The next day.

Just as dawn broke, an imperial edict was delivered to the gates of the Cold Palace.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Empress has committed moral failings and has shown contempt for the majesty of the Imperial Family. From this day forward, she shall be banished to the Cold Palace, and the Empress Dowager shall take over her duties in the palace. She shall reflect on her mistakes in seclusion and, if she truly repents, a further decision shall be made!" After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, the Imperial Guards behind him sealed off the Cold Palace.

This time, the Emperor directly dispatched a squad of Imperial Guards to guard the area. When Guan Zhiyue stood up from the ground, clutching the imperial edict, she looked up at the sky above this vast world.

The sky was azure, and the sun was slowly rising. Guan Zhiyue turned her head to look at the palace servants in the Cold Palace and said, "I've implicated you all again this time."

The palace servants said in unison, "Your Highness, what are you saying? We already live in the Cold Palace. We've just closed the gates. How can you say we're implicated?"

The moment the imperial edict to send the concubine to the Cold Palace was issued, the harem erupted in chaos. The concubines gathered together and began to chatter excitedly.

——Imperial Garden

"Oh dear, Your Majesty, what's wrong with you now?"

"Why is he locked up in the cold palace again?"

"Empress, you've been banished to the Cold Palace again, again?" He Jiao's mouth dropped open when she heard this news.

A look of utter disbelief on his face!

"Yes, she was banished to the Cold Palace," said Consort Changde.

Consort Tong laughed and said, "Empress, you and our Emperor really have a love-hate relationship!"

The other concubines, not understanding what Consort Tong meant, all turned to look at her.

Tong Chongyi said with a smile, "You'll see when you see it. Let's make a bet and see how long it will take for the Empress to be released this time."

Zhang Baolin said, "In my opinion, this time it's probably a bit risky. This time, the power to control the palace has been handed over to the Empress Dowager."

“I bet a hundred taels that it will take at most three months,” said Consort Lin.

Consort Li took out a purse and said, "I'll bet fifty taels, and I'll bet for three months."

Zhang Baolin said, "I think it will take at least half a year this time. I'll bet 100 taels of silver that it will take half a year."

He Jiao lay down on the long corridor inside the pavilion and said listlessly, "I bet a hundred taels for three months."

Consort De smiled and said, "I bet five hundred taels, and I bet at least six months."

Others followed suit and placed bets, even the palace maids who were with them.

I don't know how it got out, but now it's even circulating in gambling dens in the capital, and they're all opening betting places.

—A restaurant in Beijing.

"Oh dear, Young Master Guan, aren't you being a bit too carefree? Your sister's already in the Cold Palace, how can you still be in the mood for drinking?" Lan Shanqi nudged Guan Chengheng, who was holding a wine cup, with his fan.

Guan Chengheng waved his hand and said, "Hasn't my younger sister always lived in the Cold Palace?"

"Besides, if the Emperor really cares about my younger sister, why has she been living in the Cold Palace ever since she married into the palace?"

When Guan Chengheng said this, everyone present felt that it seemed to be true!

"Sigh, I won't be able to see my sister-in-law again." Li Qishang said sadly, picking up the wine cup on the table and drinking it all in one gulp.

"Wow, you two are heartless! Little Yue'er is locked up in the Cold Palace now, and you can still drink so freely. This is just inhuman."

"My poor little Nunu, why is your life so miserable!"

"Back in Guiling Valley, when the little guy was just a tiny baby, he loved to stick to me the most. Now, sigh!" Lan Shanqi sighed.

Upon hearing this, Li Qishang immediately said, "Valley Master Lan, have you no shame?"

"Little Yue'er, you used to be so clingy, you always wanted to fall asleep with me, you couldn't fall asleep without me."

"What's it to you!"

When Guan Chengheng talked about Xiao Yue'er's childhood, he couldn't get a word in edgewise because he had been with his older brother and father since he was six years old, going to the border and guarding it ever since.

I've hardly ever seen my younger sister since she was little, especially before she was four years old.

When Guan Zhiyue was born, her mother died, and there was no one in the family to take care of her. Because she was a premature baby, she was thinner than a kitten when she was born. The midwife and the doctor at the time said that this girl would probably be difficult to raise.

Unexpectedly, a wandering monk who came to beg for alms said that if you want to save this person, you should send him to Guiling Valley and let the pharmacist there take medicine to nourish him.

Guan Zhiyue was sent to Guiling Valley the day after she was born, and from then on she was pampered and raised there.

Among those in Guiling Valley at that time were the brothers Li Qishang and Li Qiji, who were only four, five, or six years old then, a truly mischievous age.

As for these two, they were sent to Guiling Valley solely to avoid being poisoned by the women in the harem.

Guan Zhiyue was sent to Guiling Valley to save her life.

"Ah, time flies. So many years have passed. I remember when Xiao Nuonuo first came to Guiling Valley, she was barely breathing and had to be given all sorts of medicine every day!" Lan Shanqi sighed.

Li Qishang, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, but that little guy doesn't even remember us now. He doesn't remember any of the wonderful memories he had with Guiling Valley."

Guan Chengheng asked, "Did anything happen between you in Guiling Valley?"

Li Qishang said, "More than that, the happy times we've had together are countless."

"You two, as her own brothers, haven't spent as much time with Xiaoyue'er as we have!"

Guan Chengheng was puzzled and asked, "I want to know, why did you two spend so much time with Xiao Yue'er and have so many wonderful memories with her? Why did Xiao Yue'er choose the current emperor?"

These words left the two of them completely dumbfounded, and they exchanged a glance.

"Yes, how could this be? Back in Guiling Valley, we never saw the Emperor interact with Xiao Yue'er! He basically ignored her!"

"Yeah, it really is weird!"

The two looked at each other, feeling that something was off! They just couldn't figure out what it was.

——

The three people inside the restaurant were having a lively discussion, while in the Imperial Study...

Li Qiji was so angry that he almost crushed the memorial in his hand, but he still couldn't hold back and jumped up from the dragon throne.

He paced back and forth in the imperial study, wondering what he had done wrong and why she was treating him this way.

She clearly loved me that's why she wanted to marry me, so why is things like this now?

"Empress, oh Empress, what do you want me to do?!" Li Qiji stood by the window, looking in the direction of the Cold Palace, and muttered to himself.