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Sister Consort De occasionally tousled her head, causing her hair to come undone, and then she let Auntie Ming Jing help her re-dress, saying she wanted her to look so pretty that His Majesty couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Indeed, when Auntie Ming Jing lent her hand, the result was extraordinary, even the clumsy Xiao Linzi said it looked good.

She was full of joy as she looked at herself in the mirror, secretly looking forward to what His Majesty would think; would he also find her appealing?

They chatted some more, and talking with her sister was always fun. She got carried away and let slip that His Majesty had also been telling her stories.

Her sister was quite surprised and asked what kind of stories, so she picked a few she remembered and talked about them, but beyond that, she could hardly articulate anything else.

His Majesty had spoken about esoteric names and events, such as learning from history, what another successful official had done in the past, and why their methods would not work today.

After hearing this, Sister Consort De laughed heartily, saying that the Emperor had been in his role for too long and was becoming a show-off, even his storytelling was about such things, which were utterly uninteresting.

When she heard this, she couldn’t bear her sister speaking of His Majesty that way.

Her cheeks blushed as she stood up for him, and then her sister stopped laughing, only to start teasing her again, saying she was really clinging to her lover, which made her ears turn red with heat. Sister Consort De was too bad.

As the time for lunch drew near, her thoughts began to shift, and she frequently stretched her neck to look at the entrance to the hall, which provoked another round of laughter from Sister Consort De who commented she had never seen such an eager Little Beauty, adding, it’s usually the Emperor who should be in such a hurry.

That’s when it hit her, right, His Majesty didn’t even know she was in Huaying Hall, did he?

So, perhaps...she could hide first, then suddenly appear and give His Majesty a fright?

Thinking about how His Majesty would be taken aback by her sudden surprise, his expression bewildered and incredulous, she was eager to see it, so she excitedly shared the idea with Sister Consort De.

Upon hearing it, Sister Consort De was immediately on board, praising her for the ingenious idea and saying that the Emperor was always wearing a stony face, so a good scare would do him some good.

So it came to pass that later, Auntie Ming Jing, along with others, went to welcome the Emperor; Consort De would appear later, providing cover for Lian Hua, who was hiding behind, ready to scare the Emperor.

At that moment, the Emperor and Lian Hua discovered each other.

However, Lian Hua had never expected that, after all the preparation and anticipation, Sister Consort De would suddenly walk away, leaving her completely exposed in front of His Majesty.

She stood there dumbfounded, looking at His Majesty, her mind racing with how she had been hiding and hadn’t come out yet...how had she been discovered?

This wasn’t what was supposed to happen, had Sister Consort De...forgotten about her?

Could she...still give him a fright?

The Emperor was the first to recover his composure, seeing the person in front of him with wide, stunned almond eyes. He connected the dots and realized why she was there.

His Little Concubine was being playful again. No doubt she had received the message he left that morning and had colluded with Consort Xu De to surprise him with her sudden appearance.

He was indeed both shocked and pleased; his normally stern face softened into one of delighted surprise. What could be more joyful than the unexpected sight of his Little Concubine? Was there anything more pleasing to him?

It made him feel that coming to Huaying Hall wasn’t so dull after all. He was here for serious matters, to keep up appearances for the outside world, it was all necessary for the state affairs. However, now that his Little Concubine was here too, the trip suddenly became interesting.

He couldn’t help but reveal a doting smile, rose to his feet, and walked over to touch her cheek, "Why has Nannan come as well?"

Lian Hua blinked innocently, stammered a bit, "Uh, that, just... just came over~"

Oh dear, it was quite embarrassing; she had wanted to startle His Majesty but hadn’t expected to be discovered so easily.

Thinking about the mischief she had intended to do just now, her eyes flickered, and she began to feel a little embarrassed.

The Emperor smiled gently, feeling contented, and tenderly gazed at her. Suddenly, he noticed that her outfit today was somewhat different from usual, as if she had dressed up specially. Her makeup and hairdo made her particularly charming.

Without realizing it, he used his thumb to caress her lips, which were plump and seemed to be coated with a layer of glossy rouge, making them look even more tender, arousing his desire to savor their fragrance.

Suppressing the itch in his heart, the Emperor didn’t spare his praise, "Nannan looks very beautiful today, even more so than usual. Have you dressed up with care?"

Thinking of the surprise she had prepared just for him, and how elaborately she had dressed, why did his Little Concubine move his heart so much?

Hearing his words, joy sparkled in Lian Hua’s eyes like starlight spreading. His Majesty had noticed, and he had even complimented her~

She nodded slightly, biting her lip shyly, glanced at him quickly, then cast her eyes down.

Her lips began to curl up, her hands unknowingly fidgeting with the hem of her dress, feeling somewhat bashful yet happy, and she whispered like a mosquito, "Mhm, Auntie Ming Jing helped with the makeup. Sister said... that it would captivate your gaze and you wouldn’t be able to look away. .."

The Emperor felt a tingling sensation in his heart, understanding that indeed she had dressed up carefully for him. Though she had dressed up after her arrival, a woman adorns herself for the one who cherishes her, and it was all for him—Xu Rongying had done well.

He turned his gaze toward Xu Rongying, who had her back to them, seeming still immersed in her thoughts.

Years of long-held wishes were finally met with hope, not so easily settled.

Upon hearing the name "Shen Ming," Consort Xu De started to lose control of her emotions, her throat choking up uncontrollably.

His Majesty had mentioned her Brother Ming’s case in the court this morning, promising to help vindicate him—it was really happening. It was a promise made by the golden mouth and jade voice; she wasn’t dreaming.

As the Emperor suddenly stopped speaking, she nearly couldn’t control herself to ask further questions, but then she abruptly realized her younger sister was hiding behind her and forcibly halted the words on the brink of escaping her lips.

Her younger sister was naive and shouldn’t know about these despicable, sordid human affairs.

She looked up at the sky, hiding her moist eyes and reddened gaze, blinked, and swallowed back her tears.

Since the Emperor spoke thus, then there must be progress. She must not be hasty. So many years had passed, and she absolutely couldn’t be hasty at this moment.

Her expression hardened once more. What use were tears? Bringing the culprits of the past to justice was the greatest comfort she could offer Brother Ming.

Thinking of those treacherous scoundrels, a cold light flashed in her eyes.

Towards those traitors, she wished she could execute them one by one.

Brother Ming had fought on the battlefield to protect the country, while those scoundrels used dirty tactics in the court to frame the loyal and upright, inverting right and wrong, causing Brother Ming to die with his eyes wide open, bearing an eternal ignominy.

She remembered every one of the traitors’ names, thinking foolishly that after so long, they could act as if nothing had ever happened. Delusional. Even if the dead could not act, she would dig out the facts and expose these people’s crimes to the world, to appease Brother Ming’s spirit in heaven.

If she could not punish them, she had even thought, after her father passed away, she would ask to leave the palace and take up a sword to settle accounts with each one of them.