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

Ulan Yun released her grip, staggered back a step, pointed at the empty palace, and her voice shattered:

"No power! No one! I cannot see my daughter! My son is of no use to me!"

"What kind of empress am I? I might as well give way to the Noble Consort of Yilan Palace."

Seeing his mother's emotional breakdown, Shen Yinian felt a pang of pain in his heart. He stepped forward to support her and pressed her back into her chair. "Mother, please don't be like this..."

Wu Lanyun slumped into her chair, raised her eyes, and stared intently at Shen Yinian: "Yinian, given the current situation, do you still intend to continue traveling and enjoying yourself, remaining uninvolved?"

"Are you just going to stand by and watch your mother and sister be forced to their deaths in this deep palace by that vile woman?"

Shen Yinian slowly clenched his hands at his sides and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he took a deep breath, made up his mind, and said clearly, "Mother, when Father returns, I will request to go to court."

Upon hearing this, Wulan Yun stopped crying, and a look of relief finally appeared on her face. She tightly grasped her son's hand: "Good! Good! This is the good son of your mother."

"Yi Nian, you must remember that you are the eldest son and the legitimate son, and A Yan is the eldest daughter and the legitimate daughter. No matter how many princes and princesses come after you, they cannot surpass you."

Seeing his mother's excited expression, Shen Yinian felt a mix of emotions. He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, Granny Su has a twin sister who has always lived outside the palace."

"Your subject will send a message to ask the Emperor for permission to bring the person into the palace to serve the Empress Dowager."

"With her around, at least the Empress Dowager won't be completely without anyone to talk to."

Wu Lanyun nodded repeatedly, holding her son's hand, feeling somewhat relieved.

-

After leaving the palace, Shen Yinian went to the residence of the Eldest Princess.

The mansion was still guarded by imperial guards, but the leading guard recognized the Prince of Xiaoyao and ultimately did not dare to forcibly stop him. He simply bowed and silently made way for him.

The Princess's residence was completely silent.

Shen Yinian walked through the courtyard and headed towards the inner courtyard.

He pushed open the door to Shen Jingyan's bedroom. The room was dimly lit, and the curtains were tightly closed.

Shen Jingyan was wearing a wrinkled dress, her hair was disheveled, and she was curled up on the tatami with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring blankly at the ground.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw that it was Shen Yinian. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Brother!" she cried, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs. "Brother, you've finally come to see me!"

Shen Yinian felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw her like this.

His younger sister had been pampered by their father and mother since childhood, and had never suffered such grievances.

At only seventeen years old, he is now confined to this small space, having lost his former exuberance and left only with fear.

He strode over, sat down on the edge of the couch, and reached out to touch her hair, but Shen Jingyan suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Brother, save me! I don't want to stay here anymore! It's so scary here, there's no one here, and I can hear the guards' footsteps outside every day... I can't take it anymore!" She spoke incoherently, tears streaming down her face.

"Does my father no longer want me? Is he really that heartless?"

Shen Yinian grasped his sister's cold hand, trying to comfort her: "Don't be afraid, Ayan, your brother is here. Father is just angry for a moment, he won't really abandon you."

"Just angry for a moment?" Shen Jingyan's face was full of tears, but her eyes revealed resentment.

"He locked me up here and took everything from me because of that bitch!"

"My privileges as a princess, my servants, my treasures—all gone!" She became more and more agitated as she spoke, gripping Shen Yinian tightly.

"And what about my position as Crown Princess? Brother, is there no hope for me either? Is Father planning to give the entire empire to that bastard child born of that lowly woman?"

Shen Yinian looked at her near-collapse and felt a mix of emotions.

He was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Ayan, listen to your brother. Right now, everyone in the court only knows that you have angered Father, but they don't know the specific reasons."

"As long as you behave yourself for a while, once Father's anger subsides, your brother will find a way to smooth things over for you."

He raised his hand and gently wiped away his sister's tears. Looking into her anxious eyes, he said, word by word:

"As for the position of Crown Princess, as long as my brother is still alive, I will never let it fall into the hands of others."

"What belongs to you, your brother will definitely help you get it back."

Shen Jingyan stared blankly at her brother, the resolute look in his eyes was something she had never seen before.

As if she had finally found her pillar of support, she threw herself into Shen Yinian's arms and burst into tears, venting all her resentment and fear.

Shen Yinian gently patted his younger sister's back, letting her cry, but his gaze went past her and looked towards the direction of Yilan Palace outside the window, his expression cold and indifferent.