He hurriedly packed his bags in the palace and then rushed to the Yuanmingyuan by carriage.

During these busy days, no one was able to get a proper rest.

Chen Yuwei was the worst off. While others could at least get a good night's sleep at the Yuanmingyuan, Chen Yuwei, being an Imperial Noble Consort, had to see the Emperor on her second day at the Yuanmingyuan. She didn't even have time to catch her breath.

After being carried to Jiuzhou Qingyan in a sedan chair, Chen Yuwei exchanged a few polite words with Gao Yu before getting up and entering the hall.

"Your Majesty, I greet you! Long live the Emperor!"

"Imperial Noble Consort, you may dispense with the formalities."

The two met again several months later in the summer.

Chen Yuwei looked up and gazed at Hongli, who was standing by the window in casual clothes.

Hongli was thinner than when he left the palace, especially his cheeks, which were much sunken and his cheekbones were much more prominent.

Before she could continue speaking, Chen Yuwei's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and crystal tears uncontrollably fell from the corners of her eyes and brows.

Chen Yuwei's gentle sigh as she addressed the Emperor softened Hongli's hardened heart, which had remained unyielding for months.

"Wei'er"

Hongli quickly walked up to Chen Yuwei and couldn't help but reach out to wipe away her tears, looking unusually flustered.

Ultimately, it was because Chen Yuwei rarely cried, which made Hongli's cold and hard heart feel a little embarrassed.

The earlier incidents were ultimately his fault, especially after I was injured in the south.

When Chen Yuwei returned and showed such concern, Hongli's slight dissatisfaction immediately vanished.

The Imperial Noble Consort was acting in my best interest back then, but now she's worried about me even more.

Having achieved the desired outcome through his imagination, Hongli became extremely agreeable.

With a gentle voice, Hongli comforted Chen Yuwei, whose face was filled with sorrow. He also talked about the daily life of Hezhuo and Fuling'a in the south.

"The two of them are doing very well, and the prince consort is also a sensible and polite person."

"Wei'er, it's a real shame you couldn't go this time. Next time, I'll definitely take you there for a reunion."

After listening, Chen Yuwei smiled at the right moment, "Compared to Hezhuo and Fuling, I am more worried about you. How is your health?"

As she spoke, her eyes unconsciously drifted towards the sides of Hongli's arms.

Chen Yuwei's concern seemed genuine, which pleased Hongli.

Hongli: ...He knew it! The Imperial Noble Consort loves him so much, she must be terribly worried when she heard that something had happened to him.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. I just couldn't dodge in time and suffered some minor superficial injuries."

I'm embarrassed to say that I was terrified when the assassin suddenly appeared in the south.

It would be even more difficult to say that the accident happened while you were browsing in a restaurant.

Hongli touched his prominent nose with a slightly guilty look, and simply changed the subject to other things.

Chen Yuwei chose to take the initiative with a crying scene, which was also intended to soften her stance towards Hongli and to let bygones be bygones the unpleasant incident that happened between the two of them in the palace earlier.

Now that Hongli himself no longer mentions it, Chen Yuwei certainly won't go out of her way to cause trouble.

They spoke of the situation in the harem as if by telepathy, especially about Yongqi's wife, Lady Suozhuoluo, being pregnant, saying, "In two months, the Emperor will become a grandfather again."

Hongli didn't take it to heart, "Yongqi is still a bit slow. Besides, I already have several grandsons," so he didn't need Yongqi, the only son.

Chen Yuwei smiled upon hearing this, thinking to herself that Consort Yu was hoping to gain more face in front of the Emperor through the child born to Lady Suozhuoluo, but judging from Hongli's attitude, her wishful thinking was likely to be in vain.

Tsk tsk, Yongqi's performance in court is still not quite up to par after getting married and starting a family.

The former Prince Rong, now a bald prince, Yongqi is quite different from the historical records.

"By the way, Wei'er, there are some things I need you to handle since I've returned this time."

Hongli suddenly thought of the concubines he kept in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, and somewhat embarrassedly asked Chen Yuwei to make arrangements.

"They are all relatives sent by officials from Jiangnan, and there are quite a few extraneous entanglements."

Hongli, fearing that Chen Yuwei would be unhappy, offered a few words of explanation that seemed like he was trying to cover something up.

In short, the core message was to deny his philandering, claiming that he only accepted women for the sake of the country and its people.

Chen Yuwei: ...

What could Chen Yuwei do? Of course, she chose to understand Hongli's greatness.

However, while the main halls in the palace were indeed insufficient, there were plenty of spare side halls, rear halls, and wing rooms.

We can just stuff it anywhere then; anyway, the Emperor doesn't seem to care much.

Sigh~

These women were truly pitiful. Serving the emperor did not bring them instant wealth and status. Instead, they were like those dazzling fireworks, blooming for a moment before quickly extinguishing and disappearing.

Chen Yuwei felt a little regretful, but she didn't know how to save them.

After all, that's the current social environment. If Chen Yuwei gives them preferential treatment, it might backfire and damage her own position.

Finding a familiar excuse in her mind, Chen Yuwei belatedly chuckled.

Ouch

In this era, people unconsciously lose their proper emotions.

Even though Chen Yuwei could no longer be considered human, the thoughts that occasionally popped into her head still startled her.

It seems she was right when she spoke to the system earlier; she shouldn't linger in this world.

Once this task is completed as quickly as possible, it's time to leave.

Under the scorching sun, Chen Yuwei, who had just arrived at Jiuzhou Qingyan, looked relaxed, completely unlike the tension she had shown when she first came.

Saying she was tense wouldn't be entirely accurate; it was mainly because Chen Yuwei hadn't met Hongli yet at that time and couldn't quite grasp some of his thought processes.

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