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

Song Siyao walked towards Shen Pei, and Shen Pei slid his wheelchair toward Song Siyao.

They went to each other.

"Your Highness, have you been waiting here all night?"

"Mm." Shen Pei nodded gently, his gaze fixed on Song Siyao.

Song Siyao was in the palace last night. Seeing that she couldn't leave anytime soon, she told Emperor Changlong that Shen Pei was still waiting outside.

Emperor Changlong immediately instructed someone to inform Shen Pei.

Unexpectedly, Shen Pei didn't leave at all.

"Why wait so long? Why not go back?"

"I don't know when you'll come out, and I'm afraid you won't see me when you do."

Upon hearing this, Song Siyao felt as if a cat had gently scratched her heart; it ached, it ached, and she felt very uncomfortable.

This feeling was fleeting, so fleeting that she didn't even catch it.

Shen Pei continued, "Yu Xiang came last night. They had been waiting for you for a long time and were worried because you hadn't gone back, so they came to check on you. I told her to go back."

Song Siyao smiled faintly, "Thank you for your hard work. Let's go eat."

Once in the carriage, Shen Pei said to Song Siyao, "Many people probably know about your long talk with my father in the palace last night. They'll talk nonsense, so be prepared."

"I know that the Empress made things difficult for me when I left the palace."

Song Siyao told Shen Pei about the conflict she had just had with the Empress.

Shen Pei's gaze turned cold. "Short-sighted, how can she be worthy of being the empress! Just because she has a filthy mind, she assumes that everyone else is like that."

"Do you believe me?" Song Siyao asked.

"Of course I believe you, and I believe my father. Although my father is not a good father or a good husband, he is definitely a good emperor. He would not do anything that would discourage the soldiers of the world."

Shen Pei spoke with certainty, looking at Song Siyao with eyes full of heartache, "It is very difficult for women to stand upright in this world. In fact, they have to put in countless times more effort than men. As a woman, the Empress should understand women better."

Song Siyao said, "Ironically, sometimes it is men, not women, who understand these principles."

She was surprised by Shen Pei's idea; he was truly a treasure of a prince.

"Don't worry about what others think. Do what you want to do. I will always support you. I will protect you from those rumors."

Shen Pei's tone was domineering, indulgent, and gentle.

"Alright, with the prince protecting me, I'll go all out and show off my skills." Song Siyao teased Shen Pei.

Shen Pei smiled, his face full of pride.

The two chatted and laughed until they arrived at the entrance of Wujiang Ferry.

“You haven’t had time to come to Wujiangdu, so today is a good day to try their new dishes,” Shen Pei said to Song Siyao with a smile.

“I’ve eaten it. Didn’t you have them pack it up and send it to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence?” Song Siyao said.

“That’s different. It’s hot when you eat it here, but it gets cold when you take it out. Even if you reheat it, the taste will be different.” Shen Pei said as he entered the lobby.

Song Siyao followed her inside, and she happened to see Lin Ji by the counter.

After she and Cang Yue recognized each other, she also recognized Lin Ji.

Lin Ji immediately greeted Song Siyao with a joyful and respectful expression, "Miss Song, you've arrived."

Song Si nodded and gave Lin Ji a look. "Manager, bring out your newest dishes."

Lin Ji immediately understood, "Yes, Miss Song."

He didn't forget to greet Shen Pei, "Your Highness, please come upstairs."

Shen Pei and Song Siyao went upstairs. He asked Song Siyao, "Do you know the shopkeeper?"

“I’ve met him,” Song Siyao said. “The manager was there yesterday during the academy’s competition.”

"No wonder he was so polite to you. The Painting Master is like a god in everyone's hearts." Shen Pei dispelled his doubts.

"Your Highness flatters me," Song Siyao said calmly.

After a while, Lin Ji personally brought the dishes up.

The table was full of dishes, all of which were new.

Most importantly, there's a pot of aged liquor; you can smell the aroma even with the lid on.

"Manager Lin, did you serve the dishes yourself today?" Shen Pei asked Lin Ji.

At Wujiang Ferry, Lin Ji never served food to anyone, not even princes and nobles.

As the shopkeeper, what he learned was how to deal with people smoothly.

"I love painting and have long admired the name of the painting master. It is my honor to be able to serve the painting master myself today."

Lin Ji could come up with flattering words without hesitation.

Shen Pei recalled Song Siyao saying that she saw Lin Ji at the competition yesterday, and he had no doubts.

What he didn't know was that Lin Ji did go to the competition yesterday, but not to admire the paintings; he went to protect Song Siyao.

Therefore, even without Emperor Changlong's imperial edict yesterday, Song Siyao would have been safe and sound; Su Qingshuang would have been the one to lose.

"We didn't order this wine, did we?" Shen Pei asked again.

He could tell from the aroma that it was an excellent wine, worth a fortune if sold elsewhere.

"This wine was a free gift from the store. Congratulations to Miss Song for winning first place in yesterday's competition," Lin Ji explained without batting an eye.

Since it was the first time his master had dined at the restaurant, he was bound to bring out his most treasured possessions.

Moreover, this wine was brewed by Song Siyao herself many times in the past.

This table of fine wine and food is to entertain Shen Pei on behalf of Song Siyao.

"Miss Song, Your Highness, please enjoy your meal today, everything is on the house." Lin Ji wore a happy yet unobsequious smile.

"Miss Song, I'm so grateful to you today," Shen Pei said with a smile.

"Then Your Highness, please don't stand on ceremony." Song Siyao glanced at Lin Ji, worried that if Lin Ji stayed here, Shen Pei might notice something.

Lin Ji understood and quickly said, "Miss Song, Your Highness, please enjoy your meal. If you need anything, please let us know."

Song Si poured two glasses of wine, one for Shen Pei and the other for himself, saying, "Your Highness, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" Shen Pei asked.

"Thank you for staying with me outside the palace all night. Thank you for trusting me and understanding me," Song Siyao said sincerely.

Shen Pei touched Song Siyao's wine glass, feeling quite pleased with himself, but said, "This wine is really sweet."

Song Siyao took a sip. "Is it sweet? This isn't fruit wine; I think it's a bit spicy."

"Spicy with a hint of sweetness, you'll know once you savor it." Shen Pei took another sip, the smile on his lips barely concealed by the wine glass.

Song Siyao sensed something was off about Shen Pei's words, so she put some food on his plate and said, "Eat quickly, or the food will get cold."

"Okay." Shen Pei thought the food was especially delicious today, even more so than the first time he came with Song Siyao.

The two chatted and laughed, and the room was warm and sweet.

After finishing their meal, Song Siyao and Shen Pei went downstairs. As they walked out of the gate of Wujiang Ferry, they encountered the Imperial Guards on patrol.

The new deputy commander of the Imperial Guard was a former subordinate of Shen Pei. When he saw Shen Pei, he quickly came over to pay his respects.

"This subordinate has met the prince."

Shen Pei nodded.

The deputy commander saw Song Siyao and exclaimed excitedly, "Painting God, you're here too! You don't know how much I love your paintings. We've all been talking about the one you painted yesterday; it was so lifelike, like someone who actually experienced the battlefield. Painting God, how did you do that?"

Song Siyao hadn't expected her paintings to have such a great influence, and simply smiled faintly, "It's something I came up with."

"Can someone just think and they can create such a lifelike painting? No wonder he's a painting master..."

Before the deputy commander could finish speaking, Shen Pei interrupted, "It's time to go on patrol."

The deputy commander looked at Shen Pei, then at Song Siyao, as if he understood something, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

While Shen Pei was talking to the deputy commander, Song Siyao felt a burning gaze.

She looked up and saw a familiar face behind the patrol of the Imperial Guards – it was Meng Zhanting.

The last time I saw Meng Zhanting was at the yamen's Duibo Hall.

In just one month, Meng Zhanting went from deputy commander to an ordinary member of the Beijing Guard.

He no longer possessed his former arrogance and glory.

Song Siyao glanced at it once and then looked away.

Meng Zhanting clenched his fists, filled with resentment. Song Siyao, whom he once looked down upon, was now treated with utmost respect even by his superior.

That was a painting god, a god of the art world, someone he once greatly admired and revered.

Alas, fate is fickle.

He used to look down on Song Siyao, but now he can't even reach her level.

Every time he saw Song Siyao after they broke up, he regretted it.

If they hadn't separated, all of Song Siyao's glory today would belong to him.

But when he saw that Song Siyao didn't even bother to look at him, his resentment instantly turned into anger and hatred.

When he reaches the pinnacle of power, he will surely trample Song Siyao underfoot and humiliate her.

"Your Highness, Master Painter, we're leaving." The deputy commander led the group onward.

Meng Zhanting walked past Song Siyao without looking at each other; they had finally become strangers and enemies.

Shen Pei escorted Song Siyao back to the Zhenbei Marquis's residence. Song Siyao had just sat down when Su Yizhou arrived with Su Qingshuang.