By concealing her identity, maybe she could keep away from the life in Chang’an that was full of intrigues and live a peaceful life.

  But she didn’t want that. Qiao Jinniang was Qiao Jinniang, and she never wanted to conceal her identity.

  Xie Yun said, “If you have any difficulties after entering the East Palace or if you regret it, you can come to me.”


  Qiao Lu looked at Xie Yun with a frown and said, “His Royal Highness loves my sister very much. Don’t you think you can sow discord between them!”


  Qiao Jinniang scolded Qiao Lu softly, “Brother, don’t be rude.”


  Qiao Lu hurriedly said, “Sister, don’t believe her words. The Qiao family can protect you. Now in Chang’an, there are a lot of rumors about the three of you. Maybe she is behind this.”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “It’s not her. I have known her since childhood, and I can trust her.”


  Lu Chen knew Xie Yun was a man, so why would Xie Yun bother to make this ridiculous rumor?

  Xie Yun walked to the stall on the side, looked at the silver hairpin on the stall, and said, “This silver hairpin looks familiar.”


  When Qiao Jinniang saw the silver hairpin, she recognized at a glance that it was the hairpin that had accompanied her for three

  She heard Nuomi say that she had exchanged it for food, so she didn’t expect to see it again.

  “This was a gift from Lu Chen to me for my coming-of-age ceremony.”


  Of course Xie Yun remembered this silver hairpin. For his beloved woman’s coming-of-age ceremony, he carved a jade hairpin himself, but Qiao Jinniang always wore a silver hairpin of poor quality and workmanship.

  He didn’t know if Qiao Jinniang still remembers that jade hairpin. Perhaps she had forgotten about it long ago.

  Xie Yun paid for the silver hairpin and said, “This is a New Year’s gift from me. This time you were implicated by me.”


  After Xie Yun paid the money, he put the silver hairpin on Qiao Jinniang’s head. When the others saw this scene, they just thought the two were good girlfriends.

  With that, the rumors about Xie Yun were busted.

  Xie Yun was a good friend of Qiao Jinniang! And she wasn’t sad and gaunt at all.

  In the East Palace, when Lu Chen heard Xie Yun put a silver hairpin on Qiao Jinniang on the street, his face became all dark, and he wished the imperial decree could be issued today.

  Before the sixteenth of the first lunar month, Xi’er didn’t have to go to school, so Lu Chen ordered someone to send Xi’er to Qiao Jinniang.

  This was so that Qiao Jinniang wouldn’t have the time to go shopping with Xie Yun alone.

  Qiao Jinniang took Xi’er to banquets and to play all over Chang’an. She hoped that she could stay on this day forever and ever.

  Instead of being locked in that palace for the rest of her life.

  On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Qiao Jinniang held a banquet in Tasty Pavilion, and personally cooked three tables of dishes for the employees of Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste and their families.

  This was a tradition in Myriad Taste. Many employees in Myriad Taste were single and would spend the New Year’s Eve together in Myriad Taste.

  But this year she was delayed for a while.

  Qiao Jinniang knew that this might be the last time in her life that she would have a banquet with them on an equal footing.

  After she married into the East Palace, she had to abide by the rules. Otherwise, it would only implicate them.

  “Last year, you came to Chang’an from Lin’an with me and left your hometown. Thank you for your hard work.”


  “Boss, don’t say that! We were all taken in by Myriad Taste. We will be where you are.”


  “Yes, Boss, you have treated us very well.”


  Qiao Jinniang raised the cup and said, “Once the imperial decree is issued the day after tomorrow, I’m afraid we won’t be able to drink together like this anymore. Today let’s get hammered! Myriad Taste still needs your support.”


  Huixiang said with tears, “Master, please bring me into the imperial palace. I don’t mind being an eunuch. If His Royal Highness bullies you in the imperial palace, I can be your thug!”


  Bajiao also cried and said, “Yes, Master, I don’t even know who my parents are, and I don’t need to have children. As long as you can accept it, I’m willing to follow you into the East Palace.”


  Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, “Xiao Fang and Xiao Lian came to Chang’an because of you. If you all become eunuchs, what would they do? Don’t worry. His Royal Highness won’t dare to bully me.”


  Bajiao sneakily took out a few grasses and whispered to Qiao Jinniang, “Master, this is Mang Grass that looks very similar to anise but is poisonous. When you marry into the East Palace, take a few with you. If His Royal Highness doesn’t treat you well, use this to poison him!”


  Huixiang also took out a bag of mushrooms. “Master, these are all poisonous mushrooms, delicious but highly poisonous. People may be paralyzed or even killed if they eat them.”


  Chef Liu took out a scrawled recipe and said, “Jinniang, this is a recipe of the foods that can’t be eaten together. If His Royal Highness bullies you, send him to hell with this recipe.”


  Miss Yang, whose job was to sing in Tasty Pavilion, also gave Qiao Jinniang some ginkgo fruits, “I heard from the old man that if one eats raw ginkgo, even gods won’t be able to save him.

  “You can bring these ginkgo fruits into the imperial palace and plant them. If the Crown Prince fails you, feed him raw ginkgo fruits.”


  Qiao Jinniang chuckled. “It takes a hundred years for a ginkgo tree to bear fruit. How can it be so quick? But I appreciate your kindness. Come on, let’s drink.”


  In the East Palace, Lu Chen, who was busy with official business, sneezed twice, and he wondered if he got a cold or not.

  The Lantern Festival was coming, and he couldn’t catch a cold. Plus, there were so many charcoal braziers in the room, but why did he feel a chill down his spine?

  In the imperial palace, the Queen and Emperor Huilin listened to the report from the secret guards, and Emperor Huilin’s face became uglier and uglier.

  “I had thought that Qiao Jinniang was daring. Now I know that her men were even more daring. How dare they instigate Qiao Jinniang to murder the Crown Prince? I’m gonna cut off their heads!”


  Queen Zhou laughed. “I’m afraid you won’t cut off their heads. Don’t think I can’t taste it. The dishes you had Eunuch Quan buy from outside the imperial palace are all from Tasty Pavilion.”


  Emperor Huilin: “How could I ignore Chen’er for a few dishes?”


  Queen Zhou snorted. “If Chen’er doesn’t bully Qiao Jinniang, those things will not be used on him.

  “He promised that he wouldn’t take any concubines. If he breaks his word, he would have to accept his punishment.”


  Qiao Jinniang got drunk and didn’t wake up until noon the next day.

  Then she heard someone crying outside. She asked a maid and she told her that it was Second Madam crying.

  Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng went to visit Second Madam’s natal family two days ago, only to be ridiculed by her sister-in-law.

  So she came to the Duke Mansion to complain.

  Hongling handed Qiao Jinniang a bowl of sobering soup and said, “Nuomi should have stopped you. How could she just watch you get drunk?”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “I told her not to stop

  me.”


  Hongling knew the position of Nuomi in Qiao Jinniang’s heart, so she didn’t say anymore.

  Qiao Jinniang got out of bed and walked outside, only to hear Second Madam crying more and more loudly. Old Madam Qiao said, “Now you know you were wrong? It’s you who got Ruofeng in this trouble. Ruofeng is my granddaughter, and I will certainly help her, but she has just annulled her engagement with her former fiance. You don’t have to be in such a hurry to find her a new one.”


  “Although people haven’t forgotten about the matter of her and Prince Mediocre, the family of the other girls Prince Mediocre seduced aren’t as desperate and loud as you. After two or three years, who would still remember this matter?”


  Qiao Ruofeng said, “Mother, our Qiao family is so rich. Even if I stay single for life, so what?

  “I’ve already made a mistake once. Why should you push me into a fire pit again?!”