The moment she heard this, Qi Yue was startled.

With just that one sentence, the stifled mood that Chen-shi had held in her heart for so long instantly lifted. "You truly are blessed with good fortune," she said with a slight turn of her head, smiling at Qi Yue.

This was the first time Chen-shi had shown a genuine smile since they first met.

Truly the majesty of the Son of Heaven; one sentence could govern life and death, joy and anger.

Qi Yue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Auntie is joking, it is you," she quickly said.

The eunuch leading the way coughed softly.

The two immediately ceased talking, not daring to show disrespect.

Chen-shi’s sedan chair immediately changed direction, following the two eunuchs leading the way toward a palace.

Just as they reached the palace gate, a smiling eunuch came forward to receive them.

It was the same plump eunuch she had met last time. "My lady, it has only been such a short time, how has your complexion worsened so much?" he asked, his expression showing surprise and deep concern.

Chen-shi reached up to touch her face, a hint of wistfulness flashing in her eyes.

It could no longer be hidden now; it would only get worse as time passed. "This isn't like when I was a child and you had to coax me to eat, I won't believe you if you say that," Chen-shi replied with a slight smile.

The plump eunuch laughed and personally reached out to help Chen-shi descend from the sedan chair. "Hurry along now, His Majesty has a moment of respite between reviewing memorials," he said in a low voice.

Then, as if remembering something, he shook Chen-shi’s hand, "My lady, speak well with His Majesty." Chen-shi couldn't help but laugh again, playfully batting the plump eunuch’s hand away. "I am already a grandmother, stop treating me like a child," she chuckled.

The plump eunuch laughed too. "My lady looks best when she smiles, what the Empress Dowager said was certainly true," he said, smiling.

Mentioning the Empress Dowager, a touch of bitterness entered Chen-shi’s smile. "Alright, hurry and go in," the plump eunuch urged.

Chen-shi nodded and raised her foot.

Qi Yue quickly followed, but the plump eunuch seemed to notice her only then and quickly raised a hand to stop her. "My lady, this..." he looked at Chen-shi with a hint of confusion. "Oh, I am unwell, she is my physician and stays with me at all times," Chen-shi explained, glancing at Qi Yue.

A physician? The plump eunuch looked Qi Yue over with surprise. "Then, my lady, that won't do.

You know His Majesty's temper," he said hesitantly.

Chen-shi hesitated.

Indeed, this Emperor’s temper... "How about this: I will have this lady wait in the adjacent hall, and I will personally stand guard here," the plump eunuch said after a moment of thought.

His implication was that if anything happened to her, he would immediately bring the person to her side.

Whatever 'this' was, it naturally referred to illness, but that was taboo in the palace and could not be spoken of directly.

It had to be this way.

At least the Emperor agreed to see her, so the main hurdle was cleared.

Chen-shi nodded. "Listen carefully to the respected eunuch and wait," Chen-shi turned and whispered to Qi Yue.

Qi Yue nodded, watching Chen-shi walk slowly toward the main hall entrance.

The eunuchs standing guard at the door saw them and quickly and gently held the doors, pushing them open.

Chen-shi stepped inside, and the doors closed once more. "This lady, please follow me over here," the plump eunuch said, rubbing his hands together with a smile. "Though spring has arrived, it is still very cold." Qi Yue quickly bowed and thanked him with a smile. "Don't be polite," the plump eunuch replied with a smile, leading her toward a side hall while making small talk. "Madam Chen’s health..." Speaking of which, Qi Yue felt some confusion herself.

Her spirit this time was clearly not as robust as before—no, not as robust as when she first arrived in the capital, but rather like she had been a long time ago.

Back to the time before she was at the Marquis Dingxi’s residence.

Had she fallen ill again? Or was she worried sick over Qi Yue's affairs? Thinking of this, Qi Yue blamed herself again.

She should have told Chen-shi her decision back then, even if it meant having a confrontation face-to-face. "Yes, my health is a bit precarious; I am currently recuperating," she replied casually, looking down.

Lost in thought as she spoke, she stepped through the door of the side hall. "Grand Eunuch!" A young eunuch came running up, shouting loudly.

The plump eunuch let out an 'Hai' sound and raised his foot to kick the approaching boy. "His Majesty is resting, what are you shouting for!" he berated, raising his eyebrows.

The young eunuch clutched his stomach but dared not cry out in pain, bowing low in deference. "Grandfather, please go quickly and look, several ledgers do not match..." he said in a low voice.

The plump eunuch’s expression shifted slightly.

At that very moment, a crash echoed from inside the side hall, as if something had fallen to the ground.

Qi Yue was already standing inside the hall.

She caught sight of a figure by the desk diagonally opposite, hastily steadying the corner of the desk.

However, a vase still rolled off the edge and fell onto the thick carpet, thankfully preventing it from shattering.

The moment the vase landed, the person quickly slipped behind a curtain to one side. "What was that?" the plump eunuch demanded, leaning sideways from the doorway to look in.

His gaze swept over and accurately spotted the vase on the floor, his face immediately turning ashen. "Who?" No one answered.

The young eunuch beside him grimaced, urging him on.

The plump eunuch could not see anyone and temporarily had to disregard the situation here, so he moved to leave. "My lady, please wait here a moment," he said, then issued a couple of instructions to the eunuchs standing by the door.

Qi Yue certainly didn't dare detain him.

She bowed and gestured for him to attend to his duties, watching the plump eunuch hurry away.

Silence returned to the inside and outside of the room.

The eunuchs in the corridor and the surrounding guards stood solemnly, expressionless.

Qi Yue stood near the entrance of the hall, unwilling to go further in or step out, so she simply remained rooted to the spot, zoning out slightly, her gaze sweeping around the surroundings unintentionally.

This must be the Emperor's working area, she thought.

It was far more imposing than the Empress Dowager’s palace that Chen-shi had shown her.

As she watched, her gaze swept across the hall, and she saw the curtain ripple.

The person emerged from behind it and slowly walked a few paces forward.

Qi Yue clearly saw his appearance: a man in his early thirties, wearing simple black robes.

The man looked over at her, and Qi Yue quickly lowered her gaze.

She heard a soft sound—presumably the vase had been picked up and placed back—followed by quiet footsteps. "Thank you." A voice sounded nearby.

Thank her for what? Qi Yue did not look up. "The Second Steward has a terrible temper; if he had caught me, I would have been scolded severely." The man’s voice continued, "Thank you, Madam, for not exposing me." Qi Yue kept her head down, feigning ignorance.

People in this palace were strange; she didn't dare provoke anyone lightly. "Have I met you somewhere before?" The man continued to ask.

Well, she thought with a mental scoff, flirting techniques were universal across time and place.

She wouldn't fall for this game played by her 'sister' [referring to someone experienced, or perhaps a self-deprecating joke].

She remained still, head lowered. "Do you know Elder Li?" The man persisted, undeterred.

Elder Li? Qi Yue was momentarily stunned.

Few people knew she had treated Elder Li for his illness.

She had left immediately after the treatment; the Li family might have spread her name, but not many had seen her in person.

Could they really have met? Qi Yue slightly raised her head to look.

The man had stepped a bit closer, allowing her to clearly see his features: handsome and dignified, possessing an innate air of noble authority.

No impression...

Qi Yue lowered her head again. "Oh, my beard fell off." The man said this, a hint of amusement in his tone.

What? Qi Yue froze for a second, then realized with a start, and looked up at the man. "Oh," she said.

She remembered the plump man with the fake beard from that day; it was genuinely hilarious.

Why would someone visiting the Li family need to disguise themselves, and on top of that, disguise themselves so poorly...

A smile involuntarily curved Qi Yue's lips.

In a moment of daze, it seemed the plump man had been accompanied by a man resembling a guard...

Was that him? Seeing the expression of recognition finally dawn on her face, the man smiled.

Before his smile had fully formed, Qi Yue lowered her head again, resuming her guise of seeing nothing and hearing nothing.

The man’s smile faltered slightly.

This was interesting.

Usually, others schemed desperately to speak with him, yet now, he was the one struggling to find topics.

He had only intended to glance over to confirm something and then leave, but knocking over the vase exposed him, so he decided to stay.

After exchanging a few words, his interest deepened.

He wanted to see how long this woman could maintain this facade. "Which house do you belong to?" "What is your esteemed name?" "How old are you? You look to be around thirty?" Question after abrupt question followed.

Qi Yue, keeping her head down, rolled her eyes internally, yet remained rooted in place, unmoving and unresponsive.

The eunuchs outside remained silent, as if they neither heard nor saw what was happening within.

The Emperor looked at the woman before him, his smile growing warmer.

Not bad, not bad.

This woman is interesting.

She clearly knows I’m playing a game, and she’s playing one too.

Any other woman would likely be flustered, embarrassed, and at a loss for how to react.

But she maintained an appearance of respectful caution while actually being quite relaxed and at ease.

Even if she gained easy access through the main gate because of Chen Xue, she walked through it with an almost casual ease, possessing a detached serenity, as if unconcerned by honor or disgrace.

Such composure was rare.

Having brought this woman into the palace twice, who was she to Chen Xue...

He hadn't sent anyone to ask Consort Dong; if he had, it might have sparked speculation.

It was better to ask himself.

After all, he had teased Chen Xue enough.

The Emperor reached up to stroke his chin and then stepped out.

Outside, there were no bows or greetings.

To the eunuchs and guards, it seemed as if this man was just air.

Qi Yue let out a breath.

A Prince? An Imperial Son? An immortal? A spirit? As for the guards and eunuchs...

She, Qi Yue, was no inexperienced young girl.

Having navigated the myriad of people in the hospital, it was a place that honed one's observational skills to a sharp edge.

Qi Yue frowned slightly.

This trip to the palace seemed like it might become rather interesting...

Meanwhile, Chen-shi had grown impatient waiting and was about to question a standing eunuch when footsteps sounded outside the door. "Sister, what a rare visitor," a clear, strong male voice laughed.

A great weight lifted from Chen-shi’s heart.

She turned and bowed. "Your humble subject pays respects to His Majesty," she said.

The Emperor strode in, waving his hand to dismiss the formality. "Sister, you have been back in the capital for so long.

If I hadn't invited you, you weren't planning on seeing me at all, were you?" he chuckled.

The Emperor actually addressed Chen-shi as 'Sister.' Normally, he addressed even a princess of his own generation by her title.

Yet, at this moment, neither the speaker nor the listener felt any awkwardness; it seemed like a deeply familiar practice.

The Emperor sat down on the Dragon Throne, stretching his long limbs with a relaxed ease, looking at Chen-shi with a half-smile.

Chen-shi let out a breath, raised her head to glance at the Emperor, and then knelt down. "Your Majesty, I will not hide anything, and please stop testing me.

I will speak plainly," she stated.

The Emperor continued to look at Chen-shi with that half-smile, saying nothing.

Chen-shi looked up at him. "I will be dead in a few days," she announced.

The smile on the Emperor's face froze slightly.

That was quite the opening line.