Chapter 78: The Imperial Palace

The next morning, Xiao Mama suggested that Tian Mi only eat two eggs for breakfast, as it was better to avoid too much activity in the palace. Afterward, she helped her with her hair and makeup.

Xia Mei was the best at doing hair. She styled Tian Mi’s hair into a lofty cloud bun, adorned with pearls and jade, and added a gold hairpin. The result was truly stunning. Xia Lan, skilled in makeup, jokingly said, “The princess is already so beautiful, I’m not sure how to add to it. Too much would ruin her look, and too little would take away from her beauty.”

Tian Mi’s skin was indeed flawless, nurtured by the spiritual spring water, giving her a natural radiance, like she was already wearing makeup.

Since she had decided to play the part of a delicate little bunny, she gently added a tear mole under her eye.

Xia Lan was a little anxious, wondering why the princess would ruin her flawless beauty with something unnecessary. But when Tian Mi finished, she looked more delicate and pitiful, transforming into a harmless, gentle woman.

Xiao Mama, seeing this, was speechless. Was she trying to look pitiful after offending the Chen family yesterday? The capital wasn’t a place where softness would lead to leniency.

Tian Mi wasn’t used to wearing the heavy layers of clothing, so she only wore an undergarment and a sleeveless inner gown, then put on a rose-red ceremonial dress that was elegant yet soft.

Not long after, Lady Lin arrived with her daughters, Lin Yixue, Lin Yuting, and the young Miss Lin. They all headed to the palace together. Tian Mi had a horse-drawn carriage provided by the palace, which was uniform in style but very luxurious. Qiu Liu was the one driving it.

Tian Mi had originally planned to bring Xu Feiyan along, but Xiao Mama explained that no non-family members were allowed, and even servants could only accompany one person. So, Tian Mi took Xiao Mama instead.

The palace banquet today was grand, and all officials of the fifth rank or above could bring their families. Tian Mi was excited—this was the chance to meet all the handsome young men in the capital! It was a big stage, a huge battlefield!

However, for Tian Mi, this didn’t mean much. The talent shows were mostly for young noblemen and unwed young ladies hoping to make a name for themselves. Someone of Tian Mi’s rank, as a princess, wouldn’t need to compete for attention.

Ah, it was a pity! She had a beautiful voice and had once been a popular singer in her past life, easily handling both modern pop and ancient songs. But today, she would have to play it carefully, choosing her targets carefully.

Soon enough, their carriage arrived at the palace gates, and the line was long. There were three entrances: the central gate for royals and princes, the left side gate for second-rank and above officials, and the right side gate for everyone else. Tian Mi’s and Lady Lin’s carriages could enter through the left side gate. Though Tian Mi was of the first rank, it was mostly an honorary title with no real power, but it was still a high rank. Lady Lin, as a second-rank consort, could also use the left side gate. Everyone else had to use the smaller side gates.

Despite this, even the second-rank gate required waiting in line due to the large crowd. The carriages couldn’t drive directly into the palace; they had to stop in front, where the occupants would disembark and be checked before entering.

People in this era were quite particular—only those with lower status had to get out of the carriage early to wait. For higher-ranked individuals like Tian Mi, the carriage would be allowed to go all the way to the palace gates.

After waiting in line for a while, Tian Mi wanted to peek outside, but Xiao Mama stopped her.

“You’re a princess; how can you open the carriage curtain and look outside?”

Sigh… This was both her identity and her constraint. If she wanted to look at the handsome young men, she had to be discreet.

Not long after, there was a commotion behind them, signaling that a distinguished guest was arriving.

It was Bai Mucheng’s caravan, and he knew Tian Mi’s carriage had already arrived at the palace. As soon as he saw her carriage, he ordered his guards to have it follow his own into the middle gate.

Tian Mi was caught off guard.

Having privileges really was something!

Bai Mucheng, though still angry and not wanting to interact with Tian Mi, forgot all about his anger when he saw her.

After Entering the Palace

After Tian Mi got out of the carriage, she thought that since this was the imperial palace, she should show respect to Bai Mucheng by greeting him and thanking him properly. But to her surprise, he simply walked away, saving her the trouble of greeting him.

Xiao Mama glanced at Tian Mi, then at Bai Mucheng’s retreating figure, but didn’t say anything.

As Tian Mi entered the palace through the middle gate, her movements were clearly seen by Jia Yuntang from the Jia family’s carriage. His face turned grim at the sight, and both Jia Old Madam and Jia Madam quickly reminded him to stay calm.

The imperial palace was majestic and imposing, with soldiers stationed everywhere. Xiao Mama, who was familiar with the palace, led Tian Mi to the gathering point, where they could take a stroll in the gardens while waiting for everyone to arrive before taking their seats.

The palace was vast, and if one was alone, they would likely get lost. Tian Mi had no idea how many palaces she had passed through, but the flow of people seemed to be heading in this direction, so she trusted it was the right way.

No wonder people said “Once you enter the palace gate, it’s as deep as the sea.” It really felt that way—so many people were here, yet there was not a ripple to be seen.

By the time they reached the garden, many people had already arrived, grouped in small clusters, chatting away. Eunuch Wang, with a smile on his face, came to greet Tian Mi and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you!”

Tian Mi followed him to meet the Emperor, with Xiao Mama accompanying her.

The closer they got to the palace hall, the more heavily guarded it became, with strict security.

When they reached a side room, Eunuch Wang told Tian Mi to wait while he went to announce her arrival.

Xiao Mama, seeing that Tian Mi didn’t seem at all nervous about meeting the Emperor, couldn’t help but remind her, “Your Highness, in the palace, it’s best to speak less and listen more.”

Tian Mi nodded and agreed. She was good at listening to advice.

Before long, Eunuch Wang returned and ushered Tian Mi inside.

The Emperor, Jing Kang, was under fifty, yet still full of energy. He had made his name through military achievements and exuded an aura of authority even without showing anger.

He had a good impression of Tian Mi, not just because her seeds and winter wheat could boost the nation’s revenue, but also because of her words during the incident yesterday.

It was the soldiers on the border who protected the nation’s peace and the safety of the people.

Since they had entered the capital and ascended the throne, though they were emperors, the situation was far from stable. There were factional divisions within the court, and the common people felt uneasy. Naturally, the civilians trusted and felt closer to the civil officials in the capital.

After the events of the previous day, once the news spread, the people, without knowing the full story, blamed the families of the military officials. However, Tian Mi’s speech helped the people understand the hardships of the military officers and appreciate their contributions. The Emperor himself, being the Duke of Jin who had guarded the border for over a decade, earned even more respect from the people.

When Tian Mi met the Emperor, she greeted him respectfully. The Emperor sized her up. She was a young and beautiful woman, yet she had spoken with such wisdom and composure.

He gestured for her to rise and said, “Changfeng, you have made great contributions to the court. Do you have any requests?”

Now, when a leader praises you and asks what you want after giving you a promotion or reward, don’t be foolish and make excessive demands.

Tian Mi smiled and replied, “I come from the common people, and to be valued by Your Majesty is already the greatest blessing of my past lives.”

First, she expressed her gratitude, after all, she was here to thank the Emperor.

“Your Majesty has granted me a title, a residence, a manor, and shops. I am truly grateful.”

She made sure to mention everything the Emperor had bestowed upon her, showing that she appreciated all the gifts and remembered each one.

“I have also written a manual on potato planting techniques, which I present to Your Majesty. If there are any areas that are unclear, I am willing to go to the manor to personally plant and assist the court and the people.”

The Emperor would certainly appreciate the farming techniques, and Tian Mi was smart enough to frame it this way—saying that any unclear parts were her fault, and offering to help in the field.

See? She had a backup plan!

The Emperor would think she understood how to handle things well, and when future rewards came, she would be in his thoughts.