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

An hour later, Shen Wangxi got up, dressed neatly, and looked back at Shen Qingruo, who was fast asleep on the bed, exhausted.

Her fair face still had a lingering blush, her long eyelashes were wet, and her sleeping face was both innocent and charming.

He reached out and gently stroked her lower abdomen, his eyes darkening slightly as he recalled the nonsense she had uttered in her anger.

Want to have a child with another man? She shouldn't even think about it.

This place can only nurture his flesh and blood.

He composed himself and walked out of the inner hall.

Outside, the palace maids of Yilan Palace, led by Granny Yan, had already knelt silently on the ground, each holding their breath.

Shen Wangxi sat down in the head seat, while Wu Tian stood to the side with his hands hanging down.

"It is only natural for the Imperial Concubine to discipline the Princess," Shen Wangxi said, her voice steady yet carrying an invisible pressure.

"However, the Imperial Concubine is young and naive. She has been spoiled by me and her actions are sometimes impulsive and she doesn't know her own strength."

His gaze slowly swept over the kneeling crowd below: "You are people of Yilan Palace, you should know what to say and what not to say. You should also know when to advise your master and protect his reputation."

His gaze finally settled on Granny Yan: "Granny Yan, you are strict with the rules. As for the Princess, you can discipline her as you see fit."

"But if word gets out that something like this morning, where tea was splashed directly on someone's face, it will damage the Imperial Concubine's reputation."

"From now on, don't indulge them so easily; offer them a few words of advice."

Granny Yan immediately kowtowed deeply: "This old servant will remember His Majesty's teachings and will do my best to persuade Your Highness."

Shen Wangxi paused, tapped her knuckles lightly on the armrest, and added, "Of course, if you really can't persuade them, then so be it."

His tone was calm, yet tinged with favoritism: "She is physically weak, emotionally sensitive, and prone to being pampered. Be careful when advising her, and don't go against her nature, lest you upset her and harm her health."

Granny Yan lowered her head even further: "This old servant understands."

"Okay." Shen Wangxi stood up. "Get up, everyone."

He said no more and led Wu Tian away from Yilan Palace.

Only when His Majesty's figure was completely out of sight did the kneeling palace servants in the hall breathe a sigh of relief and exchange knowing glances.

Serving in the Yilan Palace, the most important thing is not the palace rules, but how to please the pampered master.

Granny Yan slowly stood up, straightened her clothes, her face expressionless, but her mind was clear.

His Majesty's words sounded like an admonition, but in reality, every word was a defense.

We must persuade her, but we must not let the Imperial Concubine be even slightly unhappy.

-

After that, Shen Jingyan's days became increasingly difficult.

Shen Qingruo did not blatantly humiliate her as she had the day before, but the tutors sent by Granny Yan were all extremely strict and inhumane when it came to teaching her palace rules and etiquette.

Her posture, walking, bowing, and serving tea—every tiny movement had to be repeatedly corrected. If there was the slightest mistake, the ruler would fall mercilessly on her palms and calves.

She was favored from a young age, had an outgoing personality, and grew up on horseback on the grasslands. She had always disdained such formalities and was inherently weak.

Now that I'm in the hands of these deliberately difficult nannies, I get beaten up almost every day.

Furthermore, the palace servants of Yilan Palace, seeing her fall from power, openly and secretly neglected and scorned her, which made her feel so frustrated that she almost went crazy.

Unable to bear it any longer, she found a moment to run back to Jiaofang Palace and threw herself into Wulan Yun's arms, sobbing and complaining.

"Mother! Your son can't take it anymore! Those wicked servants! They're deliberately tormenting me! I'd rather be confined to the Princess's residence than stay in the Yilan Palace any longer!"

Looking at her daughter's thin cheeks and obvious red marks on her palms, Wulan Yun sighed with heartache, but only gently patted her back: "Ayan, just bear with it a little longer."

"Now that we have lost Father's favor, we must not confront him head-on again."

"Once your brother has established himself in the court, everything will be alright."

Her tone even carried a hint of regret: "Speaking of which, back in Qingyi Palace, it was Mother Empress who acted too impulsively."

"If only I had been able to stay calm then and hadn't directly caused her miscarriage."

"A woman carries a child for ten months, so we have plenty of time to plan slowly. First, while she is unable to serve the emperor, we'll find someone to take away her favor, and then we'll secretly kill the child, preferably resulting in the death of both mother and child."

"In this way, His Majesty will have no evidence, and the bond between husband and wife can be preserved."

"In short, you shouldn't have been so hasty, leaving yourself vulnerable and incurring your father's displeasure, which has led to your current predicament."

Shen Jingyan's crying stopped abruptly.

She abruptly lifted her head from Wulan Yun's embrace, looking at her mother's still beautiful face, now tinged with sorrow, her voice filled with disbelief: "Mother, are you blaming your son?"

Wulan Yun was taken aback.

Shen Jingyan forced a bitter smile: "Have you forgotten? You were the one who brought that bowl of medicine first."

"It was because I saw the medicine was spilled that I was afraid all my efforts would be in vain, so I had no choice but to use another method."

"Your son is the direct perpetrator, but is Your Majesty innocent?"

Wu Lanyun's expression changed slightly. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say anything and simply looked away.

Seeing her evasive attitude, Shen Jingyan's heart sank deeper and deeper, feeling even colder than when she was being punished with a ruler in Yilan Palace.

She slowly stood up and hastily wiped away the tears on her face.

"Your subject takes his leave."

She walked out of Jiaofang Palace in a daze and returned to the side hall of Yilan Palace.

Looking at the high palace walls all around her, she felt lost for the first time.

The road ahead was long and uncertain, and she had no idea where to go from here.