There were still three days until Crown Prince Ye’s investiture ceremony.

Recently, Mu Yunjin had been staying within her residence, not setting foot outside the gate, fearing that if she went out, she might encounter Rong Jiu and the others, who would again request her to take them to various strange places.

“Miss, it’s about to rain. Please come inside and sit.” Zixiang glanced at Mu Yunjin sitting in the courtyard of Liquan Pavilion, then looked at the sky.

Mu Yunjin looked at the gloomy weather and nodded. “When will Chu Li return?”

“That’s still unknown,” Zixiang replied.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin sighed. These days, she didn’t know what Chu Li was busy with; he was always appearing and disappearing mysteriously.

After returning to her room, heavy rain began to pour outside. Mu Yunjin sat in a rocking chair, listening to the torrential rain through the window, her brows slightly furrowed.

The rain was fierce, with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

After some time, someone knocked on the door. Zixiang entered from outside and said to Mu Yunjin, “Miss, someone from the palace has come with a message. The Empress has invited you to the palace to discuss the banquet.”

…

…

“What?” Mu Yunjin thought for a moment that she had misheard.

“What does this banquet have to do with me? Why am I being called?” Mu Yunjin collected her thoughts and looked at Zixiang.

Zixiang was also helpless. “It is said that the Empress has also invited other ladies, asking everyone to express their opinions and discuss some details of the song and dance performances at the banquet.”

“Do I have to go now?” Mu Yunjin looked at the rain outside.

Zixiang nodded. “The eunuch who came with the message is still waiting outside.”

“Fine, help me with my hair.” Mu Yunjin stood up and walked to the dressing table.

When they left Liquan Pavilion, it was still raining heavily. By the time they reached the front hall, the hem of her dress had been splashed and dampened considerably by the rainwater.

Seeing this situation, Mu Yunjin silently cursed again at the necessity of going out in such heavy rain.

……

The carriage stopped at the palace gate. After stepping into the palace, Mu Yunjin instinctively asked the eunuch beside her, “Is the Empress in a hurry?”

If not urgent, she wanted to find Chu Li first.

Hearing this, the eunuch bowed slightly. “The Empress scheduled the meeting for the Hour of the Goat (1-3 PM). There is still some time.”

Mu Yunjin made a sound of acknowledgment, then contentedly walked toward the direction of the court.

Zixiang, following at Mu Yunjin’s side, seeing her wanting to run around in the heavy rain, couldn’t help but remind her, “Miss, your dress hem is already wet. Why don’t we go to the Empress first?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s already wet anyway, no need to worry,” Mu Yunjin said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

As they approached the court, a figure with light, slow footsteps came toward them. Upon seeing this figure, Mu Yunjin bit her lip, wanting to pretend she hadn’t seen him.

Qin Munan, catching sight of the person walking toward him, instantly softened his previously tense face. “Yunjin.”

Mu Yunjin nodded slightly. As she passed by Qin Munan, she had intended to walk around him, but Qin Munan reached out and grabbed her shoulder. “Let’s talk.”

Mu Yunjin stepped back twice, shaking off Qin Munan’s hand on her shoulder. “We seem to have nothing to talk about, and besides, it’s pouring rain right now. I’m not in the mood.”

Seeing Mu Yunjin speak to him so sharply, Qin Munan’s eyes flashed with hurt. “Yunjin, why must you treat me like this? Aren’t you afraid that when you regain your memory, you’ll regret everything you’re doing to me now?”

“General Qin,” Mu Yunjin raised her eyes to look at Qin Munan, her gaze fixed. “You’re always like this. Is it amusing?”

“Are all the members of your Qin family fond of entangling with married people?” Mu Yunjin said coldly.

Qin Munan was stunned. Hearing these words, he carefully examined Mu Yunjin, observing the thoughts in her eyes and the expressions on her face. After a while, Qin Munan suddenly felt that the person standing before him was a stranger.

“Fine, you’re ruthless enough!” Qin Munan said hoarsely, turning to leave.

Mu Yunjin looked up at the sky and rolled her eyes, then, glancing at Qin Munan’s retreating figure, smiled mockingly. “It seems those surnamed Qin in the Western Yuan Kingdom are all freaks.”

“Miss, let’s hurry,” Zixiang said, holding an umbrella beside her.

“Mm, let’s go.” Mu Yunjin continued walking forward. After just a few steps, behind a large tree, she saw a middle-aged man dressed in a black imperial dragon robe, with a golden dragon crown fastened in his hair bun. He was tall, with an extraordinary appearance.

Mu Yunjin was startled and swept a vigilant look at the middle-aged man, then glanced back at the place where she had just been talking with Qin Munan.

At this moment, the middle-aged man’s gaze also fell on Mu Yunjin. Originally just a casual glance, but upon clearly seeing Mu Yunjin’s face, he froze for a moment, his eyes flashing with intense peculiarity.

“How much did you eavesdrop just now?” Mu Yunjin looked impatiently at the middle-aged man before her.

The middle-aged man was pulled back from his thoughts by this displeased tone, then looked at Mu Yunjin with interest. “I heard everything that needed to be heard.”

“Who are you, and why are you hiding here?” Mu Yunjin looked at the large tree in front of her. Although it could block some of the rain, one would still get wet.

The middle-aged man before her had an extraordinary appearance and bearing, clearly not an ordinary person.

At this point, the attendant standing beside the middle-aged man became agitated, glaring at Mu Yunjin angrily. “How dare you be so impudent! This is the King of our Beiming Kingdom. Come and pay your respects immediately!”

Beiming Kingdom…

King?

Bei Tang Wenfeng?

Mu Yunjin was surprised, but looking at this middle-aged man wearing a black dragon robe with a golden dragon crown in his hair bun, she immediately realized that in this world, apart from the kings of the four kingdoms, who else would dare to dress like this?

So, biting her lip, she gently smoothed her clothes. “Greetings to the King of Beiming.”

“Hahaha!” Bei Tang Wenfeng couldn’t help but laugh at this point. The young lady before him was truly quite interesting, capable of both defiance and compliance, a rare quality in the world.

Moreover, her appearance and her temperament gave him a sense of familiarity.

“What is the King laughing at?” Mu Yunjin, hearing this laughter, felt uncomfortable.

“Which consort are you in the palace?” Bei Tang Wenfeng opened his mouth. The woman before him was dressed and carried herself in a manner unlike ordinary women. Her tone just now had been particularly unfriendly and impatient, suggesting she was probably a spoiled young lady.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. “I am Prince Ning Chu Li’s consort.”

“So you’re the renowned Princess Ning.” Before coming to the Western Yuan Kingdom, she had already thoroughly understood the current situation in Western Yuan. He had naturally heard of Princess Ning Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin, hearing this title “Princess Ning,” felt that Bei Tang Wenfeng was mocking her. He had heard her conversation with Qin Munan, and she didn’t know if he would misunderstand her relationship with Qin Munan.

If he were to gossip behind her back, it might cause considerable trouble.

“My Imperial Mother has summoned me, so I won’t continue this idle chat with Your Majesty. It’s raining heavily here; Your Majesty should return soon to avoid catching a chill.” Mu Yunjin curled her lips and turned to walk back the way she had come.

Bei Tang Wenfeng watched Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure, his brow filled with intense thoughts. Turning to his attendant, he asked, “After searching for so long, where exactly is Yilan Palace?”

……

Mu Yunjin walked on the path to the Empress’s palace. She had originally wanted to see Chu Li, but her time had been wasted by Qin Munan and Bei Tang Wenfeng.

However, the King of Beiming seemed more approachable than the Emperor of Western Ming, and his appearance was also extraordinary. She estimated that when he was younger, he must have been an exceptionally handsome man.

Upon arriving at the Empress’s palace, when Mu Yunjin walked in, she saw several familiar consorts already seated inside. What surprised her more was that Empress Dowager Zheng and Princess Rong were also present.

Inexplicably, Mu Yunjin felt an oppressive atmosphere.

After gently smoothing her dress in a slight curtsy to Empress Dowager Zheng and the Empress, Mu Yunjin stood in the center of the great hall, her gaze resting softly on the Empress.

“Yunjin has arrived. Please sit first.” The Empress pointed to an empty seat on one side.

Mu Yunjin nodded and went to sit.

As soon as she sat down, she heard Consort Li across from her sighing in a shrill voice, “My, Princess Ning certainly has a grand air, making us all wait here, without even a word of apology.”

“The appointment was for the Hour of the Goat, and it’s still some time before then. Consort Li, you can’t charge me with being late just because I was the last to arrive, can you?” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrow, glancing at the time from the corner of her eye.

Consort Li’s face paled, and she snorted coldly.

“That’s enough, let’s all say less. Today’s gathering of sisters is a happy occasion,” Princess Rong leaned against her chair, gently blowing on her steaming tea before taking a sip.

Mu Yunjin didn’t even raise her eyelids, sitting most inelegantly with her legs crossed, not bothering to deal with these women.

In the time that followed, the great hall was mostly quiet, with only the Empress sitting in the main seat, describing some arrangements for the banquet and occasionally asking for everyone’s opinions.

Consort Li and the others kept interrupting to express their opinions, while Mu Yunjin’s mind wandered continuously, just wishing for this boring scene to end quickly.

Had she known, she would have claimed illness and not come. What was the point of rushing here to add to her troubles?

“Why has Yunjin been so quiet all this time?” Empress Dowager Zheng suddenly interrupted Consort Li and the others, looking at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin was lost in thought and didn’t hear Empress Dowager Zheng speaking to her. Zixiang, standing beside her, saw her mistress with her head down and immediately pulled at Mu Yunjin’s arm in fear.

Only then did Mu Yunjin come back to her senses, accompanied by a yawn.

Empress Dowager Zheng’s face immediately dropped, looking displeased at Mu Yunjin. “Yunjin, today you were specifically invited to discuss Crown Prince Ye’s investiture ceremony. With your mind wandering like this, could it be that you don’t hold Ye in your eyes?”

“Alas.” Consort Li suddenly sighed heavily.

“Could it be that Princess Ning is resentful because Prince Ning didn’t become the Crown Prince?” Consort Li spoke these bold words, looking at Mu Yunjin with a playful expression.

Since Empress Qin’s death, she had been wanting to give Mu Yunjin trouble. Previously, she had lost face several times because of this little wretch. Now, with no one to protect her in the palace, let’s see how arrogant she can be.

“Consort Li, if you don’t want that beautiful head of yours chopped off, please take back what you just said.” Mu Yunjin raised her eyes to look at Consort Li, speaking languidly, her eyes filled with strong warning.