Fu Xia quickly packed everything into a large box. Shen Yunjiao ordered people to come in and carry the box out, with Fu Xia and Ying Chun each carrying a bag and following behind.

After tidying up, Shen Yunjiao stood up and said to Pei Zhixuan, "I have seen Doctor Li today. Your illness will be cured if you take your medicine on time. Then I will not stay here."

"Furthermore, your mother has repeatedly berated me. I will not pursue this matter this time because you saved me, but if there is a next time, I will definitely order someone to beat her mouth to a pulp."

Upon hearing this, Xu was so frightened that her mouth gaped open slightly.

Shen Yunjiao may look delicate and soft, but she might actually do these kinds of things.

Xu was about to be scolded when she heard her son suddenly speak up.

"Yun Jiao, I'm sorry, I didn't know—" Pei Zhixuan's face was pale, and his voice carried a hint of pleading, but considering that there were other people around, he could only lower his voice and say, "Can you stay a few more days?"

Shen Yunjiao paused for a moment, then calmly replied, "I don't owe you anything anymore."

Upon hearing these words, Pei Zhixuan felt the whole world suddenly become quiet, and his heart felt empty.

He watched helplessly as Shen Yunjiao left, unable to think of any way to win her back.

Madam Xu and Madam Pei were still pointing and cursing at Shen Yunjiao's back when Pei Zhixuan finally couldn't help but shout, "Enough!"

The two men were so frightened that they immediately fell silent.

“Mother, Second Madam, from this day forward, if I hear even a single bad word or rumor about Shen Yunjiao from either of you, I will sever all ties with the Pei family.”

Pei Zhixuan shed his usual image of filial piety and gentleness, his face completely expressionless. After saying this, he turned and left.

Fang Ziyu, who had listened to the whole thing from a distance, raised a strange smile. She whispered to Cuiguo beside her, "Look, the young master has finally realized his true feelings. Wasn't that scene incredibly moving, enough to bring tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it?"

Cuiguo grumbled, "What's so good about Shen Yunjiao? She's so fierce and can't have children. How come the young master loves her so much now and even dares to threaten the madam?"

Fang Ziyu plucked a crabapple blossom, held it tightly in her palm and kneaded it, her eyes gleaming with a dark light. "She won't be so smug for long."

——

It will rain at midnight.

Shen Zhizhang stood alone on the jade steps outside the emperor's sleeping quarters, letting the drizzle fall on his shoulders.

"May I ask, Eunuch Gao, why did His Majesty summon you so late at night? Has something urgent happened?"

Although Shen Zhizhang is nearly forty, he does not look old at all. In the dim light of the night, his features appear deep and sharp, and his temperament is reserved and profound.

Eunuch Gao thought to himself, no wonder Consort Shu is so fond of Prime Minister Shen, the Shen family members are indeed all extremely good-looking.

He smiled and said in a low voice, "Lord Shen, this servant dares not presume to know His Majesty's intentions. Please wait here."

The candlelight flickered in the hall, and shadowy figures moved about from time to time, accompanied by constant laughter and chasing sounds.

Shen Zhizhang was slightly taken aback; the voice sounded familiar.

It is clearly...

The tightly closed palace doors were suddenly opened, and a palace maid carrying a candle walked out with her head bowed: "My lord, His Majesty summons you to the palace."

"This..." Shen Zhizhang turned his head and glanced at Eunuch Gao.

Eunuch Gao gave him an ambiguous smile: "Don't worry, sir, everyone will keep their mouths shut."

Shen Zhizhang frowned, but dared not disobey His Majesty's order. He strode into the emperor's bedchamber.

"Your subject, Shen Zhizhang, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Shen Zhizhang bowed before looking up and surveying his surroundings.

There wasn't a single palace maid or eunuch in sight inside the hall.

Only on the large bed with its curtains hanging not far away, there were two overlapping figures.

"Rise, my dear minister." Emperor Zhaowu's hoarse voice came from the front. Shen Zhizhang respectfully replied, but as he stood up, he suddenly heard a very loud female voice.

"ah!"

He felt a jolt run through him, but dared not look up ahead.

Consort Shu?

Emperor Zhaowu and she were actually...?

Shen Zhizhang's body stiffened, and before he could react, another, even more excited voice rang out.

"Haa!"

The woman on the bed made no attempt to conceal her voice; on the contrary, it seemed as if she was deliberately letting Shen Zhizhang hear her. She cried out loudly, softly, and seductively.

"Your Majesty is busy, I must excuse myself!"

Shen Zhizhang immediately felt apprehensive and just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Please wait, my dear minister." Emperor Zhaowu's voice came from behind the curtain, and Shen Zhizhang had no choice but to kneel on the ground again.

But somehow, the curtains were blown open by the wind, creating a gap.

Shen Zhizhang looked up and saw a sensual scene he would never forget.

On that bed, Consort Shu, whose clothes had slipped down to her shoulders, was being held down, her face turned toward Shen Zhizhang, while Emperor Zhaowu stood behind her.

As someone who had once been intimate with Consort Shu, Shen Zhizhang could not bear such stimulation.

He wanted to escape, but fate was against him, and the erotic scene left him bewildered, his heart filled with both bitterness and pain.

At this moment, Consort Shu's hair was disheveled, and he could see every inch of her skin clearly, every detail of her body.

Shen Zhizhang clenched his fists involuntarily, but at this moment Consort Shu suddenly raised her face and met his gaze.

Her flushed face, dazed eyes, and slightly parted red lips made Shen Zhizhang's heart clench.

Shen Zhizhang had a bad feeling. Just as he was about to look away, he noticed that Consort Shu raised the corners of her mouth, her eyes were alluring, and she gave a very ambiguous smile.

Instead of avoiding Shen Zhizhang's gaze, they shouted even more excitedly.

Shen Zhizhang trembled all over and could only kneel there woodenly.

After the two loud voices ended, only panting sounds remained.

"Your Majesty, what is the matter that Your Majesty summoned me for?" Shen Zhizhang asked dryly.

The hall was silent. Shen Zhizhang could only look up again, only to see Consort Shu, wearing a bright yellow outer robe, getting up from the bedside.

She walked up to Shen Zhizhang with bare legs and said meaningfully, "You don't need to wake him, he's passed out."

Shen Zhizhang was taken aback at first, then frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Your Highness is being so reckless. Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's wrath?"

Consort Shu raised the corners of her mouth and gave Shen Zhizhang a meaningful smile. "He's already out of his mind from taking pills, how could he have time to blame me?"

"His Majesty has started taking medicine again?" Shen Zhizhang suddenly grabbed Consort Shu's wrist. "Did you give it to him again?"

Seeing Shen Zhizhang's nervous expression, Consort Shu took amusement and pulled the back of his hand to her lips, giving it a light kiss. "Yes, it was me who gave it to you."

Shen Zhizhang's eyes widened instantly: "Are you crazy? How dare you?" "Why wouldn't I dare?" Consort Shu looked up at him with a smile.

Shen Zhizhang realized he was still holding her hand, so he quickly let go and stood up to face Consort Shu.

This woman was petite and delicate, with a beautiful blush still lingering on her cheeks, displaying such unrestrained behavior.

Shen Zhizhang's forehead throbbed violently. The current Consort Shu was a completely different person from the Zheng Yuanyuan he knew before.

"Shen Zhizhang." Consort Shu gently stroked his face. "Things have come to this point, I have no choice but to do this."

Consort Shu glanced at the unconscious man out of the corner of her eye, then focused her gaze on Shen Zhizhang's handsome and composed face.

She and Shen Zhizhang knew each other since they were young, and they were childhood sweethearts. However, because she was a member of the Nan Yue ethnic group, Shen Zhizhang cruelly pushed her away and married another woman.

She concealed her identity as a member of the Southern Yue Kingdom and chose to go to Emperor Zhaowu's side in order to take revenge on Shen Zhizhang.

But to his surprise, at the very end, he shamefully softened and fell for Shen Zhizhang.

Emperor Zhaowu married her because of her beauty, but allowed his concubines and palace maids to bully her. She had no choice but to use all sorts of ruthless means to climb the social ladder.

Her own hands are now stained with blood, yet she still wants to smear that black blood on Shen Zhizhang.

She and Shen Zhizhang were in the same boat. Shen Zhizhang allied himself with her because he loved power and wanted to maintain a high position second only to the emperor.

"Emperor Zhaowu's body is becoming increasingly weak. I think he won't last more than three months," Consort Shu whispered, bringing her face close to Shen Zhizhang's ear.

After saying this, Consort Shu retreated to stand in front of Shen Zhizhang. She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet she uttered words that made Shen Zhizhang's heart tremble.

“Shen Zhizhang, you said you would help me become the most noble woman in Dayong and remove all obstacles for me.”

"Then, I need you to do something for me."

Shen Zhizhang's voice trembled slightly: "You know I can't really lay a hand on him, I can't kill him."

Zheng Yuanyuan twirled a strand of black hair that hung down in front of her chest with her hand and said with a smile, "You can't, but the emperor can."