Meanwhile, at the Western Qin Imperial Palace.
Of course, there was no shortage of skilled craftsmen who had already made meticulous arrangements, decorating the palace inside and out tonight in a magnificent and resplendent manner.
Every corner is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating an incredibly festive atmosphere.
The musicians will also play a variety of instruments that they have been rehearsing for months in advance, creating a harmonious symphony of strings.
As the drums and gongs sounded, a series of spectacular song and dance performances began.
Emperor Jing and his civil and military officials gathered together to toast and celebrate the arrival of the new year.
At the banquet, a dazzling array of delicacies and fine wines were on display, accompanied by singing, dancing, and constant laughter.
On the other hand, Yi Shangyun, who was engrossed in reading a medical book in a secluded courtyard, was suddenly attracted by a burst of fireworks that exploded in mid-air.
Following its direction, I looked out the window at the dazzling fireworks falling from the sky and couldn't help but mutter to myself, "It's already a new year again so quickly!"
After the fireworks ended, she slowly withdrew her gaze and inadvertently noticed that a huge red candle had been lit in the courtyard at some point.
From a distance, it looks like clusters of brocade flowers.
So she slowly got up and walked out into the courtyard.
The glow of the red candles, intertwined with the fragrance of plum blossoms in the courtyard, seemed to bring a touch of warmth and light to this endless, cold winter night.
Just then, a young palace maid returned from outside, carrying a red envelope in her hand, and happily passed by her.
Seeing Yi Shangyun standing alone in the courtyard, he took two steps back and asked her, "Why don't you go out and watch the fun, Miss? It's so boring standing here alone during the New Year!"
Yi Shangyun smiled faintly and explained, "I've always preferred quiet and don't like crowds. You seem to be having a lot of fun tonight, New Year's Eve."
The palace maid cleared her throat.
He then moved closer and said mysteriously, "You don't know, Princess Qin went to the palace for a banquet tonight! I didn't expect her to be so generous. All of us who served at the banquet got a pretty big red envelope!"
As he spoke, he looked extremely proud, raised his hand and waved the red envelope in his hand, showing off to Yi Shangyun with a smug look: "Look, the silver notes in here are much more than what we earn in a year of service in the palace!"
No matter how moving the little palace maid's words were, Yi Shangyun was not interested in what she was saying at all.
But after hearing her words, he asked her to confirm something: "You mean... Princess Qin, she also entered the palace tonight?"
The young palace maid nodded earnestly, saying with absolute certainty, "That's right, the Princess Consort of Qin has entered the palace! If she can come to the palace to distribute red envelopes every New Year and festival, I'll soon be able to raise enough dowry for my brother's wedding! Maybe next year, I'll be able to become an aunt! Just thinking about it makes me excited..."
Clearly, she had no interest in listening to what the maid said next.
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun felt her heart skip a beat. For some reason, a strange feeling arose in her heart.
She involuntarily murmured, "Since the Princess Consort of Qin has entered the palace tonight, does that mean that the King of Qin... he has also entered the palace!"
Thinking of this, Yi Shangyun suddenly felt her heart pounding wildly.
As soon as she realized the panic in her heart, she pressed one hand tightly against her heart and began to repeatedly ask herself questions.
What's wrong with me?
"Isn't it normal for the King of Qin to attend the New Year's Eve palace banquet together with his wife?"
"But why..."
Why is my heart beating so fast?
"Could it be that I really have those kinds of feelings for him?"
"No, that's impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
"In my heart, there is only Wei Mingxuan."
"Besides, that day, it was clearly me who wanted to completely sever ties with him, to go our separate ways from now on."
"At most, he is just Wei Mingxuan's past life. Why should I be so flustered by his appearance?"
In an instant, the scene of Xuan Yuanhan and Lu Tianjiao's wedding night, which he had witnessed from outside the window, entangled together, reappeared before his eyes.
For a moment, Yi Shangyun felt a mix of emotions.
"For the rest of my life, I already have my childhood sweetheart by my side, in his life. What am I even thinking?"
So she quickly forced herself to stop these suffocating thoughts: "No, no, stop, stop..."
Seeing Yi Shangyun's strange reaction, the little palace maid asked in confusion, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Yi Shangyun felt a tightness in her chest, as if she could hardly breathe.
So he said, "I'm fine. I guess staying here all the time lately has been too stuffy. I'm going out for some fresh air!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and hurried out of the courtyard.
Watching Yi Shangyun flee in a near panic, the little palace maid looked puzzled.
"Since she arrived here, the young lady has always seemed detached from worldly affairs, her emotions remarkably stable. What's wrong with her now?"
Perhaps he was certain that as long as he kept the Qin Prince's Mansion and the other people in the Yi Mansion firmly under his control, Yi Shangyun would obediently stay in the palace and let him do as he pleased.
Moreover, after her previous imprisonment, the more she tries to hide her identity, the more attention she attracts.
This time, Emperor Jing simply placed her in an inconspicuous corner of the palace and did not confine her to her quarters.
Although their clothing was no different from that of palace maids, they did not have to perform the duties of palace maids.
Therefore, Yi Shangyun was not much different from many palace maids; she could still freely enter and exit ordinary places in the palace.
Even after leaving the house, Yi Shangyun's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
Unbeknownst to her, she found herself at the palace banquet, almost as if by magic.
She looked around at all the dignitaries at the banquet, seeing everyone she wanted to see and everyone she didn't want to see, but she didn't see Xuan Yuanhan at all.
However, the spot that should have been his remained empty.
Yi Shangyun couldn't help but wonder, "Perhaps something happened, and he just left his seat!"
But as she thought about it, she refused again: "Yi Shangyun, Yi Shangyun, how can you be so spineless! I've already said he's not Wei Mingxuan, why did you still come to see him!"
Looking at the Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, Lu Tianjiao and others, all with joyful and happy smiles on their faces, and thinking that Xuan Yuanhan must have been just as happy as them, Yi Shangyun was consumed by jealousy.
"Now that you're here, what good is it? Look at them, they're the happy and fulfilling family. And what are you? You're just a wandering soul from another world that accidentally stumbled into this time and space. What are you still doing here?"
Just as she was utterly disappointed, heartbroken, and turned away dejectedly,
During the banquet, Lu Tianjiao's gaze inadvertently caught sight of her back from behind the crowd.
His smile vanished abruptly, and he was startled, saying, "That back view... it looks so much like..."
So she quickly stood up.
Just as she was about to leave her seat, the Empress Dowager noticed her and asked, "Princess Consort Qin, what's wrong with you?"
Lu Tianjiao paused for a moment, then lied and said, "Your Majesty, I feel a little drunk. I'll go down and sober up, and I'll be back soon."
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then, as if reminding her of something, said, "Since you're drunk, go and rest for a while. Remember to come to Yong'an Palace to keep me company later!"
Lu Tianjiao curtsied and replied with a smile, "Yes!"
So, with the help of his maid, he pretended to be drunk, held his forehead, and slowly left his seat.
Once he was out of the Empress Dowager's sight, he quickened his pace and chased after the familiar figure he had just seen disappear into the distance.
Yi Shangyun, who had left the banquet absentmindedly, was lost in thought as she walked back.
Completely unaware that he had strayed from his original route, he finally came to his senses when he reached the gate of a secluded courtyard: "This is not the way back. Where am I?"
Just as she was in the darkness, looking left and right for a way home, intending to turn back...
Suddenly, her mouth was covered tightly by two hands, and she was forcefully pulled into a doorway.
And the door was tightly closed again after Yi Shangyun went in.
"save……"
Just as Yi Shangyun was being restrained by the mysterious person and was struggling to cry for help, the person who pulled her through the door suddenly spoke up: "Don't make a sound, you're being followed!"
Upon hearing this, the clouds on the clothes indeed quieted down.
And the person who had been restraining her slowly released his grip.
Then, the two of them looked out through the crack in the door.
Lu Tianjiao chased after them relentlessly and, as expected, caught up with them.
And they stopped in front of the courtyard as well.
Feeling puzzled, he thought, "That's strange. She was clearly coming in this direction just now, so how could she have disappeared?"
She stood there for a moment, then, unexpectedly, her gaze suddenly fell on the door where the two men were peeping.
In an instant, the two of them were so frightened that they instinctively hid behind the two doors, pressing their backs tightly against them.
As expected, Lu Tianjiao slowly moved over and approached the door.
At that moment, the two people inside the door held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Separated only by a door, in Lu Tianjiao's eyes it was as if a million sharp arrows were about to be shot out, and he gritted his teeth and said fiercely.
"Could it really have been her just now? That bitch, she really has a worthless life! Trying to take her from me? If you ever fall into my hands, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
The gate to the courtyard was tightly shut, and the inside was deathly silent and lifeless.
"What bad luck during the Lunar New Year!"
Finally, Lu Tianjiao left with these words, feeling helpless and disappointed.
Only after seeing him leave did the two people inside the door breathe a long sigh of relief.
Yi Shangyun then patted his chest and hurriedly thanked the man: "That was close! I really owe you a lot. If she had known I was here, there would have been a huge mess!"
Before she could finish speaking, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "It's you?!"
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