"If there is the Snow Fragrance Pill from the North Chen Kingdom, there is still a glimmer of hope for the Princess." The imperial physician felt an inexplicable fear when facing Qi Yuntian, a fear that was no less than what he felt when facing the current emperor.

Qi Yuntian looked expressionless at the person on the bed, but a hint of indiscernible radiance flashed in his eyes. For whom? "Take it. If the princess doesn't improve, you should know the consequences," Qi Yuntian said coldly, then gently grasped Mei Niang's thin wrist, looking lovingly at her.

"Yes, yes, yes, I will do everything I can to treat the princess." Was this the cruelty of the imperial family? The physician was terrified, his body covered in cold sweat, and he kept nodding in agreement. He carefully received a snow-white Snow Fragrance Pill emitting a faint fragrance from Qi Yuntian's hand. He quickly ordered a nearby palace maid to bring some snow water from the winter and held the life-saving pill cautiously. With utmost care, he administered it to the princess, fearing the slightest reaction from her. He feared that any harm befalling the princess would endanger his own life. Considering Qi Yuntian's high regard for the princess, even the lives of his entire family could be at stake.

After taking the Snow Fragrance Pill, Mei Niang's pale face, which had lacked color for a long time, unexpectedly showed a hint of rosiness. Seeing this scene, the physician couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He marveled at the effectiveness of the Snow Fragrance Pill and glanced at the joyful expression in the prince's eyes. He secretly rejoiced for the princess, fortunate to have such a husband who cherished her.

"Inform the prince that as long as the princess is properly cared for, her illness can be cured," the physician informed Qi Yuntian of the princess's condition dutifully after finally easing his anxiety.

"Very well," Qi Yuntian merely murmured, and the attending palace maid and the physician quietly exited the chamber, leaving the peacefulness to the affectionate couple.

The North Chen Kingdom

Magnificent palaces, the emperor's favor, maidservants surrounding me, a life of luxury and abundance—these are what every woman dreams of. But why do I still feel empty? Dissatisfied? I truly don't know what I want. Living in this palace, I deeply feel the constraints.

I lazily leaned back on the consort chair, gazing at the birds freely flying in the sky. A thought flashed through my mind, stirring my heart. The powder-pink hem of my dress gently swayed in the breeze. It was being treated as a plaything by a little creature on the ground, playing with it using its cute little paws. Its small body leaped lightly, attempting to conquer my skirt with its paws. I couldn't help but smile as I watched it, reminiscing about how it came to be. A touch of sweetness filled my heart because Xiao feared I would be bored and specially had someone find a small dog for me. It was a rare breed, with snow-white fur, a short and chubby body, and four stubby little legs. Its peculiar appearance always made people laugh, claiming it was a rarely seen breed.

Since the last assassination attempt in the palace, Xiao has become somewhat unfamiliar to me. And recently, he hasn't been staying at the Quiet Moon Palace. It seems like he's involved in something, but he doesn't want me to know?

Lost in thought, I felt a sense of being watched, a feeling that started from that day. Whenever I tried to find the source of my unease, it mysteriously disappeared, leaving me puzzled.

I raised my delicate eyebrows and straightened up, gently picking up the little snowball nestled at my feet. Leaving the shade of the tree, I didn't want to be bothered by this annoying feeling anymore.

As I moved, my accessories collided and produced crisp and pleasant tinkling sounds. However, to my ears, they seemed to be informing others of my whereabouts. What difference was there between me and the golden bells hanging around the neck of the little snowball?

Every time I took off the golden hairpin from my bun and the jade pendants on my body, Qinglian always found countless reasons to stop me. She would say things like, "As a consort, it's only right to wear suitable accessories that display the glory of the imperial family." She would come up with a bunch of reasons that I would forget as soon as I heard them, making me raise my hands in prayer, begging her to stop nagging. And my defeat resulted in the burden of these cumbersome items weighing me down now. Oh heavens~ I've never been bothered by such feminine things before. It seems like I need to have a serious talk with Xiao.

I hadn't realized that I had just thought something very important, but I moved forward toward Xiao's study in the North Chen Palace.

With light steps, just as I was about to pass through the corridor on the lake, Qinglian's anxious voice came from behind. I helplessly stopped in my tracks, waiting for Qinglian, who was more nagging than an old lady. In the midst of my wandering thoughts, a faint cyan figure had already arrived in front of me, panting and staring at me with her big eyes.

"Princess, where are you going again?" Qinglian lightly patted her own chest, asking helplessly as the most worrisome, mischievous, and troublesome master in the Quiet Moon Palace.

The sisters in the Quiet Moon Palace all say that their master looks like a fairy only when she's asleep. But the rest of the time, she makes everyone cry and laugh. If you don't keep an eye on her for a moment, she disappears without a trace. Since the master recovered from her illness, not a single day has been peaceful in the Quiet Moon Palace. It's really misnamed. It should be called the Noisy Moon Palace. She just went away for a while, and when she comes back, the master is nowhere to be seen. It scared me so much that I had people searching everywhere. Since the last incident with the assassin in the Quiet Moon Palace, everyone has been extremely cautious, fearing any mishap to the master's precious body. Nobody wants to see that happen because, after all, such a unique master is hard to find in the world.

"I'm going to see the Emperor," I thought Qinglian was even more skilled than a spy. No matter how far I go, she always finds a way to locate me. Sometimes I even suspect that Qinglian is a master herself.

"Princess, if you want to see the Emperor, you should at least bring a few maidservants with you. It's undignified for you to go alone like this. Other consorts will look down on you," Qinglian knew her mistress lacked scheming and was even less likely to change her mind. She completely had no idea how enviable and jealous her current situation was. If anything goes wrong now, there will be plenty of people waiting to watch the show, especially since the Empress Dowager is also dissatisfied with the Emperor's excessive favor towards the princess. Seeing that the Emperor hasn't been staying overnight recently, it seems he's decided to listen to the Empress Dowager's opinions.

"I understand, then come with me," I pouted my little face, listening to Qinglian's incessant rambling.

"Yes," Qinglian, seeing my face wrinkling into a ball, once again sighed at her own unfortunate fate. It seems she has been saddled with a master who is completely oblivious to danger. She could only follow along.

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I laughed as I watched Qinglian, who looked like she was prepared to shoulder the blame if anything went wrong. With one arm holding the little snowball, I could only extend my hand to lightly tug on Qinglian's sleeve. "Let's go, I promise you will also like my proposal."

Qinglian looked at me puzzled, and her body passively followed my steps. She thought to herself, what strange idea has the young mistress come up with again? She even said that I would like it. A sense of foreboding enveloped Qinglian's heart.

And so, an enchanting noblewoman leading a seemingly foolish handmaiden walked briskly through the Imperial Garden in the North Chen Palace, disregarding the cumbersome palace rules and etiquette, paying no attention to her noble status. Everything was done according to her own temperament. This scene fell entirely within the view of the Empress Dowager, who was currently in the garden with her consort.

"How audacious, she has no manners at all," the Empress Dowager's stern expression revealed her displeasure.

"Mother, please don't be angry. Jingfei is just naturally lively. Her health hasn't been good for over three years. I haven't informed her of the palace rules. I hope you can forgive her," in fact, it was because of this reason that ever since Jingfei entered the palace, the emperor had shown her favor in every way. Although I was the Empress, I didn't dare act recklessly. In case I aroused the Emperor's wrath, it would bring down thunder and fury.

"Empress, you are the mistress of the harem. You should take on your own responsibilities and share the emperor's worries. Have an heir as soon as possible to resolve the concerns in my heart," facing her daughter-in-law, who she was so delighted with, the Empress Dowager didn't want to reprimand her like this. However, the recent actions of the Emperor made people worry. The identity of Jingfei is still unknown, and the Empress Dowager didn't want to get involved in the affairs of her children. But this woman's health has been gradually recovering, and the Emperor hasn't visited the Empress or any other concubines' chambers again. This is the most worrisome thing. If this woman were to have a royal heir, not to mention the Empress Dowager, even the Emperor himself might become more infatuated. The North Chen Kingdom's ancestral traditions cannot tolerate an impure-blooded heir inheriting the throne. At that time, it wouldn't require an invasion from another country; chaos would erupt within our own borders.

"Daughter-in-law, I won't let you down," the Empress slightly lowered her eyes, concealing the sorrow of being a woman. No matter how much glory and wealth there is, what use is it? The coming years without her husband's affection are like a solitary figure under the moon.

"Very well, I am tired," the Empress Dowager was extremely satisfied with the Empress's promise. As long as the Empress has the Emperor's flesh and blood, she won't worry about gaining the Emperor's favor. After all, the Empress Dowager is an experienced person. She can see the decline in the Empress's eyes that the Empress herself can't understand. She gently patted her daughter-in-law's hand, smiling kindly.

"Daughter-in-law, accompany the Empress Dowager back to rest," the Empress was deeply moved by the care of her elder. There was an indescribable bitterness in her heart. Once you enter the palace, it's as deep as the sea. How many women have wasted their years in this seemingly magnificent palace? And how many women never saw the Emperor's face until their death? They acted without schemes, unaware of the gazes and manipulated by the actions of others. The Three Thousand Weak Waters only take a scoop, leaving countless women bitter for life.

After escorting the Empress Dowager back to the palace, the Empress had no intention of enjoying the flowers and scenery. She returned to her residence, the Liu Feng Palace, early and rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Her melancholic and resentful expression made people reluctant to leave her side.

"Your Majesty," the personal maidservant, Qiao Lian, approached quietly and called softly. In her mind, she pondered how to make her mistress happy. Since the arrival of the foxy intruder in the palace, the Empress had never smiled again. Tears washed her face night after night. The entire Liu Feng Palace was enveloped in sorrow, which made the sisters feel extremely sorry for her.

"Don't blame Jingfei, Qiao Lian," the Empress couldn't see the dissatisfaction in the little maid's eyes, but did a woman have the power to choose her own future?

"That's not true. If it weren't for her, the Emperor would still love you the most," Qiao Lian refuted with a disapproving face, and her small hands waved with excitement.

"Do you think her absence guarantees that no other women will appear?" the Empress said softly. He is the Emperor. How many women want to receive his favor in the palace? Even if Jingfei is gone today, it's hard to say that Moon Consort or Shu Consort won't appear in the future. There's no need to trouble the innocent and naive Jingfei. Her ignorance of the world's ups and downs is really something to be envied. Wherever she appears, laughter and happiness follow. It's hard to believe that someone would cause her to lose her memory and then be rescued by the Emperor. The Emperor has never clearly explained her origins. Because of this, in the eyes of the Empress Dowager, she has become a woman of unknown origins.

"But at least, because of her, the Emperor hasn't visited you anymore," Qiao Lian stubbornly blamed Jingfei for everything.

The Empress saw Qiao Lian's face, which seemed unable to comprehend, and helplessly shook her head. "Qiao Lian, you're still too young, you don't understand." Gracefully rising, she walked slowly to a landscape painting and gazed quietly.

Qiao Lian was not unintelligent. It's just that she couldn't bear to see her mistress suffer and remain silent. Seeing that the Empress didn't want to speak further, she tactfully left the sleeping chamber, leaving the tranquility for her mistress.

Imperial Study

"Oh my, my dear Empress. The Emperor is currently discussing important matters with the Prime Minister and several ministers. Otherwise, this servant wouldn't dare to intercept your honorable presence," the eunuch in charge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead while worrying about the unconventional actions of Jingfei. He could only give a signal to Qinglian, hoping she could persuade the Emperor's precious treasure a little. Palace matters are not something the harem should interfere in, especially considering Jingfei's special status. If this matter were to reach the Empress Dowager, even the Emperor wouldn't be able to protect the Empress completely.

Qinglian received the hint and knew that today the Empress had chosen the wrong time to see the Emperor. She quickly pulled on my clothes, wearing a solemn expression as she said, "Empress, let's wait for a while. Would you like Qinglian to accompany you for a walk in the Imperial Garden?"

"No, I'm tired of looking at all those flowers and plants every day. Let's go inside and wait," I said with a cheerful smile to Qinglian, completely ignoring the eunuch's shocked expression.

"No, today is different from other days. The Emperor is currently meeting with his ministers in the Imperial Study. Your sudden appearance would be improper," Qinglian had a splitting headache, but she had to reason with me.

"Qinglian, I'm tired. I just want to find a place to rest for a while," I pouted and stubbornly pulled on Qinglian's sleeve, swinging it back and forth. My face even showed an expression of tears about to fall, secretly thinking, "Hehe, let's see if you can stop me. I've never seen Ahxiao so serious, and that's why I want to take a look. You can't stop me."

Seeing that the situation was not right, the eunuch thought that if Jingfei couldn't meet the Emperor today and ended up in tears, it would be a great offense. After careful consideration, he saw Qinglian's helpless expression and whispered, "If the Empress wants to wait inside, it's fine. Just please, don't make any noise. Wait quietly. Otherwise, the servant's offense will be..."

"Hehe, don't worry about that. I won't make it difficult for you," I quickly agreed to the eunuch's request as soon as I realized I could enter. Although I didn't pay much attention to what he said, the important thing was that I could go in.

My words were heard by the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving on the side, leaving them unsure whether to cry or laugh. They thought, "It's not about making it difficult, but this Empress is truly lively in the palace."

Qinglian could only look at me helplessly, and in the end, she nodded silently. She indicated that she would take care of everything and not let me cause any trouble.

With a rather disdainful roll of her eyes, Qinglian reluctantly followed me inside. And the eunuch once again pleaded with Qinglian through his gaze to take good care of me and not let anything go wrong.

Qinglian's eyes were filled with distress, but she nodded in agreement. Little did she know that the Empress Dowager had already arranged for someone to keep a close eye on Jingfei. Whatever actions Jingfei took, she would be reported back to the Empress Dowager without any omissions.