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

Shen Wangxi protected Shen Qingruo as they walked through the still bustling crowd toward the carriage parked in a secluded spot.

He then carefully helped her step onto the footstool, and followed her into the carriage.

Just as the carriage curtain was lowered, someone in the crowd not far away happened to catch a glimpse of this scene.

That was Shen Jingyan. She was traveling with Xiao Yu today, trying to cultivate some feelings for him. Her gaze casually swept across the room and she saw the two of them through the gap in the closed carriage curtain.

The man was tall and imposing, resembling my father so much! The woman beside him, though her face was obscured, possessed a delicate, slender figure…

An absurd thought flashed through my mind: Could it be Shen Qingruo?

No, impossible! Shen Jingyan immediately denied it.

How could the Emperor not take the Empress Dowager, but instead take that fake princess with an awkward identity out of the palace for a trip? This is simply a fantasy.

I must have been seeing things, or it must be someone with a similar build.

She shook her head, forcibly suppressing her doubts, and put on a radiant smile again, turning to the handsome Xiao Yu beside her:

"Young Master Xiao, shall we go take a look over there?"

Despite her efforts to ignore it, the seed of doubt eventually took root in her heart.

Meanwhile, the carriage carrying the two silently entered the palace gate and finally stopped in front of the Taiji Hall.

Shen Wangxi got out of the car first, then turned around, stretched out his big hand, and carried Shen Qingruo out of the car horizontally.

His movements were somewhat hasty and forceful.

"Your Majesty..." Shen Qingruo whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Shen Wangxi did not respond, but carried her and strode towards the inner hall of Taiji Hall.

He walked very fast, and Shen Qingruo was held firmly in his arms, feeling the unusual heartbeat under his chest, her body swaying slightly in his arms.

The palace doors closed behind them, isolating them from the outside world.

He went straight to the dragon bed, which symbolized supreme power.

This time, unlike the night of the Thousand Autumn Banquet, he was as clear-headed as could be.

He knows what he is doing and what he wants.

Shen Wangxi placed her on the soft dragon bed, and his tall body followed suit.

"Aruo..." he called her softly, his voice hoarse, filled with a long-suppressed longing.

Tonight at the lantern festival, she was so vibrant, so attached to him, smiling at him wholeheartedly, as if he were her whole world.

Overwhelmed with love and tenderness, he only had a brief encounter with her in the carriage, which was far from enough; he was eager to have more.

He lowered his head, his large hands skillfully untying her belt, his kisses tracing down her snow-white neck, leaving marks.

"Your Majesty..." she called his name weakly, her voice filled with fear.

The unfamiliar and imposing dragon bed reminded her of where she was and what was happening.

"Don't be afraid, Aruo," Shen Wangxi coaxed, but his actions did not stop. He tore open his robe, revealing his strong abdominal muscles.

"I am very happy tonight," he whispered in her ear, his breath hot.

The dragon bed sank deep into the room, and the bright yellow curtains swayed violently, concealing the springtime atmosphere.

-

The next morning.

The air was fresh after the rain, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in Shen Jingyan's heart.

As soon as she woke up, she immediately remembered the man and woman she had seen the night before, and that absurd speculation.

Shen Jingyan could no longer contain herself. She got up, quickly washed and dressed, and without even having breakfast, she led a few palace maids and headed straight for Qingyi Palace in a menacing manner.

Upon arriving outside Qingyi Palace, the young palace maid guarding the gate, seeing her unfriendly expression, was so frightened that her legs went weak, but she still mustered her courage to stop her:

"Your Highness, our princess is not in a position to receive guests..."

"Get out of my way!" Shen Jingyan shoved her aside and snapped, "Do I need to wait for her to have a convenient time to see her?"

The palace maids behind her immediately stepped forward and quickly subdued the several palace servants from Qingyi Palace who were trying to stop her, rendering them unable to move.

Shen Jingyan snorted coldly and barged into the inner hall, shouting, "Shen Qingruo! Come out here!"

The inner palace was completely silent; there was no one in sight.

Shen Jingyan looked around, her anger rising; she had come all this way for nothing.

She paced restlessly, her gaze drawn to the furnishings inside the hall.

When did Qingyi Palace become so exquisite?

The rosewood tables and chairs, exquisite jade and porcelain pieces exude understated luxury, a stark contrast to the simple Qingyi Palace of the past.

The Emperor's reward was so generous? Was it merely compensation for her taking his place in a marriage alliance?

Shen Jingyan's gaze finally fell on the chessboard placed on the small table by the window.

Her pupils contracted sharply, and she took a few steps forward, picking up a black piece incredulously.

It was warm to the touch, with a delicate and even texture. It was the black jade chessboard that she had begged for for a long time, but her father had never given it to her.

The Emperor actually bestowed it upon Shen Qingruo!

Shen Jingyan gripped the chess piece tightly, her fingertips almost digging into her palm.

On what grounds?

That bitch! She's nothing but a bastard child born to a maid, sent to Daliang in her place for a political marriage, and slept with by that old emperor for a year!

What is there for her to feel wronged about? Why does she deserve such special treatment from her father, who even bestows upon her what she, his own daughter, has longed for but could not obtain?

If it were just compensation, why go to such lengths?

Another thought that made Shen Jingyan even more uneasy lingered.

Could it be that Father Emperor is thinking of taking Shen Qingruo into the harem because of her beauty?

This thought sent a chill down Shen Jingyan's spine.

No, absolutely not!

The Empress Dowager had been the sole favorite of the Emperor for over a decade, and she was undoubtedly the only wife in the Emperor's heart.

No new women should be allowed into the harem, especially Shen Qingruo, this fake princess who bears the title of a former concubine of the previous dynasty and is not clean.

This is an insult to the Empress Dowager and to their entire family!

Shen Jingyan threw the chess piece back onto the board. She calmed down and had already made up her mind.

No matter where Shen Qingruo is right now, and no matter whether her father's intentions are to make amends or something else, she cannot be allowed to stay.

She absolutely could not allow anyone to shake her mother's position or disrupt the harmony of their family.

Shen Jingyan suppressed her turbulent emotions, her face regaining some of its usual arrogance. She turned to the restrained palace servants of Qingyi Palace and said coldly:

"When your mistress returns, tell her that I have been here."

After saying that, she led her people away from Qingyi Palace without looking back, her back view carrying a chilling aura.