Holding the script, I want to give up.

"Alright, Your Highness, now that you've finished reading, it's time to go."

After Shangguan Zitong flew down from the treetop and landed smoothly, Huangfu Hongxi slowly descended the tree.

"Alright, let's go back to the manor then."

Huangfu Hongxi instructed the coachman to drive slowly back to the mansion. He felt that there would be too few peaceful days like this in the future, and he always wanted to go slower and slower.

"You can just hold a small Mid-Autumn Festival banquet casually. With the help of people in the palace, you don't need to be too busy."

"So as not to exhaust myself again."

After getting out of the carriage, Huangfu Hongxi spoke to Shangguan Zitong, who was eager to enter the mansion.

"Oh, I see."

"I'm not in a good mood today, but it's not directed at you."

Shangguan Zitong turned around and smiled. After watching her return to Tangxi Pavilion, Huangfu Hongxi went back to his study and began to plot important matters with the people waiting for him in the room.

The following day, Shangguan Zitong, dressed in formal attire, entered the palace with Huangfu Hongxi to meet the emperor. After paying her respects to the Northern Empress, she went to the inner palace to find her.

"Your Highness, how do you plan to hold this year's banquet?"

The Empress and Shangguan Zitong strolled through the garden together, and she tore off the petals of the yellow chrysanthemum in her hand one by one.

"Your Majesty, I intend to keep everything simple. What do you think?"

Shangguan Zitong was incredibly lazy; she preferred things to be as simple as possible. She felt that all that talk about being virtuous, kind, and intelligent was irrelevant to her.

"How about this, let the master of ceremonies in the palace handle the banquet in your name."

"You only need to supervise the work."

"It's not that your mother doesn't trust you, it's just that she's worried your body can't handle it."

"Your mother has heard about what happened to you, so please don't worry about it."

The Empress Dowager discarded the flowers in her hand, took Shangguan Zitong's hand, and patted it gently.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will respectfully comply."

This thrilled Shangguan Zitong. Such a wonderful thing! But why did she have this inexplicable feeling? Strange, she must be mistaken. She shook her head.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Are you feeling unwell?"

When the Queen saw her shake her head, she assumed that she had changed her mind.

"No, Mother, I just feel a little dizzy and wanted to shake my head to relieve it."

Shangguan Zitong could not say that he felt the matter was inappropriate and needed to be discussed.

"I see. I've put you in a difficult position. You and your sister are practically identical."

“You are all too kind to treat everyone with kindness.”

"Even though your health is poor and you cannot have children, you cannot let your concubine become arrogant."

"This flower suits you well."

The Queen picked a red camellia and placed it in her hair. Shangguan Zitong touched it and smiled happily.

"Mother, since I am unable to bear children, why should the Crown Prince be kept in confinement?"

"He is the future crown prince, and it is impossible for him to only favor his son and not share his favor with everyone."

"If necessary, Your Highness will also take more concubines to ensure the continuation of your lineage..."

Shangguan Zitong felt that the person in front of her seemed kind, but in fact she was a cunning person. After all, someone who could sit on the throne of empress and enjoy such favor was no pushover.

"Hmm, it's rare to see someone think that way."

"I'm tired. Why don't you stroll around the garden and enjoy the flowers by yourself?"

Bei Hou let go of her hand.

"Yes."

Shangguan Zitong bowed, and the Empress left. She then strolled alone through the vast garden.

"You're the rumored sickly Crown Princess?"

Huangfu Junwen suddenly appeared behind Shangguan Zitong, startling her as she was admiring the flowers.

"you are?"

Shangguan Zitong saw this person who looked somewhat similar to Huangfu Hongxi and said.

"I am the Crown Prince's elder sister, that is, the eldest princess. By right, you should bow to me."

"Ah."

Shangguan Zitong performed a polite bow.

"The person you married, Crown Princess, was me, but you've been wearing a veil and didn't know. This is also the first time I've seen you."

Huangfu Junwen was a little curious about how Shangguan Zitong would react.

"Oh fine."

"Does the princess have anything else to attend to? I have to go now."

After speaking, Shangguan Zitong left. So what if it was their first meeting? How many good people were there in this palace? She didn't want to be foolishly used as a pawn.

“I can help you move your sister’s grave to Nanning.”

Seeing that Shangguan Zitong wasn't fooled, Huangfu Junwen realized she wasn't as naive as she'd thought. So she jumped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Thank you for your kindness, Princess. I will do my best to ensure that my sister returns home in glory."

After speaking, Shangguan Zitong took several steps back, bowed, and hurriedly left, leaving Huangfu Junwen bewildered in the wind.

These past few days, Shangguan Zitong has essentially been acting as a supervisor. The emcees have been running smoothly and efficiently, requiring no direction from her. Her role is mainly limited to minor aspects like setting up stage effects such as dry ice or spotlights.

Song Yao rested peacefully at home to prepare for her pregnancy, while Huangfu Hongxi's plan had already begun to be implemented, and everything awaited the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses and toasts, a graceful dancer on stage portrayed the illusion of Chang'e flying to the moon, appearing like a celestial being descending to earth, dreamlike and enchanting. Everyone watched with mesmerized eyes.

"Looks like I'm not bad at being the behind-the-scenes dance conductor."

Looking at everyone's reactions, Shangguan Zitong happily inspected her work.

"Your Highness, His Highness has replaced your wine with tea. Please have some tea."

A eunuch respectfully served her tea.

"Yes, thank you, you've worked hard."

Shangguan Zitong took the tea from the eunuch, rewarded him with a silver leaf, and gestured to Huangfu Hongxi.

Shangguan Zitong, who was seated alone, happened to be opposite Huangfu Hongxi. Since he needed to take care of Song Yao, he sat down with her. Huangfu Junwen found this scene extremely amusing, while everyone else acted as if they were mute or blind, ignoring the phenomenon.

Everyone understood Huangfu Hongxi's attitude perfectly well. They felt that the title of Crown Princess was merely empty words; the real Crown Princess... otherwise, why would she only bestow silver leaves instead of gold leaves? It seemed her life wasn't very good. They began to feel sorry for her again.

"Leqi, they're crickets pecking at me from behind again."

When Shangguan Zitong saw that everyone was looking at her with pity, she wondered if they had some serious illness.

"Your Highness, what is the meaning of the cricket?"

Leqi asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, it probably means they're saying bad things about me."

Shangguan Zitong forgot that Leqi couldn't understand.

"Your Highness is quite amusing."

Leqi chuckled softly.

"...Hot hot hot hot."

Shangguan Zitong had just picked up her teacup and taken a sip when she was scalded by the hot tea, which spilled onto the hem of her skirt.

"Damn it, what's this teacup made of? Is it a thermos? It's not hot to the touch, and there's no steam coming out, so why is it so hot?" Shangguan Zitong screamed inwardly. She felt like a clown trying to get attention.

Leqi hurriedly used a handkerchief to wipe away the water stains, trying to cover it up, but this little action was still discovered.

"What's wrong with the Crown Princess?"

The Queen asked in a soft, gentle voice.

"Your Majesty, I accidentally spilled tea on my clothes because my hand was shaking while drinking it."

Shangguan Zitong quickly bowed towards the north.

"Then go to Cining Palace to change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Someone, take the Crown Princess to Cining Palace and have her clothes prepared and ready for her."

After the Empress finished speaking, a maidservant bowed to her and walked towards Shangguan Zitong.

"Your Highness, please come with me."

The old woman said to her.

"Well, let's go."

Shangguan Zitong stood up, but Le Qi quietly grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving.

"What are you doing? Stay where you are."

The old woman opened Leqi's hand and said.

"It's alright, Leqi. I'll just change my clothes and be right back. You don't need to worry."

Shangguan Zitong turned around and comforted her. Le Qi didn't say anything, just watched helplessly as the Crown Princess was taken away by the old woman.

When no one was around, Leqi secretly went to find Yibai.

Outside the main gate of the palace, Yi Bai stood guard, idly swatting away mosquitoes with his internal energy.

"Yibai, you should take the Crown Princess and run away as far as you can, and never come back."

Leqi rushed to the gate and saw Yibai as if he were her savior, completely ignoring the sweat on her face.

"What happened?"

Yi Bai drew his sword and ran towards the palace.

"Wait, don't rush."

Leqi grabbed Yibai.

"The Crown Princess is in Cining Palace."

You must go quietly.

"When I went to the study to deliver some snacks a few days ago, I overheard His Highness plotting to usurp the throne and trying to pin all the blame on the Crown Princess."

"Go quickly."

After giving her instructions, Le Qi gave Yi Bai a push, urging him to hurry up and not let her delay him. Yi Bai used his internal energy to leap onto the palace wall and flew towards Cining Palace. Le Qi, on the other hand, tried to sneak back to her seat, but was taken away by the Crown Prince's men halfway there.

......