"My lord, my lord, the second prince of Yan has returned to the state guesthouse. He brought a large bucket of fish and had the kitchen cook a few for himself. The rest were all cooked and distributed to the guests of the state guesthouse."

"Yes, I understand. You may leave. Wait, continue to follow. If there is any further action, report back."

"Yes, sir."

Zhang Yaoyuan was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that the second prince of Yan really went fishing in the middle of the night? That's quite a peculiar hobby.

The Emperor had instructed him to keep an eye on the Second Prince of Yan, fearing he might cause trouble. Now that he's been behaving himself, it might actually be a good thing.

It was already broad daylight when Chen Jingshu rubbed her tear-filled eyes and realized that the person beside her was already cold. She didn't know when Yan Shaoheng had left.

"Qiu'er, Qiu'er, what time is it?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Wang is already preparing ahead, and the porridge distribution will begin soon."

I slept for quite a long time, almost until noon.

Chen Jingshu shifted her body and discovered a patch of blood under her buttocks, realizing something was wrong.

The two of them had secretly tasted forbidden fruit yesterday, without any thought of this matter. This was not in the palace, and besides, the menstrual cycles of each concubine were recorded in the Imperial Household Department, so it was impossible to forge them.

Qiu'er happened to see this scene.

"Your Highness, why don't you wash up and have breakfast first? I'll just fetch a basin of water and do a quick wash. You'll be clean by then. Is that alright?"

Now that Qiu'er knows about this, Chen Jingshu no longer hesitates; the two of them have always been in the same boat.

"Alright, you can start packing then."

After Chen Jingshu finished her breakfast, Qiu'er also tidied up the bed.

"Your Highness, I have finished packing."

"Okay, go ahead and distribute the porridge."

Chen Jingshu had volunteered to distribute porridge, so it wouldn't be right for her not to lend a hand from beginning to end.

So, just like yesterday, Chen Jingshu first distributed porridge to the disaster victims. This time, Chen Jingshu was smarter and put on a thicker face mask, which was indeed much better than yesterday.

Because Chen Jingshu was slow in distributing porridge, she was divided into three teams today, and only two groups of disaster victims were distributed to Chen Jingshu.

Perhaps it was because practice makes perfect, but gradually, Chen Jingshu's movements became more skillful.

Because the original two teams were split into three, today's work was much faster than usual, and we finished our work much earlier.

"Thanks to the Imperial Concubine's help, today's porridge distribution was able to be completed so early."

The thought of going home early to be with his wife made Wang Runchao even find Chen Jingshu more agreeable.

"I have done so little; it is still thanks to Lord Wang and all the soldiers who have worked so hard."

"Your Highness is too kind. I will take my leave now. I hope Your Highness can go back and rest. You have worked hard these past two days. The porridge distribution will end tomorrow, and Your Highness can then return to the palace."

"Please proceed, Lord Wang."

After returning to her room, Chen Jingshu asked Qiu'er to prepare a large tub of hot water for her, and added some bath flower petals, which smelled wonderful.

After taking a shower, she took out a few pieces of clothing that she had brought with her and changed them over and over.

"Qiu'er, do you think this one looks better or this one?"

"Your Majesty looks good in anything."

“Then let’s keep this white one. I remember the Second Prince also has a white dress like this.”

Chen Jingshu was excited at the thought that she and Yan Shaoheng might even be able to wear matching outfits today.

Qiu'er naturally knew that her mistress was already deeply involved, but this concerned hundreds of people in the Chen family, so she felt it was necessary to remind her mistress.

"Your Majesty, what if the Emperor finds out about you and the Second Prince...?"

Qiu'er dared not speak out, partly because she didn't know how to say it, and partly because she was genuinely afraid to say it.

"Are you trying to say that the Second Prince and I are cuckolding the Emperor, and if the Emperor finds out, it will be a capital offense that will result in the execution of our entire family and the extermination of nine generations of relatives? Are you trying to stop me?"

"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare..."

Qiu'er knelt on the ground again, somewhat regretting her loose tongue. She seemed to have no memory after all these times.

"Get up. Now that you know about this, there's no need to be so afraid. Kneeling all the time is annoying to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It wasn't that Chen Jingshu disliked the kneeling ceremony; on the contrary, she liked it very much. The fact that everyone knelt before her showed that the world respected her.

But Qiu'er was always so afraid of her, as if she were some kind of fierce woman. If Yan Shaoheng had seen this, he would have thought she was a tigress.

"I understand what you mean. Before I entered the palace, I disagreed with my father's decision, and the Emperor also disagreed. However, my father ultimately used the late Emperor's decree to suppress the Emperor. After entering the palace, I also thought about living a good life with the Emperor and bearing him a son or daughter. But now the Emperor only favors the Empress and has never even come to see me. The Second Prince of Yan likes me, and I also like the Second Prince. The Second Prince has promised that when he ascends the throne, I will be the most noble woman in the world. Qiu'er, that is the most noble woman in the world. Who wouldn't want to be that kind of woman?"

Chen Jingshu looked at Qiu'er and continued, "After I entered the palace, the Emperor said that if I found someone I liked, he would let me leave the palace. The Emperor is the supreme ruler, how could he go back on his word? In my opinion, the Second Prince is better than the Emperor. If I had to choose again, I would still choose the Second Prince. I have no regrets."

As Chen Jingshu spoke, she became more and more agitated, recounting all the resentment she had harbored since entering the palace.

Ultimately, she was just a pawn in her father's political career. If she had no way out in the palace, she would become a pawn herself.

Rather than being abandoned, it's better to find your own way to survive.

Qiu'er seemed to understand her mistress's predicament. She couldn't return to her family home, and there was no way out for her in the palace, especially after the emperor's death, she had no one to rely on.

In comparison, she seemed much happier than the Empress. As long as she could save enough money, she would be free, while the Empress would be trapped inside those high walls for the rest of her life.

As night fell, Yan Shaoheng had rested enough. After having dinner, he sent Cheng Ying with the tools to the north of the city.

This time, Cheng Ying was prepared. She had put on the thick clothes she had prepared underneath, and then put on Yan Shaoheng's clothes on top.

"Hmm, not bad. You stay here and keep an eye on things."