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

The bamboo window was half-open, and a gentle breeze, carrying the noise of summer, rustled the leaves.

Looking out the window, I saw Shuyan engrossed in drawing something on her desk, her expression very serious.

It is indeed much cooler here than in the main hall, but unfortunately the princess is sensitive to the cold and should not sleep in a cold place at night.

In the past, people only came here to practice swordsmanship or to go up to the high-rise buildings to see the bustling scene of Zhongdu.

"Your Highness!"

The palace servants bowed in an orderly fashion, and Shen Sangwan waved for them to leave.

"Little Yan Yan, I'm telling you, I almost didn't make it back, waaaaah—"

Once everyone was alone, Shen Sangwan rushed to Shuyan's side, buried herself in her arms, and cried.

"Shen Sangwan, you're becoming more and more schizophrenic, I'm starting to not recognize you anymore."

Shuyan pushed the person away with some disgust, and due to the impact, the ink from the brush in her hand dripped onto the rice paper.

It got a small stain, but thankfully it doesn't affect the overall appearance.

"Little Yan Yan, these things you drew might be difficult to make. Also, they're quite novel; won't others become suspicious?"

Shen Sangwan leaned over for a look, somewhat worried.

"I really don't like wearing this bellyband. Sometimes I wish I didn't wear it at all, but in the summer, when we wear so little, I have no choice but to wear it."

"This is worn close to the body under clothing, and there's usually no one else around, so there's no fear of being seen."

Shuyan picked up her brush and continued painting; she only needed a few details to complete the work.

"Most of the fabrics in this palace are brocade, which is fine for outerwear, but not very suitable for underwear. Hmm—! I wonder if they have any silk satin, which would be suitable for making bras."

Shen Sangwan tilted her head and muttered to herself.

"When Shuyi arrives, I'll go ask her."

"You said you almost didn't make it back, what happened?"

"Waaaaah, my little Yan Yan has finally gotten back to the point and knows she cares about me."

Shu Yan frowned, glanced at Shen Sangwan, and said irritably, "You are the eldest princess of Nan Jing Kingdom, a female general who commands a large army. Do you think someone would want to assassinate you?"

"My little Yan Yan really understands me the most. There were fifty assassins, and a leader whose gender was unknown. They were extremely vicious. If it weren't for the system, I might have died in the wilderness."

Although Shen Sangwan's tone was calm, Shuyan finally realized that the other party was not joking, but had really encountered an assassination attempt.

"No way, Shen Sangwan, you just left the palace and your luck is this bad? Are you kidding me? You even dared to assassinate someone? Aren't you afraid that if the young emperor finds out, he'll wipe out their entire family?"

Shuyan was greatly shocked and very puzzled.

Anyone with a brain knows that the current young emperor is a doting older brother who adores his sister, so how could he dare to provoke Shen Sangwan?

“I have already sent someone to investigate. After you finish crying to me, I’ll see when my younger brother has some free time. I’ll go and cry to him too.”

Acting is really tiring!

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Shen Sangwan silently rolled her eyes. Was this guy's reaction time too slow? He was only asking her now if she was injured.

"He won't die."

Shu Yan was startled by Shen Sangwan's words. She immediately put down her pen and sniffed the other person all over.

"Hey, are you a dog? What are you sniffing?"

Fortunately, there was no smell of blood, which means everything is fine.

"My nose is the most sensitive. You're not injured. Don't delay my business. Go, go, go, sit over there."

Shen Sangwan pouted and sat unhappily on the soft couch, with a chessboard on the low table.

Bored out of her mind, she started playing Gomoku by herself.

"Shuyi, what's going on? I've been at Fuyu Pavilion for ages, why haven't these chilled honey lychees arrived yet?"

Just as he finished speaking, Shuyi came in carrying a food box.

"Your Highness, Sister Shuchun just came to deliver a message that the Empress Dowager requests your presence at Chonghua Palace, where His Majesty is also present."

Two bowls of chilled honey lychees were brought out, one with ice and the other without.

Shen Sangwan glanced at Shuyi.

"The Empress Dowager has instructed that His Highness should not consume too many cold or raw foods."

With the Empress Dowager's support, Shuyi felt more daring and confident.

"Then how do you know that I didn't eat both bowls by myself?"

"Your Highness has always been careful not to eat the same food twice in a row, and I have always remembered that."

Upon hearing this, both Shu Yan and Shen Sangwan's eyes darkened, and they said no more.

Shen Sangwan ate a few bites in a hurry and then took Shuyi to Chonghua Palace.

In the sweltering heat, a bright red begonia-patterned gauze curtain embroidered with gold and silver threads hangs on the window. When the wind blows, the gauze sways and seems to carry a warm, fragrant scent.

It seemed to be the first time she had formally come to Chonghua Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.

"Your son greets your mother."

"Ah Wan, come sit down and let's talk."

The Empress Dowager smiled and waved to Shen Sangwan, "The newly made chilled lychees in your palace are very refreshing. Your Majesty and I are both very pleased."

"Since Your Majesty likes it, then I will have someone teach the recipe to the Imperial Kitchen staff. Whenever Your Majesty wants to eat it, just have them make it and send it to you."

Shen Sangwan sat down next to the Empress Dowager.

Well—she didn't really want to either.

But whenever she sat in any other seat, the Empress Dowager's gaze seemed to be filled with resentment, as if she had committed some heinous crime.

"I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuchen quickly spoke up, "Sister, those meddlesome courtiers only care about my harem. Eight out of ten of their memorials are about taking concubines, and the other two are just trivial matters of state."

At this moment, Shen Yuchen had no idea that the more important memorials had already been filtered out by the left and right prime ministers when they reached the central province.

It was nothing more than trivial matters that I asked him to review.

The Empress Dowager and Shen Sangwan sensed something was amiss, but Shen Yucheng remained oblivious, like a little fool.

"Since they are bored, they should have someone find some thin horses and send them to the residences of those court officials, as a special reward for their hard work in serving the country."

Several ministers in the capital are extremely afraid of their wives. If the current emperor were to suddenly bestow several beauties upon them, there would surely be a good show to watch.

"Ah Wan, don't be silly."

The Empress Dowager lowered her voice and reprimanded him.

"Mother, I am not being foolish. The Emperor and Empress have been married for less than half a month, and they are all rushing to send their daughters into the palace. What are their intentions? Do you not know, Mother?"

The new emperor is young and his mind is not yet mature, so this is the best time to manipulate him. Naturally, it is necessary to send people in as soon as possible. Once they gain favor, whispering sweet nothings in the emperor's ear is better than any other method.

"I like my sister's method. Although it's not very respectable, it can suppress the arrogance of those ministers, and it makes me feel much better."

Shen Yuchen ignored the Empress Dowager's accusations, and even seemed to have a slight smile on his face.

It was as if I could already see those ministers being chased and scolded by their own wives.

[Master, can you see the quest panel?]

"Huh? What do you mean?"

One of your tasks is to send beautiful women to the ministers in court who have most frequently advised against taking concubines.

〖 ？ ？ 〗

"No way! Hitomi, what are you doing? Don't cause trouble!"

It would be more reasonable for her younger brother, who is not her biological brother, to do this kind of thing!

【Master, you have five days to complete this mission.】

〖......〗

This system has some problems, more or less.

She has to come up with the list of concubines, and she has to take charge of disciplining the court officials. Will there be even more bizarre tasks to come?

It's true that free things are often the most expensive.

What a load of rubbish! What a ridiculous compensation package! What free use of items! Ugh!

"I'll take care of this."

The Empress Dowager and Shen Yuchen both turned their heads, their eyes showing obvious doubt.

"If Ah Chen were to do such a thing, it would more or less damage the emperor's dignity."

"But sister..."

"Achen, you only need to be a perfect and wise ruler. I will take care of the rest. I will also take responsibility for the criticisms from the court officials."

Hmm! It sounds better when you talk than when you sing.

Shen Yuchen will bear the holy name, while Shen Sangwan will bear the infamy. Tsk tsk tsk, even she herself is moved to tears by what she said.

She truly is the best older sister in the world.

【Master, you are so hypocritical. Xiaotong despises you.】

[Roll, roll, roll—!]

I think the main system will drive me crazy someday.

[Ahem, Master, a new quest has been triggered.]

〖 ？ ？ 〗

[Reassure Empress Wen Yuening; ten-day time limit; hidden gift pack available.]

〖 ？ ？ 〗

Shen Sangwan was full of questions.

"What could Miss Wen possibly have that I should try to comfort? She's the Empress, and there aren't any other concubines causing trouble in the harem right now. The Emperor and Empress's honeymoon isn't even over yet, so what could she possibly have to worry about?"

Master, I am merely a machine that broadcasts missions and has no emotions.

Xiaotong's perfunctory attitude was practically overflowing, and her sarcastic tone made people want to punch her.

"Xiaotong, I really want to drag you out and beat you up, even if the person who DIY'd you was a girl! My temper is just...!"

【...】

Xiao Tong started pretending to be dead, ignoring Shen Sangwan's incompetent accusations.

"Sister, you've already done so much for me."

“When our Ah Chen is able to stand on his own, then I can truly let go completely and let Ah Chen be an eagle soaring through the sky.”

Shen Yuchen looked at Shen Sangwan with even more admiration and awe.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered the relevant information the system had found for her when she first arrived.

If this were a task to win over the young emperor, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?

He's definitely a spoiled brat; right now, Shen Sangwan would probably agree to any condition he set, except asking him to kill the Empress Dowager.

The only thing she was given was to help the young emperor ascend the throne, and the damn system even took it upon itself to select the hell mode. It's just too much.

"Don't cry. Don't you remember what you said in the pavilion that day?"

This time, Shen Yuchen's eyes only reddened slightly, a much more restrained reaction than the previous two days.

I must say, the progress is quite rapid.

"Sister, I didn't cry."

Shen Yuchen sniffed, trying to appear calm, but his voice sounded a little strange.

“Yeah, there’s progress.”

“Awan, don’t always protect your brother. There are some things he needs to learn and grow on his own.”

"Your Majesty's reprimand is correct. I will return to the Princess's residence in a few days and let my younger brother Chen think it over himself."

"You! I really can't do anything with you."

Shen Sangwan smiled and gently shook the Empress Dowager's arm, her expression slightly coquettish.

The Empress Dowager's complexion was normal, with no significant change.

On the other hand, Shen Yuchen's face showed an expression of disbelief, which then suddenly turned into anger.

"When did his older sister learn to act cute?"

"Damn it, it wasn't even aimed at him."

"Suddenly I feel that my mother is such an eyesore, and my elder sister is clearly his."

Shen Sangwan glanced at it out of the corner of her eye, and her heart skipped a beat.

[Hey Xiaotong, Shen Yuchen probably doesn't have a sister complex, right?]

I noticed something strange about the look in his eyes, and it made me a little uneasy.

【...】

Xiao Tong remained silent. She simply didn't want to talk to Shen Sangwan, but who knew that the other party would directly assume that she had agreed with what she said.

"Waaah, Xiaotong, don't scare me! I'm a scaredy-cat!"

[Wasn't he supposed to be a "sister-obsessed guy"? Now he's got a sister complex too!]

"Oh no, Xiaotong, what should I do?"

"We're not playing around with orthopedics!"

Xiao Tong was speechless at Shen Sangwan's unfounded affections.

[Master, please take a rest. Aren't you tired with all that inner monologue?]

"Little Tong, you did this on purpose."

Shen Sangwan felt that she was being too passive. She needed to take some time to study how to fix this broken system.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to tolerate Xiaotong sometimes getting too carried away.

"We've been talking for quite a while now, and it's almost lunchtime. Ah Chen, go back to Phoenix Palace to keep the Empress company!"

"My son, please retire."

Shen Yuchen was still lost in thought about how to win Shen Sangwan's heart when he was interrupted by the Empress Dowager's loud voice and reluctantly left Chonghua Palace.

He hadn't eaten with his older sister in a long time.

"Since I have some free time, I've shamelessly stayed to dine with Mother. Please don't find me disrespectful."

"Ah Wan, you're still the same as when you were little, always so cheeky."

After the Empress Dowager woke up from her coma and nightmare that day, she just kept hugging Shen Sangwan and apologizing.

So much so that Shen Sangwan herself didn't know what was wrong with the other person.

At first, I thought the Empress Dowager had gone mad from the shock, but after talking for a long time, I realized that she had truly accepted me.

She felt a little relieved, but during that conversation, the other party would occasionally say things that puzzled her.

Once or twice is fine, but after it happens many times, she inevitably becomes suspicious.

"Does Your Majesty dislike this? If Your Majesty dislikes it, I will not mention it again in the future."

"No, Mother is just feeling a bit sentimental. Awan, please don't take it to heart."

Shen Sangwan held the other person's hand and gently stroked it.

Having such a mother is truly a blessing in life.

She really envied the eldest princess, whose parents still had a deep affection for each other even in an era when men had multiple wives and concubines.

She has parents who truly love her, and a younger brother who wholeheartedly cherishes her.

She still felt uneasy about taking advantage of someone else's good fortune, but that greed also raged and occupied her entire heart.

She condemned herself while simultaneously taking it all for granted.

Shen Sangwan, you deserve to die!

[Master, have you lost your mind? Why are you scolding yourself?]

[You're actually quite nice when you're not talking. It's a perfectly good system, but it just had to grow a mouth.]

[Master, stop being so sarcastic. If I ever get angry, I won't assign you any missions, and you'll suffer the consequences.]

〖......〗

This is outrageous! This is absolutely outrageous!