The next day, the sun rose as usual, and the officials went to court as before.

While Qin Zhaoyue was still in bed, the palace was rewarding those who had contributed to the disaster relief efforts.

The biggest beneficiaries were the two imperial heirs: Qin Zhaoqiong was enfeoffed as Prince Chen, and Qin Jingheng was enfeoffed as Prince Zhao.

Others were rewarded according to their contributions.

At 9:00 AM, Qin Zhaoyue was forcibly pulled up because the palace's rewards had arrived.

When she appeared in the main hall without makeup, she immediately spotted the leader and rushed over to him.

Before Su Quan could react, someone grabbed his collar tightly.

"You old eunuch, you take the money but don't do the job, huh?"

Well, such a big thing happened yesterday, but you didn't mention a single word about it on the way from my residence to the Imperial Study.

"If you're going to keep quiet, then don't take the money! Hand over the ten thousand taels I bribed you with!"

Su Quan's feet were almost off the ground when he was shaken so badly that he didn't even have time to resist.

What? Ten thousand taels? Isn't it just ten taels?

"Give me my money back! Do you believe me if I don't? I'll kill you!"

The eunuchs behind him were stunned; they had never encountered anything like this before.

Seeing that Eunuch Su was being pulled so hard he could hardly breathe, he yelled and rushed forward to stop him.

"Your Highness, let go! Let go!"

Sui Mo and the others also mobilized and finally managed to drag the person back.

The sound of rapid coughing echoed throughout the hall, and everyone was extremely worried.

"Eunuch Su Quan, are you alright? Come on, have some tea to soothe your nerves."

Sui Mo was extremely anxious.

I knew the Sixth Prince was bold, but I didn't expect him to cause trouble just one day after returning.

Is Eunuch Su an ordinary person? He is the most senior eunuch by His Majesty's side.

Why? Because it's a bond forged since they came from the prince's residence.

Although the Sixth Prince and he had some affection for each other, it had only been a few years. The prince didn't even remember those days.

When an imperial decree is delivered outside the palace, every household treats it with utmost respect, offering tea and payment.

Well, her prince is quite something. Not only did he grab someone by the collar and shake them vigorously, but he also threatened to take back the tea fee.

Ten thousand taels? That's extortion.

Before she could even offer any advice, Qin Zhaoyue crossed her arms and coldly snorted:

"What do you mean 'complete'? He doesn't lack anything. Sui Mo, it's not very kind of you to point out Su Que's shortcomings like that."

Silence, a deathly silence.

You could hear a pin drop!

"You...you!"

Su Quan, who had just stopped coughing, stretched out his arm, pointed tremblingly at Qin Zhaoyue, and couldn't say a word before collapsing to the ground.

"Eunuch Su!"

In a flurry of activity, people were helping each other, patting each other's backs, and offering water. Sui Mo even used his internal energy to protect his heart meridian.

Su Quan is not young anymore, and he was frightened yesterday, causing his emotions to fluctuate wildly. This time he was quite angry and it took him a while to recover.

Her complexion was so pale and rosy, it kept changing from white to red, definitely not the radiant kind of thing.

He glared fiercely at the person opposite him, "I... I'll take your ten thousand taels sooner or later?"

Ten taels, just ten taels, and it wasn't even something I wanted to take; you forced it on me.

"Guards, bring ten taels of silver and return it to the Sixth Prince!"

Sui Mo kept patting his back to soothe him, while gesturing to Mo Yi beside him.

Mo Yi quickly stopped the eunuch from taking out money. What kind of situation was this? If he really paid back the money, there would be no room for negotiation.

"Eunuch Su, please don't be angry. Our prince was just confused and spoke without thinking."

"She's still so angry she's delirious! How dare she be so angry she's delirious!"

Su Quan served in front of the emperor. Although there had been undercurrents in recent years, his face remained peaceful.

His Majesty rarely loses his composure; the last two times were both because of the Sixth Prince.

One time was when her household recruited erotic painters, and the other time was yesterday.

“I am a servant who serves His Majesty. If I don’t side with His Majesty, why would I side with you?”

"Give you advance notice? Pshaw!"

"I heard you might be pregnant, so I chose the smoothest path and proceeded slowly."

Do you know what it means to proceed slowly? His Majesty is urging me to do this, and I'm proceeding slowly? Am I crazy?

I prepared the sedan chair for your journey to the palace. Why? Because I was afraid that you were still in the early stages of your pregnancy and might get hurt.

I can manage to send a sedan chair, but getting someone to do it properly costs money? I've already bribed them with the ten taels you gave me!

What? You want money from me? No!

Ten thousand taels? How dare you say that? Bah!

As Su Gonggong spoke, he became more and more agitated, clearly furious. He used profanities like "you" and "me," something he would never normally do.

Pregnancy, what pregnancy?

Apart from the three people in the know, everyone else was stunned.

Sui Mo quickly explained that the diagnosis was wrong and that she was not pregnant at all.

"Anyway, you old geezer don't care about such things..."

"you!"

Qin Zhaoyue and Su Quan sat on opposite sides, separated by a small table.

Neither of them looked at the other, each glancing to their left and right, neither seeming willing to back down.

In the short time that Sui Mo had been standing there, his back was covered in cold sweat. It didn't seem like 50,000 taels was particularly expensive.

How about we negotiate a price, or maybe I should just buy my freedom?

When she was outside, things were fine; few could match her status and position, and there was also the Crown Prince keeping her in check.

They're just a bit lazy and gluttonous; nothing serious will happen.

This is Fengjing, a city teeming with powerful and influential people.

If a tree falls, it might just hit one of the most powerful or influential relatives.

Today I've really offended the top eunuch in the Emperor's court. How can I expect to get along well with him in the future?

What is the First Eunuch? As a veteran Qingluan Guard who has been out of duty for less than a day, I know it all too well.

His Majesty's preferences in daily life, the preferences of the harem, what he wants at what time, and what his mood is at what time...

All these things, who could know them as clearly as Su Quan? Who could be better at understanding the emperor's intentions than him?

If he harbors hatred, it would be too easy for him to take revenge on the Sixth Prince.

Whether it's a subtle, silent influence or a few crucial words, it can all sway His Majesty's decision.

At this moment, Suimo felt a deep sense of worry about his future.

"Alright, you may all leave. His Majesty has issued an imperial edict."

After a long while, Su Quan finally spoke up.

There was nothing he could do; he had an errand to run, so he had to suppress his emotions.

"Yes!" Both the eunuch who had come with them and the Mo family members could only retreat.

Before leaving, Suimo pinched Qin Zhaoyue's arm, but unfortunately, she didn't even get a response in return.

With a heavy heart, I left the hall and closed the door from the outside.

Since Eunuch Su took the initiative to mention that he wanted to deliver the imperial edict privately, it means that they shouldn't know about this matter.

Sui Mo immediately arranged for people to guard the surrounding area. She was very familiar with this kind of thing; she often did it when she was in power.

"Sixth Prince, the rewards for the disaster relief team have been issued."

"You've taken the armory and asked for Sui Mo and the others as guards. The rest, ostensibly, are just some fine silks, satins, gold, silver, and jade as rewards, which this old servant has brought..."

Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand, saying that the court was short of money right now and could only give out something of value; it was just a formality.

"This matter is worth your personal trip. Just tell me what's on your mind."