After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Upon returning to the capital, Shen Lingyi indeed received news that Qing Le had left the palace.

Peony muttered, "This is the first time this boy has come back to see us since he entered the palace. I thought he had forgotten about our General's Mansion."

Shen Lingyi did not think Qingyue was ungrateful.

She frequently visited the palace, and Qing Le would occasionally send her a message or two.

He taught me that massage technique.

only……

Qing Le was in such a hurry this time; they arrived at the mansion before they even reached the residence. Thinking of Pei Heng's strange expression when he mentioned it earlier, Shen Lingyi hesitated. Could something have gone wrong?

With that thought, she immediately walked even faster, rushing inside before even saying hello when the carriage stopped.

"Sigh..." Mrs. Jiang was completely bewildered. "Why is this child in such a hurry?"

Shen Su was already used to it. He sighed and said, "It's a good thing that Yi'er is growing up and has her own ideas. Although we both want her to take a different path, we can't disregard her own wishes."

These days, Shen Lingyi has stopped pretending and has come clean, clearly revealing her relationship with Pei Heng.

Shen Su went from initially being unable to accept it to now, although he still finds it a little hard to understand, he has gradually gotten used to her running around outside. What can he do if he's not used to it? He can't just lock her up, can he?

Jiang knew what he was talking about, and her eyes were filled with sorrow: "Why did she have to fall for that one in the palace of all people?"

Sad.

Are we really going to send our daughter to the palace?

Shen Lingyi was unaware that her parents were worrying about her marriage. Qing Le was waiting for her in Qixiang Courtyard.

"Qingyue".

Qing Le, who had just come out of the palace and hadn't even changed out of her imperial physician's robes, immediately smiled when she saw Shen Lingyi's mature demeanor, which she had painstakingly cultivated in the palace: "Second Miss, I've come up with a way to cure His Majesty's Gu poison."

Shen Lingyi was naturally pleased, but when she asked how to treat it, Qing Le paused again.

He stammered, looking at her, "Ahem, it requires some effort from the Second Miss."

Shen Lingyi was puzzled. What did it have to do with her?

The next second, Qing Le's voice continued: "...During the treatment, the Gu poison will rebound, and someone needs to accompany His Majesty. That person should preferably be you, Second Miss."

The words were spoken in a very veiled way, but Shen Lingyi still understood. It was a clear implication that she should offer herself to someone else!

For a moment, she began to doubt whether this method was reliable.

But Qing Le is unlikely to lie, as that would be of no benefit to him, which means... she really intends to spend the entire night in passion with Pei Heng.

Shen Lingyi said, "I'll think about it."

Qing Le also felt awkward talking to Shen Lingyi about this, so she left the General's Mansion after she finished speaking. Before leaving, she told Shen Lingyi that once she had made up her mind, she would go to the palace on the fifteenth of this month, where Pei Heng would be waiting for her.

After he left, Peony blushed so bright red she looked like she was about to explode, and asked her, "Miss, you're not really going, are you?"

Shen Lingyi touched her lower abdomen but didn't say anything.

She still remembered her original purpose, but because of the Gu poison, she failed twice. Logically speaking, she should not let this opportunity pass, but when she thought about Pei Heng's unconscious state, she felt a pain in her back.

This is how it is normally, let alone when the Gu worms retaliate. Can an ordinary person withstand that?

Thinking of this, Shen Lingyi said to Shaoyao, "Go to the imperial physician and get a prescription for women to nourish their blood and qi. I need to take good care of myself these next few days."

We must take a good rest before the big battle.

Seeing that her young mistress had already made a decision, the maid didn't say anything more.

night.

Shen Lingyi stuffed the letter she had written into the envelope. The letter mentioned asking Jiang Wenhai to come to the capital. However, it would take at least two or three days for a message to travel from the capital to Liangzhou, so she would have to wait a few days to receive a reply.

After learning of Zhu Yue's accident, Shen Su sighed for a long time. Upon returning, he went to the military camp and brought back a warhorse.

"This horse was born to my father's horse. Its color is similar to yours, Zhuxing. It's very intelligent and has a lot of little thoughts and ideas. The army camp couldn't manage it, so I brought it back for you."

Shen Lingyi stared blankly at the same maroon outfit for a long time.

The army doesn't need overly intelligent horses; it needs obedient ones.

It doesn't matter if they're raised at home.

After losing Zhuxing, Shen Lingyi didn't want to raise any other horses. She shook her head and said, "Zhuxing has been with me for three years. I'm used to it. I don't need horses now. They're useless to me, Father."

Shen Su could easily tell that this was his daughter's excuse, and he sighed.

After the spring hunt, as summer approaches, the flood season begins to draw near.

Fortunately, Pei Heng, the Left Vice Minister, had been transferred to Yizhou. The Left Vice Minister was a rigid and strict person. Especially after the incident with his cousin's nephew caused him to lose his official position, he also hardened his heart and purged his maternal family.

Yizhou suffered from persistent floods for many years, partly due to the treacherous terrain of the Yangtze River and partly due to countless corrupt officials.

With Zuo Zhongtang appointed as the governor of Yizhou, he reformed the local officials, which undoubtedly helped Pei Heng a great deal.

Another person who shone brightly was Gu Qinghong, who entered the court.

The top scholars who entered the imperial court all started as compilers in the Hanlin Academy, an important job that tested their research skills. If they corrected the historical records well, they could be promoted several ranks.

Gu Qinghong did not follow the old practice, but instead entered the Ministry of Works to work as a temporary assistant to the Minister.

Although it's temporary, everyone knows that if you do well, it's like staying in the Ministry of Works. All the jobs in the Ministry of Works are lucrative, and many people can't get in.

A group of old ministers found fault with him and targeted him relentlessly.

Everyone thought Gu Qinghong would be suppressed to the point of being unable to lift his head. Pei Heng watched coldly, showing no intention of helping. Unexpectedly, after a few days of reflection, Gu Qinghong presented a revised and more complete water conservancy map.

"Your Majesty, this painting took me three days to complete. Please take a look."

In the imperial court, Pei Heng opened his eyes and nodded his chin, indicating to Fu Quan to bring it to him for inspection.

Fuquan stepped forward.

Before long, the water conservancy map was in Pei Heng's hands.

After reading it, the man's eyes lit up with interest, and he parted his thin lips slightly: "The painting you made is somewhat similar to the one I acquired by chance before."

They're not just similar; they're clearly drawn by the same person, with the same thought process and focus.

The senior officials below couldn't understand.

They assumed Gu Qinghong had copied the previous drawing and sneered, "It's good that the kid wants to make a name for himself, but copying others' work is wrong. We're both officials in the same court, so we should know the benefits of being down-to-earth."

"After all, he is still young. At this age, he should be studying hard at the Hanlin Academy. Why would he want to join the Ministry of Works?"

"Exactly, isn't this just causing trouble for others?"

Pei Heng's interest grew even stronger: "Gu Qinghong, did you hear that? That's what they said. What do you want to say?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the senior officials who had spoken earlier changed slightly.

His Majesty only asked this person and not them. Could it be that he really believed Gu Qinghong?