Having many handsome men means no worries; pampering them all keeps me in good spirits.

"Your Majesty, you are wronging me. Our palaces are so far apart, how could I have known that such a big thing had happened here? Besides... Your Majesty instructed me on the very first day not to come and pay my respects to you..." Jiang Qingyan twitched her lips, her face full of frustration.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Rui snorted coldly and turned her head away, refusing to look at her again.

Jiang Qingyan walked to the bedside and feigned concern, saying, "However... Yunhai City is so humid and surrounded by the sea, how could a fire start out of nowhere? Could it be that someone did it on purpose? It seems we have to arrest and severely torture all the people around Mother!"

After saying that, he called for the guards outside the door.

"Stop! Who dares to touch the people around me?" Empress Dowager Rui hurriedly stopped them. "It's Liang Cheng. I saw those fireworks the night before last and thought they were very beautiful, so I asked him to make them again. I thought he was just making excuses because he said his skills were not good enough, but who would have thought that his skills were so bad!"

Jiang Qingyan frowned: "So that's how it is... This matter is not Liang Cheng's fault. Those fireworks were originally explosives that Liang Cheng and I researched to attack the Xia Kingdom. How could Mother Empress set them off so casually as if it were just for fun?"

Empress Dowager Rui tilted her head, half-believing and half-doubting, and said, "You mean that flower-like thing is actually explosives?"

Jiang Qingyan nodded. "Yes! But this is a state secret after all. I repeatedly told Liang Cheng not to tell anyone else. I suppose he did not explain the implications to the Empress Dowager in order to keep his promise."

Empress Dowager Rui narrowed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "No wonder he made all sorts of excuses back then. If I hadn't used severe torture to force him, he wouldn't have obediently submitted... It's all my own fault..."

Jiang Qingyan curled her lips into a barely perceptible smirk, which she quickly concealed. "Since the Empress Dowager is no longer in danger, I will take Liang Cheng back to continue our research on explosives."

Empress Dowager Rui waved her hand: "Go."

Jiang Qingyan glanced at the large burns on Empress Dowager Rui's body and felt a surge of satisfaction. This could be considered revenge for the whipping that day.

After leaving the Sea Tide Palace, Ling Feng emerged from the shadows and followed behind Jiang Qingyan.

After confirming that no one was around, Jiang Qingyan asked in a low voice, "Did you add that to the imperial physician's medicine?"

Ling Feng nodded: "It's all taken care of."

Jiang Qingyan smiled and said, "Let's go pick up Liang Cheng."

After the fire started that day, Liang Cheng was locked in the woodshed by the Empress Dowager's men, who planned to deal with him after the fire was extinguished. Who would have thought that the fire would last all night?

Hearing footsteps outside, Liang Cheng assumed that the Empress Dowager had sent someone to kill him. He was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Jiang Qingyan pushed open the door of the woodshed and saw Liang Cheng trembling on the ground with his hands covering his head. She thought he had been tortured by the Empress Dowager, so she quickly went over and squatted down to ask, "Liang Cheng, where are you injured? Don't be afraid, I will take you back to find some green medicine to treat you."

Upon hearing the Emperor's voice, Liang Cheng abruptly raised his head, embraced her tightly, and cried out, "Your Majesty, it really is you...you really came to save me..."

Jiang Qingyan gently patted Liang Cheng's back, comforting him, "It's alright, I've come to take you back. Tell me quickly, where are you hurt?"

Liang Cheng buried his head in Jiang Qingyan's shoulder, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "No... I'm not hurt... I'm just a little scared..."

Hearing this, Jiang Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled, "It's good that you're not injured. Let's go back then."

Liang Cheng reluctantly released his arms from Jiang Qingyan and nodded gently.

Jiang Qingyan looked around and frowned, saying, "Knowing there was a fire, they still locked you in the woodshed, where the fire could spread most easily. Instead of putting out the fire, they wanted to take you down with them."

Liang Cheng sniffed. "Fortunately, the Emperor had made arrangements in advance. The fireworks could only reach the Empress Dowager's bedroom and side halls, and couldn't reach places like the woodshed."

Jiang Qingyan sneered: "The foreplay is over, now let's see what the climax is about to happen."

After returning to his bedchamber, Mo Ting was sitting on the chaise lounge, busy with something. When he saw Jiang Qingyan return, Mo Ting quickly hid the things behind his back.

Jiang Qingyan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mo Ting, what are you hiding?"

Mo Ting shook her head nervously, "No...nothing...Why did you come back so early, husband?"

Jiang Qingyan walked to Mo Ting's side, peeked behind him, and saw a large piece of red cloth and some needles and thread.

Mo Ting quickly grabbed a small blanket from the side and covered her with it, then took Jiang Qingyan's hand and said coquettishly, "Husband... I'm hungry, I want to eat the roast goose you make..."

Because of the secrecy surrounding Mo Ting, Jiang Qingyan was unwilling to ask any further questions.

She smiled and leaned down to kiss Mo Ting's lips, saying affectionately, "Okay, I'll go make you roast goose now. Just wait patiently. Also... you can do some needlework to pass the time, but don't you dare steal it from me, or I'll feel bad."

Mo Ting nodded obediently, her face beaming with a smile, "Don't worry, my husband!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyan patted Mo Ting's head and couldn't help but kiss his lips for a while before reluctantly going to the kitchen.

Jiang Qingyan carried the goose that the palace maid had just cleaned into the kitchen, where she happened to see Liang Cheng there, skillfully slicing potato shreds.

Jiang Qingyan praised with great interest, "Your knife skills are quite good."

Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng quickly put down his knife and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty! May I ask... why Your Majesty would come to a place like the kitchen?"

Jiang Qingyan shook the large goose in her hand and said with a light smile, "Come and make roast goose for my man."

A man? It must be the young master the Emperor proposed to that day… Liang Cheng’s eyes flickered. The Emperor actually cooked for him personally; he must love him very much…

Thinking of this, Liang Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He lowered his eyes and said, "That young master is truly blessed..."

Jiang Qingyan pursed her lips: "Is he blessed? If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been so severely injured and lost his memory... However, I will treat him even better and make it up to him..."

Just then, a tree branch snapped outside the door. Liang Cheng quickly went out to check and found no one there, so he figured it must be a stray cat.

Jiang Qingyan skillfully mixed the sauce and spread it evenly over the goose. Liang Cheng, standing to the side, was full of surprise. "I've never seen a sauce made with medicinal herbs before. It smells so good!"

Jiang Qingyan smiled and said, "Try it when it's done, it'll taste even better!"

Liang Chengxin said happily, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the roast goose was ready, Jiang Qingyan generously broke off a goose leg and handed it to Liang Cheng, waiting to see his reaction after tasting it.

Liang Cheng took the goose leg, took a small bite and savored it carefully. His eyes lit up instantly: "Your Majesty, it's delicious!"

Jiang Qingyan chuckled: "It's the goose leg that's delicious, not me. You've never even tried it..."

Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng's face instantly turned red, and he stammered, "Yes...yes...it's...goose leg...it's delicious..."