Shang Changge wasn't good at being sentimental; she was better at ruining the atmosphere. She cupped her hands around her heart and pretended to be moved: "Tsk, I'm touched."

Xiao Ji raised his eyebrows, amused, and used his talent to lean in and flirtatiously say, "Give me a kiss as a reward, or I'll cause trouble."

The study was filled with sweet, pink bubbles, and even birds flying within a ten-mile radius were overwhelmed by the couple's display of affection.

Time flies, and it's midsummer.

The sun blazes fiercely, the summer trees remain lush and green, and even the wind blowing in your face carries waves of heat in July.

The incessant chirping of cicadas was even more irritating on an already hot day.

Cining Palace, inner hall.

"Cough cough cough, cough cough cough—"

The Empress Dowager was sickly, and her heart-wrenching coughs came one after another.

The imperial physician used gold needles to acupuncture points to alleviate the Empress Dowager's condition, while palace servants bustled about.

Since the beginning of summer, the Empress Dowager's suppressed beauty poison has taken effect, causing her to age rapidly at a visible rate.

"Mother!" "Mother!"

Shang Changze and Shang Changge entered Cining Palace one after the other. Shang Changze's expression showed genuine anxiety and concern.

Shang Changge imitated the image of a filial daughter, but in reality, she didn't care about being humble or pretentious at all.

The Empress Dowager smiled upon seeing her son's weakness, her face full of loving kindness.

"Ze'er, why are you here again? Didn't I tell you that your mother's old habit doesn't need to come every time? State affairs are more important."

Just as the imperial physician finished administering acupuncture, Shang Changze sat down on a chair in front of the bed and inquired about the Empress Dowager's condition.

Shang Changge also found a chair and sat down. Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently caught the cold look the Empress Dowager gave her. She was used to it and felt no emotion.

After the "cheap mother poison" took effect, her affectation disappeared, and her IQ returned to normal.

He reverted to his lukewarm attitude towards his daughter, which had been consistent over the past twenty years, and whenever he saw her, the conversation always revolved around two words—interests.

For example, she could be told to avoid contact with Xiao Ji for a while to avoid suspicion, or she could be subtly hinted at being a potential romantic partner for him.

They tried to instill in her the idea that she should always put her younger brother first, and that everything she had was given to her by him.

As for the younger brother, it's a different story. In short, it boils down to one sentence: Don't take her, your older sister, too seriously.

On the surface, the cheap mother-in-law succeeded.

She and her handsome younger brother have recently been putting on a show of feigned harmony while harboring deep-seated resentment, much to the delight of their stepmother.

An hour later, Shang Changge left the palace.

It was incredibly hot on the way back, so the first thing I did upon arriving at the manor was head straight for the bathhouse.

Qingyao and Zhuque each instructed a maid to serve them a bath, and another maid to bring them refreshing cold drinks and chilled fruits.

Half an hour later, at the Kunlun Palace.

Shang Changge and Ge You lay on the exceptionally spacious and comfortable rosewood couch, feeling the slight chill in the air cleansing their bodies and minds.

I pulled up the thin blanket, closed my eyes, and soon fell peacefully asleep.

At this moment, in the streets.

The news that the Empress Dowager's condition had worsened sparked much discussion among the people, with all sorts of opinions circulating.

Some say that the emperor, his concubine, two princes, and a princess died one after another within two years, and who knows what happened within the royal family, anyway, it's all about metaphysics.

The vast majority of ordinary people scoffed at this claim and refuted it:

"What do you mean, 'offended some god or ghost'? We mean Qingyan, no, the entire world!"

"Whenever a new emperor ascends the throne, aren't there always deaths in the royal family? They're just spouting nonsense, stirring up trouble wherever they can."

"Old Deng is right. Young people don't understand and just talk nonsense. How can you believe these mystical things?"

Didn't the Imperial Astronomical Bureau previously say that the Empress Dowager's illness was caused by the marriage between the Eldest Princess and the Grand General? Look at how things are now.

"The marriage between the eldest princess and the general has been called off for so long, yet the Empress Dowager is still ill as before."

"What illness? Old Bai, you didn't hear the whole story. Didn't the imperial edict stop being written back then? The Empress Dowager was poisoned. It was Consort Shu who poisoned her! She even spent a lot of money to bribe the Imperial Observatory to spread rumors and ruin the marriage between the Eldest Princess and the General."

The people discussed this matter, one after another, talking non-stop, and in the end, everyone shook their heads and sighed with regret:

The most unfortunate people in this affair, besides the Empress Dowager, were the Eldest Princess and the General. The Eldest Princess and the General were on such good terms back then!

The wedding preparations were all complete, and the big ceremony was just around the corner, but then this unexpected thing happened, ruining what should have been a perfect marriage. Tell me about it.

What a pity!