The Emperor's powerful thighs ultimately couldn't overcome Xie Jingyan's slender arms.

After Grandpa Yuan left, in the evening, Grandpa Xiao Xizi brought over a guqin (a seven-stringed zither).

Green Jade.

It was Consort Chen's favorite thing during her lifetime.

The zither that Consort Chen taught Xie Jingyan to play was the Lüqi.

Looking at the Green Jade Zither, Xie Jingyan recalled a scene from his childhood in Zhaoyang Palace, where Consort Chen taught him to play the zither while the Emperor sat beside him, sipping tea.

Years later, when I think back on it, I feel like that scene is a sharp blade piercing my heart.

Xie Jingyan's hand was almost touching the zither, but he withdrew it.

"Received into the warehouse."

Chen Feng took the Green Jade Zither and turned to take it into the storeroom.

Having accepted the Emperor's gifts from Consort Chen, they were obligated to fulfill their promise and hand over the design plans and account books for the Xizhou Dam.

Little Xizi's father-in-law brought a portion back to the palace.

Two portions remain.

Xie Jingyan was impartial and unbiased.

Xie Jingyin and the eldest prince each received one portion.

Looking at the delivered blueprints and account books, the eldest prince truly felt how terrifying the Prince of Ling was. Fortunately, they were not enemies; otherwise, it would be too frightening to be enemies with someone so meticulous.

The Crown Prince was overjoyed to receive the blueprints, while Xie Jingyin was furious.

Looking at the box placed on the desk, Xie Jingyin couldn't control his anger. He swept the box to the ground, and the exquisite chicken-wing wood box shattered, scattering blueprints and ledgers all over the floor.

Xie Jingyin's face was contorted with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

That night, many people found it hard to fall asleep.

Shen Wan slept soundly for the first half of the night, but barely closed her eyes for the second half.

Waking up in the middle of the night, she found Xie Jingyan still awake. Thinking he was still thinking about Consort Chen, she felt sorry for him but didn't know how to comfort him. So she hugged him tightly, just like she had during the day. However, she forgot that she was in bed and it was the middle of the night. You can imagine what the result was of this act of throwing herself into his arms.

Shen Wan was tormented until dawn, and she begged for mercy countless times before that bastard finally let her go.

I slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up. My body was incredibly sore and weak. I was starving and felt so lazy that I just leaned against the large pillow, not wanting to move at all.

When Xie Jingyan returned from the study, he saw Shen Wan looking dejected. He walked over despite Shen Wan's glare, sat down on the bed, and asked with concern, "Does it still hurt?"

Ahhh!

The moment he opened his mouth, Shen Wan felt an urge to kick him out of the room.

He was about to say something more when Shen Wan immediately covered his mouth with her hand, warning him with her eyes not to utter another word.

Yinshuang and Haitang, being perceptive, quickly withdrew.

Xie Jingyan dared not say anything more, and only held Shen Wan's hand. He knew that he had been too rough with her last night. He had never been able to resist her, and she had taken the initiative for the first time. He couldn't control himself and couldn't restrain himself.

Xie Jingyan said worriedly, "I'll have Doctor Tao come and take your pulse."

In this Prince's mansion, if there's anyone that Shen Wan fears, it's definitely Doctor Tao.

Dr. Tao is the type to say whatever comes to mind.

Shen Wan didn't even dare to imagine how awkward it would be if Doctor Tao took her pulse and then told them to be more restrained.

She still has a shame!

Shen Wan quickly stopped her, saying, "I'm fine, I just still feel a little pain..."

"Are you really alright?" Xie Jingyan asked, still worried.

Shen Wan gritted her teeth and said, "It's really nothing. I'm not so concerned about saving face that I would neglect my child."

Although it was intense last night, it was somewhat restrained compared to the life-or-death struggle in the carriage that day. No one knew better than her that her body was hers.

Fearing that Xie Jingyan would still want her to see a doctor, Shen Wan called Yinshuang into the room, then lifted the covers and got out of bed.

The moment the leg moved, the bones made a loud creaking sound.

Shen Wan, "..."

Xie Jingyan, "..."

Shen Wan glared at Xie Jingyan with a sharp look. If Yin Shuang and Hai Tang hadn't come into the room, Shen Wan would have definitely bitten him a few times.

Yinshuang entered and said, "Your Highness, the Marquis requests your presence at the military camp."

They're a lifesaver!

"I'm going to see my father-in-law."

After saying that, Xie Jingyan went out.

Shen Wan found it very strange. It was one thing for her father to frequently send military books to Xie Jingyan, but why did he also ask him to go to the military camp?

Shen Wan was lost in thought. While helping Shen Wan get dressed, Yin Shuang said, "This morning at court, the Emperor assigned the Xizhou Dam case to both the First Prince and the Prince of Jin for investigation."

Shen Wan was stunned, then frowned and said, "Both the First Prince and the Prince of Jin are investigating this case?"

Silver Frost thought for a moment and said, "It can't really be considered investigating the same case..."

These words confused Shen Wan.

Only after Yinshuang spoke did Shenwan realize how lively the morning court session had been.

The Prince of Jin's men insisted that the Xizhou Dam was destroyed by spies from Xiliang, while the First Prince's men claimed that there was corruption involved in the Xizhou Dam and that someone had destroyed the dam to destroy evidence and frame Xiliang.

The two sides argued fiercely during the morning court session.

The Emperor asked the Right Chancellor for his opinion. The Right Chancellor said that the Xizhou Dam case was no longer a separate case. Since the Crown Prince firmly believed that there was embezzlement involved in the Xizhou Dam case, then the Crown Prince should be in charge of investigating the embezzlement.

Since the Prince of Jin believed that the Xizhou Dam was destroyed by spies from the Western Liang, he was tasked with finding the spies who destroyed the Xizhou Dam.

The Emperor found the Right Chancellor's words to be very reasonable, so he ordered the First Prince and the Prince of Jin to investigate the embezzlement and bombing cases of the Xizhou Dam, respectively.

As expected of the Right Chancellor, he is so thorough and meticulous in his work that no one can find fault with him.

Yinshuang continued, "After the Xizhou Dam was destroyed, the Ministry of Works said it would be rebuilt, but the national treasury could not allocate that much silver in time. Duke Maoguo said that the border is now at peace, but the Iron Cavalry is very expensive, so he suggested that the construction of the Iron Cavalry be postponed and the construction of the Xizhou Dam be prioritized."

The Xizhou Dam was previously built by the Prince of Jin's men. If the Prince of Jin's men dare not compete for its reconstruction, the Emperor will not entrust it to them again. Therefore, the chances of this task falling into the hands of the eldest prince are far too great.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!