Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Inside the spacious and magnificent palace, a group of elegantly dressed concubines, along with numerous respectful and well-dressed courtiers and their families, once again stood up in unison, bowed in perfect unison, and shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!" The sound resounded throughout the entire hall.

At this moment, the Emperor, tall and imposing, held the Empress's soft, boneless hand, standing firmly before the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power, and the incomparably noble phoenix throne. His face was stern, exuding authority without anger, and he slowly said in a majestic tone, "Rise."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, everyone hurriedly bowed again to express their gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress." After expressing their gratitude, they waited quietly for the Emperor and Empress to take their seats first before carefully taking their seats in order.

Upon seeing this, Li Desheng, who was standing by, raised his voice and announced loudly after receiving the emperor's approval: "The banquet begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Emperor and Empress each delivered their remarks. After they finished, Li Desheng clapped his hands lightly, and then a group of well-trained palace maids and graceful dancers filed in.

The palace maids, each carrying an exquisite tray, moved gracefully among the tables, placing delicious dishes of color, aroma, and taste onto each table in an orderly manner.

Meanwhile, the dancers on the other side, like beautiful butterflies, stood gracefully in the center of the hall in a carefully choreographed formation. When the musicians began to play melodious music, the dancers instantly began to dance. Their movements were light and graceful, dazzling the audience and seemingly transporting them to a dreamlike fairyland.

As the first dance music ended, the previously quiet and solemn atmosphere instantly became relaxed and lively. The court officials, their families, and the beautiful concubines began to whisper and converse amongst themselves. For a moment, the entire hall was filled with the sounds of music and murmurs.

After three exquisite dances, the highly respected Prime Minister rose first and led his ministers in presenting the Empress with meticulously prepared birthday gifts. These gifts were either priceless treasures and antiques or rare and exotic artifacts, each one dazzling and eliciting exclamations of admiration.

Listening to the continuous cries of congratulations from the court and the precious gifts being presented one after another, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but wonder what the emperor was thinking at that moment. However, her most immediate impression was—these court officials were incredibly wealthy!

Look at those gifts! They were either priceless antiques or masterpieces of calligraphy and painting by contemporary masters, all of them rare and unique treasures. Of course, there were also exquisite jade carvings among them. This dazzling array of treasures was truly breathtaking.

Following them, the younger members of the Queen's maternal family took turns showcasing their talents. The gifts they presented were mostly paintings or screens meticulously embroidered by their own skillful hands. Faced with such thoughtful gifts from her juniors, the Queen bestowed appropriate rewards and praise upon each piece based on its unique characteristics.

As Su Nuannuan gazed at the exquisite embroidery masterpieces before her, she exclaimed in her heart, "These ladies from noble families are truly patient enough to embroider such grand paintings or screens."

The Duke of Zhenguo and his wife were not present for today's occasion, as they were not currently in the capital. However, the gifts sent to the Empress were not less than usual.

It's nothing special, just an ordinary jade ornament.

Fortunately, the Marquis of Ding'an and his wife did enter the palace. However, since the wife was heavily pregnant and unable to move around easily, Su Nuannuan did not bother her sister-in-law too much.

After watching the splendid gifts presented by the younger generation of the Empress's maternal family, Su Nuannuan's gaze finally shifted slowly towards her brother. Looking into the distance, she saw her brother and sister-in-law sitting side by side, both with warm and friendly smiles on their faces, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. Seeing this, Su Nuannuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and a gentle smile returned to her lips.

Following this, the long-awaited talent show by the younger generations of the court officials officially began. For these officials, this segment was undoubtedly a rare opportunity to fully showcase their daughters' talents and charm to the Emperor. Whether they were fortunate enough to enter the palace to serve the monarch or win the favor of other officials' families, it would become a symbol of family honor and a crucial opportunity for their children's future development.

Just as everyone was focused on the stage, a familiar figure suddenly caught Su Nuannuan's eye. She stared intently, a startle running through her: "She's here? How did she get into the palace?" It turned out that the figure was none other than the daughter of the Su family. Her father was merely a county magistrate; normally, someone of such status wouldn't be qualified to enter the palace for the Empress's birthday celebration.

Filled with suspicion, Su Nuannuan could no longer remain calm. She lowered her voice and softly called out, "Jinse." Hearing her mistress's summons, Jinse quickly stepped forward and asked in a similarly low voice, "This servant is here. What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Su Nuannuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Quickly send Tingfeng to investigate. Make sure you find out exactly how this Su family girl was able to enter the palace. I truly cannot understand how someone from her family could receive such an honor."

"Yes. This servant will arrange it immediately." Jinse nodded slightly in response, then turned to leave.

"Tell Tingfeng to be careful and not to alert the enemy," Su Nuannuan added.

"This servant understands," Jinse replied respectfully, her voice extremely low. Then, she tiptoed out of Xuanhua Palace.

As soon as she stepped out of Xuanhua Palace, Jinse cautiously looked around. After confirming that no one was around, she swiftly slipped into a dark corner like a nimble cat. Then, she took out a small and exquisite object from her bosom and emitted a strange light into the air—it was the special signal used by the Zhenguo Duke's secret guards.

Not long after, a glimmer of light appeared in the shadows in the distance as a response. A moment later, a lithe black figure flashed out like a ghost and stopped in front of Jinse.

"Miss Jinse, does the master have any instructions?" Tingfeng asked softly in a low voice.

"Her Majesty asked you to find out why the Su family girl entered the palace," Jinse replied in a low voice, glancing into the distance to prevent anyone from approaching.

"Please tell my master, Miss Jinse, that I will find out the reason as soon as possible," Tingfeng said firmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot just as he had come, leaving only a faint black shadow.

Just as Jinse was about to leave the shadows, suddenly, a soft sound of footsteps and whispers came from not far away. Jinse's heart tightened, and she quickly held her breath, pressing her body against the wall to conceal her presence as much as possible.