After the matter of Ye Lan was settled, the harem returned to its former tranquility.
The friendship between Xiao Yichen, Shen Yifeng, and Empress Chu Yunlan deepened.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
Yuwen Xuan, a prince from a neighboring country sent to marry a foreign ruler, entered the harem of the Night Dynasty.
Yuwen Xuan was elegant, noble, and eloquent, which quickly caused quite a stir in the palace.
Out of consideration for the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chu Yunlan treated Yuwen Xuan with great courtesy.
However, Yuwen Xuan had ulterior motives. He attempted to win Chu Yunlan's heart with his charm and then seize some of the power in the Night Dynasty.
He first deliberately showed Chu Yunlan his strong interest in the Night Dynasty culture and his admiration for Chu Yunlan, which made Chu Yunlan lower his guard.
Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng keenly sensed Yuwen Xuan's ulterior motives and repeatedly warned Chu Yunlan to be careful of him.
However, Chu Yunlan believed that they were worrying too much, and that Yuwen Xuan had only come for the sake of friendship between the two countries.
Seeing that Chu Yunlan remained unmoved, Yuwen Xuan began to win over people in the palace.
He used the treasures he brought to bribe some palace maids and eunuchs, getting them to pass on messages and create public opinion for him.
Rumors about Yuwen Xuan and Chu Yunlan spread throughout the palace, with some even suggesting that Yuwen Xuan would soon replace Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng as the new favorite.
Chu Yunlan finally realized the seriousness of the matter and began to re-examine Yuwen Xuan's every move.
Taking this opportunity, Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng secretly investigated Yuwen Xuan's background and his activities in the palace.
They discovered that Yuwen Xuan was secretly colluding with some powerful figures from neighboring countries, attempting to seize the territory of the Night Dynasty by controlling Chu Yunlan.
When they presented the evidence to Chu Yunlan, Chu Yunlan flew into a rage.
She immediately ordered Yuwen Xuan to be placed under house arrest and prepared to negotiate with neighboring countries on the matter.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Yuwen Xuan attempted to incite a rebellion within the palace.
However, Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng had already taken precautions and quickly quelled the storm.
Ultimately, Yuwen Xuan was sent back to a neighboring country, which strained relations between the Night Dynasty and its neighboring country.
However, thanks to the joint efforts of Xiao Yichen, Shen Yifeng, and Chu Yunlan, the Night Dynasty was prepared to meet all challenges, and the harem was restored to its former harmony and tranquility.
After the incident involving Yuwen Xuan, the entire Ye Dynasty palace was filled with unease.
To appease everyone, Chu Yunlan specially organized a grand celebration.
The celebration was ablaze with lights and filled with singing and dancing.
But beneath this seemingly joyful atmosphere lies a new crisis.
A dancer named Su Yao attracted everyone's attention, including that of Empress Chu Yunlan, with her graceful dance and stunning beauty.
Su Yao was originally a commoner woman who was forced to make a living by performing arts due to her family's poverty. She was sent to the palace by someone with ulterior motives who intended to use her beauty to bewitch the empress.
Chu Yunlan praised Su Yao's dance highly and kept her in the palace.
On the surface, Su Yao is docile and obedient, showing utmost respect to the Empress and being courteous to Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng, but in secret she is plotting how to gain a higher status.
She first deliberately acted weak and pitiful in front of Chu Yunlan to gain the Empress's sympathy.
Then, she sowed discord and created conflict among the other concubines.
Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng noticed that something was wrong with Su Yao and secretly investigated her background.
It was discovered that her entry into the palace was not accidental, but rather at someone's behest.
Just as they were about to tell Chu Yunlan about this, Su Yao preemptively accused Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng of harboring ill intentions towards her and wanting to harm her.
Chu Yunlan was temporarily deceived by Su Yao's lies and misunderstood Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng.
Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng were speechless and trapped in a predicament.
But they did not give up and continued to search for evidence to prove their innocence.
Finally, by chance, they discovered evidence that Su Yao was exchanging messages with people outside the palace.
They presented the evidence to Chu Yunlan, who then realized that he had wronged them.
Chu Yunlan was furious and banished Su Yao to the Cold Palace.
She felt deeply guilty towards Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng, while Xiao Yichen and Shen Yifeng said that they had never blamed the Empress and only wished to stay by her side forever to protect the peace of the Night Dynasty's harem.
This incident strengthened the bond between the three of them.
They knew that in this harem full of intrigue and scheming, only mutual trust could withstand all the storms.
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