When the autumn heat gradually withdrew its power, Concubine Shugui returned home to visit her parents in the ceremonial procession of the Imperial Concubine. In the dark night, the luxurious ceremonial procession almost made the concubines' eyes red. The sedan chair with eight-treasure phoenix patterns under the canopy carried the jealousy and envy of countless people as it meandered out of the palace.

Zhuang Yuyan leaned against the window, listening to the bustle outside the palace. She couldn't help but smile, smoothed her bangs, and stuck her head out of the window: "The moon is quite round and bright tonight."

Yunxi lit up the candlesticks in the room one by one, walked behind Zhuang Yuyan, and said cautiously, "Master, it's autumn now, and the nights are cool. I'll give you an extra coat."

"How can you be so delicate?" Zhuang Yuyan retracted her head and said with a smile, "It's a rare cool weather, and you are so eager to ask me to put on more clothes."

Seeing that his master looked normal and didn't seem to be homesick, Yun Xi put his worries aside.

Looking at the palace lanterns flickering in the breeze outside the corridor, Zhuang Yuyan said with a sigh: "I never looked at the moon in the palace carefully before, but now I look at it carefully, and I understand why so many poets use the moon to express their feelings."

"I haven't read much, but I still vaguely remember the sentence that you, my master, like very much: Who first saw the moon by the river? When did the moon by the river first shine on people? Life... life..."

"Life is endless from generation to generation, but the moon over the river is the same year after year." Zhuang Luoyan recited the following two lines with a smile, and shook her head gently, saying, "The moonlight is indeed beautiful. I like this poem because he is lamenting about the scenery and life, rather than expressing his feelings through the moon." Turning away from the window, Zhuang Luoyan said with some disapproval, "The moon is the most changeable. Comparing it to feelings is a taint of feelings."

"My beloved concubine, you are right. I also think that the moon is beautiful, but it is too changeable to express my feelings."

"Your servant pays homage to His Majesty," Yun Xi did not expect the Emperor to come suddenly at this moment. She knelt down in panic and saluted, thinking carefully whether she had said anything taboo to her master.

"I have seen the emperor," Zhuang Luoyan's face also had a hint of surprise and joy. For a moment, she did not react to salute. Only when she heard Yun Xi's voice of greeting did she hurriedly bow and salute.

"My beloved concubine, you don't have to be so polite. I was rude to you," Feng Jian stepped forward and held Zhuang Yuyan's hand in his palm. "I was wrongly accusing you. You are also quite talented."

Zhuang Yuyan lowered her head in shame: "Your Majesty is making fun of me again. I can only recite a poem." If there was no memory in this body, she would not even be able to recite this poem. In modern times, after receiving so many years of education and being stuck in the harem, she is not much worse than an illiterate person.

When a man is with his woman, if he really only talks about poetry all night, this man is either a nerd or Liu Xiahui, and Feng Jian is obviously neither, so after talking about the stars and the moon and chatting about poetry and songs, he still has to do serious work.

The moonlight gradually shone into the house from the window, and the whole palace fell into silence. Gao Dezhong stayed in the outer room, watching the moonlight entering the house more and more quietly, until it was almost midnight, when a eunuch walked in quietly.

"Chief Executive Gao, Concubine Shugui has returned from her visit to her parents and said she wants to thank the Emperor for his grace. Look at this..."

Gao Dezhong glanced at the inner room and said in a low voice, "The Imperial Concubine Shugui is exhausted from visiting her parents. The Emperor has sympathized with her health and has exempted her from kneeling and thanking him today. I will thank you tomorrow when she has rested well."

"I understand." The eunuch bowed and retreated, not daring to even speak loudly.

Gao Dezhong changed the dust whisk in his hand, looked at the inner room behind him again, yawned slightly, called two eunuchs to wait carefully, and went to his own residence to rest. He had done what he was supposed to do, and it was time to have a good sleep, otherwise it would be troublesome if something went wrong on duty tomorrow.

The next day, after seeing the emperor off, Zhuang Yuyan learned that Concubine Shu Gui had only been home for two hours to visit her parents, and had returned before midnight last night. What kind of visit could she have made in such a short time? When she returned, she had to endure the jealousy of the women in the harem, which was really not a good thing.

But compared to those concubines who had not seen their natal families for several years, Concubine Shugui was lucky. She was even luckier because she was favored enough and had a high enough status in the harem. If she were an ordinary concubine, I'm afraid her future life would not be too easy.

After kowtowed to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress in the morning to express her gratitude, Concubine Shugui sat in the Empress' Jingyang Palace with a rosy face waiting for other concubines to pay their respects. Although she did not meet the Emperor and only kowtowed outside the Emperor's bedroom, it did not affect her good mood. As the only concubine who was able to return home to visit her parents after the Emperor ascended the throne, she had the capital to be in a good mood.

"Ye Shurong is here."

Although Ye Shurong was not favored, no one in the harem dared to make things difficult for her because she was pregnant with an heir and had the support of the empress dowager. However, I don't know if it was because of the miscarriage, she has been very depressed in the past few months, even more low-key than the empress dowager when she was worshiping Buddha.

"I have met the Empress," Ye Shurong said with a pale face. She was wearing silk and satin, but she did not look very lively. Although the Empress was suppressed by the Empress Dowager, she was good at keeping a good appearance. She was given a seat before she started chatting with the concubines present.

"Shuguifei came to thank you so early in the morning. Are you feeling sleepy?" The Queen asked with concern, "There are no such strict rules in this palace. If you are sleepy, go and rest for a while. No one will say anything to you."

"I am honored by the Queen's kindness. I am fine." Concubine Shugui had a gentle smile on her face, and there was indeed no sign of fatigue on her face.

"You are a person who knows the rules," the queen nodded. "Although the emperor did not rest in his bedroom yesterday, you remembered to kowtow outside the emperor's bedroom early in the morning. It can be seen that you are grateful for the emperor's kindness in your heart."

"Zhao Chongyi should be here to pay his respects by now," Ye Shurong replied calmly, but her tone still carried a hint of indifference.

The Queen glanced at Ye Shurong and said with a smile, "She has always been a well-behaved person. Even though she served the Emperor, she came to pay her respects early."

Concubine Shu Gui kept smiling, and lowered her eyelids slightly to hide the sarcasm in her eyes. It was really funny that the queen thought that this trick was used to make her and Zhuang Yuyan confront each other. If she really went to trouble Zhuang Yuyan, she and Zhuang Yuyan would both suffer in the end, and she might be known as a spoiled concubine. Wouldn't it be this good queen who would be watching the show with a smile?

"I also like Zhao Chong's etiquette and manners," Concubine Shugui raised her head and smiled, her face as beautiful as a flower.

"Zhao Chongyi has arrived! Xianfei has arrived!"

"It seems that Concubine Xian and Concubine Zhao Chongyi have made an appointment." Concubine Shugui added with a smile.

The queen smiled and said, "It's just a coincidence, so it's fate."

When Zhuang Yuyan walked in, the women in the hall were smiling brightly, making it look like a group of very close friends chatting about something interesting.

After Zhuang Yuyan invited everyone to sit down, she heard Concubine Shugui speak, "Just now the Empress praised Sister Zhao Chongyi for coming to pay her respects early even though she served the Emperor. Just as she finished speaking, Sister Zhao Chongyi arrived. It shows that people cannot be missed."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yuyan smiled and said, "Aren't all the sisters like this? I am just following the rules." Concubine Shugui's words were quite interesting. I wonder if she was simply telling her that the Queen was plotting against her, or was she trying to provoke her?

"It's not just me who said this. Ye Shurong also mentioned that Zhao Chongyi is well-behaved." The Queen smiled and said, "You are well-behaved, so naturally everyone will praise you."

Zhuang Yuyan smiled shyly and slowly lowered her head. This queen was also an interesting person. She said everything clearly, leaving Concubine Shu Gui speechless. But what was her intention in mentioning Ye Shurong?

The women in the harem are all highly intelligent and talented.

After paying respects and coming back from Jingyang Palace, Zhuang Luyan sat on the sedan chair. Along the way, many palace maids and eunuchs came to greet her and make way for her. She yawned, as if she had exercised too much last night and did not get enough sleep.

"Your concubine has met Zhao Chongyi." The voice sounded a little cold and aloof. Zhuang Luoyan put aside her sleepiness and looked at the woman who saluted her. She was slightly stunned. Isn't this Ye Shurong's sister?

On that day, Ye Shurong had a miscarriage, which caused her sister to be demoted from Shuyi to Ronghua. Zhuang Luoyan had no interest in knowing what the shameful secret was, but when she saw that Ye Ronghua and Ye Shurong no longer had any contact, she knew that this matter was not that simple.

"Ye Ronghua, there's no need to be so polite," Zhuang Yuyan glanced at the direction Ye Ronghua was coming from, "Is Ye Ronghua going to Jingyang Palace?"

"Receiving your kind request, I have not been feeling well lately and did not dare to bother you in Jingyang Palace. I just heard that the chrysanthemums in Yu Garden were blooming, so I thought of going to see them." Ye Ronghua and Zhuang Yuyan did not have much contact, and naturally did not have much hatred between them, so although her answer to Zhuang Yuyan's question was a little stiff, it was not rude.

"The chrysanthemums are indeed in full bloom at this time of year. If Ye Ronghua likes, she can go out and take a look. But if you are not feeling well, you'd better be more careful, otherwise it will be hard to bear to drink the bitter medicine." Zhuang Yuyan said with a smile, "Then I won't bother you anymore."

"Zhao Chongyi, take care." Ye Ronghua stood where he was, watching Zhuang Yuyan and her group walk away, then he withdrew his gaze with an expressionless face.

"Master, Ye Shurong is here." The maid beside Ye Ronghua looked ahead and whispered a reminder.

Ye Ronghua sneered and looked ahead, saying sarcastically: "Even if she has calculated everything, she can't figure out the emperor's mind. I don't know who is more pitiful." After saying that, he turned and walked to the side path, not even willing to look at her any more.