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

When Shen Wangxi stepped into the Jiaofang Palace, she immediately saw the figure on the ground.

"Aruo!" Shen Wangxi's heart tightened, and she almost blurted it out.

He strode forward, refraining from offering a helping hand, and when he looked at Wulan Yun, he deliberately suppressed his anxiety, maintaining a calm demeanor: "What happened?"

Shen Wangxi then quickly gestured to Granny Yan, "Hurry up and help your mistress up and sit down."

When Wu Lanyun and Shen Jingyan saw his sudden arrival, they quickly stood up and bowed.

A guilty look flashed across Shen Jingyan's face.

Wulan Yun remained calm and yielded the main seat.

Shen Wangxi sat down in the main seat, her gaze falling on Shen Qingruo, who was being helped to sit up by Granny Yan.

She kept her head down, her lips tightly pressed together, and didn't look at him once from beginning to end.

"We were just teaching Qingruo some manners," Shen Jingyan interjected, sounding a little aggrieved. "Father, she can't even do proper etiquette. When your mother and I give her some pointers, she acts like she's been wronged."

Ulan Yun interjected, "Your Majesty, it was not that I was deliberately making things difficult for you."

"It was indeed Qingruo who was impolite. As the Empress, it is my duty to teach the princess manners."

She paused, glanced at Shen Wangxi's unpleasant expression, and softened her tone.

"Now that His Majesty has come, Qingruo must know she was wrong."

"Let's go back for now. I will send a tutor to Qingyi Palace later to teach her court etiquette properly, so that she won't be disrespectful in front of others in the future."

Because the illusion only works on the people in Jiaofang Palace, Shen Wangxi looked at Shen Qingruo and saw her as a delicate and beautiful young girl with a pale face, looking extremely pitiful.

He suppressed the urge to take her away immediately and said in a deep voice, "Okay, Aruo, go back and get some rest first."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingruo, supported by Granny Yan, struggled to her feet.

She still didn't look up at Shen Wangxi, but instead slightly curtsied in the direction of Wulan Yun, her voice weak: "Qingruo takes her leave."

She was then helped away by Granny Yan.

Shen Wangxi's gaze followed her until the light blue figure disappeared outside the hall, then he looked away.

He turned to look at Wulan Yun, his voice devoid of emotion: "Yun, why did you suddenly call her over? You know she's not well and rarely leaves the house."

Ulan Yun smiled politely, gave a plausible reason, and continued the conversation:

"Your Majesty, the new tribute silk from Jiangnan has arrived. I thought that since Qingruo is also a princess, it wouldn't be right to leave her out, lest others think I'm being unfair. That's why I summoned her to choose."

Shen Wangxi looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and finally stated it directly:

"There's no need to let her choose. I've already allocated her share in advance, and the Imperial Wardrobe will make the clothes for her directly."

Ulan Yun's smile froze: "Your Majesty, isn't this against etiquette? According to palace rules, tribute should be offered to me first..."

"Is it because of palace rules?" Shen Wangxi interrupted her, her gaze sharp. "Or is it because you and Ayan don't like her?"

Wu Lanyun's breath hitched, and she was speechless when she met Shen Wangxi's all-knowing gaze.

Shen Wangxi understood as he looked at her silent expression.

He let out a soft breath and said, "I knew you disliked her, which is why I kept her in Qingyi Palace and tried to keep her away from you as much as possible."

"The offerings were also allocated to her in advance, so as not to make things difficult for you."

His gaze swept over Wulan Yun, then landed on Shen Jingyan, his voice deep and slow:

"Ayun, Ayan, you must remember Shen Qingruo. She is a meritorious official who went to Daliang to marry on Ayan's behalf."

"You all know what happened to her over there."

"It's because of Ah-Yan, and because of my own daughter, that I feel guilty towards her."

He stood up, his tone indifferent yet imposing, brooking no argument: "From now on, unless absolutely necessary, do not disturb her at Qingyi Palace."

"I do not wish to see such a scene again."

"We don't need a headmistress either."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the different expressions on the mother and daughter's faces, turned around and strode away.

Wulan Yun was left standing there, stunned, her hand in her sleeve slowly clenching.

Shen Jingyan stomped her feet in anger, but dared not retaliate, and could only bite her lip in resentment.