Before setting off, Gan Qiongying made some preparations in advance.

First, they had Manyue prepare knee pads in case she was forced to kneel as punishment.

But she watched too many dramas, and the characters were always kneeling. She couldn't handle the strain. In some dramas, a character would kneel for an hour at a time, and just watching it made her kneecaps hurt.

"Full moon," Gan Qiongying thought that this was not enough, "tell the kitchen to make some pastries, small and thin ones, like radish cake, so they won't be so dry."

"Yes, this servant will take care of it right away." Manyue nodded repeatedly and got up. She was wondering to herself, why would the princess bring radishes when there was so much food in the palace?

"Wait a minute," Gan Qiongying turned to look at her own face. She had been worried about so many things so early in the morning, so why was she still so radiant? How come the female supporting characters in novels have such resilient faces?

"Redo my makeup," Gan Qiongying instructed again, "make my lip rouge lighter, and my face whiter, so I look sickly."

Although Manyue didn't understand, she was quick and efficient. When changing clothes, she followed Gan Qiongying's advice and put on two more inner garments. She chose simple clothes and hair ornaments that were also conventional, neither impolite nor overly ornate.

A pocket was sewn on the inside, and inside was a soft radish cake.

The soft cake is thin and delicate, so it's not easily noticeable when placed close to the body, and its aroma is very faint, which can be masked by the smell of cosmetics.

Soon, Gan Qiongying was fully equipped. The padding on her knees was very thick. She tried to take smaller steps than usual. Her dress was loose, so no one would notice anything unusual.

Manyue followed behind Gan Qiongying as they walked towards the door. Their demeanor was completely different from the night before. Gan Qiongying wished the road would stretch on forever.

Not long after, she saw the car frame by the door. To her surprise, she also saw a familiar face standing next to it – it was Li Hua.

Li Hua actually came to see her off?

Did the sun rise in the west today?

Her smile came unconsciously; she didn't even realize it herself. When she was still some distance from the door, she said, "Husband."

With just two words, Li Hua felt his ears burning again. He nodded slightly, a very small gesture, almost imperceptible, but it was a genuine response to her.

Gan Qiongying quickened her pace, walked up to Li Hua, and flashed a bright smile, "Does it not hurt anymore?"

She grabbed Li Hua's hand, gently pinched the one that wasn't cut, manipulated his long fingers, supported the injured and bandaged part, and lightly touched it with her fingertips.

Li Hua's fingers trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she was somewhat uncomfortable.

The attendants of the two men were around him, and there was also a palace eunuch beside him, but he did not pull his hand away and nodded again.

“I’ve already made arrangements in the kitchen. They’ve prepared your favorite dishes for lunch and dinner. You didn’t eat much this morning.” Gan Qiongying’s eyes were filled with reluctance as she gently stroked his hand. “The household has already informed Chen Wa. If you need to go out, just ask them for help. Remember to eat on time.”

This time, Li Hua spoke, but only uttered one word: "Okay."

Gan Qiongying didn't know why Li Hua had come to see her off in person, but such an opportunity was rare and she had to make the most of it. This eunuch had been waiting for her all morning, so he must be one of the Emperor's men. She had to put on a good show of husband and wife being of one heart and mind, like a pair of phoenixes singing in harmony.

If he were to tell the emperor what he had seen today, it would confirm her current infatuation with the prince consort. Dealing with the hundred or so male concubines later would then be much easier.

So she was helped into the car, and after sitting down, she lifted the curtain and said to Li Hua with reluctance, "I'll come back as soon as possible. I still want to have dinner with you and sleep together."

Those phoenix eyes were full of tenderness. Li Hua, whose ears had been burning, was startled again upon hearing this. He exchanged a glance with Gan Qiongying and then quickly looked away.

His neck also started to turn red; he was genuinely embarrassed this time, with so many people watching.

Feeling uncomfortable under Gan Qiongying's gaze, he immediately shifted his gaze to his father-in-law beside him.

He happened to know this eunuch. Li Hua's merchant guild was all over Nanzhao, and there was even a Yuan Chen merchant guild in Yindu. Although some high-ranking officials and nobles looked down on merchants, no one disliked money.

This eunuch Li also owns some businesses and has dealings with the Lihua Chamber of Commerce.

He knew that this Eunuch Li had grown up with the emperor since childhood and was highly favored by the emperor in the palace.

He has striking features, with prominent ears, fair skin, and a plump figure—definitely a sign of good fortune.

Sanjiu stepped forward and handed over a generously sized money pouch. Lihua then placed it in Eunuch Li's hands, saying, "The princess has a quick temper. I hope you can give her some guidance once she enters the palace, and please don't anger His Majesty."

Eunuch Li seemed somewhat surprised, but showed no sign of it. He simply smiled gently and patted Li Hua's hand holding the money pouch. "Of course, the princess is someone we've watched grow up since she was a child."

Hearing the answer, Li Hua was relieved and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, Eunuch Li had a kind face, but he was not easy to talk to. The two had met several times, but they were not exactly familiar with each other. However, judging from the other party's attitude, the emperor had not summoned Princess Duanrong to the palace to scold her.

On the way to the palace, Gan Qiongying kept thinking back on the plot.

However, the book describes this very little. All she knows is the emperor's final fate: after the palace coup, the emperor escaped the palace, but he could not escape the disaster and was eventually killed in a fire.

However, besides the emperor, the empress dowager was an even more troublesome figure in the palace. The book mentions that this old witch interfered in domestic affairs, colluded with the regent to control the government for many years, and repeatedly attempted to usurp the throne.

Gan Qiongying raised her hands and clasped them together, bowing in the air as if praying that she would not run into the old witch.

Gan Qiongying's head was about to explode from thinking all the way, and she even breathed a sigh of relief when the carriage finally stopped.

Gan Qiongying lifted the carriage curtain and looked up to see the majestic and solemn gate, where the guards knelt down to pay their respects.

Soon, she got off the carriage and sat in a sedan chair. Her servants and maids were not allowed to come with her and were taken to the inner courtyard to wait. Only her eunuch accompanied her.

Everyone wanted to step into the imperial city, but Gan Qiongying's heart trembled with every step she took.

When she first transmigrated, she wondered what the imperial city would be like, but when she actually experienced it, she felt no excitement whatsoever.

The entire imperial city resembled a colossal, dormant beast. Painted beams, carved pillars, and flying pavilions were all firmly suppressed by an ancient and imposing majesty. Guards in armor stood solemnly everywhere along the city walls and palace roads, giving one only a sense of oppression and heaviness.

After getting off the sedan chair, she walked for another half an hour before finally arriving at the Qingming Palace, where the emperor had summoned her.

As Eunuch Li helped Gan Qiongying up, they saw from afar that the little eunuch at the door bowed and then ran off to announce her arrival. She thought she had some time to prepare, but instead, she was led directly into the hall.

The moment she stepped inside, Gan Qiongying really wanted to turn around and run away immediately, but that was just wishful thinking.

The interior of the hall was not as magnificent as it appeared from the outside. The entire hall was filled with a somber, dark atmosphere. The only bright spot was the person sitting behind the desk, dressed in a dark purple outfit and wearing a golden crown.

There was a faint scent of ink in the room. Gan Qiongying saw that there was a tall stack of memorials next to the man, and the little eunuch next to the chair was holding up another stack.

Gan Qiongying only glanced at him before quickly averting her gaze, not even having a chance to get a clear look at him.

As she had planned beforehand, she stood not far from the table and knelt down properly, performing a grand salute.

"With utmost respect, I greet Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."

But even after he finished speaking, the hall remained deathly silent.

At this moment, the sound of writing also stopped, and the crisp sound of the pen hitting the pen holder was particularly clear in the hall. At this moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.

Gan Qiongying kept her head bowed steadily. She could tell that the real Princess Duanrong would never perform such a grand ceremony for the emperor, since she could ignore any summons.

But she couldn't do it. First, she didn't know how the two people actually interacted in the original story, and if she didn't know how to handle the situation, she could easily lose her life.

Secondly, she did not intend to continue to confront the emperor; she wanted to play the role of a good princess who "suddenly repented and reformed" after falling seriously ill.

After all, when she first transmigrated, she was recovering from a serious illness after chasing Zhongli Zhengzhen.

Silence remained for a long time inside the main hall.

Gan Qiongying couldn't help but observe out of the corner of her eye. She discovered that the father-in-law who had just brought her here, who had been relaxed and exuded a lazy air, now had his obese body stretched taut like a worm poked by a finger, and had been panting so hard that he looked noticeably thinner.

So...shocking?

Gan Qiongying also started to panic.

Just then, she heard the sound of fabric rubbing against each other as the person behind the desk seemed to be adjusting their sleeves. Then she heard a series of hurried footsteps approaching her.