Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

Although Shen Sangwan did not know about Li Xiucai's matter, she could roughly guess that the bloodshed was caused by the exchange of examination papers.

She and Shen Yuchen solved the problem with the test questions, but they still couldn't stop some people from taking the risk of switching the test papers.

"You seem to be very concerned about politics. May I ask why?"

He held onto her arm tightly, his eyes fixed on Wen Yue Ning.

"Because of Your Highness."

These four simple words startled Shen Sangwan, leaving her expression blank and lost in thought.

After a brief standoff, he suddenly released her, turned his head away, and dared not look at Wen Yue Ning.

"Do you know the details of what they're talking about, the story of Scholar Li?"

"know."

Shen Sangwan was still waiting for Wen Yuening to say what happened next, but after a long time, she still didn't hear anything from her, so she couldn't help but turn her head away.

Their eyes met for a moment, then Shen Sangwan hurriedly looked away, feeling a burning sensation.

"Your Highness seems to be quite afraid of A-Ning?"

Sensing the person opposite her stand up, Shen Sangwan clenched her fists uncomfortably, her voice stiff as she said, "You're not some monster, why would I be afraid of you?"

"Why is His Highness trembling?"

Suddenly, she felt enveloped from behind, and the sweet fragrance emanating from Wen Yuening filled her nostrils, seemingly numbing her senses.

"This...this is happening in front of everyone, and the Empress is trying to seduce me! Waaaaah—"

Shen Sangwan straightened up and sat upright on the stool. "Ahem, well..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wen Yuening leaned down, rested her chin on Shen Sangwan's shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "A-Ning is indeed not some monster, Your Highness need not be so alarmed."

Does the Empress even realize that she and her lover are dressed as men? Holding each other so openly will surely cause misunderstandings!

The hot breath from Wen Yue Ning made her skin near her ear bounce off the stool.

"Dr. Mu—?"

Just as Shen Sangwan was about to refute him, an old friend appeared at the top of the stairs.

Following the sound, they saw He Wenjin leading a servant toward them.

"It really is Doctor Mu! I thought I was seeing things."

After approaching and confirming that it was an old friend she knew, He Wenjin's face beamed with excitement.

"Since Doctor Mu has come to Wuzhou, why didn't he send someone to inform me of his arrival? He should at least allow me to show him some hospitality."

"Are you blind or what? Those big, round eyes of yours, are you trying to be as beautiful as a beauty salon? They're practically glued to the Empress! Really...no sense of propriety!"

Shen Sangwan pursed her lips, her face clouded with displeasure as she glared at He Wenjin beside her.

Wen Yuening listened to Shen Sangwan's inward curses, and although she didn't know what "Kazilan" was, she still inexplicably wanted to laugh.

"Today I am only accompanying His Highness on a secret visit to Wuzhou, so I did not wish to disturb Young Master He."

Upon hearing Wen Yuening mention His Highness, He Wenjin belatedly realized there was another person and wanted to kneel down to pay his respects, but was quietly scolded by Shen Sangwan.

"There is no need for kneeling. Remember not to spread the word that I have come to Wuzhou."

"Wenjin will keep Your Highness's command in mind."

He stopped kneeling and changed to a male greeting, bowing deeply to Shen Sangwan, "If Your Highness has any use for Wenjin, please do not refuse."

I just want you to take your eyes off my queen and then quickly find somewhere to hide so I don't see you, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to resist giving you a beating.

Her clenched fist tightened even more. She herself hadn't had enough of the Empress, such a great beauty, so it wasn't something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could stare at.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere around her, Wen Yuening quickly said, "His Highness has other matters to attend to today, so he will not chat with Young Master He any longer. Farewell."

After saying that, he pulled the somewhat sullen Shen Sangwan away from the teahouse.

He Wenjin's gaze followed the path downstairs, her eyes filled with reluctance.

As Shen Sangwan went downstairs, she glanced back and caught a glimpse of him, which made her furious.

"They dare to covet her people? They're really asking for trouble."

[Master, don't worry about whether they're tired of living. There's a new mission, and I'm afraid you'll see the blood churning.]

Xiao Tong's reminder only made Shen Sangwan feel worse.

The shocking scream almost shattered Wen Yuening's ears.

Wait a minute, this spoiled brat actually passed last year's provincial examination? Has the main system lost its mind? It actually wants me to recruit him into the young emperor's camp for next year's metropolitan examination?!

"I think he's anything but serious, and he keeps staring at the Empress. He's definitely not a good person. I don't want to do this task."

[Master, when did you start judging people by their appearance? Maybe they're just a bit playful.]

[In the past, the provincial examinations were often rigged. The He family was extremely wealthy in Wuzhou, so it wouldn't be surprising if they bought their way onto the list.]

[If you don't behave, the punishment you face might be quite severe!]

Xiao Tong deliberately raised her voice so that Wen Yuening would understand the implications.

The effect was obvious. Upon hearing this, Wen Yuening immediately said, "Your Highness, do you know that this young master He won first place in last year's provincial examination and will participate in next year's metropolitan examination along with this year's finalists? If Your Highness wants to recruit talents for the court, you might as well investigate him."

Shen Sangwan glanced at Wen Yuening suspiciously, with the unsettling feeling that the other woman could read her mind.

[The Empress is fair-skinned, beautiful, and has long legs; is she soft, charming, and easily bullied?]

[A waist so supple it could be grasped in one hand...]

【Master, that's enough! What's wrong with you now?】

Xiao Tong detected a significant change in the energy level of Wen Yuening. If she didn't speak up to stop her master, she feared that her master would suffer greatly in the future.

Shen Sangwan only wanted to make a few mental complaints, but after seeing the other person's expressionless face, she relaxed her guard slightly.

"Why are you yelling like that? I was just wondering if the Queen could hear my thoughts, and I wanted to test her reaction!"

She rolled her eyes at Xiaotong, then reluctantly replied to Wen Yuening, "Since you're the top scorer, you must have some outstanding qualities. Let's see how you do in the imperial examination before making any plans."

After returning to the inn, the two asked the waiter for a pot of tea and continued their conversation from the teahouse.

"Li Xiucai originally passed the imperial examination and became a Juren, but someone replaced his exam paper. When the results were announced, he discovered the cheating and reported it to the authorities. As a result, he was approached by people who tried to bribe him to keep quiet. Because he refused to compromise and even went to the capital to appeal to the emperor, the person behind him hired someone to kill him. In the end, the matter was left unresolved."

"pat~"

Unbeknownst to her, Shen Sangwan crushed the teacup in her hand, spilling tea everywhere and wetting her clothes, but fortunately, her palm was not injured.

"Is Your Highness injured?"

Wen Yuening got up with some concern and took Shen Sangwan's hand to examine it closely.