Shen Mingzhuang didn't leave the palace until the next day, and managed to slip away while Jiang Wang was attending the grand court assembly.

She was worried that if she said goodbye to Jiang Wang, she wouldn't be able to leave today.

After leaving the palace, Shen Mingzhuang first went to the Royal North Garden to stay.

Now she and Jiang Wang are a proper husband and wife. He is the emperor, and she is the empress. It's no longer like before, where one is superior and the other inferior. He is the emperor, and although she is a favored concubine, she is still a concubine, and she still resents it in her heart.

Now, when I come to the villa again, it feels less like being a guest and more like coming home.

Man Huan didn't feel much about this place. Shen Mingzhuang rested in the villa for a while and changed into clothes that were easy to move in.

The empress's clothes were mostly gorgeous and elegant, with flowing sleeves, but they were not suitable for her to go out. They were too eye-catching and she would be easily recognized when she went out.

Aren't you going to change your clothes?

When Shen Mingzhuang saw that Manhuan had no intention of changing out of the palace maid's clothes, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask her.

"Huh?" Manhuan was still a little confused about what was going on. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing and asked in bewilderment, "Does this servant also need to change her clothes?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, we're going to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. You should change your clothes; this outfit is a bit too flashy."

"Too high-profile?" Man Huan pondered for a moment and immediately understood what "too high-profile" meant. Coming to her senses, she smiled sheepishly, "This servant understands, I'll go change my clothes now."

Shen Mingzhuang smiled and nodded, waiting for Man Huan to change her clothes.

Because Shen Mingrong had been informed in advance, there were already people waiting at the entrance of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion as soon as Shen Mingzhuang arrived.

Shen Mingzhuang was worried that Shen Mingrong would come out to greet her in a big way, so she instructed her in advance not to make too much of a commotion. Shen Mingrong understood her intention and only sent a nanny to wait there.

Upon seeing Shen Mingzhuang, the old woman immediately bowed and greeted Madam Jiang, "This old servant greets Madam Jiang."

Madam Jiang? Shen Mingzhuang was taken aback, then couldn't help but smile. Shen Mingrong was truly a remarkable person. He had to admit that coming to find Shen Mingrong was the right decision.

"Thank you for your trouble, Granny."

Shen Mingzhuang smiled and nodded, then politely addressed the old woman. The old woman nodded back without saying a word and respectfully led Shen Mingzhuang to the inner courtyard.

Shen Mingzhuang looked on and couldn't help but sigh once again.

As expected of Shen Mingrong's person, Shen Mingrong has really learned almost all of Gu Shi's good qualities. She has only ever seen such a sensible and well-mannered servant woman with Shen Mingrong.

Shen Mingrong was already waiting inside, but instead of sitting properly in the hall, he had prepared tea and snacks on the large kang bed by the window in the inner room. He had ordered a light fruity and woody fragrance that Shen Mingzhuang liked. As soon as he entered the room, a familiar aroma wafted over, making Shen Mingzhuang feel right at home.

"You actually remember what scent I like?"

Five years have passed, and Shen Mingzhuang sometimes feels that he can't remember many things clearly, but he didn't expect that Shen Mingrong would remember them all.

"I can't even remember such a small thing? Could it be that I've been asleep for five years?"

Compared to their last meeting in the palace, this relaxed way of talking made Shen Mingzhuang feel much more comfortable.

"You've really grown bold. Aren't you afraid I'll punish you?"

As Shen Mingzhuang handed his green cloak to a servant, he walked over with a smile and sat down opposite Shen Mingrong.

Shen Mingrong looked at it and laughed too.

"If I were to come three miles to greet you, you might not be happy."

This really got her figured out. Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but smile and said, "Do you know why I came out to find you? You even had the time to set out fruits and snacks."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but take a deep, pleasant breath; the aroma was indeed very much to her liking.

"Everything needs water and food, right? Nothing can be rushed. I knew you had something important to tell me, so I prepared some good tea and snacks to entertain you and let you tell me slowly. There's no need to rush."

Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but sigh, "I feel most comfortable talking to you."

This is truly from the bottom of his heart. Shen Mingrong can be said to be the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Shen family. He usually doesn't show off, but he can play his cards well, playing each card just right. He also doesn't have a strong sense of ambition, and he always makes people feel very easy-going.

So when Shen Mingrong appeared in front of her five years ago and said that she wanted to rescue her, Shen Mingzhuang couldn't believe it. At that time, in her memory, Shen Mingrong was more like a person who abided by the rules. She never expected that she would take the initiative to break the rules, abandon everything, and drag the Shen family and the Rongguo Duke's Mansion together to enter the palace to rescue her without hesitation.

The more shocked she was back then, the more she trusted him now. Shen Mingzhuang was completely convinced that Shen Mingrong was different from most people, so the first thing she thought of when she left the palace was to come and find her.

"The snacks and tea here are certainly good, but I advise you to eat slowly. I have something important to tell you."

As Shen Mingzhuang spoke, he loudly ordered, "Benyue Lingfeng, keep a close watch on this place. Cut off those ears behind the wall for me."

A "yes" came from the shadows, and soon all the sounds around him ceased. Shen Mingzhuang nodded in satisfaction before looking at Shen Mingrong.

Shen Mingrong looked surprised. "What's wrong? Are you plotting something? Your seriousness is startling me."

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