After returning to Yanxi Palace, Lin Yun first took a bath and changed her clothes to wash away the dirt. Then she ate some simple porridge and side dishes and went to bed early.

Xiahe and Chunlan quietly lowered the bed curtains. Li Mama stood outside the door and whispered, "Her Majesty was frightened today, so don't disturb her. Let her rest well."

In the stillness of the night, Yanxi Palace was peaceful, with only the rustling of the wind through the treetops.

———

Yongzheng returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, suppressing his anger. The flickering candlelight illuminated his gloomy face.

He grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it on the ground, shards of porcelain flying everywhere, and tea soaking the carpet.

Su Peisheng and the group of eunuchs and palace maids were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.

"Nian Gengyao!" Yongzheng gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury. "You bastard, how dare you assassinate my woman!" He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his heart churning with boundless rage.

Given his temperament, he should have executed Nian Gengyao by a thousand cuts right now as a warning to others.

However, he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

The morale of the Northwest Army is still unstable, and the Fourteenth Prince is about to set out for Tibet, where a major battle with the Dzungars is imminent...

Yongzheng closed his eyes, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart; now was not the time. He slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

After all, Nian Gengyao had held military power for many years, and if we were to take action against him now, it might lead to a mutiny.

He must be patient and wait until the situation stabilizes before slowly settling accounts.

Thinking of this, Yongzheng sneered: "Nian Gengyao, I will allow you to live a few more days."

———

The next morning, news from Yikun Palace quickly spread throughout the inner palace. Consort Nian was demoted to commoner status, stripped of her title, and banished to the Cold Palace.

This imperial edict was like a thunderclap, causing all the concubines in the six palaces to feel insecure.

Empress Ulanara sat in Changchun Palace, her teacup trembling slightly, spilling tea that dampened her sleeve.

Her face was as pale as paper, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. "The Nian family has actually come to such an end..." she murmured to herself, her heart filled with shock and fear.

Although she had secretly encouraged things, she never expected the Emperor to be so resolute.

She gripped her handkerchief tightly, forcing herself to remain calm: "Someone, convey my message: all palaces must behave themselves and not go out unless necessary."

Consort Qi, Consort Xi, and Consort Yu were chatting and embroidering in Jingren Palace. Upon hearing the news, they looked at each other in disbelief. "Consort Nian has fallen just like that?" Consort Qi's voice trembled, and she almost dropped her fan.

Consort Xi said in a low voice, "His Majesty is truly enraged. We should be careful." Consort Yu nodded, her eyes filled with fear, "Let's stay indoors for the next few days to avoid getting burned."

For a time, all the concubines in the harem kept their tails between their legs, not daring to speak loudly, for fear of being implicated.

When Lin Yun woke up, sunlight was already streaming into the room through the window curtains.

She had just stood up when Xia He rushed in and whispered, "Your Majesty, something terrible happened last night! Consort Nian has been demoted to a commoner by the Emperor and banished to the Cold Palace!"

Lin Yun was startled, and the comb in her hand froze in mid-air.

"Is Consort Nian demoted?" she asked softly, her heart churning with turmoil.

The Emperor actually targeted Consort Nian for her sake? With Nian Gengyao wielding immense power, the Emperor's actions would undoubtedly cause a stir in the court.

Thinking of this, her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Chunlan asked with concern when she noticed her unusual expression.

Lin Yun shook her head and smiled faintly, "It's nothing." She took a deep breath; the Emperor had been too good to her.

Suppressing his emotions, he asked instead, "Does Your Majesty have any plans for today?"

Xia He replied, "Eunuch Su just relayed a message that His Majesty will be dining at Yanxi Palace tonight."

Lin Yun nodded, having made up her mind.

She got up and walked to the cabinet in the inner room, taking out an exquisite sandalwood box.

This was all the income she had accumulated since transmigrating, originally intended for the future, but now it had a more important use.

She opened the box, inside which was a neatly stacked pile of silver notes and some jewelry.

She counted them carefully and found there were over 300,000 taels. After a moment's thought, she took out 30,000 taels and put them aside, returning the rest to the box.

"His Majesty now wants to manufacture firearms, and the war in the Northwest is imminent..." she murmured to herself, her fingertips gently tracing the box. "This money may not be much, but it can still help in some way." Thinking of this, her heart softened, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

---

As night fell, Yanxi Palace was brightly lit.

Lin Yun changed into a light purple cheongsam, with only a white magnolia hairpin in her hair, simple yet dignified.

She stood in front of the palace gate and saw the bright yellow figure slowly approaching from afar. She quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you."

Yongzheng reached out to help her up, his gaze softening slightly: "Get up, no need for formalities."

Although his voice remained steady, the weariness between his brows was hard to conceal.

The two took their seats together, and the table was filled with light dishes that Lin Yun had specially ordered to be prepared, all of which were Yongzheng's favorite dishes.

During the meal, Lin Yun spoke softly and frequently served Yongzheng food and soup, but never mentioned Consort Nian.

Seeing how considerate she was, Yongzheng's tense expression gradually relaxed.

After the meal, Lin Yun had the palace servants remove the bowls and chopsticks, and personally poured a cup of tea for Yongzheng.

Spring water was quietly added to the tea, and the clear tea reflected on her slender fingers, making them appear exceptionally smooth and lustrous.

Yongzheng took the teacup, took a sip, and immediately felt a cool sensation slide from his throat into his lungs. The fatigue of the past few days melted away like ice and snow, and his mind became much clearer.

He looked up at Lin Yun and saw her smiling eyes and shallow dimples on her lips, which warmed his heart.

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