From the moment the Empress entered, Xueying had been paying close attention to her every move. No matter what she said or did, she always felt as if a gaze was watching her.

After thinking for a moment, Xueying left her seat and walked up to Empress Ulanara. "Your Majesty, Xueying would like to offer you a toast."

Although Xueying didn't want to get too close to her, she was, after all, a member of the Ulanara family, and she still had to observe basic etiquette.

Empress Ulanara looked at the man before her, her heart filled with dissatisfaction and her eyes with endless disappointment, but she tried her best to suppress it. However, of course, she could not reveal a word of it here.

The Empress asked with a smile, "Oh, it's Xueying. How have you been lately? You haven't visited me in a long time, and I didn't know anything about your situation!"

On the surface, Ulanara showed concern for Xueying, but in reality, she was implying that Xueying had not followed her instructions and that even if she treated Hongli with sincerity, she would still end up being neglected.

Xueying felt a pang of pain in her heart upon hearing the Empress's words. She used to adore her aunt, the Empress, and from a very young age, she often heard her elders say that her aunt was the pride of the Ulanara family.

"Your Majesty, Xueying is doing very well these days. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Xueying will definitely take good care of herself." Hearing this, the Empress was even more displeased and said in an unfriendly tone, "You're doing well! Do you know what kind of life your aunt is living every day?"

The two spoke sideways, their backs to Lanqin and the Fourth Prince. The Empress wore a smile, making it clear to others that she and Xueying were simply catching up after a long time apart.

Xueying knew that the Empress's power was gradually being reduced by the Emperor, and her current status was merely nominal. But what could she do? She couldn't hurt the man she loved, nor did she want to harm anyone.

"Your Majesty, I will do whatever I can to help you. Please rest assured," Xueying said.

"Alright, that's settled then. Come to my place after the banquet," said Empress Ulanara.

Xueying hesitated for a moment, but still agreed. She wanted to make up for what she had done to the Empress. She smiled and said, "Yes, niece will visit aunt whenever she has time."

It was perfectly natural for an aunt and niece to talk. Moreover, they were both speaking in hushed tones, so no one else heard them.

Meanwhile, Lanqin had been keeping a close eye on their situation. Lanqin had always been worried about leaving Xueying by Hongli's side. After all, she was a member of the Ulanara family. However, so much time had passed, and Xueying hadn't done anything outrageous. Lanqin had almost let her guard down around Xueying, and she could even say that she had developed a bit of affection for this pretty daughter-in-law.

However, Lanqin was still a little worried when Empress Ulanara called her to her side today. Xueying was not as scheming as Empress Ulanara, and she was worried that Ulanara would instigate Xueying to do something.

Sitting at the side table, Mingyu observed everything, watching every move of Ulanara and her niece. From the moment Xueying married into Hongli's household, she had been hoping that Xueying would make a mistake so that she could drive Xueying out of the household. Although Hongli no longer loved Xueying, keeping her in the household was still a threat, and now Mingyu had amplified and unleashed this desire.