General, you should rest now; the lady is even more ruthless.

Jiang Qiqi wasn't used to eating with others. Most of the time, when she was doing tasks, she would just stuff a few mouthfuls into her mouth to make sure she was full. This kind of meal was definitely not her forte.

but...

Shen Luo, sitting in a wheelchair opposite him, held a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other. His habits, cultivated since childhood, made him very elegant at all times, and even now, every move he made while eating was full of grace.

We need to say something, otherwise eating alone will be a bit monotonous.

Thinking this, Jiang Qiqi spoke up: "Shen Luo, you..."

Shen Luo looked up at her and said, "One should not speak while eating or sleeping."

......

Shen Luo: Strange, why is my heart beating so fast even when I'm eating?

Jiang Qiqi: Eat up, you'll stuff your mute vase to death.

In an eerie atmosphere, both were preoccupied with their own thoughts, and neither uttered a single word until the end of dinner.

After the meal, the servants cleared the table and poured a pot of tea for the two of them.

Shen Luo spoke first: "There's something I need to tell you."

Jiang Qiqi: Hmm? We're not going to play the game where we're all wooden figures and can't talk or move anymore?

"Uh, what's the matter?"

"According to the rules, you and I need to go to the palace together to meet the Emperor tomorrow. The Emperor has bestowed this marriage upon us, and we should go to the palace to express our gratitude."

Jiang Qiqi never expected this, and she never imagined that she would have to meet the ruler of this country after only a few days of transmigrating. What would the monarch of a feudal dynasty be like?

Thinking this, she casually asked, "What kind of person is the Emperor?"

Shen Luo was surprised by her boldness and directness. After all, most people would be terrified to death if they heard the word "Emperor," let alone dare to discuss it.

However, after thinking for a moment, he still answered her: "The current emperor is wise and powerful, and still vigorous in his old age. He personally handles all matters of state, big and small, and in recent years he has been paying close attention to the people's conditions and rarely engages in war."

Oh, old but unwilling to delegate authority, poor and afraid of war.

"I've never met the Emperor before, is there anything I need to prepare?"

Shen Luo shook her head slightly: "Nothing is needed. I've already prepared the gifts, so you don't need to worry about it. Just rest well today; you can't ride in a carriage when you enter the palace."

Great! The Forbidden City is being drastically transformed into a pedestrian street, right?

"Oh, okay. So, are you... going to sleep?"

Shen Luo seemed to know what she wanted to say and spoke first: "I have to deal with official business and go back to my study first. I will be busy with official business for the next two days and will be staying in my study at night, so you don't need to leave the door open for me."

Jiang Qiqi actually felt a little restrained when she was with him, and was more relaxed when they weren't together. She immediately expressed her understanding sincerely and told him not to overwork and to take care of his health.

Shen Luo nodded solemnly, his perpetually cold face softening slightly: "I understand, you should get some rest too."

After Shen Luo left, Jiang Qiqi summoned Xiang'er: "Tell me everything you know about the people in the palace."

The current emperor ascended the throne at the age of twenty-one, and it has now been thirty years.

The highest-ranking officials in the imperial harem included the Empress, one Imperial Noble Consort, and four Imperial Concubines.

The emperor has eight sons, five of whom are already adults, but he has not appointed a crown prince nor granted any title to a prince.

The eldest prince, Chen Chengjin, was born to the late Empress, who passed away when he was five years old. He then lived with his aunt, Consort De, until he reached adulthood. Since last year, the eldest prince has been stationed with troops in the western border region of Nanyue to defend against the incursions of Japanese pirates from the west.

The mother of the Second Prince Chen Chengwu was Consort Yao, who was said to be a dancer from a foreign tribe who was brought back by the Emperor after he took a liking to her.

The Third Prince, Chen Chengfeng, is the son of the current Empress, and his maternal grandfather is the Emperor's tutor, holding great prestige in the court. Therefore, the Third Prince is the most popular candidate for Crown Prince.

The fourth prince's mother suffered severe bleeding during childbirth, resulting in the deaths of both herself and her unborn child.

The fifth prince, Chen Chengyuan, suffered a serious illness in his childhood and was saved by a wandering Taoist priest. After that, he left the palace and traveled around with the priest, and has not returned to this day. However, rumors about this prince have always circulated among the people, and he is very popular.

The sixth prince, Chen Chengyu's mother, was Consort Yin, who had been largely unknown over the years. She was only granted the title of Consort Yin because she gave birth to a prince. The sixth prince and his mother lived together in a corner of the palace, and it was said that they could only be seen during palace banquets.

The seventh prince and the third prince were born of the same mother, the empress.

The Eighth Prince was born last year, but because he was premature, his health has been poor since birth. It is said that the Emperor consulted many renowned doctors, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Shen Luo returned to his study and began to read the intelligence reports from below, but after reading for a long time, his mind was a complete mess and he couldn't absorb anything.

"Nineteen, what time is it?"

"Master, it's three-quarters past Xu hour." Should we discuss the upcoming plans or listen to the recent training report?

"Turn off the lights, let's go to bed early tonight."

Nineteen: Hmm?

Don’t understand, but respect.

One by one, the lamps were extinguished, plunging the General's Mansion into darkness.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next morning, the two arrived at the palace.

Jiang Qiqi visited the Forbidden City in modern times, and her strongest impression was its magnificent splendor.

But now, within the palace of a feudal dynasty, amidst towering vermilion walls, guards standing every ten steps, and maids and eunuchs scurrying about with their heads bowed...

Despite the bright sunshine and fine weather, Jiang Qiqi felt a strange, eerie wind lingering in the palace.

Because the emperor was attending the morning court session, they went to see the empress first upon entering the palace.

Inside the Empress's palace.

When Jiang Qiqi and Shen Luo arrived, the Empress was already waiting.

"Your humble servant Shen Luo, together with my wife Jiang Qiqi, greets Your Majesty the Empress."

Contrary to Jiang Qiqi's expectations of her being aloof and unapproachable, this Empress was very kind and even approachable.

The Empress smiled broadly: "No need for formalities, Xiao Luo, you're such a child, always so formal."

As she spoke, she stepped down and personally helped Jiang Qiqi up.

"Qiqi, right? That child Xiao Luo is really something. I have told him many times that we don't need to be so particular about etiquette as family members, but he just won't listen. Come, get up and let me take a look at you."

Jiang Qiqi stood up and bowed her head slightly to face the Empress.

"The Emperor's bestowed marriage is indeed excellent. You are a beautiful woman, though a little thin. When we return, I will bring you some tonics. The wife of a general in Nanyue cannot be so frail."

Jiang Qiqi didn't know what kind of personality the Empress had, so she simply nodded and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

The Empress pulled Jiang Qiqi to sit in the seat of honor, and Jiang Qiqi, seeing that Shen Luo had no reaction, sat down as she wished.

As soon as she sat down, the Empress beckoned to the palace maid beside her to bring her pastries: "Qiqi, try them quickly, see if the pastries here suit your taste."

Jiang Qiqi obediently picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. It was jujube cake, sweet but not greasy, soft but not crumbly, fine but not dense, and the taste was indeed excellent.

"Your Majesty, you are the mother of the nation, so naturally your things are the best."

She offered no comment, directly dodging the Empress's rhetoric.

Everyone loves to hear flattery, and the Empress was very pleased to hear Jiang Qiqi's words: "Haha, I like you very much, girl. If you weren't already the general's wife, I would want you to marry Xiaofeng and become my daughter-in-law."

Fortunately, Jiang Qiqi had asked Xiang'er for some last-minute cramming yesterday and got to know a few important figures in the palace. The problem was that she would be completely clueless when talking about others today.

The third prince, Chen Chengfeng, is one year younger than Shen Luo and has reached the age of marriage. It is said that he has always had a woman in his heart, and no matter how much the emperor and empress urge him, he always refuses to marry a principal wife. Currently, there are only a few concubines in the prince's residence.

No sooner had the Empress finished speaking than a hearty laugh came from outside: "Hahaha, this time the Empress has managed to matchmake Feng'er with my General's new wife."

Everyone immediately knelt down and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty."