Mr. Mo stared at the familiar cover, his heart filled with shock. Hadn't he burned the letter? How was it still here?

"This..." Mr. Mo felt like he was being pricked by a thorn in his back and was too scared to speak for a moment.

"Why don't you open it and take a look, or I can read it for you." Xiao Chen's tone suddenly turned cold as he said the last three words.

Mr. Mo was so frightened that he hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Xiao Chen looked at the old man kneeling on the ground with icy eyes; he hated traitors the most.

"If you want to live, it depends on your performance at the palace banquet."

Mr. Mo kowtowed, "Yes, Your Highness, this old minister will certainly not disappoint you." He knew very well the Crown Prince's methods and would not be lenient just because he was the leading figure in the literary world of Nanjing.

"Your Highness." A guard slipped in through the window.

Xiao Chen gave Ye Jian a look, and Ye Jian understood, immediately taking Mr. Mo out.

"explain."

"Your Highness, Grand Commandant Song of Dongling has brought a portrait to see the Crown Prince of Xiqiu."

Xiao Chen's eyes sharpened; what a clever scheme!

"Before the palace banquet, have someone change the portrait, keep a low profile, and keep a close eye on the Prime Minister's residence to prevent unauthorized personnel from sneaking in."

"yes."

...

The old emperor's birthday banquet arrived as scheduled.

Officials will bring their families to the palace for a banquet, a rare and precious opportunity for many young men and women. Everyone will dress up in their finest attire and present their best selves.

The Prime Minister's Residence.

Looking at the beautiful woman dressed up in the mirror, Nanqianyue couldn't help but furrow her brows.

"Wang Mama, reduce the number of hairpins and earrings, change to a more understated pair, and change the lipstick to a lighter color."

She's already quite eye-catching; dressing up like this would only draw more attention to her. It's better to be more low-key and safer.

“Young lady, you can’t reduce the dress code. Today is His Majesty’s birthday banquet, and no one dares to be negligent. Attending in full dress is a sign of respect for the palace banquet and His Majesty,” explained Granny Qiao, who had just entered the inner room.

She gestured to Granny Wang, "Granny Wang, let me do it."

Granny Wang voluntarily withdrew, while Granny Qiao, having lived in the palace for a long time, was naturally more familiar with palace etiquette than either of them.

"Alright." Nan Qianyue had no choice but to compromise, letting Granny Qiao make changes to her head and face.

However, it must be said that Granny Qiao's taste is much more sophisticated than Granny Wang's. With just a slight adjustment, her style changes completely, becoming gentle and dignified without being too bland. In short, she strikes the perfect balance.

Inside the courtyard inside the second gate, Nan Yichu and Nan Kezhi arrived early and exchanged compliments.

"Second sister, your light blue dress today makes you even more beautiful, and that pearl and jade butterfly hairpin stands out among all your hair ornaments!"

Nan Kezhi covered her mouth and chuckled, "Who told you to give it to your younger brother? Your light blue brocade robe today makes you look even more mature, and the landscape embroidered on the hem looks just like the real thing."

"You two are here early." The Prime Minister's wife walked over slowly, followed only by Kong Momo.

"Mother!" The two women approached the Prime Minister's wife from either side.

"Mother, what are you wearing today—"

"Alright." The Prime Minister's wife smiled and gave Nan Yichu a reproachful look. "I've never seen you so sweet-talking before, but today you're going to praise everyone."

Nan Yichu chuckled and said, "Of course, you are all fairies today. Fairies deserve to be praised. When the eldest sister arrives, I will be the first to praise her. Don't try to compete with me."

As if on cue, a clear and melodious laugh came from the corridor, "Little brother, how will you praise me?"

A warm breeze blew towards the corner of the corridor, and a graceful figure in hibiscus-colored dress walked slowly towards the wind. The exquisite dress hugged her shapely figure, and her stunningly beautiful face was adorned with a faint smile, making her both lively and charming in the blink of an eye.

"Big sister, if I didn't know you were my big sister, I would have suspected you were a fairy." Nan Yichu shook her head and sighed.

The Prime Minister's wife also showed a satisfied smile, but when she saw the two maids glaring at each other behind Nan Qianyue, she couldn't help but frown.

"Qianyue, just bring one maid today."

The southward migration was also a source of great distress. Green Robe and Ayu saw each other as thorns in their side and argued over everything.

"You two play rock-paper-scissors, whoever loses stays," Nanqianyue said, feigning seriousness.

But that's not a serious statement at all.

Green Robe and Ayu immediately softened like persimmons after being glared at by the Prime Minister's wife, and dared not act so childishly in front of her.

“Mother, eldest sister, my maid stays, but let your two maids go with you,” Nan Kezhi said considerately.

Normally, the Prime Minister's wife would never agree to such an irregular arrangement, but today is His Majesty's birthday banquet, and it wouldn't be good to cause any unhappiness.

"Alright, Qianyue, you can assign a maid to take care of your sister."

Nan Qianyue gave Nan Kezhi a grateful look, then instructed the maid behind her, "Green Robe, you'll stay with your sister today."

Green Robe was trained by her mother, so her mother would feel more at ease having her take care of her younger sister.

...

The majestic palace walls were awe-inspiring, yet no one dared to speak or express their feelings aloud. Instead, they followed the palace servants with proper etiquette and stepped over the walls.

Two hours before the palace banquet, all the female members of the family were taken to Wanyi Palace, the palace of Empress Dowager Wei.

Seats had already been set up in the vast hall, and the ladies took their seats accordingly.

During the southward migration, Yue and her younger sister sat behind the Prime Minister's wife.

Empress Dowager Wei has not yet arrived; to be precise, none of the noble women in the palace have arrived yet.

"Elder sister, look at Madam Song." Nan Kezhi whispered close to Nan Qianyue's ear.

"Which Madam Song?" Nan Qianyue asked.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!