Imperial Capital 47. Emperor, Empress Dowager, Concubine

Mo Xiuyao's guess was right. Two days after the engagement, someone came from the palace to deliver Ye Zhaoyi's order, saying that he missed the third young lady and asked the third young lady to come to the palace to meet him. Ye Li knew exactly who wanted to see her. Although her relationship with Ye Yue when she was at home was not bad enough to be known to everyone, it was definitely not better than that with Ye Ying. Unfortunately, although Ye Yue was still only a Zhaoyi, Ye Li, who had not yet officially become the Princess of Ding, had no right to reject her. So she had to receive the order, return to her courtyard, change into a decent outfit, and then take Qingluan and Qingyu with her to follow the eunuch who came to deliver the message into the palace.

Chujing is located in the north of the Great Chu, and most of the palaces are majestic and magnificent. As soon as I got off the carriage, the magnificent royal atmosphere came to me. Unlike the exquisite carvings between the ordinary dignitaries, the imperial city is more prominent in its grandeur and magnificence. The five-clawed golden dragon perched on the huge stone pillar seems to be warning the world that the imperial power is inviolable. People who come here for the first time will definitely be intimidated by its grandeur, but Ye Li, who has long been accustomed to seeing hundred-foot-high buildings and famous places of interest in China and abroad, can only give it a faint appreciation. After getting off the carriage at the palace gate, Ye Li followed the eunuch who led the way into the inner palace. While walking, he looked at the environment in the palace without leaving a trace, and took note of his location.

After passing through palace gates one after another, they finally stopped in front of a magnificent palace. Ye Li looked up and saw Yaohua Palace. Ye Li remembered that Ye Yue was given the chance to live in Yaohua Palace.

"Miss Ye San, please wait a moment. We will go in and report it." The eunuch who led the way said in a sharp voice.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Please do as you please, sir."

After the eunuch went in to report, he did not come out quickly. Ye Li stood there for nearly an incense stick of time, but no one came out. Qingyu whispered, "Miss, what does Empress Zhaoyi mean?!" Qingluan whispered, "Don't talk too much, why are you talking so much when Miss didn't say anything?" Qingyu also understood that the palace was not a place where she could talk freely like at home. She blinked in shame and kept silent. Ye Li smiled and said, "Be patient." Qingluan hesitated for a moment, looked around, and then whispered, "Miss, could it be that Empress Zhaoyi..." Ye Li shook her head and smiled, "Ye Zhaoyi would not use such a low-class method." Qingyu and Qingluan were both very smart. After hearing what Ye Li said, they immediately understood. They all shut up and stopped talking. It was just standing there waiting. One of them is a martial artist, and the other has studied medicine since childhood. Neither of them is weak.

Another half a minute passed, and still no one came out of Yaohua Palace. Instead, a group of people staggered over not far away. Looking at the scene, it was clear that some noble person was traveling. Ye Li and the other two moved aside to avoid bumping into each other. Soon, the group had reached the gate of Yaohua Palace, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs came with two women in palace dresses. They stopped not far from Ye Li. One of the women in blue looked at Ye Li curiously and said, "Huh? This lady looks unfamiliar. Why is she standing here?" Ye Li had no choice but to step forward and bow, "Ye Li, the third daughter of the Minister of Revenue, meets the two nobles."

"So you're the future Princess Ding. We don't deserve to be her." The pink-dressed lady in royal attire quickly made way for her, smiling and saying, "Why are you standing here, Miss Ye San? Are you here to visit Ye Zhaoyi?"

Ye Li nodded and smiled, "I am here to see you at the order of Empress Zhaoyi."

"In that case, let's go in together." The blue-dressed woman came to pull Ye Li. Ye Li smiled and said, "This is Ye Li's first time entering the palace and I don't know the rules. I dare not enter without Zhao Yi's summons. I won't waste your time. Ye Li thanks you again." The two women looked at each other, and the pink-dressed woman smiled and said, "In that case, let's go in first. Sister Zhao Yi is tired easily now, so I guess she fell asleep. The people below dare not disturb her. Miss Ye San, please wait."

"Thank you."

"Miss, why don't we go in with them?" Qingyu asked softly. She didn't know if it was her illusion, but there seemed to be more people passing by on this road than when they first came.

Ye Li turned around to look at her, smiled softly and asked, "Do you think we will be chased out if we follow them in?"

"It should... not be possible?" Qingyu said uncertainly. It was indeed embarrassing for her to have Miss Ye kicked out, but Ye Zhaoyi wouldn't be in a better situation either.

"Hey... here, here..."

Ye Li turned around and saw a small head poking out from under a tree in the corner of the hall, smiling and waving at her. Ye Li looked around and then raised her finger and pointed at herself. The child, who was half hidden in the tree, nodded at her and said, "Come here."

"Miss?"

Ye Li waved her hand and walked over slowly, "Are you Uncle Ding's future princess?" A cute little girl squatted in the bushes. She was about seven or eight years old and had a cute bun on her head. There were two strings of crystal pearls on her bun, and golden phoenix patterns were embroidered on her exquisitely crafted clothes. It was obvious that this child was of extraordinary status.

"I am, who are you?"

"I won't tell you." The little girl looked at her with her bright big eyes and smiled.

Ye Li didn't care and smiled, "Do you know Prince Ding? Have you met him? It's not a good thing to lie. Everyone knows that Prince Ding hasn't been out for many years. Probably as many years as you are old."

The little girl gave her a look of contempt. "If I haven't seen it, can't I just listen to what others say? My cousin Xiangxiang told me that Uncle Ding Wang is the best martial artist in the world, the smartest, the best-looking, and the most powerful. I want to marry him when I grow up!"

Cousin Xiangxiang?

Ye Li looked at the serious little girl and couldn't help but want to laugh. But she didn't want to hurt the little girl's fragile heart, "Do you know how old Prince Ding is? When you grow up, he will be old. By then, there will be someone who is better at martial arts, smarter, and more handsome than him. By then, he will no longer be the most powerful person. What will you do?"

Hmm? The little girl was at a loss, "Then...what should I do? No, you lied to me. You lied to me because you wanted to marry Uncle Ding!"

"I'm not lying to you. You see, I'm much older than you now, right? You have to grow up to my age before you can get married. By then, I'll be old. Prince Ding is older than both of us. You'll see..."

The little girl sighed sadly, "Uncle Ding will be older than grandpa by then. If I marry him, I will be laughed at by the eldest sister. Okay, Uncle Ding will be yours."

Ye Li held back her laughter, nodded and said sincerely: "Okay, thank you, Princess."

"How do you know I'm a princess?"

Ye Li blinked her eyes. "Not only do I know you are a princess, I also know which princess you are."

"I don't believe it. You haven't seen this princess."

Ye Li smiled and said, "I guess you are the Empress's daughter, Princess Changle, right?"

The little princess tilted her head to look at Ye Li for a while before nodding and saying, "Okay, I agree with cousin Xiangxiang. You are indeed very smart. This princess is reluctant to make friends with you."

Seeing the little girl trying to act like an adult and looking at her like a princess, Ye Li smiled and said, "Okay, thank you for your appreciation, Princess. Why are you here, and... huh?" She pointed to the tree where the little princess was hiding. Princess Changle twisted her body indifferently and continued to hide in the bushes. "I heard that the Ye family has beauties. Ye Zhaoyi and Ye Ying, who would be blown away by the wind, are famous beauties. So I came to see if the Ye family is really full of beauties. Now I admit that you are more pleasing to the eye than Ye Zhaoyi and Ye Ying. You are barely a beauty. I guess you have to wait for a long time. How about going to play with me?"

Ye Li was puzzled, "How do you know it will take a long time?"

Princess Changle pouted, "My mother said that the women in the palace have nothing to do, so she tries to find things for others to do. When they see someone they don't like, they make her wait a little longer or kneel a little longer. This is what these women love to do. But don't worry, my mother won't do that."

Ye Li smiled but said nothing. Princess Changle glared at her unhappily, "Are you going out to play with me or not?"

Ye Li shook her head helplessly, "I still have to wait for Ye Zhaoyi to summon me. You know, if she wants to see me and can't find me, it will be very troublesome. And...someone is here."

Princess Changle glanced outside and immediately retracted her head, "Concubine Liu is here, don't tell me you've seen her. She's the most annoying." Ye Li nodded and helped her restore the tree to its original state, "Got it, go back quickly. I'm sorry to have made the Empress worry." After fixing the tree cluster, Ye Li stood up and walked back to where Qingluan and Qingyu were standing, waiting for the even larger team to arrive.

From a distance, a faint floral scent could be smelled. A group of palace maids and eunuchs came to the woman, who was dressed in a goose-yellow palace dress with hibiscus and phoenix patterns. Her slender figure was wrapped in the fitted palace dress, revealing her graceful curves. Her snow-white skin was like a painting, her cherry lips were slightly dotted, and she was seven points charming and three points cold. Ye Li had seen many beautiful women in recent days. Qin Zheng was as elegant as an orchid, Hua Tianxiang was as graceful as a peony, and Princess Qixia was as gorgeous as a peach blossom. But this Concubine Liu was like a pear blossom, pure and charming, seemingly weak but with a hint of unattainable coldness.

"Are you Ye Li?" Concubine Liu Guifei walked up to Ye Li, stopped, and asked lightly.

"Yes, I am. I have met Concubine Liu." Ye Li knelt slightly and saluted.

Concubine Liu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, "You have never been to the palace, right? How do you know who I belong to?"

Ye Liqian smiled and said, "A few years ago, the emperor offered sacrifices to the gods and I had the honor of catching a glimpse of your beauty, so I still remember it."

Concubine Liu Gui was slightly startled, and said with some regret: "That... should have happened five or six years ago, right? I'm ashamed that you were so young at that time that you could remember it."

"Your Majesty is so beautiful and charming that she is unforgettable." Ye Li said with a smile.

"You are more likable than your second sister. Why are you standing here? Come in with me. Ye Zhaoyi must have fallen asleep, leaving the future Princess Ding at the gate of the palace." Concubine Liu Gui said lightly, but her tone was not to be refused. Ye Li paused, bowed slightly and said, "Then please go first, Your Majesty."

In Yaohua Palace, Ye Yue was stunned when she saw Ye Li coming in with Concubine Liu. Concubine Liu looked at her calmly, "Sister, you saw Miss Ye San waiting outside the door, so you invited her in. You won't blame me for being nosy, will you?" Although she said so, Concubine Liu's expression did not show any sign of fear that she would be offended. Ye Yue pulled the corners of her lips and forced a smile, "Concubine Liu, you are joking. It's all my fault that I have been in low spirits these days and always forget things. If it weren't for you bringing the third sister in, wouldn't the third sister have been wronged many times? It's all because of you servants, why didn't you remind me!" Her charming eyes glanced at the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace, and suddenly the palace was filled with cries for mercy.

Concubine Liu frowned impatiently and said, "Okay, sister, forget it and trouble the people below. I'm sure Miss Ye San won't blame you. Right?"

Ye Li had no choice but to follow her words and said, "Your Highness, you are joking. I just waited for a while, so there is nothing wrong with that."

Ye Yue smiled, pulled Ye Li to sit in front of her, and said with a smile: "Third sister doesn't like to go out. I haven't seen her since I entered the palace. Now I finally see her. After a year or two, she has become more outstanding. Is your family okay?" Ye Li answered one by one. Ye Yue kept asking Ye Li some family questions, and Ye Li just answered respectfully. The strange thing is that Concubine Liu seemed to be completely unaware of the sisters' family meeting, and just sat there listening. She didn't care that there was no place for her to get a word in, and just sat there with a slightly cold smile. Ye Yue seemed to be accustomed to Concubine Liu's behavior, and had no intention of asking her to leave or taking Ye Li to leave.

"I can't go to my fourth sister's wedding. Are she and Prince Li doing well?" Ye Yue gently stroked her slightly protruding belly and asked Ye Li with a smile.

Ye Li recalled the gloomy face of Ye Ying when she came back home two days ago. It was not a good look. But now she did not intend to say it out loud to upset Ye Yue. She just smiled and said, "Fourth sister and Prince Li are newlyweds, so it's naturally good. I... am a little busy now, and I didn't have time to talk to fourth sister." Ye Yue knew that Ye Li and Ye Ying had a bad relationship, but she didn't care. She just took Ye Li's hand and smiled, "We are all sisters. After getting married, we don't have to meet and play all the time when we are at home. But you might as well go out more. I can't do anything in the palace, but you sisters can take care of each other outside. So that father and grandmother won't worry. Don't you think so?"

Ye Li nodded and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right."

The two sisters were talking about the affairs of the Ye Mansion when a palace maid came in and said that the Queen Mother had summoned Miss Ye San. Ye Yue was stunned for a moment before she turned around and smiled at Ye Li, "Since the Queen Mother has summoned you, you should go quickly. The Queen Mother is a sage and is the most kind to the younger generation. Don't be afraid, sister... it's not convenient, so I won't accompany you." Ye Li nodded, watching Ye Yue's well-maintained jade fingers gently caressing her abdomen, and nodded lightly, "Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty. In this case, I will take my leave." Ye Yue smiled and said, "Go slowly, sister. Someone, send Miss Ye San out for me."

"Sister, I also need to go and pay my respects to the Queen Mother. Let's go together with Miss Ye San." Concubine Liu stood up and said.

Ye Yue nodded, "In that case, I'll trouble Sister Guifei."

Concubine Liu Gui nodded calmly, "Miss San, let's go."

Ye Li followed Concubine Liu out of Yaohua Palace and looked back at the magnificently decorated palace gate. When she mentioned that the Queen Mother was going to summon her, if she was not mistaken, Ye Yue was nervous. And Concubine Liu... Looking at Concubine Liu who was walking in front with her people, she still couldn't tell whether Concubine Liu was an enemy or a friend. Accompany her into Yaohua Palace, and then accompany her to see the Queen Mother? Ye Li dared to guarantee that if Concubine Liu had not been sitting there all the time, Ye Yue would definitely want to say more than what she said today. But if Concubine Liu was good to her... let alone that they had never met, the contempt that was not even concealed under the faint arrogance made Ye Li unable to believe it. Ye Li shrugged helplessly and followed behind. The people in this palace are really troublesome...

The palace where the empress dowager lived was located in the northwest of the entire imperial city. Its area, which was comparable to that of two Yaohua Palaces, and its magnificent pavilions and palaces revealed the noble status of the emperor's biological mother.

"Zhangde Palace was built for the Queen Mother after the Emperor ascended the throne." Standing in front of Zhangde Palace and waiting to be summoned, Concubine Liu turned around and looked at Ye Li and said lightly, "Also, don't listen to your sister's nonsense. The Queen Mother is not a good-tempered person, be careful." Ye Li pursed her lips and smiled lightly, "Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty." Concubine Liu snorted lightly, and stepped into Zhangde Palace with a flick of her sleeves. Ye Li followed behind, and although her face was calm, her mind had already turned hundreds of circles. Although she had only been in the palace for a short time, the strangeness of this palace was beyond her understanding. It is said that the current emperor was helped to ascend the throne by the empress dowager, and the current empress dowager is also a well-known virtuous concubine, but Concubine Liu Gui, as the emperor's favorite concubine, has no respect for the empress dowager. And... I looked up at the three big characters "flying dragon and walking phoenix" on the plaque under the eaves of the palace. Zhangde - I hope this was written by the emperor willingly.

"Your servant Ye Li has seen the Emperor and the Empress Dowager." After entering the hall and seeing the tall man in the bright yellow robe, Ye Li's face flashed with surprise, and she quickly bowed respectfully.

"Stand up. Shang'er, why are you here?" Mo Jingqi glanced at Ye Li, and soon his eyes fell on Concubine Liu next to him. He stood up and walked down the steps to pull Concubine Liu to him. Concubine Liu snorted and said lightly: "Why? Does the emperor think that I can't pay my respects to the queen mother?" Mo Jingqi sighed and said softly: "You know very well that this is not what I mean."

"Your Majesty!" A harsh and unhappy voice came from the palace. Ye Li glanced at her without leaving any trace. The Queen Mother must have been a stunning beauty when she was young. Although she was the elder sister of Concubine Xian Zhao, the Queen Mother looked younger than Concubine Xian Zhao. However, her eyes now gave people an indescribable sense of sternness. However, Ye Li knew that these eyes must have been charming and beautiful when she was young. At this time, the Queen Mother did not notice Ye Li, but cast her stern eyes on Concubine Liu Gui, and even felt a bit of murderous aura in her eyes. It was obvious that the Queen Mother disliked Concubine Liu Gui very much.

"Mother." Mo Jingqi frowned, pulled Concubine Liu Gui to the main hall and said, "Mother, Shang'er came here to pay her respects to you. I guess she happened to meet Miss Ye San and came here together."

The Queen Mother said calmly, "Greetings? It's rare that Concubine Liu Gui remembered to pay her respects to me today."

"Mother, you know that Shang'er has not been in good health since she gave birth to Jing'er." Mo Jingqi looked a little embarrassed, but he still firmly protected Concubine Liu Gui by his side. Seeing the gloomy face of the empress dowager, Ye Li wanted to sympathize with her in her heart. She finally gave birth to two sons, survived the death of the previous emperor's empress to become the empress, and worked hard to send her son to the throne. It's time for her to enjoy her life as the empress dowager. Who knew that the younger son was occasionally mentally retarded, and the eldest son of the emperor only wanted his wife and not his mother.

"Mother, didn't you say you wanted to meet Miss Ye San? Let's first see what the princess chosen for Xiu Yao is like?" Seeing that the Queen Mother's face was really not looking good, Mo Jingqi said hurriedly.

Ye Li frowned, Your Majesty, are you trying to divert trouble to others?

As expected, the Queen Mother quickly turned her gaze back to Ye Li. Ye Li silently decided in her heart that it would be better to believe what Concubine Liu Gui said. The look that the Queen Mother cast on her was something that not everyone could bear.

"Are you Ye Li?" The Queen Mother asked after a long while.

Ye Li lowered her eyes respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty, I am Ye Li."

The Queen Mother frowned and said, "Raise your head so I can see."

Ye Li raised her head as she was told and allowed the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to look at her.

"I have met your mother several times in the past. The granddaughter of the Xu family is indeed not comparable to those who are not presentable. What a pity..." The Queen Mother did not say what was a pity, and of course no one was tactful enough to ask. Ye Li saw with sharp eyes that the face of Concubine Liu sitting next to the Emperor was not very good. There was a slight doubt in her heart. The Queen Mother should not have said something indirect about Concubine Liu. After all, Prime Minister Liu's daughter was definitely not someone who was not presentable.

"My Li'er is ignorant, Miss Ye, please don't take the previous things to heart." The Queen Mother stared at Ye Li with her sharp eyes without moving.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is because I and Prince Li are not meant to be together. It is better for both me and Ye Li that His Highness Prince Li brings it up before the marriage than to find out that he is not liked after the marriage. Thank you very much."

"Oh? What do you think about Li'er's wedding, Ms. Ye?"

"This... this is a private matter of His Royal Highness Prince Li. I shouldn't speculate on this."

"What if I must hear your opinion?" asked the Queen Mother.

"I think... maybe His Royal Highness Prince Li was too excited about his wedding and didn't get enough rest the night before." Ye Li looked at the Queen Mother with a harmless smile and a hint of fear. "His Royal Highness Prince Li and Fourth Sister love each other. Who in the whole capital doesn't know about it? It's inevitable that the prince is a little excited when he finally gets his beautiful lady."

"Miss Ye, I heard you say a few days ago that Prince Li didn't pay for things he bought, so you asked him for a lot of money?" Concubine Liu Guifei, who was sitting on the side, suddenly laughed.

The temperature in the hall dropped a lot. Ye Li blinked blankly, with shame on her face, "I am ignorant, please forgive me, Your Majesty. I have rarely gone out since my mother passed away, and I lost my sense of propriety the first time I was in charge. Afterwards, my grandmother also taught me a lesson, and I also asked someone to return the silver to Prince Li's mansion and apologize to the prince. But..." She was chased out with the silver. Afterwards, Ye Li gave two hundred taels to the steward as psychological loss compensation, and put the rest into her own pocket with peace of mind.

Originally, Mo Jingli was wrong in this matter, and even the royal family would not really blame him. Seeing Ye Li's shocked and guilty look, Mo Jingqi coughed lightly, gave Concubine Liu a warning look, and soothed her: "Forget it, this matter is Jingli's inconsiderateness, not Miss Ye's fault. The Queen Mother does not mean to blame you."

Ye Li thanked happily: "I thank the Emperor and the Empress Dowager for their magnanimity."

The Queen Mother nodded calmly and said, "Forget it. I have no intention of blaming you. Please give Miss Ye a seat."

Two palace maids carried an embroidered stool and placed it behind Ye Li. Ye Li thanked them and then carefully sat on only two-thirds of the stool. She was not grateful to the Queen Mother for giving her a seat. If she could choose, she would rather stand. Sitting down would not only make the person who was already below her even shorter, but also seriously affect the viewing angle. Moreover, the way a lady of a noble family sits is even more strenuous than doing horse stance when she was a child. At least when doing horse stance, you can use your legs to gain strength. If you are not trained to sit so elegantly and dignifiedly since childhood, you can only pray that you will not fall off the stool.

"Miss Ye, is Mr. Qingyun okay?" Mo Jingqi looked at Ye Li with a slightly probing look in his eyes.

Ye Liqian smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My uncle mentioned that Grandpa is in good health."

Mo Jingqi smiled and said, "Don't be so nervous. I have seen Mr. Qingyun's elegance before, and I can't help but admire him. But I haven't seen him for many years." Ye Li lowered her head in shame and said, "Since my mother passed away, I haven't seen my grandfather for many years. I can't take my mother's place, and I feel ashamed of my grandfather's love."

"Oh? Miss Ye and Prince Ding are getting married. I'm sure Mr. Qingyun won't miss the wedding of his only granddaughter?"

"Grandpa is old and can't bear the fatigue of the journey. I am afraid that I won't be able to see you in person... But Grandpa has sent my uncle to Beijing to take charge. I am also very happy."

Mo Jingqi's eyes flickered, "Oh? Mr. Hongyu has already arrived in Beijing? Then...Mr. Xu..."

Ye Li smiled calmly and said, "My eldest cousin and several other cousins ​​also went to Beijing. My uncle has no achievements, so he has nothing to show for it."

Mo Jingqi laughed loudly and said, "The Xu family has always disliked false reputation and prefers purity. However, Mr. Hongyu is also my mentor. It is really rude that I did not go to greet him when he came to Beijing this time." Ye Li said she dared not, but she did not think so in her heart. Her uncle had only taught him some academics under the order of the late emperor. Who was his mentor? Moreover, if he really wanted to greet him, he would have gone long ago. She did not believe that Mo Jingqi really did not know when her uncle came to Beijing.

Mo Jingqi obviously had no intention of dwelling on this issue. He looked at Ye Li and said, "Miss Ye won the first prize in this year's Hundred Flowers Festival. Even Princess Ronghua praised Miss Ye several times in front of the Queen Mother. I wonder if Miss Ye can give me and the Queen Mother a feast for the eyes." He did not give Ye Li a chance to refuse. With a wave of his hand, a palace maid and an eunuch brought over a carved desk with pens, ink, paper and inkstone.

"I have behaved in an ugly way."

Ye Li stood behind the desk, painting with a brush, and cursed the emperor in her heart a hundred times. She really couldn't understand the pleasure of these ancient emperors in catching people to write poems and lyrics. After all, not everyone likes to recite poems, and not everyone has such a quick talent. What if the emperor calls on you but you can't write a poem?

Ye Li drew a picture of orchids in a proper manner, and mentioned a poem about orchids written by her grandfather a few years ago. The only thing that could be called outstanding was her calligraphy. Watching the gazes of the people in the palace change from inquiry to surprise and then to disappointment, Ye Li stood respectfully behind the desk, waiting for the emperor's evaluation without any concern.

"Youlan? Is this Mr. Qingyun's poem?" Concubine Liu asked with a frown.

Ye Li said with shame: "I am not very proficient in poetry, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Concubine Liu Guifei's eyes flashed with contempt, and she glanced at the painting and said, "Miss Ye's handwriting is quite good."

The Queen Mother also agreed with Concubine Liu. Ye Li's work at the Hundred Flowers Festival is now in the palace. The painting is indeed not stunning, but just average. As for the poem... the three people in the palace all suspected that the peony poem that was stunning at the Hundred Flowers Festival was definitely not written by Ye Li. After all, the Xu family has nothing but talented people. Anyone who casually finds a ghostwriter for Ye Li must be a heavyweight figure, so it is not surprising that he can have such a poem. "Miss Ye's handwriting is indeed good."

Ye Li clearly felt that the three above were less interested in her. Although she didn't quite understand why the ancients thought that music, chess, calligraphy and painting represented a person's ability and intelligence, at least this result was not bad for her.

It was not until the afternoon that Ye Li was escorted out of the palace by the Empress Dowager. During the process, she contributed her calligraphy to copy a scroll of scriptures for the Empress Dowager. Because no one had ever thought of asking her to go to Yaohua Palace to say goodbye to Ye Zhaoyi, Ye Li was embarrassed to bother the people sent by the Empress Dowager, so she had to pretend that she had forgotten it. Accompanied by the palace servants, she took the gifts given by the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Concubine Liu Gui and left the imperial city. It was not until she got on the carriage that Ye Li slowly let out the anger that had been pent up in her heart for most of the day.

"Miss, please take a rest for a while. You don't look well." Qingyu reached out and felt Ye Li's pulse, and said softly.

Qingluan said helplessly: "Miss, you must be a little nervous entering the palace for the first time. It's a pity that we can't enter the Queen Mother's palace, and we can't accompany the young lady."

Qing Yuqian smiled and said, "If you go in, you'll probably just scare yourself. Don't cause trouble for the young lady."

Ye Li leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes to rest, and went over everything that happened in the palace today in her mind. When in the palace, she had to be careful everywhere, and there was no time to think about many things. The emperor, the queen mother, Concubine Liu... Everyone seemed normal, but it seemed that there was some unknown entanglement hidden. And Ye Yue...

No!

Ye Li opened her eyes suddenly, and Qingluan and Qingyu were startled. "Miss, what's wrong?"

"The carriage is going the wrong way!" Ye Li said. Before she finished speaking, a long arrow shot through the carriage with a whoosh.