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

Meanwhile, inside the Jiaofang Palace, the air was oppressive.

Wulan Yun stood up from the phoenix chair, her knuckles clenching her palms tightly.

Standing before her was Shen Yinian, who had just announced their surrender, his face equally grim.

"Wei Zheng actually surrendered?" Wu Lanyun's voice trembled. "How could he surrender? Doesn't the Wei family pride themselves on their loyalty and bravery?"

Shen Yinian frowned, his tone heavy: "Mother, the news is confirmed, Zhou Mingxuan has succeeded."

"Wei Zheng and Yun Wenhan, along with the remaining forces under their command, have officially submitted to the Great Zhou and will arrive in the capital soon."

Wulan Yun staggered back a step and slumped back into the phoenix chair.

She stared blankly at the palace gate, murmuring:

"Yi Nian, do you understand what this means?"

"Wei Zheng was a famous general of the previous dynasty."

"That old bastard Yun Wenhan has disciples and old friends all over the court and the country."

"With their surrender, that bitch Shen Qingruo will no longer be alone and helpless."

"Her presence in the previous dynasty is tantamount to gaining a formidable ally out of nowhere."

She grew increasingly agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently: "His Majesty was already bewitched by her, and now that her biological father and maternal grandfather have returned, what about your position as Crown Prince?"

"Could your father, out of affection for the emperor, be considering changing the heir apparent?"

"After all, Shen Qingruo is still young; she might very well be able to give birth to a prince in the future!"

This was her deepest fear.

Shen Qingruo is already favored. If she gives birth to a prince and has powerful maternal relatives to support her, what advantages will her Yi Nian, her only hope, have left?

Shen Yinian looked at his mother and felt a chill in his heart. How could he not know the implications?

He forced himself to calm down and said, "Mother, now is not the time to lose our composure."

"Wei Zheng's surrender is indeed a great boost to Shen Qingruo, but things are not without room for maneuver."

Ulan Yun asked urgently, "Turn around? How can we turn things around?"

A cold glint flashed in Shen Yinian's eyes: "First of all, Wei Zheng is, after all, a surrendered official. Even if Father wants to use him, he will still be somewhat wary and cannot completely trust him. There is room for us to maneuver in this situation."

"Secondly, Shen Qingruo's favor with the emperor has already drawn criticism from some senior officials in the court. Now that her maternal family's power has increased dramatically, it's inevitable that some people will worry about interference from the maternal relatives in politics."

"Perhaps we can subtly guide this trend."

Listening to her son's analysis, Wulan Yun calmed down a bit, but the worry in her eyes did not disappear: "But His Majesty is currently very fond of her, and I'm afraid he won't listen to any of this."

Shen Yinian smiled and said, "Just because you can't listen now doesn't mean you'll never listen."

"The heart of an emperor is the most unfathomable. The greater the favor he receives, the harder he may fall."

"If we wait patiently, we will always find an opportunity."

He looked at Wulan Yun: "Mother, the most urgent thing is for you to stabilize the situation."

"No matter what, you are still the rightful Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I am still Father Emperor's only son."

"As long as we don't panic and stay calm, we may still have a fighting chance."

Looking into her son's steady eyes, Wulan Yun found her pillar of support.

She nodded emphatically. "You're right, we can't panic."

"Shen Qingruo, she doesn't even have a prince yet, and she only thinks she can shake the position of the Great Zhou Prince of Xiaoyao by virtue of her biological father's return? It's not that easy!"

-

The day to welcome Wei Zheng and Grand Tutor Yun to the capital arrived in the blink of an eye.

Shen Qingruo woke up very early that day, getting up before dawn.

The palace servants helped her wash and dress, and she put on the long dress that had been chosen beforehand, with a turquoise background and blue lotus patterns. Her black hair was tied up and adorned with matching pearl hairpins, making her look elegant yet dignified.

She had just finished tidying up when Shen Wangxi walked in.

He was not wearing a dragon robe today, but instead chose a dark blue casual dress. His black hair was tied up with a jade crown, making him look less imposing in the court and more refined and composed.

When Shen Qingruo saw him come in, her eyes lit up, and she went to greet him, reaching out her small hand to take his large hand.

She tilted her head up, her voice soft and sweet, "Your Majesty, thank you~ thank you for letting Aruo see them."

Shen Wangxi looked down at her, her heart softening.

He took her small hand in his own, gently pulled her to his front, and wrapped his large hand around her slender waist.

"Nonsense," he whispered. "It's worth it if it makes you happy."

"Wei Zheng is a man of great military talent, and I originally admired him."

"But he was a loyalist of the previous dynasty after all. If it weren't for you, I might not have spared his life, let alone gone to the trouble of recruiting him."

"Furthermore, you are still young and have no children yet. Sometimes I am busy with state affairs and may not be able to take good care of you."

"It gives you the support of the Yun and Wei families behind you, providing you with more reliance and more ties."

"If we allow them to submit their credentials to the palace in the future, to keep you company and relieve your boredom, I will feel more at ease."

His words, though not filled with romantic sentiment, were all out of consideration for her, fearing she would be lonely and helpless.

Shen Qingruo listened, her eyes lowered and her expression unreadable.

It turns out that the difference between loving and not loving is so huge.

She wrapped her slender arms around his waist, leaned against him, and continued to coax him in a soft voice, saying things he wanted to hear:

"His Majesty is the best to Aruo, Aruo knows it all, Aruo likes His Majesty~"

Shen Wangxi lowered his head and placed a light kiss on the top of her fragrant hair.

"It's almost time, let's go." He released her waist and instead took her hand. "I'll go with you."

Shen Qingruo smiled and let him lead her step by step outside.