Song Xibai knew that Yuan Shen was just in a bad mood and wanted to vent, so she just listened quietly without offering any advice or suggestions.

Having served as the crown prince for so many years, Yuan Shen certainly knew what temporary forbearance meant, and after calming down, he made a decision.

Two days later, the Zhao family was reprimanded for failing to properly raise their children.

Immediately afterward, the things Zhao Xinya said before her death were deliberately spread by someone with ulterior motives.

Then, some of the ministers who had been shouting the loudest immediately fell silent.

Then, Yuan Shen brought up the matter of how the Zhao family had sent secret guards to break into the manor with the intention of taking the son and killing him.

That day, all of Zhao Xinya's family members were imprisoned. The person who arrested them was none other than Chen Si, the current commander of the Imperial Guards and a staunch supporter of the emperor.

Originally, Yuan Shen intended to cover up the matter in exchange for the Zhao family's influence in Jiangnan and to preserve the Zhao family's power in the capital.

But now, he's quit!

Intending to murder the crown prince is no small matter.

Despite the Zhao family's repeated cries of innocence, claiming they had no intention of harming the Crown Prince and the Imperial Concubine, they insisted that they had sent the people there, who were armed at the time, leaving them with no way to defend themselves.

The fire at the manor destroyed all traces of Song Xibai, but the bodies of the assassins were not burned to ashes; they were hidden by Commander Yue.

With irrefutable evidence, the Zhao family in the capital was sentenced to beheading, and the Zhao family in Jiangnan was also implicated.

This sudden turn of events caught all the civil and military officials off guard.

Subsequently, Yuan Shen stripped Zhao Xinya of her title of Empress on several charges, including "immoral conduct, excessive lust for power, and intent to harm the Crown Prince."

It took no more than three days in total.

This was a direct slap in the face to the court officials.

Apart from a few senior officials who remained silent, the rest of the court officials were very frustrated.

Your Majesty, why didn't you present your evidence sooner?

Is it fun to play tricks on people?

Yuan Shen: It's all because you guys forced me to do this.

He wanted to be a gentle and benevolent ruler, but his ministers wouldn't give him the chance! So he had no choice but to become a powerful emperor.

The capital city, which had only been calm for a few days, was once again plunged into bloodshed.

The Zhao family was completely wiped out, and the officials and their families who were close to them were also affected. The repercussions did not stop until the eve of the Lunar New Year.

Later historical records refer to this event as the "Conflict between the Two Empresses".

But in reality, Song Xibai was completely innocent; she clearly did nothing!

After dealing with the last batch of disgraced officials, it's time for the seal to be sealed and given a break.

The capital city had just been emptied of people, and it was deserted; no one dared to show their face at this time.

The palace, on the other hand, was quite lively.

The main palaces were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the palace servants were dressed in new clothes, all beaming with joy.

Song Xibai did not attend the grand banquet of the previous dynasty, but she took the initiative to invite the families of Prince Qin and Prince Wu to the New Year's Eve palace banquet, intending to make it lively.

This is the second time Song Xibai has spent the New Year with Yuan Shen.

Last year he was a crown prince with an unstable position; this year, he is the emperor.

Last year, Song Xibai sat below him, but this year, the two of them sat in the highest seats.

Two small tables stood side by side, and the two men sat very close to each other.

Among the many people below, not a single one dared to utter a word.

After all, seeing Yuan Shen kill so many people, everyone noticed his change; he was no longer the gentle and refined prince he once was.

It seems only the King of Wu, who appeared to know nothing, came over to offer a toast halfway through the dance, carrying a wine jug.

Yuan Shen chuckled and drank two cups with him, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, finally livening up the atmosphere.

Everyone relaxed, clinked glasses, and chatted happily.

Before long, they even started playing drinking games.

Because the Princess of Qin was pregnant and could not drink alcohol, Song Xibai was removed from the competition as a substitute.

Drinking games among women tend to be more refined. The Queen of Qin, acting as the game master, didn't want to offend anyone, so she set only simple challenges: matching couplets, solving riddles, composing poems…

Song Xibai was fairly lucky, but the more he played, the more mistakes he was bound to make, and he drank a few cups.

The wine served at the banquet was a flower-infused wine that she had specially arranged to be found; it was sweet and had a low alcohol content.

The men's guests were served different kinds of alcohol; four or five varieties were prepared for them to choose from.

Unexpectedly, the King of Wu got carried away and mixed several kinds of wine together. As a result, the group of princes got so drunk that they couldn't even stand up and had to return home early.

After seeing them off and cleaning up the mess, Song Xibai felt a little dizzy and was helped back to Changqing Palace by Wei Hong and Fuliu.

"As expected, your alcohol tolerance will decline if you don't practice!"

Song Xibai lay on the bed, letting two palace maids help her take off her shoes, socks, and jewelry.

Looking at the water clock, it was already late 7 PM, almost 9 PM.

After drinking a bowl of hangover tea, Song Xibai sobered up considerably. She propped herself up and asked about the child's situation.

Upon learning that the wet nurses had fed the children once that night and that the two children had fallen asleep without fussing, Song Xibai felt relieved.

Fortunately, there was a wet nurse, so even if I occasionally slacked off or had a drink, it wouldn't affect the children.

The two children were already over three months old and had gradually gotten used to the wet nurses, so Song Xibai figured she wouldn't have to feed them anymore.

Dingxiang left the palace two days ago to go home for the New Year. Song Xibai gave her a ten-day leave, but Dingxiang didn't seem very happy when she left. She was probably annoyed by her mother's urging for her to get married.

Song Xibai turned over and lay flat on the bed, closing her eyes. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts about recent events. Before she knew it, the room became quiet, and the palace servants had left.

Immediately afterwards, a shadow fell.

Song Xibai's eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes to see Yuan Shen, who was covered in moisture.

"Have you taken a shower?"

She opened her arms, wrapped them around Yuan Shen's neck, and leaned in to smell him.

Yuan Shen nodded, shook his wet hair, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

He still remembers how Song Xibai disliked him when he drank too much last time!

Song Xibai smiled with her lips pursed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her reflection in Yuan Shen's pupils. She then took the initiative to remove his jade belt hook and pull open his clothes.

Two slightly cool little hands slipped inside her clothes.

"hiss……"

Yuan Shen took a breath and grabbed her mischievous little hand.

Song Xibai stared at him intently, "Yuan Shen..."

She deliberately drew out the sound, calling his name coquettishly.

Yuan Shen blushed and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her tenderly.

The bed curtains fell down, and clothes were thrown out one by one.

Their lips and teeth intertwined, and they could no longer distinguish one another.

Soft whispers and trembling voices echoed in the room, and soon after, low sobs and pleas for mercy were heard.

Outside, the wind was howling, but inside, it was warm and cozy.

An hour later, the sounds of battle gradually subsided.

Then, the sound of Yuan Shen calling for water could be heard.

The people guarding the corridor immediately sprang into action, some calling for help, others carrying water, and still others adding charcoal.

Soon, Song Xibai was soaking in the warm water.