When dinner was served, a eunuch came over, picked up his chopsticks, and was about to taste the food.

"There's no need for that here in the manor."

The eunuch immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is my duty, and I dare not slack off."

Seeing this, Qin Xiangyang chimed in, "Your Majesty, let him try it first."

Pei Zhi waved her hand, and the eunuch first thanked Qin Xiangyang before getting up and taking the chopsticks to taste the food.

Pei Zhi genuinely felt that this whole thing was a bit unnecessary.

After ascending the throne, the rules actually increased.

During the day, she was in the palace, and a historian followed her around every day, recording her every word and action.

After finally leaving the palace, even a simple meal requires someone to test for poison.

Finally, dinner could begin. Qin Xiangyang stood to the side, occasionally serving food to Pei Zhi.

He picked up his chopsticks and helped Pei Zhi remove the fish bones, but he didn't eat much himself.

"Why bother with all this? The palace servants can do these things."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiangyang looked at the crab in his hand, unsure of what to do.

Pei Zhi is not a picky eater and can eat anything.

If we're talking about food preferences, I eat a lot of crab and shrimp.

Qin Xiangyang: "Is it because the meat I picked wasn't as good as what the palace servants cooked?"

Pei Zhi was puzzled. "How could that be? I think you can have a nice meal with me instead of being so busy."

Pei Zhi was not saying that Qin Xiangyang did a bad job.

However, these tasks can be done by palace servants.

The palace servants could peel crab meat and serve her, but they couldn't have a proper dinner with her.

Pei Zhi wanted to have a nice dinner with Qin Xiangyang instead of watching him run around taking care of her all the time.

Qin Xiangyang picked out the crab meat and placed it in Pei Zhi's bowl.

"I'm not hungry. Seeing Your Majesty eating well makes me happy too."

Since that's the case, Pei Zhi didn't say anything more.

Seeing that Pei Zhi had almost finished using it, Qin Xiangyang took the initiative to speak, "Today, Mother came to the manor to deliver some things and also inquired about His Majesty's health."

Pei Zhi wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "Later, please pass on a message to me, thanking her for her concern."

Pei Zhi now refers to Qin's mother, so naturally she no longer calls her "mother".

Pei Zhi is the emperor, and the only person in the world who can be her mother is the Empress Dowager.

Qin Xiangyang responded, staring at Pei Zhi for a long time before finally remaining silent.

Today, Qin's mother has come to visit; naturally, she wouldn't come without a reason.

Qin's mother came to ask Qin Xiangyang how His Majesty planned to deal with their relationship.

Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, why is Qin Xiangyang still allowed to live in the Princess's residence?

If Your Majesty truly has feelings for Qin Xiangyang, you should welcome him into the palace.

Even if he can't become the Imperial Tutor, he can still be a concubine. Otherwise, what kind of situation is it for Qin Xiangyang to live alone in the Princess's residence?

Even now, His Majesty is willing to visit the Princess's residence every few days.

In a few days, His Majesty will have someone else by his side and will no longer want to go to the Princess's residence. What will Qin Xiangyang do then?

Does Qin Xiangyang intend to spend his life guarding the princess's residence?

Qin's mother was implying to Qin Xiangyang that he should demand an explanation from His Majesty.

Let's see what His Majesty is planning, so that the Qin family can have some idea of ​​what's going on.

If His Majesty truly believes that Qin Xiangyang, being from a merchant family, is unworthy of entering the palace, then it would be good for the Qin family to make plans sooner rather than later.

Qin Xiangyang wanted to speak, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.

His Majesty has not returned for four days, and he looks unwell; he must not have rested well.

Qin Xiangyang was already very content that His Majesty would rather forgo rest and return to the Princess's residence to be with him.

Even if His Majesty made him stay in the Princess's residence all the time, he would be willing to come back and spend time with His Majesty occasionally.

Qin Xiangyang waited in his bedroom for the palace servants to help Pei Zhi finish her bath.

Before Pei Zhi ascended the throne, Qin Xiangyang could help him with his bathing.

Currently, Pei Zhi has people around her who are all doing their jobs, so Qin Xiangyang can't get involved and can only wait for Pei Zhi to return.

Pei Zhi came out in her nightgown, and the palace servants lit incense and left.

Qin Xiangyang finally had some time to spend with Pei Zhi.

"Your Majesty, I recently learned a massage technique. Would you like me to give you a massage?"

Pei Zhi grabbed Qin Xiangyang's hand, "Stop with all this nonsense, I'm tired, take care of me."

Qin Xiangyang blushed slightly upon hearing Pei Zhi's blunt words, but immediately nodded in agreement.

The news spread throughout the capital the next day that the youngest son of the Left Chancellor had been hit by the Emperor's carriage.

His Majesty even specially ordered the selection of imperial physicians to treat the young master. His Majesty also said that if anything were to happen to the young master, the imperial physicians would have to pay with their heads.

Pei Zhi sat in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, listening to Yuan Chengyu's sarcastic remarks.

"I heard that His Majesty panicked yesterday when he saw that the young master of the Left Chancellor's family was injured."

Xie Qi, who had initially thought Yuan Chengyu was quite naive, couldn't help but ask, "I presume the imperial physician's head is still intact?"

Pei Zhi sighed, finally understanding just how...frustrating rumors could be.

"What is all this nonsense?"

"I don't even know him. He just collapsed in front of my carriage, so I had the imperial physician take a look. That's all. I didn't say a word."

Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu were Pei Zhi's close advisors.

Even without Pei Zhi's explanation, Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu both knew the truth of the matter.

Yuan Chengyu was just feeling uneasy and went to Pei Zhi to express his jealousy.

"It seems His Majesty is indeed very popular with women; the carriage accident has unexpectedly brought out a famous handsome man."

Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow: "Him, a famous handsome man?"

Pei Zhi looked at Xie Qi and asked, "What, are there so many handsome men in the capital?"

Didn't they say before that Xie Qi was a handsome man in the capital?

Yuan Chengyu blurted out, "Xie Qi is the one who took office; he's too old. This one is new."

Pei Zhi stroked her chin thoughtfully and said, "So that's how it is."

Xie Qi glared at Yuan Chengyu, annoyed. "What are you saying to His Majesty?"

Yuan Chengyu provocatively asked, "What, are you afraid that His Majesty will tire of you and start a new relationship?"

Even Xie Qi was quite angered by Yuan Chengyu.

"The Left Chancellor's plan is very ambitious; I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

Yuan Chengyu asked, puzzled, "Think thrice? Think about what?"

Yuan Chengyu asked in astonishment, "Your Majesty, do you really intend to..."

"Hey." Pei Zhi waved his hand, "I've been so busy lately, you'd better not talk nonsense."

Xie Qi scoffed, "Your Majesty is busy, but what if someone offers something to you and you just accept it without hesitation?"

Pei Zhi glared at Xie Qi, wanting to refute him, but after thinking about it, she realized that what Xie Qi said was not impossible.

Pei Zhi held a high position, and the world was in her hands.

If one day, someone she finds pleasing to the eye stumbles into her life, Pei Zhi might just casually...

It's not a big deal, right?

Yuan Chengyu glanced at Xie Qi, then at His Majesty. Seeing that His Majesty remained silent, Yuan Chengyu's face darkened.