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

Shen Lingyi walked towards the man, her voice tinged with amusement: "Your Highness, guess who I met today?"

Xu Yanqing frowned, feeling that things weren't quite what he had guessed. Although she said it was urgent, she didn't seem anxious at all; instead, she seemed confident. He asked, "Didn't you come here to ask me for help?"

"Of course I'll help, and I have to say that, otherwise it would be a waste of Zuo Zhongtang's good leverage." Shen Lingyi's smiling appearance made her look like a little fox in Xu Yanqing's eyes.

A thought flickered in his mind. He and the Left Minister had been at odds for a long time, and he would never be too greedy to have any leverage over the other party.

But it seems this thing won't be easy to get right now.

Xu Yanqing invited Shen Lingyi inside. No one dared to enter the Crown Prince's study on ordinary days, so she naturally had to take a good look around since it was her first time there.

On the table lay words whose ink was still wet, and behind the wall stood a row of books, with only a sachet standing out out of place.

Shen Lingyi picked up the sachet on the table and turned to look at the person: "Isn't this my sister's? Your Highness really cares about my sister, as you always carry this sachet with you."

Xu Yanqing felt a little embarrassed. He didn't wear it with him all the time; he just forgot to take it off and put it there casually. To be honest, although he treated Shen Tingjiao well on the surface and even protected her in the palace last time, only he knew what he was really thinking.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he coldly rebuked Shen Lingyi: "Since you know it's Jiaojiao's, why don't you let go?"

Shen Lingyi did as she was told and put it down. She had always found it unlucky to hold it anyway, but she still added, "Your Highness calls me 'Jiaojiao' so affectionately."

"I wonder what she will think if she finds out that Your Highness conspired with me in private."

Xu Yanqing's heart pounded, and just as she was about to speak, she changed the subject.

She recounted the events that had transpired on the street that day, and then sat on the rosewood chair that Xu Yanqing never allowed anyone to touch, resting her fair wrist on it: "Now that the person has been sent to the government office, if Your Highness has any ideas, you can draft a memorial to impeach the Left Minister tonight."

He added, "You've been at odds with the Left Minister for so long, yet you've never caught him making such a big mistake, have you?"

Xu Yanqing didn't actually need to hesitate, but he was swayed by Shen Lingyi's words: "That young master Wang touched you?"

Just thinking about it gave him an urge to tear that person to pieces. Xu Yanqing was surprised by this sudden thought. When did he start to care so much about Shen Lingyi?

Seeing his cold and angry expression, Shen Lingyi gently rested her chin on her palm and asked, "Is Your Highness concerned about me?"

Xu Yanqing's lips moved slightly: "...After all, you are Jiaojiao's younger sister."

Shen Lingyi scoffed. Did he even believe what he was saying?

However, that wasn't her purpose in coming. She told him about the plan to replace the spring hunting garrison commander and then prepared to leave. Just before she was about to leave, Xu Yanqing called her back.

"What health problem did General Shen have that led to his sudden resignation?"

Shen Lingyi didn't turn around. "Your Highness, you know that even if I didn't come to you, I could have spoken directly to His Majesty about this, right?"

Xu Yanqing's face darkened; he understood the implication in her words: "I understand."

Shen Lingyi was very pleased with his tact. Indeed, this was exactly what she wanted to tell Xu Yanqing; if not him, then someone else.

He wasn't her only option.

After leaving the East Palace, Shen Lingyi intended to find Pei Heng, but instead saw a minister coming out of the hall, wiping his sweat as he did so.

Fuquan pulled her aside: "His Majesty is discussing state affairs right now, so it would be best if you didn't go in, young lady."

"When will Your Majesty have time?"

Fuquan was stumped by the question; how would he know when His Majesty would have time?

Shen Lingyi knew that he couldn't influence Pei Heng's wishes, and since she had already asked Xu Yanqing for help, she went back.

Once she arrived at the manor, she asked Granny Ning, "Granny, how is my father?"

"The general is much better. This old ailment isn't a serious illness, it's just that when it flares up, the headache is unbearable."

It was clear that Granny Ning didn't want her to worry.

Shen Lingyi didn't seem too worried and gave her the medicine she had picked up at the Imperial Hospital on her way there: "Brew this and give it to my father."

Granny Ning hesitated.

The medicines Shen Su used were all prescribed by the imperial physicians and were fixed in place. No one dared to use medicines from outside the palace, for fear of making him sick.

But Shen Lingyi would never harm her own father, so after thinking about it, she accepted.

"With the General in such a state, it might not be good for the spring hunt." After saying this, Ning Mama felt that she was overthinking it. Hunting had always been held in the royal hunting grounds, where guards were supposed to be on duty.

But who would dare to cause trouble in a place like that?

Shen Lingyi saw what Ning Mama was thinking and thought that it might not be so. In the plot, she remembered that something big happened during this spring hunt.

After offering a few words of comfort to Granny Ning, Shen Lingyi returned to her courtyard, asking the person beside her, "What's the commotion with Shen Tingjiao?"

After Shen Tingjiao drugged the palace banquet last time, she had people keep an eye on that area so that she could know any movement at any time.

Peony said she hadn't noticed anything unusual, which reassured her somewhat.

The next day.

When the water conservancy map submitted by Shen Lingyi reached Pei Heng's hands, the latter glanced at it and immediately realized that it far surpassed the map that several ministers of the Ministry of Works had worked tirelessly for several days and nights to produce.

When it was time to use it, it was met with opposition from many pedantic old ministers.

The conservative Zuo Zhongtang was particularly outspoken: "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable! The origin of this map is unclear, and in my opinion, many of the suggestions on it are too radical and may be detrimental to various parts of Yizhou. On the contrary, the Ministry of Revenue's engineering drawings are more conservative and at least offer some protection."

Pei Heng chuckled, his crown swaying before his eyes: "This painting was presented by a goddess."

Just as Zuo Zhongtang was about to speak, he saw Xu Yanqing, who had always been at odds with him, step forward, and his heart skipped a beat!

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

Xu Yanqing presented the memorial he had written overnight. Zuo Zhongtang was his mother's half-brother, and could actually be considered his maternal uncle, but there was a deceased concubine in between, who was Zuo Zhongtang's biological mother.

For many years, Zuo Zhongtang had always felt that his biological mother's death was inextricably linked to his stepmother, and he also hated all the direct descendants of the Zuo family.

Despite their uncle-nephew relationship, the two were mortal enemies.

Therefore, he did not need to bear any burden when impeaching: "My memorial is to impeach the Left Minister for condoning his maternal relatives' children. The Left Minister claims to be acting for the Great Wei, yet he has done something astonishing as covering up his cousin's cheating in the imperial examination.

Xu Yanqing said this with a cold smile.

The court was in turmoil, and everyone was watching to see how the Left Minister would handle the situation.

"Nonsense!"

The Left Minister angrily retorted, "When have I ever indulged any of my maternal relatives' children? And who is this cousin of mine? Your Majesty, I am innocent!"