Entering the Palace

"Well, that's good. If you're fortunate enough to win Her Majesty the Empress's favor at the palace banquet,

the people coming to our house to ask for your hands will trample our threshold flat. Then you'll have even more choices when picking husbands."

"Mother, I'm still young. Why are you already worrying about choosing a husband?"

The Imperial Palace has so many rules. I wonder if anything will go my way today.

Jiang Yourning climbed drowsily into the carriage and slept until Lin Xiangyin and Jiang Wanrong hauled her out.

The duchess and Zhen Yueyao had arrived as well.

At the sight of Lin Xiangyin and her two daughters, both mother and daughter rolled their eyes in their direction.

"Hmph. Entering the palace is such a sacred occasion, yet someone actually looks so listless. How embarrassing."

Zhen Yueyao muttered under her breath.

When the time came,

the palace gates opened.

The empress's head eunuch emerged from within.

"Ladies, please follow this servant to the Perching Phoenix Palace. Her Majesty the Empress has been waiting for some time."

Following the procession of women step by step, Jiang Yourning slowly reached the Perching Phoenix Palace with the rest.

As soon as the women entered the main hall, they all knelt in rows.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years."

"Rise and take your seats."

Empress Cui Zhao'an wore a faint smile. Her bright, splendid robes lent her a graceful nobility, while her bearing was dignified and poised.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Standing among the crowd, Jiang Yourning halfheartedly joined in, then obediently followed her mother to their seats with Jiang Wanrong.

The empress continued:

"There's no need to be nervous, ladies. Have some tea first, and we can all sit and chat.

Once His Majesty's morning court session ends, we'll move to the Imperial Garden. My birthday celebration will be held there today."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Everyone saluted the empress with clasped hands.

It'll already be seven by the time morning court ends. This is so boring.

I wonder if the empress finds these early mornings a pain, too.

The empress looked around at everyone, intrigued by the voice that had suddenly appeared.

She did indeed find getting up early a pain.

But etiquette could not be discarded, so she had no choice but to maintain her composure.

Judging by the voice, its owner should not have been far from her.

Yet on closer inspection, all the young ladies seemed quite demure. None would dare respond to her like that in full view of everyone.

"I imagine the ladies and young misses find it rather dull sitting here. I've invited the capital's most famous variety troupe. Let's enjoy a performance and liven things up."

Yes, yes, yes!

After all this time, I still haven't properly made time to go out and watch any acrobatics.

Jiang Yourning unconsciously sat a little straighter.

The corners of the empress's lips unconsciously lifted.

What an interesting person.

Too bad Little Wukong is a boy and went off with Fourth Brother. Otherwise, he could have come to see his birth mother.

Such a good person. If she knew that the reason she hasn't had any children these past five years was entirely the doing of her personal nanny, I wonder if she'd be furious enough to die.

Her nanny was replaced long ago, she's been poisoned, and her daughter has been ruined by being spoiled and flattered. She really is pitiful.

!!!

Cui Zhao'an's heart jolted.

Who was Little Wukong?

Why had this talk of a birth mother suddenly turned to her?

And what was this about her not having children?

Over all these years, only her Ge'er had survived. Her three sons had died one after another, and for several years running, there had been no sign of another pregnancy.

She had tried countless medicinal prescriptions to restore her health, but none had helped.

Eventually, as an empress unable to bear His Majesty a prince, she had felt too ashamed to face the imperial family and could only hold annual banquets to select consorts for him.

Even for today's birthday celebration, that had been her intention.

Cui Zhao'an turned her gaze to Nanny Mei, who sat beside her.

Nanny Mei had watched her grow up and accompanied her as she hacked through thorns and brambles in the harem. She was the person Cui Zhao'an trusted most.

What had that voice meant?

Nanny Mei had been replaced?

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, all those things that had seemed slightly off in the past began to loom larger, little by little.

Cui Zhao'an began searching the room with growing urgency.

She wanted to know who had said those things. This person seemed to know quite a lot.

But the families of practically every notable official at court had come today. With so many people present, even if she wanted to question them, she had no way to do so.

"Nanny Mei, go and see why Ge'er isn't here yet."

Cui Zhao'an spoke slowly to the nanny beside her.

Nanny Mei stood and nodded. "Yes. This old servant will go and check on Her Highness the princess."

Watching Nanny Mei disappear from view, Cui Zhao'an found herself unable to describe her feelings for the first time.

Her daughter was close to her, but ordinarily she was even closer to Nanny Mei.

She was somewhat spoiled and willful, and Cui Zhao'an had admonished her many times.

Yet her daughter always acted obedient in front of her, only to behave exactly as she pleased outside.

What if... someone had deliberately taught her to do that?

Having grown up in the inner household, she knew all too well what it meant to ruin someone through flattery and indulgence.

"Fu Shou, come here."

Cui Zhao'an called over the young eunuch standing nearby and quietly whispered something into his ear.

If even Nanny Mei could not be trusted, then the only dependable person here was probably this eunuch His Majesty had assigned to her.