Choi Jianlian's identity and future were at stake, Song Yixiao was unwilling, but for the time being, she couldn't do anything about it, and could only continue to wait patiently for an opportunity.

  In the next few days, with Wei Cui's help, she finally finished embroidering the birthday gift on the eve of the Empress Dowager's birthday - after this was done, everyone in Huanxia Cottage let out a sigh of relief.

  After a good rest overnight, she got up early the next morning, dressed and hurried to Wei Mengying's courtyard to pay her respects.

  Wei Mengying was still dressing, and from the copper mirror, she saw her daughter and niece coming together. She asked if they had eaten, then said: "Chang'er stay here, Xiaoxiao you go to the side of the imperial concubine. Just now Lan Hui came to greet us, saying that the imperial concubine wants you to follow her today."

  This is also a matter of course - in the past, on the birthday of the Empress Dowager, Song Yishang, as an outsider living in the palace, would definitely kowtow from afar and leave quickly to avoid being a nuisance; but now that she has received the imperial edict to marry the Emperor's nephew, how could the Empress Dowager not show her some respect in public?

  It's also beneficial for Song Yixiao, the news that the Song family doesn't want her is no longer a secret. If people think that the Hengshan Wangfu really treats her as their own flesh and blood, they can gain some face in future social interactions.

  Song Yi Xiao heard this and had no opinion, saying: "Let's have Sister-in-law take care of it today."

  Wei Chang smiled and said: "Having the opportunity to follow Auntie and gain experience is a privilege for me."

  Wei Mengying again instructed a few words of taboos for serving the imperial concubine, Song Yi smiled and remembered them one by one. Seeing that she had nothing else to say, he bowed and retreated.

  Arriving at the Princess's residence, Orchid herself came out to greet them: "The Princess was just thinking of you! What a coincidence, you've arrived!"

  With a smiling face, he complimented her outfit today, "This combination of wearing a sea pink sleeveless jacket with dark green bottom and embroidered pear flower skirt, nine out of ten people wouldn't dare to wear it, afraid of looking rustic. But on you, it really lives up to the four words 'elegant without being common'!"

  "Sister, you're too kind!" As soon as Song Yi heard this, she knew that today's play between her and the imperial consort had begun - one side grateful for kindness, the other benevolent and affectionate. Her expression instantly adjusted to show gratitude, with even a hint of tears in her eyes, "If it weren't for the Wang estate taking me in, I wouldn't be where I am today."

  Lan Hui twitched the corner of her mouth, thinking that it was no wonder she could climb up to being the wife of the Yan State Duke with her humble origins. With this understanding, even if she hadn't caught Jian Yu's eye back then, she would eventually make a name for herself.

  It's not hard to see that the Empress Dowager didn't want Song Yixiao to marry into a good family, and her plan made sense: "The Seventh Prince has the help of Wei Wangfei in planning, and he is already deeply loved by the King. With such an older sister who rose to prominence overnight, even if it's the Third Prince who currently holds the position of Crown Prince, what if the Empress Dowager...the Third Prince wouldn't be able to avoid being affected!"

  She was the trusted confidante of the imperial concubine, and had been secretly hinted that she would be given to Lu Guanlun as a concubine in the future. Her heart naturally leaned towards the imperial concubine and Lu Guanlun, which made Song Yixiao displeased, but her face didn't reveal anything. With a smile, she said: "The imperial concubine has always treated you like a granddaughter, so it's not right for you to say this - be careful, the threshold of this house has just been replaced!"

  Two people walked through the corridor and into the warm pavilion where Taifei was currently located. After Song Yi smiled and greeted her, she also paid respects to celebrate Taifei's birthday. Taifei accepted with a smile, warmly praising her as "clever" and "diligent".

  Song Yixiao chatted with her for a few sentences, seeing that the atmosphere was almost right, she presented her birthday gift and wished her a long and prosperous life.

  Although this painting is not new, it was made by the person who gave it as a gift with their own hands. This thought alone deserves praise; what's more, Song Yixiao's embroidery skills are exceptional, and every blade of grass and stone in the picture seems to come alive, revealing a vibrant sense of life.

  In the midst of all the praise and admiration, even the Empress Dowager, who had initially only intended to be polite, couldn't help but pause for a moment before speaking in a complex tone: "I've always heard that you're skilled with needlework, but I didn't expect that at such a young age, your embroidery would already have the style of a master!"

  Her words were sincere this time, but Song Yi Xiao didn't care much and just smiled elegantly while speaking humble words.

  But the Empress Dowager did not know that in her heart, it was quite sour: "From the same girls' school, with the same teacher, and about the same age. I have always personally asked and urged about the homework of Qie'er and Chai'er; but Wei Shi, after having Guanyun, obviously neglected the daughter born to her ex-husband, how could this girl be so much better than my Qie'er and Chai'er?"

  Song Yi has been careful to restrain herself over the years, not making things difficult for Lu Qinger and her sister. The imperial consort is high above, and since she doesn't like Song Yi, she naturally wouldn't pay much attention to her either.

  But now that I think about it carefully, apart from physical appearance which is innate and can't be helped, in terms of demeanor, temperament, talent... it can be said that except for family background, my two own granddaughters don't have a single aspect that surpasses Song Yixiao's!

  The empress dowager absolutely refused to admit that Lu Qinger and Lu Jing'er were not as talented as Song Yiliao, and could only attribute it to: "A daughter taught by the Wei family, naturally has a utilitarian heart. With such ambitions, how can she not study hard? Being able to be granted marriage by the empress dowager is not in vain for her years of hard work!"

  She took a sip of tea to conceal her emotions, and the imperial consort smiled as she pointed out the subtleties of the "Crane and Deer in Spring" painting with those around her. Before she had finished pointing them out, Lu Ke'er and Lu Jian'er arrived together.

  "What's Grandma looking at? We could hear it from the courtyard." Lu Qinger walked over, curtsied and then smiled as she approached the Empress Dowager.

  The princess hadn't replied yet, she first took a clear look at the "Crane and Deer in Spring" painting, her expression was stunned for a moment, then revealed an uncontrollable jealous color.

  "Isn't your father the king calling you to help your two sisters-in-law?" The imperial concubine sighed inwardly and waved her hand for someone to put away the birthday gifts, asking nonchalantly, "What brings you here? Don't tell me you're thinking of shirking your duties after just a few days on the job?"

  "Didn't I always run errands for my sisters-in-law before?" Lu Qian'er finally calmed down, hugged the Empress's arm and smiled, "But today is your good day, so I want to accompany you!"

  Actually, the original two ladies in charge of managing the Wang Fu were only Da Wei Mengying and Liang Duan. However, due to the great animosity between these two sisters-in-law, they feared that they would use their power to make life unbearable for everyone in the Wang Fu, so they added Lu Qinger as a counterbalance.

  But today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, and as long as the Kong and Jin families are not out of their minds, they won't report personal grievances on such an important day. So Lu Qinger came to slack off, and the Empress Dowager asked a question and let it go, turning to another granddaughter: "Chai'er has lost weight recently?"

  "It's probably because of the changing seasons, I haven't had much appetite lately." Lu Jie'er smiled with pursed lips, her respectful demeanor tinged with familiarity, without revealing any flaws, "Don't worry, Grandmother!"

  "You child, how can I scold you? This is your own home, what else do you want to see outside? If the food doesn't suit your taste, just ask the kitchen to change it!" The empress dowager said with a warm and gentle reprimand, "How can you not take care of your own body?"

  Just looking at Taifei's kind and gentle appearance, Song Yi thought that she hadn't heard the second lady mention anything about her true nature, and really took her as a good grandmother who was wholeheartedly caring for her granddaughter.

  Lu Chai'er was still young, and her heart was obviously filled with resentment. She had been holding it in until now, but some of it slipped out, revealing a strained expression. After a pause, she spoke dryly: "Grandmother, you've misunderstood! It's not that the food from the kitchen doesn't agree with my stomach, it's just that I haven't felt like eating anything lately!"

  "Is it?" The empress heard this and immediately ordered Lan Hui to "Bring that bottle of Tianxiang Bairenlu from inside!"

  She then turned to Lu Jing with concern and said, "This Tianxiang Bairen is extremely fragrant when smelled and tastes good too, few people don't like it. You have no appetite, try drinking a bowl of it later and see if you'll feel any better?"

  "Wouldn't it be a waste to let the granddaughter drink such precious things?" Lu Jie'er's eyes flashed with self-mockery, and she forced a smile, "This is the Empress Dowager's special share for you, how could the granddaughter use it?"

  Tianxiang Bilu is actually a kind of fruit drink mixed with floral dew.

  It dates back to over a decade ago, when the Princess of Jin State accidentally obtained a recipe and made it. After tasting it, she thought it was good and presented it to the Empress Dowager - not only did it taste good, but it was also said to have beauty benefits for the skin, so it was extremely well-received.

  However, the selection of raw materials and the production process are extremely strict.

  Even the imperial family, after supplying the harem every year, can only take out a small number as rewards.

  So it's not the top-notch aristocracy, and they can't enjoy it at all.

  The King of Hengshan was a hereditary title conferred at the founding of the country, and the queen dowager was also of the same generation as the empress dowager. Every time there were rewards, they would not be left out, but it was also impossible to indulge in drinking freely.

  Down below, the younger generation wanted to get in on it, and that made it even more scarce - at the Hengshan Wang Fu, only Hengshan Wang and Lu Guanlun were treated with favor, and even Lu Ke'er showed a hint of jealousy, clearly this thing was extremely rare for her as well.

  Lu Chuaner, this illegitimate granddaughter, had never even heard of it before, let alone drink it.

  Now Grandma is willing to take it out, seemingly caring about her body, but in the end, isn't it still for letting her marry Zhuo Ping'an obediently?

  Thinking of this, her mood became even more complicated!

  "What is this child saying?" But the imperial concubine still smiled warmly and lovingly, lightly scolding, "What do you mean by 'wasting'? You are a princess of the royal palace! What good thing can't you use?"

  Just then, Lan Hui took out a four or five inch high crystal bottle. Song Yi Xiao looked at it and saw that the Tian Xiang Bi Luo was indeed a pale green color, like spring water sealed in the crystal bottle, making Lan Hui's hands look like jade.

  Uncork the bottle, a whiff of fragrance quickly fills the room, it's hard to say whether it's floral or fruity, but it's both fragrant and appetizing.

  "This dish can make both the Empress Dowager and the Crown Princess exclaim in delight, no need to take a bite, just the aroma alone is enough to make one feel intoxicated!" Song Yi smiled, fearing being misunderstood, so she only took a glance before quickly withdrawing her gaze - this dish was something even the princes born of concubines might not have tasted, let alone an outsider like herself who didn't even have a proper status as an adopted daughter.

  The Empress Dowager had the crystal cups brought over, filled two of them and handed one to each of her granddaughters, then smiled and said: "You try some too, Yiliu!"

  Song Yi Xiao was initially stunned, then her heart sank: "In this Tian Xiang Bi Lu... could there be some trickery?"

  Because Lan Hui was in front of her, she first poured wine for Lu Ke'er and her sister. These two were the Grand Princess's own granddaughters, although they didn't receive as much favor as Lu Guanlun, they were still the Grand Princess's flesh and blood. Song Yi Xiao wouldn't suspect a thing.

  But now it's clear that the Empress Dowager is not a person who would hesitate to sacrifice her own granddaughter, and the accompaniment of the Lu sisters obviously cannot guarantee the safety of this bottle of Tianxiang Bairen!

  Instead, it made Song Yixiao even more vigilant. "When the time comes, even if the problem is found to be here, but both of the Grand Empress's own granddaughters will also suffer together, who would suspect the Grand Empress?"

  After the incident, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xian had to issue an edict to comfort the Grand Consort.

  As for the real culprit... Can't a noble princess like you find a few scapegoats?

  This move was as simple and crude as recommending her to be the daughter-in-law of Qingjiang County Master last time, but it was extremely effective!

  Last time, it was a narrow escape when Jian Yu Bai killed his way out, and even then, the Empress Dowager had to sacrifice her own granddaughter to appease the anger of Qing Jiang County's mistress; this time, however, Song Yi Xiao could only rely on herself.

  "Can't drink!" She thought for a moment, and soon made up her mind. "A steady boat sails a thousand years! It's just one cup of wine, no matter how fragrant or sweet it is, compared to the future and even life itself, what does it count for?"

  But Lan Hui was steadily holding a crystal cup in front of her, smiling and politely urging: "Miss Song, please!"

  Song Yixiao looked at the celadon-colored Tianxiang Bairen in the crystal cup and felt a sense of unease: accidentally knocked over?

  Not to mention Lan Hui's appearance of gathering her energy and waiting by her side, she was afraid that if she slightly revealed a slip of her hand, she would take action to "assist" - just saying that the bottle of Tianxiang Bairen hadn't been taken back yet, the Empress Dowager had made up her mind to make her drink it, couldn't she be rewarded with another cup?

  The first time it's an accident, but the second time is no coincidence.

  Once it gets out, everyone inside and outside will think she's deliberately trying to embarrass the imperial consort!

  What should I do?