Three days later.

The emperor, under the pretense of illness, spent three whole days in the cold palace—a dream come true for all the women in the harem!

Unfortunately, the Emperor couldn't see them. In the entire palace, the only person who won the Emperor's heart was Guan Zhiyue, the Empress.

Apart from the Empress, the Emperor can't see anyone else. Now he's claiming he needs to recuperate and is staying in the Cold Palace every day. He hasn't even attended court for three days in a row. This is extremely disrespectful! He's going to follow in the footsteps of the former emperor!

Immediately, ministers submitted petitions one after another, beginning to denounce the Empress, saying that she was a witch who bewitched the Emperor every day, making him so confused that he couldn't tell which way was which.

But what is the truth?

Actually, needless to say, it's all because Li Qiji is now desperate for a crown prince, especially since he and Guan Zhiyue have been married for three or four years and finally waited for her to turn eighteen, ending her many years of life as a monk.

They've finally managed to turn the tables and the serfs are singing songs of joy. Now they definitely need to be well-fed and watered before they can even think about having offspring!

Now that he has finally achieved his goal, it is natural for him to think about the issue of imperial offspring. He has been diligently working on this, sowing the seeds and waiting for a good result.

Now that he finally has an excuse to recuperate, he can take advantage of this opportunity to have some intimate time with his empress. These ministers are like they've eaten dung; the dung-spraying machine can't hold back any longer and starts spewing dung everywhere.

"Your Majesty, have you heard the rumors outside?" Bilian asked tentatively in a soft voice.

Guan Zhiyue was holding Xiao Changle in her arms, pacing back and forth in the yard. How could she not know?

However, she still maintained an expression of complete ignorance and said, "What rumors? I don't know anything about them."

Bilian hesitated, wondering whether to speak or not. If she spoke, what if the Empress got angry? But if she didn't speak, what if the Empress heard about it from elsewhere and got upset and harmed herself?

Bilian was extremely conflicted. Her hands were clasped together, twisting up and down, as if she wanted to say something but dared not. Her face turned pale one moment and green the next, her brows furrowed one moment and relaxed the next.

"Bilian, what are you doing? Are you preparing to put on a grand opera for your empress?" Guan Zhiyue, holding Chang Le, turned around and saw Bilian's conflicted little eyes.

Bilian dared not hide anything and knelt down before Guan Zhiyue with a thud. This startled Guan Zhiyue, who asked nervously, "What's going on? Why are you kneeling down?"

Bilian knelt on the ground, looking somewhat aggrieved, and said, "Your Majesty, in recent days, people in the inner palace and the front hall have been talking about you, saying that you are a witch who bewitches the Emperor and makes him so confused that he can't find his way around. They have even submitted a memorial to condemn you."

Upon hearing this, Guan Zhiyue paused slightly, holding Xiao Chang Le in her arms, but quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Get up. I thought it was a big deal. I'm someone who's always in the spotlight, how could I not get my shoes wet!"

"You don't need to pay attention to these crazy words anymore. His Majesty did indeed spend three whole days in our Cold Palace these past few days, and he did indeed spend three whole days in close proximity to me. But there's nothing we can do. What can we do when His Majesty likes me?"

"You don't need to feel upset. I just want you all to have a good laugh and see who can outlive me in the end!"

At this moment, Guan Zhiyue gave people the feeling of a queen in person, as if everything was in her hands. That arrogant and aloof feeling, that innate kingly aura, filled the entire courtyard, which shocked everyone present.

When did their empress become so powerful? She used to be peaceful and approachable, never so domineering. They just don't know why their empress has become more and more domineering and possessive.

Guan Zhiyue herself was unaware that she had gradually fallen in love with this man who was wholeheartedly devoted to her. She had once vowed to avenge the original owner of the body, but unexpectedly, as she spent time with this man, she gradually grew to like him more and more.

Especially in the years before he turned eighteen, he could have broken the promise between them at any time, but he still waited for her and protected her. During those years, he basically hurt himself.

Every time, he would pour cold water on himself, but he would still rush towards her without hesitation, even if he felt like he was on fire, he was willing to touch her, wait for her, and accompany her.

Under his doting care, Guan Zhiyue gradually became more domineering and no longer wanted to be the peaceful type of person. Although there were still some bumps along the way, she was different now and would solve problems at their root.

"Alright, you don't need to worry about this anymore. Just focus on your work, and I'll take care of the rest!"

Bilian stood up, took Xiao Changle away, leaving Guan Zhiyue alone on the recliner in the courtyard, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, watching the few clouds rushing by.

*

The Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, this is a message intercepted last night via carrier pigeon." Ji Shang climbed down from the roof beam and handed a small bamboo tube to Hua Quan.

Hua Quan opened the bamboo tube, revealing the note inside. Li Qiji picked up the note and glanced at it, a bloodthirsty smile creeping onto his lips.

"Imperial Uncle, are you holding back? Are you about to make your move?"

"It seems we've really had to rely on the Empress these past few days. Ji Shang, send someone to investigate who's spreading rumors about the Empress in the harem. You don't know until you're forced to, and all sorts of scoundrels have come out!" Li Qiji thought back to the past few days, spending every day in the Cold Palace and whispering sweet nothings to the Empress. It really did bring out a lot of people with interesting stories!

"Yes, Your subordinate will go right away." Ji Shang clasped his hands in a salute and disappeared from the Imperial Study in a flash.

However, Ji Wu and Hua Quan exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but ask themselves, "Your Majesty, you and the Empress were indeed staying in the Cold Palace every day these past few days, and you even asked for water three or four times every night. Isn't this what the ministers mean by neglecting your duties?"

Unfortunately, they could only mutter these thoughts to themselves and dared not say them directly to the emperor's face, as that would cost them their heads!

"Your Majesty, look how the Empress is being slandered by the ministers... This..." Hua Quan felt heartbroken for Guan Zhiyue. How could these ministers speak of the Empress like that? Besides, their Emperor was indeed injured, and his arm was still in a sling!

Li Qiji glanced at Hua Quan but didn't say anything. Instead, he wondered how long it would take for his royal uncle to make a move. The opportunity had been presented, and he had been treated like a tyrant. Why hadn't Hua Quan come to force him to abdicate? If that were the case, wouldn't he be able to take him down directly?

Otherwise, I'd always be on edge, always worried that someone wanted to kill me. I couldn't even have a child with Guan Zhiyue and raise a prince, because I had to be wary of him and be careful that he might use the child for his own purposes.

Li Qiji, with his arm in a sling, paced back and forth in the imperial study, suddenly muttering to himself, "It seems we need to add a bit more drastic stuff to this!"

Ji Wu and Hua Quan were completely bewildered. What was their emperor up to? It seemed like he was up to something...