Inside the room, the sound of pages turning could be heard.

Oops!

Is he reading a storybook on the coffee table?!

Jiang Shuyue's head suddenly went blank. Without even changing out of her bathrobe, she ran over like a whirlwind.

"Your Majesty, don't look at them, they are just trivial little stories."

Jiang Shuyue ran over and snatched the storybook from Xiao Jingzhao's hand.

Xiao Jingzhao was also stunned by the person who suddenly appeared in the room.

He clearly didn't hear anyone breathing inside the room, yet she appeared out of thin air; it was simply unbelievable.

"Moon Maiden, where did you come from?"

After asking the question, Xiao Jingzhao belatedly realized that it was inappropriate to ask it that way.

He added, "No, what I meant was that I didn't see you come in from outside the door."

The woman in front of me had a cascade of beautiful hair that fell down her back, with a few strands hanging down her chest.

The water dripping from her wet hair soaked her clothes at the chest, and her snow-white skin was faintly visible at her collarbone, creating a scene reminiscent of a beautiful woman emerging from a bath, which aroused the imagination.

This is another special dress; the fabric is light and flowing, loose and comfortable, making the wearer look ethereal.

Xiao Jingzhao's breath hitched, and he hurriedly looked away.

Just as he looked away, his peripheral vision inevitably caught a glimpse of Jiang Shuyue's pair of jade-like feet beneath her skirt.

Those were shoes that exposed all the toes.

Her delicate toes were fair and pink, possessing a magical quality that made one want to hold them in their hands and play with them.

Xiao Jingzhao quickly turned his face away and said in an unnatural voice, "Hurry up and dry your hair, don't catch a cold."

Jiang Shuyue's attention was entirely focused on the storybook, which was a gossip tale about the inner quarters of the household, and inevitably contained descriptions of romantic love.

Jiang Shuyue hid the book she had snatched behind her back. "Why didn't you let anyone announce your arrival when the Emperor came? Your sudden appearance is quite frightening, isn't it?"

Even in her panic, Jiang Shuyue didn't forget to turn the tables and accuse the other party.

"I apologize, I know this was a bit abrupt. But seeing that there were no maids serving you outside your courtyard, I didn't want to disturb anyone."

To ease the awkwardness in the room, Xiao Jingzhao got up and went to the washroom to get a clean cotton handkerchief.

"Here, wipe it off quickly."

Jiang Shuyue took the handkerchief, still holding the book in her hand.

Xiao Jingzhao, unaware of Jiang Shuyue's thoughts, explained, "I just arrived and didn't know when you went back to your room, so I just picked up a book and flipped through a few pages, but I haven't figured it out yet."

Jiang Shuyue turned and walked to the desk by the window, putting down the storybook.

She freed her hands and gently twisted her beautiful hair.

"A storybook to pass the time is not the type the Emperor likes."

Xiao Jingzhao sat back down on the soft couch, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Jiang Shuyue's peculiar shoes.

Those shoes seem to use very little fabric; they must be quite comfortable.

Xiao Jingzhao wanted to ask about the origin of the shoes, but felt that it would be too frivolous to do so.

He looked around, "Where is Xue'er?"

"As the weather warms up, it sometimes sleeps by itself in the flower room."

Jiang Shuyue didn't want to waste too much time talking to Xiao Jingzhao. Actually, Xue'er had been a bit temperamental after her sterilization surgery. She would often go to the flower hall to stay, and sometimes she would go to the garden to sunbathe.

"The dried fish should be running out soon. I'll send someone to find a solution in a few days," Xiao Jingzhao said, trying to make conversation.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is not suitable to store a large number of fresh fish in the ice cellar this season. The servants in the manor went to the lake to buy live fish and raised them in the lotus pond. From now on, Xue'er will no longer have to worry about not having fresh fish to eat."

Jiang Shuyue was about to sit down opposite Xiao Jingzhao when she spoke.

When she looked up, she saw that Xiao Jingzhao seemed uncomfortable, and Jiang Shuyue realized that her bathrobe made him unable to look directly at her.

Jiang Shuyue secretly thought to herself, "People in ancient times are so pretentious. Her nightgown is loose and conservative in style, and there's nothing wrong with it at all."

Jiang Shuyue wrapped her hair up with a cotton handkerchief and placed it behind her head. She picked up the teapot, poured a cup of chrysanthemum tea, and handed it to Xiao Jingzhao. "The tea is getting cold. Your Majesty, please make do with a little."

Xiao Jingzhao took the teacup, and Jiang Shuyue turned around to put on an outer robe before sitting down.

She cut to the chase and asked, "Your Majesty, what brings you here tonight?"

Sui Sui was in the palace, so naturally he wasn't there to visit Sui Sui.

Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly, and then he recounted how, at the banquet, envoys from various countries had been vying to purchase tomato seeds and cultivation methods at great expense.

"Such a generous gesture!"

Jiang Shuyue was stunned. She never dreamed that a tomato seed could sell for such an astronomical price.

"The item is yours, and I dare not make the decision on my own. Whether to sell it or not is up to you, Yue Niang. You don't need to have any other concerns."

"Sell, sell, sell! No worries, only a fool wouldn't sell."

Jiang Shuyue beamed with joy, her greedy expression exactly like Sui Sui's.

If it were anyone else, they would definitely think she was short of money. Xiao Jingzhao knew perfectly well that the smug little woman in front of him was richer than a first-rank minister in the imperial court.

Jiang Shuyue stopped laughing and leaned forward slightly. "Do they want any other seeds? I have delicious pumpkins, winter melons, and cantaloupes here. They can have as many as they want."

Jiang Shuyue was so happy that she didn't keep her guard up and only realized she had spoken out of turn after she finished.

As expected, Xiao Jingzhao stared intently at her, his gaze as if he wanted to see right through her.

"Those seeds, Wanling has never had them before. Can you tell me, Yueniang, where did you get them from?"

Jiang Shuyue sat up straight and coughed lightly. "Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but everyone has their own secrets. Businessmen all have their own ways of doing things. If a foreign country is willing to pay a high price, Your Majesty just needs to agree. You can leave the rest to Guard Xiang to handle with me."

"Alright, I won't ask. I'll have the Right Chancellor negotiate a good price and try to get them to increase it by another 20%."

Xiao Jingzhao was a man who knew when to advance and retreat. There was a reason why Jiang Shuyue was unwilling to talk about things.

He always felt that the petite woman in front of him was full of mystery, and he was also attracted by her invisible charm.

I don't know why, but every time I come to the Jiang residence and sit in her room, I feel an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

The feeling was like returning to one's own courtyard in the royal palace after a battle.

"Moon Lady, I've been too busy lately and haven't had time to take care of you. Don't overwork yourself."

Jiang Shuyue was enveloped in a large robe, her long, black hair hanging down, concealing her petite figure. Xiao Jingzhao noticed that she seemed to have lost weight.

The unexpected words of concern made Jiang Shuyue's heart flutter slightly.

Thinking that her wedding day was coming soon, Jiang Shuyue composed herself.

"Your Majesty, in the future, please send your guards to deliver messages whenever possible. After a while, I will be too busy to entertain you."

Xiao Jingzhao nodded and stood up.

"I understand. I will take care of you every year, so don't overwork yourself."

Xiao Jing assumed Jiang Shuyue was busy with the clinic and didn't think much of it until later when he found out what she was busy with—but that's another story.

After Xiao Jingzhao left, Jiang Shuyue, while her hair was still wet, took the opportunity to write down methods for planting vegetables.

The night was deep, the dark sky covered the heavens, and the moon and stars were swallowed by the darkness.

At that moment, several dark figures flew up to the top of the wall outside the inn.