That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

Lady Zhang walked listlessly along the path in the Imperial Garden.

Consort Yuan has regained the emperor's favor.

Last night, the Emperor stayed at Consort Yuan's residence.

This morning, the news that the Emperor had bestowed an imperial title upon Consort Yuan, his concubine, spread throughout the imperial court and the inner palace.

Most of the concubines in the harem were both shocked and jealous, and she was no exception.

The Emperor truly cares for Consort Yuan.

She didn't understand why the emperor wouldn't touch her.

Even if she can't compare to Consort Yuan, is she not inferior to Lady Qiu?

As you walk along the path, you see a palace maid sweeping the floor with her head down. Her cheeks are covered in patches of red spots, and her temples are covered with a fine layer of red rashes.

Zhang Cairen lowered her eyes in thought, then walked over and asked, "What happened to your face?"

The palace maid said in a flustered manner, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I have offended your eyes. I am allergic to dust and got some on my hands while cleaning yesterday, which is why I look like this."

"Dust allergy," Zhang Cairen murmured.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When the Empress Dowager heard the news that the Emperor had bestowed an imperial title upon Consort Yuan, she was furious and sat sullenly in Shou Kang Palace for a long time.

She sent someone to invite Xiao Yan and the Empress.

The Empress arrived first, and was immediately reprimanded by the Empress Dowager upon entering the palace: "Why did the Empress not punish Consort Yuan for slapping Consort Song yesterday according to palace rules?"

The Empress calmly replied, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I was simply following the palace rules. It was Consort Song who was disrespectful and spoke insolently first, so Consort Yuan took action to punish her. There was nothing wrong with that."

The Empress Dowager was even angrier upon hearing this, and slammed her hand on the table, scolding, "The Empress's inability to distinguish right from wrong and her lenient and indulgent attitude will only embolden the concubines in the harem to become more and more unscrupulous. How will she be able to manage the six palaces in the future?"

Just as she was scolding, Xiao Yan lifted the curtain and came in, "What is Mother angry about now?"

As she spoke, she helped the Empress up. The Empress Dowager grew even angrier, "I ask you, was it Consort Yuan who begged you to bestow her title?"

Xiao Yan sat sideways on the sandalwood chair. "Consort Yuan did not ask me for this title; I bestowed it upon her of my own accord."

The Empress Dowager was trying to save face for him, which is why she asked him if Consort Yuan had asked him for help. But instead, he took the opportunity to admit it without hesitation.

"Do you know this is inappropriate? How can the concubine of Consort Yuan be granted such a high title as a Third-Rank Lady?"

"The Song family is in turmoil. My bestowal of the title of Consort Yuan on her as a concubine is not without purpose. It is also an opportunity to warn the Song family and other families in the court that are also in turmoil."

The Empress Dowager found it laughable, saying that it all came down to selfish motives.

"My decisions are none of anyone else's business."

Xiao Yan knew that doing this would displease the Empress Dowager, but at the time, he didn't think that much about it.

"Emperor!" the Empress Dowager raised her voice, "You have disappointed your mother greatly. You have disobeyed your mother time and time again for the sake of a woman."

They even used the word "disobedience".

Xiao Yan coldly raised his eyes, "Mother, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Please summon a royal physician to examine the Empress Dowager."

After saying this, Xiao Yan left with the Empress.

The Empress stood beside Xiao Yan, comforting him, "Your Majesty, I will find another time to comfort the Empress Dowager."

Xiao Yan gave a faint "hmm" and then boarded the imperial carriage.

He couldn't help but recall that after he was assassinated, he rushed back to the capital, and the Empress Dowager came to the Crown Prince's residence, begging him to spare Xiao Ze (the Empress Dowager's eldest son). The Empress Dowager insisted that Xiao Ze had been misled by others and had done such a foolish thing, and repeatedly advised him to pretend that the assassination had never happened.

He stubbornly refused, and the Empress Dowager pointed at his nose and scolded him:

"You have disappointed your mother greatly."

"How could you disobey your mother?"

"That's your brother! How can you be so cold-blooded and heartless!"

Xiao Yan scoffed.

He grew up under the care of Empress Dowager Dehui, but their relationship was already distant. It was only after Empress Dowager Dehui passed away that he returned to her side.

He had tried to bridge the gap between them, but Xiao Ze's presence was an insurmountable mountain between them.

Li Fuquan asked tremblingly, "Your Majesty, are we going back to the Hall of Diligent Governance next?"

"No, go to the Hidden Winter Pavilion."

When I'm feeling restless and agitated, all I want to do is see her.

The imperial carriage passed by Consort Zhang, who bowed in greeting. As the carriage receded into the distance, she stared at it until it stopped in front of Yaohua Palace.

Zhang Cairen suddenly opened her lips and laughed, a resolute smile appearing in her eyes, before turning back.

Outside the Hidden Winter Pavilion,

Song Shuangning jogged out to greet him, but when she saw Xiao Yan's somewhat sour face, she only paused for a moment before lifting her skirt and rushing into Xiao Yan's arms.

"Why did Your Majesty arrive at this hour?" Song Shuangning leaned against him, her bright eyes fixed on him.

Xiao Yan gently pinched her nose. "I came because I missed you."

Song Shuangning pursed her lips.

Why has the Emperor become so sentimental? What has triggered this?

"Does Ningning miss me?" he asked.

Song Shuangning said sweetly, "Of course I miss Your Majesty. I think about Your Majesty all the time."

Xiao Yan's irritation dissipated, and he took her hand. "Let's go inside. It's cold outside. Look how cold your hands are."

"Um."

Li Fuquan cleared his throat, winked at the palace servants behind him, and said in a low voice, "Pretend you didn't hear anything you heard today. Anyone who dares to say another word will regret it!"

"Yes, Your servant obeys." The palace servants quickly responded.

As Xiao Yan was sipping his tea, Song Shuangning quietly tugged at Li Fuquan's sleeve and whispered a few questions, only to learn that Xiao Yan had just returned from Shou Kang Palace.

It seems that he went to deal with the Empress Dowager because of her matter.

She walked up to Xiao Yan and whispered, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry."

Xiao Yan looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to say that: "What did Ningning say?"

"The Empress Dowager must be angry. It's all my fault for being so ignorant." Song Shuangning lowered her eyes, her voice filled with self-reproach.

Xiao Yan frowned slightly and gently stroked the top of her head: "It has nothing to do with you, don't overthink it."

"Your Majesty, I will learn to please the Empress Dowager in the future, so as not to cause you any trouble." Song Shuangning looked up, her eyes full of seriousness.

Xiao Yan shook his head, his tone resolute, "No need to flatter."

He recalled that when he was young, he had tried every means to please the Empress Dowager, but no matter how well he did, the Empress Dowager always remained indifferent and dismissed him with a simple "Thank you for your trouble."

The Empress Dowager's heart was never inclined to favor them.

Why should Ningning bother with that cold face?

Xiao Yan grasped her hand, his gaze intense: "Ningning, just be yourself. Leave everything else to me."

He paused, then said, "Do you remember what I told you that day?"

Song Shuangning blinked, not immediately recognizing which sentence it was.

Xiao Yan smiled gently and said softly, "I will protect you. That promise will always stand."