The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

The inner chamber of Yilan Palace.

Shen Qingruo walked back in silence, hand in hand with Shen Wangxi. Now that she had stopped, she looked up at him with her bright, watery eyes, staring at him without blinking.

Her voice was soft, "Your Majesty, that decree you just issued..."

Shen Wangxi looked down at her, raised an eyebrow, and gestured for her to continue.

Shen Qingruo pursed her delicate lips and continued in a soft voice, "That doesn't seem like you at all."

Upon hearing this, an unnatural expression flashed across Shen Wangxi's handsome face, which he quickly concealed.

He knew, of course, that his actions just now were somewhat impulsive and not in line with his usual style.

But when he saw Aruo about to kneel before Wulanyun, and thought of the child he had lost, his chest tightened, and all rules and etiquette were thrown to the back of his mind.

Shen Wangxi coughed lightly, not letting her see his embarrassment, and instead asked with interest, "Oh? So, what kind of person am I in A'Ruo's heart?"

He pulled her to sit on the soft couch, encircled her in his arms, and waited patiently for her answer.

Shen Qingruo leaned against him, her small hands resting on his chest. She thought about it seriously for a moment before speaking softly:

"In Aruo's heart, His Majesty has always been the most principled and disciplined person."

"Like the moon in the sky, cold and clear, hanging high in the desert, never tilting."

This was her most genuine feeling when she used to look up to him.

He was noble, aloof, and unapproachable; everything he did was methodical and beyond question.

Hearing her words, Shen Wangxi felt inexplicably uneasy.

He had shown favoritism before, but it was never directed at her.

Shen Wangxi pinched her delicate chin, making her look into his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "So, I broke the rules today, and A'Ruo doesn't think it's right?"

Shen Qingruo quickly shook her head, grabbing his wrist that was pinching her chin with her small hand, her voice soft and urgent: "How can it be bad? Aruo is very happy."

Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, a hint of shyness in her voice, which lowered as she said, "I just never expected His Majesty to do this in public for my sake..."

Seeing her joyful yet shy expression, Shen Wangxi's lingering melancholy dissipated.

He lowered his head, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, their breaths mingling. "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"It is only natural for me to protect my woman."

Shen Qingruo was charmed by his words.

She leaned forward and quickly kissed him on the lips, then immediately buried her face in the crook of his neck and said, "Your Majesty treats Aruo the best."

Shen Wangxi was amused by her and chuckled softly, digging out her little face and kissing it repeatedly.

-

Ever since Shen Wangxi publicly issued his decree in front of the palace gates that day, Yilan Palace has become the most special place in the harem.

The emperor's favoritism was made without any attempt to conceal it.

Meanwhile, rumors spread like wildfire throughout the palace, claiming that Empress Wulanyun, out of jealousy, had murdered the imperial heir of the Noble Consort.

Within a few days, the rumors spread to the streets outside the palace.

Shen Yinian overheard a few scattered comments in a teahouse outside the palace, and his heart sank.

He immediately presented his nameplate requesting an audience and hurried to the Taiji Hall.

Inside the hall, Shen Wangxi was reviewing memorials when he heard that Shen Yinian was requesting an audience. He paused slightly, then said calmly, "Summon him."

Shen Yinian entered the hall, bowed, but did not immediately stand up.

He looked up at his father, who remained majestic on the dragon throne, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a suppressed voice: "Father."

Shen Wangxi put down her vermilion brush, looked up at him, and asked, "What is it?"

Shen Yinian took a deep breath and finally asked, "Father, aren't you being a little too cruel to Mother?"

Shen Wangxi looked at her first child, now a tall and handsome young man, with a complex expression in her eyes.

He could be cold and hard towards Wu Lanyun, but towards Shen Yinian, he ultimately harbored a fatherly affection.

Shen Wangxi's voice was calm, "Yinian, it's not that I'm heartless, it's that your mother and your sister did something wrong."

He paused, then continued, "From their perspective, perhaps it's understandable. They are afraid and resentful; I understand."

Shen Yinian felt a vague unease.

Shen Wangxi's next words confirmed his unease: "But in my eyes, plotting to harm my unborn heir is an unforgivable mistake."

"I have not stripped your mother of her title as empress, which is already out of consideration for our many years of friendship, and for your relationship with Ayan."

The light in Shen Yinian's eyes dimmed, and he lowered his head, remaining silent for a long time.

He knew his father was telling the truth, but they were, after all, his birth mother and younger sister.

Seeing her son's dejected expression, Shen Wangxi remained silent for a moment before finally standing up from the dragon throne and slowly walking down the steps.

He walked up to Shen Yinian, reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

This blow, though not heavy, carried the familiar comfort of a father that Shen Yinian knew well.

When he was a child, his father would pat him on the shoulder when he was tired from practicing martial arts or when he made progress in his studies.

Shen Wangxi didn't say anything more. After patting him, she withdrew her hand, walked past him, and headed straight out of the hall.

Watching his father's figure disappear into the palace gate, Shen Yinian suddenly turned around and blurted out, "Father!"

Shen Wangxi stopped walking, but did not turn around.

Shen Yinian gazed at his father's tall and imposing back, his voice lowering, tinged with bewilderment:

"Can our family ever go back to what it was before? Like when we were in the desert, the four of us..."

Shen Wangxi stood silently with her back to him for a moment.

In the end, he didn't answer the question, nor did he turn around; he simply left behind a single sentence:

"I grant your request to enter the court."

After saying that, Shen Wangxi left Taiji Hall without lingering and strode away, heading towards Yilan Hall.

Shen Yinian stood alone, staring at the empty palace gate, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

The emperor did not answer.

But he already knew the answer.

Can not go back.

That past, when it was just the four of them, is gone forever.

Allowing him to enter the court was, in fact, compensation from his father.

There was a time when it became so difficult for him, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, to enter the court that his father, the emperor, could only grant permission if he felt guilty.

Shen Yinian slowly closed his eyes.

Only now did he begin to understand why his mother and sister had gone so mad, even risking everything to openly murder their unborn child.

Because they watched helplessly as the person they admired and relied on most gave all their favoritism to someone else.

This feeling is truly unbearable.