I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

The next morning, as expected, Eunuch Gao appeared at the entrance of Tinglan Water Pavilion on time.

Behind him followed four strong eunuchs carrying two sedan chairs.

"Please, Your Highness." Eunuch Gao smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum.

Ye An'an helped Chunxing into the sedan chair.

The sedan chair passed through layers of palace gates and finally stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary palace.

The place was heavily guarded, with a guard with a sword standing every three steps.

"Is this His Majesty's private treasury?" Ye An'an stepped down from the sedan chair.

Eunuch Gao nodded and took out the golden key from his pocket: "That's right. Besides His Majesty, only you can enter this place."

The guards checked the tokens and slowly pulled open the heavy iron gate.

A pleasant aroma of aged wood wafted over, not unpleasant at all.

Ye An'an stepped through the gate and was instantly stunned by the scene before her.

This isn't a room; it's practically a giant underground shopping mall.

Rows of rosewood shelves are neatly arranged, filled with all sorts of treasures.

Gold, silver, jade, and agate shimmered with an alluring light under the ever-burning lamp.

"Master, look at those red corals over there!" Fuyun exclaimed softly.

It was a red coral, taller than a person, crystal clear and as red as fire.

Ye An'an did not linger in front of these jewels.

Does she need money right now? No.

What she lacks is something that can save her life or make her life more comfortable.

She walked slowly between the shelves, with Grandpa Gao patiently following behind.

"This jade pillow is quite nice," Ye An'an said, pointing to a piece of jade that was entirely green.

Jade feels warm to the touch, not cold at all.

Eunuch Gao immediately introduced, "Your Highness has a good eye. This is a warm jade tribute from the Western Regions. Sleeping on it in winter is the most nourishing thing."

Ye An'an nodded: "Keep it."

She continued walking forward and finally stopped in front of a wooden crate in a corner.

The box contained some oddly shaped stones and a few transparent crystals.

"What is this?" Ye An'an asked curiously, picking up a crystal.

Grandpa Gao glanced at it and said with some disdain, "This is a 'bright stone' sent by overseas merchants. They say it can help you see things clearly, but it's very brittle and not very useful."

Ye An'an felt a surge of joy.

These are not useless stones; they are high-purity quartz ore, and there are even a few pieces that are ready-made high-quality glass blanks!

With this, the mirror in her "Beauty Pavilion" can be upgraded.

The bronze mirrors we use nowadays always make the reflection look yellowish and hazy. If we could make glass mirrors, wouldn't the business be booming?

"I'll take this box." Ye An'an waved her hand.

Eunuch Gao was stunned: "Crown Princess, won't you look at anything else? There are South Sea pearls over there."

"I want this one," Ye An'an insisted.

In her eyes, these "broken stones" were far more valuable than gold and silver treasures.

She also selected several very old ginseng roots and some rare spice ingredients.

After making her selections, Ye An'an clapped her hands and said, "Alright, that's all for now."

Grandpa Gao was somewhat surprised: "You've already made your choice?"

He had thought the Crown Princess would take half the storeroom, but to his surprise, she only took a box of stones and a few medicinal herbs.

"One shouldn't be too greedy." Ye An'an looked at him with a smile. "I appreciate Father's kindness."

Eunuch Gao secretly admired his master, who was indeed a perceptive person.

When he returned to the East Palace, Xiao Jingshi was already waiting in the courtyard.

Upon seeing the box of stones, Xiao Jingshi's expression became quite interesting.

"You went into the inner storage area and only chose these?"

Ye An'an presented the transparent crystal to him as if it were a treasure.

"Your Highness, this is a treasure. Once I turn it into a mirror, you'll see how powerful it is."

Xiao Jingshi took the crystal, looked at it, and smiled helplessly.

"You, all you think about is your business."

In the following days, the Eastern Palace enjoyed a rare moment of peace. Ye An'an devoted her energy to the research and development of new products and mirrors for "Liren Pavilion," while Xiao Jingshi continued to handle government affairs, occasionally taking time to accompany her to adjust new lipstick shades.

The sun was shining brightly that afternoon.

The side hall of the East Palace was filled with various kinds of rouge and face powder. Ye An'an was holding several newly mixed lipstick shades and trying them on the back of her hand one by one.

"Your Highness, what do you think of this color? I plan to name it 'Begonia Intoxication'." Ye An'an held up a red bottle with a slightly orange hue.

Xiao Jingshi put down the memorial in his hand, walked to her side and examined it carefully: "Hmm, the color is bright but not gaudy, it really looks like a begonia petal with dew on it."

"And this one, I want to call it 'Rouge Button'." Ye An'an picked up another rose-beige one, gently licked it against her lips, and asked, "Do you think it looks good?"

Xiao Jingshi gazed at her radiant face, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes: "Beautiful, she suits you perfectly."

Just as the two were enjoying this rare moment of peace, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

"Your Highness!"

The messenger's voice was clearly panicked; he rushed in without even bothering to give prior notice.

Ye An'an nearly dropped the lipstick in her hand. Her heart tightened; this rude behavior could only mean one thing—something terrible had happened.

Xiao Jingshi's face instantly darkened: "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

The messenger knelt on one knee, presenting a blood-stained military report with both hands: "Your Highness! Urgent dispatch from the Southern Frontier, eight hundred li away!"

Xiao Jingshi's hand trembled slightly as he took the military report. Ever since the fall of Zhennanguan, he had been on tenterhooks, fearing that more bad news would come.

He took a deep breath and unfolded the military report.

After reading only a few lines, Xiao Jingshi's face turned ashen.

"The barbarians divided their forces into three routes... bypassing the main force in Jiangzhou... and plundered the surrounding thirteen counties... The defending general, the second son of the Marquis of Wu'an, rashly launched an attack... and was ambushed... suffering over 20,000 casualties... The forces within Jiangzhou city number less than 30,000... and their provisions are only enough for half a month..."

Every word in the military report was like a knife, stabbing Xiao Jingshi's heart.

"The soldiers at the front wrote a petition in blood, pleading with the court to send reinforcements immediately! Otherwise... Jiangzhou will fall in half a month!"

The messenger knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Highness, the military report sent from the front... it's covered in bloody handprints, left by the Jiangzhou garrison. They said... they swore to live and die with Jiangzhou."

Ye An'an looked at the blood-stained military report in Xiao Jingshi's hand, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly.

She could imagine the grief and despair that the soldiers defending the city felt as they pressed their blood-stained hands onto the military report.

Xiao Jingshi's knuckles turned white as he gripped the military report, and he seemed to have all his strength drained away, his body swaying slightly.

Ye An'an quickly stepped forward to support him: "Your Highness!"

"I'm fine." Xiao Jingshi barely managed to support himself and said in a deep voice to the messenger, "Immediately summon the key officials of the court for an emergency meeting!"

"yes!"

The messenger hurriedly withdrew.

Only two people remained inside the hall.

Xiao Jingshi slumped into a chair, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"An'an... I'm truly useless." His voice was filled with deep self-reproach and pain. "I have the power to oversee the country, yet I can do nothing. The treasury is empty, there's no money or food, and I can only watch helplessly as the people of the southern border suffer and as the soldiers of Liang bleed and sacrifice themselves..."

Ye An'an felt so heartbroken she could hardly breathe. She had never seen him so desperate and helpless.

She stepped forward, gently hugged him from behind, and pressed her face against his back: "Your Highness, please don't do this. The empty treasury didn't happen overnight; it's not your fault."

"But I am the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of this country!" Xiao Jingshi's voice choked with emotion. "My father entrusted me with the power of overseeing the country, yet I cannot even protect the people on the frontier. What qualifications do I have... what qualifications do I have to sit in this position?"

Ye An'an hugged him tightly, her voice gentle yet firm: "Because you are the best hope for this country. Your Highness, you have done enough. I have seen you working hard to reform the bureaucracy, investigate corruption, and raise funds for the army during this time."

"But that's not enough... far from enough..."

"I know." Ye An'an turned to face him, cupped his face in her hands, and looked at his red eyes. "But Your Highness, a city isn't built in a day. To completely change the predicament of the Great Liang, we need time, we need to take it step by step. You can't let temporary setbacks make you deny yourself."

Looking into her sincere eyes, Xiao Jingshi felt a little less despair.

"Your Highness, now is not the time for self-blame." Ye An'an released her grip, her voice becoming serious. "What you need to do now is find a way to solve the problem. The soldiers of Jiangzhou are still waiting for you, and the people of the Southern Border are still waiting for you."

Xiao Jingshi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Yes, he can't fall. There are so many people waiting for him.

"You're right." Xiao Jingshi stood up, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit. "I must pull myself together."

He strode towards the outer hall, preparing to face the impending storm of court debate.

Ye An'an looked at his retreating figure, feeling both proud and heartbroken.

She knew that what he would face next was a court intrigue far more dangerous than military matters.

-

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Emperor Xiao Yuanzheng sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen, clutching the blood-written military report tightly in his hand. His hand trembled slightly, whether from anger or illness, it was unclear.

A row of ministers knelt before His Highness, each looking terrified.

The Minister of War was covered in cold sweat, the Minister of Rites kept his head down and dared not look up, and even the usually eloquent Minister of Revenue remained silent.

"Speak!" Xiao Yuanzheng suddenly roared in fury, slamming the military newspaper to the ground. "You bunch of useless trash! You're all so clever when you're receiving your salaries from the court, but now that something this big has happened, have you all become mute?!"

The Minister of War spoke tremblingly, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The defeat at Jiangzhou was truly... caused by the young and impetuous second son of the defending general, Marquis Wu'an, who disobeyed orders and launched a rash attack..."

"Young and impetuous?!" Xiao Yuanzheng sneered. "I repeatedly ordered him to hold his position and await reinforcements. Why did he send troops without authorization?!"

"This..." Beads of sweat rolled down the Minister of War's forehead. "I have heard that... the second son of the Marquis of Wu'an was eager to make a name for himself and, seeing the barbarians plundering outside the city, was overcome with righteous indignation..."

"Eager to achieve merit?" Xiao Yuanzheng's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "He's risking the lives of tens of thousands of Liang soldiers for his own future! He's risking the safety of the people of the Southern Border for his fame and fortune!"

"By imperial decree! The title of Marquis of Wu'an is stripped, and the entire family is imprisoned to await further judgment!"

The Minister of Revenue couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Wu'an's family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, and his eldest son is still guarding the border in the northwest. Perhaps...?"

"Loyal and virtuous?" Xiao Yuanzheng laughed angrily. "He raised such a son, and he dares to call himself loyal and virtuous?! I'm already showing mercy by not killing his entire clan!"

Just then, the chief eunuch whispered, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience."

Xiao Yuanzheng waved his hand: "Let him in."

Xiao Jingshi strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and seeing his father's ashen face, his heart sank. He quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed, "Father."

"You've come at the right time." Xiao Yuanzheng looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "You know about what happened in Jiangzhou, don't you?"

"Your Majesty, I have read the military report," Xiao Jingshi said in a deep voice. "The situation in the southern border is critical. I request Your Majesty's permission to personally lead the Imperial Guards south to provide relief!"

These words shocked the entire hall.

Xiao Yuanzheng was so enraged that his vision went black, and he slid limply off the dragon throne.

"Father...Father Emperor?" Xiao Jingshi sensed something was wrong and looked up abruptly.

Xiao Yuanzheng clutched his chest, his mouth agape as if trying to say something, but no sound came out. His body swayed twice, then everything went black before he slid limply off the dragon throne.

A dull thud echoed inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"emperor!"

"His Majesty!"

Chaos erupted instantly inside the hall. The ministers who had been kneeling on the ground scrambled to their feet with cries of alarm, while eunuchs and palace maids rushed forward screaming.

Xiao Jingshi was the first to react. He rushed to his father's side and helped up the unconscious body, crying out, "Father! Father!"

Xiao Yuanzheng's eyes were closed, his face was ashen, his lips were purple, and he was completely unresponsive.

"Imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician at once!" the chief eunuch shouted hoarsely, plunging the entire Hall of Mental Cultivation into utter chaos.

Xiao Jingshi held his father's body, his hands trembling. He felt his father's pulse was so weak that he could barely feel it, and at that moment, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

"Make way! Make way!" Several imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital rushed in carrying their medicine chests. The chief physician knelt beside Xiao Yuanzheng, his hands trembling as he took his pulse.

The hall was completely silent, and all eyes were fixed on the increasingly solemn face of the Imperial Physician.

A moment later, the Imperial Physician slowly raised his head, looked at Xiao Jingshi, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness... His Majesty's anger has triggered a relapse of his old illness... His condition is very bad..."