The palace servants hurriedly helped the Empress Dowager change her clothes, but Shen Mingzhuang had already wandered off somewhere.

Shi Jiang looked on, feeling somewhat depressed.

She's completely uninhibited now, and while he's happy to see this, he can't help but feel a pang of heartache.

She's starting to pick up what she lost for Jiang Wang, and she's letting go of what she had to endure. Maybe things will get better with time.

He had always liked her personality, but seeing her suppress herself for Jiang Wangde made him feel inexplicably stifled.

Fortunately, she no longer has to be afraid of anything.

The Empress Dowager changed into Liu Wenxin's clothes. Fortunately, although she was much older, she was still in good shape and could barely wear Liu Wenxin's clothes.

As she stepped out of the Hehuan Palace, she saw Shen Mingzhuang looking up at the winter plum tree in the courtyard. His delicate features and slender figure made the scene instantly beautiful, like a painting, and everything around him fell silent.

As Yin Rong watched, she gradually came to her senses.

Didn't she miscarry? Why does she seem perfectly fine? A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and her face turned ashen. Could this be the emperor's empty city ploy?!

Standing beside the Empress Dowager, Liu Wenxin looked up at Shen Mingzhuang, who was gazing up at her under the winter plum tree. Her hands, hidden beneath her ornate sleeves, clenched into fists, digging into her palms. She could only use the pain to keep herself awake.

Soon, Jiang Wang, who had just finished court, also arrived at the Hehuan Palace.

Logically, he should have left a few ministers in the Imperial Study to discuss matters at this time, but today she was so anxious that she couldn't wait to come and see.

As soon as he reached the gate, he saw the beautiful figure in the courtyard. His heart skipped a beat, and he raised his hand to signal for silence, standing at the gate watching the seemingly frozen scene.

"The emperor has arrived, why don't you come in?"

Looking at Jiang Wang, Yin Rong thought of the deception he had set up for her, and her heart was filled with rage. Seeing him standing there quietly looking at Shen Mingzhuang, she broke the silence.

Jiang Wang frowned and looked at the Empress Dowager, who also looked at him with a cold expression.

Shen Mingzhuang closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility before her, and became somewhat lost in it. However, a sudden sound disturbed her peace, instantly making her unhappy. Turning around, she saw that Jiang Wang had returned.

Now, when she sees Jiang Wang, she doubts herself. How could she have agreed to be his woman and even helped him with his plans? What was she thinking before?

Thinking back, her mind was like a blank sheet of paper, as if she had never spent any time with Jiang Wang, and she couldn't find any trace of liking or attraction towards him.

This feeling is so strange.

Jiang Wang had already walked over step by step. She stared at him intently, as if she were looking at a stranger, a complete stranger.

"Is that Merlin you like up ahead? Why don't we go take a look?"

Jiang Wang opened his mouth and said something that even surprised himself: all his tenderness seemed to be reserved only for her.

Shen Mingzhuang glanced at the plum grove ahead, then lowered her head and buried her chin in the fluffy, soft fur collar. The black fur collar made her skin look even whiter than snow, and the tip of her small nose was a little red from the cold. However, she seemed not to feel the cold and walked deeper into the plum grove.

She has always loved plum blossoms, which are solitary and proud, blooming in the frost, and have a pleasant fragrance. They are like a delicate sword-wielding maiden, with the courage to walk the world and face the wind and rain, as well as the unique refinement and beauty of a woman.

Jiang Wang followed behind at a leisurely pace, remaining silent for a long time. His feelings at this moment were complex and contradictory.

After an unknown amount of time, perhaps when they were almost at the end of the plum grove, Jiang Wang's voice finally rang out: "Why do you insist on leaving the palace and cultivating with your hair still intact?"

Shen Mingzhuang's feet sank into the soft snow, and she playfully rubbed the snow with the soles of her shoes. A beautiful smile curved her lips, and she glanced at Jiang Wang with her bright eyes. "Because I want to find some peace and quiet."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang almost blurted out, "I will build a nunnery for you in the palace. You... stay in the palace, okay?"

His voice lowered, and there was even a hint of grievance in it.

Shen Mingzhuang looked at her with some surprise. She seemed to have thought about it seriously. Her toes slid lightly across the compacted snow, as if she was playing in the snow. She slightly tiptoed, but suddenly her foot slipped and she leaned back. She thought she would struggle, but unexpectedly, Jiang Wang held her firmly. She looked up at him.

Jiang Wangsheng's eyes were also exquisite. His eyes, which were always cold and seemingly without desire, always revealed an undisguised tenderness and indulgence when he looked at her.

Shen Mingzhuang's expression froze slightly, as if something had flashed through his mind, but he had no clue what it was.

That feeling of déjà vu yet having no recollection of it made her somewhat anxious.

Out of politeness, she quickly withdrew from Jiang Wang's embrace and kept a step's distance from him.

The two seemed to be able to touch each other at any moment, but crossing that step seemed to be separated by many obstacles.

"Why……?"

Jiang Wang's eyes dimmed slightly as he quietly looked at her.

Shen Mingzhuang assumed he was continuing what he had said before, and after thinking about it seriously for a few moments, he looked up at Jiang Wang and said, "I don't want to stay in the palace anymore. I... don't like it."

Jiang Wang took a deep breath, his last bit of pride holding him back, and prevented him from asking any further questions.

The answer is already there, so what's the point of asking further?

"In that case, you may leave the palace; there is no need for you to continue your spiritual practice while still keeping your hair."

She wanted to leave, so he allowed her to.

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