Tang Yin's face had paled considerably. Looking at her former friend's aggressive stance, she was once again overwhelmed with guilt.

"Yue Tong... I'm sorry, I let you down."

A woman's face turned cold, "The princess has taken this too far. You haven't wronged me. I fell in love with someone who didn't love me; that was my own doing. But you betrayed him."

Tang Yin felt a sharp pain that made it hard to breathe. Her eyes welled up with tears.

For a moment, he was transported back to over ten years ago, during the Shangyuan Festival. That was the happiest day for the three of them, but everything changed after that. Nothing could ever go back to the way it was.

"Yue Tong, I don't want to defend myself." Tang Yin's words were laced with powerlessness. She truly felt guilty.

A woman wiped away a tear, she looked at her former best friend, unsure if it was joy or resentment that filled her more.

"Take care, princess!"

"Wait, Yue Tong..."

However, the woman had already run away quickly, leaving Tang Yin standing there, lost in endless memories.

Until Atoin called her several times, Tang Yin discovered that her face was covered with tears. She quickly wiped them away.

"Mother, why are you crying?"

Tang Yin squeezed out a smile and shook her head. "It's nothing, I just remembered some things from when I was little. It's just nostalgia."

"Mother Empress, was your childhood unhappy?"

"No, Mother Empress. When I was young, I had a very happy life. They were all very kind to me. My father and my grandmother both doted on me, and my brothers respected me. I was the happiest person in this palace."

Tang Yin watched as her dearest friend disappeared with a relieved heart, but a trace of melancholy was suppressed within her.

How did you get here?

"I just came from my father, they finished their contest."

How's it going? Who won?

What do you think?

"Well...seeing you so happy, your father must have won?" Tang Yin said.

"It doesn't count, the Emperor's grandfather only sent a few random people out. It's normal that they couldn't defeat Nai Tao, after all, Nai Tao is our North Desert's first warrior."

Tang Yin was a little surprised, "Yinsai, you've learned to be humble now?"

"No, it's just stating facts, Mother. Li Chao is indeed stronger than our Bei Mo, but we Bei Mo people are united, and we are not afraid."

Tang Yin rubbed his head, "You little rascal, what are you afraid of? I brought you here this time so you can learn and see more. In the future..."

"From now on, my opponent is Uncle Seven."

Tang Yin's expression dimmed considerably. "Yinsai, I don't want you to become enemies. You are all people I love."

"Atuyin nodded, "Mother, I understand."

Tang Yin sighed, "Go have fun. Your great-grandmother is waking up, and I need to go back."

Then I'll accompany you.

Tang Yin didn't refuse, and her son was also very caring.

Fu Jiujiu also saw a woman returning with an abnormal expression. She had a good memory, but she felt like she had never seen this woman before.

Of course, maybe I've seen it a couple of times and just didn't remember.

"What are you looking at?" Tang Xian saw that she was lost in thought.

"Look at the beautiful woman."

"You're the beauty I'm talking about, isn't that right? Where else could there be another?" Tang Xian said with a smile.

Fu Jiujiu glared at him. Now that he was spewing sweet nothings, it was so easy for him to say them. No wonder some people were blinded by scumbags and lost their way. Everyone loves to hear sweet words after all.

"That, how have I never seen that woman before?" Fu Jiujiao asked. She wasn't young anymore, over thirty years old. In ancient times, girls were married in their teens, she shouldn't be a newlywed from some family.

“She, the late Empress's niece, Shen YueTong, has been gone for many years. She was raised in the palace, you could say that the Empress raised her. After the Empress passed away, she went to practice Buddhism and hasn't been back in Beijing for many years. You haven't met her, so how could you recognize her?”

Fu Jiujiu nodded slightly. The Shen family was considered loyal and valiant. In order to defend the mountains and rivers of the Li Dynasty, only two women remained in the entire clan—the deceased Empress Dowager and this woman. She had heard about her before.

Thinking of what the Shen family had done for Li Chao, Fu Jiu Jiu felt a newfound respect for this woman. As if by chance, their eyes met, and Fu Jiu Jiu gave her a slight nod.

Tears still welled in her eyes, but she managed to force a smile.

Tang Xian didn't know what had just happened, and was still talking to Fu Chi Chi.

"Shen Yue Tong, the eldest imperial sister, and the late General Jin were once very good friends."

"No wonder Miss Shen hasn't been seen in the capital for so many years. Perhaps she knew that the elder sister would be coming back, so she came to see her."

Tang Xian nodded, "That's possible."

Fu Jiu Jiu looked back again, but Shen Yue Tong was nowhere to be seen.

I don't know where she went.

Palace banquets, Fu Jiujiao had attended many times already. With glasses clinking and beautiful women dancing and singing, she was already accustomed to it. She wanted to take a small sip of wine but kept being watched closely by men.

The happiest person was undoubtedly the Empress Dowager. Fu Jiujiu saw the fulfillment of her wish in her face, and she couldn't help but think of her own parents.

Because she had seen Shen Yue Tong during the day, but at the palace banquet, she didn't see this person, which made her somewhat puzzled.

It's truly surprising that they would come to see a friend but not show up at this event.

But these are all other people's business, Fu Jiu Jiu didn't say much more.

Maybe it's because you're not feeling well?

Upon coming up with this reason, she laughed to herself.

She was deep in thought here, a venomous gaze fixed on her. When she looked over, she met the face of Princess Consort Tian Jiamin.

Fu Jiujiu frowned slightly, she didn't like this person, but he hadn't done anything to her. How could she hate him so much now?

At this time, Bai Ruozhuang came to Fu Jiujiao's side. Fu Jiujiao thought that the Empress Dowager was here to toast her, but she didn't expect that she was here to tell her something.

" Deng Wan Ying that woman is back. "

Fu Jiujiu raised an eyebrow, it seemed she wasn't being paranoid. "How did the Empress know?"

Bai Ruozhuang sighed, "I saw someone who looked very much like her at the Deng family. After that, the expressions of the Deng family members were off. When I mentioned her, they all avoided my gaze. So I think it's her. You have to be careful."

Fu Jiaojiao nodded, and Tang Xian on the side had already heard it. Deng Wan'er not returning to the capital still had a glimmer of hope, but now that she has returned, that means she came to die.

"Thank you, elder sister-in-law, for reminding me. I know what to do now."

Bai Ruozhuang smiled wryly, "Why thank me? I benefited too. It's just that I'm afraid of this woman. What if she schemes something else and drags our fool into it as well."

With the Empress Dowager around, Big Brother won't be in any danger.

Bai Ruozhuang wouldn't know, this was a reassurance. "There's no other way, a family always needs someone smart, otherwise they'd be sold and still help count the money."

Bai Ruozhuang said and then left, as if nothing had happened.

Fu Jiujiu whispered to Tang Xian, "I can't investigate Deng Wan'er's whereabouts now."

She lost the ability to communicate with her animal friends.

Tang Xian secretly squeezed her hand, "Give it to me, Deng Wan'ying will never live to see the sun rise tomorrow."

First published on [Novel Website]