Jiang Wang never imagined that Shen Mingzhuang would treat him like this. The resistance emanating from his very bones felt like a knife ripping out his heart.

Shen Mingzhuang's hand froze, and she was momentarily stunned. Her fingers trembled slightly. She... hit Jiang Wang?

"Get some rest." Jiang Wang stood up, casually dusted off his clothes with his long, clean, and well-defined fingers, turned around and started to walk out, but stopped after a few steps.

He stood there quietly, and Shen Mingzhuang watched him quietly, as if a taut string in his heart might snap at any moment.

He wanted an explanation, and so did she.

However, both of them had their own pride, and neither was willing to back down first on this matter. Jiang Wang ultimately did not get Shen Mingzhuang to speak, and Shen Mingzhuang did not expect him to turn around and coax him.

The figure outside the door gradually receded into the distance, and snowflakes fell softly. Shen Mingzhuang watched, her vision blurred, but her heart did not feel as painful as she had imagined; in fact, it was almost numb. She slowly squatted down on the ground, disappearing into the shadows, and only then did the crystalline snowflakes roll down.

Manhuan felt a pang of sadness at the sight. She quickly stepped forward and took her mistress's hand, her heart aching with concern. "Miss, the ground is cold..."

Before she could finish speaking, tears also streamed down her face. Shen Mingzhuang felt a deep darkness in her heart, unable to describe her feelings. The master and servant embraced and wept.

Wenxin brought over the tea and said gently, "Your Majesty, please have some tea."

Man Huan looked up at Wen Xin and saw that she was expressionless. She thought to herself that those who are not of her kind must have different hearts. After all, they are not her own people, and she cannot empathize with them or share their joys and sorrows.

Shen Mingzhuang accepted the tea, wiped away his tears, and gently sipped the warm tea.

"Did you put sugar in the tea?" She looked up at Wenxin, who blushed slightly and explained in a low voice, "Your Highness is unhappy, so I put some maltose in the tea."

Shen Mingzhuang smiled at her, helped Man Huan stand up with his hand, took a long breath, and then suppressed the sadness in his heart.

Since Jiang Wang didn't think she had done anything wrong, why should she be sad about it? She took a bath, changed her clothes, tidied herself up, and sorted out her feelings again.

Jiang Wang forbade her to see Pei Jingzhou again, so she simply refused. But if she wanted to go out to listen to music and enjoy the scenery, Jiang Wang couldn't possibly stop her.

"Let's go visit the Twelve-Painted Bridge."

Shen Mingzhuang changed into a gorgeous pale yellow dress embroidered with osmanthus flowers, and wore a rose-purple cloak with a mink fur collar embroidered with peonies. She looked elegant, graceful, and noble, exuding an air of nobility. She was beautiful and flamboyant.

If a beautiful woman only knows how to shed tears of disappointment for a man, then it's not worth it. She's not the kind of person who wallows in melancholy and doesn't pick herself up and start a new life after crying her heart out. She was once infatuated with Jiang Wang, but since Jiang Wang disappointed her, there will always be someone who won't disappoint her.

One cannot hang oneself on the same tree twice. Jiang Wang is the emperor. During the time when he granted her exclusive favor, they enjoyed mutual pleasure. Now that he has become fickle, she no longer needs to adhere to the traditional virtues and appearances of a wife.

"Oh dear, I've only been gone a few days and you've already caused this mess? I was thinking that if things continued like this, you would soon become the Empress, the mother of the nation. I guess I overestimated you."

The sound that rang in her ears did not annoy Shen Mingzhuang; instead, it made her happy. It was Little Fatty who had returned!

She closed her eyes and used her consciousness to enter the space. Sure enough, the little fat boy had returned. However, the little fat boy seemed to have grown up quite a bit. He didn't look like a little fat boy anymore, but rather like a young man.

"How did you grow up so fast?!"

“I am different from you. I have to thank the Empress Dowager’s treasure trove for making me grow up so fast.”

Shen Mingzhuang didn't understand the little fat boy's world, nor did she expect to. Now that the little fat boy was back, she had someone to talk to.

"Can't you transform into a physical form? Why don't you come out and speak?"

"If I come out, people will be able to hear what we're saying."

Shen Mingzhuang felt relieved, sighed, and used her consciousness to lift the golden nugget on the ground in her spatial dimension. "I don't want to be Consort Ming anymore. Let's go on an adventure together. What do you think?"

The chubby boy shook his head, "Don't you dare! I've calculated it; you're destined to be an empress. You..."

"Go or don't go, it's up to you!" What annoyed Shen Mingzhuang most right now was hearing people say that she was destined to belong to someone else, and that she couldn't live without Jiang Wang.

The chubby boy hadn't expected Shen Mingzhuang to react so strongly. He quickly covered his ears and took two steps back, clicking his tongue in disbelief, "Women are terrifying..."

On her third day after her wedding, Jiang Yanxin returned to her parents' home and, together with her husband Lin Jinlou, went to the palace to pay respects to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Lin Jinlou had never properly entered the palace before in his life, and he was quite nervous about his first visit. As the husband of Princess Jiayuan, he had earned a lot of face in the palace. While waiting to see the Emperor in the Imperial Study, Eunuch Tan came out and reported, "Princess Jiayuan, Your Highness, His Majesty is currently busy discussing state affairs with his ministers. Please forgive him."

Jiang Yanxin's face immediately fell. This was her third day of returning to her parents' home, and her brother, the emperor, wouldn't even give her any face. What would the Lin family think of her?

"Since Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, we will go to the Empress Dowager's residence first. Please ask the eunuch to convey my and the Prince Consort's greetings to His Majesty."

Tan Yonglin hadn't expected that Princess Jiayuan, now married, would be so easy to talk to. He smiled and agreed, saying he would definitely bring it.

Lin Jinlou looked at the towering palaces and felt a profound sense of awe.

Jiang Yanxin saw this and felt a little contemptuous. After all, he was a nobody, with a shallow mind. He had only just learned a few things, yet he showed such an expression. What else could he be but a laughingstock?

She couldn't help but quicken her pace, putting some distance between herself and the prince consort, Lin Jinlou. Lin Jinlou, however, was completely unaware of the princess's unusual behavior.

In Cixi Palace, the Empress Dowager, having recuperated for some time, was in much better spirits. Seeing her radiant daughter, she was in an even better mood. However, upon glancing at the Imperial Son-in-Law, her smile immediately turned somewhat cold.

Consort Jin, Princess Xian'an, and several other consorts who rarely appear in public gathered at Ci'an Palace today, along with people from the Duke of Wen's and Duke of Wei's mansions. Ci'an Palace was bustling with activity, and everyone knew that the Empress Dowager was trying to save face for Princess Jiayuan!

Led by Aunt Shuangxi, Lin Jinlou greeted everyone. Everyone had prepared gifts, and Lin Jinlou would call out to someone and that person would bring out a gift for him, much like a new bride recognizing her relatives. At first, Lin Jinlou smiled and accepted them one by one, but gradually he realized something was wrong. Thinking of a certain possibility, his smile immediately became somewhat unsettling.

What is the Empress Dowager trying to do?