Hu Qimei, who had just stood up, also looked very unpleasant. She wanted to say something, but Ye Qingxue looked over at that moment.

He said in a deep voice, "Do you want to make a scene before the Empress? Do you want her to judge this for us?"

Both Ning Rong and Hu Qimei shut their mouths instantly.

It wasn't that they were afraid to confront the Empress, nor did they believe they couldn't defeat Ye Qingxue; rather, they knew that even if they did, it would be pointless.

On an occasion like today, bringing such a trivial matter to the Empress's attention would only spoil her mood.

Regardless of who was right or wrong, the Empress would punish them both equally, so that neither of them would benefit.

Even if there is no explicit punishment for the winners, they will definitely be distanced from them in the future.

Having figured it out, Hu Qimei gritted her teeth and said, "Miss Ye, this isn't over between us. You just wait!"

Ye Qingxue just smiled and said, "It's definitely not over between us. I'll be waiting."

Hu Qimei: "..."

Is this person crazy? Why is he saying the same things as her?

Ye Qingxue reminded her again, "Go downstairs and change your clothes quickly, don't embarrass yourself here."

Hu Qimei became even angrier and wanted to slap Ye Qingxue to teach her a lesson. But Ye Qingxue said, "There isn't much time left before the Empress arrives."

It sounded like they were thinking of Hu Qimei's best interests, but after hearing it, Hu Qimei became even angrier.

Gritting her teeth, on her way to change, Hu Qimei plotted how to make Ye Qingxue lose face in front of everyone, even to the point of wishing she were dead.

"I'll make you wag your tail and beg for mercy in front of everyone, crying and begging me to let you go! I'll let you know that offending me, Hu Qimei, will have consequences worse than death!" Hu Qimei thought to herself, her fists clenched tightly, her eyes filled with malice.

After Hu Qimei left, Ye Qingxue ignored the stares of others, quickly cleaned the dirt off her skirt, and then took Qiu Shen to admire the flowers in Qionghua Palace.

Its flowers and plants were so beautiful and diverse that it seemed as if all the rare and exotic flowers and plants in the world had been brought into the palace for the Empress's enjoyment.

Ye Qingxue also heard someone praising how good the emperor was to the empress, saying that these rare flowers and herbs were collected from all over the world by the emperor to please the empress.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived—" The eunuch's voice rang out, and all the sounds in Qionghua Palace vanished instantly, replaced by utter silence.

Ye Qingxue knelt down with everyone else: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! Long live Your Majesty!"

The Empress said, "Ladies and young ladies, please rise. There is no need for such formalities. Today is the annual flower viewing banquet. It is a rare opportunity to enjoy ourselves with you all. We should all be happy and at ease."

Ladies and young ladies, you should stand up.

The seats had already been prepared, and everyone took their seats in turn.

Men were seated on the other side of the hall, not sharing a table with women, and were not to be summoned or allowed to come over.

Ye Qingxue discovered that she was in a similar position to Ning Rong and Hu Qimei.

Her father had passed away, and previously only Ye Cunjin was an official in the court, but now he was infamous and the Marquis's mansion was no longer prosperous. Logically speaking, her position should be more remote.

But now, she is actually positioned alongside the Prime Minister's daughter and is very close to the Empress.

No sooner had she sat down than the Empress asked, "Which one of you is Ye Qingxue, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong?"

Ye Qingxue immediately rose and stepped forward, bowing again: "Your subject Ye Qingxue greets Your Majesty the Empress, wishing Your Majesty boundless blessings and peace."

"Come to my side," the Empress said.

Ye Qingxue stood up and moved gracefully to the Empress's side, but the Empress suddenly grabbed her hand.

"You are a beautiful young lady. I have heard about your deeds. You are truly a remarkable woman, just like your father."

Ye Qingxue thought that the Empress was at least middle-aged.

But upon seeing her today, I discovered that the Empress was at the height of her beauty, dressed in a dignified and luxurious manner, radiant with health and beauty, just like a peony among flowers, whose brilliance could not be overshadowed by anyone. She looked to be less than thirty years old, very young.

Ye Qingxue said softly, "Your Majesty is too kind. It was only through your and His Majesty's protection that I was able to perform such a great service by accident. It is not because I have any great ability."

"Qingxue is too modest. I felt an immediate connection with you when we first met. This bracelet is a small gift from me. Please do not refuse it."

Then, as she spoke, she took off a jade bracelet from her wrist. It was entirely green, with excellent translucency, and looked to be worth a fortune!

"This is too precious; please forgive me for not being able to accept it."

Just as Ye Qingxue made a gesture of refusal, she immediately put the bracelet on her wrist, stopping her: "Do you not find my gift acceptable?"

"This humble woman dares not presume. Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Qingxue likes this bracelet very much."

Hu Qimei suddenly stood up: "Your Majesty, Miss Ye has made great contributions, and we have all witnessed her abilities. Such a talented person must be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Today the flowers are in full bloom, why doesn't Your Majesty allow Miss Ye to play a piece to celebrate this prosperous time? It would also allow us to see the world."

She had just inquired and found out that Ye Qingxue spent her days herding, slaughtering, and selling sheep in the countryside and had not learned any music, chess, calligraphy, or painting.

The Empress Dowager then asked her, "Is Qingxue willing?"

Ye Qingxue knew that Hu Qimei was digging a pit for herself, but the Empress's agreement was a test of her obedience.

Ye Qingxue replied, "Of course, it is Qingxue's honor."

She immediately ordered someone to bring the zither up. Ye Qingxue sat behind the zither and noticed Hu Qimei's gaze. She looked down at the strings and gently stroked them with her fingers.

Beneath one of the strings, she felt a slight bulge, a sign that the string had been tampered with.

If she can't play the piano, she'll make a fool of herself.

If she can play the piano, and a string breaks halfway through her performance, she could be injured or even disfigured.