A year has passed in the blink of an eye, and Lu Yalan's yard is still as desolate as a desert.

A cold wind howled, and the last leaf of the bare tree trembled as it was blown away by the wind.

Dark clouds gathered from all directions overhead, swirling and forming a massive vortex that seemed poised to devour the heavens and the earth, high above, its mouth agape, vast and terrifying.

Lu Yalan had numerous injuries, large and small, deep and shallow, covering her entire body. Juhua served Lu Yalan for a year, whipping, pricking with needles, beating, and kicking her until she was covered in blood. Every time she saw Lu Guiting mercilessly abusing Lu Yalan, tears would still stream down her face.

"How painful that must have been!" Chrysanthemum's hand gently stroked Lu Yalan's crisscrossing scars.

Lu Yalan was unsure of Juhua's feelings. Not receiving a reply, she became anxious, thinking that the man had already grown tired of her and no longer intended to serve her.

"Chrysanthemums?" Lu Yalan exclaimed, her heart trembling.

Chrysanthemum was startled and hurriedly said, "The Dragon's Birthday Banquet in two days."

"Dragon Birthday Feast!" Lu Yalan savored the moment, a smile playing on her lips.

"Miss, you're laughing..."

Having read few books, I couldn't find the words to describe Lu Yalan at this moment. Her eyes were bright and her smile was radiant; all the heavy sorrow and grief she had felt had vanished.

"Miss, you're so beautiful!"

"Pah, what am I thinking?"

Gritting her teeth inwardly, annoyed at her own lack of self-control, Chrysanthemum shook her head, without any hesitation, asking whatever came to mind, "Miss, what happened to the Dragon Birthday Banquet?"

The Dragon Birthday Banquet marked the founding of the Lü Dynasty's everlasting dynasty. The first empress of the dynasty personally designated December 12th as a day of universal celebration. For thousands of years thereafter, the empresses of the Lü Dynasty would celebrate this day each year with unprecedented grand celebrations and throngs of people from all over the world coming to pay tribute, showcasing their achievements in ruling the country.

Making a move during a time of great fanfare and chaos is the perfect opportunity.

A plan is a plan, not reality. Lu Yalan came to terms with it: it's all or nothing.

She wasn't a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle; she couldn't endure it forever.

If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. Before, Lu Yalan would answer whatever Chrysanthemum asked. A servant should never pry into her master's affairs. However, Lu Yalan disregarded this rule and allowed Chrysanthemum to run rampant.

Having run the business for years, they were now racing against time. Curiosity killed the cat; the more you know, the faster you die. Lu Yalan's eyes flickered; she didn't tell Juhua the truth, only giving her a few perfunctory replies. Juhua didn't think much of it and excitedly shared her childhood anecdotes with Lu Yalan.

"When I was little, my favorite festival was the Dragon Birthday Feast." Chrysanthemum smacked her lips as she recalled the past. "Back then, the government would distribute sweet candies. The candies were fragrant and sweet, and everyone would get four or five pieces!"

The maid was carefree and simple-minded, always thinking about food or how to make something delicious. Lu Yalan smiled and reached out to pat Juhua's head.

"You!" Lu Yalan said indulgently, "After this is all over, Miss will give you a whole box of sweets, so you can eat them forever, until you never want to eat them again."

The chrysanthemum fell silent, quietly keeping to its place, while Lu Yalan smiled, her guard down. The master and servant perfectly embodied the saying, "Silence speaks louder than words."

Half an hour later, Juhua finished applying the medicine to Lu Yalan, put down the ointment, looked through the window at the gloomy sky where goose feathers were flying, breathed out a breath of hot air, and rubbed her hands together.

"It's so cold today, I hope nothing bad will happen."

Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, we'll only know for sure after it actually happens.

...

High walls and grand courtyards, inside the imperial palace.

"How are the preparations for the sweets for the alien race going?"

Ji Xiaoxiao looked at the memorial without raising her head.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready."

After reading one memorial after another, Ji Xiaoxiao was too busy to attend to anything else and had to send someone away. By the time she had finished reviewing all the memorials on the table, the moon was already high in the sky.

After having dinner, taking a bath and changing clothes, Ji Xiaoxiao lay in bed, thinking about what had happened a few days ago.

"Kill me? Who wants to kill me?"

Ji Xiaoxiao could never forget the moment Xue Jinghan woke up, his bulging, wide eyes, dark and deep, like a storm brewing in a deep pool, seemingly capable of destroying the world. His desperate roar, hoarse and turbulent, each sound and each word pierced the heart.

Shaking herself off, Ji Xiaoxiao continued to analyze and think.

"No, that's not the primary issue."

"Why would Xue Jinghan know that someone wanted to kill me?"

In military campaigns, intelligence is always one of the most important factors.

"Xue Jinghan was all alone, living deep in the Tihan Palace, and had been unconscious for a long time. How could he possibly know that someone wanted to kill me? The key question is how he found out."

"How did he find out? Was it through rebirth? Time travel? Or did he have other plans?"

That day, Xue Jinghan woke up with a shout, then fell back asleep. Without a single clue, Ji Xiaoxiao thought, and drowsily closed her eyes.

In a daze, Ji Xiaoxiao seemed to see Xue Jinghan holding a dagger but wavering.

Two days later, the Dragon Birthday Banquet arrived.

The Dragon Birthday Banquet is a time of national celebration. Apart from those guarding the city, patrolling to maintain order, and other essential departments, other officials rarely get a day off.

The pillars of the family, who have worked hard all year, are now well-fed. With their families in tow, they brave the crowds on the streets, pushing their way through the throngs of people.

"Tuanzi" is a colloquial term referring to the large tents unique to the Dragon Birthday Banquet. The tents all look identical from the outside; only by entering can one see the spectacular sights inside.

Inside the tent, there might be circus performances, or it might be a food and dessert shop. There are martial arts performances and fortune telling. The performers come from all over the world, each with their own unique and secret skills.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!