On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

She placed the bowl on the stone platform under the eaves and looked up at the sky.

The winter night sky is very dark, and you can't see any stars. Only the moon is faintly visible behind the clouds.

Who else in the palace could speak with people outside? The Emperor, Zhang Yong, or Sun Fu?

It seems like none of them will work.

Should I go find Zhao Shuyu?

That woman is no pushover.

But thinking about it, it seems that no one else can help me except her.

She was recently reprimanded by Lin Yi, but she is still the Empress after all, and the Kunning Palace still holds its prestige. She also has a few people around her that she can command.

Most importantly, Zhao Shuyu has the backing of the Zhao family of Jiangnan; it's impossible for her to be completely without any advantages.

But you have to pay a price to get her help...

Well, let's go and see, maybe there'll be some positive developments.

The main problem is that I have no other choice now.

Liu Jing picked up the bowl and continued walking towards the imperial kitchen. The stove was still lit, and a young eunuch was cleaning up the pots and pans inside.

She went inside, placed the bowl on the stove, and said to the eunuch, "Sir, could you please heat this up for me?"

The young eunuch glanced at her, muttered something, then took the bowl and put it in the pot to steam.

Liu Jing leaned against the stove, staring intently at the fire.

She and Zhao Shuyu didn't have much of a relationship.

When Liu Wentao was in office, he would send gifts to Kunning Palace during festivals, but that was all.

The prime minister and the empress were never on the same page; they each had their own agendas.

However, given the Liu family's current predicament, Zhao Shuyu might not be unwilling to take them in.

Even a dog that has fallen into the water can be caught and used to bite people; Zhao Shuyu must understand this principle.

The food is heated up.

The young eunuch handed her the bowl, which Liu Jing took and carried towards the side hall.

When I returned, I found Liu Wentao still in the same position, sitting on the chair under the window, looking out the window.

"Dad, eat."

Liu Wentao turned to look at her, then took the bowl and ate a couple of bites with his chopsticks.

The way he ate made Liu Jing feel very sad.

The once mighty prime minister, second only to the emperor, is now no different from an old man on his deathbed.

After taking a few bites, Liu Wentao put down his chopsticks and suddenly said, "Jing'er."

"Um?"

"Don't do anything foolish."

Liu Jing paused for a moment, then said, "I know, I won't sacrifice my innocence to please Lin Yi."

"Lin Yi is no pushover. Even if you were willing to offer yourself, he might not want you. Besides, even if he took advantage of you, there's nothing we can do about it. So you might as well just stay put and live your life here."

After saying that, Liu Wentao took two more bites and then pushed the bowl aside.

Go to bed early.

Liu Jing nodded, stood up, put away the bowl, and went to the next room.

Her younger brother, Liu Wenyuan, was already asleep. She didn't go to sleep immediately, but sat on the edge of the bed, thinking that she had to go to Kunning Palace tomorrow.

The next morning, Liu Jing woke up earlier than usual.

It was very cold in the palace in winter; the air outside the blankets felt like knives.

She huddled under the covers a few times, but finally gritted her teeth and got up.

As I was getting dressed and heading out, I heard a commotion coming from the house next door.

My younger brother, Liu Wenyuan, has also woken up and is putting on his shoes.

"Sis, you're going out again today?"

"Um, something came up."

Liu Wenyuan lowered his head and stepped into his embroidered shoes without looking up.

A sixteen-year-old boy should be full of vigor and spirit, but he looked drab and spoke softly, which was not in line with his age.

Liu Jing asked, "Are you going to the Imperial College today?"

Liu Wenyuan shook his head.

"Why aren't you going?"

"Going there was no use. The professor didn't call me by name, and he wouldn't approve my papers. I sat there like I was invisible."

Liu Jing remained indifferent, but encouraged him, "Hang in there a little longer, I'll think of something."

Liu Wenyuan looked up at her, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.

He neither said he believed nor he didn't believe; he just nodded.

Liu Jing left the side hall and walked along the palace road toward Kunning Palace.

This road is not short. From the side hall where they lived to Kunning Palace, they had to pass through two palace gates and a passageway, and then go around the west corner tower of the Imperial Garden.

Along the way, they encountered several patrol soldiers from the Shenji Battalion, all in groups of three, carrying long spears.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we arrived at Kunning Palace.

Two Shenji Battalion soldiers stood at the door, but inside were still Zhao Shuyu's people.

Two personal maids were guarding the steps of the front hall. When they saw someone coming, one of them came over.

Who is it?

"My surname is Liu, and I wish to request an audience with Her Majesty the Empress."

The palace maid looked her up and down: "Are you from Prime Minister Liu's household?"

"Mm." Liu Jing nodded.

"Alright, wait and see." The palace maid turned and went inside to report.

After a while, someone came out and said, "The Empress wants you to come in."

Thank you.

Liu Jing followed the palace maid through the front hall and arrived at the main hall.

The main hall was warm and cozy, with charcoal braziers burning inside.

Zhao Shuyu was reclining on the phoenix couch, and a palace maid was squatting beside her, painting her nails.

It's red balsam juice; apply it little by little to your nails.

Zhao Shuyu looks good today.

Her face had color in it, her eyebrows were drawn, and her lips were adorned with a light layer of rouge.

If we're talking about the person in the palace who has changed the most these past few days, it's definitely Zhao Shuyu.

She was completely devastated when Lin Yi confronted her with the Zhao family's letter, but she seems to have recovered quite a bit now.

It's unclear whether this was a result of Lin Yi's conquest.

When Liu Jing entered, Zhao Shuyu didn't even lift her eyelids, only saying indifferently, "Sit down."

She didn't dare sit down, but just stood in the middle of the hall and watched her.

Zhao Shuyu seemed to know that she couldn't sit, so she didn't ask and continued to have the palace maids paint her nails.

The palace was quiet, with only the sound of palace maids dipping small brushes in flower juice.

Liu Jing spoke up, "Your Majesty, could you please help me leave the palace?"

Zhao Shuyu paused, pulled her hand back from the palace maid's grasp, and held it up to the lamp to examine it.

The freshly painted nail was a vibrant red, gleaming under the light.

Did Lin Yi see you last time you went out?

"I haven't seen him."

"Hehehe..." Zhao Shuyu laughed unkindly, "You can't even get through someone's door, and you want to go a second time?"

Liu Jing said, "That's why I've come to beg Your Majesty."

Zhao Shuyu then raised her head and looked at her directly.

This kind of gaze made the latter a little uncomfortable, as if he were being scrutinized like a piece of merchandise.

But she didn't lower her head or look away; she just stared straight into Zhao Shuyu's eyes.

After reading it, Zhao Shuyu waved her hand and said, "You can all leave now."

"Yes."

The palace maids put down what they were carrying and left with their companions.

The palace doors closed, leaving only the two of them inside.

Zhao Shuyu changed her posture, sat up straight, placed one hand on her knee, and let the other hand hang down at her side.

"Liu Jing."

"exist."

"Think carefully. Once you walk out of my place today, you'll be one of my people. Do you understand?"

Of course she understood.

Once you've pledged allegiance to the Empress, you're no longer a member of the Liu family; you're just a pawn in Zhao Shuyu's hands.

From now on, she will have to do whatever the Empress tells her to do, without any room for negotiation.

"I understand. I just want my father and brother to live."