That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

Shou Kang Palace.

When the Empress Dowager arrived at the side hall, she saw Consort Shen hurriedly and frantically adjusting her clothes.

The Empress Dowager demanded sternly, "It was you? Han'er, it was you? You tampered with the incense?"

"Aunt..." Shen Jieyu admitted, sobbing as she buried her head very low.

"idiot."

The Empress Dowager trembled with rage, her chest heaving violently. "I warned you long ago that you must consult me ​​before making any decisions. You... you have truly disappointed me!"

"What have you done to the dignity of the Shen family, and what have you done to the dignity of my mother?!"

Consort Shen choked back tears and said, "Aunt, please calm down. Han'er knows she was wrong."

"Han'er really has no other choice."

"Is there no other way?" The Empress Dowager sneered, and asked angrily, "You are, after all, a noble lady of the Shen family. Using such despicable means is a disgrace to the Shen family."

Consort Shen remained silent as she endured the Empress Dowager's reprimand.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that her chest felt tight and she almost couldn't breathe.

The emperor already believed that she was the mastermind, and that she was willing to trample on the bond between mother and son for the sake of the Shen family's prosperity and her niece's future.

She never imagined her niece would be so foolish as to personally hand a sharp blade to the emperor.

This left her speechless and unable to defend herself.

What chilled her to the bone was that she had no way to defend herself.

Even if she were to confess to the emperor that it was her own niece who had acted on her own initiative, how could the emperor believe her? He would probably think that Qinghan was someone she had pushed out to take the blame, or that all of this was done at her behest.

"Utterly foolish."

"Aunt, please calm down. Han'er knows she was wrong."

The Empress Dowager pointed at Consort Shen, her fingertips almost touching her forehead, "How could the Shen family produce such a stupid and foolish daughter as you? From today onwards, you are confined to your quarters and are not allowed to come out and embarrass yourself without my decree."

"aunt…"

The Empress Dowager turned and left.

Shen Jieyu responded with a mix of grievance and fear, "Yes."

The Empress Dowager sighed. After this incident, Shen Qinghan's future was completely ruined. The Emperor would only despise her more, let alone favor her.

A perfectly fine person, with some good looks, was unfortunately so dull-witted that she ruined her promising future.

*

The next day at noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the warm sunlight slanted into the sleeping quarters of Yaohua Palace through the window.

Song Shuangning slowly woke up. She stretched and felt aches all over her body, as if she had been run over by a car.

Xiao Yan rarely acted as wildly as he did last night.

She eventually fainted.

She sat up abruptly, having forgotten about this potentially fatal incident.

She opened the hidden compartment, took out the pills, and swallowed them without even drinking water.

These pills were meant to be taken afterward, but she was unconscious last night, so how could she remember them?

If I take it now, will it still be effective?

Song Shuangning's temple throbbed. Could it be such a coincidence?

No, no, it definitely won't happen.

She kept repeating it to herself, but she still couldn't suppress the anxiety and unease she felt.

"Tinglu," Song Shuangning cried, clutching her waist, "Quickly come and massage my waist, it's about to break."

Tinglu smiled and stepped forward to massage Song Shuangning's lower back. Song Shuangning sighed comfortably, "Tinglu, did you secretly find a master to help you with this?"

Changing the subject, she asked, "Where did the Emperor go last night?"

I didn't have a chance to ask last night before I fainted.

Tinglu said, "His Majesty had dinner at Shou Kang Palace last night, and I heard that Consort Shen was also there. However, not long after, she came out in a rage."

Song Shuangning scoffed.

So it's the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager is already quite old, why is she resorting to such methods? It's no wonder the Emperor is furious.

As night fell, Xiao Yan arrived at Yaohua Palace.

Song Shuangning spent the whole day in bed, bottling up her anger with nowhere to vent it. When she saw Xiao Yan come in, she didn't even bother to look at him, continuing to embroider a handkerchief as if she were the only person around her.

Xiao Yan sat down awkwardly, subconsciously touching his nose, and asked, trying to make conversation, "What is Ningning doing?"

Song Shuangning didn't even look up, her tone indifferent: "Can't Your Majesty see? I'm embroidering a handkerchief."

Xiao Yan tried to ease the tension by praising, "It's really beautifully embroidered."

"The sachet you embroidered for me before is a bit worn."

Song Shuangning finally looked up at him, glancing expressionlessly at the sachet in Xiao Yan's hand. "If it's old, just replace it."

Xiao Yan immediately replied, "Then Ningning, embroider another one for me."

Song Shuangning was so angry she laughed.

How come she never noticed before that Xiao Yan was so shameless?

Who taught you?

Xiao Yan, without a second thought, hugged Song Shuangning tightly and said, both coaxing and aggrieved, "Alright, Ningning, don't be angry. When Ningning is angry, I feel bad too."

Song Shuangning glared at him, "The Emperor is clearly having a great time."

Her gaze held a mixture of coquettishness and reproach.

Her lips were rosy and full.

Xiao Yan gently brushed his fingertip across her cherry lips, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing, "Ningning, are you feeling unwell?"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuangning instantly bristled, her face turning bright red, and she struggled to get off him.

"If Your Majesty speaks again, I will never speak to you again for the rest of my life!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more," Xiao Yan quickly reassured her.

"Your Majesty, is this truly the incense the Empress Dowager gave you?"

The smile in Xiao Yan's eyes gradually faded, and he nodded.

"The Empress Dowager has gone too far!!"

Xiao Yan chuckled softly. At this moment, she was like a cat with its fur standing on end, demanding justice for herself.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and calm, as if he were recounting an ordinary, trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.

"From a young age, I was sent to be raised by Empress Dowager Dehui. She treated me extremely well, and even though she occasionally had disagreements with the Empress Dowager, she never criticized me in the slightest. Instead, she treated me like her own flesh and blood. Later, Empress Dowager Dehui passed away suddenly. On her deathbed, she held my hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes, and said, 'The Empress Dowager also had her share of hardships in her life. When you return, you must take good care of her.'"

I returned to the Empress Dowager's side as instructed, but she always kept a distance from me. I tried my best to please her, but all my efforts were in vain. She always belittled me in front of me, comparing me to Xiao Ze at every turn, and her words were full of suppression and contempt.

When I was still the Crown Prince, I was ordered to tour Jingzhou, but I was assassinated en route. It was later discovered that the masterminds were Xiao Ze and another imperial brother. This matter quickly reached the capital; however, on my way back, I was attacked by another group of assassins.

Song Shuangning's heart tightened.

Xiao Yan stared at her and said, word by word, "That's right, it was the Empress Dowager's intention."

"Considering the bond between mother and son, I ultimately did not report it."

Xiao Yan's voice lowered slightly.

"After returning to the capital, the Empress Dowager insisted that Xiao Zeshi had been misled and had done such a foolish thing. She repeatedly urged me to let Xiao Zeshi go, but I did not agree. Then she cursed me, calling me an 'ungrateful wretch,' 'heartless,' and 'cold-blooded.'"

After saying this, the hall fell into a long silence. Xiao Yan quietly looked at the flickering candlelight, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

Song Shuangning didn't say anything, but gently hugged him.

After a long while, Xiao Yan smiled faintly again, with a hint of relief in his expression.

"I have only told you this matter. From this day forward, I will have no more secrets from you. From now on, I will be completely honest with you."

"Ningning, what about you?"

Song Shuangning said softly, "Of course, I have no secrets either..."

Xiao Yan put his arm around her and said, "I believe in you."

Song Shuangning lowered her eyes.

She knew that Xiao Yan was sincere at this moment; he had revealed his most unbearable and hidden scars to her.

But she couldn't do it.

She has too many secrets, which she can never, and is destined never, tell the Emperor.

Her fate and her family are closely intertwined with these secrets.