The Emperor's heart is won, she sits on the Phoenix Throne! The Divine Physician's Eldest

Song Siyao approached the Empress with composure and openness, bowing respectfully, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress."

Wang Fu also bowed to the Empress.

The empress's makeup was exquisite, clearly meticulously applied, yet even the rouge and powder couldn't conceal the weariness in her eyes.

She didn't sleep a wink last night.

After she married Emperor Changlong, many new women entered the harem, but she had never felt as anxious as she did this time.

She looked Song Siyao up and down and saw that she was dressed neatly, had a proper demeanor, and was full of energy, not like someone who hadn't slept all night.

"Miss Song served His Majesty all night, how come she's still in such good spirits today?"

Song Siyao sensed the sourness in the Empress's words and knew that she must have misunderstood something and regarded her as an enemy vying for Emperor Changlong's favor.

"Your Majesty the Empress has dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?" Song Siyao asked.

"How dare you, Miss Song! How dare you be so disrespectful to Her Majesty the Empress!" Lan Zi rebuked.

"Your Majesty, I am a physician and this is merely a greeting from a doctor's perspective. I have no other intentions."

Song Siyao's eyes were clear, without any other distractions. "On the contrary, it is the Empress who is overthinking and worrying about things that have never happened. This is counterproductive."

She was telling the Empress that she was overthinking things, and that her relationship with Emperor Changlong was completely innocent.

The Empress's face darkened. "Is Miss Song instructing me on how to do things?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not. A woman's reputation is of utmost importance. I did not serve His Majesty last night, so I hope Your Majesty will not make any unfounded assumptions." Song Siyao directly exposed the Empress's thoughts.

The Empress, somewhat embarrassed, forced a smile. "Miss Song, there are many younger sisters in the palace. One more won't hurt; it will make the place more lively."

"If Her Majesty the Empress is truly so magnanimous, why did she not sleep a wink last night?"

If the Empress had been unaware of the truth from the beginning, and had been jealous and unhappy, Song Siyao could have understood.

However, since she had already explained, and the Empress was still so aggressive and spoke so harshly, she decided not to be polite either.

The Empress's expression changed, and she looked extremely embarrassed.

As the empress, she should take good care of her sisters in the harem, teach them, and help them to carry on the royal family line. The worst thing she can do is to be jealous.

If outsiders knew that she was jealous of Song Siyao, who had not yet entered the harem, she would become a laughing stock of the world.

"Song Siyao, you're talking nonsense!" the Empress denied.

"Your Majesty, you and the Emperor are both my elders. I do not wish to be your sister. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

Song Siyao turned and left, and Wang Fu followed her.

The Empress watched Song Siyao's retreating figure, her eyes filled with icy coldness.

"Your Majesty, have we misunderstood Miss Song? She doesn't seem to have any intention of entering the palace," Lan Zi asked the Empress.

The Empress snorted coldly, "Now that the Emperor has not given her a title, those words she just said were nothing but an excuse to save face. A man and a woman alone in a room for an entire night, what good could they possibly do?"

She felt that Song Siyao was not a key minister, and the emperor would not discuss important state affairs with her.

What do they talk about that can keep them talking all night?

Therefore, she concluded that Song Siyao and Emperor Changlong were not innocent.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, Emperor Changlong was changing clothes in a side hall. The Empress gestured for the eunuchs to leave, and she personally tied Emperor Changlong's belt.

"Why is the Empress here so early?" Emperor Changlong asked.

"I know Your Majesty was tired last night, so I specially prepared chicken soup and porridge for you to eat to warm your stomach," the Empress said gently and considerately.

Emperor Changlong was in a great mood. "The Empress is so kind. I'm not tired at all. I haven't felt this good in a long time."

The Empress's hand trembled, her heart tightened, and she asked, controlling her emotions, "When does Your Majesty intend to grant Miss Song a formal title?"

As expected, Song Siyao was lying, and Emperor Changlong felt quite pleased.

"What title should we give him?" Emperor Changlong's smile froze as he asked, puzzled.

He realized what he meant as soon as he finished speaking and questioned the Empress, "What do you think happened between me and Miss Song last night?"

The queen was silent.

Emperor Changlong was furious. "Empress, your thoughts are truly filthy! Miss Song is old enough to be my daughter! I don't want to hear those words again. If Miss Song's reputation is damaged in any way, I will hold you responsible!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Empress's heart finally settled down, but she was still very curious. If there was nothing between them, then what exactly did they talk about?

"Take your things away! Get out!" Emperor Changlong rubbed his temples, all his good mood ruined by the Empress, and he was extremely depressed.

"Yes." The Empress told Lan Zi to take the chicken soup away.

Upon leaving the imperial study, the Empress's weariness vanished completely, replaced by a smile.

She instructed Lan Zi, "Don't spread what the Emperor just said."

Lan Zi thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "This servant understands."

The Empress knew that Song Siyao and Emperor Changlong were innocent, but the other concubines in the harem did not.

They would always cause trouble for Song Siyao.

Not long after the Empress left, Wang Fu returned.

"Your Majesty, this servant just ran into Her Majesty the Empress with Miss Song. Her Majesty the Empress said she was bringing you some food. Have you finished eating?" Wang Fu asked Emperor Changlong.

If he hadn't eaten, he should have had the imperial kitchen send food to Emperor Changlong.

Emperor Changlong did not suspect anything, but asked, "Did you run into the Empress? Did she make things difficult for Miss Song the Second?"

"Her Majesty the Empress only said that Miss Song had worked hard serving you, and that having another younger sister like Miss Song would make the palace more lively..."

"Absurd! Nonsense!" Emperor Changlong's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again instantly. He immediately ordered, "Wang Fu, convey my decree: the Empress has committed a breach of virtue and is hereby confined to her quarters for ten days! She must reflect on her actions!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Fu walked out of the imperial study, a cold smile playing on his lips, and strode towards Kunning Palace.

Emperor Changlong frowned. If even the Empress had misunderstood, there was no guarantee that even more people wouldn't.

He couldn't allow Song Siyao's reputation to be damaged in the slightest; otherwise, he would be letting down the Song father and son who had sacrificed their lives for the country.

More importantly, after a long talk last night, he realized that Song Siyao was a gem, and he couldn't let her get hurt.

It seems I need to do something for Song Siyao.

Song Siyao had already arrived at the palace gate. Shen Pei stood in the dim morning light, smiling at her from afar.

In that instant, Song Siyao felt that Shen Pei's smile was more dazzling than the morning glow.