As Lei Xing reached the top of the stairs, the Emperor's smile widened and he held out a hand towards her.
Lei Xing walked over to him as she covertly did a quick scan of the faces on either side. She saw the aggrieved faces of some ministers, the smiling faces of her brother and father, the "smiling" faces of her co-wives, Princess Nalan's smiling face, and Prince Yi's frowning face which was quickly overshadowed by the Empress dowager's.
The Empress dowager was the only one sitting and was sat on a throne chair behind the Emperor. She appeared thinner and weaker but her face was red, probably from frustration as she glared daggers at the Emperor's back and the approaching Lei Xing.
