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

The palace has been unusually quiet these past few days.

As if nothing had happened, Consort Hui actually held a banquet, drinking tea and chatting with the ladies of the officials, which showed her high prestige.

It should be noted that in the past, those who accompanied Emperor Zhao to the summer palace for summer retreat were usually Consort Ning and the Empress. One of them held a high position and was unapproachable, while the other was graceful and noble, a model for the nation. Both were people that ordinary officials' women could not get close to.

Now that Consort Hui is so approachable, she has won praise from everyone. People inside and outside the palace say that she is gentle and virtuous, and has the demeanor of an empress.

Of course, this was all done intentionally by Consort Hui. Since Emperor Zhao had not deposed her, she wanted to consolidate her power and therefore needed to win the hearts of the people. As a result, people spoke up for her.

However, she was still a bit too hasty, mostly because of the matter of the eldest prince, which made her vaguely uneasy.

If a person has never possessed something in the first place, they will not pursue it too much. But once they have it, they will become greedy and want more.

Consort Hui is in this situation now. She knows that there are risks involved in doing this, but if she doesn't do it, she may end up with nothing.

Fang Xiaoran didn't pay much attention to Consort Hui's matter; she needed to prepare in advance to deal with Prince Duan's treacherous people.

She had previously secretly competed with Liu Ruyan's master, and even released Gu worms, but there has been no news of her so far, which means she must have been discovered.

With someone feeding on Gu poison present, this time it won't just be simple poisoning; Gu poison will definitely be added. Fang Xiaoran already has a cure for Gu poison.

She didn't want to use the Gu Spirit Secret Technique to deplete herself; the safest solution right now was to directly break the Gu poison.

Once the poisoning problem is solved, the rest depends entirely on the Crown Prince's abilities. If he truly has the potential to be an emperor, he will be able to seize the opportunity. If he is ultimately incapable of being helped, even if she cures the poison, he will have little chance of winning this struggle for the throne.

Ultimately, her goal has always been clear: she must never let Zhao Jin have his way.

She had already secretly made arrangements for this.

In the past few days, under the guise of enjoying flowers and strolling in the garden, she and her advisor, who was skilled in Qimen Dunjia, repeatedly deduced and finally set up an array around the palace. At the core of the array was a carefully prepared antidote for the poison, which she had prepared. Once the poisoned person appeared, the array could trap him and at the same time use the array to activate the medicinal properties to completely neutralize the poison in his body.

Even if those poisoned people have already lost their minds, they will lose their aggression once the poison is neutralized. At that time, this disaster will naturally be resolved.

The palace was exceptionally cool at night, and even in the sweltering summer, it didn't feel hot.

Fang Xiaoran would come to check every few days. Although she was not good at formations, she could still see the clues with her years of experience. If there were any places that needed to be modified, she could also have people deal with them in time.

A crescent moon hung high in the sky, dark clouds gathered, and a cold wind began to rise, rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees.

Candlelight flickered in the long corridor, casting dappled moonlight, and a figure could be vaguely seen standing there.

From a distance, the person looked up at the moon, their back view appearing somewhat lonely.

At this hour, who is here admiring the moon?

Fang Xiaoran approached curiously, when suddenly a gust of wind blew, scattering the crabapple blossoms like rain, dazzling the eyes. When the wind subsided, she brushed the fallen petals off her shoulder and looked again; the person had already turned around.

The moonlight poured down, outlining a handsome and dignified face.

Fang Xiaoran recognized the face. She paused for a moment, then immediately bowed her head and knelt down, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty."

She never expected to meet Emperor Zhao here.

She had no liking for this man. In her previous life, she only thought of him as a suspicious, dignified, and solemn emperor. But after learning about his past with her mother, she felt that he was a complete heartless man.

Although her mother had long since let go of the past and no longer mentioned their relationship, she knew that the reason her mother was hunted down to death was, frankly, inextricably linked to him.

It would be a lie to say that I have no hatred for this person.

However, she couldn't easily reveal that hatred.

Emperor Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, the hem of his black dragon-patterned robe swaying slightly in front of her eyes: "Rise, it is only you and me here, no need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fang Xiaoran slowly stood up, her eyes glancing lightly at Emperor Zhao. Although she wondered why he was there, she did not ask.

"What brings you here so late at night?" Emperor Zhao's voice carried a hint of authority, revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it inexplicably exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

Fang Xiaoran lowered her eyes and replied softly, "This humble woman couldn't sleep, so I came out for a stroll. I didn't expect to disturb Your Majesty."

She stood calmly, her fingertips slightly curled inside her sleeves. The night wind swept through the corridor, stirring the stray strands of hair at her temples and casting dappled shadows on her pale cheeks.

"Can't sleep?" Emperor Zhao suddenly chuckled, but the laughter was colder than the night dew. "The imperial palace is not like Yancheng. The night is cold and foggy, and there may be heavy rain coming. Go back and rest early."

Fang Xiaoran was taken aback by these words, but she quickly bowed and said, "Yes, this subject will take her leave now."

After Emperor Zhao nodded, she turned to leave impatiently, but then she faintly heard a soft sigh from behind her.

"A garden full of spring colors cannot compare to that one branch of crabapple blossoms glistening with rain..."

What does this mean?

Fang Xiaoran's eyes flickered slightly, vaguely sensing that he was implying something, but she did not stop, instead quickening her pace.

The past is gone. No matter how reluctant the living are to let go, it's all just a matter of not cherishing what they had.

Watching her departing figure, Emperor Zhao raised his head and looked at the crabapple tree. A rare tenderness appeared in his eyes, but in the end, he felt nothing, and all his emotions were hidden deep in his heart.

A sudden night rainstorm arrived before Fang Xiaoran had even returned to the villa. The rain began to fall, and she took a step and flew through the air, quickly passing over the waterside pavilion.

The rain pattered down, as dense as drumbeats, and occasionally a cold wind blew by, making the sweltering heat feel somewhat chilly.

Perhaps the rain came too suddenly, as many people sought shelter along the way, and some even ran wildly in the rain. Among these hurried crowds, she spotted a figure holding a rouge-colored umbrella, strolling leisurely in the rain.

While everyone else was trying to find shelter from the rain, he walked slowly, as if he were admiring the scenery.

The rain fell like a veil, blurring the world into a hazy mist.

Fang Xiaoran lightly touched the water's surface with her toes. As her green dress swept through the rain curtain, the rouge color was like a drop of blood falling onto rice paper, particularly striking in the gray rain scene.

The person holding the umbrella walked with ease, as if they were not walking in a downpour, but rather strolling leisurely on a spring afternoon.

In the instant the umbrella was slightly raised, she saw the face beneath it.

Sure enough it was him.

She remained calm and casually slipped under the umbrella, looking up with rain-drenched eyes. "Young Master Gu, you have quite the spirits, coming to enjoy the scenery in such heavy rain."

Fang Xiaoran was clearly teasing, but Gu Yuqing tilted his head slightly after hearing this, a faint smile hidden in the corner of his eyes, "I've heard that the weather in this area is unpredictable and often gets rained on suddenly. I was afraid that Madam would get wet and cold if she didn't bring an umbrella, so I came here to bring her one."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran glanced at him suspiciously. Seeing that his sleeves were empty and his right hand was empty, how could he claim to be there to deliver an umbrella?

"With just one umbrella, doesn't Young Master Gu feel it's a bit crowded?" Fang Xiaoran asked suspiciously.

Gu Yuqing leaned closer with a smile, "I think it's acceptable."

As he spoke, his hand was already around her waist. Fang Xiaoran narrowed her eyes slightly, then immediately grabbed his waist with her other hand, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and lifted him into the air. In a few leaps, they flew over the lakeside pavilion.

"I think this is better."