That was certainly true. When his mother was alive, she was merely a Cairen in the te emperor’s harem. Had the te emperor not passed away, she might have been promoted after giving birth to his child.

  But fate was cruel—when the emperor died, so did Cairen, hemorrhaging to death. Out of respect, Ying Qionglou posthumously promoted her to Jieyu.

  So, the Twelfth Prince had no maternal family to rely on; he was raised entirely by the Empress Dowager and the emperor.

  Naturally, he had no wealth or valuable gifts to present for the Empress Dowager’s birthday.

  “The truest gift is sincerity,” Wumian said seriously. “Think about it—your mother is the Empress Dowager. She cks for nothing. But if you give her your filial devotion, she’ll surely be happy.”

  And just like that, she was suddenly struck with inspiration.

  The Twelfth Prince nodded eagerly.

  The two of them continued chatting idly for a while before finally parting ways.

  At lunchtime, Lu Zhong brought up the matter to Ying Qionglou. “Today, the Empress spent over an hour in the Imperial Garden with the Twelfth Prince.”

  It wasn’t that they were specifically monitoring the Empress or the Twelfth Prince, but such a long conversation in a public setting was impossible to keep secret.

  Because it was unusual, Lu Zhong felt it necessary to mention it to the emperor.

  Ying Qionglou gnced at him. “What did they talk about?”

  “This servant is incompetent and does not know,” Lu Zhong quickly expined.

  “Hmm, rare indeed,” Ying Qionglou remarked, though it was unclear whether he meant the Empress or his younger brother.

  Meanwhile, back at Fengyi Pace, Wumian was being dissuaded by Linshui and Zhaohua.

  “Your Majesty, you are the Empress. If you don’t personally prepare a gift, the Hall of Administration will take care of it. You only need to give an order. How could you simply paint a picture and call it a day? If you give such a simple gift, how will the other consorts conduct themselves?”

  The Empress had truly changed…

  Even if she didn’t wish to fight, she couldn’t act so carelessly.

  In the end, Wumian relented. “Alright, alright, I get it. Just let the Hall of Administration handle it.”

  A few days ter, an imperial edict was issued, promoting several of the newcomers.

  Sitting in Fengyi Pace, Wumian watched as the newly promoted consorts performed grand salutes before her.

  Xu Baolin was promoted to Xu Liangyi, and Li Baolin became Li Liangyi. Yun Yunu was elevated to Yun Baolin, and Murong Yunu not only skipped a rank to become Liangyi, but was even granted the honorary title Xin.

  Wumian gave Xin Liangyi an extra gnce—she was indeed beautiful and carried herself with elegance. Ying Qionglou certainly had an eye for beauty.

  She offered a few words of encouragement, bestowed the customary rewards, and had them all rise.

  At their current low ranks, promotions were merely a formality—no grand ceremony was required, so there was no need to make a fuss.

  “The Empress Dowager’s birthday falls on the ninth day of the fourth month—it’s just around the corner. While this isn’t a milestone year, it still needs to be properly celebrated. The Empress Dowager has decided to hold the banquet in Yi’an Pace, and the Hall of Administration has already begun preparations. Your Majesty, do you have any special instructions?” Guifei inquired.

  “No. You are meticulous and efficient—just handle it. When organizing a grand event, the worst thing is too many voices offering opinions; it only leads to disorder. I trust your abilities completely,” Wumian replied with utmost sincerity.

  So sincere that it almost seemed insincere.

  “Your Majesty overpraises me,” Guifei responded, momentarily unable to discern the Empress’s true intentions.

  “I’m completely serious,” Wumian reassured her. “Do your best, and when the time comes, I’ll just sit back and enjoy the feast.”

  “Yes,” Guifei lowered her head in a dispy of humility.

  The newcomers, however, were beginning to have their doubts. This Empress was far different from what they had imagined.

  Sure enough, after morning court was dismissed, the newcomers gathered in small groups to whisper among themselves.

  “Her Majesty is a successor empress, but Guifei has been favored since the Eastern Pace, starting as a Liangdi. That makes quite a difference,” Xu Liangyi murmured.

  “Yes, and now that Guifei manages the imperial harem, she may not have a prince, but she does have the Eldest Princess. She is favored, and she ranks above all the other consorts. No wonder the Empress is so respectful toward her,” Zhang Yunu added.

  Regardless of what the newcomers thought, Wumian had finished handling her morning obligations and was ready to return to sleep.

  Nothing was more satisfying than an afternoon nap.

  Just as she woke up, Linshui entered the chamber. “Your Majesty, a eunuch from the Empress Dowager’s pace has arrived. The Empress Dowager invites you to watch an evening performance.”

  The Empress Dowager loved opera—especially nighttime performances. The pace frequently hosted them, as it was one of her particur indulgences.

  “Understood.” This was not Wumian’s first time accompanying the Empress Dowager to watch opera.

  But it was her first time since recovering from her illness.

  That evening, she donned a violet gown and made her way to Yining Pace. Yining Pace had a small garden with its own opera stage.

  When she arrived, she saw that two Imperial Concubines were already seated with the Empress Dowager, while Guifei and Xianfei had also arrived earlier.

  Wumian stepped forward to offer greetings. The Empress Dowager dismissed the formalities with a wave of her hand and smiled. “A few new opera singers have recently arrived at Nanfu—they say they’re quite skilled. Tonight, we’ll have the pleasure of seeing for ourselves.”

  Wumian smiled in response. “Are there any new pys?”

  The Empress Dowager gestured to Lingzhi, who stepped forward and presented a program list. “Your Majesty, please take a look. The Empress Dowager has already chosen a few pieces. Would you like to select one as well?”

  Wumian took the list and scanned it before pointing to a title—"A Meeting on the Cloud Bridge". “This one looks good—let’s go with this.”

  “As you wish,” Lingzhi said, then handed the list to the Imperial Concubines, who each selected another piece.

  Each performance was a single act, meaning the pys were retively short.

  As they chatted, the remaining sons and daughters of the te emperor who still resided in the pace also arrived, including the slow-witted Twelfth Prince.

  Shortly after, Li Fei, Rong Fei, Li Zhaoyi, and Jiang Zhaorong arrived as well.

  The emperor was the st to enter, and only then did the Empress Dowager announce the start of the banquet.

  After dining in Yining Pace, everyone moved to the opera stage, where the performers knelt in greeting before the show began.

  The Empress Dowager sat in the center of the front row, with two Imperial Concubines seated on either side to dispy proper reverence for the elders.

  To her left sat the Emperor and Empress, while to her right were the sons of the te emperor.

  The second row was reserved for Ying Qionglou’s consorts and children, along with the daughters of the te emperor.

  As the opera began, the Empress Dowager watched with full concentration.

  Wumian found it enjoyable as well—this style of performance, reminiscent of Kunqu opera, was quite refined. Given that these performers had been selected to entertain the imperial court, their skills were undoubtedly exceptional. She watched with great interest.

  Ying Qionglou, on the other hand, grew drowsy—he had no love for opera. Since he had little interest in the performance, his mind began to wander.

  In truth, many among the audience were not particurly fond of opera, including Li Fei.

  Li Fei was practically dying of boredom, but seated directly behind the Empress Dowager, she did not dare yawn—not even a slight shift in posture felt safe.

  She had no choice but to pinch her hand discreetly beneath her sleeves to stay awake.

  The emperor, disinterested as he was, felt no need to pretend otherwise. After all, he and the Empress Dowager were mother and son—certain formalities could be rexed.

  Then, the second performance began—the one the Empress had chosen.

  Wumian had picked it casually, but to her surprise, it turned out to be quite good.

  It told the tragic yet touching story of a newlywed couple separated for ten years due to war.

  Each believed the other to be dead, yet neither remarried. Instead, they endured years of hardship, remaining faithful and waiting for one another.