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

Xiao Tong chuckled twice; he was starting to resent his master going to cause trouble for the Empress.

In the side hall, Qingque was wiping Wen Yuening's body.

Upon seeing Shen Sang arrive late, he bowed to greet her.

"Are you feeling any better?"

[Your Majesty, why do you always ask the Empress such pointless questions?]

〖......〗

She didn't know why, but every time she saw him, she felt a flutter in her heart, followed by panic.

Sometimes I have to think things through carefully before I dare to speak, for fear of saying something wrong by mistake.

But sometimes it's like I went out without my brain, asking stupid questions without thinking.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Yue Ning is much better now. The female doctor came to check on the wound in her heart this morning. With the medicine applied on time, it will heal in less than half a month."

Qingluan gracefully entered carrying meat porridge and two side dishes. Just as she was about to say something, she looked up and saw Shen Sangwan was also there, and immediately stopped talking.

"This servant greets Your Highness."

"Ah."

Shen Sangwan responded softly, glancing at the food in the other person's hand, feeling puzzled.

"Why is this all you're eating? Even if you're worried about the wound, you shouldn't be eating such a bland diet."

Wen Yuening narrowed her eyes and slowly spoke, "I didn't have much of an appetite today, so I had Qingluan instruct the kitchen to cook some porridge. I wonder if Your Highness has had breakfast?"

"I got up early today and have already used it."

"I have other matters to attend to, so I will not disturb your meal. You should rest well."

Wen Yuening's fair and smooth face showed a pitiful look. Shen Sangwan was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would not be able to resist going up and hugging her.

"It's unbelievable! She's not Chairman Mao, so why is she so lovable?"

With her back to Wen Yuening, Shen Sangwan didn't see the other's drooping eyebrows and eyes. Her lips were slightly pursed, unable to hide her disappointment.

On the contrary, Qingque observed more closely.

"Respectfully seeing off the Imperial Sister."

Qingluan picked up the porcelain bowl, scooped up a spoonful of meat porridge, and brought it to Wen Yuening's lips, but the other woman had already lost her appetite.

"Put it there for now, I'm not hungry yet."

Qingluan, knowing it was still early and her mistress had just gotten up, obediently placed the meal on the table not far away.

"Your Highness, you... towards His Highness..."

Qingque hesitated, though she was born into the Wen family and had served Wen Yuening since childhood. However, there were some things she wanted to say that would be inappropriate.

Wen Yue Ning first sent Qing Luan away to do some work.

She parted her lips slightly and said slowly, "Although you and Qingluan are twin sisters, your personalities are different. I know you are very meticulous, and there are some things that I cannot hide from you, nor do I want to hide from you."

"Empress..."

"The young man I saw when I first went out of the palace to visit the lanterns for the Qixi Festival was Your Highness. I came to the palace for two reasons, one being my family and the other being for Your Highness."

"But Your Majesty, you are now the Empress, how can you harbor other feelings? If His Majesty and the Prime Minister were to find out, Your Majesty..."

Qingque didn't say what she was going to say next; that was a situation she didn't want to see.

"I know, I know everything. After entering the palace, I also thought about living a good life with His Majesty, but as you can see, His Majesty is wary of the Wen family at every turn and doesn't trust anyone. I want to do something for him, but I don't have the chance."

Although the news that the emperor and empress did not consummate their marriage on the night of their wedding had already spread throughout the palace.

However, during their ten-day honeymoon together, Shen Yuchen, partly to appease the Empress Dowager and partly to sign an agreement with Wen Yuening, chose to cut his arm and drip blood onto a handkerchief.

No one knew about this.

But Qingque had always known this, and she felt uneasy about it at the time, not knowing why the two of them were only superficially close.

Looking back now, it was nothing more than His Majesty's fear of the Wen family and his own young lady's affections for someone else.

"Even so, Your Highness, you cannot... If others seize upon this, the Prime Minister will surely abandon you and send the Second Miss into the palace instead."

Wen Yuening sighed and remained silent, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.

His eyes, seemingly smiling yet not smiling, carried undisguised sarcasm and mockery.

Her father valued official position, reputation, and status above all else.

To put it nicely, it's to consolidate the family's power; to put it bluntly, isn't it just trading their own daughter for future glory?

Well, for now, we can only take it one step at a time.

"My chest hurts a little. Please have the female physician take another look."

"Yes, slave, go right away."

After leaving the side hall, Shen Sangwan went to the main hall to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. At that moment, Xiao Tong's untimely voice rang out again.

[Master, a new main quest has been triggered. You need to attend the morning court session tomorrow!]

Shen Sangwan's happy face instantly darkened, and she felt extremely depressed.

"Damn it, who invented the early morning court session? 'No one gets up early without a reason' isn't this way of doing it!"

Tell me, who gets up before dawn every single day to go to work? Even capitalists don't go this far!

"Early morning court session? There's so much trivial stuff to discuss! I'm speechless."

Shen Sangwan cursed and swore the whole way from Chonghua Palace to Weiyang Palace, even glaring at the cracks in the brickwork along the way with resentful intent.

[Master, I feel like your resentment could feed ten evil sword immortals, and they'd probably burst from the suffocation.]

Has something gone wrong with the disaster relief efforts?

Wow, Master, you're so smart! No wonder the main system has taken a liking to you.

〖......〗

The system is sending me to court. Besides disaster relief, what other strange thing could be going on? Could someone be plotting a rebellion?

It's not that I'm smart, it's that you're incredibly stupid.

Xiaotong has become withdrawn again!

After returning to Weiyang Palace, Shen Sangwan asked Shuyi to retrieve the quiver from the storeroom, wrapped it up, and together they left the palace to return to the Princess's residence.

"Your Highness, Miss Cen from the Right Prime Minister's residence has sent a visiting card. Should we proceed as usual?"

Qi Bo handed Shen Sangwan a beautifully printed invitation.

〖in the past?〗

[Your Highness, the Eldest Princess and Miss Cen are on good terms. Every time she visits our residence, we prepare elaborate gifts for each other.]

"Well, take out the Qiling Fan from the storeroom, prepare the gift, and give it to Miss Cen when she leaves."

"Yes, old slave, go right away."

"Your Highness is back! I heard that Your Highness likes soft cheese, so I made some taro soft cheese myself. Would Your Highness like to try some?"

Shen Sangwan had just passed through the small passageway at the second gate and was about to turn onto the covered walkway to return to the East Garden to find Shuyan.

Suddenly, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared on the other side. Her slender figure was dressed in a light green silk robe, and her eyes were captivating.

"Where did this enchantress come from? She's so good at seducing people."

I retract what I said in the palace.

"These don't seem any less beautiful than my cheap brother's concubines. Tsk tsk tsk, look at their figures, their skin, their faces..."

【Master, Master, please control yourself! Stop drooling!】

"cough--!"

Shen Sangwan coughed lightly, "Which company delivered it to you? What's your name?"

"I am from Prince Sheng's residence. Your Highness may call me Shiyan."

Her alluring eyes closed shyly, her crimson lips parted in a smile.

A sentence involuntarily came to Shen Sangwan's mind.

Just as Shuyi took the food box from the woman, she saw Shuyan turn and leave around the corner not far away.