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

The new recruits were still training on the drill ground, and the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves appeared particularly hazy in the setting sun.

When the guards at the gate saw a woman riding a horse galloping towards them, they were on guard. But as she dismounted and approached, they all knelt down and kowtowed.

"Your Highness, may you live a thousand years!"

Shen Sangwan's influence in the military was far greater than it was in the capital.

Basically, everyone knows it.

"Take me to see General Mo Ran."

"Your Highness, please come with me."

One of the soldiers raised his hand to greet her and led Shen Sangwan to the main tent. Along the way, soldiers she encountered bowed and knelt in worship.

"Your Highness, please."

Upon reaching the tent, the soldier lifted the tent flap for him.

"My lord, you've just recovered, why have you come here?"

Knowing that his mission was complete, the soldier bowed and withdrew tactfully.

After learning that Shen Sangwan was alright after coming back to life, Mo Ran and Mo Feng returned to their positions as quickly as possible.

After all, many people are eyeing Yanmo Army, this lucrative prize.

The new recruit camp in Zhongdu was established to provide reserve forces for the Yanmo Army and fill talent gaps.

Mo Ran has been in charge all along, so he dares not relax.

Where is Mo Yun?

"Did the lord come specifically for Mo Yun?"

Mo Ran put down the booklet in his hand and stood up from his chair. "Please take a seat, my lord."

"Yes and no!"

Shen Sangwan walked straight to the main seat on the couch and said, "Bring her here. I have something to say to her."

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. This humble general will have someone bring Mo Yun here immediately."

On the rosewood table, there were several folded documents and booklets.

Shen Sangwan picked up a booklet and looked at it carefully. It contained a plan on how to adjust the training of new recruits and the deployment of drills.

"What moves have been made by all sides during the days since I was in trouble?"

“The Ming King and the Qi King are quite well-behaved, but the Duke of Anguo seems to be trying to persuade the Ministry of War to take over the jurisdiction of the Yanmo Army.”

"However, my sources have reported that Prince Ning has been making some trouble lately and is not behaving himself in his fiefdom of Nanye."

Shen Sangwan put down the booklet, looked up, and her gaze was like a blade flashing with cold light.

"I ask you, what was the reason that Mo Yun was punished by the Empress Dowager?"

"My lord, I do not know either. Mo Feng and I went to ask her, but we returned empty-handed."

"General Mo, the person has been brought."

A deep voice rang out from outside the tent.

"Come in."

Mo Yun is now just a menial soldier, wearing armor that doesn't look like armor, and he looks much thinner.

"This humble one, Mo Yun, greets Your Highness the Princess. May you live a thousand years!"

"Mo Ran, I'll speak with her for a bit. Go to the training grounds and come back later."

"No one is needed to stand guard outside the other tents; everyone should leave."

"I will retire at the end."

Mo Yun remained kneeling on the ground, head bowed, not daring to look at Shen Sangwan.

"Didn't expect me to come back to life?"

Mo Yun, kneeling on the ground, remained silent.

"What? You look like you're having second thoughts?"

Shen Sangwan wasn't in a hurry; she placed her hands on the table.

His cold eyes, like those of a venomous snake, exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down Mo Yun's spine.

"Now that you are dead, there is no hope for the antidote. Since I am dead anyway, I will tell you when the Empress Dowager interrogates me."

Hmm, they're getting bolder and bolder, already calling each other "you" and "me," it seems they've come with a death wish.

Why wasn't this matter told to anyone else?

"The current Empress Dowager cherishes the eldest princess as a treasure, and when I was a palace maid, the Empress Dowager treated me very well. I can't bear to see her cry for the wrong person."

"As for your secret, I wouldn't stoop to such petty things."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you say she's loyal, but she betrayed me; you say she's disloyal, but she's devoted to the Empress Dowager."

"Master, is it possible that she's just not loyal to you?"

If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute.

【...】

"Huh—? What was the name of the poison I forced her to eat last time?"

[Is the master having a change of heart and deciding to give her the antidote ahead of schedule?]

It seems she's the only woman with considerable fighting skills around the princess; we should avoid killing her if possible.

Oh no, I completely forgot which one to give her!

Xiao Tong's lips twitched, and she looked speechless.

[Master, if you ask me, you should spend more time studying the system when you have free time. Don't act like an idiot; I find it embarrassing.]

A few days later, Xiaotong began to regret what she had said, to the point that she kept cursing herself for being an idiot.

Are you asking for trouble again?

[Master can click on the medicine powder section on the main page; there is a usage list in the lower left corner where you can check the items used based on the usage time.]

Shen Sangwan was suddenly relieved that she could check the usage time instead of just having a list placed there.

Otherwise, if she had used such a large amount of poison powder today, and those powders had all sorts of strange names that were unrelated to the effects of the medicine, she probably would have been helpless.

Fortunately, it was her first time using poison since she had just arrived, so it was easy to find.

"A 'tremor pill'? Heh, that's a really nice name."

Just in case, she opened the instructions for the Vibration Pill and found that her reaction was the same as when Mo Yun took it that day, so she took the corresponding antidote.

"The antidote for the poison that has afflicted you."

Shen Sangwan walked to Mo Yun's side, squatted down, and handed him the medicine bottle.

Mo Yun was somewhat flattered. From the moment she entered the tent and saw Shen Sangwan, she had already considered that she probably wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow.

She was slightly stunned as she looked at the porcelain bottle handed to her by her delicate hand.

"Hmm—? Don't you want to live?" Seeing that Mo Yun hesitated to take it, Shen Sangwan tried to withdraw her hand. "Or are you afraid that this is something that will kill you?"

Mo Yun quickly snatched it from Shen Sangwan's hands.

"Why don't you kill me?"

Shen Sangwan pondered for a long time, then slowly got up and walked out of the tent.

"Perhaps it's your loyalty to the Empress Dowager, perhaps it's your exceptional skills, or perhaps it's because you're a woman and don't want to kill someone—any reason will do, and vice versa."

"Mo Yun thanks Your Highness for sparing his life."

"Come with me to the martial arts arena for a walk."

As I left the military tent, the sun was setting in the west, though its afterglow still lingered.

Perhaps because it was located in the remote area, the wind picked up and it didn't seem so hot.

"Do you want me to set you free, or do you want to stay by my side?"

"Isn't Your Highness afraid..."

"Ha—are you belittling yourself, or are you looking down on me?"

"Hey, let me finish speaking before you decide which path to choose."

"If I set you free, you must never again join the army or enter the court, and you must stay far away from Zhongdu. I will find you a good place to go and ensure your safety for the rest of your life."

"If you want to stay by my side, you can only go behind the scenes and become my bodyguard, living in darkness every day."

The two walked one after the other onto the high platform, looking down at the soldiers training below.

Mo Yun pondered for a moment, kneeling down and about to speak, when Shen Sangwan spoke first, "If you decide to follow me, you must completely forget your original master. From now on, be loyal to me, loyal to Shen Sangwan, not to the Princess."

"Your subordinate, Mo Yun, from this day forward, will serve Your Highness as my master and will never betray you."

If it is said that Mo Yun previously served Shen Sangwan as his master in Weiyang Palace, it was out of mutual restraint between the two.

Her kneeling today can be considered a true act of submission, a willingness to serve Shen Sangwan as her master.

"I'm a person who always distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. If you ever do anything to wrong me in the future, I will make you experience what it means to wish you were dead."

Mo Yun was lost in thought for a moment, gazing at Shen Sangwan, who was backlit, as if she were seeing her lord.

"Your Highness's words will be kept in mind."

"Get up. I don't like it when people kneel down to talk to me."

The two continued walking forward.

Why is there no bodyguard protecting the eldest princess?

"Your Highness, the Princess's martial arts skills are such that others generally cannot get close to her. Moreover, the Princess spends most of her time in the military camp, and she does not spend more than three months a year in Zhongdu."

"I spend half my time in the palace and half in the Princess's residence, and my subordinates serve me closely, so I haven't arranged any secret guards."

"However, I have trained a group of people for the Princess, but they have not been put to use yet."

Shen Sangwan paused, "Starting today, all operations will be in full swing."

"I will make the arrangements shortly."

"Tell me, what kind of entity is the Soul-Hooking Pavilion?"

Mo Yun raised his head, a flicker of unreadable emotion crossing his eyes. "How does Your Highness know about martial arts organizations?"

"I came here today to find you, but I encountered their assassins on the way."

Mo Yun was even more puzzled, and her eyes were filled with shock.

"Your Highness escaped from them all alone?"

"I'm not escaping, I'm killing them all!"

Mo Yun almost screamed in alarm; even the former Princess would probably have had a hard time escaping.

After all, the assassins of the Soul Hook Pavilion are all highly trained, ruthless, and only attack without defending. They always attack in groups, so if you are alone, it is basically impossible to survive.

"Your Highness—!"

“Those assassins were indeed formidable. If I hadn’t had a trump card, I would probably be dead in that forest today.”

"Who would dare to hire the Soul Hook Pavilion to assassinate members of the royal family? As far as I know, the Soul Hook Pavilion has never done business related to people in the court."

Shen Sangwan glanced sideways. "Oh—? That's an interesting matter. Send someone to investigate."

"Subordinates take orders."

As evening approached, Shen Sangwan asked Mo Ran to send a message to Mo Feng in the palace, instructing him to convey her message: she would be staying overnight at the recruit camp and would return tomorrow, and not to worry.

After sending Shen Sangwan back to her military tent, Mo Yun asked Mo Ran to prepare a set of night clothes for her. After changing into them, she left the recruit camp.

Mo Ran then gave his general's tent to Shen Sangwan and went to the deputy general's tent, where he made do for the night.

After reviewing the memorials, Shen Yuchen intended to go to Weiyang Palace to meet Shen Sangwan and discuss the matter of taking a concubine.

Although he already had a list, he was really annoyed by the ministers in the court who didn't care about people's livelihoods and just kept focusing on his harem writing memorials every day. He was getting fed up with it.

When their father was on the throne, they all loved to worry about the royal heirs. Now that they've succeeded to the throne, they're still the same.

After being turned away at Weiyang Palace, I went to Chonghua Palace, only to find that the Empress Dowager had a headache and went to bed early.

After being turned away twice, Shen Yuchen went to the Empress's Phoenix Palace in a huff.

Then Qingque informed her that Wen Yuening had gone to Master Sui'an's place to listen to his sermons and had not yet returned.

Shen Yuchen felt that he hadn't checked the almanac today, and that's why he was running into obstacles everywhere.

"Bring me that book of policy essays that I didn't finish reading a few days ago. I'm waiting for the Empress."

"Slave, go now."

Qingque curtsied and went to the small study to fetch the book Shen Yuchen needed, and then ordered someone to prepare a bowl of iced cheese.

They also added a lot of ice to the ice tanks placed in the inner palace so that people wouldn't feel too hot.

Around 19:30 PM, Wen Yuening returned, feeling drowsy.

Upon entering the inner hall, one could see Shen Yuchen sitting at his desk, intently flipping through the book in his hands.

"When did Your Majesty arrive? Qingque is here too. Why didn't you send someone to Fuhe Palace to deliver a message?"

"It's alright. Usually, it's the Empress who waits for me. Today, it's my turn to wait for the Empress."

Wen Yuening dismissed everyone, "Your Majesty has come so early today, is there something you wish to discuss with me?"

"I should return to Xingde Palace in four days. Please forgive me, Empress."

Yes, according to tradition, the emperor and empress must eat and live together for ten days after their wedding. After that, they will rest at the Phoenix Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month, and the rest of the time will be arranged by the emperor himself.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Since I have agreed to Your Majesty's promise that day, I naturally dare not ask for anything more."

Wen Yuening's face was expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Only she knew how heartbroken she was.

The next day, Shen Sangwan was awakened by the shouts of the soldiers on the training ground.

She slept on the bed in the military tent until her back ached and her whole body felt uncomfortable.

She silently scolded herself for being so delicate.

Mo Yun had returned sometime earlier and was waiting outside the tent.

Why are you standing here?

Upon exiting the military tent, one could see Mo Yun standing motionless outside.

"Your Highness is afraid that no one will serve you."

Having been here for so long, she has become somewhat adept at wearing complicated and cumbersome clothes, but she is still not very skilled at tying belts, and each time the belt ends up in a strange shape.

Therefore, they would dress themselves and call Shuyi to tie their clothes.

"Come in and re-fasten my belt."

Mo Yun is incredibly skilled; she can wield swords and spears, handle embroidery needles, and style fashionable hair into trendy buns.

"In the future, you should call Shuyun back."

"I obey my orders."

Before leaving, he gave Mo Ran a few instructions, and the two rode back to the palace.

Shu Yan (Cen Yan, this is the name she will be referred to from now on) has recovered from her injuries thanks to the system's "premium" medicine, and she can now move around freely.

The kitchen staff initially thought that Shuyan had offended the Princess, but then Shuyi came to the kitchen again.

They were told to make several more bowls of chilled honey lychee according to Shuyan's recipe and send them to the Empress Dowager and the Empress's palace. They were immediately on high alert.

They secretly thought that this was because she had won the favor of the eldest princess. If they had known this would happen, they shouldn't have tormented Shuyan like that in the first place.

They worked in fear and trepidation all afternoon, afraid that the princess would suddenly turn on them and punish them.

But no news came by nightfall, and they breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Shuyi, bring me two more bowls of chilled honey lychee. It's so hot and dry these days, even traveling early in the morning."

"Your Highness, please rest for a while. This servant will go to the kitchen and ask them to make a few more bowls."

"Wait a minute! Where's Shuyan?"

Shen Sangwan looked around the hall but couldn't find Shuyan anywhere, and her heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that something went wrong while I was away all night?

"This servant has arranged for her to stay in Fuyu Pavilion, which is cooler and more suitable for her to recuperate."

"Alright, I'll go to Fuyu Pavilion to see her. You can take the things there."

"The slaves retire."