Guan Zhiyue returned to the Cold Palace. Looking at the two lotus ponds at the entrance, she recalled that when she first set off from Sihuang Prefecture, she thought she would be back soon! But it had taken her more than ten days to get back!

"Sigh, the transportation is really underdeveloped!"

Bilian was shocked to hear her mistress complaining even though they were already at the door. This was so unlike her mistress!

"Your Majesty, this servant will go knock on the door right away." Bilian jumped down from the carriage and knocked on the gate of the Cold Palace.

Upon seeing Guan Zhiyue and her companion through the small window, the eunuch guarding the gate was overjoyed and quickly opened the main gate.

"Her Majesty is back! Her Majesty is back!" the gatekeeper eunuch shouted into the courtyard.

Immediately, everyone rushed over from all directions, gathering around Guan Zhiyue with anticipation and joy in their eyes.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress and welcomes you back to the palace." Liu Debao led everyone to kneel down in unison and quickly offer their greetings.

Looking at this group of lovely people, Guan Zhiyue's eyes actually became a little moist. These people had accompanied her from nothing to something in the Cold Palace, and they were her solace in this world. She quickly said, "Get up, everyone. We'll have a big meal tonight!"

When everyone heard that they were going to have a big meal, they were all excited. They had been looking forward to it for so long, day and night, hoping that Guan Zhiyue would come back. Now that she was finally back, they were so happy that they were going crazy.

"Your Majesty, let me tell you, the second crop of rice in our back mountain is already laden with heavy ears of wheat, and the early corn has also been harvested."

"The later-maturing corn is still in the field. In another month and a half, it will be ready for harvest by the end of October," Liu Debao said, gesturing to Guan Zhiyue as if presenting a treasure.

Guan Zhiyue was surrounded by a group of people and headed towards the backyard of the Cold Palace, causing an uproar throughout the entire palace.

Because the Emperor and Empress returned to the palace today, the Cining Palace also received the news. The Empress Dowager also quickly sent someone to convey the message, saying that she had not seen the Empress and the Emperor for a long time and invited them to dine at the Cining Palace tonight.

Guan Zhiyue had originally planned to have a great time tonight, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Empress Xin, so she had to give up and revel another day.

——

Guan Zhiyue had just finished washing up in the quiet bathroom when she heard someone announce that the concubines of the harem had come to pay their respects to the Empress.

"What's wrong with you! Are you trying to kill us all? We've only just gotten back from all this time!" Guan Zhiyue complained.

Hearing this from the side, Bilian couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Majesty, the empresses of other countries are always eager to establish their authority, but you, on the other hand, try to avoid these concubines every day."

Guan Zhiyue shook her head, her face full of melancholy. She didn't like doing these things. Couldn't they just get along peacefully?

"In my opinion, these women are just too idle, which is why they have to be so provocative every day. Looks like we need to stir things up for them!"

As she dried her hair, Guan Zhiyue muttered to herself.

Upon hearing this, Bilian felt that her mistress was about to stir up trouble!

"Your Majesty, have you thought of anything?" Bilian asked.

Guan Zhiyue shook her head, "I haven't thought of anything yet! How can you come up with a prank so quickly? It always takes a while to think about it!"

——

The front courtyard of the Cold Palace.

"Your Majesty, you're finally back! We sisters have missed you so much!" A woman dressed in a thin white gauze dress swayed her pert buttocks and darted in front of Guan Zhiyue like a snake.

The voice was affected and artificial, giving people a tingling sensation.

Guan Zhiyue looked at the person in front of her, not recognizing him. Who was this?

"Who are you?"

The woman in white was somewhat surprised, but it made sense. She rarely left the palace, especially since the Empress had exempted everyone from the morning and evening greetings. It was normal for her not to know her.

"Your Majesty, I am Consort Rong," Li Jiaorong said in a gentle yet coquettish voice.

Guan Zhiyue looked this woman up and down. She had never seen this woman before. Just how many other women in the harem had she never seen before?

Seeing Guan Zhiyue's expression, He Jiao, who was standing to the side and was also known as Consort Xian, knew that Guan Zhiyue must not have seen this woman before.

She quickly stepped forward and pulled Guan Zhiyue aside, whispering in her ear, "Sister, she used to be the Emperor's personal maid."

Guan Zhiyue felt disgusted. What was going on? Wasn't it said that Li Qiji had never done anything to women? How come his personal maid had become a concubine?

"How come I didn't know about this?" Guan Zhiyue asked in a low voice.

Consort Xian said softly, "I only found out recently. Anyway, the Emperor brought up this concubine out of nowhere."

Guan Zhiyue nodded, then looked at the woman in front of her and said calmly, "Consort Rong, this is the first time I've seen you. You have a great figure. I wonder how you maintain it?"

"Would you mind sharing this with your fellow ladies?"

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong exclaimed, "Holy crap! Isn't the Empress subtly insulting me? Who starts by commenting on someone's figure? People who talk about body shape and face aren't considered good people."

"Your Majesty, you jest. My frail body is no match for the example set by my sisters," Consort Rong quickly clarified.

Consort Xian, who was standing to the side, said, “Consort Rong, you have such a delicate figure, with a waist that you could easily encircle. Why don’t you teach me? Look at my big and burly appearance.”

“We are both the Emperor’s women. If you look closely at us, your figure is the most beautiful and supple.”

"You flatter me, Consort Xian. My figure is naturally like this. I don't want to be so frail, but for some reason, no matter how much I eat, I can't gain weight. I am quite envious of Consort Xian's body."

Lin Baolin chimed in, "If you ask me, among us, if we're talking about who has the best figure, it has to be our Empress."

"Yes, our Empress has a well-proportioned figure and a curvaceous body. She has a captivating charm that can bewitch all beings. Even I, a woman, am captivated by her."

Upon hearing Lin Baolin's words, Guan Zhiyue felt like a million grass mud horses were galloping through her mind. What was this? A body contest?

"Lin Baolin, something doesn't quite ring a bell to me about what you're saying. Are you trying to belittle me, implying that I'm easy to bully?" Guan Zhiyue said.

Lin Baolin stepped forward, her hips swaying, and gently curtsied, saying, "Your Majesty, you have truly misunderstood. I was merely praising your figure, saying it is the most perfect among all of us sisters."

Upon hearing this, Guan Zhiyue frowned. "Sisters, is this all you do in the harem? Today you compare whose pearl hairpin is the prettiest, tomorrow whose butt is the perkiest, and the day after that whose breasts are the biggest?"

"Is this all you've got? If you have the time and inclination, you should all go back to your palaces and embroider! You may all leave!"

"I have returned from the disaster relief mission with His Majesty and am extremely exhausted. You may all return to your respective palaces and do your own work. The morning and evening greetings are also unnecessary; just continue as usual."

Guan Zhiyue was getting a headache from all the talking of these women, so she had to coax them all away. Their incessant chatter was driving her crazy.

"Women are always causing trouble! These seven or eight women, none of them are easy to deal with, they're all wicked at heart!" Guan Zhiyue couldn't help but complain as she watched them leave.

Bilian, who was listening nearby, comforted her, "Your Majesty, these are all the Emperor's concubines. It has always been like this."

Guan Zhiyue: "..."