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The old goods, not knowing better, relied on the titles granted by the Former Empress Dowager and the Third-Ranked Imperial Edict, acting with self-importance and even daring to disrespect Her Highness. Therefore, she must not be allowed to interfere with Her Highness’s good fortune.

Thinking this, Cai Xia gave further low instructions to a few young eunuchs to surround and block off the exit path when the time came, to act accordingly and "invite" everyone -- both master and servant -- away.

Lian Hua’s group was having an enjoyable conversation, with Xiao Linzi occasionally inserting a word or two to his contentment.

He listened with a shy smile to the banter between Brother Xiao Ji and Master Lian, when suddenly, he sensed a murderous aura nearby. Looking ahead, he saw several people staring at them fiercely, with evident hostility.

Feeling uneasy, he nudged the still laughing Xiao Jizi and said, "Brother Xiao Ji, do you see those people over there? It looks like they’re waiting for us."

Xiao Jizi still smiled as he followed Xiao Linzi’s gaze.

Lian Hua also looked over upon hearing this.

The person in the lead was familiar to them; it was Cai Xia from the Huaqing Palace, seemingly well-prepared for the encounter.

The group’s smiles faded, and Xiao Jizi, with a grave expression, whispered from not too far away, "Master, the visitors have ill intentions; if things go awry, please leave first."

Xiao Jizi had a very poor impression of the Noble Consort, always feeling she was out to harm Lian Hua.

Before leaving the house, he had anticipated such a situation. The place they were heading to was at the heart of the Harem, not far from the Huaqing Palace. He had considered that the Noble Consort might make a move, and now, it seemed his suspicions were confirmed!

With friends or foes, the Noble Consort held a high rank and great power, and she was in charge of the Harem. It was inevitable that they would encounter her eventually.

One couldn’t simply stay indoors for fear of such an encounter, scaring oneself for no reason.

Xiao Jizi felt a hidden worry; he did not know what awaited them, but considering His Majesty always stayed overnight at Canglan Court and was extremely good to his master, he thought Noble Consort would hesitate to act rashly for fear of consequences.

Lian Hua shook her head, gazed intently at the newcomers, and touched her chin, feigning profundity as she said, "They’re here already, so what’s the big deal meeting them? ’A blessing in disguise’ is what it might be!"

In the past two years, she had not thought much about the Noble Consort, nor had she any particular dislike for her, even considering currying favor with the Noble Consort to make life easier.

However, after the incident with Beauty Li, she started to feel as if the Noble Consort intended to do away with her, which is why she instinctively felt unpleased upon seeing the Noble Consort’s people, yet she was unfazed.

Xiao Jizi and the others were speechless: "..."

At such a serious moment, their Master still had the mood for jokes, and sometimes the idioms she used were beyond description. Wouldn’t "blessing rather than a curse" be more apt...?

Xiao Jizi shook his head helplessly, sighed, but had to smile at the thought that their Master was always optimistic no matter what. Influenced by her, his heart eased a lot, and he was no longer that tense.

Indeed, since they’ve come this far and the Master wasn’t afraid, what was there for him to fear? His duty was to protect her.

He made a signal with his eyes to Xiao Qing and Xiao Linzi, and the three of them quickly grouped around Lian Hua, forming a subtle protective stance.

Seeing that they had been noticed, Cai Xia approached Lian Hua with a forced smile, leading her people closer.

As Cai Xia walked and scrutinized, she saw Lian Hua’s dress shimmering in the sunlight like the radiant glow of a pure moon, and felt a sudden jump in her heart, for she had never seen such a dress before.

But when Cai Xia noticed the silk flower on Lian Hua’s head, she relaxed slightly and scoffed inwardly, finding it contemptible. Which Consort in the palace didn’t have a few pieces of decent jewelry? Who would wear a silk flower? It was truly shabby.

It must be some kind of luminescent substance sprinkled on the dress to make it shine; such a desperate grab for attention. Does she really think this will distract from her poverty? Does she not know that jewelry reflects one’s status and identity better than clothing?

With this thought in mind, Cai Xia approached with confidence. As she drew near, she respectfully performed the proper salute and said, "Master Lian, I hope you are well. Our Consort has requested your presence!"

Lian Hua clasped her hands and smiled faintly, eyeing the group that closed in around her. With an infuriatingly nonchalant tone, she asked, "And who might you be?"

Meanwhile, in the Canglan Court, the Emperor had become like a ’wistful stone,’ waiting and waiting.

He had waited a little, then waited some more and, growing impatient, had sent out another young eunuch.

His fingers tapped the desktop irritably as he closed his eyes to meditate, thoughts running through recent events.

Cao De had discovered that the scented cream came from Noble Consort Xue, yet Talented Lady Sun had implicated Changzai Zhou—how very interesting.

It seemed that another faction was lurking in the shadows, seemingly guiding them to shift their focus onto the Xue Family.

The roots of the Xue Family ran deep, and they were worth digging into, but the time was not ripe yet. He decided to bide his time, hoping also to lure the other faction into the open.

The Emperor pondered his next move while waiting for the young eunuch to return, yet his Little Concubine still hadn’t come back with him.

Frowning with disappointment, the Emperor found the young eunuch’s report to be much like the previous one’s: Master Lian was nearly done resting and would return after waking up and having some refreshments—a lukewarm result as usual.

Something felt off to him, a strange sensation he couldn’t articulate, but he chose not to dwell on it—after all, he trusted Xu Zhaoyi, and under her care, nothing would befall his Little Concubine.

Enough of this; he would wait a little longer. He still had some memorials to review, so he might as well finish those first.

However, he took note of the time, mentally deciding to punish his Little Concubine for every additional quarter of an hour she took. If one punishment wasn’t enough, there would be several more to follow.

Yes, with that thought, his mood improved. Let him wait; after he finished the memorials, if she still hadn’t returned, he would deal with his Little Concubine personally and see what exactly she was up to!

Over at Lian Hua’s side, Cai Xia was seething with rage.

Cai Xia’s eyes reddened with anger. This Beauty Lian, who usually seemed so timid, turned out to be quite the thorn in her side!

First asking who she was, then commanding her servants to inquire about the identities of her entourage one by one.

Having made a full round, Lian Hua circled back to her original question, claiming she hadn’t heard clearly before, and eventually demanded proof of identity, challenging her to prove she was indeed who she was.

Such shamelessness was unheard of; there she was, standing right in front of them, how else was she to prove her identity? Were they all blind?

Struggling to calm the tumult in her chest, Cai Xia heard a slip of laughter from the side and glared fiercely in both directions.

The servants who accompanied her were no better, joining outsiders in mocking her. She had already decided; she would deal with these disloyal servants once she got back, and Beauty Lian would receive her comeuppance from the Consort herself.

Cai Xia fought to control her anger. As the Senior Palace Maid from Huaqing Palace, she represented its dignity. She mustn’t act hastily or give others grounds for criticism.

With this resolution, she took a deep breath, determined not to let others lead her by the nose.

She managed to squeeze out a stiff smile, "Master Lian truly jests. It doesn’t matter who I am; what matters is that the Noble Consort is deeply concerned about you and has been waiting for quite some time in Huaqing Palace.

Once you’re there, you will know I haven’t deceived you.

I hope Master Lian would do us the honor by visiting the Noble Consort. "

She deliberately emphasized that the "Consort has been waiting for a long time" and "Master Lian would honor us," indirectly hinting that Beauty Lian was putting on airs.