"I think you two maids are doing a terrible job. What use are you even if you have martial arts skills?"

"Yes, Your Highness is right to reprimand us. It's all our fault."

Xun'er lowered her head, her eyes filled with tears.

Achan was speechless, her heart filled with self-blame.

"Alright, they didn't do it on purpose, why do you have to say that about them?" Mi Shan was always protective of her own, and after she finished speaking, she noticed that Li Changyu's expression seemed to turn cold for a moment.

"I am speaking for you."

“I know… but I will deal with my servants myself.”

Li Changyu scoffed coldly, his face pale and slightly angry, and turned to leave.

Mi Shan gazed helplessly at his tall, aloof back, lost in thought: "Could it be that he's upset because of what I said? Otherwise, why would he have reacted so strongly just now?"

"Hmm, this servant thinks that His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be taking his anger out on others," Xun'er said.

"anger?"

"The Crown Prince has been unhappy ever since he saw you with His Highness the First Prince."

"He must be in a bad mood today. Don't overthink it, my lady," Achan said. "I saw him looking sullen at the banquet."

"Yeah?"

Mi Shan had a moment of doubt, but quickly stopped thinking about it.

Back in the palace, after sitting for a short while, he received a message from the emperor, sent by Xu Ninghai.

They said that the Mi family would be coming to the palace to see her very soon.

Mi Shan nodded.

She had been looking forward to seeing her parents and inquiring about her mother's past. Now, the day was finally approaching when Mi Xiuyan and Qiao Fangyue would come to the palace for an audience.

After a daughter marries, she has very few opportunities to see her parents.

Moreover, she had entered the palace, so this opportunity was extremely precious to her.

Back in the Mi family, she was a nobody with little influence. When her mother was alive, she was still young and never understood the meaning of life.

After her mother left, she grew up overnight. She longed to understand her mother, but she never had the chance again.

She never dared to ask her father how he met her mother, or what her mother's past was like.

Now, the opportunity has finally arrived.

"Your humble servant, Mi Xiuyan,"

"Your subject, Qiao Fangyue,"

"Greetings to Consort Mi Hui, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

The two knelt respectfully, their eyes showing no disrespect whatsoever, and carefully finished speaking.

Only after Mi Shan began to speak did he dare to get up.

"Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Lady Xie Mi."

When Mi Xiuyan saw her, he couldn't hide the joy and light in his eyes, nor could he hide his scheming. He really wanted to talk to Mi Shan, but he didn't dare to take the initiative to speak.

Qiao Fangyue felt much more guilty, and couldn't sit still. She kept fidgeting with her hands in front of her, turning her handkerchief around.

Perhaps she knew that she had treated Mi Shan poorly in the past and was afraid that Mi Shan would take the opportunity to make trouble for her.

Mi Shan glanced at them casually, her demeanor calm and composed, befitting a person in a superior position: "Father, Mother, how have you been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am in good health. I have heard that Your Majesty is rising through the ranks in the palace. How could I not be happy? When a person is happy, their spirits are high!"

"Yes, that's why people are always in high spirits when something good happens," Qiao Fangyue said with an awkward laugh.

After saying that, he saw that Mi Shan did not smile at all and was still quietly watching them.

I couldn't help but feel a little reserved, and I sat up straight without daring to speak.

"Actually, I am very happy to see you all. It is a good opportunity to catch up with you."

"What would Your Majesty like to discuss? Your humble servant is at your service." Mi Xiuyan naturally adopted a fawning and ingratiating expression, but in his heart, he was calculating his next move.

As long as Mi Shan is made happy,

We can bring it up with her again later, asking her to whisper in the emperor's ear and give him a boost...

"I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about my poor mother who passed away too soon. I wanted to choose an auspicious day to pay my respects to her, but unfortunately, I was still young when she passed away, and I didn't know what she liked."

"Father, you and Mother have such a good relationship, could you tell me more about her? For example, how did you two meet?"

“This…” Mi Xiuyan hesitated, exchanging a complicated glance with Qiao Fangyue.

Mi Xiuyan's silence made Mi Shan instinctively feel that something was amiss.

Qiao Fangyue's nervousness, in particular, was unprecedented.

Do I really have to say it?

“Father.” Mi Shan emphasized, “Is my word no longer valid?” “No, no.” Upon hearing this, Mi Xiuyan hurriedly knelt down, “I did not speak because Meiniang’s background is not good. She smuggled herself from the Western Regions. I’m sure Your Majesty is aware of this.”

"But I actually bought her on the black market for a thousand taels of silver to redeem her."

“She was originally a person without status, and even her status as a slave was unclear. After I bought her, I saw that she was beautiful, charming, had a beautiful singing voice, and could dance. I really liked her, so I gave her a name.”

Mi Xiuyan said this,

Qiao Fangyue clenched her fists tightly, her eyes filled with jealousy and hatred.

"When did you buy her?"

Mi Shan has recently investigated and found out the time of the Crown Princess's death, wondering if it matches what Mi Xiuyan said.

However--

"It's been many years, at least ten years. I can't remember exactly."

"You can't remember? How can you not remember? Think about it carefully for me."

Just as Mi Shan pressed for answers, leaving Mi Xiuyan and Qiao Fangyue feeling at a loss,

Xun'er suddenly ran in.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has sent someone to invite Lord Mi and Madam Qiao over. What should we do?"

"The Empress? What does she want with Mi Xiuyan?" Mi Shan was taken aback, a question flashing through her mind.

Just then, footsteps could be heard outside the door.

Granny Shen walked in and bowed: "Your Excellencies, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."

She said it directly, not giving Mi Shan a chance to stop her.

This abruptly interrupted the conversation between Mi Shan and Mi Xiuyan.

The Empress is the head of the harem; who dares disobey her?

Although Mi Xiuyan and his wife were uneasy, they still followed Granny Shen.

Mi Shan sat back down in her chair, feeling displeased. She hadn't expected that her mother was actually a slave who had been sold into slavery.

Before her mother gave birth to her,

What exactly did she go through, how much suffering did she endure...? "Your Majesty, don't be sad, it's all over now."

Xun'er knew her; because of her mother's identity, Mi Shan was spat upon by thousands and humiliated by tens of thousands.

Throughout the Mi family, people always looked at her with pointing fingers and whispering.

This is why Mi Fen bullied her even more recklessly.

"Your Majesty, they will be gone for a while and won't be back for a short time. They will definitely come to see you again soon. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them later."

"When Eunuch Xu came earlier, he said that the Emperor's treasury would only be open to you for one day,"

"Would you like to go and take a look now?"