Outside Fengyi Palace.
Guo Yichen sat upon the imperial dragon carriage, his gaze dark and thoughtful, still unable to believe what he had just seen and heard inside Fengyi Palace.
He had rushed over in haste after hearing from the Noble Consort that the Empress had forcibly brought Luo Li back from Cining Palace. He feared the Empress might beat the child again.
Yet upon arriving at Fengyi Palace, he had unexpectedly overheard the Empress’s bold and unconventional words while teaching Luo Li.
Though her words had been audacious, her insights were unique and refreshing.
In fact, he agreed with everything the Empress had said to Luo Li.
But those words truly did not sound like something the Empress would say.
In his eyes, the Empress had always been nothing more than a jealous and narrow-minded shrew who fought for favor, envied the other concubines, and possessed a vicious heart and cruel methods.
At the same time, he felt somewhat dazed.
How long had it been since he last saw the Empress smile?
One year? Two years?
He could no longer remember.
As Guo Yichen thought of this, his expression darkened instantly.
He concluded that this was probably just another trick the Empress was using to compete for his favor.
An Empress who neglected the management of the harem and failed to ease the Emperor’s burdens, instead obsessing over jealousy and harming imperial heirs, had utterly failed in her duties as Empress.
Although that was what Guo Yichen thought, he still could not stop the image of Lin Anran holding Luo Li from surfacing in his mind.
Her smile had been gentle and warm, like comforting sunlight in winter—soft, soothing, and never blinding.
If Lin Anran truly could repent and fulfill the responsibilities of a mother of the nation, then for the sake of Grand Tutor Lin, he would be willing to let her past mistakes go, grant her the respect and honor due an Empress, and maintain a courteous imperial marriage from then on.
“Wang Fugui, Princess Shengshi is still growing. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to add several more dishes for Fengyi Palace. Also instruct the Imperial Household Department to send over the Shanshan melons, raisins, and walnuts recently presented as tribute from the Western Regions for Princess Shengshi to snack on.”
Wang Fugui nodded obediently.
Although the Emperor rarely stepped foot inside Fengyi Palace, his affection for Princess Shengshi was sincere.
After a pause, Guo Yichen added unexpectedly, “Also have the Imperial Kitchen prepare several nourishing dishes for the Empress to help restore her health.”
She seemed far too thin. How could she properly care for the princess otherwise?
Wang Fugui was stunned.
The Emperor was actually showing concern for the Empress’s health?
“And send some additional rewards to Fengyi Palace according to custom,” Guo Yichen ordered.
This was both a sign of respect toward the Empress and a reminder that he hoped she would properly fulfill her role as Empress.
Wang Fugui nearly dropped his jaw in shock.
What was happening?
The Emperor was actually rewarding the Empress?
As he recalled, the last time the Emperor had bestowed rewards upon the Empress was when she gave birth to Princess Shengshi.
Could it be that this soon-to-be-deposed Empress still had a chance to turn things around?
…
Yongning Palace.
Crash!
The Noble Consort smashed the teacup in her hand to the floor in fury.
“You’re saying the Emperor went to Fengyi Palace and not only failed to punish the Empress, but even ordered the Imperial Kitchen to add more dishes there? And he even sent the Western Region tribute melons, raisins, and walnuts to Fengyi Palace?”
Having the Imperial Kitchen send extra dishes was one thing—she did not particularly care about that.
But the Shanshan melons, raisins, and walnuts from the Western Regions were foods she herself had desperately wanted.
After her miscarriage, the Emperor had only rewarded her with a tiny handful of raisins and two walnuts. She had not even seen the shadow of a Shanshan melon.
Yet now the Empress had only just emerged from confinement, and the Emperor was already sending all these precious things to Fengyi Palace.
How could she not be furious?
In the original novel, the Emperor had doted heavily upon Princess Shengshi, practically granting her every wish.
The rewards sent to Fengyi Palace were most likely because of Princess Shengshi.
It seemed that if she wanted to bring down the Empress, she would first need to eliminate Princess Shengshi.
…
Jinghe Palace.
“Hahaha… this is absolutely hilarious! The Noble Consort went to complain about the Empress to the Emperor, yet not only did the Emperor fail to punish the Empress, he even rewarded Fengyi Palace with so many good things. This is so satisfying!”
“I truly wish I could see the Noble Consort’s furious face right now. It must be priceless.”
After hearing that the Emperor had rewarded Fengyi Palace generously, the Worthy Consort showed not the slightest trace of anger. Instead, she looked thoroughly delighted.
This was unquestionably the happiest thing to happen since her rebirth.
As for whether the Empress might regain favor because of it, she was not worried at all.
In her previous life, the Empress had still been deposed soon afterward anyway.
What she needed to do was simply delay the Empress’s deposition long enough to destroy the Noble Consort first.
Once the Noble Consort fell, her revenge would finally be complete.
The position of mistress of the harem could belong to no one else but her.
…
Lunch time.
Because Luo Li had returned to Fengyi Palace, the Imperial Kitchen had prepared a much more lavish lunch than usual today, even specially making dishes suitable for children.
However, Lin Anran had requested the previous day that some chili peppers be added to her meals, yet the Imperial Kitchen seemed to have completely ignored her request. Today’s dishes still contained not even the slightest trace of spice, consisting entirely of nourishing soups and tonics.
The sight utterly killed Lin Anran’s appetite.
Lin Anran was not someone who liked making trouble. Since the Imperial Kitchen refused to cook spicy food for her, she decided she would simply use her own small kitchen instead.
She had two hands—surely she could not let her own stomach suffer.
“Xia Mo, go to the Imperial Kitchen before dinner later and ask them for some red and green chili peppers,” Lin Anran instructed.
After lunch, Lin Anran walked several laps around the courtyard with Luo Li to aid digestion before each returned to their respective rooms for a midday nap.
According to Lin Anran’s usual habits, she normally fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
But today, she simply could not sleep.
Eventually, she sat up and brought Chunhua along toward Luo Li’s room.
Luo Li lived in Shengshi Hall on the eastern side of Fengyi Palace. Only two moon gates and a courtyard separated it from Lin Anran’s Fengqi Hall.
At that moment, several palace maids were tidying Shengshi Hall. Upon seeing Lin Anran arrive, they nervously prepared to greet her, only for Lin Anran to stop them immediately.
She was afraid Luo Li might already be asleep and that their voices would wake her.
Rather than pushing the door open, Lin Anran carefully approached the window, intending to peek inside and see whether Luo Li was sleeping peacefully.
Yet through the window, she did not see Luo Li in bed at all.
Puzzled, Lin Anran looked around the room until she finally spotted the little girl seated at a writing desk, practicing calligraphy.
Even from afar, she could clearly see Luo Li’s steady grip on the brush and the neat, orderly characters she wrote stroke by stroke. Nothing about it resembled the work of a three-year-old child.
Within the original owner’s memories, Lin Anran learned that the original owner had begun forcing Luo Li to practice writing from the age of one.
What could a one-year-old child possibly understand?
But whenever Luo Li failed to do well enough, the original owner would beat and scold her. Afterward, the child would cry while continuing to practice.
Under such nearly twisted and brutal education, Luo Li had mastered beautiful handwriting by the age of three, earning endless praise from the Emperor.
Only when Luo Li received praise from the Emperor would the original owner treat her slightly more gently.
Thus, Luo Li had always worked diligently in her studies.
As Lin Anran sifted through those memories, her heart ached even more for the child.
How could anyone not love such an obedient, hardworking, well-mannered, and cautious little girl?
Lin Anran did not disturb Luo Li’s practice. Instead, she quietly returned to Fengqi Hall with Chunhua.
Early in the Shen hour.
According to palace etiquette, Luo Li came to pay respects to Lin Anran.
Accompanying her was an elderly matron.
“This daughter greets Mother Empress,” Luo Li said obediently.
The matron also knelt respectfully.
“This old servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. This old servant is called Nanny Jian.”
“For the two months Princess Shengshi stayed in Cining Palace, this old servant was responsible for her care. The Empress Dowager feared the princess might not adjust after returning to Fengyi Palace, so she specially ordered this old servant to continue caring for the princess here.”
Put nicely, Nanny Jian had been sent to care for Luo Li.
Put bluntly, she had been sent to monitor Lin Anran.
Lin Anran merely hummed lightly.
“Then I shall trouble Nanny Jian to continue taking care of things.”
If Nanny Jian truly cared for Luo Li wholeheartedly, then even if she was the Empress Dowager’s spy, Lin Anran did not mind.
After all, Fengyi Palace was already overflowing with spies.
Sometimes, spies could even become useful allies when handled correctly.
But if Nanny Jian harbored ulterior motives, Lin Anran would not mind making an example of her and showing the entire harem that although she lacked favor, she was far from easy to bully.
Nanny Jian had already prepared herself to be cursed or beaten by the Empress.
She never expected the Empress’s attitude to be so calm, almost as if she truly did not care about her presence at all.
While Nanny Jian remained puzzled, Lin Anran had already taken Luo Li’s hand and led her out of Fengqi Hall to bask in the sunlight.
Outside Fengqi Hall stood two ancient ginkgo trees. In the deep autumn, their leaves had turned brilliant gold. As the autumn wind blew through them, golden leaves drifted gently downward, blanketing the earth in dazzling color.
Seated beneath the trees, Lin Anran and Luo Li—one graceful and beautiful, the other adorable and delicate—resembled a masterpiece painted by a famous artist.
“Come, try this on.”
Lin Anran took a strange-looking object from Xia Mo and fastened it around Luo Li’s right wrist.
Looking curiously at the cloth wrapped around her wrist, Luo Li asked, “Mother Empress, what is this?”
“This is called a wrist guard,” Lin Anran explained. “Wear it whenever you practice writing. It’ll reduce the strain on your wrist so it won’t hurt after writing for too long.”
She certainly did not want Luo Li developing tendonitis at such a young age.
Tears of emotion shimmered in Luo Li’s eyes.
Just as Nanny Jian was about to say something, Dongxue suddenly came running over excitedly.
“Your Majesty! The Emperor’s rewards have arrived!”
The Emperor had rewarded Fengyi Palace?
As Nanny Jian stared at the treasures carried in by the palace servants, her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.
Only five Shanshan melons, one basket of raisins, and one crate of walnuts had been sent as tribute from the Western Regions.
The Empress Dowager herself had received only one melon, one plate of raisins, and one basket of walnuts.
Yet the Emperor had rewarded Fengyi Palace with two Shanshan melons, an entire basket of raisins, and a whole crate of walnuts?
That was even more than the Empress Dowager had received!
Was the Emperor no longer planning to depose the Empress after all?