“Empress Mei, with just a little dressing up, surpasses all the beautiful flowers in the harem.”

Qi Ji's tone and eyes were very sincere.

"It's not just the harem, it's the whole world."

Liu Yiyi said calmly.

Qi Ji felt a jolt in his heart.

As expected of someone who's used to flattering others, that one sentence completely crushed her.

Qi Ji looked at Liu Yiyi with a hint of wariness.

Of course she knew that Liu Yiyi was Emperor Bumie's nominal mother.

But everyone knows that Consort Mei is the true mother of the Emperor.

So all she needed to do was please Hua Rong.

"Not only in the world, but from ancient times to the present and into the future, no one can compare to Your Majesty."

Liu Yiyi narrowed her eyes, a spark igniting in her gaze as she looked at Qi Ji.

This young girl is quite skilled at flattery, despite her young age.

Hua Rong, who was being praised: ? ? ?

Why is she here listening to two women bickering and arguing?

Is it because of her?

boring!

Fortunately, the Imperial Garden is not far away.

======

"His Majesty has arrived."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Rise, my lords. Tonight's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is open to all. Please make yourselves at home."

Emperor Chengqian sat down, and everyone else stood up as well.

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Emperor Chengqian had come alone.

She knew the Emperor wouldn't embarrass her.

Empress: "Your Majesty, why hasn't Consort Mei arrived yet?"

The Queen's voice was filled with obvious elation.

They arrived at the banquet later than the Emperor.

Isn't Consort Mei a bit too arrogant?

Consort De then added sarcastically, "Could it be that you haven't left Cangmei Palace for over ten years, so you can't find the Imperial Garden?"

The Empress found Consort De's words amusing.

She felt that Consort Mei probably still thought of the harem as the one she had when she was in favor.

Little did she know, the entire harem now belonged to her!

She raised her head and looked at Emperor Chengqian, waiting for him to get angry.

Emperor Chengqian was indeed angry, but not in the way she had imagined.

Emperor Chengqian frowned and gave the Empress and Consort De a disgusted look.

"Consort De, do you think everyone is as stupid as you?"

Consort De: ? ? ?

Empress: ? ? ?

Consort De glared, her face turning red.

Looking at the mocking looks she received from those around her, she wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground.

"emperor……"

Emperor Chengqian said calmly, "Consort De is not feeling well, she should leave."

Consort De stood up, curtsied, and left with her maid.

The Empress watched Consort De's retreating figure, then glanced at Emperor Chengqian, and clenched her fists.

"Your Majesty, this dragon fruit is quite good; we don't have any in Dongyue."

The Empress turned around and saw that it was Consort Yang who had spoken.

idiot!

The Empress originally thought that Consort Yang and Consort Mei shared similar blood and would be somewhat intelligent.

I hadn't realized I'd overestimated her!

But given the circumstances, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

"you……"

When Emperor Chengqian saw Consort Yang, his gaze sharpened.

However, it only lasted for a moment before returning to normal.

"Oh? Tell me, why is this fruit called dragon fruit?"

The Empress clenched her fists and glared at Consort Yang, who was still smug.

Others might have thought that Emperor Chengqian was interested in Consort Yang.

However, the Empress and Emperor Chengqian had been married for many years and knew him very well.

This clearly shows a complete lack of interest.

"Alright, Your Majesty is about to begin the banquet." The Empress interrupted Yang before she could speak.

At that moment, Yang Meiren felt a chill run down her spine and realized that she had acted too hastily.

But she was indeed in a hurry.

From a very young age, everyone in the family told us that Consort Mei was the pride of the entire family.

She should learn from her in the future.

She might admire it after hearing it once or twice, but after hearing it too many times, she'll get annoyed.

She was annoyed by her family members' words, and also annoyed by her cousin who was always putting pressure on her.

So she entered the palace despite her family's objections.

She wants to compete with her older cousin!

"Wait a little longer."

The Empress's words indeed made Emperor Chengqian lose interest in watching Consort Yang's one-woman show.

"Wait a little longer."

The Empress sneered inwardly. Waiting for Consort Mei?

"good."

As soon as the Empress finished speaking, a moment of silence fell over the room.

The Empress felt a chill run down her spine; she had encountered this situation before.

This always happens whenever that woman appears.

No one, never anyone could ignore her aggressive appearance.

She looked up toward the door and saw the woman she hated most.

Consort Mei.

"It seems that Your Majesty and Sister Liu are late." Hua Rong walked on the red carpet, approaching Emperor Chengqian step by step.

Emperor Chengqian stood up abruptly, watching Hua Rong approach him step by step.

Actually, he was very familiar with this face.

In his private palace, there were many portraits of her.

Hua Rong was dressed in a simple white gown, her elegant face and captivating beauty were breathtaking.

Her jet-black hair cascaded down to her slender waist, and her hair was styled in an elegant and unique flying cloud bun, with a purple crystal crescent moon lilac hairpin inserted into her delicately gathered hair.

She wore a delicate and exquisite necklace around her neck.

She wore a light purple cardigan dress embroidered with a continuous floral pattern.

She wore a light gauze shirt with a jade-colored smoky hue and silver threads underneath, which was paired with a short-waisted blouse with pale pink lotus petals.

A light blue gauze ribbon, made of emerald green, was gently tied around her waist.

Compared to the other women in the palace, her attire was truly casual.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!