With a powerful boss behind her, there's no way Xiao Yanzi could possibly be in trouble.

She couldn't remember the small details, but she remembered the general outline of each plot point. The Emperor was hiding, just waiting for the right opportunity.

Hearing footsteps behind them, Shen Nian and Qing'er stood up to go out and greet them, only to see the Empress helping the Empress Dowager in.

"May the Empress Dowager be blessed, and may the Empress be blessed."

"Okay, Qing'er, come here and recite."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, looking at the two girls who were walking towards her but stopped to bow. She called out to them in a calm tone, her emotions unreadable.

But the anger in his eyes was deep, and his face was solemn.

Shen Nian and Qing'er exchanged a glance and quickly walked to the Empress Dowager's side without any hesitation.

The Empress saw Chen Nian approaching and stepped aside, giving Chen Nian the opportunity to take the Empress Dowager's arm.

"Your Majesty the Empress."

As Chen Nian watched the Empress's actions, his goodwill towards her increased even more.

"Um."

The Empress responded, her eyes filled with affection, but unfortunately, Chen Nian had already turned her head to look at the Empress Dowager and did not notice the Empress's gaze.

"Your Majesty."

She called out softly, lost in thought.

"Um."

The Empress Dowager looked at the two girls beside her, and the anger in her eyes lessened a little.

However, the plot points that must be followed in the drama cannot be omitted.

Scan the surrounding environment.

"Little Swallow, you have such a lot of nerve..."

The moment the Empress Dowager spoke, the tense atmosphere instantly intensified.

"Also, Ziwei, you're dressed so elegantly. Xiaoyanzi doesn't know the rules, and don't you know them either?"

Ziwei, just who are you?

The sense of panic reached its peak, and the four guards panicked.

Chen Nian and Qing'er didn't dare to speak at this moment, as the Empress Dowager was clearly angry.

As people close to the Empress Dowager, they would never dare to offend her.

Although they had some interaction with Xiao Yanzi and the others, they were more inclined to side with the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty..."

In the end, it was Consort Ling who broke the tense atmosphere and took the blame upon herself.

Hearing Consort Ling's words, the Empress Dowager was stunned for a few seconds, only a few seconds, "Consort Ling, why are you protecting them—"

...

After the Empress Dowager's tirade, Consort Ling was speechless and lowered her head.

Looking at the quiet atmosphere, Chen Nian muttered to himself, "Your Majesty, why aren't you coming out yet?"

Although she liked Xiao Yanzi, she didn't interact much with anyone other than Xiao Yanzi and Ertai. Ertai was standing there perfectly fine, and Xiao Yanzi had the Emperor behind her.

The one being held accountable now is Ziwei. She doesn't have a good impression of Ziwei, thinking she's a bit of a hypocrite and a bit of a saint, so she's unlikely to step forward for her sake.

The Empress Dowager dotes on her, and she's determined not to do anything that would upset her.

Although today is also Ziwei's birthday, and she is the real princess, no one except the main characters knows this. Moreover, this is the palace, a place that "eats people," where every word and action must be carefully considered.

Although she has the protagonist's halo and can always escape danger, Ziwei always neglects her current status, and it's time for the Empress Dowager to give her a good talking-to.

"I knew it! How could I possibly deserve such a wonderful birthday? Your Majesty, punish me however you wish, I accept it. But all those present are my guests, please do not make things difficult for them."

Seeing that Consort Ling was speechless, Xiao Yanzi was displeased and stepped forward, speaking sarcastically, and even gave the Empress a special look.

However, Xiao Yanzi really wronged the Empress this time; it wasn't the Empress who did anything malicious.

This time, the Empress Dowager herself received the news; the Empress was definitely just a runner-up.

Although the Empress Dowager's arrival may have been due to her previous remarks, she did what she was supposed to do, reporting everything truthfully without embellishment.

Ziwei is indeed suspicious, and she has to be on guard. If something happens to the Emperor, it will be because she failed in her duty and did not manage the harem well. She will be the first to suffer.

She's selfish; all she wants is to protect herself and her...

She should continue to fulfill her duties as Empress and live a peaceful life in the palace.

As for the Emperor, she no longer dared to hope for his favor. As the Empress, she was destined to be unable to be as gentle and considerate as Consort Ling.

If she really became like Consort Ling, then she wouldn't be able to support the harem. How could she possibly live comfortably in the palace?

She owed her a great deal, and she wanted her to live as freely as she did outside the palace, and to find someone who truly loved her.

I don't want her to live as cautiously as I do, always thinking ten steps ahead for every one.

She has lost the Emperor's favor, so she must secure her position as Empress and cling to the Empress Dowager's coattails.

The Empress Dowager values ​​rules, so she should manage those rules well. As long as she manages everything well and dutifully fulfills her duties as Empress, neither the Empress Dowager nor the Emperor can find fault with her, and her position as Empress will be secure.

As long as she remains empress, she will protect her and let her be herself.

Because of Shen Nian's presence, the Empress did not act maliciously as she did in the original drama, and her entire focus was on Shen Nian.

The two sides clashed, and the atmosphere became tense.

"Hahaha, Your Majesty—"

"Hahaha, Your Majesty, I knew that there would be no surprises regarding Little Swallow, so my biggest surprise is hidden inside."

Upon hearing the Emperor's voice, Chen Nian immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense body bent over considerably.

Listening to Xiao Yanzi and the Empress Dowager's confrontation, she was really afraid that the Empress Dowager would be angered by Xiao Yanzi again. However, the Empress Dowager's face was also extremely serious, making it impossible for her and Qing'er to say anything to ease the tension.

The atmosphere was incredibly oppressive.

Fortunately, the emperor finally came out.

"Your Majesty, you actually got involved too."

The Empress Dowager truly hadn't expected that the Emperor would also be involved. Since the Emperor was involved, she certainly couldn't disrespect her son.

Can……

"Your Majesty, not only did the Emperor participate, but the two of us did too. You don't know how envious we are of Princess Huanzhu, having so many people doting on her."

Seeing the Empress Dowager's troubled expression, Qing'er finally found an opportunity to speak, taking the Empress Dowager's hand.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Qing'er and I both participated. Today is Princess Huanzhu's birthday, so let's not be so serious. Shufangzhai is so much fun, let's experience it together."

Chen Nian took the Empress Dowager's arm, rested her head on the Empress Dowager's shoulder, looked up at the Empress Dowager, and acted coquettishly.

The Empress, listening to Chen Nian's expression of envy, glanced around at the decorations of Shufangzhai and silently memorized them.

With the two girls singing and acting in unison, coupled with Chen Nian's soft and coquettish manner, they successfully softened the old lady's expression, and her tense face relaxed.

"You guys."

The two men gave the Empress Dowager a way out, and she accepted it, but she still almost did not succeed.

...