The next day, when Wen Xuexuan returned home, Wen Zhengqing had taken leave from his duties at the Censorate and was awaiting her return with his entire family. The fact that Wen Xuexuan had been invited to the palace and allowed to stay overnight proved her immense importance to the Emperor. This news quickly spread throughout the family, and everyone's face was filled with uncontrollable joy and pride.

When Wen Xuexuan stepped into the courtyard, her father was waiting for her with his relatives and several servants. Even Wen Hejun, who usually wandered outside, mixed into the crowd and welcomed her return with a smile on his face.

Her father, Wen Zhengqing, even came forward personally, tears glistening in his eyes. He excitedly shook her hand and said with deep emotion, "Xuexuan, I never thought you would win the favor of His Majesty Chu Fan. Now we can hold our heads high in front of those dignitaries and ministers."

Wen Xuexuan smiled faintly, but fatigue was evident in her eyes. She had stayed up late the previous night playing mahjong with Chu Fan and the others. The next morning, she had risen early to pay her respects to His Majesty, and she would remain by His Majesty's side during the day. She hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Wen Xuexuan said softly, "Father, this is all the grace of His Majesty Chu Fan. I was just lucky, I didn't expect it would alarm so many people."

However, the old woman in the Wen family noticed that Wen Xuexuan was still a virgin, which meant that even though Wen Xuexuan stayed in the palace, His Majesty Chu Fan did not take any action against Wen Xuexuan, which made her sigh in her heart.

Just after the excitement and everyone in the house had dispersed, the old woman called Wen Zhengqing and Wen Xuexuan.

The old woman asked in a concerned yet slightly puzzled tone, "Xue Xuan, what exactly happened to you in the palace last night? Why are you still a virgin? Why didn't His Majesty Chu Fan take you?"

When Wen Zhengqing heard his mother mention that Wen Xuexuan was still a virgin, he couldn't help but look at her in disbelief. He simply couldn't understand why His Majesty kept his daughter in the palace without doing anything inappropriate to her.

In his imagination, the palace was a place full of temptation and danger. Especially for a beautiful girl, staying with the emperor was like a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth.

However, the facts were beyond his expectation. His Majesty Chu Fan had not done anything out of line with his daughter, which made Wen Zhengqing even more curious about what his daughter had experienced in the palace last night.

"What exactly happened to Xue Xuan? Is His Majesty Chu Fan dissatisfied with you?" Wen Zhengqing asked doubtfully.

Wen Xuexuan felt utterly helpless and bewildered by this question. As a lady from a prominent family, how could she so easily entrust her body to someone on their first encounter? Even to the exalted emperor, she couldn't treat herself so lightly, violating her principles and dignity. To her, such behavior was not only disrespectful to her status, but also a stain on her family's reputation.

Wen Xuexuan knew that if her family wanted to maintain a certain level of status and influence in the court, they would have to rely on Wen Zhengqing's strong support. After all, the emperor had already decided to hand over full management of the refined salt business to Wen Zhengqing, which would undoubtedly further enhance his prestige and power within the court. Furthermore, she herself was merely Wen Zhengqing's adopted daughter from another branch of the Wen family; she was not his biological daughter.

Wen Xuexuan smiled and replied, "Last night, His Majesty simply invited us to stay and play games together to while away the time. Do you really think His Majesty is the kind of foolish monarch who becomes impatient and eager to possess a beautiful woman? In fact, it's not just me. Even Sister Mu Xi, who entered the palace a few months ago, and the sisters of the Changsun family, have all remained pure virgins."

When Wen Xuexuan's words reached their ears, Wen Zhengqing and the old woman seemed a little shocked, and for a moment they didn't know how to respond. After all, as the ruler of a country, everything in Wei, including all people and property, should belong to His Majesty the Emperor.

From the moment Mu Xi and Chang Sun were summoned to the palace, everyone naturally assumed they had become members of His Majesty's harem. That's why the Mu and Chang Sun families received so much reward and support from His Majesty.

However, what was unexpected was that His Majesty had never had any thoughts of going beyond normal boundaries with them, but instead extremely respected their free will and choices. This unexpected attitude surprised and impressed both of them.

Wen Zhengqing sighed deeply and said slowly, "It's beyond my expectation that Your Majesty is a truly upright gentleman. His character and behavior are admirable."

The old woman nodded, a flicker of approval in her eyes. "Yes, Your Majesty, this is truly impressive. I've lived to this age and have seen too many powerful men do whatever they want and treat women as playthings. It's truly rare for Your Majesty to maintain such noble character."

Wen Xuexuan quietly observed the two women praising His Majesty, a blush rising to her cheeks. While His Majesty hadn't claimed their bodies, the mahjong game they'd played the previous night was anything but legitimate. How could a man play just to win a woman's dresses and clothing? And His Majesty couldn't wear those clothes.

After thoroughly understanding what had happened, Wen Zhengqing was at a loss for words. He had originally thought he could gain the emperor's favor at court and use this opportunity to elevate his status, but he hadn't expected the emperor to have any contact with Wen Xuexuan.

The censors may not be greedy for money, but basically they are all very obsessed with fame and fortune.

When Wen Xuexuan saw the disappointment on Wen Zhengqing's face, she didn't stop her story. Instead, she continued in a calm tone, "Your Majesty specifically asked me to tell you something."

Wen Zhengqing immediately listened intently to Wen Xuexuan's next words. After all, His Majesty's words were practically equivalent to an imperial decree, and he had to devote all his energy to completing the task His Majesty had assigned him.

Wen Xuexuan continued to explain in detail, "His Majesty has decided to place the production and sale of refined salt under your sole responsibility. He hopes you will develop a detailed and reliable plan and submit it in the form of a memorial. Tomorrow I will personally deliver this memorial to His Majesty for his review and approval."

When Wen Xuexuan's words reached Wen Zhengqing's ears like a gust of wind, he was shocked as if struck by lightning. His eyes were fixed on Wen Xuexuan, as if he was trying to find a trace of joking in her eyes, trying to confirm that this was all just a prank.

However, he knew that falsely conveying the emperor's instructions was a capital offense, a crime no joke. Wen Zhengqing believed that although his daughter could sometimes act boldly, she would never dare to do something so audacious.