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

Although Shen Sangwan only had 100,000 troops, Liang Huaiting had another 100,000, so he effectively controlled half of the military power in Zhongdu.

The Duke of Song has been stationed on the frontier for more than 20 years and is wholeheartedly devoted to the country. He would not harbor any rebellious intentions and poses no immediate threat to Zhongdu.

The Minister of War is the only one to be wary of, as his daughter is now the Princess Consort of Ming and their wedding is approaching. It's hard to guarantee that he won't side with the Prince of Ming for the sake of his beloved daughter.

What troubled her most were the left and right prime ministers, as well as the four ministers.

The Left Chancellor, Wen Yunhe, is cunning and treacherous; the Right Chancellor, Cen Zhou, is adept at handling distant affairs; and the four ministers are all opportunists who treat people differently based on their status.

If the art of checks and balances is not handled properly, problems can easily arise.

As noon approached, Shen Sangwan had lunch with the Empress before returning to Weiyang Palace.

"A light cloud hangs over the sky, the rain falls softly, evening after evening, morning after morning."

"Oh my, my little Yan Yan has actually started reciting poetry! She's buried in books every day, I'm afraid that in a few days she'll be able to write her own lyrics and poems!"

Shen Sangwan dismissed everyone and went to find Cen Yan alone, where she happened to overhear the other's sigh.

"Shen Sangwan, do you feel uncomfortable if you don't tease me for a day?"

Cen Yan scolded him playfully, closed the window, and wanted to hit Shen Sangwan.

"Oh dear, I just thought your poem was a bit sentimental, so I wanted to tease you. A gentleman uses words, not fists. Hey—you, you're not very martial."

Shen Sangwan dodged around the desk, but the other person threw a book at her, hitting her squarely on the forehead.

If even one palace servant were to enter, and the news reached the Empress's ears, Cen Yan would likely be unable to escape the charge of insubordination.

After a while of playful fighting, Shen Sangwan begged for mercy and they both lay down on the soft couch.

It seems like we've returned to the days of playing and frolicking in the villa.

Nothing particularly strange happened in the latter half of the day, and Shen Sangwan even slept well that night, without any dreams.

The next day, as dawn broke and the sun rose in the east, the continuous rain finally stopped.

Even the emperor, who had been bedridden for several days and had not attended court, dragged his ailing body to court.

When Shuyi came in to serve, she said that the Empress had sent someone to tell her to go to Fengluan Palace for breakfast.

Shen Sangwan, unsuspecting, nodded in agreement and happily led Mo Yun away.

The palace maids arranged the meal in an orderly fashion. Looking at the dishes on the table, Shen Sangwan wondered why the dishes she ate at Fengluan Palace were always her favorite ingredients.

Could it be that this princess, apart from having a different fondness for pastries, has the same favorite dishes as her?

Why isn't Awan eating?

Seeing Shen Sangwan looking slightly dazed, the Empress asked in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, I'm wondering why all the dishes here are my favorites!"

Granny Gu paused slightly as she served the Empress food, her expression somewhat unnatural.

A barely perceptible look of fear appeared on the Empress's face, and her eyes revealed a cautiousness.

The dining hall fell silent for a moment.

Finally, it was Granny Gu who spoke up, "His Highness didn't come to Fengluan Palace often before. On two occasions when he did come to the palace, he stayed for a meal. The kitchen prepared the dishes that Her Majesty usually likes to eat, and there wasn't enough time to prepare one or two more of His Highness's favorite dishes. Since then, Her Majesty has ordered the kitchen to prepare His Highness's favorite dishes every day."

[Wow! Xiaotong! Xiaotong! My character has completely collapsed! The difference between before and after is so huge. Doesn't the Empress suspect that her daughter's heart has been replaced?]

[Your Majesty, calm down. Before the Princess was ten years old, the Empress and the Princess had the same harmonious relationship. It was only because that old nanny acted on her own that a rift was created between mother and daughter.]

Even if the eldest princess wanted to accept the empress again, she shouldn't have done it like I did, so directly... There should at least be a gradual process, but now...

[Your Majesty, the Empress has not suspected anything. On the contrary, she is very afraid that your closeness to her is feigned, merely an act to put the Emperor at ease before his death.]

Alas, the Empress's role as a mother is truly... both humble and pitiful.

[Your Majesty, I can see that you truly care for the Empress. Then why not simply love her well on behalf of the Eldest Princess?]

"Mother, you don't need to try so hard to please me. The things that happened when I was young are all in the past. My closeness to you is not a performance to deceive Father."

The Empress's eyes narrowed suddenly, her lowered gaze suddenly brightened, and the intense look she gave off seemed to devour Shen Sangwan.

"Awan—!"

The hands holding the silver chopsticks were trembling.

Tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks involuntarily. This was the second time Shen Sangwan had lost her composure in front of the Empress.

She had practiced martial arts for many years and had a manly temperament. She would not carry silk scarves or handkerchiefs with her, but instead reached out and used her fingertips to wipe away her tears.

"Your Majesty, I am young and ignorant, please do not blame me."

The calluses on Shen Sangwan's hands rubbed her cheeks slightly red, but the Empress didn't care much; her inner joy had long since overshadowed the pain on her face.

"How can Mother Empress have the face to blame me? It has always been Mother Empress who has wronged Awan."

"Your Majesty and I owe each other a debt and are making up for it; it has nothing to do with right or wrong."

After ten years of stubbornness, Shen Sangwan finally let go of it when she turned twenty.

In an instant, Shen Sangwan felt a tightness in her chest; she had never experienced such excruciating pain before.

His eyebrows were furrowed, his nostrils flared, and he was breathing rapidly. His hands gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, as if he wanted to speak, but a huge rock seemed to be pressing down on his chest.

"Ah Wan, Ah Wan—!"

Seeing Shen Sangwan's drastically changed expression, the Empress's reddened eyes were filled with panic.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, His Majesty has passed away!"

"puff--"

Shen Sangwan felt a metallic taste in her throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

No one told Xiaotong that when the emperor died, she would also feel the pain of being slowly tortured to death!

"Shuchun, summon the imperial physician."

"Stop! Your Majesty, I am alright."

Shen Sangwan was in pain all over, and the Vitality Pill seemed to have stopped working. She endured the sharp pain in her chest and asked, "Where is the Crown Prince?"

"In the Xuanzheng Hall, His Majesty held court today and issued an edict to pass the throne to the Crown Prince. Just after the edict was read, he died and collapsed in the hall."

The messenger was Hai Quan's apprentice, named Fu An.

"Mo Yun, go to Xuanzheng Hall immediately. The Emperor has passed away and a new emperor has ascended the throne. I am afraid that there may be villains. You must protect the new emperor."

"The last general takes orders."

"Wait, immediately send a message instructing Mo Feng to lead the Imperial Guards to secure all key locations within the palace, ensuring no mistakes or omissions occur."

"This humble general will go immediately."

"Mother, I am fine. With Father's passing, there are many things that require your attention. It is more important for you to go and assist Brother Chen."

"Granny Xi, you stay and take good care of the Princess."

"Old slave, take orders."

The Empress dared not be careless at this critical moment. Instead of shirking responsibility with Shen Sangwan, she instructed another of her personal nannies to take care of her, and then led Granny Gu to Xuanzheng Hall.

"Xiao Tong, is this Vitality Pill selectively used on different people? It doesn't hurt when they should, but it inflicts excruciating pain when they shouldn't."

【Master, let's talk about this, is it possible that... well... the main system is punishing you for saving someone you shouldn't have?】

〖......〗

[Furthermore, Master, you should know that everything produced by the system is mutually exclusive. So even if you take a lot of Vitality Pills or Pain-Relieving Powder in the future, it won't be able to offset the pain caused by the system's punishment!]

〖......〗

[My lord, you have a task with a ten-day deadline: to draft a list of the new emperor's concubines and arrange their ranks!]

"Isn't this a matter between the Empress and Shen Yuchen? Why should I, a mere princess, concern myself with this?"

[If you're not afraid of punishment, you don't have to do it. I didn't delay this time, so don't blame me later. My back hurts, and I can't carry such a big, black pot.]

"Wait a minute—that's not right. I remember historically, when the previous emperor died, the new emperor had to observe mourning, and he couldn't marry during the national mourning period. What kind of concubine did you take? What rank did you bestow upon her?"

"Hmm...Master, the Southern Jing Kingdom believes in using joy to counteract misfortune, and the national mourning period is only one month..."

I was speechless...

"Granny Xi, please help me and take me back to Weiyang Palace."

Granny Xi and Shuchun helped Shen Sangwan up from the chair, shifted their weight onto her, and helped her out of Fengluan Palace.

The thirty-sixth year of the Chuyuan era.

The founding emperor of Nanjing passed away, and his body lay in state in Xingde Hall for seven days.

The day after the news of the death, all the civil and military officials of the previous dynasty wore mourning clothes and paid their respects outside Xingde Hall. All the concubines in the palace respected the Empress, so they removed their jewelry, washed off their makeup, and wore hemp clothes to mourn.

On the third day after the emperor's death, Cen Yan left the palace and returned to the Right Prime Minister's residence, where he and Lady Xie, dressed in mourning clothes, paid their respects at Xingde Hall.

Also accompanying them were wives of military officers of the fifth rank or above and civil officials of the third rank or above.

On the seventh day, when the funeral procession took place, the Empress was so heartbroken that she fainted beside the coffin. The new Emperor ordered her to be helped back to the Phoenix Palace, where he offered a sacrifice with the Xuanxu Jade Wall and performed the farewell ceremony.

Shen Sangwan lay in Weiyang Palace for three days and knelt before the spirit tablet for four days.

After the funeral, Shen Sangwan returned to Weiyang Palace. Sending the late emperor's coffin into the imperial mausoleum was the responsibility of the Imperial Guards, and she needed to quickly draft a list of the concubines in the harem.

After all, during the seven days the body lay in state, the Ministry of Rites had already begun preparations for the new emperor's ascension to the throne, and the Imperial Observatory was also calculating auspicious days.

Most importantly, her mission deadline is in three days.

Everyone says that the misty rain has just passed over the apricot garden, the lotus leaves are turning, and the pomegranate flowers are about to bloom. But these past two days, Shen Sangwan's mind has been buzzing with thoughts of the list of imperial concubines, and she has no time for anything else.

Cen Yan has now left the palace and is no longer by her side.

"Xiao Tong, if the Left Prime Minister's daughter is made Empress, then the Right Prime Minister's daughter should at least be appointed as a Noble Consort to keep her in check. Cen Yan's health is notoriously poor in Zhongdu, so naturally they won't let her enter the palace. But is his second eldest daughter, Cen Luo Yan, smart enough to handle the situation in the harem?"

【...】

"And then there's the Liang family, the General of the Cavalry; the Xie family, the Hanlin Academy; the Lin family, the Minister of Personnel... Xiao Tong, save me, save me!"

【….】

Xiao Tong pretended to be dead, refusing to respond to Shen Sangwan's wails and calls.

"Cen Mansion"

Since being rescued by Shen Sangwan on the day of the palace coup, Cen Qingyu has been recuperating at the Prime Minister's residence.

His nose was straight and his lips were pressed tightly together, which made him look even more determined and stubborn.

Viewed from the side, his face has distinct features, making him appear rugged and handsome, with a sculpted, sharp look.

He stood with his sword in hand, his black robes fluttering in the sunlight, making him appear even more handsome.

"Brother's health is gradually improving, but you still need to take good care of yourself."

Upon seeing Cen Yan arrive, Cen Qingyu handed the long sword to Zhou Chuan, who was standing to the side. A slight smile curved her lips, as comfortable and pleasant as the March sunshine.

"How dare Ah Xing speak to his elder brother like that?"

"Why didn't you wait for me to take a day off and bring you back to the manor that day? If you hadn't met Her Highness the Princess, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

His expression turned serious, his eyes filled with concern.

"It's not that I'm worried about my brother being overworked, and besides, with so many guards protecting him, I just thought..."

Cen Yan lowered her eyes. As long as she softened and pretended to be pitiful, the person in front of her would immediately surrender.

Why does she give off such a scheming female supporting character vibe?

Cen Yan cursed herself in her heart.

Her eyes were slightly red, as if tears would well up if the other person continued to criticize her.

“You——!”

Cen Qingyu poked Cen Yan's forehead. "Let's go inside and talk."

The room was decorated with screens depicting beautiful landscapes, and a lacquered screen inlaid with various treasures divided the room into two sides. The two people sat at a table outside the screen.

"Ah Xing, is there something you want to tell your brother?"

"The princess said that the pill that saved you that day would temporarily make you lose your sense of pain, and she told me to make sure to tell you this, and to be very careful."

Cen Qingyu lowered her eyes, recalling the scene of fighting the rebels that day.

He thought he would die in the palace coup, but as he was dying, he saw a figure backlit by the light. His consciousness was also becoming blurred, and he could not see clearly.

He felt an unusual bitter taste in his mouth, and heard someone mutter something in his ear, but he couldn't hear it.

When she woke up again, she was in her own bedroom in the Prime Minister's residence. She asked Zhou Chuan and learned that it was General Mo, who served the Princess, who had brought her back.

Therefore, he guessed that the person who saved him must be the eldest princess.

Upon reflection, he realized that it had been two years since he had seen that gentle and refined female general.

“Ah Xing has always been on good terms with Your Highness. Please convey to Your Highness that I would like to express my gratitude in person if there is an opportunity.”

"it is good."

"There is one more thing. Luo Yan came to me for help, saying that she does not want to enter the palace. I wonder if you have any ideas, brother."

“This matter should not have been asked of Father and Mother. Why have you two come to me for help?”

Cen Yan chuckled, "There are only two of us in the Prime Minister's residence, Luo Yan and I. I have been frail since childhood. With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the matter of entering the palace can only fall to her. If Father had agreed, why would I have asked my brother for help?"

“I’m afraid I can’t do anything about this, Ah Xing. You must know that the emperor’s orders are hard to disobey. Not to mention that you are too weak to serve the emperor, if the new emperor takes a liking to you, even if your father wants to protect you, he will probably be unable to defy the order.”

Upon hearing this, Cen Luoyan, who was outside the door, covered her face and sobbed softly before turning away.

"How strange! In an era where homosexuality was prevalent, shouldn't there have been greater tolerance? Why does it seem like they're only lenient towards the common people, while remaining strict with these nobles? This imperial power is hypocritical!"

"Why don't you ask Her Highness the Princess for help? Perhaps there's a glimmer of hope."

Cen Yan shook her head. Her best friend was probably figuring out how to balance the power in the harem. Unless the Right Prime Minister's Mansion cleaned itself up, it had no chance of escaping.

"I have something to discuss with Luo Yan, brother, please wait."

Before leaving, he reminded him again, "His Highness said that the medicine will last for more than a month, so you must be careful, brother."

Cen Qingyu nodded and watched Cen Yan leave her courtyard.

He always felt that his younger sister had changed a lot since returning from the palace, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

June 23rd is an auspicious day.

Shen Yuchen ascended the throne as emperor, granted a general amnesty, honored his stepmother, the empress, as empress dowager, and moved to Chonghua Palace.

The remaining concubines, those with children, were placed in the princes' residences to enjoy family life, while those without children were promoted in rank and retired to a suburban palace to live out their days.

"Isn't Your Highness going to attend the ceremony?"

After working day and night for three days straight to sort out the relationships between the various mansions and weighing the options repeatedly, she finally managed to draft the list. Now, all she wanted to do was sleep, and she had no energy left to watch Shen Yucheng's coronation ceremony.

"I am very tired. Shuyi, go to the outer room and keep watch. Don't let anyone come in and disturb my rest."

"Now that the fever is rising, I'll have someone add some more ice so Your Highness can cool down."

Shu Yi bowed and left. Shen Sangwan ignored him, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep.