Eunuch Yuan hurried as fast as he could and finally arrived at the Phoenix Palace. Seeing the wives of the ministers standing under the sun, sweating profusely, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for them.

Knowing full well that the eldest princess was the empress's darling, they still resorted to a self-inflicted injury ruse to force the empress to submit. If they had known that their actions would only hasten the princess's marriage, one wonders what they would have thought.

Thinking this, Eunuch Yuan did not linger for a moment, but stepped into the hall to report back to the Empress.

Looking at the silver coins in Eunuch Yuan's hand, which were almost dripping with sweat, the Empress silently raised her gaze, her lips twitching as she asked, "Wan'er, is that really what you said?"

Eunuch Yuan quickly held up the silver with both hands, knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "The princess sent me to come and report to Your Majesty the Empress as soon as possible. I dare not utter a single false word."

Eunuch Yuan was inwardly bitter. This was the first time he had received a reward from the princess. Although it wasn't much, it was still quite a burden.

Honestly, he had never seen anyone give him ten coins and one tael of silver, only to have the maid take one tael back after receiving it.

Although the amount of silver was not much, he really dared not spend it.

What if the princess remembers later and asks him for it again?

Kneeling for a long time without hearing the Empress utter a single word, Eunuch Yuan became even more certain that this was the princess using him to send silver to the Empress. It was just that the amount was too small for the princess to give.

Thinking this, Eunuch Yuan almost kowtowed to the ground, but he still raised his hands high and said in a panic, "It was my dereliction of duty. I should not have accepted the princess's reward. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

The Empress pursed her lips slightly; she knew Wan'er must be short of money, and she was subtly reminding her. But seeing the damp silver in Eunuch Yuan's hand, the Empress became somewhat angry.

Why make such a fuss when it's just my own daughter?

Now the whole court knows, and who knows how the emperor will be bullied by those ministers tomorrow.

The Empress's anger flared up again at the thought that the wives of various court officials dared to put pressure on her.

It's like they've never spoiled their daughter, coming over in the middle of the day to annoy her. If one of them doesn't get sunburned, she won't let them in.

"Eunuch Yuan, since Wan'er gave it to you, just accept it. As for what comes after..."

"This servant will obey Your Majesty's decree and will never again allow the princess to reward this servant out of her own pocket. I will certainly inform Your Majesty in advance to relieve the princess's urgent need."

The Empress's words, telling Eunuch Yuan to pay more attention to the princess, stuck in her throat.

This lackey is at least somewhat sensible; it wouldn't be bad to find an opportunity to promote him in the future.

The Empress gently told Eunuch Yuan to go back and rest. Before she could even take a sip of tea, a maid came to report that a lady had fainted.

"Quickly, bring the person in. Granny Zhou, go and fetch the imperial physician. Chun'er, let the other ladies enter the side hall and give each of them a bowl of mung bean soup."

"yes!"

The maids and servants hurried off to fetch the people. The Empress sat upright on her phoenix chair, finished the last sip of tea, and then had her personal maid, Xia'er, help her to the side hall.

The person had already been carried to the bed, and the ladies gathered around, drinking mung bean soup while watching the maid wipe the face and pinch the philtrum of the Imperial Censor's wife. When they saw the Empress coming, they quickly put down their soup bowls and stepped forward to pay their respects.

The Empress waved her hand, saying with concern, "All the ladies braved the sweltering heat to come to the palace to see me, showing their utmost sincerity. Lady Wang, in particular, took the lead and set an example. Such a virtuous lady, concerned for the country and its people, is a model for women. I have decided to bestow upon Lady Wang a jade ruyi as a token of my appreciation for her loyalty."

The ladies, who were about to rise after exchanging greetings, stumbled and knelt back down.

Caught off guard, the ladies not only suffered from knee pain, but also from heartache, especially Madam Liu, Xue Guilan.

She was the principal wife of Liu Tongxuan, the Right Vice Minister. After hearing about the princess's kidnapping, she came up with a plan. She wanted to take this opportunity to gain favor with the Empress, so she gathered a group of ladies to persuade the Empress to let the princess release the person.

Before the court discusses the matter, there is still room for negotiation. If she provides a proper solution for the princess first, the empress will be grateful to her. Perhaps the emperor will also have some goodwill towards the master because of her persuasion. If a position becomes vacant, he might remember the master at any time.

But as soon as Zhou Xuemei fainted, the Empress didn't even ask her any questions and just bestowed gifts upon her. All her hard work had gone to waste, benefiting Zhou Xuemei instead. How could she not feel sorry for her?

Xue Guilan nearly ground her teeth to powder, staring hatefully at the ground, deeply regretting having dragged Zhou Xuemei along to fill in.

A complete stranger, with such a delicate body, received such a reward for simply basking in the sun—an honor even the wife of a scholar had never received. It just fell on her head like that. I wonder if she can handle it.

"Rise, there's no need to thank me on behalf of Lady Wang. I'm only doing this because I think about how hard Lady Wang has worked. After all, not everyone can be like her, enduring her frail body without uttering a sound."

The Empress's words, a combination of warning and reprimand, completely dissuaded those who wanted to follow suit. They dared not have any other thoughts and stood obediently to the side, waiting for the Empress's reprimand.

Xue Guilan was furious, her face flushed red. "To die before even starting a campaign—is this what happens to her?" Before they could even do anything, the Empress had already shut them down.

They brought the princess, and the empress treated her and even rewarded her. If they were to find fault with the princess again, they would be seen as unreasonable and unforgiving.

Furthermore, if the Empress is determined to dismiss the princess's actions as mere playfulness, then for them to ask the Empress to persuade the princess to release the princess would be tantamount to coercing the Empress, showing a lack of respect, and plotting something sinister. If the matter were investigated, none of them would be able to escape.

The more Xue Guilan thought about it, the more sweat beaded on her face. Coupled with the excruciating pain in her knees, she felt a rush of blood to her head and fainted.

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