Zhou Jing'an paused for a moment, then said in a serious tone, "To be honest, although I have some knowledge of tea drinking, I have no expertise in tea ceremony."

Jian Yang looked at him calmly, "That's strange. If you don't understand tea ceremony, why does Second Brother speak with such a tea-like tone?"

Although Zhou Jing'an didn't understand what "tea aroma" meant, he intuitively felt that it wasn't a good thing.

So he immediately changed the subject, "The palace is cold and harsh. Women here who lose the emperor's favor face great difficulties. If you want to leave the palace, I will help you."

Jian Yang twitched the corner of his mouth: "No need for Second Brother to trouble himself. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Without waiting for Zhou Jing'an's response, she turned and left.

At this moment, a shifty-eyed eunuch quickly ran up to Zhou Jing'an and whispered in his ear:

"Your Highness, this servant has found that the princess in Jiaolan Palace has not received any less in her allowance, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager also send her things from time to time."

Zhou Jing'an raised an eyebrow.

It seems his guess was correct; there are many suspicious points and oddities surrounding the matter of deposing the empress.

“Interesting,” he laughed.

From that day on, Jian Yang began to receive gifts from the Second Prince.

Gifts include gold and silver jewelry, rare antiques, fine silks and satins, fine wines and delicacies, and more.

Everything was valuable, but she couldn't smile.

Because she knew the saying that those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or have ulterior motives.

Moreover, although she now holds the title of deposed empress, she is still nominally the emperor's woman.

If someone with ulterior motives were to use this opportunity to falsely accuse her of having an affair with the Second Prince, she would not only be unable to defend herself, but her family would also be implicated.

But now that she no longer has the privileges of being the empress, she cannot order people to return these gifts.

After much deliberation, Jian Yang decided that since she couldn't afford to offend them, she should just avoid them.

So when the emperor came to sleep with him again that night, he found that the person who should have gone to bed long ago was waiting for him tonight.

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Jian Yang blinked her big, watery eyes and suddenly burst into tears.

"Your Majesty," she said pitifully, "I haven't seen my elder brother for ten years, and I miss him terribly."

She had thought about this excuse for a long time before coming up with it.

She had originally planned to use her cheap father as an excuse, but the emperor knew all about her family's messy affairs.

If he suddenly says he misses his father, the dog emperor definitely won't believe him.

So she decided to bring up her brother, who was her adopted brother.

As expected, the emperor showed a hint of guilt, "You've been wronged these past few days. Tomorrow I will summon General Jian to the palace to keep you company."

Jian Yang panicked when she heard this.

That won't do! If Jian Hong comes, she won't be able to leave!

So she immediately grabbed the emperor's sleeve, her face full of grievance.

“Your Majesty, there are many spies in the palace. Once my brother arrives, it will be impossible to keep it a secret from others. Otherwise, I would be so kind as to go back and stay for ten or fifteen days.”

If she hadn't said the second half of her sentence, Zhou Jingzhi would almost have believed her.

So it seems that her real purpose in making such a fuss tonight, and even deliberately crying, was to go home.

"Very well." He smiled. "I grant you permission to return to the Prime Minister's residence tomorrow."

Jian Yang immediately beamed with joy.

This person is so easy to talk to today!

If only I had been bolder earlier, and had spoken for three to five years, perhaps the emperor would have agreed.

Just as she was about to express her gratitude to the emperor, she heard him say quietly, "I will come to fetch you in three days."

Jian Yang: "..."

I'm so bored.

No need to thank me, go to sleep!

She angrily climbed into bed, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, and refused to look at the emperor again.

The next day.

Jian Yang, unusually, didn't stay in bed and left the palace early in the morning to return to the Prime Minister's residence.

She was very uneasy the whole way.

One moment she was worried about how to get along with Jian Fei and Wang Shi without feeling awkward, and the next she was afraid that she would have nothing to say to Jian Hong, whom she was meeting for the first time.

She does have some experience in dealing with the former.

However, the original owner's memories of this older brother were still stuck in his teenage years ten years ago, and even his face was already blurry.

Now that they've met for the first time, it's hard to say whether they'll get along.

To their surprise, when they returned to the Prime Minister's residence, they found that the troublesome Wang mother and daughter were not there, and Jian Hong had also disappeared.

Jian Yang summoned the butler for questioning.

"Steward Xu, where are my father and brother?"

As for Jian Fei and Wang Shi, she couldn't be bothered to ask.

The steward respectfully replied, "Master went to Nanshan Academy to meet with the students today and will return in two days. The eldest young master has his own residence and does not live in the Prime Minister's residence."

Jian Yang then realized what was happening.

Jian Hong is a highly decorated General of the North, so it is only right that he establishes his own household early on.

So this means that she can do whatever she wants these next few days without worrying about what others think, and no one will care!

I couldn't be happier!

After playing around for most of the day, Jian Yang called the housekeeper over.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders for this old servant?"

Jian Yang handed over a piece of paper. "These are the ingredients I need for dinner tonight. Please trouble Steward Xu to send someone to prepare them. Also, please send someone to the General's Mansion to invite my brother to dinner here tonight."

While having fun is fine, we still need to be mindful of our manners.

Jian Hong traveled all the way from northern Xinjiang to help her, and she still hasn't thanked him in person.

Butler Xu was slightly surprised that Jian Yang was going to cook herself, but he didn't say anything, took the menu and went to prepare.

In the evening, Jian Hong arrived at the Prime Minister's residence as the sun set.

"Your Highness, the eldest young master is back!"

Lianxia ran back to Jianyang's side before Jian Hong could.

Jian Yang had just finished making the last braised lion's head meatballs when she heard the news. She immediately asked someone to fetch water for her to wash her hands and face, and then changed into clean clothes.

Before she traveled through time, she was an only child and had no experience getting along with her siblings.

So the reason she didn't get along with Jian Fei after she transmigrated was partly because Jian Fei was really annoying, and partly because she didn't really acknowledge Jian Fei as her sister.

But Jian Hong is different.

This is her biological brother, born of the same mother.

Whether it was the pull of blood ties or Jian Hong's genuine protection of her, she felt extremely uneasy and nervous about this meeting.

However, all the anxiety vanished the moment he saw Jian Hong.

They are siblings after all, even after being separated for more than ten years, even if this is their first time meeting...

But she always found herself wanting to get closer to the tall, imposing man in front of her, who looked somewhat like her.

The mere fact that he was her "brother" was enough for her to feel a sense of security.

The same applies to Jian Hong.

He left home at a young age, and his younger sister, under the guidance of their stepmother, grew increasingly estranged from him. Today, when he heard Jian Yang take the initiative to invite him to a family dinner, he immediately became a little nervous.

What if my sister is afraid of him or hates him?

When Jian Hong saw Jian Yang looking at him with a smile, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

"Knowing that you have everything you need, I have nothing else to offer but some of my best dishes to express my gratitude. I hope you won't find them offensive."