The Empress Dowager's bedroom.
Lady Li pulled her niece, Li Wenlan, aside and inquired about her recent activities in the palace.
Li Wenlan is a refined and elegant woman, far superior to Anhe, a wild girl who grew up on the frontier.
The well-mannered women found fault with everyone, but they praised Li Wenlan highly.
Li Wenlan responded to her aunt with a graceful and dignified demeanor, displaying an even more regal presence than the Empress Dowager.
She was trained by Li Shouhai from a young age so that she would marry into the palace and become the empress of the third prince.
Although the third prince is not the one who has ascended the throne, Li Wenlan, this pawn, has not been wasted.
Mrs. Li liked Li Wenlan very much. When she heard Li Wenlan say that she liked her, she patted her hand affectionately.
"Good Lan'er, without Anhe, the position of empress is undoubtedly yours. With your beauty, you will surely be able to bewitch Xu Zang. Don't forget why the family raised you."
There was a subtle hint in those words.
Li Wenlan understood immediately. She promised Li that after the marriage, she would definitely extract useful secrets from Xu Zang and work hard for the glory of the Li family.
Mrs. Li patted her head and praised her, saying, "Good child."
"Don't worry, one day when that wicked man is brought down from the throne and your cousin ascends the throne, your aunt will definitely make him make you his empress."
Li Wenlan lowered her head as if she were shy, but her eyes were full of impatience.
She had no feelings for her cousin at all; it was only because the family forced them to be together that she felt compelled to show affection.
She didn't really care who sat on the throne; what mattered was that she was the empress.
The Empress Dowager did not notice her niece's indifference. She summoned Li Wenlan for another important matter.
"In a few days, it will be the Moon Festival. According to the rules, the outstanding young ladies will be able to perform a dance at the banquet. You should prepare well and make sure there are no mishaps."
Li Wenlan should be the one. She has been dancing since childhood and has seen the world, so she is not nervous.
This year's Moon Festival is quite special, as an envoy delegation has arrived from the Western Liang region.
Xu Zang's cousin, Uhlaya, personally led an envoy to the Xu Kingdom to pay homage.
Xu Zang has half Xiliang blood flowing through his veins. The two countries have had diplomatic relations for more than 20 years. During these years, the border has been peaceful, and caravans have been frequently traveling back and forth. They have a very good relationship.
Therefore, the preparations for this year's Moon Festival were especially grand.
The envoys from Xiliang arrived at the palace the day before, and Uhlaya met with the emperor first.
They were siblings; they had met when they were children.
Raya was strong and sturdy from a young age, like a boy, while Xuzang, whose mother was still alive at that time, was not favored by his father, but at least he had no worries about food and clothing. Dressed in a prince's robe, with a fair and delicate face, he looked like a girl.
The brother and sister had a close relationship since childhood. Xu Zang deliberately put aside the memorials and personally took Laya on a tour of the palace. Somehow, they ended up in Yi Mu's courtyard.
At that time, Yi Mu was sunbathing in the yard.
A few days ago, there was a strong wind, and his leg injury flared up again.
Fortunately, the sun was out today, so Yuanbao pushed him out to bask in the sun.
He was still dressed in white, the fabric was ordinary, his face was fair, his eyebrows were light and his lips were pale, like a figure in a painting without any color applied. He looked so pale that one couldn't help but want to ravage him, to see if one could find more vibrant colors on him.
Xu Zang thought this way, while Raya was much simpler. She just thought this man was really handsome, the kind of handsome that made her feel ashamed of herself if she looked at him for too long.
She blushed, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet, and felt inferior for the first time.
Before this ethereal being, everything seems flawed.
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