In her palace, Consort Liang is busying herself with her gardening. She is a gentle lady who like to be living a simple life. Her palace is located the furthest away from the inner palace and it is closer to Ni Qing palace in the outer rink. She is happier to live alone without any visitor who like to bootlick. She is living her own life happily as the emperor never care about his wife.
They are married because of politic and their marriage completely shell marriage. She is contempt with her marriage life at the moment.
"Liang Yun Xi let's practice your zither…" Mo Yan is calling the woman in front of him.
"Yes, brother Mo… I am coming," She is putting down her scissor and walk into the area of gazebo.
Mo Yan is following Yun Xi from the Liang Kingdom. He is sneaking inside the palace to live with his lover. He is a poor scholar who meet up with Yun Xi on the street of Liang Kingdom. As soon as, she cries her eyes out when she has to marry. Mo Yan leaves everything and follow her to the Dayu Kingdom.
He is opening the book shop in the capital and use the excuse to deliver book to Consort Liang then he can sneak into the palace to meet up with his lover. Yun Xi is treating Mo Yan as her husband. Apparently, the crown prince is sending his person to check into his dear sister.
"Princess… the crown prince guard is entering the palace… Mr Mo, please hide inside the chamber…" The maid is telling them. Mo Yan is going inside their bed chamber while Yun Xi is fixing her position to sit alone in the garden gazebo.
"Your highness…" The guard is bowing to respect the princess. He is bringing some token of love from his master to give toward his little sister.
"What are you doing in here? If the emperor sees you then they will have the wrong idea…. "Consort Liang is reprimanding him for him to come into the palace.
"The crown prince is asking me to deliver this gift and letter for you… I will take my leaves as soon as you take it from me," The guard is passing the small wooden box and an envelope with his name and seal. Yun Xi is receiving both of them and bowing to the consort to leave the palace.
As soon as he retreated the palace, Consort Liang send one of her maids to follow the guard. She wants to make sure that he is leaving the palace. she did not want to jeopardize her lover life.
"What did he want from you?" Mo Yan is walking outside the room toward her. he takes seat next to her and look at her with worry.
"He passes me this gift from my brother. Sometimes, he makes me so scares with his behaviour. We are not coming from the same mother, but it did not justify his strange behaviour and treatment toward me…." Yun Xi is telling him and handed to him the letter and the boxes.
"What do you want with this stuff or letter?" Mo Yan is asking her for the stuff.
"You do not want to read it for me?" Yun Xi is telling him while she is moving closer toward Mo Yan and resting her head to his shoulder while hugging his arm.
"I do not want it… why should I read something from your lover?" Mo Yan is putting the letter on the table.
"He is not my lover… He is my brother… are you jealous?" Yun XI is teasing him.
"Why should I?" Mo Yan is taking her in his arm toward their room. He is kissing her so passionately and put her into the bed when they close the curtain. It is not their first time to be together and Yun Xin body and heart is belonging to Mo Yan. It is the same with his heart and body belong only to her, regardless of her status.
No one know their relationship except the closest people serve the consort. They keep it in open, but no one know their relationship except the book merchant with the consort of the emperor.
However, Ni Qing got the paper of information in her hand while in the kitchen from Xiao Nie while she gathers the information. She is standing in the front of the kitchen and stop herself to get close with the presence of emperor. she is hiding the copy of the paper for the history inside her clothes.
"I am tired, and I want to go back to the palace," Ni Qing is standing up and walk outside the kitchen. She is asking the help from her loyal maid who is standing on the door next to Zhang.
"I am need you all to discuss some court matter with you guys in the palace… eat quickly and come to the palace," Jin Yu is walking and following his wife from behind.
"Speak later about the finding…" Ni Qing is informing her maid about the job she asks her to do. Xiao Nie is nodding toward her master before helping her to the carriage. Jin Yu is joining his wife into the carriage toward the palace.
"Stay inside my palace while I am going to settle some of the work…" Jin Yu is reprimanding his wife while he is walking to his office to meet up with all his loyal and trust minister.
"I will, your highness," Ni Qing is curtsying in front of the emperor palace until Jin Yu leaves her alone. She is turning inside the chamber and sit down.
"Where is the paper? Did Zhou give you a letter?" Ni Qing is asking her who is presenting the paper and book toward the empress. She is opening the paper record from the office of record and reading the letter from Zhou.
The letter is telling her about the secret relationship from Consort Liang with book merchant Mo. He frequently visits the consort Liang palace to bring her some book. However, Ni Qing is well aware all the supply for the palace needs to go through the office of procurement.
There is a big smile on her face to suspect something wrong come into her mind about this relationship. However, someone will wear a green hat to find the indecent relationship between two lovers.
"Get me some paper and my stamp…" Ni Qing is asking her loyal maid who is preparing the writing tools on the nearby table. She is already grinding the ink for her. verdict as the empress. Ni Qing is writing the verdict for all the harem members to get their health check regardless their condition. The empress is inviting all of them to view the flower bloom in the next week time. She is writing and sign it with her name and stamp it with her phoenix stamp.
Xiao Nie is bringing it to the rites office to get distribute to all the women inside the harem. It has been a long time since Ni Qing does her job as empress and she is looking at all the ledger that sitting on the table for her to check. She is taking them all on the gazebo outside the palace to enjoy the sun.
Xiao Nie is back with some snack on her hand while she is going inside the maid chamber to prepare the tea and snack for her master who is busy working on the courtyard.
"Nie, can you tell the kitchen to boil me some chicken soup with ginseng? Also can they find me some dates?" Ni Qing is asking her maid which send Xiao Nie a little bit surprised with all her demand lately. She never like ginseng for the beginning and dates, yet she is asking her to find and make it for her. there is something wrong with her master. However, she is doing it obediently and without any question, she goes to the kitchen.
The harem is in havoc as soon as the eunuch distributes the imperial edict from the empress. This is the first time after the palace is checking into the body and health of all the members. The last time it happens when they are going to the enter the palace for the body check. It was quite embarrassing for them to get their body check. This time, they have to experience it again due to some mysterious empress who never care about their well-being.
The minister of rites is delivering one of the edicts made by the empress officially with her stamp. It is making a lot protest come from all over the harem members regarding the body check. The minister is running to present the edict to the emperor with the complain of all the harem. The emperor receives the edict and look sharply toward the minister who get scared straight away. All the others knows that no one can fault the empress in front of the emperor.