After finishing the last stroke, Man Yue said to everyone, "Except for those I just specifically instructed, everyone else will follow the Prince Consort's arrangements from now on."

Seeing this, no one dared to voice any further objections and they all withdrew.

After seeing everyone off, Gan Qiongying was exhausted. She was helped back to her bedroom to rest. After drinking a cup of tea, she leaned against the chaise lounge and closed her eyes to rest. Unexpectedly, she fell asleep.

Gan Qiongying had a dream about Gan Lin. She dreamt that she and Gan Lin, a brother and sister, planted radishes together and made radish cakes. Their small hands were covered with scars, but they were always smiling.

Gan Qiongying woke up with tears streaming down her face. She got up and touched her wet eyes, but the tears weren't hers; they belonged to Duanrong.

Since her last visit to the palace, the emperor has been out of contact with her. He even said those things when he left. How could Duanrong not worry about Ganlin?

But the emperor wouldn't summon her, so Gan Qiongying had no way to enter the palace. She didn't have any power in the palace, and she couldn't immediately make use of the Grand Princess Huian's side. Gan Qiongying was really anxious, otherwise she wouldn't have followed the regent because of that one sentence.

The only opportunity now is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and thankfully there are only a few days left.

By then, Gan Qiongying will surely be able to enter the palace. She has already planned that once she meets the emperor, she will reveal the route she has planned countless times. The two of them will definitely make a more complete plan than if she did it alone.

Gan Qiongying wiped away her tears, got up from the chaise longue, and pressed her slightly aching heart with a sense of loss. She believed that Gan Lin would definitely go with her.

At first, Gan Qiongying and Princess Duanrong had overlapping senses. She couldn't accept having another person's feelings and emotions, and even felt some repulsion because her heart was really aching.

Later, she learned about Duanrong's story and gained Duanrong's memories. Because she had been in this body for a long time, she also seemed to have completely inherited Duanrong's feelings, since this was, after all, her body.

Gan Qiongying knew that every cell in Duanrong's body loved Ganlin, and that her longing for him seeped from the very marrow of her bones. Even if Gan Qiongying herself did not love Ganlin, she could not stop herself from missing him. Duanrong's love for Ganlin had long surpassed romantic love; it was a love that was intertwined with familial affection and mutual dependence.

For Gan Qiongying, this relationship was like grafting a fruit tree; she herself didn't know what kind of fruit it would eventually bear.

With the matter of the male concubine settled, Gan Qiongying was temporarily relieved and relaxed. She had a few rare days of peace and quiet, and would often say nice things to Li Hua, praising and coaxing him.

After all, it's almost time to start earning 200,000 a month again.

Gan Qiongying has been frequently dreaming of Gan Lin these past few days, and her mood has actually been quite bad. She even forces a smile when facing Li Hua.

On the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet had already begun in the palace. Gan Qiongying woke up crying again that morning.

As soon as Gan Qiongying woke up, Li Hua also woke up immediately.

Gan Qiongying's eyes were still wet with tears when Li Hua got up, hugged her, and gently stroked her back to comfort her.

He asked her softly, "What's wrong?"

Gan Qiongying always tells the truth whenever she can avoid lying to Li Hua.

"I dreamt of His Majesty, and I miss him so much," Gan Qiongying said wistfully. "The last time I entered the palace, I had some misunderstandings with His Majesty, and before I could even have a proper conversation, he kicked me out..."

Li Hua stroked Gan Qiongying's head, his fingers tracing the top of her head and sliding down to her temples, catching the tears streaming down her face, his eyes filled with heartache.

"We'll meet at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. His Majesty dotes on you, and that's why he chose me as his consort..."

Li Hua paused. He couldn't tell Gan Qiongying the real truth. His becoming the imperial son-in-law was a scheme orchestrated by the Jinchuan royal family, which misled the Nanzhao emperor and led him to carefully select a spy for his sister.

However, Li Hua could speak as Gan Qiongying did, saying what she could: "His Majesty chose me as the princess's consort because I am weak and incompetent, easy to manipulate, and relatively wealthy, so that the princess would not be inferior in terms of food and clothing."

Gan Qiongying burst out laughing upon hearing this.

With reddened eyes, she buried her face in Li Hua's chest, took a deep breath, and felt a persistent, throbbing pain in her heart.

She now possesses Princess Duanrong's memories, and like when she first transmigrated, she believes the emperor has a grudge against her for marrying her, a princess, to a merchant.

Gan Qiongying was well aware that choosing a lowly, easily manipulated, and wealthy merchant as her consort was the best marriage that Gan Lin, as a puppet, could give to Princess Duanrong.

Gan Qiongying dared not think about the price Gan Lin paid to win this marriage by dealing with that old witch.

She was really looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. Even if she couldn't do anything for a while, she didn't want to end up like last time, where she was completely clueless and couldn't even exchange a few words with Gan Lin properly.

After he made him drink the poison, she actually left the palace.

Gan Qiongying was very depressed and became more and more upset. Li Hua got up first, dressed himself, and then personally helped Gan Qiongying change her clothes. While putting on her outer robe, he took out a thick stack of papers from his sleeve and stuffed them into Gan Qiongying's collar.

"Don't you want new jewelry? Go ahead and choose the materials. I have craftsmen in my shop who can expedite the production. You'll outshine everyone at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and that will put His Majesty at ease."

Gan Qiongying took the item out, glanced at it, and her eyes widened – it was a silver note!

It was such a thick stack of papers; her hands were trembling slightly.

She couldn't resist and started investigating right in front of Li Hua.

The more I investigated, the more alarmed and excited I became.

Ah—not two hundred thousand taels!

Ah—this is… a full five hundred thousand taels!

Gan Qiongying's mood, which had been gloomy because of the dream, instantly soared to the sky. She looked at Li Hua with stars in her eyes.

She was completely infatuated with him.

Ah—she loves the God of Wealth!