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Little Seven raised his head and gave the worker a stare so deadly that the latter retreated. However, Little Seven still slowly knelt with his head kept down. When the palanquin passed by, a pair of eyes in the palanquin seemed to have glanced at him. Nonchalantly, Little Seven looked up and carried on with his work.

After a while, the palanquin stopped in front of the screen wall, and everyone waited for Meng Fuyao to board the phoenix carriage. When Meng Fuyao alighted from the palanquin, she realized that the eunuchs and attendants stood in silence, and not one person even coughed. Though the drums rang loud and clear, the atmosphere was much more solemn than joyous, and she could not help but grin. She suddenly felt playful and placed her hands behind her back, towards the direction of ”Chun Mei”, who was sitting in the palanquin. After making a scissor-like shape with her index and middle fingers, she shook her hand.

It was the victory gesture unique to her.

Immediately, Little Seven straightened his back.

He recognized this gesture!

That day, during the battle at the gates of Pandu, he was right beside His Majesty. The teenager who looked down from the city gates had plotted to kill Xie Yu. After his success, he similarly made such a strange gesture to His Majesty!

It was her!

Little Steven stood in stunned silence and grabbed tightly onto the pots of flowers in his hands. 'She… how could she become Xuanyuan's Empress?'

'She became Xuanyuan's Empress, but what about His Majesty?'

He watched as she received the Ruyi and apple unwillingly from the Imperial Matron of Honor, and stepped onto the phoenix carriage. When the curtains were drawn, her eyes darted around as playfully as a koi in clear water. At that moment, Little Seven no longer had any doubt. It was indeed her!

Then, there was the sound of drums, and the phoenix carriage left grandly as everyone knelt on the sides of the street to send the Empress off.

Little Seven resolutely placed his pots to one side and walked forward in large strides.

Behind him, his companions seemed to be shouting at him in shock, but all of these did not register in his mind. He could only think about his next goal.

He needed to find Eunuch Zhao. He had to enter the palace!

Meanwhile, as the phoenix carriage departed from the Regent King's residence, the Emperor of Dahan and his entourage was simultaneously being welcomed by the Ministry of Rites.

Even though the officials of Xuanyuan were secretly curious about why the new Emperor of Dahan would spare time to observe the wedding ceremony, they kept these thoughts to themselves and warmly welcomed the entourage.

Zhan Beiye halted his horse outside the city gates, and his ebony-colored eyes reflected the brilliant palace situated at the city center. A wave of emotions flashed by in his eyes, as though they were signaling an impending storm.

”Meng! Fu! Yao!”

…

On the 12th winter of Xuanyuan's Zhaoning era, the residents of Xuanyuan finally witnessed the crowning of their new Empress.

”… The noble Empress stands with me. To inherit the will of ancestors and mother, the land under Heaven is no easy feat! Only the maiden of the Yunwen clan, whose virtues are second to none, is deserving of this title. Today, I hereby present the Gold Decree and Phoenix Seal, and crown her as Empress, the head of the Imperial Harem.”

To the residents of Xuanyuan, the new Empress was the ”solemn and virtuous, warm and respectful, gentle and bright, and calm and beautiful” nation's mother as stated in the decree. To the royals of Xuanyuan, however, the new Empress was their unknown and eternal calamity.

Of course, currently, the court of Xuanyuan was still in an ignorant state and carried on with the wedding processions in an atmosphere of joy.

Ceremonial arrangements for the Empress had already been set up in the main palace way before the procession. Outside the main palace, the instruments were neatly arranged at the sides, and once the phoenix carriage arrived, the instruments would be played. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Grand Herald had also set up a table in the center of the main palace facing south, a decree table facing west, a jade table facing east, a dragon-decorated pavilion in the inner room, and the worshipping spot for the Empress in front of the incense table. The Gold Decree, Gold Seal, and other documents were placed inside the pavilions, and they would be presented to the Empress by the Grand Scholar and the Minister.

Meanwhile, Meng Fuyao's carriage had yet to reach the door of the main palace. She held the Ruyi, and after the long parade amongst the streets of Xuanyuan, she was already very dizzy and sleepy. The apple in her hand smelled very enticing, and Meng Fuyao could not stop swallowing her saliva after being woken up so early and having had a very light breakfast. Then, she heard a swallowing sound that was even louder than hers.

Meng Fuyao sighed. ”Rat, you're hungry? Come, let's share this.”

Beneath the wide sleeves of her phoenix robe climbed out Lord Yuan Bao, who rubbed his miserable stomach. As he surveyed his half of the apple that was split open by Meng Fuyao, he felt that Meng Fuyao's slice was larger and he immediately raised his paws to request for an exchange.

Enraged, Meng Fuyao scolded, ”You still want to exchange after touching and scratching your half? I don't want to be plagued by a rat disease!”

Dejected, the guinea pig sat on Meng Fuyao's lap and munched on his apple. Both of them chomped happily on their food, totally oblivious to the fact that this apple was the royal and noble apple, which was meant to bring harmony and wealth.

In a moment, the guinea pig had already eaten the apple down to its core, and he climbed up the window reluctantly, ready to throw the core away. He was leaning on the window frame and looking around, but suddenly, he started squeaking loudly.

Meng Fuayo jumped in shock and grabbed his tail, and she hissed in a low voice. ”You're asking for trouble! Rat! What are you shouting for! What if you get noticed! You better come down this instant!”

The guinea pig swatted her hand away, and instead, he tugged on the ruby-studded tassel of her long earring. Meng Fuyao cried in pain as she was pulled to the side of the window.

Without even having the time to clutch on her ear lobe, the guinea pig had already drawn the golden curtains apart in an instant.

In a state of confusion, Meng Fuyao leaned towards the window. ”What? What?”