"Shall I take you for a walk?" Yue Xiyuan was just about to take Yan An for a stroll so they could enjoy some time alone together.

"Junior Sister An, Junior Sister An, you're awake! I was just about to come find you." Su Jingzhan seemed oblivious to Yue Xiyuan's furrowed brow as he walked straight toward the two of them.

"The Gu worm from yesterday is probably less agile today because it left the human body." Su Jingzhan thought that Yan An must have a plan for not killing it immediately.

"Are you going to die? Let's go see." The three of them walked towards Su Jingzhan's tent.

Yan An glanced at the Gu worm in the bottle, recalling how the Gu worm both loved and feared his own blood yesterday. He took a bottle of Tianshan water and a golden needle, pricked his hand, dripped the water into the Tianshan water, and then dripped a drop into the Gu worm. The Gu worm greedily sucked the diluted blood.

Just as she thought, "It's nothing, it's just that the blood of the Gu keeper is no longer nourishing it."

"Just keep it suspended by dripping a drop of water from the Tianshan Mountains containing my blood every day. I'm going to use it to do some experiments when we get back to the capital." Yan An handed the bottle to Su Jingzhan.

Yue Xiyuan took Yan An's small hand and was about to apply some wound medicine to her finger that had just been pricked.

"Yue Xiyuan, you've gone too far. The wound was so small, you couldn't even find the needle mark." Su Jingzhan couldn't stand it anymore.

"So what? If your blood hadn't been less fragrant than An'an's, how could An'an have pricked her finger?" Yue Xiyuan looked at Su Jingzhan with disdain.

Su Jingzhan was so angry that he didn't want to talk to him anymore.

"I wrote a letter to my brother, and it's already been sent to the capital by express courier. I'm telling them to hold back for now. We'll return to the capital tomorrow. That attack was premeditated; they lured me in, even at the cost of seriously injuring themselves. After all these days, they should have realized I'm safe and sound, and they'll definitely make other plans. Right now, we know nothing about the enemy and are too passive. We'll return to the capital and discuss it with my brother." Yue Xiyuan thought that he had underestimated the enemy this time. If it weren't for An'an, he would probably be in grave danger.

"Was the sachet switched?" Yan An thought of the sachet from yesterday.

“We found out. It was the servant in charge of Xiyuan’s daily life who was poisoned. The poison was similar to the Gu poison that Xiyuan had in his body, but there was no Gu in his body. I think I’ve seen the Gu in Xiyuan’s body before. It should be a kind of Gu that can control a person’s mind. It is very likely the God-Devouring Gu, but there are no other records.” Su Jingzhan told him everything he knew.

"Hmm... I'll check it when I get back." I have many medical books in my space, including quite a few that are extinct, so I'm sure there will be records of the God-Devouring Gu.

Yan An and the others are unaware that the capital has already descended into chaos because of Yan An.

The next day, at dawn, Yue Xiyuan and his companions set off for the capital on horseback. They arrived in the capital on the day of the Hundred Flowers Banquet and returned to the Regent's Palace. Yan An sent An Si to the General's Mansion to inform his father, while Yue Xiyuan and Yan An went to the palace by carriage.

Pedestrians on the road gave way upon seeing the Regent's carriage. "This Regent has risked his life for our Yue Kingdom since childhood, but who would have thought he'd be cuckolded at such a young age... Sigh..."

“Our Regent is brave and unparalleled, proficient in both literature and martial arts, and even his appearance is rare in the world. How could Miss Yan be so blind as to run off with a guard from her own family?”

"You don't know, do you? General Yan's daughter was not raised in the manor since she was a child. Just think about it, how much of the etiquette in the manor could she possibly know?"

"Stop talking, all of you. Don't let the Regent hear you. He's ruthless and cruel; he might just wipe out our entire family."

Inside the carriage, Yan An listened intently. Yue Xiyuan's face was frighteningly gloomy, emanating a low-pressure aura, and his eyes were filled with intense killing intent.

"It seems like they're saying I ran off with the family guards and cheated on you, Yue Xiyuan." Yan An was always eager for more drama.

"I'll go and shut them up." Yue Xiyuan's fierce eyes pierced through people like a sword.

“Those people were clearly bribed to tell you this. They weren’t the masterminds, so what’s the point of killing them?” Yan An quickly grabbed Yue Xiyuan, afraid that these people would dirty his hands.

"The mastermind might be in the palace. Let's go and see." Yan An had a premonition that the mastermind would attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Her expression was icy, and a hint of malice flashed in her eyes. Very well, they dared to scheme against her...

The Hundred Flowers Banquet mainly features rare and precious varieties of flowers such as peach blossoms and peonies, and is mostly attended by women from the inner quarters. Jiang Luo should already be in the palace with the Empress Dowager at this moment.

The Hundred Flowers Banquet in the palace was mostly for princes to choose their concubines, while for ordinary nobles, it was for eligible men in their families to find their daughters. In particular, the young ladies of the household would dress up carefully on this day, because if they were chosen by the royal family and entered the palace, they would rise to a high position.

In the imperial palace's back garden, a woman said, "Your humble servant and commoner greet Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Consort Chen. Long live the Emperor! May the Empress Dowager and Consort Chen enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

"No need for formalities. Today's Hundred Flowers Banquet requires no formalities. Please enjoy the music and entertainment." Now that the fourth prince has found his home, the Empress Dowager also wants to take this opportunity to find a virtuous and talented empress for her emperor.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Mother, today the flowers are in full bloom, how about we compose some poems and songs to celebrate this occasion?" The speaker was the Third Prince, Yue Zhixiao, the son of the current Consort Chen.

"Very well, then let it be as Xiao'er said. Each young man and woman present will compose a poem or inscription on a famous flower. Those who write well will be richly rewarded by me." Empress Dowager Chen agreed, believing that the person who would become her son's future empress must be wise.

"When peaches and plums bloom in spring, the flowers and birds of Fenchuan are full of life." Your humble servant will offer his humble opinion first.

"The sun slants over the plum-covered beams, and butterflies flutter wildly among the late-blooming flowers." Liu Ruyan followed closely behind the Third Prince. At this time, composing a poem as early as possible would certainly be easier, and it would also give her a chance to show her face to the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Why not?

"Whose daughter is sitting below the stage?" Consort Chen asked, observing Liu Ruyan as she sat next to the wife of Minister Liu.

"Reporting to Consort Chen, I am Liu Ruyan, daughter of Minister Liu." Consort Chen spoke first, and Liu Ruyan immediately sensed something was wrong. She did want to enter the palace, but she wanted to be the Empress, not the Third Prince's wife. Liu Ruyan dared not be impolite and stepped forward to give a curtsy.

"Very good. Yan Ruchun is intelligent and quick-witted. She truly deserves to be called the most talented woman in the capital. Reward her." Minister Liu can be considered an elder in the court. If he could win Xiao'er over, it would be excellent. He would then grant her the title of Imperial Concubine. After all, the Empress's position should belong to Chen Yuexin, the daughter of the Chen family.

Liu Ruyan accepted the sapphire blue and kingfisher hairpin bestowed upon her by Consort Chen with both hands, feeling as if it were burning hot.

"This humble woman, Liu Ruyan, thanks Consort Chen." Liu Ruyan turned and returned to her seat.

"A cloud hangs over the north and south of the mountain, and the smoke from tea drifts lightly on the breeze carrying fallen petals."

...

"Gardenias bloom amidst fragrant smartweed, the emperor will use them to pacify the northern deserts."

The Empress Dowager looked at the young girl with some appreciation. She had great ambitions and was no ordinary young lady. "Well done, reward her."

"I am very grateful for the Empress Dowager's gift. However, I have a matter concerning the Regent's reputation that I would like to advise the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Consort Chen. I implore the Empress Dowager to withdraw the gift," Song Shuyun, daughter of the Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department, knelt and pleaded.