The pastel teacup, the warm wood-colored table and chairs, the pale yellow bed curtains, the silver-gilt phoenix-headed curtain hooks, and the apricot-pink flower vase at the head of the bed with a few sprigs of hibiscus... the bold yet warm colors made her very fond of them.

Seemingly sensing the emotions of the person in his arms, Jiang Wang smiled and placed her on the soft round couch.

Shen Mingzhuang's hair was loose and casually scattered around her, yet it possessed a captivating beauty!

He descended gracefully, his gaze falling upon the magnificent palace dress.

Shen Mingzhuang suddenly grabbed his hand, her beautiful eyes looking at him shyly: "Why did Your Majesty say those things to the Empress Dowager just now? Whether I am pregnant or not, the imperial physician will give it away as soon as he takes my pulse."

Jiang Wang chuckled foolishly, "So I must do my best to bring my beloved concubine good fortune."

She immediately blushed with embarrassment!

"So, ** can be addictive too." He chuckled softly, his voice like icy water, stirring Shen Mingzhuang's heart and leaving her momentarily dazed...

Thinking that she wasn't the only one in his harem, Shen Mingzhuang suddenly felt a wave of disgust. She asked, almost without thinking, "Was it like this when you were with Song Jingxi?"

Jiang Wang was in high spirits at the moment, and chuckled upon hearing this: "I have never touched those women."

Shen Mingzhuang was somewhat incredulous, but the joy left her no room to think too much. However, it was a satisfactory answer for her, and she felt much better.

The intense days of being favored by Jiang Wang left Shen Mingzhuang exhausted. Before Jiang Wang had even finished, she was already too tired to do anything but close her eyes and fall into a deep sleep, feeling both mental clarity and physical exhaustion.

Perhaps because too many unexpected things had happened in the past few days, she slept very restlessly. The scattered and trivial words in her dream made her feel short of breath and unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Outside the half-supported glazed window, the slanting rays of the setting sun shone into the hall and fell on the red-gold window sills adorned with begonia blossoms, making the room shimmer with golden light.

The chaos of war in her dream was gradually replaced by the scene before her. Jiang Wang's deep eyes were fixed on her, and Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"woke up?

He looked at the person in front of him with a smile, his voice revealing a sense of refreshed ease.

Around three-quarters past dusk, the green branches outside the window swayed in the wind, scattering golden light across the ground. The dappled light and shadow reflected in Mingzhuang's eyes, adding a touch of liveliness to his tranquil, autumn-water-like gaze.

However, Jiang Wang noticed her momentary liveliness and smiled as he gently pinched the tip of her nose, his face full of affection.

At this moment, Jiang Wang finally shed his imperial armor and became a spirited young man.

Looking at the radiant man before him, Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but feel annoyed. How could this guy be completely unaffected, while he himself seemed as fragile as paper and couldn't withstand any trouble?

She had just had a dream filled with bloody scenes, and the thought of Jiang Wang being involved made her heart ache.

She instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around Jiang Wang's neck, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.

Jiang Wang lowered his eyes and, upon noticing the tears in the corners of her eyes, couldn't help but show a look of heartache on his face.

He picked her up and cradled her head in his arms, gently wiping away her tears, his eyes filled with pity: "What has upset you?"

Mingzhuang shook her head, but the arms around his neck tightened even more. She could feel the warmth emanating from Jiang Wang and knew the persistence in his heart.

For a moment, she couldn't even tell whether she had become Shen Mingzhuang or she was Shen Mingzhuang.

Looking at Jiang Wang's eyebrows and eyes, the tenderness in his eyes was unprecedented.

Jiang Wang's large hand loosened and clenched, clenched and loosened again. Ming Zhuang tugged at his clothes, wanting him to put him down.

"good."

Jiang Wang pampered her as always, doing whatever she asked. Upon hearing this, he gently placed Mingzhuang back under the soft quilt. However, just a few breaths after letting go, he heard Shen Mingzhuang softly call his name again.

Jiang Wang rarely saw Shen Mingzhuang like this. Even today, in the Cixi Palace, she had never been so fearful and uneasy. Thinking of something, he sat down on the edge of the bed again.

"But it still hurts there?"

Seeing her in a daze, he smiled and said, "I've applied the medicine for you. You'll feel better after resting for a while."

Shen Mingzhuang blushed instantly, and stammered, "Who said that..."

Yet, I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my heart because of his thoughtfulness.

"Then you should rest well. I will stay with you in the Hehuan Palace." He then instructed the person outside the door, "Bring all the memorials over."

Then she sat down again, and after a few moments of silence, Shen Mingzhuang spoke, "Jiang Wang..." Her voice trembled slightly.

She feared that she couldn't change anything and that history would repeat itself. When the great disaster struck eight years later as expected, she was filled with nothing but fear.

Jiang Wang couldn't bear to see her like this. Hearing this, his heart ached. He gently patted her back and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

With just one sentence, Shen Mingzhuang felt as if he had been picked up from the ground and calmed down in an instant.

"I just had a nightmare." Her clear eyes looked at him quietly, her expression serious, making Jiang Wangqing want to know what dream she had that made her so unusual after waking up.

"I dreamt that a great calamity would befall us eight years from now."

She spoke slowly and deliberately, her eyes fixed on Jiang Wang, trying to see the expression on his face.

But Jiang Wang was too calm, so calm that she doubted that what she had said was unnecessary.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a dream," Jiang Wang said with a smile, and tucked her back into the blankets.

Lying back on the soft couch, she breathed softly, gazing at the pale yellow curtains, her feelings a complex mix.

It turns out that liking someone really does make you anxious and insecure. Before, even knowing that there would be many difficulties in the future, I was never afraid. But now I am so afraid of what might happen eight years from now.

When Jiang Wang returned, he had a rosewood jewelry box with gilded begonia patterns in his hand.

"Open it and take a look."

Jiang Wang smiled and placed the box in front of her.

Shen Mingzhuang opened the box with some skepticism, and was stunned to find twelve gold bars inside! Each gold bar was engraved with intricate and exquisite patterns, depicting the twelve seasonal flower fairies!

"Beautiful!" She smiled and looked at Jiang Wang, picking up a piece with some surprise and examining it carefully. She really liked the gift.

This man always seemed to know exactly what she liked. She didn't like fancy clothes or heavy jewelry, but she loved collecting trinkets that could be used as decorations when she was rich and as travel expenses when she was poor.

It was clear she liked it, and Jiang Wang's lips curled up slightly, his mood improving as well.

Tan Yonglin and Hou Linghai brought over the piles of memorials from the Imperial Study and reported, "Several young ladies from the Shen family have come to visit Consort Ming."

Jiang Wang nodded slightly upon hearing this. This girl's former sisters were all gone, and even if they were, they would only use and bully her. He had heard that the young ladies of the Shen Hanlin Mansion were all quite generous and elegant, and it would be good if Mingzhuang could have a few people to talk to.

"Go ahead, meet Miss Shen at the Hehuan Palace."