Lin was so angry that she had angina, but Shen Mingzhuang didn't even glance at her, as if he treated her as a servant of the Shen family, just someone who relayed messages for Zhao, while Zhao was the master.

Seeing that Shen Mingzhuang was deliberately trying to humiliate Lin, Zhao was secretly pleased. Lin needed someone to temper her temperament; she was always like a peacock, with her eyes higher than her head!

After talking for a while, seeing that the three of them still had no intention of leaving, Shen Mingzhuang asked with a smile, "Aunt and Second Aunt, if there's nothing else at home, why don't you stay here for a meal? I'll tell the kitchen to prepare the food right away."

The two women pondered the matter carefully. If there was nothing else going on at home... if they agreed, wouldn't that be admitting that nothing was wrong at home and that they were just idle people? What was this about instructing the kitchen to prepare food? It was already lunchtime, and they hadn't even prepared any food for them. How could they possibly stay?

Zhao quickly declined with a smile, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. There's no need to trouble yourself. We still have some matters to attend to at home. Your Majesty is a person of great importance and has many things to attend to, so we will return home first."

The three of them bowed to Shen Mingzhuang and left Beiyuan.

After leaving the Royal North Garden, Zhao chuckled and said to Lin, seemingly unintentionally, "Look, everyone really has their own destiny. Even the legitimate daughters in our family didn't marry as well as Ninth Sister. Indeed, people say that getting married is like being reborn!"

Madam Gu chuckled and added, "So you see, not everyone is good at being born into the right family."

Lin's face was so ugly that she couldn't even speak properly. Watching her two sisters-in-law get into the carriage, she was so angry that she was about to explode. She kicked out, and the coachman dodged, but she kicked the carriage shaft, and felt a sharp pain!

Granny Jiang was startled and rushed forward to support Madam Lin, anxiously asking how she was.

Lin was both in pain and angry. She didn't want to go back at all, but she was worried that her sister-in-law would go back first and make things difficult for her with the old lady. She would have to spend money and get nothing in return. So she had to suppress her anger and the pain in her toes and get into the carriage.

After the three wives of the Shen family left, Shen Mingzhuang boarded the carriage to Dingshi.

When Chief Steward Song of Beiyuan saw that the Empress was going out to a restaurant for a meal, he was greatly startled!

"Your Majesty, how could you, with your noble bearing, go to such a noisy place? If Your Majesty wishes to enjoy the cooking of Ding Shi's chefs, this servant will immediately send someone to Ding Shi to prepare a feast..."

Shen Mingzhuang lifted the curtain and glanced at him, his voice neither loud nor soft: "Manager Song, I said, go to Dingshi."

The few words he heard sent a chill down Chief Steward Song's spine. He dared not offer any further advice, but he could not let the Empress go alone either. He immediately summoned the guards left behind by His Majesty and personally followed behind the carriage.

After Jiang Wang finished the grand court assembly, he returned to the Imperial Study and began to feel restless and anxious. Tan Yonglin stood by his side with his head down, trying to minimize his presence.

After sitting down and reading the memorials for a while, Jiang Wang glanced at the sky outside, coughed twice, and asked, "What time is it?"

Tan Yonglin hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it is already three-quarters past noon. Would Your Majesty like to take a nap?"

When there were few official duties, Jiang Wang would take a nap around 1-3 PM. Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang did not take a nap as usual, but instead asked casually, "What is Consort Ming doing outside the palace?"

Tan Yonglin's heart skipped a beat. A message had just been sent from outside the palace, saying that Consort Ming had gone out and was strolling around the capital today. Considering that His Majesty was so anxious because of Consort Ming, yet Consort Ming seemed completely unaffected, Tan Yonglin felt a little uneasy.

"Her Majesty, she..."

Seeing Tan Yonglin hesitate, Jiang Wang's expression immediately turned cold. Tan Yonglin dared not linger any longer and hurriedly told her everything that Consort Ming had done outside the palace.

"The Empress had lunch at Dingshi Restaurant at noon, and said that one of the mountain delicacies was very well made. She also praised the chef's skills and the sweet soup. After lunch, she went to the Pear Garden to listen to opera and ordered a performance of 'The West Chamber: Farewell at the Long Pavilion'..."

As Jiang Wang listened, his face grew increasingly dark.

She's so carefree, going out to enjoy herself. Doesn't she care about his feelings at all? A surge of jealousy welled up inside him, so he simply got up and ordered, "It's been a long time since I visited Consort Song. Prepare the carriage."

Tan Linde's face turned pale. Was His Majesty angry with the Empress?

He quickly found a young eunuch, gave him a few instructions, and then followed Jiang Wang to Consort Song's quarters.

Shen Mingzhuang was getting drowsy while listening to the opera when Steward Song suddenly jogged over and whispered a few words in her ear. Shen Mingzhuang immediately woke up from her drowsiness.

Just as she was about to say that she should go back to the palace, she took a couple of steps and then realized that Jiang Wang was the emperor, and Consort Song was his woman. No one could stop him from going to Consort Song's place. Since he had a beautiful woman by his side in the palace, why was she in such a hurry?

"I am tired, I will return to the North Garden first."

Chief Steward Song was taken aback. Why was this different from what he had expected? Why was he going back to Beiyuan instead of the palace at this time?

Unexpectedly, after returning to the North Garden, Consort Ming said, "It's too quiet in the courtyard. I've heard that the eldest son of the Pei family is very skilled at playing the zither. Please invite him to play a piece for me."

Chief Eunuch Song's legs truly went weak. The Empress wanted to invite a male outsider to play the zither? If this reached the Emperor's ears, would she expect any good? The Empress was digging her own grave, like a moth drawn to a flame!

"Your Majesty!" Chief Steward Song was on the verge of tears as he pleaded, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! This eldest son of the Pei family is an outsider..."

Shen Mingzhuang disagreed, "If that's what Steward Song is saying, then it's against the rules for the eldest son of the Pei family to teach the princess the zither?"

Chief Steward Song choked and was speechless for a moment. Shen Mingzhuang then said, "I feel that I am too idle and would like to learn the zither so that I can play for His Majesty in the future. Is that not allowed?"

Chief Steward Song dared not say anything more, fearing that if he continued, Consort Ming would punish him for disrespect. He quickly sent someone to the Pei family.

Upon hearing this, Madam Pei broke out in a cold sweat. Pei Jingzhou, who had just been brought back and had drunk some hangover soup but was not yet fully sober, suddenly became much more energetic.

"Did Your Majesty really instruct me to teach you the zither?"

Seeing her son's expectant eyes and his seemingly resurrected spirit, Madam Pei felt a deep pain in her heart and couldn't bear to extinguish the last spark of hope in his heart.

In the North Garden, it was truly afternoon. Shen Mingzhuang was leaning over the table in the hall. The room was heated by the underfloor heating, so it wasn't cold at all. She was feeling a little irritable. Although she knew that what she was doing was inappropriate, she couldn't help but feel resentful when she thought of Jiang Wang. Since he could go to Consort Song's place, why couldn't she ask Pei Jingzhou to play the zither for her?

Pei Jingzhou had even played the zither for the princess before. If anyone dared to bring this up, the princess's reputation would be damaged. She just wanted to provoke that dog emperor, Jiang Wang!