Yuwen Wuji was troubled all day about how to send the people away, but the people from Donglin seemed to have made a habit of living in Dachen and refused to leave no matter what Yuwen Wuji said, whether openly or secretly. They pretended not to understand.

"These people from Donglin are really like scoundrels!" Yuwen Wuji complained to King Xuan. "I hate these people so much! They eat my food, use my things, and now they're trying to take advantage of me!"

King Xuan said, "There must be something fishy going on. I think the Eastern Arrow must have a purpose. Since they insist on bringing it here, why don't we play along?"

Yuwen Wuji thought that what King Xuan said made sense, so he said, "Alright, send someone to keep an eye on them, and don't let them do anything to harm the Great Chen!"

After giving his instructions, King Xuan got up and left.

Consort Shu also came in to pay her respects. Yuwen Wuji looked at her and thought of his son.

"How is the fifth brother?"

"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince is still in bed. The imperial physician said that if he takes good care of himself, he will be able to get out of bed in another month."

Yuwen Wuji hummed in agreement, watching as the woman came over to pour him tea and water.

Suddenly, he spoke: "Now it's just the two of us left."

Consort Shu paused for a moment, knowing what Yuwen Wuji meant.

Back then, only he and he knew the true cause of Xie Wanqing's death.

"Do you think Song Yaozhu resembles the Empress?" Yuwen Wuji asked, stroking the eighteen seeds in his hand.

Consort Shu looked at Yuwen Wuji with confusion in her eyes.

"I think I saw the Empress at the horse farm that day."

Consort Shu sneered inwardly. Over the years, she had come to know how hypocritical Yuwen Wuji was.

He claimed to love Xie Wanqing, yet he killed her with his own hands. What a unique kind of love!

She also knew that Song Yaozhu was Xie Wanqing, and that Xie Wanqing had already killed Gao Ping; she might be next. Her only support was Yuwen Wuji. She was like a parasitic vine, needing to live off a powerful person, absorbing their nutrients to bloom.

She was parasitic on Xie Wanqing back then, and now she's parasitic on Yuwen Wuji. Therefore, Yuwen Wuji is very important to her.

However, she and Yuwen Wuji are also competitors, vying for the same resources.

"Your Majesty, I know you miss your sister, but she is gone. If she finds out that you are thinking of her like this, what if she is reluctant to be reincarnated?"

As soon as she said that, Yuwen Wuji gave her a cold look.

Xie Wanqing knew how she died, and if she came back, she would surely be a vengeful ghost seeking revenge!

"Your mouth isn't as sweet as it used to be; you're getting old, after all."

Consort Shu smiled faintly, "If I were to act as before, who among the servants would obey me? Your Majesty does not know that even though I am your consort, those lowly maids and servants always outwardly obey but inwardly defy you."

"Oh? So the Mad Horse Grass incident was also orchestrated by those damned lackeys who were secretly disobeying orders?"

Even though Yuwen Wuji had seen through her, Consort Shu wasn't afraid. She knew Yuwen Wuji too well; if it benefited him, she would do it anyway. He was a beneficiary of the system, so why expose him?

"Your Majesty, those are the ruthless and vicious people of Beiqing. What do they have to do with our servants of Great Chen?"

Yuwen Wuji didn't want to talk about this anymore, so he waved his hand and said, "Take good care of Lao Wu's injuries, and make sure he practices riding and archery well. If something like this happens again, don't push yourself."

"Your Majesty, I obey!"

After leaving Qiankun Palace, Consort Shu encountered Imperial Noble Consort Lu Yinghong, who had come to deliver soup to the Emperor. Since Lu Yujie left, the servants around her had become even less attentive. She spent her days lost in thought in the palace, and Granny Lu, unable to bear it any longer, finally managed to persuade her to leave.

When Lu Yinghong encountered the dignified Consort Shu, she felt incredibly ashamed. She felt utterly humiliated, remembering how arrogant she had been when she was in power.

In the imperial harem, fortunes truly change.

The Imperial Noble Consort felt embarrassed and deliberately avoided her sharp edge, but Consort Shu did not let her off the hook.

"The weather is so cold now, why is my sister out in public?"

Lu Yinghong stiffened. Her face was pale and she looked swollen. In just a few months, she seemed to have aged ten years and lost her vitality.

She looked at Consort Shu. Although she entered the palace later, she had been promoted to the rank of consort before her, so she called herself "elder sister" to make herself superior to everyone else.

Now she calls herself "sister," which, though she didn't slap her, is more humiliating than a slap.

Lu Yinghong blushed furiously, thinking to herself that she would never leave the palace again! She absolutely refused to embarrass herself in public!

She has lost everything now: power, family, affection, and even her last remaining dignity!

Lu Yinghong turned and left, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground! She never wanted to come out again! Never again!

Watching Lu Yinghong turn and leave with such resolute eyes, Consort Shu coldly withdrew her gaze. She had always known that only those who laugh last laugh last. How could someone as brainless as Lu Yinghong possibly win?

Consort Shu went to see the Fifth Prince, who was lying in bed reading. When he saw Consort Shu, he didn't put down his book, as if he didn't even see her.

Consort Shu was naturally angry when she saw him like this.

"Have all the manners I taught you gone to waste?!"

The Fifth Prince then put the book down. "Greetings, Mother Consort. My legs are weak, so I will not perform the proper greetings."

Consort Shu was a little angry. Ever since her son was injured, he had become distant from her. She knew he was angry because she had forced him to do things he wasn't good at.

But how could he possibly be good at everything when it comes to governing the country and managing the world?

"Are you angry with your mother?"

"Your son dares not. Your son is angry at his own incompetence, that he cannot bring honor to his mother."

When Consort Shu heard him say this, she knew that he was holding back a grudge.

She patted the back of his hand. "Good boy, now your father only has the Crown Prince and you as his two useful sons. That fool Crown Prince is just like Gao Ping. Your mother has already figured out how to deal with him. You should take good care of yourself."

As she spoke, she tucked the blanket around the Fifth Prince.

"Your father said you should practice riding skills properly. Once you're better, your mother will find you the best teacher."

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Prince's eyes flickered.

He disliked riding and archery at all; he hated riding horses and shooting arrows, and he hated any sport that made him sweat. He just wanted to stay home quietly and read books.

But he knew that since his mother had said such a thing, she would definitely do it.

Suddenly, a feeling of suffocation washed over me.

The care and attention that Consort Shu once showed him now seemed like a pair of large hands covering his mouth and nose, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Mother..."

"Alright, you should take a nap now. We'll talk again when you wake up."

The fifth prince obediently closed his eyes, but his chest felt even tighter.