This is explosive! Cheng Yao'er immediately showed disdain for Shen Zhao's face, and the opening scene was straight to the climax.

Qiao Zhen couldn't waste this opportunity. "He used to be ugly, but didn't you like him a lot?"

Cheng Yao'er sneered, her eyes filled with disdain as she looked at Qiao Zhen. "Don't you know perfectly well why I like him? Only a fool like you would recklessly rush into a sea of ​​fire to save people, and in the end, I took all the credit. How does it feel to watch me take the credit for you and receive his favor?"

Qiao Zhen couldn't help but applaud, "Did I save him for his favor? No! It was love, it was responsibility! A shallow woman like you would probably never understand how I feel about Shen Zhao."

Cheng Yao'er glanced at Qiao Zhen and brushed past her. When she turned around and saw Shen Zhao, she glared at Qiao Zhen angrily, her brows furrowed with malice, "You?!"

Qiao Zhen shrugged and spread her hands.

Cheng Yao'er laughed instead of getting angry, "Since you heard it, that's fine. It saves me from being caught in the middle and having a hard time. Shen Zhao, you can only blame yourself for not recognizing people properly."

Shen Zhao was no longer as calm as before; amidst his anger, he felt a strange sense of relief, as if the vines binding his heart were gradually receding.

He wore a gold mask, so Qiao Zhen and Cheng Yao'er couldn't see his expression. But neither of the two women cared what Shen Zhao's expression was; he was simply pathetic.

Qiao Zhen pursed her lips and left ahead of time. She still had to go to the Regent's Palace to pick up Xiao Bao and Jiao Lan. She settled the two of them in a courtyard in the capital. The housing prices in the capital were frighteningly high. If Qiao Zhen hadn't shamelessly begged Shen Lan for financial assistance, she wouldn't have been able to afford a house.

The courtyard is decent, with a living room, two large bedrooms, a small bedroom, a kitchen, a latrine, a woodshed, and an open space in the middle where vegetables can be placed or for the little one to play.

Qiao Zhen stuffed the silver notes into Jiao Lan's hand, forcing her to accept them. "These next few days are destined to be turbulent. Xiao Bao is the Regent's only bloodline, and countless people are after his life. If you sense anything amiss, take Xiao Bao and leave this place, heading west to Pingcheng. Keep these silver notes with you, just in case."

Jiao Lan had no reason to refuse, so she frowned and took the silver note. "Madam, you gave me my life. Even if it costs me my life, I wouldn't dare let anything happen to the young master. But why don't we leave now? The young master is in danger, and so are you."

Qiao Zhen raised her hand and ruffled Jiao Lan's hair. "Silly child, I have more important things to do. More important than Xiao Bao, so sometimes I can't take good care of Xiao Bao. I'll have to trouble you to look after him."

In the prison cell, Cheng Yao'er finished her sarcastic remarks to Shen Zhao and then left with an air of nobility and aloofness, leaving Shen Zhao alone in the cell to relive everything that had happened over the past few months. He sat like a statue on the messy straw, only his slightly trembling, curled-up fists revealing his turbulent emotions.

The victor is king, the loser is villain.

He understands this principle all too well.

But it was precisely because he understood Shen Lan so well that Shen Zhao felt he had been bewitched these past few days. If there was any resentment, it was certainly there. He helped Shen Lan manage the court, and letting Shen Lan handle the affairs of state was also a way for Shen Lan to gain experience. These actions were enough to prove that he had no intention of usurping the throne, but Shen Lan treated him like a thief, and in the end, he was even imprisoned. How could he not feel disheartened?

On the other hand, Shen Zhao felt that it was only a matter of time before he was imprisoned, because he had never intended to usurp the throne in the first place. Even if he really did not want to usurp the throne, his achievements overshadowed the emperor, and Shen Lan would still consider the "hearts and minds" of the people and send him to prison.

Ultimately, he was both pitiful and pathetic.

With a deep sense of self-awareness, Shen Zhao sighed dejectedly, his straight back hunching slightly.

Three months later.

With Shen Lan holding great power, Cheng Yao'er ascended the throne as Empress. With a woman like Cheng Yao'er in charge of the harem, Shen Lan could save a lot of energy; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Cheng Yao'er a virtuous and capable helper.

Qiao Zhen entered the palace openly with the token given to her by Shen Lan. The system mission was completed, and now she could spend her time peacefully with Shen Zhao and Shen Xiaobao!

Xiao Ling: [Is the sun rising in the west? Host, aren't you going to torture Shen Zhao anymore?]

Chu Chu: [Something's not right.]

Qiao Zhen: [I'm just feeling a bit sentimental. I always thought love meant Zhao Zhao spoiling me, but it turns out that the idea I instilled in him—that "loving someone means unconditionally favoring them"—was wrong. Since I know I was wrong, I need to correct it while there's still time.]

Xiao Ling: [Applause.JPG] This system is very pleased that the host has such awareness.

Chu Chu: [I feel this matter is not simple.]

Qiao Zhen: [Don't complicate things.]

Chu Chu couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong, but based on her understanding of Qiao Zhen, she felt that Qiao Zhen wouldn't be so magnanimous as to accept what she perceived as "correct."

Qiao Zhen entered the palace with the token to see Shen Lan. After being offered a seat without any formalities, she sat down on the soft couch without any hesitation. "Yi Chen, I am leaving the capital. I have come today to say goodbye."

Shen Lan was slightly taken aback. He had expected this day to come, but he hadn't anticipated it would arrive so suddenly. "Is there no one in the capital you still cherish?"

He wanted to ask.

Wasn't he enough to make her stay?

But he knew the outcome all too well and didn't want to hear it, so he asked in a more tactful way.

Qiao Zhen shook her head, then nodded, "Yes, but I'm taking him away."

Shen Lan clenched his fists slightly, but dared not let Qiao Zhen notice. His youthful face could not yet conceal all his emotions. "Who is it?"

"You guessed it, didn't you?" Qiao Zhen's voice was soft, with a hint of doting, just like an older sister would to her younger brother. She used a doting tone to reveal the truth that Shen Lan dared not accept, "There is a Lady Qiao in the Regent's Palace, and I hate Cheng Yao'er and Shen Zhao to the core. I also have a son named Shen Xiaobao. Yi Shen, in consideration of how much I have helped you, let me take Shen Zhao and Xiaobao away."

...

Sigh, it has been three days since Qiao Zhen went to the palace to bid farewell to Shen Lan. The young emperor did not answer her that day, but silently told her to leave. Qiao Zhen was not one to behave herself. That day, she sent Jiao Lan and Xiao Bao to Pingcheng ahead of time. In the middle of the night, she broke into the prison and caught up with Jiao Lan and the others with the half-dead Shen Zhao.

What could Shen Lan do? Knowing full well that Qiao Zhen had broken into the prison, should he send someone to bring Qiao Zhen back and execute her? Forget it, he couldn't bear to do that. Since he couldn't bear to, he would have his subordinates find two corpses to pretend to be Shen Zhao and the prisoner.

Qiao Zhen sat leisurely in the carriage, munching on pastries with Xiao Bao. Looking at Shen Zhao, whose eyes were the only part of his face visible, she could inexplicably sense his misery. She offered a half-hearted attempt to comfort him, "Take it easy. As the saying goes, the onlooker sees more of the game than the player. Maybe you can learn something from leaving this chaotic place."

Shen Zhao sighed without hiding his true feelings, "Yes, it was only after leaving that place that I realized how incredibly capable you were." He shook his head with a sigh.

Qiao Zhen twitched the corner of her mouth and gave him a disdainful smile, "There's a lot you don't know."

Shen Zhao could only guess that she was having an affair with the young emperor, but he couldn't be sure of the specifics.

The relationship between Qiao Zhen and Shen Lan is somewhat peculiar; they are wary of each other, yet they also accept each other.

They were wary of each other's potential for betrayal, yet they genuinely accepted one another. Qiao Zhen was attracted to Shen Lan because of his handsome face. Shen Lan, on the other hand, was drawn to Qiao Zhen's talent.

Xiao Bao grabbed a piece of pastry and gave it to Shen Zhao, saying indistinctly, "Daddy, you should have some too."