Back at the Imperial Palace.

A while after Lei Xing had left, Chen You made her way to her palace, and of course, with Chun Hua following along. Chen You had thought about it and concluded that perhaps Lei Xing did not accept Chun Hua because she thought Chen You would be upset. Therefore, she made her way to her palace to reassure Lei Xing that she was fully in support and to not be concerned about her. She had thought out her course of action, if that didn't work then she would use her family being indebted to Lei Xing's and that a servant was a nothing and another small way to repay this generational gratitude, as a means of persuasion and would not leave until she gets her to agree. Chen You was primed and ready to fawn and arrived at Lei Xing's palace, all for Xiao Ruo to inform her that Lei Xing was not seeing anyone at the moment.

"Go and inform her that Chen You is here, she will see me." Chen You insisted.

Xiao Ruo said bowing again, "I'm sorry your highness, but she is not in at the moment."

Chen You frowned, "Where is she?"

Xiao Ruo knit her brows, "I'm sorry your highness,  I don't know."

Chen You let out a breath and then walked to the side and sat down, "Then I'll wait for her."

Xiao Ruo looked at her and advised, "Your highness, I am not sure when she will be back. How about I send someone to inform you once she returns?"

Chen You cast Xiao Ruo a side glance and then looked away in a condescending manner.

Xiao Ruo inwardly sighed and was about to advise again, when Ling mama arrived in the reception hall and informed, "The empress dowager has sent for Noble consort Lei."

Xiao Ruo smiled and bowed her head, "Alright, I will inform her highness and she will make her way there as soon as possible."

"The empress dowager would like to see her now. I was sent here to escort her."

Xiao Ruo froze, Lei Xing had told her not to broadcast her outing, and if anyone asked to just say that she is not in her palace. Honestly, neither of them anticipated getting a visit from anyone today, and especially not a request from the empress dowager. Xiao Ruo was a bit confused about to what to do now, she couldn't address the empress dowager as simply as she did Chen You, in order to avoid Lei Xing getting in trouble for it later.

While Xiao Ruo was thinking, Ling mama got impatient, "What are you doing? Go and inform her, the empress dowager should not be kept waiting."

Xiao Ruo grit her teeth, "I'm sorry but her highness isn't here at the moment."

Ling mama furrowed her brows, "Where is she then?"

"I am not sure." Xiao Ruo repeated the same excuse.

...It's really not a lie...I really don't know where she is...

"In that case, send people to go look for her then." Ling mama advised.

Xiao Ruo knit her brows and didn't say anything. Ling mama scoffed at her incompetence and called out to the maids on the side to go search for Lei Xing.

Xiao Ruo realizing that this search will probably cause more problems, braced herself and admitted, "Her highness is not in the palace."

...Why did it have to be today of all days?!!... Normally, no one comes to visit except Noble consort Li...

Ling mama's eyes went wide, while Chen You who was listening to this exchange on the side with a frown, instantly brightened.

...Very good hahahaha...Who knew she would dig her grave herself? hahaha...Heaven has eyes!!...

"She snuck out of the palace?" Ling Mama asked with a deep frown.

Xiao Ruo looked at Ling mama's expression and quickly corrected her, "That's not it, the emperor gave her permission to leave yesterday..."

Chen You's face immediately fell and she immediately got up shouting, "What?!"

Xiao Ruo jumped and turned to Chen You and bowed her head apologetically, "Yes, that is why I mentioned I was not sure when she will be back and for you to return first..."

"Then why didn't say so?!" Chen You barked out and then stormed out.

Ling mama who was still standing there blinked and then said, "Alright, I will inform the empress dowager."

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Xiao Ruo bowed her head, "I will make sure to inform her highness once she returns."

Ling mama nodded and then left as well. Xiao Ruo sighed.

...I hope everything will be okay with this...It should be fine, after all the emperor is there, right?... She did get permission so it should be fine...it will be...

Ling mama arrived at the empress dowager's reception hall, where the empress dowager was waiting to receive her guest and informed her of the situation.

"She got permission to leave?" The empress dowager asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, your majesty. According to the maid, the emperor gave her permission yesterday..." Ling mama responded, glancing at the empress dowager's face expecting to see anger.

Unexpectedly, the empress dowager laughed and then said, "You can leave." Ling mama furrowed her brows in confusion, but bowed and exited the room as requested, casting an envious glance at Song mama, who was at the empress dowager side in the process.

"She really isn't daring at all, she even got permission for something as simple as leaving the palace." The empress dowager said with smirk, fondly remembering her days as crown princess when she would often leave the palace to explore the city. It never occurred to her get permission, but then it was not like anyone would have dared to do anything to her even if they found out. There was no empress installed after the crown prince's mother passed away and therefore, she as the crown princess was the highest-ranking woman in the palace, so none of the emperor's consorts could scold or criticize her, and of course, the crown princess's other wives were not in a position to say anything to her either. Then, the only two people who could scold her was her father-in-law, the then emperor - who spoiled and doted on her even more than he did his own children as she was the daughter of his sworn brother and childhood best friend. 

The second was her husband, the then crown prince - who also loved and doted on her, so as long as she didn't get into any trouble they wouldn't interfere with her, and even when she did get in trouble, they would still support her. Therefore, she had free rein. The empress dowager's smirk slowly turned into a sad smile with tears forming in her eyes as she recalled "good" memories.

...Life was much simpler then...and I really was too stupid...

Song mama, who was ignorant of the empress dowager's change in mood, chuckled and said, "Of course she can't be daring under your majesty's rule. How can she behave as she likes?" 

The empress dowager didn't say anything and then after a while, got up and said, "I am tired." and walked off.

***

"My father is an idiot. Don't worry, you still have me." These were the words of a lamenting drunk Zhao Chang, the Prime minister's only son and older brother to Zhao Lan. He was currently sat in a room in the most expensive brothel in the city, with two beauties at his side, smiling at him and feeding him, while he spoke to Prince Yi who was sitting across from him, who also had women by his side, but he was clearly in less joyous mood than Zhao Chang, and the women at his side just sat rigidly only occasionally refilling his wine cup.

"Be careful what you say." Prince Yi calmly advised.

"Hmph! By now we are supposed to in-laws. Can you believe my father lied to me about Lan'er being part of the selection? And then sent me off on some stupid delivery mission, only for me to return to the city to find that she is now...Arrghhh! It annoys me whenever I think about it! It's my fault, I should have been more insistent!" Zhao Chang lamented.

Prince Yi smiled, "Your father is a wise man, there is no way you would be able to outsmart him..."

Zhao Chang frowned, "Hey, I am on your side here, why are you praising the enemy?" 

"What I mean is, it is not your fault. Since we are not fated to be in-laws, then we are not...Our friendship remains the same." Prince Yi smiled and raised a glass to Zhao Chang and drank.

Zhao Chang also drank and then smiled, "Ah, I have a cousin...she's a bit slow but...but...Ah, nevermind, she's not good enough."He finished and frowned deep in thought.

Prince Yi looked at him and silently shook his head.

"You all leave." Zhao Chang ordered, and the women quickly got up, bowed and exited the room. Then Zhao Chang put on a serious expression and leaned on the table to support himself, "You know...I've been wondering about something...my father said something...he said, what was it?...Ah!" He then whispered, "...I explained to him that no matter what, my aunt's death is suspicious and after her, won't it be us next? And then he responded with some rubbish about the emperor being the way forward and that the emperor is not one to hold grudges, if he did then the empress dowager would be dead already, but even if the emperor doesn't want to do anything but what about the empress dowager, does it make sense to sit and wait to die?... But why would he want to kill his own mother, do you know?" 

Prince Yi frowned and curtly replied, "No."

Zhao Chang nodded, "I knew it...my father must have just been saying nonsense, he says a lot of nonsense these days, he's getting too old" He sighed, "...Also, just because he won't kill the empress dowager, doesn't mean he won't kill other people, it's not like we all gave birth to him, Hmph! That stubborn old man doesn't know what is good for him..."

Prince Yi looked away and didn't say anything and just drank his wine.

Zhao Chang swirled around with the wine in his cup and they sat there silently for a while and then Zhao Chang perked up, "Ah by the way, it seems the standoff will be ending soon, the Zou King's representatives should be arriving soon...with a peace treaty. Cowards! They didn't even try to fight, one little battle and they're scared hahahaha...Ah, did you hear who the representatives are?"

Prince Yi didn't say anything, and Zhao Chang happily continued on his merry rant, "...Prince Rui..." He then started laughing again, "Isn't he embarrassed to come back to this country? Ah forget him...the best part is who is coming with him, Princess Nalan...Ahhh, I hear she is extremely exquisite, refined...a fragile beauty, she is apparently the Zou king's favorite daughter, for him to send her here...Ah, what a pity for her to be a peace offering to that annoying bastard!...Ahhh! What was my father thinking? How can Lan er' compete with that?!..." Zhao Chang continued to lament, grumble and complain while drinking.

After a while of listening to the continuous rant, Prince Yi frowned and used a hand to massage his head and then got up and walked to the open windows overlooking the street, ignoring Zhao Chang, who continued on without an active audience. As he stood there looking down at the street absentmindedly, his eyes randomly stopped on two passing figures that suddenly stopped in the middle of the street. He observed one of them looking around, when the person looked in his direction, he blinked and then narrowed his eyes and paid more attention.

...Isn't that...What is she doing here? Dressed like that too?...