The 23rd Emperor of Germany was punished by kneeling down, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along harmoniously.

  The heavy clouds pressed down, and although it was already noon, there were still few people walking on the streets of Yanjing. The sound of wheels turning continued to be heard, deeply imprinting tracks in the newly fallen snow. Gu Yunxi lifted the curtain of the carriage and took a look outside, "It's snowing again, I'm afraid there will be another big snowfall today."

  Yu Niang put down the car curtain lifted by Gu Yun Xue, and then placed a nearby warmer in her hand. "Master, you mustn't catch a chill, or else Madam will scold you when we get back."

  Gu Yunxi's mouth curved up as she hugged the warmer tightly in her arms, but the carriage on this side slowed down and came to a stop.

  "Who is in the carriage?"

  From a distance came the sound of rough and loud men's voices, Gu Yunxi only heard the people on the front carriage say a few words in a low voice, when the horse carriage moved again, Gu Yunxi knew that they had already entered the palace.

  Unlike the time when I entered the palace at dusk yesterday, it is still early now. The long palace road is filled with palace staff sweeping snow, their horse-drawn carriages heading towards Xuanwu Gate, and only stopping after passing Zhengyang Gate.

  Gu Yunxi wore a light-colored qipao, her small face without makeup, making her eyes appear even darker and larger. She had only a snow-white fox fur wrapped around her shoulders, and her black hair was simply styled in a bun, giving off an elegant and refined aura.

  The snowflakes fell ceaselessly, and Yu Niang held an oil-paper umbrella standing behind her waiting for Gu Yingxue to get off the carriage. The front curtain of the horse-drawn carriage was lifted, and a small white hand stretched out first to greet them. The nanny who came to pick them up hurried forward to support her. Gu Yingxue wore a magnificent palace dress embroidered with purple silk, wrapped in a silver fox fur coat, with her black hair styled high on her head, and a peach blossom makeup on her face. She looked elegant and refined amidst the pure white snow.

  Gu Yingxue turned her head and glanced at Gu Yunxi, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Today is the day you enter the palace, can't you be a bit more solemn, Jin Xin?"

  Standing beside Gu Yingxue, Jin Xin hastily took out a hairpin, on which a pale blue rose was quietly standing, matching her long gown perfectly.

  Gu Yunxi took it over, glanced at it without leaving any marks, and confirmed that there was no problem before inserting it into her hair, "Thank you, sister."

  "It's snowing, you two young ladies follow me and let's hurry up."

  Gu Yingxue nodded and said, "Please lead the way, nanny."

  After Zhengyang Gate is the inner palace, Gu Yunxi's first visit, naturally can't compare to Gu Yingxue's familiarity with the place. Her gaze swept through the deep palace, where the dark-colored buildings made of bricks and stones were layered one on top of another, stretching all the way down to the clouds. The long palace road had high walls standing tall on both sides, and from a distance, in the depths of the palace, the majestic golden tiles and flying eaves only revealed a hint under the cover of pure snow.

  Occasionally, fully armed imperial guards would march by in unison, exuding an air of majesty and grandeur that showcased the greatness and nobility of Great Yan. Gu Yunxi's eyes flickered slightly as she thought about how, after centuries of illustrious rulers, Great Yan had become the dominant power on the continent. With members of the imperial family serving as hostages in Yan, there were already two nations - Chu and Nanyue - that were under its control, not to mention other countries that had formed alliances through marriage or paid tribute for years on end, making Yan's position unshakeable in the short term.

  Gu Yunxi raised her head, the deep gray imperial city stood firmly, and no matter how many snowflakes fell, they couldn't cover up its majestic and solemn atmosphere.

  "Ah——"

  Suddenly a cry of surprise, the walking in front of Gu Yingxue suddenly stopped, a pair of eyes staring deeply at the left side, Gu Yunxi raised her head and looked up, and she was also stunned on the spot.

  In the vast expanse of snow, a person was kneeling far away in front of the most luxurious palace in the entire Yan Huang Palace. The blue figure's back was straight and upright, unafraid of the howling cold wind, standing quietly like that, unknown for how long they had been kneeling.

  Gongsun Mo!

  Gu Yunxi's breathing paused, and the faintly visible blue shirt was still what he wore last night. Had something gone wrong with last night's arrangements?

  "Big sister, second sister, hurry up and leave. The Emperor has given an order, even the Empress cannot come to take a look."

  "Let's go, don't keep Niang waiting." Gu Yingxue was stunned for a moment, said this sentence and turned to leave, her face calm as if the previous exclamation was not from her mouth.

  A huge doubt was swirling in Gu Yunxi's mind, the wind and snow were getting bigger and bigger, Gu Yunxi's footsteps were getting heavier and heavier, her mind was wandering with the figure of a person kneeling in the snow.

  "Two misses, arrived."

  Yunlan Palace was not in the best location within the inner palace, and its exterior decorations were also ordinary. Xiang Gui was originally a daughter of the Liang State's imperial family, and after being sent to Da Yan, she became a Gui because she gave birth to a son for the current Emperor, but apart from that, she had no other achievements. Gu Yunxi's eyes dimmed slightly as he followed Gu Yingxue into the palace gates.

  Inside the palace gate, as expected by Gu Yunxi, it was clear and elegant. As soon as you enter the gate, there is a lush green bamboo forest. If one were to say which place in the palace has the most greenery at present, it would undoubtedly be here.

  Passing through the bamboo forest, and then passing through a corridor wrapped in wisteria, I arrived at the main hall of the palace. At this time, the door of the hall was hung with a brocade curtain with a pattern of good fortune, and a very familiar person was standing at the door with a sorrowful face waiting.

  "Old servant greets the two young ladies, I suppose you've arrived---" Yún Dāyí slightly bowed and lifted the curtain, Gu Yìngxuě slightly raised her hand, "Hurry up and go in, Her Majesty is practicing calligraphy, you'll have to wait a bit."

  As soon as they entered, two maids in pink clothes came forward to take off their fox coats. Gu Yingxue glanced at Gu Yunxi and signaled her to follow him. On the left side of the main hall was a small room, where Zhao Xianglan, dressed in plain white clothes, was writing alone by the window when Gu Yunxi walked in.

  Gu Yingxue walked a few steps and stopped, seemingly very familiar with the whole process. Gu Yunxi stopped behind Gu Yingxue and quietly sized up the woman in white standing by the window.

  Her face had already shown signs of decline, but the tips of her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes still revealed the clarity of her youth. At this moment, she was quiet and calm, with a slender hand grasping a dark-colored wolf hair brush, which was unusually thick and only used by men. Her eyes shone brightly as she wrote characters on the rice paper on the desk with bold strokes, finishing one sheet before replacing it with another. After writing four or five sheets, she finally straightened up, turned her head, and looked at the two sisters standing by the door.

  "Ying Xue pays respects to her mother."

  "Gu Yunxi wishes Madam a peaceful day."

  Xiang Jun's mouth slightly curved, "Practiced for decades, not writing for a day is indeed unusual, made you all wait." Taking the handkerchief handed over by the maid to wipe her hands, Xiang Jun walked straight towards Gu Yunxi, "You are the second young lady of the Gu family?"

  Gu Yunxi slightly lowered her head, "It is indeed your servant's daughter."

  Xiang Jun glanced at Gu Yunxi a few times without leaving any traces, her eyes slightly moving. With one hand holding onto Gu Yunxi and the other holding onto Gu Yingxue, she walked towards the main hall, "You must have seen it when you passed by Hanguang Palace just now?"

  Gu Yingxue nodded, "Yes."

  Xiang Jun beckoned the two to sit down, and then signaled for someone to bring tea. She sighed, "Last night, Mo Er was taken away, but the person who committed the crime was not caught. The princess and the prince's palace servants all pointed at Mo Er with one voice. The emperor has never had much trust in Mo Er, and in his great anger, he made Mo Er kneel for a whole night."

  Gu Yingxue's complexion did not change much, but her words revealed a sense of urgency, "Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

  Xiang Jun turned her eyes to Gu Yunxi, "Mo Er sent in two letters last night, the first one was about the princess, and the second one told me that no matter what situation I encounter, I must not act rashly. Now, it seems we can only wait."

  If it's said that Gu Yunxi was still worried before, at this moment her heart had put down, Xiang Jun looked at her with a gaze full of doubts, among the people present only Gu Yunxi had experienced last night's changes, and now only she could dispel their doubts.

  Gu Yunxi hesitated slightly, "Since the prince has spoken such words, he must have anticipated changes in the situation. If Yunxi's guess is correct, then the person who committed the crime should already be caught."

  Gu Yingxue raised an eyebrow, Xiang Jun lowered her head for a moment, and suddenly seemed to understand something. The two exchanged a glance, and the worry on their faces decreased by a fraction. After a moment, Xiang Jun looked at Gu Yunxi and whispered, "Miss Gu, are you referring to someone?"

  Gu Ying's eyes moved slightly, and she glanced at Gu Yunxi, who smiled and said, "Yunxi has been in poor health since childhood. Mother means to keep Yunxi for another two years."

  Xiang Jun nodded, and on this side, Gu Yunxue picked up another topic, "Your Majesty, since the king himself has suffered from this sin, why don't we add more fuel to the fire..."

  Xiang Jun's eyebrows slightly moved, and Gu Yunxi faintly said, "Last night, the Crown Prince received Yunyun Miss and took her into the Eastern Palace."

  "This——"

  "The Crown Prince's grand wedding with Princess Langhua was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but before the banquet had even ended, he brought in a woman of questionable virtue into the palace. This is unacceptable both in terms of etiquette and imperial dignity. The people of the Eastern Palace naturally didn't dare speak out of turn, but those around Princess Langhua might not be so restrained."

  Gu Yunxi said lightly, but Xiang Gui's eyebrows moved slightly. "However, I have not spoken much in the palace for many years. Now, shouldn't I avoid drawing attention to myself?"

  Gu Yunxi shook her head, "Lang Hua Gongzhu comes from Liang Guo, and you are also a person from Liang Guo. Just for this reason, you have enough reason to personally go visit Lang Hua Gongzhu."

  "Right now, the Crown Prince and Lang Hua should both be with the Empress Dowager. In that case, this palace will send some gifts over later."

  Gu Yingxue quietly watched Xiang Jun and Gu Yunxi discuss their strategy, the chill in her palm growing heavier by the second. Just then, Xiang Jun paused slightly, "Someone's coming..."

  As soon as the words fell, Yun's nurse had already brought two sandalwood incense boxes closer, and Xiang Jun said faintly, "This is Yun Xi's first time here, there's nothing good in this palace, this wolf hair brush is a treasure I brought from Liang Guo, today it will be given to you."

  Gu Yunxi got up to thank her and took the pen box, feeling that it was quite heavy. Xiang Jun turned around and beckoned to Gu Yingxue, "Yingxue."

  Gu Yingxue stood up, and Xiang Jun took another box, opened it to reveal a brown gel-like substance inside. She smiled slightly, "This Qionghua cream has never been used by me before, today I'll give you a box." Xiang Jun patted Gu Yingxue's hand and whispered, "Mo likes Qiong flower the most."

  Gu Yingxue's face suddenly turned red, and her hands and feet seemed to have regained their temperature. She looked at Xiang Jun with a faintly moving gaze, unsure of what to say for a moment. Xiang Jun just smiled lightly and nodded slightly. Gu Yunque stood beside them, watching this scene with a slight curve of his mouth. One was "giving", the other was "bestowing", the difference between intimacy and distance was clear, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes, but his expression remained extremely gentle.

  Xiang Jun was indeed not one to speak much, and after a few words, the group fell silent again. After sitting for a while, Gu Yingxue got up first to take her leave. Xiang Jun comforted her and the other two women a few more times before letting them out of the palace. Gu Yunxi watched as these two future in-laws were so harmonious with each other, and the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened.

  Looking at the two sisters walking out together, Xiang Jun's eyes slightly condensed, and Yun Niang smiled beside her, "Your Highness, this Second Miss Gu is indeed a clever one. With her by the prince's side in the future, the prince will have an additional help. The two daughters of the Gu family will have boundless prospects."

  Xiang Jun's delicate eyebrows furrowed, "Both of them?"

  Jin Xin held an umbrella for Gu Yingxue and walked in front, while Yue Niang held an umbrella for Gu Yunxi and walked behind. With a guide from the Yunlan Palace, the five of them walked silently, the snowflakes falling continuously without any sign of stopping.

  The road out of the palace is different from the one in, and it seems that we have arrived at the Imperial Garden. Gu Yingxue turned around, "No need to send us off, Snow, let's go our separate ways, please return."

  She slightly paused, bowed her head in gratitude and then turned around to leave. Gu Yun Xie looked at Gu Ying Xue, "What's wrong, sister? Do you have something on your mind?"

  Gu Ying's eyebrows and eyes slightly lowered, "I want to go take a look at De Wang."

  Gu Yunxi's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, but after a moment, she relaxed and said, "In that case, little sister will wait for big sister here."

  Gu Yingxue nodded, "I'll be back soon."

  As she watched Gu Yingxue's gradually disappearing figure, Gu Yunxi felt a chill creeping in from all sides. She tightened her fox fur coat and a wave of unease surged up in her heart. As time ticked by, Gu Yunxi clenched the hand hidden in her sleeve, staring in the direction Gu Yingxue had gone.

  "Let's go, girl."

  Gu Yunxi knew that Gu Yingxue would not put them here for no reason, but just as they turned around, a sedan chair was approaching, the high sedan chair was carried by eight people, and a woman in magnificent attire was sitting on it. Gu Yunxi didn't need to enter the palace to know that the woman's status was not low, so she quickly retreated to the side and pulled Yuenniang down to kneel.

  There was a blue-clothed figure bowing down in front of her, and just as she saw that this person was about to walk past, Gu Yunxi's heart relaxed, and she was about to get up when a soft shout came down.

  "Wait—"

  Digression

  Today's word count is a bit more, just to make up for the shortage last time. Our heroine is about to get into trouble again, let's have a handsome guy save her!

  Today is Double Twelve! 12, love, love our heroine! By the way, has everyone gone shopping?