Yang Qinglan glanced at her once, "So Changzhou fell in love with me at first sight."

"Quite annoying too," Turquoise Pool chuckled.

Bi flew in the sky, her hands propped behind her head, idly sucking on candy.

She, like Li Qianxia, harbored no worldly thoughts about Li Changzhou.

Turquoise Pool looked at the water fairy, "Water Immortal, lead us into the Imperial Palace."

The water fairy nodded slightly, her body sinking, and the area of the water splash on the ground expanded.

"After we enter, Qi Die, you will be responsible for concealing our presence," Turquoise Pool instructed as she walked toward the water splash.

The voluptuous female player responded affirmatively.

Turquoise Pool submerged into the water, and Li Qianxia, holding Yang Qinglan's arm, curiously pulled her along.

Bi followed, her five female subordinates (clearly, the Emperor was very uneasy about having men around his daughter) closely behind.

After Turquoise Pool's other four subordinates entered, the pond quickly shrank and vanished without a trace, leaving not a single drop of water on the ground.

The snow scene in the Capital collapsed swiftly, flattening out in the courtyard, returning it to a deserted appearance.

◇

Forbidden City, Imperial Garden.

The entire garden was covered with snow-clad barren branches, a faint fragrance wafting through the air, the scent of winter sweetflowers.

It was still early, dawn barely breaking, and forty-some Palace Maids were walking through the snow in the garden, moving among the flowers and shrubs, using jade hairpins to knock morning dew from the leaves and catching it in cups.

"Where is this dew coming from in a snowfall!" one Palace Maid complained, her hands cracked, her face red from the cold, clearly, such a menial task had been ongoing for some time.

"What are we to do without dew water? The Emperor needs it every day for his Immortal Cultivation."

"Immortal Cultivation schmortal cultivation, he looks more like turning into a ghost than anything else. Forget it, I'll scoop some from the pool!"

Two green-clad Palace Maids, lifting their wet skirts, looked around carefully and cautiously approached the edge of the garden pool.

They lightly touched the pool water with their skirts, collecting water drop by drop into the bottles.

There was very little dew water each day, sometimes only a teaspoonful, so both were cautious not to take too much.

"Sister, look at my hands, I've been pricked again," one said.

"Hmph, aren't my hands also frozen like this!"

When they saw they had enough water, they stood up and quickly left, continuing to pretend to collect dew water.

A group of fairy-like women, resplendent in colors, stood on the water, watching the two maids leave.

"This Jiajing is not a good Emperor," Li Qianxia said.

"Even those considered good Emperors are quite bad in their private affairs, it's a matter of the times and their status," Turquoise Pool said, stepping out of the pool, "Let's go to Kunning Palace first."

"How dare she flirt with my brother, I'm going to spank her little bottom!" Li Qianxia was eager.

Yang Qinglan had no objections.

With a light lift of her hand, Bi led everyone, leaving no footprints in the snow as they headed towards the residence of the Empress.

Although it was winter, with many flowers withered, this was still the Imperial Garden. They used winter-blooming plants like winter sweets, daffodils, tulips, and wintersweet to create a scene reminiscent of spring.

Walking along the corridors with their carved beams and painted rafters, the chilly breeze carried snow, a tender fragrance filled the garden, the red walls and yellow tiles, pagodas and pavilions nestled in the snow-covered scenery.

In the middle of their walk, two people came towards them.

"That Master Li truly has remarkable abilities; he can really take us to the Moon Palace!"

"Of course, he's Li Changzhou."

A petite, cute girl, and a young woman with a sinister beauty walked together, both dressed in Consort's palace attire, followed by some eunuchs and Palace Maids.

"Does the Consort know of Master Li?"

"He is—"

"What is it, my lady?"

"...Shang Beauty, don't you feel that your health has improved since returning from the Moon Palace?"

"Yes! After all, that's heaven!"

Yang Qinglan, Li Qianxia, Turquoise Pool, and the others stood to each side, allowing these people to pass.

Then followed them.

"Consort Duan, I'm heading back," yawned Shang Beauty.

"Wait, sister," Consort Duan grabbed Shang Beauty's wrist, "You're a newly favored Beauty, unaware of the palace rules. Today's the first day of the New Year; all the sisters from each palace go together to see the Empress, who accompanies us to greet the Empress Dowager."

"I want to go back to bathe and change my clothing, just now in the Moon Palace—" Shang Beauty couldn't articulate the shameful events.

"There's no time, let's go directly!"

Without waiting for another refusal, Consort Duan pulled Shang Beauty towards Ciqing Palace.

Yang Qinglan, Li Qianxia, Turquoise Pool, and the rest quietly followed behind the two.

There was something off about Consort Duan; she definitely noticed them earlier.

To sense them within the Imperial Palace, she must not be a Dao Cultivator of this era, unless, like Shao Yuanjie, she had the power to use the Dragon Vein.

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