A lucky little peasant girl is reborn and brings prosperity to her entire family.

After learning that she was to be granted the title of princess, Rolandin secretly cried.

It wasn't that she coveted the title of princess.

She learned from this how much the Empress Dowager truly cared for her.

The Empress Dowager did not treat her differently because she was not Huiyi's true bloodline.

The anxiety and sleepless nights that had been buried deep in my heart all seemed to vanish in an instant.

Luo Lanting secretly vowed that she would be filial to the Empress Dowager for the rest of her life and would never let her down.

……

After leaving Cishou Palace, Emperor Zhengxuan turned around and went straight to Empress Wu's Fengluan Palace.

Empress Wu was in a very good mood. When Emperor Zhengxuan arrived, she was humming a traditional opera tune and bending down to insert a few plum blossoms into a long-necked white porcelain vase.

Emperor Zhengxuan did not have anyone announce his arrival. He stood quietly behind Empress Wu, watching her hum a little tune as she arranged flowers.

Until the Fifth Princess Tongjun happily skipped in from outside, saw Emperor Zhengxuan standing there, and rushed into his arms with a smile: "Father, what are you doing standing there?"

Emperor Zhengxuan laughed and picked up Tongjun in his arms: "I plan to stand behind your mother and give her a surprise when she turns around."

Empress Wu only realized that Emperor Zhengxuan had been standing behind her when she heard the commotion. She glared at Emperor Zhengxuan speechlessly, but because she was in such a good mood, she didn't hold it against him and instead teased Tongjun a few times with a smile.

Tong Jun excitedly told Emperor Zhengxuan and Empress Wu that she had picked out many beautiful pebbles on the path in the Imperial Garden that day, and had them washed. Once they were washed, she would pick out the prettiest ones and give them to Emperor Zhengxuan, Empress Wu, and her Crown Prince brother.

Emperor Zhengxuan's eyes were full of pity: "Why does my fifth princess still have to go to the path to pick pebbles? If Tongjun likes them, I will have the Imperial Household Department send you many, many pebbles."

"Father doesn't understand!" Tongjun sniffed, then proudly tossed her head. "I picked it myself, it's different from the ones outside!"

"Good, good, good, it's different. Tongjun is absolutely right!" Empress Wu smiled and coaxed Tongjun, hugging her and looking at her slightly red and swollen fingertips from picking at the stones. Not minding the dirt, she gently wiped the dirt off Tongjun's fingers with a handkerchief.

Emperor Zhengxuan watched from the side, his heart softening considerably.

After Empress Wu finished wiping Tongjun's hands, Tongjun became hungry, so Empress Wu had a maid lead her downstairs to have some snacks.

After Tongjun left, Empress Wu smiled and looked at Emperor Zhengxuan: "Your Majesty, is there something you need?"

Emperor Zhengxuan coughed and said, "I heard that you met Zhao Annian's niece today?"

He couldn't hide his curiosity. "Abei has always been aloof, so why did he make a special trip to Cishou Palace?"

Empress Wu took a sip of tea, fully piquing Emperor Zhengxuan's curiosity, before smiling and slowly saying, "She's a very nice young lady. You wouldn't guess she's from the countryside. Most importantly, your son likes her."

Emperor Zhengxuan breathed a sigh of relief: "You really like it?"

Empress Wu simply smiled and said, "Abei is, after all, a piece of my flesh. I can tell whether he likes that girl or not just by looking at him."

Emperor Zhengxuan felt a sense of relief, his heart filled with a mixture of relief and bitterness: "...Abei sometimes doesn't seem to care much about his father."

Empress Wu looked at Emperor Zhengxuan with amusement: "You're so old, you wouldn't still be jealous of a young girl, would you?"

Emperor Zhengxuan blushed and sat up straight: "...That's not true at all."

He quickly changed the subject, "Since the Crown Prince likes Zhao Annian's niece, in my opinion, the marriage can be arranged."

Emperor Zhengxuan pondered for a moment and then said, "Since she is favored by the Crown Prince and is Zhao Annian's niece, although the rank of Liangyuan is not low, it is still worth promoting her to Liangdi..."

Empress Wu glanced at Emperor Zhengxuan with a half-smile: "Consort? Younger sister?"

Emperor Zhengxuan felt uneasy at Empress Wu's smile. He suddenly realized something and asked in surprise, "Wait, Empress, are you saying that the Crown Prince wants Zhao Annian's niece to be his Crown Princess?"

Empress Wu smiled and said, "Why not? Your son was so focused on state affairs before that he wouldn't even take a bed warmer. Didn't you know what kind of person your son was back then?"

Emperor Zhengxuan frowned: "But, that little girl is just Zhao Annian's niece..."

Empress Wu rolled her eyes directly at him, her beauty undiminished by the passage of time.

"The daughters of the Left and Right Prime Ministers are certainly of high status. If you were to make them Crown Princesses, just wait and see if your son would resist you," Empress Wu sneered.

Emperor Zhengxuan's face darkened: "I am his father!"

Empress Wu sneered without any politeness: "Yes, His Majesty is his most beloved father, so His Majesty doesn't need to care who your eldest son likes. Just use your paternal and imperial authority to suppress him."

Emperor Zhengxuan heard the sarcasm in Empress Wu's voice and felt a little embarrassed. He reached out to take the empress's hand and said, "Empress, that's not what I meant. It's just that the position of Crown Princess is of great importance... Besides, it's not that I'm preventing him from marrying Zhao Annian's niece. It wouldn't be a disservice to her to be a concubine second only to the Crown Princess."

Empress Wu didn't get angry with Emperor Zhengxuan. She said quietly, "Your Majesty is right. Both thunder and rain are imperial favors, but I, as his mother, know Abei's temperament well. He is unwilling to wrong his beloved girl; otherwise, he would rather not marry her."

Empress Wu raised her eyes and looked at Emperor Zhengxuan with a deep gaze, "Back then, wasn't Your Majesty the same to me?"

Emperor Zhengxuan concluded his remarks.

Back when he was the Crown Prince, he went through a lot of trouble to choose his Crown Princess, Empress Wu.

Finally, Emperor Zhengxuan conceded slightly: "...Then I'll think about it some more, I'll think about it some more."

Empress Wu smiled slightly, captivating all who beheld her: "Very well, Your Majesty's kindness will surely be appreciated by Abei."

Emperor Zhengxuan let out a long sigh: "...Children are all debts."

Before he could finish speaking, he remembered the well-behaved and sensible Tongjun, who was also sick, and immediately changed his words, "Only our Tongjun is different. She is not a debt, she is a little lucky star given to us by God."

Empress Wu chuckled.

……

Xin Yibei escorted Song Yanyan all the way back to the alley where the Song family lived.

When Song Yanyan got out of the carriage, the two of them didn't say anything in the carriage, but her face was still a little red.

"Your Highness, I'll be going now?" Song Yanyan said goodbye to Xin Yibei. Xin Yibei nodded and said, "Take care, Miss Song."

He paused, then added, "If anything happens in the future, just go directly to the East Palace."

Song Yanyan felt inexplicably happy.

I was so excited that I almost missed a step when I got off the bus.

But Xin Yibei reacted quickly and grabbed Song Yanyan.