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

Upon returning to the Princess's residence, Shen Sangwan fell asleep immediately. Before going to sleep, she specifically instructed Shuyi not to wake her, even if the sky were to fall.

Then, by sheer coincidence, King Ming and Yue Xin arrived at their door with gifts they had prepared beforehand.

When Steward Qi Bo came to report, Shu Yi felt a headache coming on. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to go to the East Garden to find Shu Yan.

"Sister Shuyan, I see that your relationship with His Highness is quite special. Why don't you go and ask His Highness to get up?"

Shuyan was drawing up accounting samples at her desk by the red window when she saw Shuyi coming and got up to greet her.

"What do you mean by that, Sister Shuyi?"

“His Highness Prince Ming has arrived, but Princess Chang has already retired after returning home from the morning court session. Before going to bed, she instructed that no one should disturb her, no matter what happens.”

"In that case, wouldn't it be better for Sister Shuyi to have Qibo refuse His Highness Prince Ming?"

Shu Yi glanced sideways, and after a brief moment of thought, suppressed her doubts. "Prince Ming is no ordinary person. In the past, His Highness instructed that when Prince Ming comes to visit, he must be treated with the utmost courtesy."

Now it was Shuyan's turn to be puzzled. She had previously discussed the political situation with Shen Sangwan. The Prince of Ming was backed by the Duke's Mansion and had also married the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He was clearly someone who was not good for Emperor Shen Yujing. Why was he treated with courtesy?

“Since you say so, I will give it a try.”

Shuyan raised the corners of her mouth slightly and gave a slight bow.

Shuyi felt relieved when she heard Shuyan agree, and she lowered her head and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

Shen Sangwan's room is in the main courtyard. To get there from the East Garden, you have to pass through two covered corridors, go through a small passageway, and walk along a pebbled path.

At the time, Shen Sangwan actually refused to live so far away from Shuyan, but she couldn't resist the other's coaxing, saying that it was not only quiet there, but also had a beautiful view.

It's rare for her to act cute like that, so how could she not spoil her?

They immediately arranged accommodations for him.

Previously, Shuyi thought she had misunderstood her prince, but this action made her realize that Shuyan was the beauty pampered by her prince.

Since leaving the palace and moving into the Princess's residence, she has never been assigned any tasks. Instead, she has inquired about every little detail of what she lacks and made arrangements accordingly.

Shu Yan thought that Shen Sangwan had instructed her to do all of this, but little did she know that it was all arranged by Shu Yi.

Half an hour had passed since Shen Sangwan left court. Shuyan figured that an hour of nap should be enough, right?

She was also a little scared, after all, Shen Sangwan's unpredictable morning grumpiness was something she couldn't handle!

Shuyi noticed Shuyan's hesitant hand, her eyebrows twitched slightly, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something but held back.

"At worst, let her scold us. It wouldn't be good if it delayed things."

Shuyan encouraged herself, then gently pushed open the door and cautiously approached the bed.

Upon seeing the other person's sleeping posture, his face immediately fell.

Fortunately, Shuyi didn't come in.

It's as ugly as ever.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

Shen Sangwan smacked her lips, seemingly dreaming of something delicious, and was probably enjoying it immensely.

After Shuyan called out twice, Shen Sangwan, who was lying sprawled on the bed, did not respond at all.

He leaned closer, pinched her cheek, and whispered in her ear, "Shen Sangwan, Chu Meng booked the whole place today and invited a lot of handsome men and beautiful women. If you don't wake up soon, you won't get a chance to be with any of the beauties."

The other party still didn't react, which surprised Shuyan. Usually, this trick always worked when the other party was reluctant to get out of bed.

If you're lucky, the other person will wake up smiling; if you're unlucky, they'll get a scolding if they're grumpy in the morning.

Why is there no movement today?

So he slapped Shen Sangwan's cheeks hard, "Shen Sangwan, your wife ran away!"

"Who—? Who ran away?"

Shen Sang was half asleep when she felt an annoying mosquito buzzing incessantly near her ear.

Hearing the word "wife," he suddenly woke up with a start, looked closely, and saw that it was Shuyan. He kicked her.

"Xiao Yan Yan, you owe me my wife!"

"Are you out of your mind? Where did you get a wife? Get up now, the King of Light is here."

Shen Sangwan wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and got out of bed somewhat impatiently.

"That's all because of you—!"

"Heh—, Shen Sangwan, please get this straight, it's you who ruined my love life, not me who cut off yours."

Even though the other person was trying to seduce her, all the men who got close to her were driven away, leading others to believe that the other person liked her, which in turn killed off her own romantic prospects.

I haven't even settled accounts with her yet, and now she's the one making the accusation.

Shen Sangwan knew she was in the wrong and did not argue.

"What brings Prince Ming to the Princess's residence?"

"I was only responsible for waking you up; I know nothing else."

Having completed her task, Shuyan turned and left, letting Shuyi help Shen Sangwan with her makeup, before returning to the East Garden.

"Your Highness's beloved is indeed extraordinary."

Shuyan's position in Shuyi's heart seems to have risen to another level. She has decided to keep a close eye on the group of beauties in the West Garden, so as not to ruin their relationship.

After all, Shuyan was easy to talk to, and they had always been familiar and close.

Compared to people with unclear backgrounds, Shuyan made her feel more at ease.

This is a hot commodity, she has to cling to him.

Today, Shen Yujing wore an indigo blue robe with silver-threaded cloud and auspicious patterns embroidered on the collar. A piece of high-quality black jade, seemingly rough in shape, hung on his belt. It was ancient and profound.

The indigo clothes made Shen Yujing's face look even paler. His cheeks were thin, his cheekbones were high, and his eye sockets were slightly sunken. He looked like someone who would die young.

When Shen Sangwan caught a glimpse of the jade at her waist, her eyes darkened, and the fleeting emotion she showed was too much for Shen Yujing to grasp.

Qi Bo had tea and fruit served to Shen Yujing, but Shen Yujing didn't touch them.

"What brings you here today, Fourth Brother?"

Shen Sangwan sat naturally in the main seat, maintaining the airs of a princess with a serious expression.

"Ah Jing greets her elder sister."

With Yue Xin's help, Shen Yujing stood up and bowed to Shen Sangwan.

On the day Shen Yujing and Shen Yuchen got into a fight in Xingde Hall, Shen Sangwan didn't see her unrelated younger brother. She thought that even if he was in poor health, he should be a normal person, but she didn't expect him to be sickly.

No wonder he couldn't even beat twelve-year-old Shen Yuchen. With his sickly appearance, even a five or six-year-old child could probably knock him over.

She couldn't help but wonder if the Empress Dowager's intention in deliberately provoking Shen Yuchen to fight with her that day was merely to give Consort Lan an excuse to cry to the late Emperor.

With that small frame, isn't she afraid of being accidentally killed by Shen Yuchen?

After all, the Empress Dowager and Shen Yuchen consider my background a taboo subject; touching it would mean certain death.

"I am not feeling well and have not been able to see my elder sister since she returned to the capital. Now that she has left the palace and is living in the Princess's residence, I must come to pay my respects."

He had barely finished speaking when he couldn't help but cough twice, covering his mouth.

"Xiaotong, check on his physical condition."

[My lord, the King is in good health and has no illness.]

Pretending?