Walking back according to memory and passing through the corridor, Xiao Ran heard the sound of stringed instruments in the distance. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and helped Lu Yanluo back to the hall.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I returned to my seat, I was met with Zhong Xiu's gaze.

"Where did you go, sister?"

Lu Yanluo didn't think much about it and said casually: "It's stuffy in the hall, let's go out and get some fresh air."

Unexpectedly, Zhong Xiu frowned and said with disapproval, "Sister, your behavior is really inappropriate. His Majesty has hosted a banquet. His Majesty and the Queen are still here. The ministers and their families in the palace have not left yet. How can you leave without permission? This is disrespectful to His Majesty. What if His Majesty asks about it? You are causing trouble for the prince!"

Zhong Xiu spoke righteously, criticizing Lu Yanluo for leaving without permission, his face full of disapproval, and he mentioned intentionally or unintentionally that Lu Yanluo's behavior was disrespectful to the emperor.

Lu Yanluo curled up the corner of her mouth in a sneer. She slowly picked up the wine glass in front of her, took a sip, then slowly put it down before turning her head to look at Zhong Xiu.

"Concubine Zhong is very controlling. I don't want to leave the table, but people have to be in a hurry. Can't I go out to relieve myself? May I ask, Concubine, when did His Majesty stipulate that we cannot go out to relieve ourselves during the banquet? Is going out to relieve ourselves disrespectful to His Majesty? Could it be that Concubine Zhong wants me to ask His Majesty for permission to go out to relieve myself?"

Lu Yanluo retorted, throwing back Zhong Xiu's accusation with a few words, then turned to look at the singing and dancing on the stage, no longer paying attention to Zhong Xiu.

Zhong Xiu, who was speechless due to the criticism, gritted her teeth secretly, feeling a breath stuck in her chest, feeling very uncomfortable. Suddenly, she realized that maybe she was wrong from the beginning. Lu Yanluo was not an easy character to deal with. She was extremely cunning. She underestimated her enemy.

Lu Yanluo endured the boredom and stayed until the end of the banquet.

It was not until the hour of Xu that they dispersed. Everyone dragged their tired bodies onto their own carriages and returned home to rest.

In the carriage of the Night Palace, Zhong Xiu's personal maid Cui Luo saw that Zhong Xiu looked unhappy, and looked at her master with some concern: "Princess, I think Lu Yanluo is definitely not an easy person to deal with. She has repeatedly opposed you, openly or covertly, and has the support of the prince behind her. She is really not easy to deal with. Moreover, the few words she said today were obviously meant to attack Concubine Lin and you. It seems that she has already guessed our plan with Concubine Lin before we entered the palace."

From their first meeting at the mansion to today's banquet, although Lu Yanluo seemed quiet, she actually did not let Zhong Xiu gain any advantage at all. Not only that, she also held Chu Xuan's heart tightly.

Zhong Xiu lowered his head, snorted coldly, and said sarcastically: "A barking dog that bites doesn't bite. I really underestimated this Lu Yanluo. Now that the prince is not in the capital, I must take this opportunity to get rid of her to prevent future troubles! Otherwise, it will be difficult to take action when the prince comes back."

Zhong Xiu hesitated for a moment, a trace of viciousness in his eyes: "Find a chance to get off the car, go to Zhaixing Tower and send a message to the Imperial Master. Tell him what I said and ask him to find a way to get Lu Yanluo to the palace tonight!"

A gleam of light flashed in Cui Luo's dark eyes, and he took advantage of the gap when the carriages were lining up to slip out from the back.

Lu Yanluo, who knew nothing about this, had just returned home and had not had time to change her clothes when the eunuchs from the palace arrived.

Lu Yanluo was suspicious. As soon as she showed up, the eunuch came over eagerly, bowed, and said, "Princess, His Majesty sent a servant to summon you to the palace. Come with me!"

Lu Yanluo asked, "Excuse me, sir, what's going on? I just returned home from the palace. His Majesty urgently summoned me to the palace, but how is my prince?"

This person was a eunuch beside the emperor. Lu Yanluo had an impression of him, so she was sure that the emperor urgently summoned her to the palace. But it was so urgent, could it be Chu Xuan's side...

The eunuch smiled and said flatteringly, "Don't worry, Princess. I heard that the Imperial Master of Zhaixing Tower just reported to Your Majesty that the Imperial Master observed the celestial phenomena at night and felt that the purple air was coming from the east of the Ye Palace, which is a good omen. Now that Ye Wang is not in the palace, the most precious thing is you, Princess! So the Imperial Master said that he wanted the Princess to stay in the palace for a while, so that this auspicious sign will fall on the country's fortune."

Seeing that Lu Yanluo still didn't move, the eunuch became anxious and urged, "What are you waiting for, Princess? Come with me quickly, His Majesty is still waiting for you!"

This is a matter of national destiny. No matter whether Lu Yanluo believes this statement or not, she has to go to the palace, otherwise no one can bear the blame.

Lu Yanluo did not dare to delay. After packing up, she followed the eunuch into the palace again.

After meeting the emperor, in order to bring good fortune upon himself, the emperor specially allowed Lu Yanluo to live in a side hall of Heqing Palace, not far from the emperor's main hall.

After finally tidying up and going to bed, it was almost the Yin hour and the day was about to dawn. After tossing and turning all night, Lu Yanluo had no desire to sleep.

Lying on the bed, inexplicably, Lu Yanluo's mind flashed again to the man in the dilapidated palace who was so captivating at first sight.

The more she thought about it, the more curious she became. Lu Yanluo simply got up, put on her clothes, and went to the palace again under the cover of night.

At this time, people were exhausted and the soldiers guarding around did not notice a dark shadow flashed by the window. In a blink of an eye, Lu Yanluo was already standing in the palace.

Unexpectedly, just after sneaking into the palace and before she could stand firmly, Lu Yanluo heard a sound of breaking air and a hidden weapon came towards her.

Lu Yanluo hurriedly leaned back, exerted force on her waist and abdomen, leaned to one side, supported herself on the ground with one hand, and dodged.

When she stood up again, a figure appeared in front of her.

Lu Yanluo looked at the person in the dark warily, like a tiger ready to pounce.

“Pah, pah, pah.” The man clapped his hands from the darkness and walked under the moonlight: “Girl, you have great skills!”

Under the moonlight, the man's appearance was even more breathtakingly beautiful. He was the same man that I saw from the window during the day.

But Lu Yanluo discovered another thing. After seeing the man's face clearly, Lu Yanluo was surprised to find that she had actually seen this man before.

No, to be exact, the original Lu Yanluo had actually seen this man.

As far as she could remember, Lu Yanluo was still a little child and she first saw this man in the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

This man is actually the youngest son of the late emperor and the younger brother of the current emperor, Prince Chang'an Chu Rui!

Knowing who this person is, everything becomes clear. Chu Rui, the Prince of Chang'an, is the youngest son beloved by the late emperor and Concubine Rong. His mother died early. After the current emperor ascended the throne, Chu Rui had been law-abiding and was conferred the title of prince early on. However, five years ago, he was caught on the spot for practicing witchcraft in the palace.

In a rage, the emperor imprisoned Chu Rui in the bedroom where his mother had lived before, and five years passed in a flash.

Since then, Prince An Chu Rui has become a taboo topic among everyone in the palace.