Repeatedly broken branches

Sometimes he would wonder if he was spoiling Xiao Mu too much, but he felt that since she was already his wife, what was wrong with being good to her and going along with her in everything? As long as they could be together, it was already a great honor.

However, he increasingly felt that Xiao Mu was more willful than before. Before, she was a princess and could use herself to anger Zhou Tingxi, but now she was the mother of the country, and she was still so unreasonable, even showing him no respect in front of the servants.

Although these things are nothing, he had so much to say. Over the past few days, he had accumulated so many heartfelt words, but unfortunately, they all remained unspoken.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor seems to be angry," You whispered in her ear.

Xiao Mu didn't take it to heart. "He'll be fine in a little while. If it really doesn't work, I'll coax him. I just don't want you to be punished by him for no reason. You don't know that he's never kind-hearted."

You felt a chill run down her spine. She had betrayed her like this without even knowing it, and yet she was still so good to her, even at the cost of breaking up with her husband. She deserved to die; she didn't deserve such kindness from her.

Yu Yanjing learned that Zhou Tingxi and Wei Hao were preparing to defect to Chaoyang, so he held a banquet to welcome them. He also invited Xiao Mu and Ouyang Meixi to accompany them, as well as the siblings Shen Ruoxuan and Shen Shanshan, Xiao Shao and Ruan Cifeng, and Xie Huai, who is now a famous craftsman in the palace.

He and Xiao Mu hadn't spoken to each other all day. People say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but they were having a cold war!

Xiao Mu had no intention of backing down. She wanted to see how long Yu Yanjing could keep his distance and how long he could hold out.

"Your Majesty, you look beautiful in this crescent-colored phoenix robe." You took out a pretty dress and waved it in front of her.

"Whatever."

Today's banquet was quite solemn. You applied a little makeup to Xiao Mu, and she wore a purple-gold and pearl phoenix crown on her head, and a gold and red jade ring around her neck. Every gold thread on her phoenix robe shone brightly in the sunlight. She looked grand and noble. She was beautiful, but it was somewhat incongruous with her youthful face. Although she was twenty-three, her face was a little chubby, and she looked like she was only a teenager.

Xiao Mu sat to Yu Yanjing's left, and she could only catch a glimpse of his profile out of the corner of her eye. Yet, she couldn't help but admire him. His profile was cool and aloof, his expression unreadable, and he exuded the majesty of a monarch.

Xiao Mu stopped looking at him and clicked her tongue in her heart, "Tch, what are you pretending for?"

Ouyang Meixi was dressed in a white gauze feather dress, which was the most fashionable outfit at the time. She looked gentle and charming, and a lotus-colored ribbon was tied around her waist, which made her waist look even more slender. However, Zhou Tingxi, who was standing next to her, did not even glance at her.

Xiao Mu frowned, realizing she was taking her blessings for granted. Then, she met Zhou Tingxi's eyes and could feel the intensity of his gaze.

Zhou Tingxi's eyebrows curved, as if he were smiling at her.

"Now that you've come to Chaoyang, you're all one of us. Don't be so polite with me. You're all Xiaozhi's friends, which means you're my friends too."

Yu Yanjing raised his wine glass to Zhou Tingxi and Deng Yizhi. The two of them stood up, bowed to him, and drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.

"I am grateful that Your Majesty does not mind my humble status," Zhou Tingxi said to Yu Yanjing with slight gratitude.

Because of Xiao Mu, Yu Yanjing had helped him several times, and he was well aware of this, so he genuinely admired Yu Yanjing's magnanimity.

"What's there to complain about? I know your abilities. From now on, you'll live in the palace. If there's anything you're not used to, just tell the Empress and she'll take care of it." Yu Yanjing didn't even glance at Xiao Mu as he spoke.

This successfully angered her, but since she was dressed so appropriately today, she had to be careful not to overdo it and at least finish her act of being virtuous.

"Yes, Tingxi, His Majesty is right. If you need anything in the future, just come to me. Don't be shy. We're already so familiar with each other anyway," Xiaomu said with a smile.

Yu Yanjing's eyes darkened as if he had heard an utterly absurd joke, and he said through gritted teeth, "Yes, that's what I mean."

Zhou Tingxi felt that the two of them were flirting in front of everyone, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

Shen Shanshan glanced at Xiao Mu, gritting her teeth in anger, still not satisfied, and could only keep stuffing meat into her mouth. Shen Ruoxuan stopped her and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you? Didn't you say you'd gained some weight and weren't eating meat lately?"

Shen Shanshan glared at him fiercely and said coldly, "Is it any of your business? Eat your food and shut your mouth."

Shen Ruoxuan obediently shut up, wishing she could slap herself twice. Of all people to mess with, why did she have to mess with Shen Shanshan? Hasn't she learned her lesson from all the suffering she's endured since childhood?

She peeled some lotus seeds with a small spoon and placed them in front of Ruan Cifeng, saying softly, "These lotus seeds are sweet. I've already removed the bitter cores, so they're not bitter at all. Please have some."

Ruan Cifeng looked down at the lotus seeds, each one white like a pearl, but had no intention of eating them. He simply looked up at the person peeling the lotus seeds and said softly, "Thank you."

Xiao Shao felt extremely bitter. They were clearly husband and wife, and it was just an ordinary little thing. Why did he have to thank her? Wasn't he just treating her like an outsider?

All of this seemed to have nothing to do with Xie Huai. He sat quietly in his seat, drinking one glass of wine after another, utterly bored.

Xiao Mu envied him for being able to have nothing to lose, but she really wanted to laugh. Everyone present seemed to be in pairs, and Shen Ruoxuan and Shen Shanshan were also siblings, except for Xie Huai and Deng Yizhi, who were all alone. Why didn't they just become a couple?

What a terrible idea.

The banquet was finally over. Back at Zining Palace, Xiao Shao was asked to stay overnight by Xiao Mu. It had been a long time since they had spent time together and talked.

With a detached expression, Wei Lan brought in a bowl of pork tripe soup and chicken soup, placed it on the small table in front of Xiao Mu, and said, "Your Majesty, this is a tonic soup bestowed by the Emperor. He said he noticed that you hadn't eaten much earlier, so he specially asked me to make it in the kitchen."

Xiao Mu then realized that she hadn't eaten much. She used to eat heartily at banquets, but today she had no appetite at all. It was probably because summer had arrived and people had lost their appetite.

"Okay, you can put it there."

Wei Lan glanced at her, then walked out.

Yu Yanjing, aren't we in a cold war? Who wants your reward!

Little Spoon looked at the bowl of pork tripe and chicken soup and said, "Your Majesty, please drink it quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Xiao Mu looked at the soup, which wasn't very oily, but had pale yellow oil floating on the surface. For some reason, she felt nauseous and vomited. After vomiting, her stomach felt like it was being stirred up.

She put down the soup bowl, frowned, and said, "I don't want to drink it. It's too greasy. Yu Yanjing must be deliberately trying to disgust me by bringing me such a greasy bowl of soup. He should drink it himself."

Xiao Shao shook her head and laughed out loud, "Your Majesty, did you and the Emperor quarrel again? I noticed that you two hardly spoke during the banquet, and you both had cold faces."

"Yes, he hasn't spoken to me all day. Will Ruan Cifeng treat you like this? How did you two usually handle it?"

The smile on Xiao Shao's lips disappeared. She lowered her eyes and whispered, "We've never argued."

Xiao Mu cast an envious glance at her, "That's great, Ruan Cifeng must always give in to you, Yu Yanjing would never give in to me, he would only make me angry."

Xiao Shao said expressionlessly, "Yes, you're giving in to me..." There was absolutely no contact between them, so how could they be arguing? She wanted to argue, but Ruan Cifeng didn't give her the chance at all.

"Where is You? I haven't seen her serving you lately!" Xiao Shao realized that You hadn't been on duty several times. It must be that the Empress had spoiled her and made her lazy.

Xiao Mu said nonchalantly, "She has her own things to do. What is she supposed to do serving us here? There are also many things we can't say to her here. It's better to let her do her own thing."

Xiao Shao lowered her eyes again. Why did she always feel that the Empress treated You better than she treated herself? Why did she always spoil her? She had never spoiled her like this before.

Could it be that in the Empress's heart, the newly arrived You is more important than herself? Or... perhaps the Empress prefers You and feels that You serves her better.

"What are you thinking about, Little Spoon? How's business outside the palace?"

Xiao Shao raised her eyes listlessly and said indifferently, "Business outside the palace is very good. We haven't lost any money. We are all doing our best to take care of the shop for Her Majesty the Empress."

Xiao Mu sensed something was off about her words, and then asked, "Are you unhappy? I shouldn't have asked you about the business. I trust you completely. You are the person I trust the most. I just wanted to know how the business was doing. If it's not good, I'll close it down so you don't have to work so hard for nothing."

"How could I be tired? How could I be tired from doing things for money? The Empress trusts You the most right now. She only tells You everything. Xiao Shao knows nothing about it."

Xiao Mu then realized that Xiao Shao was jealous—jealous of her and You.

She chuckled softly, looked at Xiaoshao, reached out and brushed a stray hair behind Xiaoshao's ear, and said gently, "I only told her because You was by my side. If you were here, how could I possibly tell her? We grew up together, don't you know me? I tell you everything, but because you're outside the palace, I can only tell You. If you're unhappy, I won't tell You anymore. I'll save it up and tell you when you enter the palace, or you can move into the palace. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave Ruan Cifeng."

Xiao Shao blushed and said shyly, "Your Majesty... I shouldn't be jealous, but I always feel that you treat You better than I do..."

"How could that be? How long have I known Youcai, and how long have I known you? Think about it yourself, how could I possibly treat her better?"

You walked in, carrying a few lotus flowers, her face beaming with joy. Just then, she heard what Xiao Mu said, and her smile froze on her face. A chill ran through her heart, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.

She calmly placed the flowers into the porcelain vase and respectfully said to Xiao Mu, "Your Majesty, these are lotus flowers I just picked from the pond. I've placed them here for your enjoyment. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." With that, she bowed her head and withdrew.

Xiao Mu didn't notice anything amiss and continued chatting with Xiao Shao.

You felt incredibly disappointed. She thought the Empress was genuinely kind to her and had even broken with the Emperor for her sake, but she never expected it to be like this, that it was all because of this.

She no longer needed to feel guilty. She should just complete the tasks assigned by her master, then leave Chaoyang and return to the Western Regions, without thinking about anything or having any lingering attachments.

But she longed to be with Wei Hao, to continue living here, carefree and without a care in the world, unlike in the Western Regions where every day felt like purgatory.

Everything was on her shoulders, and she really hoped that someone could help her. It wasn't until her master appeared that she was able to catch her breath a little, although it was all because she had some use.

Wei Hao, Wei Hao, that person is simple-minded and kind to her, someone she can entrust her life to. But her status means she is destined to be unstable. She did something to betray the Empress, how could the Emperor let her go?

……

"Rumeng, hasn't the Empress been here for a while? Shouldn't I move out? The Buddhist hall should be repaired by now... It's really inappropriate for us to stay here any longer."

Ru Meng was in a dilemma. The Empress had instructed them to stay here as they pleased. She said in a panic, "Your Majesty, let's wait for the Empress to come before we move. What if she gets upset?"

Consort Jing nodded. "Yes, we should have been locked up in the Buddhist hall all alone. Now she doesn't even come to see me anymore. It seems we really are all alone no matter where we are."

Ru Meng frowned and said, "That's not how it is. Her Majesty the Empress disappeared a while ago, and the whole palace was busy looking for her. Perhaps she has just returned and hasn't had time to see you yet. It seems that Your Majesty has accepted Her Majesty the Empress?" A hint of joy flashed across her face.

Consort Jing sighed and said softly, "What's this talk about acceptance? We're living under someone else's roof now, having to live at their mercy. What can we do?"

Ru Meng could tell that she was saying this against her will. When had Her Majesty the Empress ever made them feel like they were living under someone else's roof? Didn't she treat them just like any other mother-in-law and daughter-in-law?

……

"Sister, Consort Liang hasn't left the house for days. No matter how I try to persuade her, it's no use. What should we do? She's been humiliated innocently, and she's so proud. I'm really afraid she might do something rash." Song Xinning said worriedly as she made tea for Chen Lanhe, looking at the swing that Liang Yuxue used to love sitting on.

Chen Lanhe sighed heavily, picked up her teacup and took a sip. Gazing at the square sky, a trace of sadness appeared on her delicate eyebrows. If they hadn't entered the palace, they certainly wouldn't have lived such a miserable life. They would definitely be flowers cherished by their husbands. It's just a pity that even if she hadn't entered the palace, she would never have been able to marry Yizhi.

"I'm going to see the Emperor."

As if she had made an important decision, Chen Lanhe stood up, turned around and went into the house, locked herself inside, and dressed herself up before going out again.

Song Xinning's eyes widened. She hadn't seen Chen Lanhe dressed so beautifully in a very long time. Ever since her child died, she had never dressed up so glamorously; she always wore very simple and elegant decorations.

No one knows how much determination Chen Lanhe made. She decided to let go of the pure moonlight in her heart and fight with those people for a man for her future, even though she could never understand that man's heart. But she was already all alone and didn't care about anything anymore.

Because Yizhi is still safe and sound, everything is still traceable, and everything can continue.

She walked step by step to the Taiping Palace where Yin Fu'an was, and whispered to the palace guards, "Please tell the Emperor that I want to see him."

The palace maid went in briefly and immediately came out to tell Chen Lanhe, "Consort Chen, please go in. The Emperor is inside."

"it is good."

Inside were countless bright yellow curtains. She pushed aside each curtain that blocked her way as if cutting through thorns. Anything in her way was an obstacle, and she had to cut it down one by one, even if it was a vicious venomous snake sitting inside.

Yin Fu'an sat on the high dragon throne, lazily looking down at Chen Lanhe standing below the platform, and asked in a low, husky voice, "What are you doing here?"

"To make you happy." These four short words were spoken with great courage by Chen Lanhe. She wanted to be the Empress again and crush Consort Qing under her feet.

"Row."