An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

The inner palace seems to be calm lately.

An Lingrong ordered Shuangxue to open the window. Perhaps it was the arrival of spring, for the spring breeze was gentle and warm, and a magnolia tree in the courtyard was in full bloom.

Today, Zhen Huan went to Shen Meizhuang's place. Originally, she wanted to invite her to go with her, but An Lingrong felt that she had a lot on her mind lately and had a vague feeling that something was about to happen. She lost interest and said that her period was approaching and she was feeling a little tired. So she let Zhen Huan go to Cunjutang by herself.

It was past noon, and the sunlight slowly slanted across the window sill, warm and gentle without being too glaring, just right for An Lingrong to draw patterns by the window.

Perhaps because I was busy with something to pick up, my heart calmed down, and my thoughts began to stir little by little.

Although the emperor did not pursue the matter of Consort Li afterward, he openly and secretly became much colder towards Consort Hua.

This must be the emperor's attitude.

The emperor could tolerate Consort Hua's domineering behavior in the harem, and even her occasional disrespect for the empress, but he could not tolerate her abusing power and dominating the harem.

Imperial power and the entire realm ultimately belong to the emperor. Even the realm within the inner palace cannot escape his control.

Moreover, the news that the emperor had bestowed the title of Noble Lady Fucha's younger sister, Fucha Yilan, spread throughout the palace in less than half a day, a speed that even the news of a princess's marriage did not reach.

Entering the palace and immediately becoming a Noble Lady was a great honor bestowed upon the Fucha family, which likely reflected the Emperor's attitude.

The Ministry of Rites was known for its efficiency and decisiveness. The day after the imperial edict was delivered to the Fucha residence, the officials of the Imperial Observatory calculated auspicious times for the next six months and presented them to the Shou Kang Palace.

The Empress Dowager was decisive. She considered the third day of the sixth lunar month an auspicious day, saying it was a day when the auspicious star of peace and prosperity resonated with the moon, and also corresponded to the Ziwei hexagram signifying abundant offspring. Therefore, choosing this day for the new bride to enter the palace would not only help ensure the Empress's health but also ensure the continuation of the royal family and the prosperity of offspring. Not only did the Empress Dowager think it was a good day, but when she reported it to the Emperor, he was also delighted, and the Empress was also pleased. Thus, it seemed that the marriage of Fucha Yilan to the Empress was truly a cause for celebration for everyone.

An Lingrong heard many such stories.

All these rumors were spread simply to make people feel that the Manchu aristocratic family was still at the height of its power.

However, An Lingrong did not know what Fucha Yilan looked like, because in her previous life, An Lingrong had never met this noblewoman.

This made An Lingrong uneasy.

The people and events from her past life reappeared, but not in the original way. This made An Lingrong suddenly realize that perhaps because she herself was changing, the people and events she encountered were also changing.

What she will face is a future she knows absolutely nothing about.

An Lingrong felt increasingly annoyed as she thought about it. Her brush tip became unsteady as she traced the patterns, and before she knew it, a large drop of ink had smeared the patterns she was tracing.

Before An Lingrong could react, a man's voice suddenly rang out from the side, startling her.

"Doing makeup in front of a mirror and sketching by the window are both things that require great concentration. If you do them with your mind on something, it will be difficult to achieve a good makeup or a good painting."

An Lingrong turned around and looked at him. His features were handsome, and in the sunlight, his profile was as cold and sculpted as if it were made of stone.

The one speaking was the emperor, the man she had longed for in her past life but had never received his true love from.

An Lingrong quickly stood up and gave a graceful bow, saying, "Your Majesty, I, An Lingrong, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

The emperor smiled and pulled her up, then walked to the window. He looked at the pattern she was drawing on the small table, which turned out to be a picture of green mountains and auspicious clouds. He couldn't help but show a look of surprise. "Women in the palace usually like to draw patterns of wealth, peace, and tender feelings. How come you are drawing a pattern of magnificent mountains and rivers?"

An Lingrong composed herself, lowered her head and said softly, "Although I am in the inner palace, I have heard my mother say since I was a child that a woman should obey her husband after marriage. Now that my husband is the master of this vast country, I naturally hope that the country will last forever and that auspicious clouds will fill the sky."

An Lingrong remained calm, but inwardly she found it quite amusing.

What other reason could there be? It's because her heart had long since grown cold, and she no longer hoped for the emperor's favor. She had lost the heart and expectations of a young lady confined to her chambers. And because of this, she no longer appreciated the romantic fantasies of young girls. The lively anticipation in her eyes had vanished.

The emperor seemed unaware of An Lingrong's thoughts, only slightly moved, and took An Lingrong's hand, saying, "To be able to embroider such a magnificent scene, your embroidery skills are indeed excellent. It's just that I didn't notice it before, and it's my fault for neglecting you."

An Lingrong smiled, but gently withdrew her hand from the emperor's and said softly, "Your Majesty has been talking for quite a while, and I haven't served you tea yet. I'll go and pour you a cup now."

With that, An Lingrong gracefully got up and left.

Su Peisheng was surprised to see An Lingrong slowly walk out of the palace, leaving the emperor alone inside, but he dared not look around.

In fact, the emperor had noticed An Lingrong in Jingren Palace that day. She was a beautiful woman with delicate features, but he had been preoccupied with other matters and had put her out of his mind.

As they were speaking, the emperor carefully examined An Lingrong's appearance. She was indeed beautiful, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes.

There weren't many in the harem who were so indifferent to the emperor's favor, and the emperor suddenly became interested.

The Emperor originally came today to accompany the Empress Dowager for a walk in Yimei Garden. He suddenly realized that Yimei Garden was not far from Zhen Huan's Suiyu Pavilion, so he changed his plans and went to Suiyu Pavilion to take a look. However, he did not expect that Zhen Huan went to Shen Meizhuang's Cunju Hall.

It was only after Su Peisheng reminded her that a concubine was still living in the side hall of Suiyu Pavilion. After a moment's thought, she realized that it was An Lingrong, whom she had only briefly met that day.

Lost in thought, An Lingrong entered carrying cups, plates, and teacups.

In his hands, besides a cup of tea, there was also a plate of delicate pastries and a plate of candied fruit.

The emperor was in high spirits. He took a teacup from the saucer, smelled it with the tip of his nose, and said softly, "This is the Dongling Plum Blossom tea that was presented as tribute last year." Then he looked up and asked, "You like this?" Before An Lingrong could answer, he asked and answered himself, "Judging from your cool and aloof expression, this tea suits you well."

An Lingrong nodded and smiled, "I don't usually like drinking tea, and I don't know much about it. But since Sister Mei received a gift from the Emperor, I thought that we sisters should share in the favor, so I brought some over for Sister Wan and me to try. I was just looking around when I happened to see that this cup of Dongling Plum Blossom tea was still there. I thought that since it was a gift from the Emperor, it must be a good tea, so I brewed this cup."

An Lingrong spoke with composure, which impressed the emperor.

The emperor unconsciously narrowed his eyes and carefully examined An Lingrong.

An Lingrong was not timid at all; she simply met the emperor's gaze, nodded, and remained silent.

Perhaps seeing that An Lingrong did not show the slightest bit of shyness, the emperor was slightly surprised. He looked around the hall and said leisurely, "I just saw that you have palace maids in your palace. Let them do this kind of tea-serving and water-pouring chores."

An Lingrong smiled and said, "This servant asked Shuangxue to invite Sister Wan back. This servant is not very learned and not good with words, so I was afraid that His Majesty would be bored. Therefore, I specially invited Sister Wan to come and keep him company."

Just then, An Lingrong was standing by the window, and the slanting sunlight shone on her fair face, adding a faint blush. As she spoke, An Lingrong's eyelashes fluttered, and although her expression was aloof and lacked the shyness of a young girl, she possessed a gentle and lively charm.

The emperor was stunned, but quickly composed himself, as if he had seen through An Lingrong. He suddenly asked with a serious expression, "You seem to dislike me being here?"