In the third month of the fourth year of Tiansheng, Mu Beichen officially ascended the throne, posthumously conferring upon Yu Changxiao the title of Loyal and Martial General, and simultaneously establishing Yu Qianqian as the Empress of Beiyou Kingdom. During his reign, Mu Beichen treated his people well and was highly respected by all. Now, residing on the throne, he is the ruler of the four seas and reigns supreme over the world.

The Phoenix Palace, the royal palace of the Northern You Kingdom.

The palace before them was magnificent and grand, with soaring eaves that seemed to reach the heavens. It was even more impressive than the celestial pavilions in the deepest clouds, and anyone who saw it would be filled with awe and fear.

At this moment, Yu Qianqian, who was leaning back on the chaise lounge with her eyes closed to rest, slightly opened her eyelids and stared blankly at the scenery outside the window, which she had seen countless times before.

She suddenly realized that she had been in the palace for a full month now, and she had hardly seen Mu Beichen at all these days. What angered her even more was that she had sent people to look for Mu Beichen several times recently, but each time she was rejected with the same excuse.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside. She turned her head to look in the direction of the sound and found that the person was Xiangxing, a newly entered maid in the palace. She held a round fan in one hand and waved it lightly, speaking slowly with a nonchalant expression.

"Tell me what he said this time."

"Your Majesty the Empress—" Xiangxing replied respectfully, "His Majesty is currently reviewing memorials in the Imperial Study and said he will come to see you after he finishes his work."

Xiangxing's words sent a chill down her spine. Through the jade window, she gazed at the young palace maids laughing and joking among the flowers. Her eyes held a strange smile, but her face was expressionless. An invisible sense of loneliness welled up in her eyes. This was a feeling of loss and despair that she had never known before entering the palace. The gentle and considerate Achen in her heart had gradually disappeared since her ascension to the throne.

Shaking off her chaotic thoughts, Yu Qianqian took a deep breath and gave a cold smile: "Heh... He's always said that since he entered the palace." As she finished speaking, Xiang Xing looked over with a hint of regret in her eyes.

Yu Qianqian's long, black hair was tied up in a bun, adorned with a golden phoenix hairpin. She wore a snow-white brocade dress that accentuated her slender waist, making her appear even more petite. The only striking feature of her body was the scar on half of her face. Even at such a young and beautiful age, she could not hold onto the emperor's heart. No matter how heavy the promise, the harem would inevitably become lively sooner or later.

Sensing the strange look in Yu Qianqian's eyes, Xiang Xing quickly dismissed her distracting thoughts and whispered to comfort her, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. The Northern You Kingdom is in dire need of rebuilding and its foundation is not yet secure. His Majesty will inevitably be busy. Your Majesty just needs to wait patiently. Perhaps it won't be long before His Majesty comes to Fengyi Palace to find you."

"Okay, I understand. You can go now." Yu Qianqian sat quietly on the chaise lounge, not moving an inch from beginning to end, but at this moment, she was thinking about other things.

Watching Xiangxing leave, she glanced listlessly at the glittering golden palace, feeling increasingly irritable. If she had known that entering the palace would be such a torment, she would have rather died than become empress. The thought of personally building this golden cage and keeping herself imprisoned made her feel incredibly resentful.

"Someone, help me change my clothes!" Yu Qianqian suddenly straightened up, her eyes and heart filled with utter rage. "I want to leave the palace!"