Gu Yi didn’t sleep all night—she didn’t want to sleep during the first half, and couldn’t sleep during the second half.

Tan Yuan Hall was also in the Western Garden, less than a hundred paces from her residence at Ping Cui Palace.

The footsteps of palace servants fighting the fire, their shouts, and the sound of water were chaotic. The flames roared, and although the doors and windows were closed, she could still smell the intense charcoal scent that occasionally drifted through the air.

Although Emperor Xiaoyan had left, he stationed a row of guards outside Ping Cui Palace, each with iron swords hanging at their waists.

Why would Tan Yuan Hall catch fire at this time? Was Consort Dowager Liu alive or dead?

If she died, would that count as a plot deviation?

Could she, please, just quietly survive until the end of the story!

Gu Yi lay on her couch with her eyes wide open in apprehension, waiting for most of the night.

Fortunately, she didn’t sense the familiar white light summoning her.

Her heart eased slightly.

But… why had the Tan Yuan Hall plot advanced so much earlier?

She thought it through carefully.

Was it truly because the gray-robed man hadn’t killed Huai Hua, forcing them to act ahead of schedule?

In the original story, Consort Dowager Liu had been poisoned for months before finally dying like a lamp without oil.

Since Huai Hua hadn’t died, perhaps this had caused a change in the events at Tan Yuan Hall?

“Talented Lady, it’s already nine in the morning. Are you awake?” Tao Jia stood outside the bedchamber and called out.

Gu Yi’s train of thought halted abruptly. She replied softly, “Yes, come in.”

Tao Jia entered with a water basin, seemingly still shaken. “The fire was fierce last night. The sky was burning red, and black smoke rose from all sides. The Talented Lady must have been frightened…”

Gu Yi changed her clothes and couldn’t help asking, “Has the fire been extinguished now? Did you hear if anyone was injured?”

“I just passed by Tan Yuan Hall and saw that the fire has been put out. I didn’t hear about anyone being injured…”

Gu Yi nodded and said nothing more. In the past, she might have asked Tao Jia to inquire about Consort Dowager Liu’s situation.

But… now…

Gu Yi held a cloth, wiping her face while glancing at Tao Jia, noting her unchanged expression.

But… It’s still better not to…

“Talented Lady Gu of Ping Cui Palace, receive your reward.” A drawn-out voice suddenly came from outside.

Gu Yi quickly put down the cloth in her hand and turned to stop at the door.

She heard the blue-robed eunuch say, “His Majesty rewards Talented Lady Gu of Ping Cui Palace with a pair of plum blossom hairpins.”

Gu Yi knelt and bowed, “This concubine thanks His Majesty for his great favor.”

The blue-robed eunuch smiled and placed the red lacquer tray on the wooden table. “The Talented Lady is most fortunate. I congratulate you.”

Gu Yi rose and smiled, “I appreciate your kind words.”

After he left, Gu Yi examined the plum blossom hairpins closely. They were made of ebony wood with a bright red gemstone embedded in each pin head.

Tao Jia walked to her side. “Congratulations to the Talented Lady. It must be that His Majesty pities you… Does the Talented Lady wish to express gratitude? Sending some pastries to Tian Lu Pavilion would show your thoughtfulness…”

Hearing this, Gu Yi pondered for a moment. If Tan Yuan Hall hadn’t suddenly caught fire last night, she probably wouldn’t have received this reward.

She had forgotten how perceptive Emperor Xiaoyan was. Though she looked at his face, remembering the person from before—who was still him—the current Xiaoyan saw her as nothing more than a stranger.

She couldn’t view him through the filter of the previous cycle anymore. If she did, she might make things worse.

“Alright, go ask the imperial kitchen if they can make an exception and allow me to prepare some pastries myself,” she said.

Tao Jia answered with a grin, “I’ll go at once. What pastries does the Talented Lady wish to make?”

“Let’s make…” Gu Yi thought for a moment, “let’s make apricot blossom pastries…”

Afternoon, the Emperor finally returned from Tian Lu Pavilion.

Having been busy all night, Chief Eunuch Gao noticed an additional trace of weariness on his face.

He quickly offered a cup of tea, “Your Majesty, please drink some tea to moisten your throat. If you’re tired, why not rest for a moment in the bedchamber?”

Xiaoyan accepted the tea but continued looking down at the letters on the table.

Chief Eunuch Gao glanced outside the pavilion and carefully said, “Early this morning, seeing that Your Majesty was busy, and considering that Talented Lady Gu must have been frightened by last night’s fire, and as she has just recently received imperial favor, this old servant… awarded her a plum blossom hairpin on Your Majesty’s behalf. May Your Majesty forgive this transgression…” With these words, he bent low in a deep bow.

Xiaoyan turned his head to look at him, observing his trembling appearance, and after a while said, “Rise. Don’t let it happen again.”

Chief Eunuch Gao straightened up. “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace…” Then with a face full of smiles, he continued, “After receiving the reward, Talented Lady Gu must have been thinking of Your Majesty, as she specially prepared some pastries and brought them to Tian Lu Pavilion. She has been waiting outside for half an hour now…”

Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow and looked at Chief Eunuch Gao. “I see…”

He remained silent for a moment, put down the letter in his hand, and then said, “Summon Talented Lady Gu.”

Gu Yi held a carved purple sandalwood box with floral patterns provided by the imperial kitchen, standing properly on the platform outside Tian Lu Pavilion.

This was her first visit to the front hall.

Looking out from Tian Lu Pavilion, the sky was clear blue. Sunlight poured down on the yellow glazed tiles of the great hall, as if bathed in sacred light. Several jade steps led upward, straight to the highest place of power.

She just hadn’t expected to stand here for so long.

Though the scenery was beautiful, her knees were truly aching.

She had just stamped her feet slightly when she saw a royal eunuch hurrying toward her. “Talented Lady Gu, please follow me into the hall.”

Gu Yi’s heart skipped a beat. She let out a light sigh, picked up the food box, and followed him into the hall with small steps.

As soon as she crossed the threshold and stood on the blue brick floor, she bowed and said, “This concubine greets Your Majesty and wishes Your Majesty good health.”

Xiaoyan noticed the red glint in her hair, confirming she wore the hairpin he hadn’t seen the night before. “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Gu Yi stood up, raised her head, and added with a smile, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s gracious gift. This concubine has specially prepared some pastries for Your Majesty to taste.”

“Come forward.”

Gu Yi carried the food box, crossed several stone steps, and stood before him, removing the lid of the box.

Inside were four snow-white apricot blossom pastries with light red bean paste petals.

Xiaoyan asked, “What are these?”

Gu Yi answered, “These are apricot blossom pastries, a specialty of Fuzhou. This concubine learned to make them from my mother’s true teachings.” She offered them forward. “Would Your Majesty like to try?”

“Fuzhou… is it…” Xiaoyan picked up one and took a bite, but his brow furrowed slightly. “Barely acceptable.”

*So infuriating, but I must keep smiling.*

*Xiao Gouzi, I advise you to be kind.*

Gu Yi suddenly stopped at this thought, simply smiled slightly, and bowed, “This concubine will heed Your Majesty’s guidance.”

Xiaoyan, however, reached out to take the food box from her hand and placed it on the wooden table.

Seeing the opportunity, Gu Yi showed concern and said, “This concubine just came from the Western Garden and saw the ruins left by the fire at Tan Yuan Hall. It was truly frightening. I heard that Consort Dowager Liu resides at Tan Yuan Hall. Is the Consort Dowager well?”

Xiaoyan suddenly gave a light laugh, his peach blossom eyes looking at her. “The Talented Lady is so concerned about Consort Dowager Liu, truly filial…”

Gu Yi’s heart skipped a beat. She gave a silly smile and said, “We both reside in the Western Garden, and Consort Dowager Liu is of higher rank. This concubine… naturally worries about her.”

Xiaoyan saw her smile, her eyebrows and lashes curved like a crescent moon, but he turned his gaze away. “Consort Dowager Liu is unharmed, only frightened. She requested to go to West Mountain Temple. I suppose… she will return to the palace after some time.”

Gu Yi was startled.

Was this… had she been taken away by Xiao Lü’s people?

She continued with a smile, “If that’s the case, then this concubine can rest easy…”

Seeing Xiaoyan’s scrutinizing gaze fall upon her, Gu Yi forced another smile and took the opportunity to excuse herself, “Your Majesty has many state affairs to attend to. This concubine won’t disturb you any longer. If Your Majesty doesn’t like these apricot blossom pastries, this concubine will bring something else next time.” After speaking, she curtseyed.

She wants to leave already?

“Wait,” Xiaoyan said.

Gu Yi tensed at his voice.

Surely not… had she revealed her intentions somewhere…

Was it so difficult to just gather some information…

But she heard Xiaoyan ask, “Has the Treasury Department removed that glass bead curtain?”

“Ah?” Gu Yi hadn’t expected Xiaoyan to specifically ask about the dream of the solitary curtain. It must have truly displeased him.

“Not yet, but this concubine has already sent someone to convey the message, asking the Treasury Department to come and take it away today.”

Xiaoyan made a sound of acknowledgment and lowered his eyelids.

For a moment, she couldn’t find anything else to say.

Gu Yi curtseyed again. “Then… this concubine takes her leave…”

Just as she finished speaking, Chief Eunuch Gao entered the pavilion carrying a pear wood box.

“Your Majesty, Beauty Wan of Xiu Yi Palace has specially sent a silk handkerchief.”

Xiaoyan said, “Show it to me.”

Gu Yi saw that he didn’t look at her again, nor had he granted her permission to leave, so she could only stand awkwardly by the table.

Chief Eunuch Gao presented the brocade box before Xiaoyan. Inside was a white silk handkerchief embroidered with black rocks, black and white intermingled like an ink-wash landscape.

“This embroidery is quite fine.”

After saying this, Xiaoyan looked at Gu Yi and saw her in a daze.

“Reward Beauty Wan of Xiu Yi Palace with one hundred taels of silver.”

Gu Yi finally turned her head to look at the embroidered handkerchief.

Once again, she felt the crushing disparity in ranks.

Why wouldn’t he reward her with silver too?

The plum blossom hairpins weren’t bad, but they wouldn’t fetch much if pawned after leaving the palace.

Gu Yi felt bitter, regretting her lack of needlework skills.

If she had known earlier that a silk handkerchief was worth one hundred taels, she would have practiced needlework day and night.

She looked up and met Xiaoyan’s gaze, noticing what seemed like amusement in his eyes, so she smiled and said, “Beauty Wan truly has excellent skill.”

Chief Eunuch Gao noticed that the Emperor’s mood seemed to have improved.

He couldn’t help but look down at the handkerchief again. Was this landscape embroidery really that good?

A moment later, Gu Yi finally left Tian Lu Pavilion and headed toward the Western Garden along the stone path in the Imperial Garden.

If Consort Dowager Liu had truly been rescued by Xiao Lü’s people, she was likely in great danger.

If Consort Dowager Liu hadn’t already resigned herself to death, staying in the palace would have been safest.

Xiaoyan wouldn’t deliberately harm her; keeping her alive was his bargaining chip.

Once outside the palace, there were too many people who wanted Consort Dowager Liu dead.

Gu Yi walked with her head down, lost in gloomy thoughts, not noticing someone approaching from the opposite direction.

“Talented Lady Gu, it’s been so long I almost didn’t recognize you…”

That overly familiar palace intrigue tone.

Gu Yi looked up to see Concubine Wang from Xiu Yi Palace, whom she hadn’t seen for some time.

Concubine Wang noticed that although Gu Yi no longer wore the flower adornment on her head, she had a pair of red jade plum blossom hairpins inserted at an angle, clearly of fine quality. “I hear Talented Lady Gu received imperial favor last night. I haven’t yet offered my congratulations. Talented Lady Gu is truly unpredictable. I thought being moved to the Western Garden meant being out of sight, but who would have thought you’d still have an audience with His Majesty…”

Gu Yi curtseyed and replied obediently, “Greetings to Concubine Wang. The Concubine flatters me. I was merely a bit luckier. Perhaps His Majesty took pity on me… But last night there was a sudden fire, so His Majesty didn’t stay long…”

Hearing these words, Concubine Wang suddenly felt somewhat better.