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

In the flickering lamplight, Xiao Yan sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of medicine. The bitter smell of medicine wafted over, and Song Shuangning frowned and turned her head away. "This concubine does not wish to drink it."

Xiao Yan spoke gently, "Be good, you'll get better after you take your medicine."

"But this medicine is very bitter..." Song Shuangning pouted.

Xiao Yan scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot before offering it to her lips.

"After you finish drinking, I'll have them bring you your favorite candied fruit, shall we?"

When Li Fuquan came in and saw this scene, he was completely dumbfounded!

Good heavens, is this really the emperor he knows?

So the Emperor can be this gentle too, waaaaah.

"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Zhang is waiting outside for a reply."

Song Shuangning said, "Let's wait for Physician Zhang to come in and give us his report. Let's ask about the Third Prince's condition first."

Xiao Yan nodded and put the medicine bowl aside.

Physician Zhang entered and said, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince was slightly uneasy after being frightened. I have prescribed a mild calming medicine for His Highness. I observed him for a while, and His Highness's pulse is stable. He is fine now."

Xiao Yan nodded: "That's good then."

After saying that, he picked up the bowl and fed Song Shuangning her medicine again.

Imperial Physician Zhang sniffed the scent of the medicine in the palace, frowned deeply, and solemnly reported, "Your Majesty, may I smell this medicine?"

Xiao Yan's eyes darkened, and he asked, "Is there something wrong with this medicine?"

Physician Zhang nodded solemnly.

Xiao Yan and Song Shuangning exchanged a glance.

Song Shuangning shrank into Xiao Yan's arms. "Your Majesty... this concubine is afraid."

Xiao Yan's face instantly turned as cold and hard as iron, his eyes surging with anger. Imperial Physician Zhang approached the medicine bowl, his nose twitching slightly, and suddenly looked up: "Your Majesty, this medicine must not be taken! The aconite and asarum in this medicine are incompatible. Taking them together may damage the five internal organs and endanger your life."

"Who was responsible for brewing this medicine, and who took over the process?"

Quanlu knelt down and replied, "Your Majesty, this medicine was prepared by Physician Chen. This servant examined the patient for a long time on Physician Chen's behalf. This servant would never harm my master. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty."

Song Shuangning's body trembled slightly. Xiao Yan noticed this and gently patted her back to comfort her.

"Your Majesty, Quanlu would never betray his concubine..."

Physician Zhang hesitated before saying, "I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

After Xiao Yan nodded, he said, "This humble subject has witnessed Imperial Physician Chen acting on the orders of Consort Yun on several occasions..."

This is not surprising. Imperial Physician Chen is Consort Yun's confidant, and everyone in the palace has long heard of this. Xiao Yan naturally knows this as well. However, he did not expect that even now, Consort Yun is still not giving up and still wants to poison and scheme against him!

He uttered a single sentence from his thin lips, each word as cold as ice: "Li Fuquan, execute Chen Yu (Imperial Physician Chen)."

"Consort Yun has been demoted to the rank of Beauty and banished to the Cold Palace!"

"Wait a minute," Song Shuangning quickly called out to Li Fuquan.

Song Shuangning spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty, I beg you to spare Consort Yun. After all, Consort Yun is the birth mother of the Second Prince. If she is banished to the Cold Palace, the young Second Prince will likely bear the stigma of 'his birth mother being guilty,' making it difficult for him to hold his head high in the palace. Furthermore, if this were to spread among the common people, it would inevitably become a source of gossip for the royal family."

"Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and I was unharmed. Therefore, I implore Your Majesty to be lenient with Consort Yun."

Song Shuangning's clear eyes were like unblemished glass, filled with kindness and sincerity.

Xiao Yan said, "Ningning is always so kind and considerate."

"But punishment is inevitable. Consort Yun is demoted to Beauty and her salary is reduced by one year."

Song Shuangning smiled gently, revealing a kindness and purity untouched by worldly concerns: "In my heart, Your Majesty is the most important person, so I must think of Your Majesty's best interests."

Xiao Yan gently patted her head. "Having you is my good fortune."

Song Shuangning lowered her head shyly; she was far from being that kind.

This pretense is nothing more than an attempt to maintain the facade of "kindness and consideration" in the Emperor's eyes.

Once her foundation is solidified, the Emperor, remembering her kindness and consideration, will turn a blind eye to her actions.

Moreover, she was the one who orchestrated this whole thing.

In order to kill two birds with one stone, he also wanted to completely entrap Lady Yun in the mire.

"Tomorrow I will go hunting and bring back some white fox and deer pelts for you. The white fox pelts can be used to make a cloak to keep you warm in the snow, and the deer pelts are soft enough to make a pair of soft boots."

Okay, that's great.

Song Shuangning said sweetly, "Your Majesty treats me so well."

Xiao Yan gently stroked the top of her head with his chin, thinking: Ningning is so kind, he hasn't done enough.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next day, Consort Shao and Consort Xu came in person to express their gratitude.

Consort Shao grasped her hand and said sincerely, "Hongcheng has already told me about all the dangers of yesterday. Thank you so much. If you ever need anything from me in the future, please just let me know!"

Xu Jieyu added, "Yes, Hongcheng is my lifeline. I'm so grateful to my sister for saving me; otherwise, I don't know how I would have survived."

Consort Shao addressed herself as "I" instead of using the aloof "this palace," which made Song Shuangning feel comfortable. Some concubines would express their gratitude with a haughty and distant air, simply saying "this palace thanks you" and that was it.

They know perfectly well how much of it is genuine and how much is feigned.

Song Shuangning said, "Your Highness Consort Shao and Consort Xu are exaggerating."

Song Shuangning and Consort Shao and Consort Xu got along exceptionally well. They chatted about everything from the scenery of the hunting grounds to the snacks of Jiangnan, and reminisced about their childhood stories. They talked so much that the sun was high in the sky before they knew it.

Looking at the setting sun outside the window, Consort Shao reluctantly stood up: "It's getting late. Hongcheng will cry if he doesn't see the two of us. Let's talk again next time."

Song Shuangning wanted to get up to see them off, but Consort Shao quickly pressed her shoulder, saying, "There's no need to see them off."

"Then next time, my two elder sisters must not complain that I am bothering you."

Xu Jieyu laughed and said, "Of course not, I'd be overjoyed."

After Consort Shao and Consort Xu left, the tent fell silent again, and Song Shuangning sighed silently.

Tingyu said, "Your Highness seems to have a particular fondness for Consort Shao and Consort Xu."

"In the harem, there are very few people who are so carefree, peaceful, and undisturbed. I really like them." Thinking back to the past infighting and scheming, I feel that the honesty and comfort at this moment are even more precious.

Suddenly a commotion arose outside, and Quan Lu said, "His Majesty has returned from the hunt."

Song Shuangning smiled and said, "Let's go out and take a look."

Banners fluttered in the breeze, and the emperor, dressed in a sleek outfit, rode upright on his horse. Behind him, attendants carried more than ten kinds of game, among which three white foxes and a deer were particularly eye-catching.

Xiao Yan raised his eyes and instructed Li Fuquan, "Distribute the white fox fur to the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Song. As for the deerskin, distribute it to the Empress and Consort Song."

Li Fuquan replied, "Yes, sir."

Song Shuangning quickly stepped forward, looked up at Xiao Yan with admiration, and said in a sweet voice, "Your Majesty is so amazing! You have hunted so many excellent prey."

A hint of arrogance unconsciously crept into Xiao Yan's brows: "What's so difficult about that?"

[What do you think of Shuangning's custom title - Jin? Or do you guys have any other suggestions?]