"Manman, you're finally back." Zu'an held her hand, overwhelmed with emotion.

Pei Mianman snorted: "If you don't come back soon, the harem might catch fire. These days, many people have described to me how you spend your days in the palace fooling around with that girl named Xiao Tuo."

"It's a miscarriage of justice! That was a treacherous plot by the High Priest to sow discord among us!" Zuan cried out in anguish.

Pei Mianman smiled enigmatically: "Could it be that those people were lying? That you and that Xiao Tuo didn't have any intimate relations in the palace?"

Zuan was somewhat embarrassed: "That was just a ruse. I only managed to turn Xiao Tuo against me by sacrificing my beauty. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to deal with that high priest so easily."

As he spoke, he explained the situation in the capital.

Pei Mianman's expression softened slightly: "You always manage to make your lustful behavior sound perfectly legitimate. In my opinion, this is just using your position for personal gain."

Zuan knew she harbored some resentment, and it wouldn't be appropriate to say anything more at this moment. He simply hugged her tightly and said, "Manman, you've really had a hard time these past few days."

It goes without saying that she had poured countless efforts into defeating the ferocious Qiang people on the front lines.

Pei Mianman said softly, "You've worked hard too. At least the enemy is in the open at the front, but you have to deal with all sorts of unseen enemies in the capital. Moreover, you have to provide a constant stream of logistical support to the army. And your Yellow Axe and White Banner have arrived. If it weren't for your firm support, I might not have been able to integrate the army so smoothly and completely..."

The two embraced and poured out their hearts to each other. Time flew by unnoticed, and the ministers couldn't help but remind them several times.

Pei Mianman gave Zu An a shy push, and the two then returned to the city.

Next, taking advantage of the momentum from the great victory over the Qiang, Zu'an purged the rebels in the capital who had colluded with the Qiang during this period.

Lian was naturally among them. Even if they hadn't found the letter as proof, given the couple's current authority, no one else could say anything.

After Lian was dealt with, in accordance with Fu Yue's initial plan, Pei Mianman was appointed as the High Priest, thus completely bringing divine authority into the hands of the King.

To reward Pei Mianman for her military achievements, the imperial court decided to cast an owl-shaped vessel for her, bestow upon her a jade phoenix, and also transfer the jade cong that was originally in Lian's possession to the new high priest.

Both of them sensed the flow of spiritual energy on these three items, which contained an exquisite array of magic formations. They were definitely not ordinary items; if placed in the real world, they would undoubtedly be top-tier magic treasures.

Unfortunately, the two knew that this was a soul trial and that these things could not be taken out, so they were completely unmoved.

They thought that once the external enemies were defeated and the internal traitors were dealt with, they should be able to pass the trial.

To their surprise, the sun continued to rise in the east and set in the west, and as the days passed, the two never received any notification that the trial was over.