Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

After Haitang helped Shen Mingxiu leave, the door to the side hall at the corner of the corridor opened, and Wei Rong, dressed in red riding attire, rubbed her chin.

The grass butterflies were quickly covered by a thin layer of fine snow, as if telling a story of being abandoned and wronged.

The doubts that had been there since noon have now been cleared up.

Shen Mingxiu's hesitant gaze and Ling Xianru's unnatural reaction upon seeing her confirmed this.

The corridor was filled with numerous side halls. If Shen Mingxiu knew that Wei Rong had overheard the commotion outside, she would definitely regret her actions.

Qiaoyu stared blankly, her face full of shock: "Mother, Your Majesty, what does this mean?"

Why did Consort Xian ask the Prime Minister who the butterfly was for?

Why did you want to pick up that butterfly?

Why then do you say that the Prime Minister still hates her?

"Didn't they say she and His Majesty met in the palace and fell in love at first sight?" Qiaoyu's voice, though low, couldn't hide her surprise. "Then what is this?"

Judging from this, they've already secretly pledged their lives to each other!

Moreover, didn't the Prime Minister's statement "cannot be sent out" convey the same meaning?

It's no wonder Qiaoyu overthinks things. Although the two of them didn't exchange many words, anyone who saw them would have thought the same thing.

Wei Rong gestured for her to change her expression.

"The Prime Minister seems to have come from humble origins, which makes his background similar to that of the Noble Consort Xian."

The Shen family was a scholarly family, and no one from it had ever held a high-ranking official position.

Ling Xianru was an ordinary person.

He was the top scorer in the imperial examination the year before Xiao Heng ascended the throne, and it was said that he came from an ordinary merchant family in Suzhou.

If that's the case, it's quite possible that he will have some dealings with the Shen family.

They're both just over twenty, so it's perfectly normal for them to get married.

"Could it be that Consort Xian was a snob who abandoned the Prime Minister in order to enter the palace as a concubine, thus ending their separation and the tragic end of the Song of Everlasting Regret?"

Wei Rong couldn't help but laugh and tapped Qiaoyu on the head: "Little girl, you even know the Song of Everlasting Regret."

If word gets out that Shen Mingxiu had an affair with Ling Xianru, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. Xiao Heng is already suspicious, and Ling Xianru is his trusted right-hand woman.

The Lunar New Year was a wonderful time; in one night, Wei Rong received two New Year's gifts.

Qiaoyu still found it unbelievable: "This is deceiving the emperor! If people find out—"

She felt vaguely uneasy, thinking that a prime minister should not allow such a big oversight to be discovered.

Why did they have to run into them?

Wei Rong whispered, "Not a single word about this can be revealed, understand?"

She could handle Shen Mingxiu, but Ling Xianru was too dangerous for her.

Qiaoyu made a closing gesture.

The master and servant whispered to each other as they returned to the main hall, where it was bustling with activity.

Of the ten people selected, aside from Wei Rong changing clothes and another official's wife sending someone to the mansion to fetch musical instruments, the rest were either calligraphers or painters.

When Wei Rong returned to the main hall, everyone was praising a certain official's beautiful handwriting.

The gilded ink and the bold, vigorous calligraphy truly showcased a divine touch.

Xiao Heng, resting his forehead on one hand and reeking of alcohol, waved his hand dismissively: "Reward!"

But as her gaze shifted, Xiao Heng hesitated for a moment before retracting her outstretched hand.

Even in that brief moment, it was enough for everyone else in the hall to turn their attention to Wei Rong.

The once noisy hall fell silent.

Wei Rong attended palace banquets, accustomed to wearing phoenix robes and crowns.

Even when hunting, she had to dress appropriately and accompany the women in the tent.

Her appearance in this red riding outfit might have been before her marriage, when she accompanied Wei Beimu to the martial arts arena.

However, Wei Rong was carefree at that time. When faced with troublesome young men in the army, she would pick up her spear and beat them into submission.

Unlike now, when many eyes are on me.

Looking directly at the Empress was considered disrespectful, so many people only dared to glance at her out of the corner of their eye.

Wei Rong's riding outfit was entirely red, and her slender waist was tightly bound by a waist belt, making it appear extremely thin and delicate.

After the phoenix crown was removed, her long hair was tied up with a hair ribbon and hung down in front of her chest.

Such vibrant colors are hard for many people to pull off, so they might add other accessories to embellish them.

But Wei Rong is different; on her, red exudes an even stronger aura than bright yellow.

To be more precise, it suits her better.

What's even more amazing is that her makeup, which was originally just lightly applied, has obviously been changed, with a vermilion line drawn at the corner of each eye.

That eyeliner made her phoenix eyes look like peach blossom eyes, like a fox's.

Wei Rong seemed oblivious, carrying the folding fan that Qiaoyu had just retrieved, and strolled into the hall.

Shen Mingxiu's gaze remained fixed on her the whole way, and he saw a hint of darkness in her pupils.

A breeze had started to blow at some point. When Wei Rong entered, the door was not yet fully closed, and the swirling wind ruffled her hair ribbon, the end of which barely brushed against Ling Xianru's nose.

The latter held a golden goblet, the wine rippling gently within it.

Fleeting.

Wei Rong herself didn't even notice.

She was simply focused on thinking that this person seemed to be calm and composed at all times.

Sitting here, completely indifferent.

I wonder what his expression was like when he was talking to Shen Mingxiu outside the palace.

In short, everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts and didn't notice that Shen Mingxiu took advantage of the break to beckon and whisper a few words to Zhu Lu, the eunuch beside her.

Zhu Lü quickly left the main hall.

Xiao Heng, oblivious to the movements of those around her, kept her eyes fixed on Wei Rong: "What is the Empress doing dressed like this?"

"The performance that the Imperial Concubine arranged for Your Majesty was merely prepared according to the rules. Does Your Majesty have any questions?"

By using Shen Mingxiu to shut Xiao Heng up, even if he had objections, he wouldn't slap Shen Mingxiu in public.

Zhu Er eagerly stepped forward: "What would Your Majesty like to perform? This servant will prepare the music for you."

"Thank you, sir. Please play the song 'Shadow'."

"Shadow" was composed by a famous qin player from Dajing in recent years and was once very popular in Yunjing. However, it is generally high-pitched and rarely used for dance accompaniment.

Wei Rong chose "Shadow," but if placed in the context of vocal music, she would seem extremely ignorant of its nuances.

The hall was not quiet, and the whispers were not low either.

"Is Your Majesty trying to embarrass yourself now that your brother has gained power?"

"Who knows? She doesn't know the tune 'Shadow,' which is mostly used by men to liven up their drinks. What's the point of a woman using it?"

"Her Majesty the Empress comes from a military family; she might even look down on us women."

Zhu Er glanced at Wei Rong's expression and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, how about we change the song? This one—"

"It's alright, go ahead and do it."

The music and dance were readily available, and the court musicians' performance made the piece even more melodious and graceful. As soon as the prelude began, one could not help but imagine a scene of soldiers returning victorious from the Gobi Desert.

The red figure slowly walked to the center of the hall.

Xiao Heng's previous posture of propping her head up disappeared, and she sat up straight, staring intently at Wei Rong's movements.

She was still holding that fan. The moment the music went up in pitch, she opened the fan with a snap, covering half of it.

Only one eye, painted with vermilion, was visible; its gaze was sharp, and she moved swiftly to the music—it was a sword dance.

Weapons were not allowed in the palace, so she replaced her sword with a fan.

Yet her movements showed no sign of gentleness; each move was ruthless, as if she were truly a victorious warrior returning from the battlefield.

A lone figure, dressed in red, danced with the force of thunder.

Within the scene of "Shadow," there are several drumbeats. As the drumbeats begin, Wei Rong suddenly closes her fan, which transforms into a sharp blade, which she grasps in her hand. Dressed in red, she rushes straight towards the head of the table—

"Ah!—" Shen Mingxiu exclaimed in surprise!