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

As dusk fell, the last rays of sunlight streamed into the room through the window, casting a somewhat dim light.

The two pots of pear blossom wine that Shen Sangwan gave to Wen Yuening were all drunk up today.

I lay face down on the table, my vision blurred, and I gradually lost my hearing.

In her daze, Wen Yuening seemed to see a female general dressed in red and silver armor walking slowly from outside the palace, her feet treading on the breeze.

"Ah Ning, I've come to pick you up—"

Wen Yuening smiled and gently raised her hand, but the moment she touched the other person, she was pulled onto a desolate battlefield.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the ruins, the fading cries of agony echoed in the wind, the piled-up wreckage was grotesque and terrifying, and the heavy stench of blood nearly suffocated her.

The color of blood blurred before my eyes; the corpse wrapped in horsehide was a scene of utter devastation.

Looking around, corpses littered the ground, and fear gripped Wen Yue Ning's heart.

Looking back, her female general, spear in hand, stood atop the city wall, pierced by a thousand arrows.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty—!"

It sounded like someone was calling her, but Wen Yuening couldn't hear it clearly.

The scene before me changed several times, but it was all blurry and unclear.

"Your Majesty—!"

Wen Yuening was woken up by Qingque, her mind still a little dazed. The wine today was particularly intoxicating.

"What's the matter?"

"Eunuch Fu'an, who serves His Majesty, has informed us that His Majesty will be resting at Fengluan Palace tonight."

Ten days had passed since the Emperor and Empress's wedding, and Shen Yuchen did not need to stay overnight at Fengluan Palace.

Since making a deal with Shen Yucheng, Wen Yuning was quite happy that he wouldn't come to her palace, which would save her a lot of trouble.

"You can prepare as you see fit; why bother calling me?"

Qingque assumed that her mistress was drunk and talking nonsense. "Your Majesty, you have drunk too much. This servant will have someone prepare a hangover soup right away."

"What time?"

"It was just past 18:00 (the fourth quarter of the hour of You)."

Wen Yuening exhaled a breath of stale air and, with Qingque's help, shakily stood up.

"Would Your Majesty like to order a meal?"

"Prepare water, I wish to take a bath."

There was actually a bathhouse behind the side hall, but Wen Yuening had never gone there since moving into the Phoenix Palace.

Qingque and Qingluan were puzzled, but never asked. Every time Wen Yuening wanted to take a bath, they would carry the water to the side room next to the main hall and use a bath tub for soaking.

Qingque, worried that Wen Yuening might get into trouble after drinking, waited behind the screen.

Sure enough, less than an incense stick's time after a person had been soaking in the water, a "plop" was heard.

Qingque peeked out and saw Wen Yuening's entire body submerged in the water, with several bubbles rising to the surface.

"Your Majesty—!"

Wen Yuening was in a daze, and her mind was still a little confused after she was pulled out.

"Mother, are you okay?"

"cough cough..."

Wen Yuening coughed twice and then asked Qingque to bring her a nightgown to wear.

The moonlight was clear, and the stars in the night sky were arranged like a net. She leaned against the window frame, gazing at the dappled moonlight scattered on the ground, which looked just like dust and frost.

"Your Majesty, I have ordered someone to prepare a bowl of hangover soup. Please drink it and feel better."

Qingluan carried a bowl of brown soup, which emitted a faint hawthorn aroma.

Wen Yuening picked up the soup bowl and drank it down in one gulp.

"Has His Majesty said when he will arrive?"

The breeze was a little hot, ruffling the strands of hair hanging down her temples. Wen Yuening stared at the crescent moon, her hazy eyes misting over with a faint fog of tears.

"Eunuch Fu'an only said that His Majesty would come to Fengluan Palace in the evening, but did not mention the time."

Meanwhile, Shen Sangwan, who was currently perched on the palace wall, kept cursing that the main system was a piece of trash.

Who the hell would stay up all night and sneak into someone else's bedroom to climb over the wall and admire the moon? I have no idea what's wrong with them.

【Master, since you're already here, why don't you... go in and say hello?】

I'll swear to your grandpa.

Shuyun sat on the wall next to Shen Sangwan, her hands folded in front of her chest, completely puzzled as to what was wrong with her master.

He summoned her out of nowhere, and then had to take her to climb the Empress's palace walls. How strange, how strange!

[My lord, the task of enjoying the moon with the Empress is complete, but a new side quest has been triggered.]

〖@%“@*！〗

〖explain--!〗

Shen Sangwan clung tightly to the eaves, afraid of falling if she wasn't careful.

Spend at least ten minutes with Empress Wen Yuening to build a closer relationship and cultivate feelings between them.

"I guess I'm with her too..."

【Master, it has to be face-to-face!】

"Are you kidding me? I'm climbing over someone's wall in the middle of the night, and you expect me to greet them? Are you out of your mind?"

"Besides, what feelings did I develop with her, what relationship did I get closer to? She's my cheap brother's empress, married with great pomp and circumstance, a proper marriage!"

After mentally shouting, Shen Sangwan had a flash of inspiration, opened her mouth, and then slowly closed it again.

"Xiaotong, tell me the truth, what exactly is my main quest?"

[Supporting Shen Yuchen to ascend the throne, the day the new emperor firmly sits on the throne, is the day you, my lord, retire as a meritorious official!]

"You dare lie to me again—?"

[Master, if I deceive the host, the main system will punish me.]

"Then tell me honestly, besides assisting Shen Yuchen, what are the other side quests?"

【...】

〖say--!〗

【...】

"If you don't speak, you'll never be able to speak again. If you piss me off, I'll turn you into a baby, the kind that just babble all day long."

Master, you're ruthless.

To tell or not to tell?

[Strategy to win over Empress Wen Yuening and steal your brother's man.]

〖......〗

"No wonder, no wonder, no wonder it's called the 'Poaching System,' you guys are really cunning. I'm quitting!"

Shen Sangwan was so angry that she forgot she was still lying on the palace wall. Shuyun also did not expect Shen Sangwan to suddenly turn over.

"Bam—!"

The sound of a heavy object falling caught the attention of Wen Yue Ning, who was perched on the window frame.

"who--?"

Fortunately, the ground below was soil suitable for growing flowers and plants; otherwise, falling from that high palace wall could have resulted in broken arms and legs.

Before the person inside the window could shout that there was an assassin, Shen Sangwan spoke up and introduced herself.

"Your Highness?"

Wen Yuening was somewhat uncertain. She put on an outer garment and, together with Qingque and Qingluan, left the main hall, circled around to the corridor, and slowly approached, carrying a lantern.

Shen Sangwan lingered on the ground for a while before slowly getting up and brushing all the dirt off her body.

Qingluan brought the lamp closer, and after confirming that it was Shen Sangwan, she and Qingque knelt on the ground together, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness the Princess."

"No gift."

Shen Sangwan's face was full of embarrassment. She thought that she had just given the other party a hard time a few days ago, and now he was sneaking around here again. It was really strange.

Looking up at the red wall, Shuyun was nowhere to be seen.

"Your Highness, why are you here instead of at the Princess's residence tonight?"

Shen Sangwan's eyes darted around, she really hadn't thought of what to say.

"Hmm... Well, I was checking on the Imperial Guards' patrols, and it seems they've left me quite disappointed."