She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Consort Shao frowned and retorted, "Your Majesty, Fu Zijin is just a scholar, weak and powerless. How can he possibly enter the Commandery? The Commandery is in charge of criminal investigations and prosecutions, and its members are all agile and skilled in martial arts. Wouldn't it be pointless for a weak scholar like him to go there and lose his life? If he were truly willing to serve the country, he should enter the Hanlin Academy and write books and histories for Your Majesty. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The Empress said, “The Commandery is not just about fighting and strife; it also requires paperwork and document management. Since Fu Zijin is a scholar, he is well-suited for these tasks. Moreover, he was able to provide clues and assist Jiang Qing in investigating the case, which shows he has some resourcefulness. He may very well be able to make a difference in the Commandery. Sister, don’t generalize and underestimate all scholars.”

Consort Shao was furious. "Your Majesty is right. I was just speaking casually. Why must Your Majesty take it so seriously? But the Commandery is a very important place. How can we just put people in there? If something goes wrong, who will take responsibility?"

Jiang Jin'an remained silent throughout, sitting upright in his chair, as steady as a mountain, seemingly indifferent to the matter.

Emperor Hui saw all of this clearly. He pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, the original intention of this matter was to reward Fu Zijin, not to punish him. I will personally ask for his opinion before making a decision on the specific arrangements. You don't need to argue anymore."

He looked at Shen Jingshu, "Jingshu, why don't you go sit with the Empress? I still have things to discuss with Jin'an."

Shen Jingshu glanced at Jiang Jin'an, who nodded slightly. She then stood up and acknowledged the order, bowed to Emperor Hui, the Empress, and Consort Shao, and followed the Empress out.

Seeing this, Consort Shao wisely stood up, covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief, coughed lightly, glanced at the Empress, and then reluctantly left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Cough cough..."

After the three people left, Emperor Hui suddenly started coughing, one cough after another, as if his internal organs were about to be coughed up.

"Your Majesty!" Jiang Jin'an was shocked and rushed forward to support him. The place where his palm touched was icy cold, chilling him to the bone.

Emperor Hui waved his hand, indicating that he was alright. He looked at the tightly closed palace doors and sighed, "Jin'an, the fourth prince has made such a huge mess. What do you think should be done?"

Jiang Jin'an was silent for a moment, then said, "If the emperor breaks the law, he should be punished the same as the common people."

After hearing this, Emperor Hui remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "You are still so stubborn."

Jiang Jin'an lowered his head and remained silent.

……

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Consort Shao swayed her hips and walked ahead with an air of arrogance. Before leaving the hall, she turned back to Shen Jingshu, who was beside the Empress, and said, "Madam Commandant, I will take my leave first. We will meet again another day."

Having said that, he didn't even glance at the Empress before leading his entourage of palace servants away, leaving behind a lingering fragrance.

As the Empress watched Consort Shao's retreating figure, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she said calmly to Shen Jingshu, "In this deep palace, right and wrong, grudges and affections, are always difficult to eliminate completely; they are tangled and impossible to unravel."

Shen Jingshu bowed: "Your Majesty the Empress is magnanimous and a model of virtue for the nation. She is a role model for all women."

A June afternoon is the perfect time to sit and enjoy tea.

The two went to the octagonal pavilion in the Imperial Garden and sat facing each other.

Tea and snacks were prepared on the stone table in the pavilion, their fragrance filling the air.

"On the day of the wedding, thanks to the help of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the wedding was able to proceed smoothly. I am deeply grateful," Shen Jingshu said, breaking the silence.

The Empress picked up her teacup and gently stirred the tea leaves floating on top with the lid. She did not drink it immediately. She looked up at Shen Jingshu with deep eyes and said, "As a subject, one should share the burdens of the emperor. But one should also know how to repay kindness."

The phrase "gratitude and repaying kindness" carries considerable weight.

Moreover, the imperial favor is as heavy as a mountain.

Shen Jingshu's mind raced as she pondered the Empress's intentions.

Her marriage to Jiang Jin'an was originally an imperial decree. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were acting on imperial orders and out of courtesy.

Although the Crown Prince's act of escorting the bride was a temporary measure, it saved her face in front of everyone. She would never forget this kindness.

But does the "favor" the Empress speaks of refer to the imperial favor, or does it imply something else? Is the relationship between Jiang Jin'an and the Crown Prince also included in this "favor"?

She wouldn't naively believe that the Empress was merely asking her to be grateful for the Emperor's favor, nor would she take sides for Jiang Jin'an because of it.

Thinking of this, Shen Jingshu composed herself, her face respectful, and replied, "Your Majesty's teachings are correct. I will keep them in mind and repay your kindness without failing Your Majesty's grace."

The Empress looked at her, a look of satisfaction in her eyes. This child is insightful and understands things very quickly.

She turned to Aunt Xu and said, "Go to Fengyi Palace and fetch that painting of a unicorn delivering a child, and give it to the Commandant's wife."

Aunt Xu accepted the order and left. The Empress then said, "This painting symbolizes good fortune. I hope you will soon be able to continue the Jiang family line, so as not to disappoint my good intentions."

Shen Jingshu rose, bowed again, and thanked the Empress for her grace.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, on the dragon bed, Emperor Hui had fallen into a deep sleep, his breathing gentle, yet he appeared exceptionally weak.

Li Delu quietly escorted Jiang Jin'an out, his expression worried, hesitant to speak. After a moment's hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and whispered to Jiang Jin'an, "Commander, His Majesty has been unwell for several days, yet he refuses to summon the imperial physicians for treatment, nor does he allow us servants to make a fuss, fearing that His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince will worry. I hope you can offer him some words of comfort."

Emperor Hui's health has deteriorated to this extent?

Jiang Jin'an's heart sank. Recalling Emperor Hui's words and actions just now, although he tried his best to hide it, he could still sense that he was tired.

He nodded to Li Delu to indicate that he understood, then turned and left.

Led by a palace maid, Jiang Jin'an arrived at the octagonal pavilion in the Imperial Garden.

Inside the pavilion, Shen Jingshu was chatting with the Empress. When she saw him arrive, a look of joy flashed in her eyes, and she got up to greet him.

The Empress exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two of them, then said gently, "You should go back now, lest you be late."

Having said that, he got up and returned to the palace.

The two left the palace gates and got into the carriage. Shen Jingshu noticed that he had been frowning the whole way, so she asked, "What's wrong? You don't look well."

Jiang Jin'an remained silent for a moment before whispering, "His Majesty's health is not good."

"His Majesty?"

Shen Jingshu was surprised, her almond-shaped eyes wide open. She had never heard of Emperor Hui being unwell in her previous life, so why was it happening in this life...?

Her heart was churning with emotion, but she tried her best to suppress it, only asking, "When did this happen? Has the imperial physician been summoned?"

Jiang Jin'an shook his head: "His Majesty forbids it. Li Delu said it has been some time, but he has been keeping it a secret."

Silence fell over the carriage for a moment.

Is Emperor Hui's physical condition a result of her being reborn, or did it happen in her previous life but she was too imprisoned to know?

Shen Jingshu's mind was in complete turmoil.