On New Year's Eve, the Forbidden City was covered in silver, and the red walls and golden tiles looked even more solemn and majestic against the backdrop of the white snow.

Outside the Hall of Preserving Harmony, palace lanterns hung high, red silk fluttered, and eunuchs and palace maids hurried about, making final preparations for the upcoming New Year's Eve palace banquet.

Inside the hall, the gilded bronze incense burner emitted wisps of ambergris, its warmth dispelling the winter chill.

The Empress sat gracefully on the phoenix chair in the side hall, her fingertips gently stroking the rim of the teacup, a slight smile playing on her lips.

This year's Lunar New Year's Eve banquet was finally organized entirely by her alone.

In previous years, Consort Nian always used the title of "assisting in managing the six palaces" to seize power, even interfering with the menus for banquets.

Now that Lady Nian is under house arrest and the Emperor is busy with state affairs, the affairs of the inner palace have finally returned to her, the Empress.

Thinking of this, a hint of pleasure flashed in the Empress's eyes. She raised her hand to adjust the phoenix hairpin in her hair and said to Wang Mama beside her, "It's almost time. Order someone to serve the meal."

---

Outside the Hall of Preserving Harmony, members of the imperial family, princes, and ministers arrived one after another.

The Mongol princes were dressed in magnificent sable furs, while the envoys from the vassal states wore exotic jewelry. The group exchanged pleasantries, and the atmosphere seemed warm and friendly, but there was an undercurrent of tension.

Several imperial concubines whispered among themselves: "I heard that Consort Nian will also be attending tonight. I wonder if anything has changed since she was placed under house arrest?"

"Heh, no matter how much she changes, she can't compare to that newly appointed Consort Yun. The Emperor even made an exception and raised her banner..." As he spoke, his gaze seemed to drift towards a certain spot in the hall.

Inside the hall, Lin Yun was already waiting quietly in front of her seat.

She wore a lake-blue auspicious robe embroidered with golden phoenixes. The blue robe made her skin look as white as snow. Coral beads hung down to her slender waist, and the fine pearls on her collar trembled slightly with her breath.

Adorned with a gilded and kingfisher feather hairpin, her small face, no bigger than a palm, had a pair of alluring eyes, yet her gaze was clear as water, as if it could reflect the human heart.

She lowered her head slightly, her fingertips lightly touching the embroidery on her cuffs. Her posture was serene, yet she inadvertently revealed an innate noble temperament.

This was her first time attending a palace banquet as a concubine, and she felt both excited and nervous.

She knew that tonight's banquet was not only a celebration, but also a silent contest.

Before long, Consort Nian arrived.

She was originally confined to her home, but was released on New Year's Eve due to a special pardon.

She could have feigned illness and not come, but the thought of Lin Yun filled her with hatred. She wanted to see what kind of vixen had caused her and her brother to fall into such a state.

She forced herself to enter the main hall, her head adorned with jewels and her clothes magnificent, yet she could not conceal the haggardness and resentment between her brows.

However, the moment she saw Lin Yun, she knew she had lost.

Lin Yun sat there quietly, her lake-blue wedding dress making her look like a celestial fairy, untouched by the dust of the world.

Her every move exuded elegance and composure, as if she were born to stand at a high place, even more like a concubine than I, the real imperial concubine.

Looking at myself, despite being adorned with jewels and dressed in fine clothes, I appeared vulgar and unbearable, like an actor trying too hard.

Consort Nian's fingers gripped the handkerchief tightly, her nails almost digging into her palm.

She suppressed her anger, forced a smile, and walked towards her seat.

"The prince of the Khorchin Mongol tribe has arrived—"

As the names of the princes were announced, the Mongol princes, dressed in sable furs, entered the hall on red carpets, their silver knives at their waists gleaming in the candlelight.

The Empress nodded in acknowledgment, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught the Vice Minister of Rites glancing at the seat to her side: it was the sandalwood carved chair that had been reserved for Consort Nian in previous years, and Consort Nian's forced smile on the chair... was quite a sight.

She casually picked up a candied kumquat, a hint of pleasure rising in her heart: Lady Nian no longer had the right to even inquire about the menu for the New Year's Eve banquet, let alone, as before, pretend to be intimate with the emperor in front of all the noblewomen.

"Prince Yi of the First Rank has arrived!"

The Thirteenth Prince, Yinxiang, entered the palace with his wife and performed a crisp, respectful bow to the Empress.

The Empress smiled and gestured for a seat, when suddenly a commotion was heard outside the hall.

The eunuch's shrill voice pierced through the wind and snow: "The Emperor has arrived—"

Everyone in the hall knelt in unison. Yongzheng strode into the Hall of Preserving Harmony, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a nine-dragon crown. His face was solemn, and the twelve imperial symbols embroidered in gold thread on his black dragon robe shone brightly under the lamplight. His gaze, however, inadvertently swept towards Lin Yun's direction.

He was slightly taken aback when he saw her. He had seen her elegant and graceful in casual clothes and her heroic spirit in men's clothing, but he had never seen her in the formal attire of a concubine.

He withdrew his gaze and slowly walked towards the throne, a ripple stirring in his heart.

Music began to play inside the hall, and dancers gracefully entered, their flowing sleeves fluttering, thus beginning the night banquet.

The Empress raised her cup and greeted everyone: "Today is New Year's Eve. May our Great Qing Dynasty be prosperous and peaceful, and may His Majesty be in good health."

Everyone responded in unison, raised their glasses, and drank together.

Lin Yun took a sip of wine, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across the hall, only to meet a pair of deep eyes not far away. The Emperor was looking at her, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.

Emperor Yongzheng truly did not expect that Yun'er would look so beautiful in the formal attire of a concubine.

The solemn palace attire and her ethereal aura intertwined in a contradictory way, making her appear even more noble.

Her features were exquisite, and her lips held a smile, like a delicate orchid blooming in the snow, exuding a gentle yet serene beauty that captivated all who looked at her.

Halfway through the banquet, Consort Nian finally couldn't contain herself and rose to toast the Empress, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate intimacy: "Your Majesty, you have worked hard today to prepare the banquet. I would like to offer you a toast."

The Empress smiled slightly, raised her cup in response, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sister."

Consort Nian then turned to Lin Yun, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: "Sister Yun, is this your first time attending a palace banquet? There are many rules in the palace. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me."

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