The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

In the golden autumn season, the day of the provincial examination finally arrived.

She personally escorted Cheng Qing to the examination hall, but was intercepted on the way back.

Shen Qinglian stood in front of the carriage and bowed to her with his hands clasped.

Yinque asked softly, "Miss, General Shen said he'd like to invite you for tea. Would you like to see him?"

Ruan Xianrong took a deep breath, "I'll see you."

Having said that, he lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage, his tone sharp, "It's rare to see General Shen being so polite. Does he know he's done something wrong and has come to apologize?"

For the first time ever, Shen Qinglian didn't refute, but instead made a gesture of invitation.

Upon going upstairs, we entered the best private room in the teahouse, where a jade brocade screen was displayed.

Shen Qinglian poured her some tea, and the two remained silent for a moment.

After finishing half a cup of tea, Ruan Xianrong had lost her patience and asked, "Did you just invite me for tea today?"

Shen Qinglian lowered her eyes, her tone stiff, "I'm sorry."

She couldn't help but scoff, "So you're admitting it's you who drugged Aqing?"

Before he could answer, Ruan Xianrong slammed her teacup on the table. "Shen Qinglian, you can settle your score with me in person. Why drag an innocent person into this?"

Shen Qing opened her mouth, "I'm not..."

"What do you mean, 'not what'? Why are you offering him a toast? The invitation was personally delivered by your Shen family. What, you just want him to drink that glass of wine?"

Shen Qinglian's face darkened. "He's your fiancé, that's why I went to offer him a toast."

After saying that, he resumed his usual sarcastic tone, "I just want to see what kind of person could catch your eye."

"That's all there is to it."

Inviting her over for tea, yet constantly provoking her, she's still the same old Shen Qinglian, nothing good comes out of her dog mouth.

"You wouldn't understand how good Ah Qing is. In my eyes, he's much better than you."

Shen Qinglian seemed to laugh in anger, took a sip of tea, and changed the subject, "What happened last time was indeed my oversight, and I have come to apologize today. If you have any requests, please feel free to make them."

Ruan Xianrong didn't believe that he was the one who did it, and after hearing this, she knew that someone else had drugged her.

"If you really want to apologize, give the person who drugged you the same drug, so he can also experience the agony of being tormented."

Shen Qinglian remained silent, while Ruan Xianrong scoffed, "Didn't you say you could make any request? Now that I've made it, are you going back on your word?"

"Change to another one."

"No change."

Revenge should be given in kind; otherwise, how can one vent their anger?

"If General Shen is not sincere, then he shouldn't make such grand pronouncements and become a laughing stock."

He glanced quickly at the screen, and finally relented, "Okay."

Ruan Xianrong actually just wanted to make things difficult for him, since that kind of medicine wasn't exactly good, and Shen Qinglian wouldn't agree to it.

But since she had agreed, she didn't hold back.

"Aqing has suffered greatly this time. In addition, you must compensate him with money and personally apologize to him. Apologizing to me is useless. I want you to apologize to Aqing in person."

"it is good."

Her heart sank as she heard the answer so readily; she already knew who had done it.

He chuckled softly, "No wonder Her Majesty the Empress didn't pursue the matter further; now I understand."

She stood up and looked at him coldly. "Shen Qinglian, you really are always going against me."

"Would you still be willing to see him one more time?" Shen Qinglian suddenly asked.

Ruan Xianrong scoffed, "Tell him to get lost."

As soon as the person left the private room, a series of rapid coughs could be heard from inside. Shen Qinglian looked over the screen at her younger brother and sighed helplessly.

"I told you before that Ruan Xianrong is not someone you should covet, and I told you to stay away from her, but you wouldn't listen."

Shen Qinghe coughed up a mouthful of blood, and Shen Qinglian patted his back, saying, "Why did you do this?"

"Big...Big Brother..." Shen Qinghe raised his wet eyes, "She found out...She must hate me to death..."

"I did something wrong, it was my fault, I just... want to apologize to her."

But he dared not go, afraid to see the look of disgust in her eyes; he was afraid she would hate him.

Can......

"Big brother, I...I just like her..."

The boy nestled in his older brother's arms and wailed, "Big brother, I was wrong..."

He was just envious and jealous of Cheng Qing. He knew that once Cheng Qing became corrupt, Niannian would definitely not want him anymore.

This was the first time he had ever done something wrong in his life, and he was scared.

Shen Qing patted his back, unable to bear scolding him any longer, "Since you know there's no possibility, don't think about it anymore, and don't go see her again in the future."

Only Shen Qinghe's sobs remained in the private room. Although Ruan Xianrong hadn't seen him, she had clearly heard Shen Qinghe's last words.

Shen Qinghe and she grew up together and he even saved her life. With so many years of friendship, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh to his face. It was fine as it was.

Putting all that aside, they went to the temple to offer incense and pray for Cheng Qing's well-being.

After the provincial examination was over, Ruan Xianrong personally went to pick him up. He had not been feeling well at the examination hall these past few days, so he took him to a restaurant for a big meal that day.

The carriage traveled far away, but the pair of eyes covered in winter ice were nowhere to be seen in the teahouse opposite the examination hall.

How can you smile so beautifully?

Cao Shen spoke up inappropriately: "Your Majesty, several ministers were also summoned for questioning today."

Xie Chengyan withdrew his gaze. "Has the Duke of Rong made any unusual moves?"

"Your Majesty, no, but things have been unsettled in the palace lately. Consort Jia keeps insisting on seeing the Emperor Emeritus."

Consort Jia was Emperor Chengxuan's favorite concubine. When His Majesty fell ill, she was the one who was most anxious.

He came to the bedchamber several times a day, but never saw anyone.

"I am the Imperial Noble Consort Jia, personally bestowed by the Emperor. His Majesty is unwell, and I should be attending to him. Your obstruction is an attempt to rebel!"

Eunuch Feng bowed, "This old servant dares not, but..."

Before the words were finished, the palace doors opened, and the Empress walked out.

"Your Highness should return home. His Majesty is still seriously ill and it is not appropriate for him to see others."

Consort Jia gave a forced smile, "Your Majesty makes it sound so easy. You've been with His Majesty every day these past few days, so naturally you get to decide what he says."

"But His Majesty, as the sovereign, has never refused audiences with his consorts and princes. I only wish to ask, what exactly does the Empress intend to do by detaining His Majesty?"

The Empress was not annoyed. "Consort Jia is worried about His Majesty and wants to go in to visit him. I naturally dare not stop her. However, recently, a lot of things have happened at the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. I am really afraid that His Majesty will be unhappy if he sees you, and his illness will worsen."

"you!"

Consort Jia gritted her teeth. The Rongguo Duke's mansion had indeed encountered many troubles recently, with the Crown Prince dealing with a number of them, and there was also the situation in Yuzhou...

"The Crown Prince reports the events of the court sessions to His Majesty every day, and he has already lost his temper today. For His Majesty's health, Consort, you should go back."

Having said all that, it would be unreasonable to insist on going in now.

Consort Jia was so angry that her lips twitched, but she could only leave empty-handed.

After seeing the person off, the Empress turned back into the palace and looked at Emperor Chengxuan on the bed.

Emperor Chengxuan stared at her with eyes full of hatred, calling her a "poisonous woman" over and over again, while the empress just smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty, you should save your energy. That way you'll live longer. In your current state, you can't hurt me at all."

"You...you! I had no idea you harbored such wolfish ambitions..."

Emperor Chengxuan was poisoned. He wouldn't die, but he was very weak and even speaking was difficult for him.

"After so many years of marriage, I thought Your Majesty would understand me a little." The Empress sat on the edge of the bed.

"Your Majesty is getting old; he even dares to drink the soup sent from the Phoenix Palace." Recalling the past, the Empress softened her voice. "If it were before, Your Majesty would never have taken a single sip."

"I have treated you well, why..." Emperor Chengxuan asked, his eyes wide.

"Why?" she asked, as if she'd heard a joke. "I also had a son, but you, the father, killed him with your own hands. Tell me why?"

"The child is gone, so be it. The Crown Prince can be raised under my care, at least I am still the Empress. But you want to take back the Empress's position and even try to take over the Prime Minister's residence."

"Xie Xuan, one shouldn't be so heartless, nor should one be so greedy."

The Queen chuckled softly, "Fortunately, your son hasn't disappointed you."

Emperor Chengxuan wanted to speak, but could only utter a "ho ho" sound from his throat in anger.

The Empress looked at him for a moment, "After decades of marriage, Your Majesty has probably forgotten even my name."

"But it doesn't matter," she said dismissively. "We both loathe each other, it's the same for us."

"Oh, by the way, today all the ministers supported the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, and His Majesty's abdication edict should have already been issued."

Emperor Chengxuan convulsed a few times in the palace, then coughed up a mouthful of blood in anger and fainted.