First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

Ning Hanshuang, filled with resentment, turned and went to the side hall.

She stayed in the side hall all night, and when dawn broke the next day, Mu Lingye showed no intention of summoning her.

Ning Hanshuang couldn't wait any longer and wanted to break out of the palace.

Just as she was clashing with the guards at the gate, Xu Decai arrived leisurely, smiling as he handed Ning Hanshuang a letter.

"Lord Ning, His Majesty left the palace yesterday after finishing his official business. This is a letter he left for you."

Things took an unexpected turn, and Ning Hanshuang had a bad feeling. She hurriedly tore open the envelope, only to find several lines of large characters written on it—

Mother, by the time you read this letter, your son-in-law will have already left the palace and is on his way to catch up with A-Xi. Please forgive me for leaving you behind in this way. You hold considerable prestige in the court, and the affairs of the court cannot function without you. I humbly request that you stay and oversee all matters, large and small, in the court. I will certainly bring A-Xi and Su-Li back to you safely.

Mu Lingye actually used this almost deceptive method to keep her in the palace.

Ning Hanshuang, realizing she had been tricked, was both angry and amused.

She held the letter, feeling depressed for a long time before finally resigning herself to her fate.

She believed that her two sons-in-law would bring their two daughters back together after they left one after the other.

Although Murong Yuan and Su Li have not yet married, or even confirmed their relationship, she has already accepted Murong Yuan as her son-in-law in her heart.

With Xu Decai's instructions, no one stopped Ning Hanshuang from leaving the side hall.

Ning Hanshuang clutched the letter and strode away from the side hall. Only after leaving the palace did she remember something.

Since Mu Lingye has decided to be a hands-off manager and keep her in the capital, he will definitely not take any more concubines.

Since no further decision has been made to take a concubine, why didn't you directly refuse the Left Chancellor and Prince Su yesterday, and instead agree to consider it?

Ning Hanshuang stood at the palace gate, lost in thought. Qin Yue, who had not returned all night, was already waiting at the palace gate in his carriage.

Seeing Ning Hanshuang standing at the palace gate for a long time without moving, he assumed that Ning Hanshuang had encountered something in the palace last night.

Qin Yue hurriedly jumped off the carriage and stepped forward to take Ning Hanshuang's cool fingers: "Shuang'er, has something happened? The Emperor... he's making things difficult for you."

When he said his last sentence, Qin Yue lowered his voice.

"No," Ning Hanshuang shook her head, "There's just something I can't figure out."

Qin Yue let out a heavy sigh upon hearing that Mu Lingye hadn't made things difficult for Ning Hanshuang, and pulled her towards the carriage. He continued in a low voice, "If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it. I reckon the Emperor is also angry because Xixi ran away from the palace. Guess what the Emperor did to Prince Su and the Left Prime Minister today?"

"What did you do?" Ning Hanshuang's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped in her tracks. It felt like someone had just handed her a pillow when she was about to doze off.

Qin Yue only had Ning Hanshuang in his heart and mind, so why would he hide anything from her? Without thinking, he confessed.

"The Emperor sent four beauties to both the Left Prime Minister's residence and the Prince Su's residence. The Left Prime Minister's residence and the Prince Su's residence were in an uproar. The Princess Consort of the Prince Su even declared that if the Prince Su dared to accept these four beauties, she would divorce him. But how could the Prince Su dare to refuse these four beauties, as they were a gift from the Emperor?"

In the end, Qin Yue even began to sympathize with Prince Su, putting him in a difficult position.

But in Ning Hanshuang's view, this was what she deserved.

Ning Hanshuang rolled her eyes at Qin Yue: "You still sympathize with them? It's all the fault of those two old scoundrels, Prince Su and the Left Prime Minister. Do you know what they said to the Emperor when they went to the palace yesterday?"

"What?" Qin Yue asked curiously.

Ning Hanshuang snorted coldly: "They wanted the Emperor to take concubines. Fine, now let them experience what it's like to take a concubine themselves. It's easy for them to talk, if taking concubines is so good, why don't they take them themselves? The Emperor's methods are truly brilliant."

"Given the lessons learned from Prince Su and the Left Chancellor, I believe no one in the court will dare to allow the Emperor to take concubines again."

Yes.

Even if you beat Prince Su to death, he wouldn't dare let Mu Lingye take a concubine.

Because he was currently kneeling on a washboard with a basin of water on his head. Ning Haitang was holding a feather duster and circling around him.

The cold, icy gaze that fell upon him sent chills down Prince Su's spine.

"Well, well, you've really made something of yourself. You've only been a powerful minister for a few days, and you've already learned how to keep beautiful women. It seems you really do find me, your princess consort, old and faded. In that case, why are you so stubbornly refusing to write a divorce agreement?"

Ning Haitang tapped her palm lightly with a feather duster. The way she did it made it seem as if the feather duster would land on Prince Su at any moment.

Prince Su was on the verge of tears: "Tang'er, I'm innocent! If I have any ill intentions towards you, may I be struck by lightning."

"Nobody would believe you." Ning Haitang spat. "If you had no ulterior motives, why did the eunuch who delivered the person to your door today say that the Emperor was acting on your request? Do you think I'm stupid, or that the Emperor is framing you?"

"Of course, His Majesty has wronged me." Prince Su felt like he had a mouth full of words, but he just couldn't explain himself.

Ning Haitang crossed her arms and laughed even louder: "Fine, since you say the Emperor is wronged, then tell me, why would the Emperor wrong you? Is he just bored?"

Prince Su's lips parted slightly, and to prove his innocence, he gritted his teeth and spoke the words that had been hidden in his heart: "Isn't it because I advised the Left Chancellor to take a concubine that he retaliated in kind? He's deliberately taking revenge on me!"

"What? You're asking the Emperor to take a concubine?" Ning Haitang's voice suddenly rose several times, almost deafening Prince Su.

Prince Su was so intimidated that he dared not speak again on the spot, remaining silent with his eyes lowered and his lips pressed tightly together.

Then, he clearly felt two sharp blows to his back.

"Heh, you fatso, you've really grown wings, daring to even arrange a concubine for your nephew-in-law. No wonder your nephew-in-law sent you beauties. You'll stay kneeling here today, and you're not allowed to get up until you've knelt for two hours."

Ning Haitang threw down the feather duster in her hand, turned and left. As for the four beauties, Ning Haitang did not return to the palace, but took it upon herself to find them good families to marry into.

She knew that since this was a reward given by Mu Lingye as a warning, he wouldn't really pursue the matter.

On the other hand, the same was true for the Left Prime Minister's residence.

The Prime Minister's wife chased him around the Prime Minister's residence twice before finally stopping. Then, the Prime Minister slept in his study for a full two weeks, and even then, his wife was still furious.

She declared that if the Left Prime Minister dared to advise the Emperor to take a concubine again, she would divorce him.

From then on, the Left Prime Minister never dared to mention the matter of arranging a concubine for Mu Lingye again.

Having witnessed the fates of the Left Chancellor and Prince Su, the court officials dared not entertain such thoughts again.

After all, harmony in the family brings prosperity, while unrest in the home leads to difficulties in everything.

Gu Junxi had no idea that Mu Lingye had effortlessly resolved a potential threat to her harem by simply running away from home for a day.

Even ordinary families often have multiple wives and concubines, yet Mu Lingye, a king, had the audacity to leave his harem empty for Gu Junxi. This matter quickly spread throughout the capital and then across the entire Sheng Kingdom.

Many people are praising Mu Lingye's deep affection.

The young emperor became the dream lover of all women, and the benchmark for finding a husband.

As the sun set, it painted the sky a golden hue. Wearing a straw hat and a black robe, Gu Junxi stepped into a restaurant bathed in the setting sun.

Gu Junxi ordered two plates of stir-fried dishes and three bowls of rice, and sat quietly in the corner.

Gu Junxi is now becoming increasingly sleepy and thinner, but she is also eating more and more.

The restaurant was bustling with business, and the shop was packed with people. Gu Junxi waited for a long time, but the stir-fry and rice still hadn't arrived.

She sat in her seat, nodding her head repeatedly, and began to doze off uncontrollably.

The sounds of other guests eating and talking filled the air.

"Have you heard? Our newly enthroned emperor is quite the romantic. The Left Prime Minister and Prince Su only offered a few words of advice to him about taking concubines, and he sent four beauties to each of their residences, causing chaos in both."

"That's really bad. The Left Prime Minister and Prince Su are known throughout our dynasty for being afraid of their wives. Now the Left Prime Minister and Prince Su are going to suffer a lot. Moreover, after this move, I'm afraid no one will dare to advise him to take a concubine again."

"Wouldn't that be better? The Emperor is willing to be with the Empress for life, so why should we put other women between them? That's not fair to the other women."

“Our new emperor is truly outstanding. Not only is he handsome and talented, but he is also devoted to his lover. If I were to marry someone in the future, I would want to marry someone like him.”

Right next to Gu Junxi's table were two men and three young girls. It seemed that the girls and the two men had a very good relationship.

In the end, the girls all clasped their hands together, their words revealing their admiration for Mu Lingye.

Upon hearing this, Gu Junxi's drowsiness lessened by half, as if someone had forced a handful of candy into her during a boring journey.

Sweet.

"This silly boy." Gu Junxi smiled and couldn't help but murmur happily.

"Sir, here are your stir-fried seasonal vegetables, spicy river fish, and sour pork tenderloin."

The waiter brought out all the dishes Gu Junxi had ordered.

Gu Junxi suppressed her smile, picked up her chopsticks, and saw a man and a woman enter the inn from outside. The two guests sat down next to Gu Junxi on her left.

After they sat down, they naturally struck up a conversation with the two men and three women: "Ladies and gentlemen, you're talking about old news, aren't you? We just came from the capital and have some inside information. The new news is that the new emperor has changed his mind and agreed to take concubines again. I heard that nine were chosen at once, including Princess Long Yao of Dayu."

"Really?" The two tables of people successfully started a conversation and began discussing it.

A young girl at the five-person table didn't believe it, thinking someone was slandering her idol. She retorted angrily, "I don't believe it. How could someone so devoted suddenly agree to take a concubine?"

"No matter how devoted he is, the new emperor is still a man. What man would complain about not having enough women? Besides, the new emperor has no children yet, and he bears the heavy responsibility of procreation. Moreover, I heard that the empress has run away from home. The empress has run away from the palace and doesn't want the new emperor anymore. Why should the new emperor remain chaste for the empress? There is no reason for that."

Upon hearing this, Gu Junxi's sweetness turned into jealousy, and everything she ate tasted sour.