Feng Jiu’er had long known that entering the palace would bring trouble.

But Her Majesty the Empress had summoned her — if she refused to comply, it would be the Feng Family that faced the consequences.

What she hadn’t expected was for that trouble to arrive quite so suddenly.

“May I ask — why has Matron Qin ordered this against me?” She stood surrounded by imperial guards, her gaze fixed steadily on Matron Qin.

Matron Qin sneered: “You’ve entered the palace gates, and you’re still calling yourself ‘I’ so casually — do you not know that there are rules to observe within the palace?”

“Perhaps Matron Qin heard incorrectly? When has this commoner girl failed to observe the rules?” Feng Jiu’er replied with a mild smile.

“You—” Matron Qin hadn’t anticipated that the girl would correct herself so swiftly.

Yet the rumors said Feng Jiu’er was a simpleminded fool. Seeing her now — ugly she certainly was — but simpleminded? A fool could react with such speed? Her wits were anything but dull!

Matron Qin snapped: “This is a trivial matter! Feng Jiu’er, you have committed a grave offense. I am taking you to see Her Majesty the Empress at once!”

“May I ask what offense this commoner girl has committed?” Feng Jiu’er kept herself guarded against the imperial guards surrounding her, while quietly studying the rhythm of their footsteps.

These men were not particularly skilled. It was not impossible for her to slip away undetected.

But Matron Qin, as though sensing her thoughts, smiled and said: “Feng Jiu’er — do you intend to defy Her Majesty the Empress?”

At those words, the force Feng Jiu’er had been quietly gathering in her palms dissipated in an instant.

This was the imperial palace of the ancient world — the authority of the imperial family was inviolable.

She herself cared nothing for any empress or any majesty — if she were alone, she would have broken out today and simply left.

But behind her stood the entire Feng Family.

Grandfather had told her to agree to the breaking of the engagement and leave it at that. Grandfather cared for her.

But what Grandfather did not know was that, from the looks of it now, Her Majesty the Empress clearly wanted far more than just a broken engagement.

While she was still turning this over in her mind, the guards had already stepped forward in great strides, seizing both her arms.

Feng Jiu’er’s instinct was to resist — but then she heard Matron Qin say: “If you want to drag the entire Feng Family down with you, by all means, try resisting!”

Feng Jiu’er bit her lip, and allowed herself to be escorted inside, into the domain of Empress Rong.

The main hall of Xuanhua Palace was utterly empty and still.

Feng Jiu’er was bound and made to stand in the center of the main hall. Matron Qin had wanted her to kneel, but the stubborn girl simply refused, and even after the guards kicked her several times, she remained standing perfectly straight.

Matron Qin was furious, but paid her no further attention and went inside to summon Her Majesty the Empress.

The more defiant this girl was, the better it served their purposes.

Showing disrespect to Her Majesty — what kind of woman could the imperial family possibly want?

And so Feng Jiu’er stood there in the main hall, from morning through afternoon, and on into the darkness of night.

The only ones in the hall were a few guards keeping watch over her. No other soul had appeared.

They were deliberately making things difficult for her. Matron Qin had claimed she was going to summon Empress Rong, but who knew when she would ever manage to “summon” her here.

Jiu’er’s wrists rotated ever so slightly — the silver needles lay between her fingers, and loosening the rope was no great difficulty.

But she understood clearly: if she were to break free, she would be walking right into their trap.

That Empress Rong would certainly use it to make a grand spectacle out of nothing, accusing her of disrespecting the imperial family.

Finally, after nightfall, Matron Qin’s grating voice rang out bright and shrill: “Her Majesty the Empress arrives!”

Everyone in Xuanhua Palace — everyone except Feng Jiu’er — dropped to their knees.

Such an extravagant display of ceremony. For Feng Jiu’er, who had come from the twenty-first century, this was the first time she had ever witnessed anything like it.