Yun Wuyi: "You knew she was here all along, why didn't you get rid of her sooner?"

Qi Su: "Oh dear, is this your guest? How would I know how the King of Qishan intends to handle this?"

Yun Wuyi turned her head around and led her into the room.

"This is none of our business; leave it to the Crown Prince."

The maids in the room, knowing what was going on, all withdrew.

The dragon and phoenix candles burned only a short time, and the long night continued.

It's just the beginning.

Qi Su: "Go take a shower first, then we'll do something fun later."

Yun Wuyi: ...

Qi Su: "Why are you looking at me like that? Your Highness, shall I show you the collector's edition of Spring Mountain painting that I bought before, so I can temporarily make up for it?"

Yun Wuyi: "No need, I've already met him."

Qi Su asked in surprise, "How come you've seen this before?"

Yun Wuyi: "I have also read some of the classics of Tantric Buddhism."

…

It turned out that he really had seen it.

Damn, he knows so much.

…

When Qi Su woke up the next day, her newlywed husband was no longer there.

Without parents-in-law, there is no customary greeting.

As for going to the palace to express gratitude, the Crown Princess said yesterday that tomorrow is the Emperor's birthday.

Let the young couple enjoy their time together, and they can go to the palace to express their gratitude tomorrow.

The man who slept with her and then ran away has disappeared.

The yellow and white cat, however, was very kind and lay casually on her bed.

When she saw her looking over, she simply leaned back on the pillow and meowed twice in a coquettish voice.

Qi Su picked it up and examined it carefully for a moment.

Ask the lady-in-waiting beside you, who is also the owner of the rouge shop.

"Look at its eyes, aren't they no longer innocent?"

The female official glanced at the fat, plump cat.

How can a clear but foolish gaze be considered impure?

Qi Su patted its head.

“I saw it peeking last night.”

Female officer: "..."

The atmosphere was getting a little strange when a maid who was arranging flowers by the window let out a gasp.

Soon, she brought over a box.

They said it was found outside the window.

This small box is made using the black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlay technique.

Unlike ordinary square or round boxes, this box looks a lot like a...

coffin.

Just as the lady-in-waiting was about to speak, she saw her princess open the box without a care in the world.

It really was just a small coffin.

There were two rag dolls inside.

One of the boys had broken limbs and his face was covered in blood.

The other doll is dressed in a wedding gown.

The crimson color had a wet sheen, like bloodstains that hadn't yet dried.

The female official's expression changed drastically.

Receiving such a witchcraft doll today, especially after a wedding yesterday, is certainly unlucky.

"Your Highness..." she began to comfort him.

Then, the Princess of Qishan, who was still not dressed, had already closed the coffin box again.

He casually tossed the things aside.

His expression remained calm and normal.

"Burn it," she casually ordered.

The lady-in-waiting asked, "Does Your Highness know who sent this?"

Qi Su nodded.

"That annoying ghost that won't leave me alone. No problem, I'll just beat him up next time I see him."

.

I haven't yet experienced the benefits of becoming the Princess of Qishan.

But the responsibilities that lay ahead of them had already begun to surface.

The third day after the wedding is the Emperor's birthday.

As the newly crowned princess, Qi Su will inevitably have to start socializing.

On the day of Emperor Wanli's birthday, there was no wind or cloud, and the sky was clear and blue.

It is said that Emperor Wei Zhao was greatly pleased by this.

They believed this was a blessing from heaven, a sign that he had gained divine approval.

In the previous dynasty, the Emperor's Birthday Festival was a very grand and important festival.

The celebrations were even more elaborate than those for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This is also the place where, during the debate on "the fall of the Great Zhou" at Jinshui Bridge, the Great Zhou was criticized and condemned for its extravagance and debauchery.

Having learned from the lessons of the previous dynasty, the new dynasty naturally wouldn't make such a grand display.

However, to express the joy of the people, colorful tents were set up in the streets and markets well in advance.

After the ceremony to congratulate the emperor, all the people could watch various performances for free, as a way of showing that the royal family shared the joy with the people.

…

The King and Queen of Qishan got up very early.

Wear a special dress, apply elegant makeup, and wear elaborate jewelry.

The gift for the emperor had been prepared long ago.

All that was left was to take a carriage to the palace for the banquet.

Every ten steps in the palace there was a colorful lantern, and every fifty steps there was a jade tree. All the flower branches were tied with brocade ribbons.

Even the palace maids were allowed to wear their favorite everyday clothes.

Judging from the palace's layout alone, it's not too different from the grandeur of the previous dynasty.

Unfortunately, the common people outside the palace were not fortunate enough to witness this magnificent scene.

…

The emperor first went to the inner palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.

Then they went to the Zichen Hall to receive the kneeling homage and congratulations from the court officials.

Finally, we went to Qinghe Hall to attend the banquet.

Meanwhile, in the inner palace, a decorated pavilion was set up in the Lijing Courtyard, where entertainers from the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) and acrobats from outside the palace were invited to perform.

Qi Su and Yun Wuyi split into two groups as soon as they entered the palace.

Qi Su was led to the Crown Princess's side.

The palace was packed with concubines, princesses, and female relatives of the imperial family.

By the time they sat down in the Lijing Courtyard, the sun was already high in the sky.

The sound of bells and drums came from the front courtyard—meaning that His Majesty had drunk the first cup of imperial wine.

In the inner palace, the Empress Dowager sat on a high platform, receiving an imperial edict from the chief eunuch.

—The banquet begins.

Qi Su was a princess consort, holding a very high position, and sat with the princess and the crown princess.

The Empress Dowager sat on a high platform, while Qi Su and other ladies of the inner court sat on the two side corridors of the high platform.

The ladies of noble families who were eligible to attend the banquet sat on the steps.

Qi Su entered the palace early in the morning, wearing a dignified mask and smiling for an hour or two, until her face almost didn't belong to her anymore.

The juggling performance was about to begin.

She watched for a while, then excused herself to change her clothes and went outside for some fresh air.

.

After she left, the Fifth Prince's wife came over.

This princess consort looks similar to the fifth prince, with a round face and round eyes.

Of course, she's much more delicate and good-looking than him.

Not only do they look alike, but the couple also have similar temperaments.

Seeing Qi Su leave her seat, the Fifth Prince's Consort immediately sat down.

He couldn't wait to ask, "Is this his newlywed wife?"

The Crown Princess glared at her. The Empress Dowager and the Empress were both there; she had to be mindful of etiquette.

Seeing that the Fifth Prince's wife had indeed sat up straight, and that no one else seemed to care, the Crown Princess whispered:

"It's her."

The Fifth Prince's wife pouted, "Little vixen. She even managed to bewitch the perfectly good Master Daoci, making him leave the monastic life."

She lowered her voice and quietly asked the Crown Princess.

"Then, what about Anle? That Anle."

The Crown Princess frowned upon hearing this.

At this moment, I don't want to talk about anything unpleasant.

He simply replied, "Who knows? They must have left the capital."

Forget about going to her parents' house if she's so clueless.

The night before, when she returned, she even had the nerve to hug her leg and cry for a long time, begging her to send her to the Qishan Prince's Mansion.

The Crown Princess was so angry that she immediately abandoned the situation.

A person's destiny is a choice they make themselves.

Send it wherever you like, it's up to the Crown Prince.

.

On the steps of the palace.

While watching the acrobatics and playing with a small jade fan, Miss Qi Er suddenly widened her eyes when she saw a figure in front of her.

"Mother, Mother..." she hurriedly nudged the lady beside her.

"What is it?" The aunt turned her head to look at her.

Second Miss Qi: "I think I just saw Qi Su, that girl, come down from up there."