As they are walking to the Soaring Phoenix Palace, a palanquin carried by 4 men passed them. The curtain opens revealing a woman with a beautiful face. The dark hair flying freely as the wind hits it. The face painted delicately with a lotus drawn between the brows emphasis the exquisite face. Li Xi Rui couldn't help but praising the beauty.

'A heroine sure is different', Li Xi Rui thought. Such a different treatment between them. When Li Xi Rui was the First Talented Lady in the country, the empress didn't even meet her even once. But now... 'truly laughable!', she snickered. How stupid of her to try her might to win the crown prince in her last life? Even the empress has been won over by the so called heroine. How stupid indeed.

Xiao Xi that has been walking behind Li Xi Rui have an unnatural expression on her face. Of course this is because she was guilty. She was guilty of hiding the news regarding her miss's former rival. "Miss, Xiao Xi is sorry. Xiao Xi doesn't want miss to be unhappy", Xiao Xi spoke slowly. Xiao Xi hide the news about Mu Jiu Jiu's returning and how the emperor bestowed the imperial decree directly the next day. What should Xiao Xi tell her miss? It doesn't seem proper to disturb her miss's happiness.

Li Xi Rui of course doesn't blame Xiao Xi. She too has ears to listen to rumors. But the rumors regarding her and the rumors regarding Mu Jiu Jiu always biased. It couldn't be help when a villainess would always be painted as a demon while a heroine would always be painted as an angel. 'Such a white lotus', Li Xi Rui thought. "En, of course this miss didn't blame you", Li Xi Rui smiles at Xiao Xi. Xiao Xi nearly teared. She really has a good luck for working under the Li family. She had heard about other maids in the other household. They either end up being crippled or lose their life when they offended their master.

"Miss truly is benevolent. Xiao Xi truly has such a good fortune for working under miss", Xiao Xi praised her miss endlessly.

"Pffffttt... such a good child. How can this miss have a heart to punish my cute maid?", Li Xi Rui teased.

"Miss is teasing Xiao Xi", Xiao Xi pouted. She could see that the miss has such a happy countenance these few days. It was as if the day she saw the bloodied miss have not even happened. 'It must be because of second prince', Xiao Xi thought. Who in the residence had not seen the miss smiling to herself? Even a blind person could sense the pink aura emitted from the miss.

While Xiao Xi and Li Xi Rui teased each other, a particular eunuch is not satisfied. He had thought that Li Xi Rui would be angry when she saw Mu Jiu Jiu is carried by a palanquin while she herself have to walk. He already prepared an excuse to counter attack. In his mind, he repeatedly chanting, 'Princess Consort recently have not been well, so the empress specially ordered her to be carried'. But never would he ever thought that he wouldn't be able to use that excuse. Of course it was actually the crown prince that didn't allow Li Xi Rui to use the palanquin. Why? - he himself didn't know why.

Arrived at the Soaring Phoenix Palace, Xiao Xi are left behind while only Li Xi Rui and Eunuch Xu to step into the hall. When they kowtowed in front of the Empress; Mu Jiu Jiu, Princess Long and 8th princess was already sit at their own designated place. At that time the empress asked them, "Why are you late? This empress had thought that something might have happened". If one didn't know any better, one might have thought that the empress was truly concerned. But does a person ruling the back palace would be that kind? What schemes, and tricks one had done to put everyone beneath one's feet? Of course it was tremendously many!

Now that Li Xi Rui had seen everything clearly without fog called 'love' blinding her vision, she could think rationally and wisely. So, before the eunuch could answer for her, Li Xi Rui kowtowed again and said, "Forgive this young one for being late your highness Empress. It was due to this princess's delicate legs could not walk fast enough. Begging the Empress forgiveness".

And as if on que, the Empress did what Li Xi Rui had guessed she would do- it was feigning concerned. "Did the princess walk here? Why didn't you use the palanquin?", the Empress asked. While the Empress was truly shocked on why Li Xi Rui hadn't used the prepared palanquin, the concerned tone is fake.

Before Eunuch Xu answered for her, Li Xi Rui quickly said, "It was this princess fault for not knowing. Please punish this princess". While Li Xi Rui said that, her gaze was fixed on the eunuch. She might blame herself in her words, but the gaze held different meaning. It was a gaze that was accusing the eunuch. Li Xi Rui would be stupid to openly accused the imperial servants. The Empress would not tolerate someone who is rude. So, when Li Xi Rui openly glanced at the eunuch while admitting her faults, the Empress already grasp the meaning.

'That son of mine! What scheme he wants to play now?!', the Empress was enraged. She truly didn't like Li Xi Rui at all! A woman like her is not suitable for her son. She didn't have any bearing as an Empress in her bone. But as an Empress, how could she punish a mere girl? She must show her benevolence. "Why didn't you do your duty Eunuch Xu? It couldn't be help if the princess didn't know, but you as a servant in the palace should guide her! Guard! 30 strokes for the eunuch!" the empress's ordered.

As the eunuch was dragged away by the guards, he could only curse in his mind, 'Green tea bitch! Because of you I will be punished! Don't let this laoye see you ever again!'. Eunuch Xu seems to have forgotten that he was the one trying to do the crown prince's bidding. When the empress questioned her, the eunuch had wanted to turn black to white. But before he has the chance to do so, Li Xi Rui had beat him to it. As a result, he is punished. It is truly the case where the villain saw himself as a victim. Unfortunately, the eunuch was not the only one with this kind of attitude in this palace.