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

Shen Qingruo, supported by Granny Yan, slowly walked into the Jiaofang Palace.

Wulan Yunduan sat on the phoenix chair at the head of the table, with Shen Jingyan sitting next to her.

"Qingruo greets Her Majesty the Empress and the Princess." Shen Qingruo released Yan Mama's hand and, following the rules, slowly curtsied.

Wu Lanyun did not immediately call out, but instead looked at Shen Qingruo with a scrutinizing gaze.

For some reason, she felt that Shen Qingruo was different today, but upon closer inspection, she still looked timid and there was nothing obviously wrong with her.

Emerald, the personal maid of Ulan Yun, observed the Empress's expression and, seeing that she hadn't told the Empress to rise and looked displeased, immediately stepped forward and spoke in a rigid voice:

"Princess Qingruo, your court etiquette seems a bit rusty."

"Your waist isn't bent low enough; your posture isn't respectful enough."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyan scoffed and said as if watching a good show, "Yes, little sister, this etiquette is indeed improper."

"How about we start over?" she drawled, her tone laced with malice.

Shen Qingruo pursed her lips and slowly straightened up.

The deep ache in her groin made her take a deep breath, force herself to steady herself, and bend her knees again, pressing her body even lower.

"Qingruo greets Her Majesty the Empress." Her voice was already trembling.

This time, she bowed for a longer time.

Wulan Yun remained silent, picked up the teacup beside her, and gently stirred the floating leaves.

Just as Jade was about to criticize again, Shen Jingyan couldn't wait any longer and stood up. She walked up to Shen Qingruo, circled her once, and said in a sweet voice:

"It's still not right. Let me teach you. When you bow, the key is sincerity. Your waist should be lowered and you shouldn't sway."

She reached out, seemingly to correct Shen Qingruo's posture, but in reality, she secretly exerted force, pressing her fingertips against Shen Qingruo's lower back.

"Ugh..." Shen Qingruo was caught off guard, her waist went limp, and she almost knelt down.

She hurriedly braced herself against the armrest of the chair next to her, barely managing to maintain her posture.

"See, it's still not steady." Shen Jingyan withdrew her hand, raising an eyebrow triumphantly. "It seems my younger sister still has a long way to go to learn these rules. Just keep it like this for now, and you can get up when Mother thinks it's acceptable."

Shen Qingruo's slender body trembled slightly, and the soreness in her waist and abdomen intensified with each passing wave.

She knew Shen Jingyan was doing it on purpose, but in this Jiaofang Palace, she had no one to rely on.

At the same time, Shen Wangxi had just finished the morning court session.

Wu Tian reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Princess Qingruo was summoned to the Jiaofang Palace by the Empress early this morning, said to be selecting the newly tribute soft silk gauze from Jiangnan."

Shen Wangxi paused, her brows furrowing. Was she selecting fabric?

He recalled how he had been unable to control himself the previous night and had forced himself on her on the soft silk, and how she had begged for mercy until she almost fell into a deep sleep.

How could she possibly get up after all that tossing and turning?

"How is she?" Shen Wangxi's voice deepened.

Wu Tian bowed: "This servant heard that Her Highness the Princess was helped into the sedan chair by Granny Yan, and she looked unwell."

Shen Wangxi's heart tightened. He was worried that if she forced herself to go out despite her exhaustion, she would be harassed by others.

After all, Ayun and Ayan have never liked her.

"Prepare the carriage for the Jiaofang Palace." Without further hesitation, he turned and walked hurriedly toward the Jiaofang Palace.

Inside the Jiaofang Palace, Shen Qingruo had been maintaining the bowing posture for a long time, her body swaying as if she would collapse at any moment.

Granny Yan knelt to the side, kowtowing repeatedly and pleading, "Your Majesty, please have mercy! Her Highness the Princess is too weak to bear it any longer!"

Ulan Yunduan sat there, his brows slightly furrowed, and said in a flat tone, "It hasn't even been a quarter of an hour yet."

"Qingruo's court etiquette is indeed poor. She is always lazy in Qingyi Palace and does nothing. Now she can't even do the most basic greeting properly. What kind of behavior is this?"

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Qingruo finally couldn't hold on any longer, collapsed to her knees, and let out a muffled groan.