Parents are busy farming

Ye Zifen knelt motionless in front of the solemn and dignified hall for a full hour.

Of course, it's not just her, all the royal family members and the ladies with royal titles are like this.

She had been working very hard these days, and now her legs were numb from kneeling for so long. It took her a while to stand up and get used to it before she felt a little better.

The deep fatigue on the little face was like a mark ruthlessly painted by the years, which could not be completely concealed. There seemed to be a hint of helplessness mixed in with the fatigue.

At noon, the emperor's decree came that Princess Fuxia should enter Chengqian Palace.

As the imperial edict sounded, Ye Zifen's already tense heartstrings tightened even more. She didn't think there could be any good thing that the emperor wanted to see her at this time.

So Ye Zifen, who had just adapted, slowly followed the eunuch who came to deliver the oral order to Chengqian Palace.

As soon as she stepped into the hall, her eyes fell on Zhang Gaoyi who was standing in the corner. He was waiting there quietly.

His usually calm demeanor now seemed particularly solemn, as if he had something important hidden in his heart.

The emperor sat high up on the throne that symbolized authority, his eyes revealing an unquestionable majesty.

However, beneath this majesty, there was not the slightest trace of sadness, as if everything was under his control.

"Fifth girl, I already know about your quarrel with the Crown Princess." There was a hint of apology in the emperor's deep and powerful voice.

If word gets out that the royal family's daughter-in-law bullies a meritorious princess, the common people's spit will drown the royal family's face.

The emperor's voice continued to echo in this huge hall, as if it had some kind of magical power, making the atmosphere in the entire hall become more and more solemn.

Ye Zifen quickly knelt down and pleaded guilty: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I..."

The emperor waved his hand, a trace of pity flashed in his eyes: "Forget it, I know I have wronged you, I will leave the Queen's funeral to you. The Queen's funeral lasts for forty-nine days, so don't go back during these days, just live in the palace you lived in before your wedding! All the items in it are still there, just consider it as some consolation for you."

Zhang Gaoyi suddenly looked up at the emperor.

Princess Fuxia was also slightly startled, with a hint of doubt in her eyes, and she quickly said, "Your Majesty, this is probably not a good idea! According to the rules, this is what the Crown Princess should do. If I do this, people will misunderstand me."

The Emperor said, "This is the Prince's request. The Emperor will explain it to the ministers in the court and the royal family."

Ye Zifen said: "But there are so many concubines in the harem. There are also several princes and princesses in the royal family. I..."

The emperor said: "It is precisely because of your status as the general that you are most suitable."

Ye Zifen quickly realized what was happening, and she immediately responded solemnly, "I will do my best to live up to the emperor's grace."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, and then cast his eyes on Zhang Gaoyijun standing aside: "I leave the safety of the imperial city to you. You must ensure that everything goes smoothly and there must be no mistakes."

Zhang Gaoyi quickly clasped his fists and saluted: "I will definitely fulfill my mission, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

After saying that, he turned and walked away. His tall and straight figure looked particularly resolute in the sunlight.

Ye Zifen slowly raised her lively eyes, and her gaze inadvertently met Zhang Gaoyi's deep and sharp gaze.

However, after that brief eye contact, the two hurriedly looked away.

At this moment, when the two looked at each other, they both realized very clearly the deep meaning behind the emperor's actions at this moment.

The Emperor was worried that during such a tragic time as the Empress's death, with so many people coming and going in the palace, there would inevitably be some people with ulterior motives who would harbor evil thoughts and bad intentions in this sad atmosphere.

Therefore, he specially arranged for Ye Zifen and Zhang Gaoyi to handle these matters, and there seemed to be a tacit understanding between the two of them. Without too much discussion, they already knew how to deal with this complicated situation in the next forty days.

In addition, Zhang Gaoyi now deeply understood a fact, that is, in the next forty days or so, the wife he had just brought home would probably not be able to leave the palace.

This sudden restriction inevitably made him feel helpless and worried, but as a subject, he knew that he had to obey the emperor's orders and do his best to complete the task at hand.

Afterwards, the emperor asked Ye Zifen to stay and have lunch with him.

Ye Zifen remained quiet during lunch. Since the emperor showed no sadness, she didn't need to comfort him.

Besides, considering the emperor’s health, I don’t know what he is thinking now!

After finishing the meal, he got up and left.

Ye Zifen watched the emperor's departing back, feeling mixed emotions. She didn't know what role she would play in this palace turmoil, nor what kind of tests she would face.

In comparison, Zhang Gaoyi was not so lucky.

Ye Zifen walked out slowly from Chengqian Hall. Her plain clothing was particularly eye-catching in the dim palace corridor. Her face was full of solemnity, as if she was carrying a heavy burden.

She knew very well that going to the mourning hall to observe mourning and discuss matters with officials from the Ministry of Rites was an extremely offensive task. However, in this deep palace, she was the only one most suitable for this task.

From the day she knelt on the ground at the mourning hall until the sunset, she maintained a respectful posture throughout that long afternoon, but her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

After night fell, she continued to discuss with officials from the Ministry of Rites until midnight, and only then dragged her tired body back to the palace where she lived before her wedding.

At this moment, Madam Qi led the maids who came with the dowry from the palace and walked back to the palace with steady steps, ready to serve Ye Zifen carefully.

The moment they stepped into the palace, Ye Zifen looked up and saw that the originally gorgeous objects had already been put away one by one by the palace maids under the command of Madam Qi in an orderly manner. The whole palace suddenly became simple and deserted.

As soon as Ye Zifen came back to her senses, Aunt Qi came to greet her with a concerned look on her face, her eyes full of heartache and worry, "Princess, you are back. It's really too late, but don't worry, the food has been heated up on the small stove, and the hot water has been prepared early. Princess, go wash up and have a good meal. The funeral in the palace started early, and you really can't rest for too long. It's a good thing that you can live in the palace, otherwise you will have to work harder."

Ye Zifen looked at the familiar figure of Aunt Qi, and a warm feeling suddenly surged in her heart. Her eyes reddened slightly. She said softly, "Fortunately, you are here, otherwise I really don't know what to do, and I can't be as comfortable as I am now."

After saying that, she sighed softly and walked towards the inner room, ready to have a good rest according to Nanny Qi's arrangements.