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

A few more days passed, and the Yilan Palace remained quiet.

After the court session, Shen Wangxi went inside alone without having any palace servants announce his arrival.

In the courtyard, Shen Qingruo, dressed in a simple long dress, was squatting in the corner next to a copper basin.

Flames danced in the basin, and she held several sheets of paper in her hand, slowly tossing them in one by one.

Shen Qingruo's face was expressionless, her eyes staring blankly at the flames, like a delicate orchid that had lost its moisture and was about to wither.

Shen Wangxi's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, clenched tightly. Qi Rui's method of making up after a quarrel in bed was completely ineffective in front of her.

Last time, when he was drunk, he used some seductive tricks on her. Even though she let him do as he pleased, she was no longer as shy and compliant as before. Afterwards, she ignored him and didn't bother to resolve their issues.

Shen Wangxi took a few steps closer and saw clearly what she was burning; it was a poem written in imitation of his handwriting.

He remembered when he was teaching her to read, she secretly copied his handwriting. When he discovered it, her ears turned red with embarrassment, and her eyes sparkled with admiration.

Now, she burned them all herself.

Shen Wangxi felt a pang of pain in her heart. At the time, she had taken it for granted, but now that she had lost it, she realized how precious it was.

He stood there, silently watching her for a moment, but ultimately did not approach her or disturb her. He turned and quietly left Yilan Palace.

He had to do something; he couldn't let her wither away like this.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

In the courtyard, Shen Qingruo remained in the same position, slowly burning the last few pages of paper.

She whispered in her heart, "Xiao Jiu, he's gone?"

The ball of light immediately lit up, and a voice with a hint of excitement said, "Let's go, let's go, Shen Wangxi is very distressed."

Shen Qingruo tossed the last piece of paper into the brazier, watching it be consumed by the flames, her voice soft:

"Of course he'd feel bad, since he's still interested in me."

"In addition, the gap between my admiration and my indifference is something no man can accept. He will only miss her more and want to win her back."

"He probably realizes Qi Rui's methods are useless now, and he'll definitely come up with other ways to coax me. We just need to wait and see."

She stood up, patted her skirt, turned and walked towards the inner hall. Her back view was still graceful, but her temperament was delicate and fragile.

-

Inside the Taiji Hall, Shen Wangxi stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his brows furrowed in melancholy.

As he watched the sky outside gradually darken, his mind was filled with the image of Shen Qingruo burning the poems.

Wu Tian tiptoed forward, replaced his teacup with a fresh one, and whispered, "Your Majesty, you have been standing for a long time. Please rest for a moment."

Shen Wangxi didn't move, his voice slightly hoarse: "Wu Tian, ​​tell me, what should I do to untangle her knot in her heart?"

Wu Tian bowed, carefully choosing his words: "Your Majesty, this old servant may speak frankly."

"Princess Qingruo... no, Your Highness, she was not favored by you when she was young. All your attention and affection were given to the eldest princess."

"Later, she finally gained your favor and thought things would be different, but in the end she found that in your heart, she could never surpass the Princess."

"Even the child she lost due to miscarriage was ultimately left unresolved..."

"With all these incidents piling up, the princess's heart must have grown cold."

Shen Wangxi turned around abruptly, her eyes filled with pain: "The child is gone, and I am just as heartbroken as she is."

Wu Tian sighed, bending even lower: "But His Majesty is ultimately different."

"You may be heartbroken, but you still have the Eldest Princess and His Highness the Carefree Prince."

"But for the Imperial Concubine, that child might be her only hope and longing in this deep palace. Without him, she would truly have nothing left."

"She felt that you didn't care about her or your children, so she naturally became disheartened and felt that there was nothing left to love in the palace."

Shen Wangxi remained silent, recalling A Ruo crying and saying that she dared not like anyone anymore.

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, weary: "Then what should I do? Should I really take Ah Yan away...?" He couldn't finish his sentence.

Wu Tian quickly said, "Your Majesty, that's not what I meant. The Princess is your own flesh and blood; that's absolutely unacceptable."

"This old servant simply believes that the one who tied the knot must untie it; perhaps the Imperial Concubine's knot in her heart can be untied from the very beginning."

Shen Wangxi looked at him: "The place where it all began?"

"Yes." Wu Tian raised his head, carefully observing Shen Wangxi's expression. "The root of the Imperial Concubine's despondency may not only be this miscarriage, but may have been planted earlier in her youth, during those days of neglect in the desert royal court."

"Your Majesty, do you remember? When the Imperial Concubine was little, she would always secretly watch you, hoping that you would look at her more than once."

Shen Wangxi's eyes flickered slightly, and those vague memories he had deliberately forgotten about the timid little girl in the corner seemed to become clearer.

Wu Tian continued, "This old servant was thinking that if you could take the Imperial Concubine back to the old desert lands, away from these four palace walls, to walk on the grasslands."

"There, there is no Empress, no Princess, only you and her."

"Perhaps this will allow the Imperial Concubine to lower her guard somewhat, and also give Your Majesty a chance to make up for some of your past regrets?"

Shen Wangxi stood there, remaining silent for a long time.

Wu Tian's words stirred up a storm in his heart.

He remembered the bright, sparkling eyes Aruo had when she looked at him; he remembered her saying that she was proud to be his princess.

Perhaps, this really is a solution.

Shen Wangxi spoke slowly, his voice low: "Go and prepare."

"Three days later, I will take Consort Zhao back to the desert to relax."

Wu Tian immediately bowed: "This old servant obeys the decree."