After Morning Dew left Chang Palace, she walked alone on the main road.

  It was already past midnight, and all sounds had ceased. The only sound left was the faint chirping of small insects by the roadside, which made the night even more quiet and peaceful.

  These thousands of palaces and pavilions, jade halls and crystal mansions, stand quietly, as if for all eternity, yet they have witnessed all the joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, rises and falls.

  Darkness envelops everything, only those lanterns in the palace are still struggling to emit light, and it's unknown when they will burn out of oil and lose their luster.

  Just like the countless, lively lives that smile and flutter in this space, they dance with flying sleeves, ringed skirts under the moon, singing and dancing, praying silently to the moon, but ultimately, fragrance fades, jade perishes, and falls into dust.

  Her eyes grew clearer, standing upright in the wind, as if with all her might, she was resisting the bleak wind and cold rain.

  A slender figure stood upright, she was silent, and gradually, the deep night color of the palace also retreated before her.

  Empress Zhou had such a feeling when she saw her.

  This little girl, with a radiant aura surrounding her, the sword intent between her eyebrows, shoots straight up to the sky, as if suppressing the heavy darkness.

  She involuntarily touched the short sword at her waist, and the unique coldness of the metal helped her recover slightly.

  "Still..."

  She stepped forward, hesitated, but finally spoke out: "May I see your palm?"

  "This remark is quite abrupt, and the request is even more absurd. Chenlu narrowed her eyes: 'Noble Consort, what do you want to see?'"

  As if unable to bear her gaze, Empress Zhou seemed even more hesitant, yet ultimately resolutely said: "I want to see... your palm."

  The girl suddenly smiled, and in an instant, Empress Zhou felt that even the faintest light of the lamp had burst into radiance.

  "Your Majesty... having lived in the palace for so long, you naturally know what should be seen and what, even if seen, cannot be spoken of..."

  Empress Zhou gazed at her, and finally spoke for the third time:

  "Please put out your hand!"

  Morning dew lightly sighed, and from the long sleeves, a hand stretched out.

  Her ten fingers were as slender and white as herself, except on the palms —

  That was a small, solidified blood hole in the center of his palm, as if it had been forcibly pierced, revealing a shocking bright red.

  "No wonder... I smelled a faint smell of blood in the banquet..."

  The Empress Dowager spoke in a low voice, examining the wound carefully before making a decisive statement: "It's something you've been suppressing by force, done with your own fingertips."

  "The princess is indeed a goddess... I was afraid that if I used my powers at the banquet, it would startle Your Majesty."

  The young girl's expression was vivid and true to life, but Empress Zhou could see at a glance the careless smile playing on her lips.

  She recalled the last time, that was a somewhat disdainful glance, anger surged in her heart, her mind racing everywhere, the short sword had already been drawn out of its scabbard.

  The next moment, she felt a chill on her neck, stretched out her hand to touch it, and found it was just a leaf!

  This little girl official, with a casual wave of her hand, has already reached the level where flying leaves can hurt people, and yet she is still holding back!

  The Imperial Concubine Zhou was filled with indignation and gradually withdrew, she sighed gloomily and turned to leave, leaving behind only one sentence:

  "Shang Yi, although your martial arts skills have reached an extreme level, you must also know that the most taboo thing in practicing martial arts is to let one's heart fire surge upwards..."

  Morning dew was surprised at her kind words and replied with a sentence:

  "Miss, you'd better not have any more actions like last time at Huixiang Garden."

  Empress Zhou gradually went away, she didn't answer, just faintly sighed once.

  Morning dew looked at her figure and laughed self-deprecatingly ——

  Who understands anyone's struggles in this world?

  She stretched out her hand and examined the hideous wound under the flickering firelight.

  This is the unbearable pain she left behind, suppressing her emotions at the banquet.

  "I also know that with a heart full of repressed anger, I fear that one day it will erupt and consume me. But after twenty-six years of suffering in the underworld's fiery pit, how can my resentment be extinguished, even by a single fraction?"

  She returned to the Bimonthly Palace and did not wake up the maid. After washing herself slightly, she fell asleep soundly.

  On the second day at dawn, she got up early, having slept for only three or four hours, feeling slightly tired.

  She didn't linger on the warm bed, but went straight to the Qianqing Palace.

  "His Majesty has excused himself from morning court today and is waiting for you, Imperial Consort Shang Yi!"

  Qin Xi's face was full of joy and respect, but his words were evasive.

  The dew in her eyes sparkled for a moment, knowing that last night's matter was not yet settled. After a brief hesitation, she still entered the bedroom.

  In the bedroom, there was no one else, only a screen behind which came out a familiar voice of Yuan Qi.

  "Come here!"

  She walked in, and what caught her eye was a huge gilded wooden barrel, where Yuan Qi sat inside, with his upper body bare, leaning forward to look at her as she entered.

  His upper body was robust, and he usually wore loose robes, so it wasn't very noticeable. But now that he was stark naked, his excellent physique, honed from years of martial arts training, was fully revealed.

  "The good things you've planned will come true."

  His voice was unusually cold and calm, his hands didn't stop, slowly washing himself with a silk handkerchief, his eyebrows deeply furrowed, as if clearing away some impurity.

  "Your Majesty, your humble servant has no other choice but to resort to this last resort."

  Chenlu saw his unpleasant expression and carefully said: "To be honest, Empress Dowager," she emphasized this title, continuing to say: "The ginseng soup that the Empress Dowager bestowed had some special medicine..."

  Yuan Qi did not respond, but simply sat in the bathtub, quietly listening.

  "Your Majesty, you have been very considerate of the Empress. Every time you visit her, you take a secret medicine, which is why the Empress has remained childless until now."

  "But in that bowl of soup, what was added was actually the Red Star Herb, which can break down your secret medicine and promote fertility. So I, a humble servant, dared to let Concubine Mei also take this medicine - the Red Star Herb grows in the shade of the dandelion greens, it's easily obtainable."

  "This medicine is for women, it makes them passionate like a raging fire. So, although Mei Gui seems fierce, she's actually fine, just needs your comfort..."

  "That's so well said!!"

  Yuan Qi finally lifted his head, his eyes flashing with fierce and violent light, he stretched out his hand and pulled her to his side.

  "She needs my comfort, what about me?!"

  "You're really devoted to your duty! You can't wait to push me into Mei Guibao's hands..."

  His eyes were burning with inexplicable anger, and in his haste, he couldn't even distinguish between "I" and "me"...

  He pulled her close, feeling the slightly cool skin in his hands, gradually getting closer, until there was no distance between them.

  "Why... did you push me into another woman's arms..."

  He muttered under his breath, like a wounded beast, mad and brutal, just seeking comfort.

  The eyes of the two met, he gazed at the crystal clear face in front of him, the rosy red lips, and was about to kiss down.

  All he heard was a clear dragon hum, and he felt a chill on the back of his neck. It was his own sword "Tai'a", its scabbard lying horizontally between the two of them.

  Chenlu rolled up his sleeves and took out "Tai'a", sheathing it to stop Yuanqi, also stopping him from taking further action.

  "You dare to draw your sword on me?!"

  "The sword is in its scabbard..."

  Her eyes were as clear and cold as ancient ice and snow, and they suddenly extinguished the flames in his heart.

  "A precious sword is never lightly drawn from its scabbard; if it is, then it is not a fierce weapon - just a ceremonial one."

  She looked at Yuan Qi: "When a man comes of age, he wears a sword, which means that a gentleman knows etiquette."

  The two of them stared at each other, confronting each other without giving in. After a long while, Yuan Qi let out a soft sigh and said: "It's my fault..."

  "If Your Majesty has no further business, I beg to take my leave."

  "You go..."

  Until the girl reached the door, Yuan Qi sighed and said: "Actually... I'm not being rude, but... I wish I could dig out my true heart for you..."

  The voice was low and distant, and the girl seemed to have completely ignored it, walking away on her own.

  On the other side, Cining Palace was also quite restless.

  "Bang!"

  The Empress Dowager summoned the Empress, but didn't say much. She just coldly smiled and slapped her own niece.

  The queen's face was pale, with only five red marks added, she didn't argue back, but quietly knelt on the ground.

  "You ignorant wretch, how dare you do such a shameful thing - and use my name to boot!"

  The empress dowager looked at her, neither crying nor begging for mercy. The anger in her heart grew even more intense: "This kind of behavior will certainly not deceive the emperor... How can you be so foolish?!"

  The queen covered her face, raised her head with a cold smile, and the charming and gentle innocence of that night had disappeared. Her two eyes were deeply sunken, like a madman, with black and bright pupils.

  "Empress Dowager, do you still think I'm too foolish?!"

  Her face twisted: "You're too naive, the emperor doesn't want me to get pregnant with his child at all - he's actually preventing and suppressing the entire Lin family!!"

  "What did you say?!" The empress dowager was shocked and suddenly stood up.

  "You really think I used aphrodisiacs... Hehe..." The empress seemed to go mad, laughing wildly: "The emperor has been taking medicine all along, he doesn't let me get pregnant..."

  This earth-shattering sentence made the empress dowager slump down in her seat.

  It's really hard to draw a handsome naked man coming out of the bath, I've never seen one before, tears)