Qiao Zhen, filled with grief and indignation, shrank into the covers and ignored Ye Shangzhou.

At first, Ye Shangzhou would try to coax him with a few words, but gradually he fell silent. He put one arm under his head and looked at the bed canopy above the bed. He seemed to have changed a bit.

Qiao Zhen thought she had angered him again, and cautiously peeked at Ye Shangzhou, "Your Majesty?"

Ye Shangzhou glanced at Qiao Zhen and said with a half-smile, "Not angry anymore?"

Qiao Zhen shook her head, "I'm not angry anymore." If things went too far, she would get beaten again. She crawled out and snuggled into Ye Shangzhou's arms, her little hands clutching his clothes.

Ye Shangzhou flipped over and pinned Qiao Zhen beneath him, asking, "Am I heavy?"

Qiao Zhen shook her head in confusion, "It's not heavy."

Ye Shangzhou loosened his belt and engaged in another passionate encounter with Qiao Zhen, their lovemaking warm in the red tent.

Finally, he lay on top of Qiao Zhen, resting his head on her chest. This sleeping position was exactly the same as the man in his dream, and just as comfortable as he had imagined.

Qiao Zhen looked at the man on top of her. He seemed to be sleeping even more soundly than usual, his cheek pressed against her almost flat chest. But did he have no idea how heavy he was?

In the end, she didn't push the man away.

Accept your fate.

When Ye Shangzhou woke up, he saw Qiao Zhen's profile. He rubbed his face against Qiao Zhen's chest. Although it wasn't big, it was enough to satisfy him.

He didn't drag the exhausted Qiao Zhen to the morning court session today, a rare moment of conscience on his part.

Qiao Zhen was dressed in simple clothes; she was going to the Imperial Garden to collect flower dew for beauty purposes.

"Hmph! You dare to dirty my clothes? You're asking for trouble!"

A childish voice rang out. Qiao Zhen followed the sound and saw a chubby boy of about twelve or thirteen years old bullying a skinny boy of about seven or eight years old.

"What are you doing?" Qiao Zhen put the small porcelain bottle she was holding on the ground and went over to help the little boy up. "Are you alright?"

The little boy looked at her timidly, pursed his lips, shook his head, and then silently moved away from Qiao Zhen.

As for the chubby boy, he naturally didn't give Qiao Zhen, this unexpected troublemaker, a friendly look. "Who are you? How dare you save the person I was going to teach a lesson!"

Qiao Zhen looked at the chubby boy's narrowed eyes and his contorted features, finding it utterly offensive. "I haven't even asked you who you are yet! How dare you be so insolent to this lady!"

The eunuch leaned down and whispered something in the little fat boy's ear. The little fat boy looked at Qiao Zhen with fear in his eyes, and then kicked away with his short, fat legs.

Qiao Zhen was completely baffled, almost as if she had several question marks above her head. She turned around and saw that there was no one behind her, which made her even more confused.

She didn't take the incident to heart. After collecting the dewdrops from the petals, she went to the Imperial Study to find Ye Shangzhou, only to find the chubby boy kneeling in the center of the study.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Qiao Zhen bowed slightly, without mentioning what happened in the Imperial Garden.

Ye Shangzhou raised his hand, gesturing for Qiao Zhen to stand up. "Did you see him bullying Huaiming today?"

Qiao Zhen looked at Ye Shangzhou blankly and asked, "Who is Huaiming?"

"A ten-year-old child."

Qiao Zhen suddenly realized that Huai Ming was that skinny little boy. "Yes, Your Majesty, I went to the Imperial Garden to collect flower dew and accidentally heard a noise, so I went to take a look."

Ye Shangzhou made the chubby boy kneel outside the Imperial Study for an hour, and then the matter was dropped.

While Qiao Zhen was brewing tea at Yi Shui Xuan, a maid announced that the young master had come to visit. She was slightly surprised, but in an instant, her expression returned to normal. "Please."

Ye Huaijin was waiting for Qiao Zhen in the side hall.

Qiao Zhen was immediately struck by Ye Huaijin's beauty upon entering the side hall. His features were exquisite, and he wore a gentle, warm smile, a stark contrast to Ye Shangzhou.

Ye Huaijin cupped his hands and said, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

"No need for formalities." Qiao Zhen took a few steps to the head of the table, lifting her sleeve with one hand and gesturing "please" with the other. "Young master, is there something you need to see me today?"

Ye Huaijin did not sit down, but bowed to Qiao Zhen again, bending his back even lower. "Today, Huaijin has come to thank Madam. Huaiming is often bullied by Zian, but this morning Madam protected him. Huaijin should thank you."

Qiao Zhen asked, "Is it Gongzi Ming and Gongzi An? But Gongzi Ming is also a young master, so why would he be bullied by Gongzi An for no reason? Besides, he looks small and thin, not like a ten-year-old, but more like a seven or eight-year-old."

Ye Huaijin's smile carried a bitter feeling. "When my mother was pregnant with Huaiming, she tried to use Huaiming to frame the emperor. The emperor escaped the disaster, but he was extremely cruel to Huaiming. Everyone in the palace knows that Huaiming is a thorn in the emperor's side."

"So anyone can step on me?" Qiao Zhen asked bluntly without any hesitation.

Ye Huaijin nodded with difficulty, his eyes filled with sorrow. "These are all the sins of my mother, and should not be attributed to Huaiming. However, if the emperor is angry, and Huaiming cannot bear it, then the people of the world will suffer."

Qiao Zhen's mind was already playing out a 200-episode palace drama, but what Ye Shangzhou did was indeed immoral. The child was ultimately innocent. Counting the time, Ye Huaiming was born two years before Ye Shangzhou usurped the throne. What could a two-year-old child do?

"Young master, please rest assured. If there is anything I can do to help in the future, I will naturally do so." Qiao Zhen looked up and glanced at the sky. "Young master, please go back. His Majesty should be arriving soon."

I bid farewell to Ye Huaijin.

A short while later, a maid came to report to Qiao Zhen that Ye Huaijin and Ye Shangzhou had met at the entrance of Yishui Pavilion, and Ye Shangzhou's expression was quite unpleasant.

Sigh :-( What's meant to be will be, and what's meant to be will be. Qiao Zhen accepts it.

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