Seeing his dejected expression, Xiao Huaijin frowned and was about to tell him to leave when Pei Zhixuan spoke up.

"Your Majesty, before his death, Prime Minister Shen asked me to take good care of Shen Yunjiao."

Pei Zhixuan clenched his fist and spoke earnestly, word by word.

"I will keep my promise."

"I will not abandon Shen Yunjiao."

Upon hearing Pei Zhixuan's words, Xiao Huaijin's expression turned extremely ugly, even showing a hint of anger.

He stared at Pei Zhixuan like a lion defending its territory.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became tense, like swords were about to be drawn.

"Pei Zhixuan, are you declaring war on me?" Xiao Huaijin knew that Pei Zhixuan had said this on purpose, so despite his burning anger, his tone remained calm and indifferent. "What right do you have?"

“Your Majesty, Jiao Jiao once devoted her whole heart to me. For my sake, she was willing to wait two years in the cold cave. Although Your Majesty has temporarily won Jiao Jiao’s favor, I will surely have a place in her heart.”

"you!"

Pei Zhixuan's words were like adding fuel to the fire. Xiao Huaijin slammed his hand on the table and stood up instantly. He used his lightness skill and flew to Pei Zhixuan's side in a flash.

He was in the prime of his life, and being coveted by someone else for the woman he loved naturally enraged him.

Xiao Huaijin stretched out his long arm, grabbed Pei Zhixuan's collar, looked at him for a long time, and then laughed sarcastically, "You want to compete with me? What do you have to compete with me with?"

“I am older than Your Majesty, and naturally I have more experience,” Pei Zhixuan said, looking directly at Xiao Huaijin.

“What’s the use of just getting older but not getting smarter?” Xiao Huaijin replied coldly.

Pei Zhixuan took a deep breath, his tone returning to normal. He forced himself to kneel, looking up at Xiao Huaijin, who was gripping his collar. "Your Majesty, if Yun Jiao truly has someone else in her heart, I am willing to let go. But I do not believe that the one who can give her happiness is Your Majesty."

Pei Zhixuan knew that not only him, but anyone else would not believe that an emperor could make a lifelong promise.

"Then open your eyes wide and take a good look!"

Xiao Huaijin loosened Pei Zhixuan's collar, his face as cold as frost, and walked out of Feihua Palace without looking back.

After he walked out of the palace gate, he kicked a potted plant by the roadside in a fit of anger.

He almost attacked Pei Zhixuan just now, but if he had actually done so, he would have lost.

But Pei Zhixuan's talk of two years and that Shen Yunjiao had a place in his heart was really infuriating.

Xiao Huaijin's usual composure was shattered by Pei Zhixuan's words.

Xiao Huaijin's displeasure only gradually dissipated when Zhu Ye came to deliver the message that Shen Yunjiao had brought him some essential oils and aromatherapy to relieve the summer heat.

He stared at the exquisite bottles and jars, and his mind strangely calmed down.

Seeing Xiao Huaijin's displeasure, Zhu Ye quickly held up the box of small medicine jars in front of him and said, "Master, look! Miss Chen brought you a lot of things, including medicine for headaches, medicine for external injuries, and even medicine for mosquito bites."

"Your Majesty, Miss Shen is truly meticulous. She has prepared everything so thoroughly. Even my mother is not as thoughtful as her. It seems that Miss Shen really cares about His Majesty."

Upon hearing Zhu Ye's words, Xiao Huaijin finally smiled.

So what if it's two years?

Shen Yunjiao only cares about herself.

The one who doesn't love is the one who loses, so why should he bother arguing with Pei Zhixuan?

Soon, once the hundred-day mourning period is over, he will announce to the world that he will marry Shen Yunjiao.

How could a mere Pei Zhixuan possibly shake the bond between him and Shen Yunjiao?

Seeing his master's expression brighten, Zhu Ye breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Garden has been plowed into a field as you ordered. Would you like to go and take a look?"

"Go ahead, I'm not in the mood to review memorials today anyway."

Xiao Huaijin answered coldly. After saying this, he glanced back at Pei Zhixuan, who had just come out of the hall, and then turned and left without looking back.

Meanwhile, at the Shen residence, Shen Yunjiao had just been summoned to the Liuli Hall for questioning by her elder brother.

Today, Shen Qinghuai witnessed Xiao Huaijin's decisive and efficient actions as an emperor. Thinking of the entanglement between his sister and the new emperor, he felt uneasy. Therefore, after the court session, instead of going back to the Ministry of Revenue to report for duty as usual, he went straight back to the Shen residence.

Today is the first day of the month, and according to tradition, we should eat vegetarian food.

When Shen Yunjiao saw the table full of red and green dishes, including mung bean cakes, stir-fried eight delicacies, and her favorite jujube blossom pastry, she was instantly tempted.

But as soon as she stepped inside, before she could even greet Shen Qinghuai, she saw him staring at her with a stern face and a very cold expression.

The indoor atmosphere was unusually condensed.

"You'd better tell your brother everything honestly."

Before Shen Yunjiao could even sit down properly, she heard Shen Qinghuai's displeased voice, and she looked up in confusion.

Shen Qinghuai was even more annoyed by Shen Yunjiao's bewildered expression. He put down his teacup, adopted the air of an elder brother, and scolded, "Do you know what trouble you've gotten yourself into?"

Shen Yunjiao thought to herself, "My brother knows that Xiao Huaijin came to visit me last night." She quickly put on a smile and said, "Brother, don't be angry. I know what I'm doing."

Shen Qinghuai slammed the teacup he was holding onto the table with a loud "bang." "You understand? I think you're completely confused!"

Shen Yunjiao was startled and quickly pulled out a chair to stand up and walk to her brother. She said seriously, "Brother, I am not confused. I know that Xiao Huaijin has a noble status. I also thought about it for a long time before deciding to be with him."

Shen Yunjiao bit her lip and lowered her head slightly.

Seeing the red marks on her forehead and cheeks, Shen Qinghuai thought that she was just recovering from a serious illness, so he couldn't help but soften his tone a bit, "I received news of His Majesty's visit last night. His Majesty came over openly and without any concealment or fear of being gossiped about."

"But I still can't understand how you and His Majesty, who have absolutely no connection, could suddenly fall in love?"

Just as Shen Yunjiao was about to explain, her stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment.

She pitifully rubbed her stomach. "Brother, can I eat first? I'll talk to you while I eat."

"I give up, sit down now." Shen Qinghuai sighed helplessly.

Lin Mama, who was standing to the side, quietly withdrew and directed the maids outside to quickly come over to prepare bowls and chopsticks, and then moved the food that Shen Yunjiao liked to eat in front of her.

"Thank you, Granny." Shen Yunjiao smiled sweetly, which melted Granny Lin's heart.

"Eat quickly, young lady, be careful not to go hungry," Lin Mama coaxed softly. Her young lady had lost a lot of weight since she fell ill, so she needed to be properly nourished.

"Granny, my brother and I are talking inside."

Granny Lin quickly left, leaving only the Shen siblings in the Liuli Hall.

After finishing a bowl of bird's nest porridge, Shen Yunjiao wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said to Shen Qinghuai, "Brother, you were just curious about how I met Xiao Huaijin. This is how it all started."

Shen Yunjiao recounted how she saved Xiao Huaijin and then took him in. Of course, she didn't tell her brother that she already knew Xiao Huaijin was the Crown Prince when she saved him.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Shen Qinghuai, but in this way, she might still have to explain to Shen Qinghuai why she had the ability to predict the future.

Rather than making it so complicated, it's better to say nothing at all.