that he was going to the Ghost Market to choose a congratulatory gift? She was quite curious about what kind of treasure Gu Yuqing would pick out to present to the Empress Dowager.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuqing's eyes were light, and he smiled faintly, "Didn't you already prepare a birthday gift? We are husband and wife, how can we celebrate birthdays separately?"

Fang Xiaoran couldn't help but roll her eyes. "The second young master of a noble family only gives a few paintings and calligraphy? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

“Since it was chosen by Madam, it is naturally the best. If they find it unpalatable, it is only because they lack taste.” Gu Yuqing’s beautiful peach blossom eyes held an eye-catching smile, like a spring breeze in March, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers.

A riot of colors dazzles the eye, truly distracting one's attention.

Fang Xiaoran turned her head away, her lips twitching slightly, "Since you don't care, then I have nothing more to say."

It's just a formality, there's really no need to make a big fuss about it.

Soon the carriage arrived at the imperial city, and led by palace servants, they made their way to the Wanchun Pavilion.

The place was packed with people early on, with noble ladies in splendid attire and gentlemen chatting and laughing while holding fans, creating a scene of prosperity and grandeur.

Among them were several figures that Fang Xiaoran recognized. The Ninth Princess and Princess Changping were chatting and laughing in hushed tones. When they saw the couple approaching, they nodded slightly to them. Fang Xiaoran smiled back and then walked towards the Empress Dowager to offer her birthday greetings together with Gu Yuqing.

After presenting birthday gifts, the two were led to their seats by palace attendants.

Their gifts were unremarkable and paled in comparison to the many rare and precious items.

It did catch the Empress Dowager's eye. Having seen countless rare treasures and priceless items, she found the elegant and beautiful calligraphy and paintings by famous people quite appealing.

Behind them were princes, ministers, noble ladies, and dignitaries, whose gifts were all astonishing, forming a stark contrast to the gifts that Fang Xiaoran and her group had just presented.

It seemed as if he deliberately appeared behind them, just to make the Empress Dowager smile.

After everyone was seated, the musicians played cheerful music, and the dancers began to dance gracefully.

Emperor Zhao has not yet appeared, but Prince Duan has been busy serving the Empress Dowager, taking meticulous care of her.

Amidst the singing and dancing, the crowd's minds were not on appreciating the music.

Their gazes kept drifting towards the palace gate, each person secretly wondering why Emperor Zhao had not yet appeared.

Prince Duan, dressed in magnificent robes and with a respectful expression, served the Empress Dowager attentively, every movement revealing his deep concern.

He personally poured a cup of fragrant wine for the Empress Dowager and said softly, "Mother, this is a fine wine that I specially ordered to be transported from Lingnan. It has a mellow taste and is most suitable for you to enjoy on this joyous occasion."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, a faint smile on her face. She picked up her wine cup, took a small sip, and praised, "Not bad, that shows thoughtfulness."

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the hall: "Grand Eunuch Li has arrived!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Eunuch Li walking quickly into the hall with small, quick steps.

"This old servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and wishes Your Majesty boundless happiness and longevity."

Eunuch Li first performed a deep bow, and then said, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and the border war has broken out again, so he really cannot spare the time. Therefore, he asked this old servant to send this congratulatory gift first. Once Your Majesty has finished dealing with state affairs, he will definitely come as soon as possible to congratulate you on your birthday."

After saying that, he gestured to the eunuch behind him to open the gift boxes one by one.

The first brocade box contained a portrait of the Empress Dowager, meticulously painted by a court painter. In the painting, the Empress Dowager is dressed in magnificent robes, with a kind and lifelike expression.

The second gift box contained a precious South China Sea luminous pearl, about the size of a fist, emitting a pale blue light that instantly illuminated the hall, making it feel as if one were in the depths of a dark sea.

Next came exotic spices from distant lands, rare ancient books and manuscripts... Each gift was priceless, demonstrating Emperor Zhao's respect for the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at the gifts with satisfaction in her eyes and sighed softly, saying, "The Emperor is busy with affairs of state, yet he still remembers my birthday. He must have put a lot of thought into these gifts."

Prince Duan looked at the congratulatory gifts sent by the emperor, a complex look flashing across his eyes, before he smiled again and said, "Your Majesty's filial piety towards the Empress Dowager is evident to heaven and earth. The affairs of the court are complicated, and Your Majesty's arrangement is truly well thought out."

Everyone present echoed this sentiment, praising the emperor's filial piety.

Only the Empress Dowager felt uneasy. She knew that political affairs were of utmost importance, but this was used as an excuse, leaving her with no way to refute it.

The birthday banquet continued, but the Empress Dowager was not in the mood for anything and drank alone. Prince Duan quickly stepped forward to inquire about her well-being and occasionally told her some jokes to cheer her up, but the Empress Dowager still did not smile, and even the people who came to offer their birthday wishes dared not say a word.

"This dance music is not good; we should change it to something more festive and lively." Unable to please the Empress Dowager, Prince Duan immediately turned his anger towards the dancing girls.

Upon hearing this, the dancers immediately stopped their movements, knelt down on the ground, and were filled with fear and trepidation, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.

"Then let's change the tune." Consort Hui immediately stood up and gave a wink to Eunuch Ma, who was in charge of the matter. Eunuch Ma understood and quickly took the dancer away. Not long after the area was cleared, a flute melody entered the air, as ethereal as fairy music. Even the Empress Dowager, who was feeling melancholy, was still drawn to the flute music.

Then, a white mist swept in, enveloping the hall. A light fragrance wafted in the air, and the sound of a flute filled the air. With the mist swirling around, it felt like ascending to a fairyland.

Upon seeing this, Fang Xiaoran's eyes darkened, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the wine glass in her hand.

Even the guards instinctively stepped forward to protect the Empress Dowager behind them, and Prince Duan's expression changed drastically, fearing that something unexpected might happen.

However, what they expected did not happen. As the clouds and mist dissipated, a huge lotus flower appeared in the center of the hall. The flower was closed, looking like it was about to bloom. Through the gaps in the petals, the graceful figure of a woman could be vaguely seen.

At the same time, Consort Ning arrived quietly. Her timing was off, as everyone's attention was focused on the flower petals. Just as the flower was about to bloom, a woman in a pink dress came into view.

The moment Consort Ning saw that face, her expression turned extremely ugly.

Why is it her?