I made my fortune by livestreaming in ancient times.

In the back garden, sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers. The Empress sat regally in the pavilion, a benevolent smile on her face, her gaze sweeping over the assembled ladies-in-waiting. She wore a magnificent phoenix robe and a golden phoenix crown, her every gesture exuding royal majesty.

"Rise, all of you. Hehe, I have seen all of your paintings from the painting competition a few days ago. I am very pleased with your talents." The Empress's voice was gentle, with praise in her tone. "Especially Luo Luo's painting, the artistic conception is profound, the brushwork is delicate, it is really very interesting."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Luo stepped forward slightly, bowed respectfully, and said softly, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I am not worthy of such kindness from Your Majesty."

It's truly remarkable that the Queen and Princess came up with the idea of ​​holding a competition based on children's drawings.

The other young ladies remained silent, each harboring their own emotions.

Instead of addressing her as Miss Shen, the Empress directly calls her by her childhood name. How much does Her Majesty like Shen Zhuluo?

The Empress's smile deepened, her gaze falling on Zhu Luo, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes: "Luo Luo, there's no need to be modest. Six years have passed in the blink of an eye. Thinking back to those days, your maternal grandmother and mother often visited the palace maids. Especially your maternal grandmother, if it weren't for her saving me back then, I'm afraid I would be dead by now. Seeing you now is like seeing her former glory again."

Zhu Luo was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head and said, "My maternal grandmother has mentioned Your Majesty the Empress many times, saying that you are benevolent and kind, and a model for women all over the world. I am honored to meet Your Majesty today."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and grasped Zhu Luo's hand, her voice tinged with emotion: "Good child, I have always remembered your grandmother's kindness. Seeing you today has finally fulfilled a long-cherished wish."

After saying this, the Empress turned to the lady-in-waiting beside her and ordered, "Go and fetch my pair of jade bracelets and bestow them upon Miss Shen."

The young women gasped in astonishment and looked up.

Guo Caiwei had just been upset by Shen Zhuluo, and hearing that the Empress would bestow rewards upon her only fueled her anger.

Chen Jingxian remained calm and composed, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

The lady-in-waiting responded and left, returning a moment later with a pair of crystal-clear jade bracelets. The Empress personally placed the jade bracelets on Zhu Luo's wrist and said with a smile, "These jade bracelets were my favorite possessions when I was young, and I am giving them to you today."

Zhu Luo was flattered and immediately knelt down to express her gratitude: "Your Majesty, I am very grateful for your kindness and will remember it forever."

Since I cannot refuse the Empress's gift, I will accept it for now.

Besides, she really likes valuable things.

The Empress helped her up, patted the back of her hand, and said gently, "Good child, no need for such formalities. How is life in the capital? If you need anything in the future, please feel free to come to me."

The other women standing nearby looked on with envy.

Shen Nianjiao stood in the crowd, observing coldly, thinking to herself: After all, it's the halo of the former female lead; the empress's pampering is simply without principle.

Today is no ordinary meeting.

It's a selection of candidates for the crown prince!

There are still ten young women waiting to be selected here. How could the Empress focus her attention on Zhu Luo alone?

Are we going to make her pull out her trump card right now?

Just as the Empress and Zhu Luo were having a lively conversation, the female official whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, shall we begin that matter now?"

The Empress then came to her senses and smiled apologetically, "Look at my memory! I was so busy catching up with Luo Luo that I almost forgot about the important matter. In that case, let's begin."

Shen Nianjiao breathed a sigh of relief; they had finally finished warming up.

The lady-in-waiting nodded and then ordered someone to bring over several exquisite wooden boxes, which contained various kinds of medicinal herbs.

"Luo Luo, it is said that Doctor Yao's medical skills are passed down to women but not men. I am curious, after all these years, what achievements have you made? This is a prescription given to me by the Imperial Hospital. Don't be afraid, come and take a look, and tell me what you think."

Zhu Luo was startled.

What kind of talent show is this? Why is the Empress keeping an eye on her?

She gave a slight curtsy and said with an embarrassed smile, "Your Majesty flatters me. I have only learned a little from my grandmother and would not dare to presume to teach you."

What right does she have to judge the medicines prescribed by the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy?

"Sigh, you have the same temper as your mother. You are clearly full of knowledge, but you are just too humble. I'm telling you to take a look, so just take a look."

The Empress's attitude was also firm. Rather than curiosity, Zhu Luo had a strange feeling that perhaps the Empress did not miss her maternal grandmother that much.

Of course, when it comes to medical skills, she also knows some basic knowledge of modern medicine.

But when it comes to medicinal herbs, she's completely clueless.

Fortunately, the mirror is like her encyclopedia, helping her to discover and solve problems.

"Since that's the case, then I'll humbly offer my suggestion." She had no other choice but to agree.

"Good, good." The Queen smiled and looked at her kindly, just like any parent showing off their child to outsiders.

As Zhu Luo walked past Shen Nianjiao, she shrugged, as if to tell her that this was not something she could change with her own will; the Empress insisted on seeing her alone, and there was nothing she could do.

Twenty-four kinds of medicinal herbs were scattered on the table. Zhu Luo examined them carefully, her fingertips brushing against the dried motherwort. Suddenly, she touched a few round red beans among the perilla leaves. Without making a sound, she picked one up with her silver hairpin, and the tip of the hairpin immediately turned an eerie bluish-black.

"Your Majesty, this batch of medicinal herbs has been mixed with acacia seeds." As she turned to kneel, a pearl tassel from her hair brushed against the dish of poison. "This substance resembles a red bean, but half a seed can be fatal."

The Empress's knuckles tightened suddenly on the armrest, the gilded nails scraping against the sandalwood with a grating sound. The palace maid kneeling on the right suddenly trembled like a leaf, collapsing to her knees abruptly, her face deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Drag her out." Before the Empress finished speaking, the palace maid had already collapsed to the ground. At this moment, a commotion broke out around them, and no one dared to utter a sound as they watched the crimson figure being dragged away.

No one knew what had just happened, so naturally no one would dare to ask.

But one thing is certain: Miss Shen is indeed a highly skilled doctor; she could spot the problem with the medicinal herbs in just a few glances.

The Empress smiled again and praised the girl in front of her: "I was right, wasn't I? As expected of the successor of Doctor Yao, your skills are naturally different from ordinary people. Well, it's getting late, let me see your abilities."

The lady-in-waiting announced that the palace selection competition had officially begun.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the back garden, Crown Prince Xiao Jingchi and Qi Xinyue were in a pavilion. Qi Xinyue wore a light pink dress, her features exquisite, her eyes filled with a mixture of shyness and anticipation. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, wore a black brocade robe, his face handsome and his gaze deep.