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

Unlike the attire of other noblewomen of official rank, when Song Yanyan and her daughter Tian Denghua appeared on the long palace path, some noblewomen who were slowly walking in noticed their gazes falling on the mother and daughter.

Song Yanyan had expected this to happen. She held Tian Denghua's hand tightly to reassure her not to be too nervous.

Tian Denghua tried not to be nervous, but it was her first time entering the palace, and it happened to be during the time when the ladies of the court paid homage to the Empress. The long, seemingly endless palace road was filled with ladies of the court in full dress.

Only she and her daughter seemed like two incongruous outsiders.

Looking at those upright and dignified noblewomen, even Tian Denghua, who was usually very confident, had fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

Song Yanyan whispered, "...Mother, it's alright, don't feel guilty. We have the Empress's decree, so we can enter the palace openly and legitimately."

Fortunately, not long after they left, two old women and two palace maids hurried over.

Song Yanyan vaguely recognized one of them; he seemed to have served Empress Wu last time and must have been a trusted servant of the Empress.

The ladies of noble birth who were walking along the palace path stopped and greeted the old woman with "Greetings, Granny Qiong".

The woman addressed as Granny Qiong curtsied in return, giving a standard palace salute, and said with a smile, "Ladies, you are all too kind."

One of the ladies, who was clearly more familiar with Granny Qiong, smiled and said, "Granny Qiong, why did you come out in such a hurry?"

Granny Qiong then smiled and said, "Her Majesty the Empress ordered us to come and escort Madam Tian and Miss Song into the palace first."

The ladies of the nobility were quite surprised. Who had such great influence that the Empress would send her trusted confidante, Granny Qiong, to pick them up?

Several of them subconsciously looked over at Asada Touka and Song Yanyan.

Granny Qiong did indeed stop in front of Tian Denghua and Song Yanyan, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Madam Tian, ​​Miss Song, please come with me."

Tian Denghua subconsciously looked at Song Yanyan, who nodded slightly at her.

Tian Denghua forced herself to remain calm, almost stumbling along, and together with Song Yanyan, led by Granny Qiong, they were the first to pass through a side gate and leave the long palace road.

Tian Denghua had no interest in appreciating the scenery of the Imperial Garden within the palace. Song Yanyan had to accompany her mother, so she couldn't look around too much. She only glanced at it a few times out of the corner of her eye and thought that the Imperial Garden was indeed very beautiful.

Seeing that neither Tian Denghua nor Song Yanyan took the initiative to talk to her or ask about her, Granny Qiong nodded inwardly and formed a calm impression of Tian Denghua and Song Yanyan.

She smiled and said, "Madam Tian, ​​Miss Song, once we enter the Phoenix Palace, you two don't need to be nervous. Our Empress is the kindest person, so please relax."

Tian Denghua let out a soft breath: "How could I not be nervous? I'm just an ordinary citizen, and suddenly I get to meet Her Majesty the Empress. It still feels like a dream."

Her sincerity made her words seem genuine and heartfelt, and her simplicity made people feel good about her without even realizing it.

Granny Qiong smiled and said, "Madam Tian is a straightforward person. So what if you're nervous? Our Empress isn't going to eat you."

Granny Qiong made a joke, and Tian Denghua finally relaxed a lot because of it.

Upon arriving at the Phoenix Palace, Tian Denghua took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the slight trembling of her hands, and stepped into the palace gate one after the other with Song Yanyan.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress." Tian Denghua was about to kneel, but was stopped by Granny Qiong beside her.

Tian Denghua was terrified. Why was this happening?

Empress Wu's smiling voice came from above: "Madam Tian, ​​there's no need for such formalities."

Empress Wu's voice was completely different from the dignified and unsmiling voice that Tian Denghua had imagined for the Empress. In the end, Tian Denghua couldn't help but look up at Empress Wu.

Empress Wu was to receive the audience of the ladies of the court, so she was dressed in her empress's court dress. She was dignified and elegant, yet possessed a beauty that could topple empires. Tian Denghua was stunned after only one secret glance at her.

What puzzled and terrified Tian Denghua even more was that Empress Wu only had people support her, not her daughter.

Her daughter stood beside her, bowing deeply to Empress Wu.

She stood, while her daughter knelt.

Of course, Empress Wu didn't make Song Yanyan kneel for long. Almost as soon as Song Yanyan knelt down, Empress Wu's smiling voice rang out: "Good child, get up quickly."

Another palace maid stepped forward and attentively helped Song Yanyan up.

A palace maid diligently brought over two chairs.

Tian Denghua was completely baffled, her face turning slightly pale with confusion.

Song Yanyan had guessed some of it.

After all, she and the Crown Prince had already expressed their feelings for each other, and judging from Empress Wu's expression, it didn't seem like she was unaware of it.

Her mother and the Empress were to be engaged in marriage, so the Empress had someone stop her mother from kneeling.

If she were to marry into the family in the future, she would have to call Empress Wu "Mother," which is why Empress Wu accepted her kneeling obeisance.

While Song Yanyan's mind was still racing, Empress Wu, smiling, beckoned her forward.

Song Yanyan stepped forward as instructed, but Empress Wu directly took a slightly purplish jade bracelet from her own wrist and put it on Song Yanyan's wrist.

Tian Denghua was shocked and was about to say something when Empress Wu took Song Yanyan's wrist admiringly, looked her up and down, and laughed, "Your hands are whiter than mine, so you look better wearing this."

Even Song Yanyan was speechless: "Your Majesty the Empress..."

Empress Wu winked at her quickly: "Giving it sooner or later is the same as giving it to you."

Song Yanyan's face slowly turned red.

Tian Denghua stood to the side, somewhat alarmed and bewildered.

Empress Wu gently patted Song Yanyan's hand and then chatted with Tian Denghua with a smile.

They talked about everyday things, like how Tian Denghua and her family lived in the countryside before, and how it must have been very difficult for her, a woman, to raise four children alone.

Tian Denghua was a little reserved at first, but Empress Wu was extremely beautiful and very approachable; her affability was simply radiant.

As Tian Denghua spoke, she forgot her restraint and unease.

Empress Wu listened with a smile, occasionally nodding in agreement, acknowledging the difficulties of raising children.

Tian Denghua became more and more enthusiastic as she spoke.

Song Yanyan listened from the side, and slowly pieced together a little Xin Yibei from the interesting stories about the Crown Prince's childhood that Empress Wu occasionally mentioned.

The image of little Xin Yibei became increasingly vivid in her mind.

Song Yanyan couldn't help but smile.

Tian Denghua became more and more excited as she spoke, almost forgetting that the person she was talking to was the incomparably noble Empress.

It was Granny Qiong from Fengluan Palace who came over and whispered a reminder that it was almost time to receive the court ladies from outside the palace for their audience and worship.

Tian Denghua then suddenly woke up.

Empress Wu's face showed a hint of lingering enjoyment: "...Madam Tian's words were witty and vivid, describing rural life so well that I myself am quite fascinated by it."