Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang immediately understood the meaning and nodded with a smile in agreement.

"Since it is the Empress's will, then let's listen to the Empress."

Upon hearing this, Zhao and her daughter-in-law exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Clearly, neither of them expected that Shen Mingzhuang would actually favor the eldest son's child.

After all, there's a bond between us, and some things can't be changed by self-deception.

It was truly unexpected that Shen Mingzhuang would suddenly ask Shen Xingtai to enter the palace as the Crown Prince's tutor.

Lady Wan felt both proud and reluctant when she thought about her son entering the palace at the age of four to serve as the Crown Prince's tutor.

As she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes. Shen Mingzhuang frowned when he saw this.

Is Lady Wan's behavior a sign that she is reluctant to let her son enter the palace, or that she has objections to their arrangements but dares not speak out?

When Zhao saw her daughter-in-law falter at the crucial moment, she couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

If it weren't for the Pei family's misfortune, her daughter-in-law would be Pei Shuwan. Pei Shuwan's demeanor was far superior to Wan Shi's. Now, thinking about it, she felt extremely disappointed.

She quickly pulled her daughter-in-law down to kneel, saying, "Being able to enter the palace as the Crown Prince's tutor is a wonderful thing that you can only dream of. You're so happy, but you don't need to cry. Hurry up and apologize to His Majesty and the Empress!"

Only then did Madam Wan realize what was happening, and she quickly pulled her somewhat bewildered son down to kneel down with him.

"Yes, yes, yes, it was my fault for being out of line. Please forgive me, Your Majesty and Your Highness."

Shen Mingzhuang naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against Madam Wan over such a trivial matter. She smiled and told her to get up, "You don't need to feel like you've lost your composure. After all, the child is still young and has probably never been away from his mother before. It's normal for you to be reluctant to part with him. But don't worry, I will definitely return him to you in perfect condition and give you back a healthy and lively child!"

These words made everyone burst into laughter, which relieved Madam Wan from the awkward situation. Her expression became more natural, and she quickly smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. No wonder everyone says that His Majesty and the Empress are a perfect couple. His Majesty cares about the country and its people, and Your Majesty is humble, kind, and benevolent. Now it seems that this is indeed the case."

Everyone echoed this sentiment, praising the two of them.

Shen Mingzhuang was immune to such words; he would just smile and not take them to heart.

Jiang Xuan was overjoyed when he heard that Lu Yan could enter the palace to study with him.

He asked Shen Mingrong with surprise, "Aunt Rong, will you be going to the palace often in the future? When you go to the palace, you can talk to my mother and see my cousin Yan'er more often."

The child's enthusiasm warmed Shen Mingrong's heart. She nodded repeatedly, smiled and said yes, and couldn't help but praise Jiang Xuan a few more times.

Madam Gu's eyes also welled up with tears. She smiled and joked, "We're all family after all. It's so nice to see us all so close and harmonious."

Shen Mingzhuang didn't answer that question, but just smiled and looked at Shen Ming'e, who looked aggrieved. Shen Ming'e was heavily pregnant and dressed rather plainly among the younger generation. Only then did she remember that someone had said that Shen Ming'e had married down.

It's unclear whether Lady Liu was heartbroken over her daughter Wenxin's situation, which is why she was willing to let her daughter marry down. Otherwise, given Lady Liu's character, she would never have done such a thing.

!!

As soon as Jiang Xuan saw her father, she obediently stood up and walked over to greet him respectfully.

Jiang Wang, unusually gentle, smiled and patted his son's shoulder, inviting everyone to sit down and talk.

The group then sat down again, creating another commotion.

Jiang Wang didn't know what to say to the group of women, but he just smiled and asked Shen Mingrong, "Is Yan'er five years old now?"

Shen Mingrong was taken aback when Jiang Wang suddenly asked about his daughter's age. He quickly replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, Yan'er was born in the twelfth lunar month and is already five years old."

Jiang Wang smiled and nodded, then beckoned Lu Yan to come closer. "Do you still remember me?"

He smiled and lowered his head slightly, which startled Shen Mingrong. When had His Majesty ever spoken to anyone with such humility? He was so gentle with his daughter, which made her feel uneasy.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Wang just smiled and instructed Tan Yonglin, "I remember that the envoy from the Western Regions sent two sets of crystal tea sets. Have someone go and find them. These kinds of crystal cups are most suitable for young girls. I remember there is one set in the Jiaofang Palace, and the one used in the Empress's inner chamber is also one."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingrong's legs went weak. There were only two sets in total, one for the Empress and one for her daughter Lu Yan, which showed how precious the crystal tea set was. She stepped forward and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is too kind to Yan'er. She is still young and mischievous, and I'm afraid she will disappoint Your Majesty's good intentions."

Jiang Wang frowned in displeasure upon hearing this, "You shouldn't interfere with the little things I bestow upon the child."

Although these words were somewhat domineering, they were also comforting. Shen Mingzhuang laughed and said, "Why don't you, as a mother, know how to be more clever? If it were me, I would definitely make the child thank the Emperor properly, say a few auspicious words, and coax the Emperor to bring out all his treasured treasures. How can someone accept something and then refuse it!"

A burst of laughter erupted in the hall. Shen Mingrong covered her mouth with her handkerchief and laughed. She realized that in the past five years, it seemed that Shen Mingzhuang had really just taken a nap.

Her stunning beauty remained unchanged, and her smile and personality were just as carefree and relaxed as they were five years ago, as if nothing had happened and it was all just a dream.

Soon Tan Yonglin walked in with the crystal tea set.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!