Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times - Chapter 111

Very quickly, the once noisy Hall of Diligent Governance fell completely silent. Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia collapsed to the ground—no longer breathing.

Shen Kaiyuan let out a deep sigh, unable to bring himself to look at his son and daughter lying lifeless on the floor. After a long pause, he finally said, “Wenjing, have the Ministry of Rites prepare proper burials for them according to the ceremonial rites of a prince and princess. Everything else can wait until Ning’er wakes up.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wenjing replied respectfully with a bow, then ordered attendants to carry away Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia’s bodies.

Glancing at Wu Ren, who was lying on a stretcher nearby, Wenjing spoke again, “Your Majesty, what about Minister Wu?”

“Wu Ren gave his life to restore order and protect the nation. Have the Ministry of Rites discuss an appropriate posthumous title for him. Grant his family a thousand taels of gold and make sure he is buried with full honors.”

“Yes, I’ll have someone see to it at once,” Wenjing said quickly.

News of what happened in the Hall of Diligent Governance soon reached Empress Ye Yuran. As soon as she heard something had happened to her daughter, she rushed over with a group of palace attendants. The moment she arrived, she quickly bowed to Shen Kaiyuan and asked anxiously, “How is Ning’er? What happened to her?”

“The imperial physician is with her now. She’s been given medicine and is still sleeping,” Shen Kaiyuan said gently, worried about Ye Yuran’s health as well.

“I need to see her,” Ye Yuran said without hesitation, hurrying straight into the inner chamber.

When she saw her daughter, Shen Yining, lying on the bed with a pale face, tears immediately filled her eyes. Her daughter had always been so well-behaved—she was the crown princess, raised with care and love her whole life. How could something like this have happened to her?

Ye Yuran sat at the edge of the bed, gently stroking her daughter’s face.

“Ning’er, please be all right. Don’t scare your mother like this…”

After a moment, she wiped her tears and asked, “Why is her face so pale?”

The chief physician stepped forward and explained, “Your Majesty, Her Highness was struck twice in the shoulder by arrows. She lost a lot of blood, which is why she looks so pale.”

Ye Yuran nodded slightly and remained at her daughter’s side, eyes fixed on her without blinking.

But Ye Yuran wasn’t the only one who had rushed over. Concubine Cui Yazhen, mother of Shen Yijia, and Concubine Wang Shuhui, mother of Shen Yiqian, also arrived after hearing that their children had been brought into the palace by the imperial guards. However, neither of them knew that their children had already been executed.

Both women bowed deeply to the Empress Regnant. Cui Yazhen was the first to speak.

“Your Majesty, I heard that you had Jiajia brought into the palace by force? There must be some misunderstanding. Jiajia has always been a good child. Please, don’t believe slander from petty people. Your Majesty, I beg you.”

Shen Kaiyuan looked at Cui Yazhen, her heart filled with a trace of guilt. She did feel that she owed something to these two concubines. But still, she had to tell them the truth.

“Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia plotted to assassinate the crown princess. There is clear evidence and witness testimony. They have already been dealt with.”

Cui Yazhen’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor, trembling. Her voice shook as she cried out, “Dealt with? What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? Jiajia would never do something like that. She wouldn’t! There has to be a mistake—this has to be a mistake!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wang Shuhui added quickly, also falling to her knees beside Cui Yazhen, crying bitterly. “Qian’er has always been a good boy. He would never try to harm the crown princess. Someone must have misled you—this can’t be true!”

Shen Kaiyuan clenched his fists tightly, his voice laced with anger as he said, “Those men in black who were dragged in—each group was sent by Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia. The two of them, as siblings, were truly united in their attempt to harm Ning’er. The archers they sent hit Ning’er, and she’s still inside receiving treatment. I have already ordered them to drink poisoned wine. They are both gone.”

“Poisoned wine? No… no, Your Majesty, you wouldn’t do such a thing, would you? Jiajia is your own flesh and blood! Even if she did something terribly wrong, how could you bring yourself to kill your own daughter?” Cui Yazhen collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

Wang Shuhui was also unable to accept it. “No, it can’t be… You wouldn’t be that cruel. Qian’er is your firstborn. Before Shen Yining was even in the picture, you cared for Qian’er deeply. You wouldn’t have him executed… You couldn’t.”

“This wasn’t the first time they tried to harm Ning’er,” Shen Kaiyuan said through gritted teeth. “Back during the autumn hunt at Qingqiu, they had already made an attempt on her life. It was only thanks to Yue’er’s vigilance that someone checked Ning’er’s saddle in time and prevented a tragedy. But this time… they nearly killed her. Shen Yijia went as far as to incite a mob of commoners, which led to the deaths of countless innocent civilians and soldiers. I do not regret what I did to them today—not in the slightest.”

“You don’t regret it?” Cui Yazhen cried bitterly. “Your Majesty, do you feel no guilt toward me and my daughter? Ever since you took Empress Ye Yuran into the palace, when have you ever truly cared about me or Consort Wang? The only ones in your heart are the Empress and the Crown Princess. I only managed to survive these years for Jiajia. Even if she committed grave wrongs, she was still your daughter. I can’t accept this—I won’t accept it!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wang Shuhui added, sobbing as tears streamed down her face. “Ever since you made Ye Yuran empress, you’ve treated me and Sister Cui like we didn’t exist. We are your consorts too—when have you ever cared about us? Once the crown princess appeared, you barely gave Qian’er any attention. But he’s your son too! How could you be so heartless? Why did you have to kill him?”

“I… I owe you both, that’s true,” Shen Kaiyuan said slowly, his voice heavy with pain. “But that does not excuse those two from repeatedly trying to harm Ning’er. What’s done is done. I won’t make things difficult for you. You may continue living in your respective palaces with all the luxuries you are accustomed to. But from now on, without my direct orders, neither of you—nor any of your palace attendants—are allowed to leave your residences or have any contact with the outside world.”

Shen Kaiyuan didn’t believe the two consorts had done anything wrong themselves, but now that Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia were dead, he feared Cui Yazhen and Wang Shuhui might act out of grief or desperation. He had to ensure they were kept under close watch.

“So this is what it comes to? You want to confine us?” Cui Yazhen laughed bitterly, her tear-streaked face full of sorrow. “All these years—everything I endured—and in the end, Jiajia is dead, and now you want to imprison me. You are cruel, Your Majesty. But maybe not to everyone. You only reserve this cruelty for those who don’t matter to you. In your heart, it’s only Ye Yuran and Shen Yining who truly exist, isn’t it?”

Shen Kaiyuan closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and turned to Wenjing. “Escort the two noble consorts back to their palaces. Station guards outside and make sure no one leaves without my command—not them, not anyone in their households.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wenjing replied. He immediately ordered more than a dozen eunuchs to surround Cui Yazhen and Wang Shuhui. But neither of the women moved. In the end, they had to be half-carried, half-dragged out by the eunuchs.

Only once the two were gone did Shen Kaiyuan let out a long breath. But he knew the matter was far from over. The families behind those two consorts would surely come demanding answers.

His head pounded as he ordered, “Make sure those archers are watched closely. We’ll need them to shut the mouths of any ministers who question this.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shen Kaiyuan gave his next command: “Lock up all the captured assassins in the palace. Post a heavy guard. If anything happens to them, I’ll have your heads as well.”

“Understood, Your Majesty. We’ll take every precaution,” the commander of the palace guards responded, quickly ordering his men to take the archers away.

Shen Kaiyuan looked around at the few remaining ministers in the hall and sighed. “Wenjing, the situation outside is chaotic. Send some men to escort the ministers safely back to their residences.”

“Thank you for your care, Your Majesty,” the ministers said, bowing in gratitude.

Shen Kaiyuan turned to look at Shen Xingyue, who still wore her armor. Her face was weary, and her exhaustion was plain to see. His heart softened once more. Though he had just lost two children—who had betrayed their own blood in an attempt to harm their younger sister—he had also seen clearly that Xingyue was someone he could trust. In fact, she had become Ning’er’s savior.

He gently patted Shen Xingyue on the shoulder and said, “It’s already late, and there are still rebellious mobs roaming the capital. It’s not safe to go back tonight. There are several side chambers behind the Hall of Diligent Governance. Stay here for the night. You can return once the situation has settled a bit tomorrow.”

Then he turned to Wenjing and added, “Send someone to prepare hot water for Yue’er. As for clothing—have her wear mine for now. Go make the arrangements.”

Shen Xingyue was still a little worried about Su Muyu and wanted to return, but she didn’t want to turn down the Empress Regnant’s kind gesture, especially not tonight. Shen Kaiyuan had endured the most emotional turmoil of anyone today, and Xingyue didn’t want to add to it. So she chose a gentler compromise and said, “Aunt, Yu’er and the others are probably still worried about me. Could someone go back to the palace and let them know I’m safe? I’ll stay here tonight.”

“Of course,” Shen Kaiyuan nodded. “I’ll have someone deliver the message to the prince’s residence. You’ve had a long day—go take a bath, have something to eat, and get some rest.”

“Aunt, please don’t overexert yourself either,” Shen Xingyue replied with a bow. “I’ll change out of this armor and come back later to check on Ning’er.”

With that, she followed a few palace attendants out of the room.

Only now that she had a moment to breathe did Shen Xingyue truly feel how much her body ached. The armor felt like it weighed a ton, and she’d worn it longer than she ever had before. She had ridden hard, fought, been frightened—it was no wonder she had sweated through it. Now, all she wanted was to clean up and lie down. She probably didn’t smell too great either.

The eunuchs in the palace worked quickly. Before long, they had prepared a bath for her and laid out a few sets of Shen Kaiyuan’s casual robes that he kept in the side chamber for emergencies. Once the attendants left, Shen Xingyue finally removed her armor and took a deep breath. Only then did she feel like she could breathe freely again. No one would feel comfortable wearing something that heavy for that long.

She took a long, hot bath, washing the sweat from her face and the dust from her hair. After soaking thoroughly, she stepped out of the bath and changed into a light blue robe. She used a cloth to dry her hair until it was half-dry, then let the attendants return to help her arrange it into a simple bun.

After changing and refreshing herself, Shen Xingyue left the side chamber and returned to the Hall of Diligent Governance. By now, only a few attendants remained. The Empress Regnant and the Empress were still in the adjoining room, keeping watch over Shen Yining.

Shen Xingyue was deeply concerned for the quiet, studious girl. Even with the help of the system, getting hit by two arrows was no small injury. And in ancient times, fever could be fatal, especially when medicine was limited.

She entered the resting chamber and saw Shen Yining still lying on the bed, her face deathly pale. Her forehead was slick with either cold sweat or fever sweat—either way, she didn’t look like she was sleeping peacefully.

Just as Shen Xingyue was about to kneel and salute, Shen Kaiyuan gently stopped her. “No need to kneel.”

Ye Yuran saw Shen Xingyue arrive and quickly rose, taking her hand. “Ning’er would be in far worse shape today if not for you. Who knows what might’ve happened? Your Majesty, you must remember to reward Yue’er properly.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget,” Shen Kaiyuan said. “You should stop crying and go rest soon. I’ll stay here with Ning’er.”

“No. I want to stay by Ning’er’s side too,” Ye Yuran said firmly, her eyes red from crying.

Shen Xingyue looked toward the court physician and asked, “Has Her Highness developed a fever?”

The lead physician bowed to her before replying, “Replying to the princess—there are indeed signs of a fever setting in. I’ve already adjusted her medicine. Hopefully, it will stabilize her condition.”

Shen Xingyue nodded. It was common for a person to run a fever after being injured, especially with open wounds. What worried her was that, in this time period, there weren’t many reliable ways to treat such things. If the fever worsened, it could become life-threatening.

Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Shen Xingyue reached into her robes and pulled out a small white.

Shen Xingyue took out the little pig-shaped scented sachet and gently placed it beside the head of the pale and unconscious Shen Yining.

After a brief moment of consideration, she finally voiced what was on her mind to Shen Kaiyuan. “Aunt, that sachet was a gift from Miss Zhou to Her Highness. Given how serious her condition is right now, I thought… perhaps having someone she cares about by her side might help her recover. It’s already late, and the city is still unstable. But if things calm down by tomorrow, perhaps Miss Zhou could be invited to the palace to visit Her Highness. It might lift her spirits.”

Shen Kaiyuan nodded repeatedly. “Yes. I’ll have someone summon Zhou Zixuan to the palace first thing in the morning. At a time like this, there’s no point fussing over formality.”

Shen Xingyue nodded in agreement. Her gaze drifted toward Yining’s pale face. If Zhou Zixuan could be with her, maybe it would give the stubborn girl more strength to fight for her life. At least, she might not give up so easily.

After a few more words, Shen Kaiyuan asked the attendants to take Shen Xingyue to get something to eat. She had worn armor before and knew how much energy it consumed. She also understood how much her niece had changed—from a carefree, spoiled noble to someone who could take command in a crisis. The pressure Xingyue had withstood today was enormous. Her performance had not been easy by any measure.

By this point, Shen Xingyue was indeed starving. Now that things had settled a bit, she finally allowed herself to breathe and followed the eunuchs out.

Meals in the palace were always tested with silver needles before being served, so Shen Xingyue wasn’t particularly worried about safety. She dug in quickly, but even while eating, she couldn’t stop thinking about her little kitten. She wondered how Yu’er was doing. The capital had been in such chaos today—was her Yu’er frightened?

By now, night had fully fallen. At the Ankang Prince’s Manor, every gate was shut tight, fearing that rioting refugees might try to force their way in. Inside the front hall, Su Muyu, Shen Zhengchu, and Zhou Yunqing were anxiously waiting for news of Shen Xingyue.

Su Muyu’s eyes were red from crying. She paced back and forth, having lost count of how many times she had cried in secret since the afternoon. Word had come from a palace informant earlier that there had been riots near the South Gate, and even now, the sounds of horses galloping could still be heard outside—proof that the disturbances had not yet been fully quelled.

The longer she waited, the more anxious Su Muyu became. Her chest tightened, and her eyes stung. But with the city in such unrest, going out to search for Shen Xingyue might only create more trouble for her. All she could do was wait, desperately.

A while later, two guards from the Prince’s Manor returned after being sent to gather news.

Su Muyu rushed forward, asking urgently, “Well? Have you heard anything about the Princess?”

“Your Ladyship,” one guard answered quickly, “we spoke with soldiers stationed at the South Gate. It seems the Princess entered the palace. The rebellion near the gate has already been brought under control. Marshal Han and the Han family troops are stationed there, keeping order. Only a few small mobs remain scattered in the city—they no longer pose a major threat.”

“She entered the palace?” Shen Zhengchu’s anxiety deepened. “Then why hasn’t she returned yet? If she waits much longer, the palace gates will be locked for the night!”

“Exactly,” Su Muyu added, her voice trembling and her eyes red. “It’s so late already… she should be back by now.” She had only recently fallen in love, and Shen Xingyue had been nothing but kind to her. Su Muyu couldn’t even bring herself to think about what she would do if something happened to Xingyue.

Just then, as their hearts were tightening with fear, Wenyou led several palace eunuchs into the room.

The lead eunuch bowed to the three of them before speaking. “Your Highness, His Majesty knew you would be worried, so he sent us to deliver a message: the Princess is spending the night in one of the side chambers behind the Hall of Diligent Governance. There are still rebel stragglers in the city, and His Majesty felt it wasn’t safe for her to return tonight. Please be at ease, Your Highness, Your Ladyship, and Madam.”

“She’s safe?” Shen Zhengchu quickly asked.

“Yes, Your Highness. The Princess is in high favor and performed a great service today. She is completely safe,” the eunuch assured him.

“Good, good… That’s a relief.” Shen Zhengchu finally let out the breath he’d been holding. “I’ll enter the palace tomorrow to personally give thanks to His Majesty. Yang Qi, see these gentlemen out.”

“You are too kind, Your Highness,” the eunuchs said with a smile, accepting the small tokens Yang Qi handed them before bowing and taking their leave.

Shen Zhengchu exhaled and looked at Su Muyu, who still seemed troubled. Gently, he said, “Yu’er, don’t worry so much. Since someone came directly from the palace to tell us she’s safe, you can rest assured that she really is. I’ll go to the palace myself at dawn tomorrow and bring her back to you, safe and sound. Now go get some rest.”

Then he turned to Zhou Yunqing and added, “Let’s all get some rest. Everything will become clear once I’ve gone to the palace in the morning.”

Su Muyu’s eyes were red as she paced anxiously around the room. She had no idea how many times she had cried in secret that afternoon. Wenyou had come to report that there was a riot near the South Gate. Now, night had fallen, but the sounds of horses still echoed outside the Prince’s Residence, one after another—clearly, the chaos outside hadn’t yet been fully brought under control.

The longer Su Muyu waited, the more her chest tightened. But in this situation, if she were to go out looking for someone, she would only bring trouble to Shen Xingyue. All she could do was wait helplessly.

Wenyou had sent people out to gather news, and now two more guards from the residence had returned.

Su Muyu rushed forward and asked, “How is it? Have you heard anything about the princess?”

“Princess Consort,” one guard replied quickly, “I spoke with the soldiers stationed at the South Gate. It seems Her Highness has entered the palace. When I returned, the riot at the gate was already under control. Marshal Han has led the Han family troops to secure the area. Now, there are only a few scattered refugees left in the city, and they can’t stir up any more real trouble.”

“She entered the palace? Then why hasn’t she come back yet? If she waits too long, the palace gates will be locked,” Shen Zhengchu said, clearly worried. His eldest daughter had never led troops before, and he was deeply afraid something might happen to her.

“Yes, she should’ve returned by now,” Su Muyu added, her eyes still rimmed with red. She had only just fallen in love, and Shen Xingyue had treated her with such tenderness. She didn’t even want to think about what she’d do if something happened to her.

Just as the three of them were growing more anxious, Wenyou entered again, this time leading several eunuchs from the palace.

The lead eunuch bowed respectfully and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty was worried that you might be anxious, so he sent us to bring you a message. Her Highness is staying tonight in the side hall of the Hall of Diligent Governance. With unrest still outside, His Majesty didn’t want her returning at such a dangerous hour. Please be at ease, Prince, Princess, and Princess Consort.”

“Is that so? Is Yu’er alright?” Shen Zhengchu asked urgently.

“Please don’t worry, Your Highness. Her Highness is safe and well. She is in high favor with His Majesty and even made a great contribution today.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I’ll enter the palace myself tomorrow morning. Yang Qi, see these gentlemen out.”

“You’re too kind, Your Highness,” the eunuchs replied. They accepted the gratuity from Yang Qi, bowed again to Shen Zhengchu and the others, and took their leave.

Shen Zhengchu let out a long sigh. Seeing that Su Muyu was still worried, he gently comforted her, “Yu’er, don’t be so anxious. Since the palace sent someone to report that she’s safe, we can trust that she is. Rest for now. I’ll go to the palace early in the morning and bring her back to you myself.”

He then turned to Zhou Yunqing. “Let’s rest too. Everything will be clear once I’ve gone to the palace tomorrow.”

“Father… with everything so chaotic out there, could something also be happening inside the palace?” Su Muyu asked softly, not daring to continue the thought.

“Don’t worry,” Shen Zhengchu said. “If the palace were truly in danger, the eunuchs wouldn’t have had time to come deliver a message. Go eat a little and rest. If you don’t, and Yu’er comes back only to find you sick, how do you think she’ll feel?”

Su Muyu was still uneasy, but she nodded and returned to Feixue Courtyard with Yiliu and Cuizhu.

Yiliu had the kitchen prepare some food, but Su Muyu only picked at a few bites before putting her chopsticks down. She couldn’t eat. All she could think about was Shen Xingyue. She had Yiliu take the food away and curled up alone on the soft couch, waiting—hoping Shen Xingyue would come back, throw off her cloak, and hold her like she had so many times before.

Just thinking of her made Su Muyu’s eyes tear up again.

In another room, Zhou Zixuan was also pacing anxiously. Her father, Zhou Yuanzhen, had just returned from a late meeting at the Hall of Diligent Governance, escorted back by palace guards.

From him, Zhou Zixuan had learned that Shen Yining’s fate was uncertain. She was beside herself with worry, tears still clinging to her cheeks. She tightly clutched the jade pendant Shen Yining had given her and whispered, “Please, Your Highness, please be safe. I made you several little pig-shaped sachets and haven’t even had the chance to give them to you. You promised me… you said we’d marry this year. Please don’t let anything happen to you…”

She was panicking but couldn’t enter the palace. All she could do was worry and wait.

Before bed, Shen Xingyue visited Shen Yining again and found Shen Kaiyuan sitting by her bedside, constantly changing the cloths to reduce her fever.

After a moment of thought, Shen Xingyue said, “We can try using white liquor. Soak some cloths in it and wipe her neck, underarms, thighs, and hands and feet. That might help bring down her fever. These are folk remedies, but they might offer some relief. It’s worth a try.”

“Yes, yes, folk remedies can be helpful. Wenjing, go prepare some white liquor and cloths. I’ll help wipe her down again,” Shen Kaiyuan said urgently.

Watching her aunt like this, Shen Xingyue didn’t see the powerful empress of the empire. She only saw a mother—worried and exhausted, stripped of all royal airs.

“Aunt, you’ve been up all day. Why don’t you go rest for a while? I can stay here and watch over Yining.”

Ancient people were physically weaker, and after the emotional whirlwind Shen Kaiyuan had gone through—ordering the deaths of a son and daughter, confining two consorts, all while dealing with civil unrest in the capital—it was clear she was nearing her limit. Tomorrow, she’d have to explain everything to the court. Shen Xingyue feared that if something happened to her aunt, the entire Northern Chuan region would fall into chaos.

“It’s kind of you to offer, but how could I sleep like this? Let’s try your suggestion together,” Shen Kaiyuan replied, weary but determined.

Seeing her aunt insist, Shen Xingyue didn’t argue further. She asked Wenjing to have someone prepare some ginseng soup as well.

Wenjing understood immediately and hurried off.

The white liquor arrived soon after, and Shen Xingyue and Shen Kaiyuan carefully wiped down Shen Yining’s body.

Not long after, the ginseng soup was brought in. Shen Xingyue handed a bowl to her aunt and said, “Aunt, even if you’re not hungry, you should drink a little to keep up your strength. Just treat it like water.”

Shen Kaiyuan nodded and drank the soup.

Shen Xingyue didn’t want to rest while her aunt stayed up, so she moved a chair over and sat beside Shen Yining.

But she was exhausted. After an hour, she nodded off against the bed. Shen Kaiyuan woke her gently and had the eunuchs help her to a side chamber to rest. She herself remained by Shen Yining’s side.

As soon as Shen Xingyue lay down, she fell into a deep sleep. It had been a long day—her first time leading troops, giving orders to open fire, handling such a serious situation, facing life and death. But she’d brought her little cousin back alive. That alone was enough for now.

In the second half of the night, no one could say for sure whether it was the medicine or the white liquor method that worked, but Shen Yining’s fever finally broke. The imperial physicians persuaded the empress to rest. Seeing her daughter’s condition improve, she finally went to a side chamber to sleep.

Shen Xingyue slept soundly through the night. When she woke, it took her a moment to remember she was still in the palace. She had the palace maids prepare water and towels, washed up quickly, and had her hair done in a simple bun, held in place with a jade hairpin.

When she stepped out, the attendants were already waiting in the Hall of Diligent Governance. Shen Xingyue asked about the empress and then checked on Shen Yining. Once she was sure the fever had truly subsided, she returned to the side chamber for a simple breakfast.

As for the political mess, her aunt was handling it. She didn’t need to worry.

But just as she finished eating, the empress still hadn’t woken, and instead, her father and several ministers came rushing into the hall.

When Shen Zhengchu saw what Shen Xingyue was wearing, his expression changed. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. His face went pale, and he pointed at her, trembling.

“Who told you to wear Her Majesty’s robes? You unfilial girl! Take them off immediately! Are you trying to disgrace me?!”

Shen Xingyue was taken aback. She hadn’t done anything wrong. The palace had been in chaos last night—there was no way she could have asked the eunuchs to fetch her new clothes. That would’ve been completely tone-deaf.

Fortunately, the empress stepped out from the side chamber just then. The officials all bowed deeply. Shen Zhengchu was just about to scold his daughter again when Shen Kaiyuan stopped him, having heard everything.

“It’s not Yu’er’s fault. I told her to wear them. It’s just a few robes—no need to make a scene. Besides, if it weren’t for Yu’er yesterday, you might not have seen Yining again today. Royal Brother, Yu’er truly is a good child.”

Shen Zhengchu hadn’t yet grasped everything that had happened the previous day, and now being praised like this by the empress, he was left speechless.

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