After leaving the Imperial Study, Xie Jingyan and the First Prince parted ways.

The eldest prince went to Shou Kang Palace to visit the Empress Dowager, while Xie Jingyan left the palace.

Shou Kang Palace.

After being ill for so many days, the Empress Dowager finally showed some improvement. Unable to lie down any longer, she asked Zhao Mama to help her out of bed and sit in front of the dressing table.

Just as she finished dressing, a palace maid came in and said, "Empress Dowager, the First Prince has come to visit you."

"Let the eldest prince in."

The Empress Dowager raised her arm, and Zhao Mama helped her sit on the small couch.

Just as she sat down, the eldest prince entered and bowed to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager asked, "Did they come from the Imperial Study?"

The eldest prince nodded. "Father Emperor has ordered me and Prince Ling to enter the palace to review the examination papers."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly.

The late emperor once asked the emperor to look at the exam papers, but he only asked the emperor to look at them. He said it was to test the emperor's ability to select people through their writing. It would be fine if the emperor asked the eldest prince to look at the exam papers, but why did he also call the Prince of Ling into the palace?

The Empress Dowager didn't say anything. The eldest prince glanced at Granny Zhao, and Granny Zhao dismissed all the maids and nannies serving in the bedchamber.

After everyone had left, the eldest prince said, "The Ling prince knows that the Empress Dowager has given me permission to send someone to assassinate the Prince of Jin."

The Empress Dowager was stunned, her voice suddenly rising, "How could Prince Ling have known?!"

The eldest prince said, "There should be Prince Ling's spies in Shou Kang Palace."

The Empress Dowager's expression turned grave. "I'm afraid it's not as simple as just having an eyeliner."

She had asked Granny Zhao to deliver the message to the Prince of Qin's residence. Only she and Granny Zhao knew about it. They spoke in hushed tones, so quiet that even someone standing by the window wouldn't hear it. Granny Zhao was extremely loyal to her and would never have spread the message.

Moreover, if Prince Ling said this, it would expose his spies in Shou Kang Palace, and Prince Ling would not do such a foolish thing.

The most terrifying thing is that even without having spies planted, they still know what she's doing.

Having lived most of her life, the Empress Dowager only ever felt fear from two people.

One was Empress Song.

One is the Prince of Ling.

Empress Song was so ruthless that even the Empress Dowager found her terrifying.

Prince Ling was so clever that the Empress Dowager found him frightening and somewhat helpless.

Even if she, the Empress Dowager, was biased, she couldn't deny that Prince Ling was indeed more suitable to be the Crown Prince than the First Prince.

If it weren't for that incident that forced her to support the eldest prince to sit on that throne and hand over the Great Chu kingdom to Prince Ling, it wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing for the eldest prince to become a powerful and influential prince.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

The eldest prince left after a while, and the Empress Dowager sat on the small couch with a gloomy look in her eyes; no one knew what she was thinking.

After a long while, the Empress Dowager suddenly spoke.

"Summon the Duke of Maoguo to see me."

A palace servant went to deliver a message, and after about half an hour, the Duke of Maoguo stood before the Empress Dowager. "What instructions does Your Majesty have for me?"

"Send someone to the Ministry of Justice to retrieve something for me."

...

Inside the room, Shen Wan sat on a small couch, touching her increasingly protruding belly.

Dong'er and Chun'er set the food on the table.

Haitang said, "We don't know when the Prince will return yet, so why don't you eat first, Princess?"

Shen Wan was really hungry, so she didn't wait for Xie Jingyan. Her belly was big and her hips were a little sore, making it difficult for her to get up.

Haitang helped Chenwan sit down, and just as she picked up her chopsticks, familiar footsteps approached.

Seeing Xie Jingyan enter, Shen Wan said, "I thought Father would invite you to stay for lunch."

Xie Jingyan said, "Father Emperor is not that foolish."

Shen Wan, "..."

That seems to be true.

This guy always talks to the emperor in a way that's incredibly infuriating.

The emperor was so angry with him that he dared not let him dine with him, lest he suffer from indigestion.

A maid brought water, and Xie Jingyan washed his hands. Then he sat down next to Shen Wan, and the two of them took turns serving each other food, chatting as they ate.

Xie Jingyan went to the military camp in the afternoon, while Shen Wan did what she was supposed to do as usual.

After nightfall, Xie Jingyan, unusually, did not study military books and instead played chess with Shen Wan.

These past two days, Shen Wan had been studying chess again, hoping to hold her own against Xie Jingyan for a little longer. However, even with Xie Jingyan giving her a five-piece handicap, she lost even faster.

Shen Wan glared angrily at Xie Jingyan, "Didn't you go easy on me before?"

Xie Jingyan said, "I'll let you have your way now too."

Shen Wan, "..."

Yinshuang and Haitang burst out laughing.

Shen Wan glared at them, and the two maids quickly dodged away.

However, the two maids returned shortly after they left. Yinshuang said, "I don't know whose house is on fire, the fire is huge."

Shen Wan got up and went outside to look, and saw that not far from the Ling Prince's mansion, the fire was raging.

That direction—

A guess flashed through Shen Wan's mind, and Chen Feng spoke up, "It seems to be the residence of the Minister of Justice."

"Let's go take a look."

Xie Jingyan spoke, and Chen Feng and Chen Yu agreed, quickly disappearing into the night.

It was cold at night, and fearing that Shen Wan would catch a cold, Xie Jingyan didn't let her look at it for long and went back to his study.

Xie Jingyan sat down and asked Shen Wan, "Shall we continue?"

Shen Wan shrugged and said, "Go down, but don't let me."

Xie Jingyan, "..."

That would be putting him in a very difficult position.

He lost so badly, if we don't let him go, he'll be so angry that he won't be allowed to sleep in his room at night.

When playing chess with others, you have to figure out how to win; when playing chess with your own queen, you have to figure out how not to win, and you have to give away points in a way that is subtle and unnoticed.

While playing chess, Xie Jingyan asked, "Who taught you chess?"

“My mother,” Shen Wan said.

"..."

Seeing that Xie Jingyan remained silent, Shen Wan asked, "Do you think my mother didn't raise me well?"

Can he say something good about this?

Xie Jingyan said, "It's because my father-in-law is too busy with military affairs and doesn't have time to teach you."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!