In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

"I'll send her a smaller one another day; the smaller one is very pretty too."

"Go back and copy the Book of Rites twenty times."

"I don't want to copy the characters from the Central Plains; they're like celestial script," Yaoyue said with a mournful face.

"If it weren't for the fact that you were left behind by his mother, the master would have already sent you to be punished with a beating." Baoyu coldly rejected her.

The next day.

The memorial submitted by the censor to the emperor regarding the Fifth Prince's gathering of prostitutes in the South Courtyard was presented to him by the imperial censor.

The emperor's illness, which had just begun to improve, flared up again. After reading the memorials, his face turned ashen, and he smashed them all over the floor.

"The traitor!"

Empress Wu quickly stepped forward to support him, gently massaging his head with her soft and practiced movements: "His and Yuzhen's birth mother died early, and it is because I failed to discipline them properly." Her voice carried just the right amount of regret and self-reproach.

"How can this be your fault?" The emperor patted the back of her hand, comforting her. "You have to take care of me and handle state affairs for me. You've already worked hard enough."

In the afternoon, news spread through the palace that the Fifth Prince had been stripped of his title of Prince.

Once considered one of the most promising candidates for the crown prince position, his aura suddenly dimmed, and his supporters began to waver and become restless.

Upon receiving the news, Cui Yutang's eyes were dark and unreadable, and his lips were pressed very low.

He didn't say anything and continued to bury himself in his work.

After a while, he couldn't help but look up and ask Baoyu, "What is she doing today?"

"Miss Xie is probably playing with her new Persian cat right now," Baoyu speculated.

Then she silently added in her mind: She doesn't have time for you, so you should just focus on your work and not stay up until midnight every day.

Although he didn't have to work, he still had to keep up, and he was almost dying from exhaustion.

Cui Yutang pursed his lips even tighter.

That heartless little brat, just wait and see how he punishes her when he has the chance.

"By the way, have the people from the Exotic Treasure Pavilion returned from searching for wild fruits and fish in the deep mountains?"

Bao Yu's lips twitched, and she quickly replied, "It's already on its way and should arrive tomorrow."

His master, unaware of this newfound hobby, was making increasingly strange demands.

"Keep a close eye on it, and deliver it to her immediately once it arrives." Cui Yutang's expression softened.

"Yes, Master."

Oh, I see. Hehe~

At that moment, the sunlight was just right in the pear orchard.

Xie Yige and Li Zhiwei were happily playing with their new Persian kitten in the yard.

The kitten was pure white, a fluffy ball of fur, adorable yet trying its best to strike a noble and elegant pose.

Xie Yige was completely unaware of the turbulent political situation outside and Cui Yutang's malicious intentions.

"Yige, I heard that the palace is going to hold a grand spring plowing ceremony," Li Zhiwei said while playing with the cat. "In addition to leading the officials to worship the god of agriculture, His Majesty will also hold a large palace banquet and a spring hunt this year. My family has already received an invitation from the palace. Do you want to go?"

"I don't need to," Xie Yige said smugly. "With my uncle and aunt in the Xie family taking care of things, I don't need to worry about this kind of situation."

Seeing her smug look, Li Zhiwei's eyes darted around, and she secretly slipped her hand to her waist, giving her a sharp tickle: "You'll soon have this problem—because you'll soon be marrying your Cui Langjun, hahaha!"

Xie Yige jumped at the tickle, laughing as she dodged and retaliated, "Li Zhiwei, how dare you ambush me! I'll tickle you to death!"

A string of silvery laughter echoed in the air above the pear orchard.

The Persian cat watched as the woman, whom it had almost petted to the point of exhaustion, finally went off to play by herself, and a human-like sigh of relief appeared in its azure eyes.

Xie Yige was indeed too happy too soon.

The person who sent the invitation was not from the Xie family, but from the imperial palace.

To be precise, it was in the Empress's palace.

After receiving the decree, the brother and sister looked at each other, staring at each other with identical big eyes, both showing the same bewilderment.

Zhou Xuan'an was also very puzzled. He had been attending court for several days, but the Empress had not even given him a second glance. Why would she personally send an invitation to him and his sister?

He pondered for a moment. Could it be because of Cui Yutang? It was very likely.

This guy is enjoying the emperor's favor and is riding high on his success, yet he still has time to climb over his wall. Humph!

Don't think that he will forgive you easily just because of this.

A short while later, Baoyu brought in two large boxes of things with his men.

As soon as the box was opened, Xie Yige, Zhou Xuan'an, Bi Chun, and others curiously stepped forward to look at it.

The box was filled with fresh wild fish and shrimp, carefully kept in water, showing how much care had been put into their care along the way.

Next to it was a box full of bright red, purple and yellow fruits, each one plump and round, I don’t know their names, and they exuded a sweet fruity fragrance.

"Where did this come from?" Xie Yige asked curiously.

"It was specially sent by the master to find it deep in the mountains, because he heard that you like to eat this," Baoyu replied respectfully.

Xie Yige looked at Zhou Xuan'an with a puzzled expression, then at Bi Chun.

Does she like to eat this?

Seeing the somewhat awkward scene, Bao Yu couldn't help but enthusiastically recommend, "Miss Xie, these wild fruits have been washed with spring water. Would you like to try some?"

Xie Yige picked up a red mountain fruit whose name she didn't know and tentatively took a bite.

The juice burst in her mouth, incredibly sweet and fresh, with a subtle, forest-like fragrance, like the scent of a forest after a rain shower. Her eyes narrowed in blissful contentment.

"Brother, this is delicious! Quickly call your sister-in-law to come out and try it; she'll definitely love it too."

Upon hearing that his wife would also like it, Zhou Xuan'an happily ran back to the inner courtyard.

Bao Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As expected, her master was amazing, knowing Xie Xiao Niangzi's preferences perfectly.

"Why has he been so busy lately?" Xie Yige couldn't help but ask, as she hadn't seen him for two days and seven hours.

"My lord is busy with the spring plowing ceremony and stays up until midnight every day," Baoyu replied truthfully. "But he thinks of you every day."

Xie Yige blushed at his words, her ears turning a faint pink.

She quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, was this invitation given to us by him at the Empress's request?"

Bao Yu took the invitation, opened it, and glanced at it. He was quite surprised, but he didn't show it on his face. He respectfully handed the invitation back, saying, "I'll go back and ask my master. I'll get back to you later."

The master probably wouldn't ask for such a thing; he knows that Miss Xie doesn't like these kinds of occasions.

There must be more to this than meets the eye. Considering that the Empress was involved, he couldn't help but worry. He quickly bid farewell to Xie Yige and returned to report.

As dusk approached, Xie Yige took Zhixia out to buy pastries.

She had been queuing for a long time wearing a veiled hat, and had just boarded the carriage with pastries wrapped in oil paper, the curtain still not yet drawn.

A tall, slender white figure suddenly appeared, startling her.

"Cui Yutang, are you trying to become a lecher?" She patted her chest as she took off her veil and glared at him.

Without saying a word, he picked her up, placed her on his lap, and hugged her tightly.

The moment he touched her softness and fragrance, he couldn't help but hug her even tighter, his body trembling slightly.

He finally came back to life.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath.

The scent emanating from her seemed to have the power to prolong life.

All the fatigue accumulated over the past few days, the dense text on the desk, and the heated debates in the court all vanished at this moment.

But what was she saying, her little mouth chattering away?

He didn't hear clearly.

Will I get beaten up if I ask again?