Su Nan had no idea what Sui Sui and Xie Ke'er had been doing by the fishpond; he simply assumed it was just children's wild speculation.

He reached out and took the book from Sui Sui's hand. "It's time to practice again. Go and meditate to complete one small cycle of Qi circulation, then rest."

"Second Uncle, you still haven't told me why koi fish turn belly up?"

"I'm sorry, my second uncle has never raised koi before, so he really doesn't know. But he does know that when a fish turns belly up, it means it's about to die."

"Good boy, go practice your skills. If you like, the little pond in the garden is just sitting empty anyway. Your second uncle will buy you a few small koi fish to keep as pets another day."

"Second Uncle, will koi fish die if they eat pastries?" Sui Sui continued to ask.

Su Nan thought for a moment and said, "Probably not."

"That's good." Sui Sui felt relieved.

For some reason, he always felt that the koi's death was somehow related to him.

Jiang Shuyue had dinner in the palace and then went to Xiao Jingzhao's bedroom.

This time, Xiao Jingzhao didn't pretend to be asleep. Instead, he sat in front of the chessboard and played against himself.

Jiang Shuyue immediately recognized the layout of Gomoku (Five in a Row) from the few pieces on the board.

"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."

As Jiang Shuyue walked over, Xiao Jingzhao skillfully extended his hand.

There was a water glass prepared by the chessboard. After taking the medicine, Xiao Jingzhao pointed to the soft cushion opposite him.

"The chess game that Sui Sui plays is quite interesting. May I play a few games with you, Moon Lady?"

With the Emperor's invitation, how could Jiang Shuyue refuse? There wasn't much fun to do in the palace anyway.

At this time of year, the flowers in the Imperial Garden have all withered, and although the wind is no longer biting cold outside, it is still chilly.

I'm just idling around anyway, but the thought of Qiuju having to stand the whole time if I sit down is unbearable.

Jiang Shuyue said to Qiuju, "Go back to the side hall and rest first. I'll be back soon."

Qiuju knelt down and withdrew.

“You are very kind to the people around you.” Xiao Jingzhao put away the chess pieces on the chessboard and gestured for them to proceed.

Jiang Shuyue sat down but did not immediately pick up a chess piece. She smiled slightly at Xiao Jingzhao's gaze.

"Qiuju is no ordinary person. She accompanied me through the darkest and most hopeless days. Without her companionship, I might not have made it to today. It is only natural to be good to her."

Seeing that the topic had gone astray, Xiao Jingzhao quickly picked up a chess piece and placed it in the center of the chessboard. "Thank you for your kind offer. I'll make my move first."

Eunuch Ma served a cup of hot tea and quietly stepped aside to serve.

They played a total of five games, and Xiao Jingzhao won two of them.

"Your Majesty needs more rest, so I won't disturb you any longer."

Jiang Shuyue had already realized that Xiao Jingzhao was letting her win; if he hadn't deliberately let her win, she wouldn't have won a single game.

Xiao Jingzhao nodded, then beckoned to Eunuch Ma, "Bring the storybook over."

Eunuch Ma brought over the storybook and handed it to Jiang Shuyue with both hands.

Jiang Shuyue took the storybook and looked at Xiao Jingzhao, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Yonghe doesn't know about my poisoning, and you can't go to Yonghe Palace to talk to her. You'll definitely find the palace boring and use it as a pastime."

Xiao Jingzhao spoke casually, but only Eunuch Ma knew that the Emperor had gone to great lengths to find the storybook.

Jiang Shuyue thanked Xiao Jingzhao and took the storybook back to the side hall.

"Miss, a palace maid has brought hot water. Please wash up while it's hot."

Jiang Shuyue glanced around the hall. "Did the Emperor send palace maids to serve us?"

“It was delivered by Fugui and a few palace maids. They left it there and left. Fugui said he was on duty next door and we could call him if we needed anything.”

Jiang Shuyue waved her hand, "No need, we can just wash up quickly tonight."

Just as the mistress and servant were about to wash up, a palace maid brought them a midnight snack. After they finished eating and washing up, Qiuju took her quilt and went to the small couch inside the palace.

Jiang Shuyue lit the palace lantern in front of the bed and read the storybook with great interest.

The story in the storybook is about a king who defied public opinion and doted on his empress.

After reading it, Jiang Shuyue thought to herself, "Could the person who wrote this storybook also be a time traveler?"

You should know that the women here are already used to having multiple wives and concubines.

Although everyone was unhappy, no one stood up to say no.

If any woman stands up and says no, everyone will criticize her.

Lacking in common sense, narrow-minded, and lacking in virtue and gentleness—a whole host of labels were slapped on him.

The most ridiculous thing is that most of the loudest shouters are women.

When her husband takes a concubine, she secretly suffers terribly, constantly vying for his favor through jealousy and resentment.

Once their sons get married, they fill their sons' rooms with women, completely forgetting the hardships and grievances they suffered back then.

Perhaps because she was in an unfamiliar environment, Jiang Shuyue didn't sleep well during the first half of the night, so she simply went into her spatial dimension during the second half.

The next morning, Xiao Jingzhao's finger swelling had visibly subsided. Jiang Shuyue left behind an antidote pill, gave him some instructions, and then left the palace.

The streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, the shops were filled with a dazzling array of goods, and the cries of vendors rose and fell, the festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingering.

At this moment, Jiang Jiaojiao sat in front of the barbecue stall, staring blankly at the bustling crowd on the street.

I've been here for three whole days, cooking and washing clothes myself. In order to transfer the shop as soon as possible, I've run all over the streets where the real estate agents live, but so far, not a single person has come to inquire.

Among the passing crowd, a middle-aged man with a lewd look saw Jiang Jiaojiao sitting alone in front of the door, her eyes dim and her expression forlorn.

The man glanced at her ample chest and thought to himself, "This young woman is decent-looking and dressed, not like a poor woman, but not like a wealthy woman's wife or concubine either."

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