"Jia'er, I'll wear it now. You rest well here."

Yang Shuhuan caught a glimpse of Shen Jia's displeasure out of the corner of her eye, and she liked the headdress even more. It was indeed uniquely designed and the color combination was outstanding.

When we go out later, she has to outshine everyone else, at the very least, she has to outshine Ning Yin.

Shen Jia felt a tightness in her chest, but since Yang Shujing was her older sister, she couldn't say anything.

But upon comparison, she suddenly remembered that Ning Yin, when she was in the General's Mansion, was never like this.

Ning Yin always restrained herself, and she always took the best things for herself first.

Duan Ran wouldn't be like Yang Shuhuan, who not only stood by and watched someone die but also took away her most beloved jewelry.

Now, she has no status or position, and her brother is nothing more than someone abandoned by the Crown Prince. She can only grit her teeth and endure it.

Once I have complete control of the Marquis's mansion, I will then teach Yang Shuhuan a lesson for her arrogance.

As the sun began to set outside, Ningyin and her friends had already wrapped more than a hundred dumplings.

However, the Imperial Hospital was unusually quiet. She got up, walked to the table, took a few strings of firecrackers, and handed one to Bai Meng.

"Suxin and Granny Zhang, you two cook dumplings. Bai Meng and I will set off some firecrackers to add to the festive atmosphere."

Back in the Ning family mansion, my grandmother would always set off a string of firecrackers with me before we ate the New Year's Eve dinner.

She was timid back then, and would cover her ears and hide far away when she heard firecrackers.

Grandmother laughed at her, saying she was like a little deer, and pulled her into her arms, gently stroking her head to comfort her.

“Ah Yin, your grandmother can’t be with you until you’re old, so you have to learn to be strong and brave. The more you’re afraid of something, the more you have to learn to overcome it. That’s how you grow.”

Later, she married into the general's family and was never able to set off firecrackers with her grandmother again.

The general's mansion had strict rules, and women were absolutely forbidden from touching this thing that only men could touch.

Thinking of this, Ningyin's eyes welled up with tears. She was no longer afraid of firecrackers, but she would never see her grandmother again.

Ningyin came into the courtyard, hung firecrackers on the treetops, and then lit a tinderbox, which crackled and popped.

Bai Meng looked at Ning Yin's calm demeanor with surprise. He turned to look at Su Xin and Zhang Mama, who were both covering their ears and dared not come out.

As darkness fell, the sparks from the firecrackers flickered.

Like shooting stars, they inspire endless dreams and imaginations.

The firelight illuminated Ning Yin's profile, the interplay of light and shadow softening her cool features and adding a touch of gentle beauty.

Bai Meng was so flustered by what he saw that he didn't even realize the string of firecrackers in his hand was about to explode.

He only came to his senses when he felt a sharp pain in his palm, and hurriedly dropped the firecracker in his hand.

As the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) approached, the Hall of Preserving Harmony was bustling with people.

The Hall of Preserving Harmony was a large palace used by the imperial family to hold banquets for foreign guests, and its decoration was extremely luxurious.

As the future emperor, Xiao Xuan was positioned to the right of the emperor, while Empress Dowager Zhang was positioned to the left.

The others could only sit in a row on the side, and even the most favored Consort Chen had to sit behind them.

But if she is the empress, then she is qualified to sit in the central seat with the emperor.

Consort Chen narrowed her eyes, looking at the vacant Empress's seat, her heart turning cold.

For so many years, the old emperor had refused to hand over the empress's position to her.

Even though she was in charge of the inner palace for him, she still only held the title of Imperial Concubine.

Thinking this, Consort Chen glared at Xiao Xuan again. If it weren't for his mother's dominance over the emperor's heart, the position of crown prince might have already belonged to her son.

Now that Xiao Xuan has no children and still sits firmly in the Eastern Palace, she feels even more resentful.

Just because he has a mother who is as beautiful as a demon, does that mean he can trample on them both?

Why? She is the Empress of Liang, why can she be so glorious!

At this moment, Xiao Xuan stood up, raised his cup to toast the emperor and Empress Dowager Zhang, and his sharp gaze swept around.

He just instructed Li Chengyan to spread false information, and now almost all the ministers probably know about it.

If anyone makes any unusual moves later, Li Chengyan will record them one by one.

Xiao Ling's henchmen were well hidden, so he had no choice but to take a risk and use this method to find out the truth.

His eyes were cold, but a smile played on his lips as he tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine.

The emperor and empress dowager liked Xiao Xuan and valued his talent. Although Xiao Xuan had no children, they tolerated him repeatedly.

Just as the two of them drank a cup of wine at the same time, Empress Dowager Zhang suddenly remembered this matter.

"Xuan'er, after tonight you will be twenty-one. When will Grandma be able to hold her great-grandson?"

Empress Dowager Zhang smiled, but her tone was full of anticipation.

The last time the emperor told the Empress Dowager that Xiao Xuan had someone he liked, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed and looked forward to seeing her granddaughter-in-law as soon as possible.

The question is simply a test of Xiao Xuan, to see if he is lying to appease him.

The person Xiao Xuan was thinking of right now was Ning Yin; he just wanted to have two children with Ning Yin.

One son and one daughter are enough.

So, feeling quite pleased with himself, he stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Grandmother, I will speed things up, please don't worry."

Empress Dowager Zhang was pleased to see Xiao Xuan's confident demeanor. Although she hadn't seen the Crown Princess yet, she was finally at ease.

"In that case, your grandmother and father can rest assured."

These words were not pleasant for Consort Chen and Xiao Ling to hear.

Despite having five children of her own, the Empress Dowager acted as if she didn't see them and never thought of holding them.

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