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

Inside the Zichen Palace, the elephant-head incense burner emitted wisps of fragrance, and once the palace doors were closed, the vast wind and snow were kept out.

Pei Heng tossed aside his snow-covered cloak and said to the palace servants, "Have the imperial kitchen prepare some ginger soup and send it over."

After the person left, he bent down and grabbed Shen Lingyi's exposed ankle.

Her fair ankles were red from the cold, and Pei Heng frowned when he saw them. It was only because Shen Lingyi hadn't lost her shoes that her feet were in such a terrible state, otherwise, walking barefoot on the snow would have made them look even worse.

"pain…"

Shen Lingyi's eyes were filled with tears, and her voice was like that of a kitten.

Pei Heng glanced at her, knowing that she was intentionally showing weakness to elicit his pity, but he still couldn't help but use his warm palms to massage and soothe her.

The emperor lowered his brows and asked in a deep voice, "Is this better?"

Shen Lingyi nodded, then buried herself in his chest again, holding him tightly and unwilling to let go. "Your Majesty knows that I have a past with the Wei family. In the past... I was sorry to the Crown Prince Wei. Now that he has returned, he wants to take revenge on me. I am afraid, so I can only do something to ease the tension between us."

Hearing her explain why she went out with Wei Chengrui alone, Pei Heng's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

"Is today a visit to the women of the Wei family?"

Shen Lingyi looked up in surprise.

Seeing this, Pei Heng snorted, "Did you think I knew nothing?"

The Wei family was one he had been keeping an eye on back then, but the decree had already been issued, and a gentleman's word is as good as his bond, let alone that of the emperor. Even he couldn't change the late emperor's edict.

Shen Lingyi's fingertips twitched slightly, secretly relieved that she hadn't made the wrong choice.

As Wei Chengrui tackled her to the ground, she caught a glimpse of a dark corner of clothing on the side of the alley.

Faced with a choice between two men, she chose Pei Heng, who would be more helpful to her, rather than Wei Chengrui.

The latter can be coaxed back, but the emperor may not be so easily won back.

Pei Heng's eyes were calm, his expression cold, as if he was wondering why Wei Chengrui would do such a thing.

Shen Lingyi didn't let him think any further, "Did Your Majesty specifically seek me out to enter the palace?"

"Well, with the end of the year approaching, and you having things to talk about with the Empress Dowager, I'm thinking of keeping you in the palace then."

"My parents will worry."

Pei Heng smiled and said, "Are they worried about you, or are you worried about not being able to get out?"

"Of course everyone is worried, after all..."

Shen Lingyi blinked. "To outsiders, Your Majesty and I are completely innocent."

What a perfectly innocent and upright person!

Pei Heng pinched her chin and lifted her up. Her moist, grape-like eyes looked at him tremblingly. Her eyes, washed with water, were even brighter, no less than a priceless luminous pearl.

He said, "What a pair of deceiving eyes, and what a clever mouth full of lies."

If you think about it, it becomes clear. Shen Lingyi's words were full of loopholes. If she was going to visit the female members of the Wei family, why would she end up sleeping with Wei Chengrui?

With fingers tracing the collarbone, the lingering red mark starkly revealed the fact that this seemingly pure and innocent beauty was a fraud.

"I understand Wei Chengrui as a person..."

"Then does His Majesty not understand me?" Shen Lingyi interrupted, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Or is it that in His Majesty's eyes I am just a promiscuous woman who doesn't care about her own reputation? I'm trying to avoid Wei Chengrui as much as possible, why would I use myself as bait to seduce him?"

The repeated questions were filled with the sadness of being doubted.

It was as if Pei Heng was a heartless, unfaithful lover.

He was speechless for a moment.

"Everyone says that my bold pursuit of love is despicable and shameless. I originally thought Your Majesty was different." Shen Lingyi choked up as she spoke.

Tears streamed down her face, so much so that Pei Heng didn't even have time to think about why this person could cry so many tears.

"...I was wrong."

With a soft sigh of compromise, Shen Lingyi could see the arrogant emperor bowing down for her when she looked up.

It's a scene that no one else would even dare to imagine.

Pei Heng wiped away the tears on her cheeks and said, "It was my fault for doubting you. I forgot the promise I made to you last time."

He had promised himself that he would never doubt her and would always trust her, but he was blinded by a sudden burst of anger and only remembered when he saw the girl's sad face.

The palace doors opened, and a palace servant brought over a steaming bowl of ginger soup.

"I want Your Majesty to feed me by hand." Shen Lingyi's eyes were still red. Her words didn't sound like she was giving an order, but rather like she was pleading.

Pei Heng had spent the first half of his life fighting his way out of deceit and bloodshed. He understood people's hearts and had his methods, but he really had no way to deal with such a soft little thing.

You can't hit them, you can't scold them; it's like you've found yourself an ancestor.

Fuquan entered with the palace maids and, upon seeing the situation, said, "This old servant will do it."

"No need, you may leave," Pei Heng said.

Then, to Fuquan's horrified gaze, he picked up the bowl of ginger soup and fed it spoonful by spoonful to the person on the bed, his movements clumsy, clearly indicating that he didn't know how to take care of people.

Of course. Even when he was the least favored prince, Pei Heng still had palace servants serving him, though they weren't very attentive.

When has it ever been his turn to do this kind of servant work?

But he did it anyway.

Fuquan concealed the turmoil in his eyes, walked out of the palace gate, and looked up at the gloomy sky above the palace.

The young eunuch asked, puzzled, "Master, what are you looking at?"

"Look, things are about to change in the palace," Fuquan said, pointing to the hall and gesturing with his chin. "The one inside is no ordinary person. If you have the chance to serve her in the future, you'd better do your best, understand?"

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, Master."

……

Upon hearing that Shen Lingyi had entered the palace, the Empress Dowager immediately came to keep her there.

She could only send a message to the general's mansion, saying that she would be in the palace that night, so that her parents would not worry.

However, Shen Lingyi stayed in the Zichen Palace that night.

"The Zichen Palace has always been the residence of the emperor. Wouldn't it be against the rules for a subject like me to live here?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Heng raised his cold gaze from the mountain of memorials, "It's not like this is your first time coming in."

These words were loaded with meaning, but Shen Lingyi pretended not to understand the probing undertones.

Pei Heng must have investigated who let her into the palace that day. As a member of the General's Mansion, Shen Lingyi couldn't possibly have any connections in the palace. It could only be someone with enough power who helped her.

Perhaps she had already suspected Xu Yanqing, but what did that have to do with her?

"Come here." Pei Heng saw that she was doing nothing, so he raised his hand to call her over, which also drew Shen Lingyi's dissatisfaction.

She pouted slightly, a hint of reproach in her eyes, "I am not Your Majesty's pet, to be ordered around by Your Majesty."

Even so, she certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to see the memorials up close.

The memorials were made of bamboo slips. Although they looked like piles, there were actually only a few. Most of them had already been reviewed by Pei Heng and were just meaningless drivel.

Shen Lingyi glanced at it briefly and learned a lot.

"These ministers must have a lot of free time; they even have to ask whether or not loquats are edible."

Pei Heng's eyes turned cold as he rested one hand on his knee. "They have more free time than you think."