"No, today is your first day of marriage, you shouldn't have come back at all?"

Consort Li's expression turned frightened, and she grabbed Bai Yan's shoulder: "But the Jin family is treating you badly? What happened?"

Bai Yan stared at Consort Li's face: she was a beauty when she was young, and although she did not take good care of her appearance, her beauty was still undeniable in her eyebrows and eyes.

Her eyes were filled with worry and concern for her daughter's future. Bai Yan sighed inwardly: the mother and daughter had long been used to sharing good news and not bad news in the palace, relying on each other for warmth and survival.

But their living conditions won't improve just because they keep these things hidden.

"Mother, let's go inside and talk," Bai Yan said.

"Okay." Consort Li nodded with concern.

Once they were seated in the palace, the old nanny served them tea. Bai Yan then told Consort Li everything that Jin Chang'an had said to her at his wedding the day before, and also recounted her argument with Madam Jin that day.

Consort Li was already in tears after hearing this. She had thought that her daughter was blessed by God to marry into the Jin family, but she never expected that it would be such a hell.

"Mother." Bai Yan gently wiped away her tears. "Now is not the time to cry. The Jin family has gone too far. I have to stand up for myself. You have to help me."

Consort Li looked at her daughter: "But how can I help you?"

The Jin family produced an Empress... Especially now that the Empress is bedridden, His Majesty is even less likely to punish the Jin family for the sake of the mother and daughter.

It's good that they're not punished; if Madam Jin complains, things might get even worse...

Thinking of this, Consort Li felt a pang of distress in her heart.

Bai Yan said, "Under the whole heaven, all things are yellow earth. Whether it's us in the palace or the Jin family outside the palace, aren't we all relying on the Emperor's favor?"

Consort Li understood. It wasn't that she was unwilling to compete for the emperor's favor for her daughter's sake, it was just...

Touching her increasingly aged face, she said with some worry, "When I was young, I was fashionable and quite beautiful, but even your father disliked me back then. Ah Yan, I'm afraid I'm not good enough."

"Who said Mother was going?" Bai Yan patted Consort Li's hand reassuringly. "I'll go."

"Does Mother have any way to find out Father's itinerary today?" She already had an idea in mind.

It would be best if she knew today, otherwise she would have to arrange some more time.

Consort Li remained silent, but the old nanny serving her spoke up: "Princess, this old servant has a way."

“This old servant has a close fellow townsman who serves in the Imperial Study.”

Consort Li trusted the old nanny. Upon hearing this, she got up and went back to her room. She quickly took out a small box and handed it to the nanny: "I'm afraid it will be difficult to manage the people in the Imperial Palace. Take these with you."

Consort Li had long been out of favor, and all of this was what she had been saving up for a long time, which she was now bringing out all at once.

"Mother..." Bai Yan was moved and held her hand: "Trust me, within a year at most, no one in this palace will dare to treat you lightly again."

Consort Li squeezed her daughter's hand back. She wasn't really that confident... but it was already like this, what could she do if it got any worse?

...

Around noon, Bai Qing asked the chief eunuch to accompany him for a stroll in the back garden. After the two had walked around twice, the chief eunuch mentioned something.

"Your Majesty, I think the pear blossoms in that corner over there are blooming beautifully."

"Pear blossoms?" Bai Qing looked in the direction of the pear blossoms. "Suddenly, as if a spring breeze had arrived overnight, thousands of pear trees were in bloom. It's still winter, and the pear blossoms are already blooming?"

"Let's go take a look."

"yes."

The two walked into the pear blossom grove, admiring the beautiful scenery of the blooming pear blossoms, when they suddenly heard a woman's whisper coming from the grove. The Grand Steward flicked his whisk and was about to go over to ask the person who had disturbed His Majesty to leave.

Bai Qing stopped him, saying, "No need."

He had a keen eye and recognized the person spinning a spinning wheel in the open space next to the pear tree as none other than Consort Li from back then…

Time flies; it seems like sixteen years have passed since he last saw Consort Li.

Even such a stunning beauty faded away under the ravages of time... And what emperor in this world reigns for a thousand generations?

"Ayan, what are you studying this spinning wheel for?" Consort Li asked.

Bai Qing then glanced to the side, where a girl was carving something with a small knife, surrounded by countless pieces of discarded wood.

"Does Mother know about the severe cold that occurred at the border two years ago?"

The girl asked, and Consort Li nodded: "I've heard the old women talk about it; many soldiers on the border have died."

Bai Qing's eyes narrowed dangerously. After all, Consort Li was an old acquaintance of Southern Yue; was it possible she cared about these matters...?

Before Bai Qing could even begin to suspect anything, he heard the girl say, "Although I am a girl, I know about Father Emperor's grand ambitions. The Han dynasty has been divided for two hundred years, with many heroes rising up. If it weren't for the wisdom and greatness of Emperor Gaozu, how could we have rebuilt this unified country? Father Emperor's grand ambition is to restore the Han dynasty to its former glory."

"Those court officials all privately criticize Father Emperor for being warlike, but little do they know that they are all mediocre people. How could they possibly understand Father Emperor's great talent?"

No one dislikes hearing compliments. Bai Qing pointed at the girl inside and asked, "Which of my daughters is that?"

The chief eunuch counted on his fingers and said, "Your Majesty, the child born to Consort Li should be your sixteenth princess."

"Sixteen." Bai Qing pretended to be deep in thought.

The young girl inside smiled slightly. Kind words can make people feel happy, but for an emperor, kind words are of no use at all.

The girl sighed softly: "Our Southern Dynasty is constantly at war, and we are short of supplies and provisions. The border is also plagued by wind and snow. Our soldiers are already at a disadvantage compared to the barbarians who are skilled in warfare. Moreover, the snowstorm that year was incredibly severe. Even though Father is the Son of Heaven, how could he have foreseen it?"

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