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

Ruan Xianrong held the medicine bottle and examined it for several days.

Jiang Wantang said that as long as Xie Chengyan took this medicine, he would forget about her.

She would be free from now on, and Xie Chengyan would never think of her again.

But how can we get him to take the medicine?

Given her current relationship with Xie Chengyan, it's impossible for her to try to please him. If she suddenly tries to please him, she'll definitely be suspected.

All the way until the day the imperial edict arrived, she could only think of one solution.

The imperial edict was the same as what Jiang Wantang had said: Xie Chengyan had conferred upon her the title of Imperial Concubine, not Empress.

She breathed a sigh of relief; the Empress wasn't any better.

The day before she entered the palace, Shen Qinglian sent someone to deliver a letter to her, inviting her to dine at Jufenglou Restaurant.

She went upstairs and stopped at the door of the private room, not going in for a moment.

The last time I came here, the room was packed with people, it was very lively.

But today, only Shen Qinglian was inside, completely out of place with the hustle and bustle outside.

She went in without saying a word, just staring at him.

"Should I congratulate you on your upcoming trip to the palace to enjoy a life of luxury?"

He poured her a cup of tea, his voice calm. Although his words were harsh, there was no hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"I also want to congratulate you. You participated in the rebellion and managed to get away unscathed. I really underestimated you."

Shen Qinglian smiled, a rare occurrence. "Congratulations are indeed in order, otherwise I would be in the same boat as the Third Prince by now."

Ruan Xianrong didn't want to waste any more time arguing with him, so she asked, "What did you call me here for?"

"It's Qinghe. He has something for you."

She handed over a letter, but Ruan Xianrong did not take it.

"Why did he want to see me? You might as well just tell me."

"He wants to see you before you go to the palace."

"After entering the palace, you will probably never see each other again."

She was indeed angry about the time he drugged Cheng Qing, but Shen Qinghe wasn't an irredeemable villain.

But she couldn't go see him.

"Go back and tell him that he should grow up, take good care of his health, get married and have children in the future, and be able to stand on his own."

Shen Qinglian softened her tone, "He knows he was wrong. He hasn't dared to come see you these days because he's afraid you're still angry."

Shen Qinglian originally didn't want to deliver this letter, but... her younger brother's health is getting worse and worse, and she can only feel at ease if she sees him.

"I will never see him again, and it's for his own good."

Xie Chengyan has been sending people to keep an eye on her every day, and he probably already knows that she came to Jufenglou today.

These days, the fewer people who are associated with her, the better.

Suddenly, he looked up at the person in front of him, "Doesn't His Majesty know about your help to Xie Chengli last time?"

"I was just following orders, His Majesty naturally knows that." Shen Qinglian didn't hide anything.

"His Majesty's thoughts are not something anyone can guess; everything is under his control."

But Ruan Xianrong knew that what Shen Qinglian said that day was true; his face was clearly full of resentment at this moment.

"You know that's good. For the sake of the Shen family's peace, I advise you not to have any improper thoughts."

Ruan Xianrong's words were like cold water poured on a red-hot iron block, harsh yet resonant for a long time.

Shen Qinglian's already cold and stern expression darkened further, and a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes that he could not suppress.

Shen Qinglian remained silent for a moment, then picked up the now-cold tea and drank it all in one gulp.

"Miss Ruan is speaking more and more like someone from the palace these days."

"I'm just stating the facts." Ruan Xianrong looked away and gazed at the bustling street outside the window.

The sunlight shone brightly on the upturned eaves, but the private room was shrouded in shadow.

"His Majesty may tolerate you once, but he may not tolerate you a second time. Although the Shen family's foundation remains, the Emperor's heart is unpredictable."

"Been taught a lesson."

As she got up to leave, Shen Qinglian asked again, "The Third Prince is dead, aren't you sad?"

"What's there to be sad about? You grew up together with him, and I didn't see you being that heartbroken."

Shen Qinglian lowered her eyes, then looked up again, still with that expressionless face and that familiar mockery, "You're really heartless. He likes you so much, yet you can still be so calm."

Ruan Xianrong laughed. "What? Just because he's dead, does that mean I have to die with him?"

"You two seem to have a good relationship, so why aren't you going?"

"Shen Qinglian, don't criticize me for things you can't do. I'm only being polite to you because of Shen Qinghe."

She said that she and Shen Qinglian couldn't see eye to eye, and that they would argue if they talked too much.

The days that followed passed by so quickly they felt like an illusion.

I used to think that life in ancient times was really hard to endure, but now I realize that the days go by so quickly.

The palace gifts arrived in a continuous stream, dazzling and opulent, so heavy they were almost suffocating.

On the eve of her entering the palace, Lady Sun held her hand, weeping so hard she almost fainted, repeatedly saying, "My child, in the palace... you must be well, very well..."

Ruan Xianrong patted the back of her hand, repeatedly replying, "I know, don't worry, nothing will happen."

The day finally arrived—the day to enter the palace—but the whole family was far from happy.

The procession was grand and imposing, welcoming her into the palace with the rites befitting an empress.

When the Empress entered the palace, the process took most of the day, but when the Imperial Concubine entered the palace, the process was simple and ended in less than two hours.

She entered Hanzhang Palace.

The furnishings inside were unchanged, just as they were when I left last time.

She took a deep breath and sat motionless on the bed.

She came with a mission this time and didn't bring Yinque with her. Hongjian came in with a smile, "This servant knew that Your Highness would come back."

Ruan Xianrong was a little unaccustomed to the sudden change in address.

What kind of "Empress" is that? It sounds really awful to use it on her.

"His Majesty will be back soon. If Your Majesty is tired, you may rest for a while."

"Or are you hungry? His Majesty has ordered food to be prepared."

Ruan Xianrong looked over and saw a meal laid out on the table.

She had no appetite and waved her hand, "You can go out now, I'll stay here alone for a while."

After Hongjian left, she took off all the messy things from her head, lay on the bed with her mind blank, and just wanted to lie down and relax.

*

Jiang Wantang was unusually quiet today. Now that she was staying in the palace as a female official, it was more natural for her than before.

Giving the medicine to Ruan Xianrong was a last resort for her.

"System, is your medicine reliable or not? Don't rip me off again."

[Don't worry, host. I got that medicine through connections; it's guaranteed to work.]

If you're the first person he sees when he wakes up, he'll definitely fall in love with you.

Jiang Wantang hissed, "But Ruan Xianrong hasn't sent me any messages yet. Could she be having second thoughts?"

Growing increasingly anxious, she said, "Can't you help me see what those two are doing right now?"

[Sorry, host, because your progress in completing the task is too slow, the system has limited unlocked functions, so you'll have to rely on yourself.]

"What use are you to me? You're useless, you only cause me trouble!"

Whether she can live a peaceful and comfortable life in her later years depends on Ruan Xianrong.

It absolutely has to succeed!