The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

On New Year's Eve, the family banquet was held in the Yingchun Hall.

For a time, the Hall of Welcoming Spring was filled with the sounds of birdsong and dancing, and people were drinking merrily. The red lanterns inside the hall cast a warm and festive glow.

Today, all the imperial concubines and princesses are dressed in auspicious robes, looking exquisitely beautiful.

The Empress sat on her throne, wearing a phoenix crown, exuding both magnificence and dignity. "A timely snow promises a bountiful year; the snow is falling heavily outside, and next year will surely be prosperous and peaceful."

Xiao Yu smiled slightly as he listened and finished his wine: "What the Empress said is very true."

At this moment, the envoy from Rong Kingdom stood up and said respectfully, "Our princess has prepared a dance for His Majesty, hoping to add to the joy of New Year's Eve."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and the melodious sounds of string and bamboo instruments rose up, like a clear spring flowing over crystal-clear pebbles.

Several women slowly entered the hall, the most eye-catching being the one standing at the front, dressed in a light blue dress. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a graceful and elegant gait.

Ning Shuyan sized up the protagonist; he was indeed good-looking, though a bit plump.

Ning Shuyan looked down at herself and thankfully looked slender, with all the right curves still in place.

As the gentle strains of string and wind instruments filled the air, she gracefully extended her long sleeves, her body twirling as she did so, the wide sleeves fluttering in the breeze. Every now and then, she would glance back at Xiao Yu with a smile, her eyes sparkling with the allure of spring water.

Upon seeing this, Consort Xi lowered her eyes, rolled her eyes, and said in a low voice, "In our dynasty, if a woman is from an official family, she would not be offered up in public for others to enjoy."

As she spoke, she leisurely picked up her wine glass and downed it in one gulp, exuding an air of pure and proud pride like a red plum blossom, her eyes filled with disdain.

Ning Shuyan smiled faintly, then heard her say, "To wink at the Emperor in front of so many people, what's the difference between you and a vulgar dancer?"

Ning Shuyan picked up her wine glass and smiled, "If you don't like it, we won't watch it."

She raised her glass, and Xi Jieyu clinked glasses with her, taking a small sip before slowly saying, "Then let's drink. This wine is quite good."

As the music of string and wind instruments rose higher, her dance spun faster and faster, her dress fluttering, making her appear as if she were a fairy gliding through a misty flower garden. As the music gradually subsided, her movements also slowed down.

After the dance ended, Xiao Yu clapped his hands and laughed, "Like a phoenix soaring and a dragon swimming, your dance was truly beautiful."

Princess Rong bowed and said in a melodious voice, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is a great honor for me to bring a smile to Your Majesty's face with my dance. The dance I just performed was the Hezhen Dance. May Rong and Yifeng maintain harmonious relations and prosper."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu nodded repeatedly: "Well said, come forward."

Xi Jieyu leaned close to Ning Shuyan's ear and whispered, "Does 'deng ming dong di' (敦睦邦交) mean that the two countries are on good terms?"

Ning Shuyan nodded with a smile: "Yes, you're right."

Xi Jieyu pursed her lips, watching Xiao Yu and the princess talking, and rolled her eyes: "She's not exactly learned."

Princess Rongguo's eyes were glued to Xiao Yu the moment she stepped in front of him. The Empress, noticing the princess's thin dress, quickly instructed Du Ruo, "Go and drape my cloak over the princess."

Princess Rong quickly curtsied, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Empress smiled gracefully: "No need for formalities, from now on we are all sisters."

After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yu said to the Rong Kingdom princess, whose beauty was as lovely as a spring flower, "I hereby promote you to the rank of Jieyu and bestow upon you the title of Mi. From now on, you will be the Mi Jieyu of the Yifeng Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Consort Mi beamed with joy: "Chu Jiao thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

Consort Zhuang slightly raised her chin, adjusted her hairpin with her delicate hand, and said in a clear voice, "Since Consort Mi is now a palace concubine, she should refer to herself as 'your humble servant'."

Consort Mi's gentle smile was somewhat stiff: "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

After speaking, she looked up and sized up Consort Zhuang. She saw that Consort Zhuang was sitting in the first row, dressed in luxurious clothes, with a beautiful face and an radiant appearance. She must be a high-ranking consort.

Ning Shuyan toyed with her wine cup, smiling faintly. If she remembered correctly, Mi, meaning peace and tranquility, was just a pawn in the alliance between the two countries. But even as a pawn, her status was quite noble. If she were shrewd and knew how to win the emperor's heart, becoming a Noble Consort would be a piece of cake for her.

The rank of Jieyu is neither high nor low. If she were the biological daughter of the King of Rong, it wouldn't be unreasonable to make her a Ninth Consort. This is the difference in status.

Watching Xiao Yu and Mi Jieyu talk, Xi Jieyu felt a pang of jealousy. She picked up her wine glass, swirled it around a couple of times, and sighed deeply. "I miss my father and mother a little. They always indulged me during holidays, and I would go out and play until late at night before returning home. It was such a carefree life."

A faint trace of melancholy flashed across Ning Shuyan's eyes, then she smiled and said, "Yes."

"And you, how did you usually spend New Year's Eve?"

Ning Shuyan lowered her fan-like eyelashes and her brows furrowed slightly: "At this time in the past, my aunt and I would make wontons by hand in our room and then eat them together."

As she spoke, she gently stroked the red plum blossoms on her handkerchief, and the image of her aunt tenderly embroidering by candlelight came to mind.

Xi Jieyu nodded. "That sounds quite interesting. What about your father? Is he good to you?"

Ning Shuyan smiled faintly, like a hazy cloud: "I don't expect him to be good, so it doesn't matter whether he is or not."

Xi Jieyu was a little confused. She raised her glass and said, "All your unhappiness is in this glass. Just drink it down and you'll feel better."

Ning Shuyan also raised her glass and downed it in one gulp.

After a while, Ning Shuyan felt a tightness in her chest. The musical instruments in the hall were playing incessantly, and the charcoal fire inside was burning hot. She got up and said, "I'm going out for some fresh air. If the Emperor or Empress asks, just tell them the truth."

Xi Jieyu nodded: "Go ahead."

As soon as they stepped out of Yingchun Palace, a bone-chilling cold swept over them. Qiu Le quickly helped Ning Shuyan fasten her cloak. The silvery-white fox fur on the cloak clung to her neck, making her skin appear as gentle and jade-like, crystal clear.

The red lanterns under the eaves glowed warmly in the night, their golden tassels casting shimmering shadows on the ground, tinged with a warm red hue.

Ning Shuyan watched the bright white snowflakes falling softly: "This year's snow is really heavy."

Qiu Le smiled and said, "This servant still remembers that before you entered the palace, Your Highness loved playing in the snow. It's been two years since we last met, and Your Highness has matured a lot."

A calm smile graced Ning Shuyan's exquisite and flawless face. How could she survive in the deep palace if she wasn't mature enough?

"Zhao Jieyu."

Ning Shuyan heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw Princess Qin Ruolan, who was dressed in her finest attire and exuded beauty. She gracefully stepped forward and exchanged greetings with Ning Shuyan.

Qin Ruolan stared intently at Ning Shuyan's face, which was as beautiful as a fairy, flawless like the finest jade, and even more captivating in the candlelight.

She looked away and said coldly, "Now that Consort Zhao is the Emperor's concubine, she should keep to her proper place and should not be fickle and try to seduce people she doesn't deserve."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Le was startled and was about to speak when Ning Shuyan grabbed her hand.

She knew that Qin Ruolan must have noticed something amiss with Prince Xuan, or perhaps Prince Xuan had designs on her and she had found out.

Ning Shuyan remained calm and expressionless: "Princess Consort Xuan, are you joking? I am one of the Emperor's concubines, and my heart is devoted to the Emperor. How could I be considered fickle?"

Qin Ruolan sneered, took two steps forward, and said with a hint of hatred in her eyes, "Don't think I don't know that the Prince didn't take you as a concubine back then. You held a grudge, so you seduced him when he entered the palace."