They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

However, Wu Ziyan waved to them and got into the sedan chair without looking back. Only after the curtain of the sedan chair fell did Wu Ziyan frown and cough.

The crimson specks of blood on the handkerchief resembled plum blossoms in the depths of winter. She clenched the handkerchief, thinking that this time she had really suffered a major setback. [System? System! This damned system!]

On the other side, the Prime Minister's residence had received news that the assassination attempt had failed, and that a man had blocked an arrow. She immediately felt a pang of anxiety; could the man be her son, Sima Lingchuan?

"Let's go to the Marquis's residence and find out what's going on."

No one answered from the shadows; only a figure flashed by and quickly left. But she soon received news that Sima Lingchuan was alright, and her anxiety subsided. Although she usually spoke coldly to Sima Lingchuan, he was, after all, her own son.

In the imperial court, the Empress remained as majestic as ever, her gaze sweeping over the people below: "Do any of you ministers have anything else to report?"

"Your Majesty, I wish to request a marriage proposal." The speaker was none other than the Second Princess, Wu Chengye.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then someone said, "The Second Prince's position as his principal wife has been vacant for a long time, and it's time for them to get married."

Then came the various praises of their own sons and nephews, to which the Empress merely raised her eyes slightly: "Tell me, which young master is it?"

"Sima Lingyu, the second son of Chancellor Sima."

Wu Ziyan stared at Wu Chengye, feeling as if she was courting disaster. It was as if she wanted everyone to know that she and the Prime Minister were on the same side, but when she looked back at the Empress's expression, there was no change at all.

She ignored what Wu Chengye had brought up and instead turned the conversation to Wu Ziyan: "Oh, I almost forgot. The Fourth Princess has done a great job in controlling the floods. What kind of reward do you want?"

Ignored, Wu Chengye's expression turned unpleasant, and he glared fiercely at Wu Ziyan.

The Empress's "forgot" was just a casual remark; the female official had already explained the matter to Wu Ziyan that morning.

"Your Majesty, I know that my abilities are not as good as those of my sisters, but right now the national treasury needs money. If we can open up trade routes between Beirong and our dynasty, it will solve many problems."

This was all rehearsed beforehand; saying these things now is just acting.

"Oh? Do you know how many things are involved in this trade route? Establishing a foreign alliance is not something that can be done overnight."

"I was just mentioning it casually. Actually, I don't have such lofty ambitions, Your Majesty. I do have a small request right now, which is to allow me some time off." And so she began her usual bumbling remarks.

The ministers below began exchanging glances, their exchange seemingly saying, "The Marquis of Leisure is indeed worthy of his self-proclaimed title; he has only achieved a little merit, yet he is already thinking about having fun."

Wu Ziyan wanted everyone to look down on her, but some people didn't think so. The Empress agreed without hesitation: "Is a month's leave enough for you?"

No one expected the Empress to be so indulgent towards Wu Ziyan, considering how few holidays they usually had. Wu Ziyan immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.

The Empress didn't ask any further questions, seemingly intending to adjourn the court session. Unwilling to accept this, Wu Chengye shouted out in the court, "Mother Empress!"

The Empress's expression was cold, then she shook her head and uttered a single word in a perfunctory manner: "Approved."

There was no further news, but fortunately permission was granted. Everyone left the court session one after another, except for Wu Ziyan, who headed towards the inner palace. How could she possibly be allowed to rest for a month? After all, the Empress was the Empress, and she had her own considerations.

Upon arriving at a pavilion, the Empress sat down, with Changsun Boluan standing beside her. Wu Ziyan stood watching the Empress, who said, "Sit down. There's no one here now, so relax."

"Yes."

Despite saying she was relaxed, Wu Ziyan couldn't quite figure out her mother. Similarly, the Empress couldn't quite understand her fourth daughter. She used to be very close to her without any guile, but now she always felt that there was something between them.

After a quiet moment, each person drank their tea. The Empress looked up at Wu Ziyan, and then Changsun Boluan took out a scroll of imperial edict and handed it to Wu Ziyan.

Wu Ziyan prepared to kneel down to receive it, but Her Majesty the Empress shook her head and said, "Look, a day off doesn't mean you can actually rest. Besides, I know a lot about what you've done."

Sure enough, how could the ruler of a country not notice her little tricks? Just as Wu Ziyan was about to say something, the Empress said again, "Sima Zongcheng, we cannot touch her for the time being."

"Why?"

"You're the prime minister of a nation, after all. The power dynamics within the country are incredibly complex. How much do you even know?" A look of concern appeared in her eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty, oh no, Mother Queen." [But he always seems to be messing with me, what should I do?]

After speaking, Wu Ziyan looked at what the imperial edict said. It turned out to be about business. It only asked him to go and see the situation, and did not tell him to make a big fuss and reveal his identity.

"This time when you go, I will secretly give you some conveniences, because the border is not peaceful, as you know, so be careful in everything."

"Understood, Mother Queen."

For her, this was also a test. After all, what she knew from the documents was not as reliable as actual investigation. Wu Ziyan put away the imperial edict, got up to take her leave, and prepared to turn and leave.

As she turned to leave, the Queen said, "Your attire today is a bit too heavy; I think something simpler would be better."

Wu Ziyan was taken aback, but she didn't stop. After leaving the palace gate, Mo Baiyun was already waiting for her there. In the end, she was still worried and came.

Seeing Mo Baiyun, Wu Ziyan felt relieved, her tense body relaxed, and she coughed twice. Mo Baiyun helped her into the carriage, and Wu Ziyan asked, "Little Yun'er, have you heard when Wu Chengye became involved with Sima Zongcheng's second son?"

"This? No, what's wrong?" When Mo Baiyun takes action, it's either to save someone's life or to end it. Why would he care about such gossip in the inner quarters?

Although marriages in the court were often linked to politics, he couldn't possibly manage all the royal ladies.

"Today, Wu Chengye received a marriage decree from the Empress in the main hall," Wu Ziyan said thoughtfully.

Mo Baiyun pondered as he rode his horse, as if he had thought of something. He paused but didn't speak, afraid that if he said too much, Wu Ziyan would overthink it.

The carriage stopped at the gate. Wu Ziyan got out and went inside. Not long after, he saw Huang Ziliang pacing back and forth. Wu Ziyan asked, "Ziliang, why are you hesitating?"

"Miss, this, this is for you." Huang Ziliang took out a booklet and handed it to her. She looked through it and wondered where he got such good information that he knew she was going to the border of a foreign country. The booklet contained information about local customs, a map of the area, and some precautions.

"Ziliang, how did you know?"

"I overheard some conversation, but it's not important. I wish you a safe journey, Miss. I'll head back to my room now."