A night breeze swept in, and Mo Zixuan's mind immediately cleared up a bit.

The emperor's health was deteriorating, and he himself had mastered the five arts of managing people. The influence of the old ministers in the court was also extraordinary.

The fathers of the Crown Princess and her two concubines were all influential figures in the Liang Kingdom.

The Empress carefully selected Nalan Yiyi from among the daughters of many ministers to be the Crown Princess, and this was not solely because Nalan Yiyi was beautiful.

Rather, it was the influence of the Nalan family in the Liang Kingdom.

The Nalan family had a predecessor, Consort Jing, who enjoyed the deep trust of the Emperor and Empress, bringing boundless glory to the Nalan family.

Mo Zixuan once felt that this marriage was inappropriate, after all, Consort Jing also came from the Nalan family.

He worried that the Nalan family was too powerful and difficult to control. His mother said that Nalan Yiyi was intelligent, well-mannered, straightforward, and a sensible girl from a young age.

Mo Ziqian was a scholar who dabbled in literature and calligraphy, seemingly unambitious and unassuming, yet he held a place among the literati.

Mo Zixuan did not dare to lower his guard against him, and even though he sent people to keep an eye on him, they did not find any trace of him forming cliques or engaging in private activities.

Nalan Yiyi is the granddaughter of the branch of Jingfei's maternal uncle's family. According to seniority, Nalan Yiyi should call Jingfei "aunt".

As he approached the entrance to the bridal chamber, Mo Zixuan paused.

His eyes darkened. Tonight was not just a wedding night; he also had to be careful with his words. The harem was like the imperial court, and favors needed to be balanced.

...

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it's already late autumn.

In Xingyue Courtyard, Jiang Shuyue rested her head on Xiao Jingzhao's strong arm.

She looked up at the handsome face so close to hers and said softly, "The autumn nights are chilly, you should go back to the palace soon."

Xiao Jingzhao looked at her with eyes full of affection, "I can't sleep soundly without you by my side."

“My son can’t sleep well without seeing you. Be good, starting tomorrow, don’t leave the palace at night.”

Jiang Shuyue was speechless; having a relationship with the emperor was like having an affair.

He always came under the cover of night and returned to the palace before dawn.

The key point is that the two of them didn't do anything except hug and kiss, cover themselves with a blanket and chat.

Xiao Jingzhao smiled slightly, "I've already told my son that he'll sleep by himself from now on. There will be palace maids to cover him with a blanket at night, so there's no need to worry about him catching a cold."

Xiao Jingzhao had his own reasons for making this arrangement. Their wedding was still about a month away, and if Sui Sui was always clinging to them at night, how would they give him a younger brother or sister?

"Moon Maiden, after our wedding, I'll take you to Yan Hui Mountain for a short stay. The maple leaves there are so beautiful."

Xiao Jingzhao had heard from the gardeners at the imperial palace that the best time to view the maple leaves at Yan Hui Mountain was after October.

"Okay, let's treat this as our honeymoon. We have to bring Sui Sui along this time."

“Okay, bring Chang Le along too, she can take care of Sui Sui and play together.” Xiao Jingzhao agreed readily.

"Moon Lady, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but this year the people of Wanling have had a bumper harvest, all thanks to the seeds you gave them. I have decreed that the farmers' taxes be reduced, and in a few years, the farmers will be able to live a happy and stable life."

“Ah Zhao, you are a wise ruler who cares for the people, and a true Son of Heaven. After you ascend the throne, Wanling will enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests, and the lives of the people will surely get better and better.”

Jiang Shuyue sincerely admired Xiao Jingzhao's ability to govern the country.

Throughout history, few emperors have reduced taxes for farmers, and his first thought after ascending the throne was how to ensure that farmers could live and work in peace and contentment.

This was probably because he had resettled a large number of refugees in Yannan and witnessed their hardships firsthand, which deeply moved him.

Xiao Jingzhao lowered his head and kissed her forehead tenderly, "I want to be Yue Niang's good husband even more."

The two talked until midnight before finally falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, Jiang Shuyue finished breakfast and prepared to go to Jishetang.

He spent two days lecturing at the Women's Medical School, his mind preoccupied with the affairs of the clinic.

Yinqiao and Dingxiang, who have the best adaptability, went to Yannan. Now, the most outstanding students in the clinic are Qingdai, Pan Jing, and Banxia.

As Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju approached the gatehouse, Shuanzi took a booklet from the table inside and handed it to them.

Jiang Shuyue took the booklet and glanced at it. It was a calligraphy copybook by Qingling Shanren, the kind that the original owner loved the most.

There aren't many calligraphy copybooks by Qingling Shanren available on the market.

Jiang Shuyue asked in surprise, "Shuanzi, where did you get this?"

Shuanzi scratched the back of his head. "This morning someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, I saw a man standing there. He asked me to give this booklet to Miss. I didn't think it was anything valuable, so I accepted it."

"What did that person look like? This booklet isn't cheap." Jiang Shuyue said, handing the booklet back, then added, "Return this to the person next time you see them."

Shuanzi took the booklet, thought for a moment and said, "That man lowered his head, handed the booklet to me and turned to leave. I didn't see his face clearly, but I noticed that he walked with difficulty."

Qiuju immediately realized, "Miss, it's Yang Mao."

Jiang Shuyue frowned slightly. If Qiuju hadn't reminded her, she would have almost forgotten about Yang Mao.

"Miss, shall we return this invitation?"

"It's good to return it; I don't want to have anything to do with the Yang family."

Qiuju then wanted to have someone send it back.

Jiang Shuyue said, "You and Gao Mu can take me to the clinic first, and then return it to me in time."

"Yes, this servant still remembers the location of the Yang family mansion." Qiuju took the booklet from Shuanzi and walked out.

Gao Mu had already prepared a carriage and was waiting outside.

The master and servant boarded the carriage, and Qiuju held the calligraphy scroll in her hand, turning it over and over to look at it again and again.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "Miss, the small regular script characters on this calligraphy book look very familiar. They are somewhat similar to your handwriting."

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