Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Your Majesty, although Northern Yan is weak, it has just experienced a war, and the people have not yet recovered from the war. At this moment... it is not appropriate."

Ye Mo shook his head and conveyed to Jiang Mengxuan that now was not the best time to destroy Northern Yan.

Jiang Mengxuan frowned slightly. After a moment's thought, she realized that the reality was just as described, so she temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​destroying Northern Yan.

"Any news from the Song state?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mo's cheek twitched slightly.

"Your Majesty, the Song Kingdom is currently in an uproar over the matter of reforms."

"political reform?"

Jiang Mengxuan showed a surprised expression.

Ye Mo smiled sarcastically: "Yes, the Song Dynasty uses the slogan of self-improvement as its motto and attempts to transform the Song Dynasty through reforms."

These words filled the entire Imperial Palace with an eerie atmosphere.

Shen Lang frowned and whispered to Jiang Shangxian, who was standing beside him, "What's going on? What kind of trouble has occurred with the reforms in Song?"

Jiang Shangxian leaned close to Shen Lang's ear and whispered, "You just came back from Southeast Asia, so it's understandable that you don't know. Let me tell you..."

The reforms in the State of Song became a laughing stock, lasting only a month.

They haven't accomplished a single thing. Most importantly, do you even know who advocated for reform?

"who is it?"

"Ye Fan, who was kicked out of his home and removed from the clan by Ye Mo."

"What?"

Shen Lang was also surprised, never expecting that Ye Fan would be in charge of this reform.

The outcome is obvious; it would be a miracle if it succeeded.

As expected, Ye Mo composed himself and replied, "Your Majesty, according to the information I have gathered, the reforms in Song are entirely based on the national system of Wu Zhao."

The comprehensive reforms, encompassing land taxes, commercial taxes, official systems, and even the military system, resulted in widespread discontent throughout the court and among the public.

Within just one month, the reform had already begun to crumble.

As he said this, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous for himself.

Fortunately, Ye Fan was removed from the Ye family's register; otherwise, not only would I have lost all face, but the Ye family would have been ridiculed as well.

Jiang Mengxuan also found it amusing. Historically, reforms have always been carried out gradually. How could such a comprehensive change be carried out all at once?

It can only be said that Ye Fan completely misunderstands the ways of officialdom and lacks sufficient patience. It is truly incomprehensible that the Song Dynasty would place its hopes on such a person.

However, this is, after all, a matter concerning another country, and Jiang Mengxuan respects other people's choices, so she naturally will not interfere.

But when she heard what Ye Mo said next, she completely lost her composure.

"In addition, the Song state recently assembled an army of 250,000 men, named the Northern Expeditionary National Protection Army, which has already marched in great numbers to the northern border and is heading towards Xiangzhou Prefecture."

"What, the Song army is launching a northern expedition?"

Jiang Mengxuan was deeply shocked.

"During my absence from the capital, did the Song army engage in any arms trade with the Chu Kingdom?"

Ye Mo shook his head: "No."

"Then, how dare they choose this time to launch a northern expedition?"

It's no wonder Jiang Mengxuan was shocked; she couldn't understand why the Song Dynasty would choose this time to launch a northern expedition. Weren't they afraid of retaliation from the Jin?

In fact, not only Jiang Mengxuan, but Shen Lang was also completely bewildered.

He didn't know what Ye Fan was thinking, or even Emperor Zhao Huan of Song. Was he also brainless?

The Jin dynasty is strong while the Song dynasty is weak; this is an objective factor. The best approach in this situation is to play cautiously and develop your strength, and never be reckless.

They didn't cherish the breathing space they had finally managed to buy for the Song Kingdom? They're determined to destroy themselves, aren't they?

These two, Zhuge Liang and Feng Xiao, truly possessed some wondrous and profound thoughts.

"The affairs of the Song state must be closely monitored. I have just returned to court today and have not yet been involved in many matters concerning the court and the people."

Tomorrow, the Six Ministries will compile the relevant government affairs into a book and send it to the Imperial Study. Today's court session is adjourned. Please proceed to the Celebration Hall for the banquet.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

……

As night fell, Jiang Mengxuan finished her bath and lay on her side on the bed in her palace, wearing only a semi-transparent gauze dress.

This caused Shen Lang, who had just finished bathing, to feel inexplicably thirsty.

"Ah Lang, come here."

The Empress called out softly, her gentle eyes seemingly possessing a faint, alluring magic that made Shen Lang feel dizzy.

With a slight lift of her jade-like hand, she revealed a slender, lotus-root-like arm, adding a touch of mystery to the already enchanting scenery.

The couple had been together for five years and had no secrets from each other.

But for some reason, Shen Lang was always inexplicably fascinated whenever he saw his wife's body, and he never felt the slightest bit disgusted by her.

“Xuan’er, you…”

"Come, sit down."

Jiang Mengxuan beckoned Shen Lang to her side, then sat up and rested her head on his shoulder, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

"Ah Lang, it's been months already. Shouldn't you fulfill your duties as a husband today, hmm?"

These captivating words gradually stripped Shen Lang of his rationality from his mind.

"Then tonight I will fulfill my duties as a husband."

As he spoke, Shen Lang was about to press down on him.

But as soon as he moved, Jiang Mengxuan stopped him with her jade-like fingers.

She said tenderly, "Ah Lang, I've always remembered your selfless dedication."

As your wife, I have nothing to give you except to try my best to satisfy you.

As she spoke, she took a sip of wine and brought it directly to Shen Lang's lips.

The liquor dripped from the corners of their mouths, wetting their clothes.

Touching his firm abs, Jiang Mengxuan couldn't help but smile, a delicate blush rising on her jade-like cheeks.

"Ah Lang, today, as your wife, I want to properly repay you for all your contributions over the years."

After saying that, she turned around, put her arms on the corner of the bed, turned her head to look at Shen Lang with a shy expression, and gave him an encouraging look.

"Xuan'er, you..."

This scene immediately caused the evil fire within Shen Lang to surge wildly.

He certainly understood the meaning behind Jiang Mengxuan's gesture.

"Ah Lang, remember to be gentle."

These words completely shattered Shen Lang's reason...

An hour later...

Exhausted, Jiang Mengxuan lay in the bathtub, recalling everything that had just happened.

With a change of mood, I unexpectedly experienced a completely different and unique experience.

She fainted two or three times in just a few cups of tea's time.

But driven by her competitive spirit, Jiang Mengxuan persevered.

In the end, he couldn't hold back any longer, completely lost consciousness, and woke up in this bathtub.

"What's the matter?"

Jiang Mengxuan held her head, completely baffled.

"Why do I always lose, even though I'm so good?"

"Yes, it must be because he hasn't adapted to the new method. Next time, next time I will definitely be able to bring Ah Lang down."

With a mix of confidence and shyness, she leaned against the edge of the bathtub and drifted off to sleep.

On the other side, Shen Lang stared speechlessly at the messy bed.

"This shouldn't be happening. Why am I finding it increasingly difficult to control my emotions? I want to be gentle, but I just can't help it."

"Forget it, I'm not going to think about these random things starting today."

With that thought in mind, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate, fully entering a state of enlightenment.