The palace maids screamed and backed away, huddling together. The lady-in-waiting calmed down, slowly stepped forward, bent down to examine the situation, and met the gaze of Cai Ning, who looked around in bewilderment.
She gently patted Cai Ning's shoulder, her eyes widening slightly: "Cai Ning?"
Cai Ning looked confused. Where was she? And who was this person in front of her? The person in front of her called her Cai Ning. Whose body had she entered this time? Was she still in the original Xijing Dynasty?
She stared blankly at the female official in front of her: "Cai Ning?"
"What happened? Did the well water ruin your brain?" The female official straightened up, clasped her hands over her stomach, and resumed her dignified demeanor. Her cold-faced head maid, Granny Li, stepped forward: "Cai Ning, since you're alright, go back to your room and rest."
"Xiaoyue, you share a room with Caining, why don't you help her back to rest?"
The woman named Xiaoyue was always well-behaved. She stepped forward and gave a slight curtsy: "Yes, Granny."
Everyone watched the two leave. The female official politely approached the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you to make this trip, but since the palace maid is alright, I will take her back."
The three eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department were still in shock from the "resurrection" they had just experienced. The leading eunuch nodded hurriedly; it was his first time handling such a task, and he was terrified!
He snapped out of his daze, adjusted his hat brim, and quickly put on his signature smile: "You're too kind, Lady. Since the maid is alright, it saves us a lot of trouble. We'll head back now."
"Take care, sir."
Xiaoyue helped Caining back to her room. She sat on her bed and curiously observed her surroundings: "Your name is Xiaoyue, right?"
Xiaoyue thoughtfully poured her a glass of water and smiled, "Yes, Caining, are you alright?"
Cai Ning shook her head: "It's nothing. What's wrong with me? I can't remember some things very clearly." Her eyes were filled with confusion.
Xiaoyue didn't suspect anything and briefly told her about what had happened in the past two days. Caining squinted and nodded. It seemed that she had been reincarnated and had become a low-ranking palace maid in the laundry department. Sigh... life wasn't easy.
"Alright, stop thinking about it and get some rest."
There was a knock at the door. Xiaoyue got up and opened it, and Granny Li came in.
"Xiaoyue, go and brew some medicine for Caining."
Xiaoyue smiled slightly and curtsied: "Yes, Granny."
Cai Ning looked at the unfamiliar Granny Li in front of her and obediently greeted her, "Hello, Granny."
"You should rest well these next two days. You will still be in charge of the tasks assigned by the lady-in-waiting." Granny Li remained indifferent.
Cai Ning nodded. Although she didn't know what the mission was, she agreed for now and would ask her roommate later. Xiao Yue seemed to be easy to get along with.
"Don't worry, Granny."
Granny Li nodded and turned to leave. Cai Ning relaxed and lay down on the bed as if she had been granted a pardon. Why had she come here? Had something happened to Mu Wanyu's body? Recalling the moment when Mu Wanyu was in unbearable pain and vanished in the consciousness space, she felt that Mu Wanyu might no longer be in this world, which was why she had successfully possessed another person's body.
She suddenly remembered something, got up and searched haphazardly, her gaze finally settling on the yellowed bronze mirror.
Looking at her face in the bronze mirror, which was less beautiful but more delicate, she sighed slightly. Although her face was not as good as before, it was still not too bad.
——
Five days later is the annual Agricultural Festival of Xijing. Originally, the Empress presided over the picking of mulberry leaves and raising of silkworms in the inner palace, with the concubines and female relatives of ministers entering the palace to participate; the Emperor would then host a banquet for princes and ministers and receive envoys who came to offer their congratulations. In this way, they prayed for favorable weather and a stable society for the Xijing Dynasty.
However, this year was special, as the Empress was pregnant and about to give birth, and there were no other concubines in the palace. Therefore, Emperor Jingcheng changed the original custom and set a banquet for princes, ministers, and female relatives in the Hall of Supreme Harmony five days later, with the Emperor and Empress attending together.
Liu Xinqi must have received the news that both Beixiang and Dongyang were sending envoys to offer their congratulations. He and Li Li had been plotting these past few days, and after extensive investigation, they confirmed that Mu Wanyu had indeed been captured by Di Jingcheng, presumably because it was related to the Beast Garden.
Liu Xinqi was able to enter the palace during this court audience, the emperor and empress went to Jinghe Garden to escape the summer heat, and Li Li also took the opportunity to open a back door to the animal garden. All of this was thanks to the connections of the Grand Secretary.
Azi has been having a very pleasant time these past two days. Jinghe Garden is truly a wonderful place, incredibly cool and refreshing. There's also an elegant vegetable garden there, which the palace servants take excellent care of. The fruits and vegetables inside are lush and green, stretching out their vibrant colors, looking very appealing and appetizing.
Di Jingcheng no longer restricted her diet as before, and she could eat whatever she liked.
Emperor Jingcheng often accompanied her to the vegetable garden to harvest fresh fruits and vegetables, which were then cooked in the small kitchen. Compared to before when they lived in the main hall, both of them had much better appetites.
Today, Azi wanted to plant some vegetables herself, and Emperor Jingcheng accompanied her to the vegetable garden. The palace servants had already made arrangements and rushed forward to greet the Emperor and Empress upon their arrival.
"Your servants greet Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress!"
"Rise." Di Jingcheng put his arm around Azi, supporting her belly with one hand, letting her lean against him to ease her fatigue as much as possible.
Ah Zi's eyes were full of excitement, and she was eager to try. She looked at the leading nanny and asked, "I want to plant some vegetables. What kind of vegetables are suitable to plant at this time of year?"
The old nanny, clearly experienced, quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, it is currently the hottest time of late summer, and autumn is approaching. It would be a good time to plant pumpkins, carrots, cucumbers, and corn."
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