So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The council of elders has been extremely busy these past two days with the selection of imperial concubines and the consort of auspicious omens for the emperor.

The New Year is just around the corner. The palace is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Envoys from various countries are coming and going to pay their respects to the new emperor. A grand banquet will be held in the magnificent palace, and the palace staff will be busy as bees.

This is the first year of the new emperor's reign, and it will be more grand and glorious than any previous year.

Ning Yu, who lived in a side hall of the emperor's palace, could naturally feel the bustling and magnificent atmosphere outside. It was as if she was isolated in her jeweled and brocade-filled palace, and the hustle and bustle outside had nothing to do with her.

She leaned back on the couch with her head tilted to the side, her pretty face visibly thinning out.

Qinghe was practicing her exercises inside the hall when a loud knocking came from the outer hall. She glanced at her mistress's slightly closed eyes and went to open the door.

"Oh dear, this noble lady is so delicate. Is she waiting for us servants to come in and serve her?"

The palace maid who brought the food was very mean and sarcastic. She threw the food into Qinghe's arms with a thud, and Qinghe almost lost her balance and got burned. She was so angry that she wanted to curse.

These lackeys are used to bullying others by abusing their power.

"What are you looking at? Do you think your master is favored? I'll gouge your eyes out if you don't."

His Majesty hasn't favored this lady for so long, it's already a blessing that they're still willing to come and deliver meals.

Qinghe, her face grim, held the tray in one hand and slammed the door shut with the other.

The palace servant, whose nose had been bumped, cursed loudly a few times. Seeing that there were other palace servants coming from the Changxin Hall, he stomped his foot, covered his nose, and walked away.

If you dare offend her, next time she'll put something in their food.

Inside the hall, Ning Yu heard the commotion outside. Seeing Qing He angrily and angrily placing the things on the table, she comforted her, "Let's eat first."

"Miss, these servants are getting lazier and lazier. Not only have they reduced the portions of food they bring, but it's also all cold rice."

Miss hasn't been eating much lately, so she's afraid she won't be able to eat this food.

Ning Yu sat on the stool and shook her head. "It's still warm, you can eat it."

Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief and immediately served her a meal. Ning Yu had only taken two bites when she suddenly felt nauseous. She clutched her stomach and frowned in discomfort.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

"fine."

Because of Qinghe's injury, she hasn't had time to see a doctor during this period.

Ning Yu forced herself to eat a few more bites of food despite feeling nauseous. When she felt she had eaten enough, she took out some loose silver from Qing He's purse.

This is the money she got from selling the necklace around her neck to a palace maid.

"Miss, where are you going?"

"I'm going out for a bit. When you're done, carefully apply the ointment to the wound on your leg and bandage it with gauze, okay?"

Qinghe nodded obediently.

Ning Yu arrived at a medicine warehouse behind the Imperial Medical Academy, where the pharmacists were specifically responsible for managing the medicines.

She met him when she was brewing medicinal soup in the kitchen here. He was probably unfamiliar with pharmacology and confused two uncommon medicinal herbs.

Ning Yu gave him a hint, and the apothecary was spared the doctor's scolding. He was very grateful to her and would secretly help her prepare the medicine every time she came.

"Young lady, my master is not here. Please come back later. I have already asked him, and he will take your pulse."

A soft voice came from behind the shelf. Ning Yu lifted her veil, glanced at the herbalist carrying the dried herbs to the shelf, and asked, "When is your master coming?"

"I heard His Majesty's headache has flared up again, and Master hurriedly went with the Imperial Physician to brew the medicine. Please come again tomorrow."

Ning Yu suddenly remembered that the dog emperor had spent the whole night listening to the Donghu whirling dance, drinking fine wine, and admiring beautiful women. He deserved it.

Whether it was true or not, she nodded, then secretly asked the pharmacist for some common medicinal herbs, which she then processed and dried before leaving the medicine storehouse.

When Ning Yu saw the dark porridge that was served for dinner, she had no appetite and washed up and went to bed early.

Qinghe didn't eat anything. After the young lady bandaged her wound, she drank a bowl of medicinal soup and fell asleep. Because the wound was in constant pain, the young lady added calming herbs to the medicinal soup she made, and she slept soundly.

Ning Yu was almost asleep when she faintly heard the sound of a pipa being played while dancing.

It's easy to imagine who was performing the Donghu dance in Changxin Hall.

She frowned, turned over and went back to sleep, but the music had been going on for far too long; more than an hour had passed and it was still playing.

Ning Yu couldn't sleep because of the noise. She hadn't been sleepy for the past few days and would only drift off to sleep in the middle of the night. Today, she finally managed to fall asleep early and peacefully, but she was woken up again.

She stared at the canopy above her head, listening for a long time. Jumping for so long must be torture.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Ning Yu fell asleep while listening.

She woke up just as dawn was breaking. After washing up, she went out of the palace and saw the dancers rubbing their legs and feet, struggling to walk, coming out of the Changxin Palace gate. They all looked pained and ashen-faced, barely able to hold their instruments.

On such a cold day, the dancers had bells tied to their feet. Ning Yu saw their swollen legs trembling and unable to walk steadily, and her palms trembled with sympathy.

Ning Yu heard about it when she went to the Imperial Hospital at noon. It was said that the dancers had been dancing all night long, and their hands and feet were all raw from dancing. The Donghu envoys were crying and asked their medicine storehouse for a lot of medicine.

I heard that the Donghu people were secretly inquiring whether the new emperor of the Great Xia had any health problems. How could someone so young do such torturous things, and why wouldn't he eat the beauties that were offered to him?

When Ning Yu passed the medicine storehouse, she saw a dancer who had changed into casual clothes. Her ankles were swollen from dancing. She glanced at her and felt a chill run down her spine. She hurried to the medicine storehouse at the back.

"Hey, why are you running? Come help me up."

Ning Yu immediately recognized the broken Mandarin as belonging to the Donghu dancer. She continued walking quickly toward the archway without stopping.

The palace maid who went to fetch the ointment returned and heard the dancer's scolding. She took a few steps forward and grabbed Ning Yu's arm, saying, "Didn't you hear your mistress calling you? You have no manners."

Ning Yu had her back to them, closed her eyes to endure it, and when she turned around, her expression had returned to normal. "Where is the esteemed guest going?"

"Help me back to Qingge."

Qingge was a place to temporarily settle the Donghu dancers. Ning Yu was worried about the physician, so she helped her walk faster.

The dancer's expression immediately changed. The palace maid next to her understood her words and was about to slap Ning Yu, angrily scolding, "You ill-mannered thing! How did the nanny teach you? You don't even know how to serve your master."

Ning Yu caught the slap with her hand and her face turned cold. "If your feet hurt badly, then carry you in a sedan chair."

"How dare you lay a hand on me! Let go!"