Ma Yongcheng asked nervously, "Should we spread the news and say that the Empress is interfering in politics to divert public attention?"

Liu Jin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "No need. A little warning is fine, but there's no need to tear things apart."

"After all, it was the Emperor himself who personally approved the rejection of the memorial requesting double compensation."

The Emperor allowed the Empress to live in Xiaoyuan Garden, which shows that he still likes and cares about her very much.

If he were to target the Empress, the Emperor would certainly mind.

If we reprimand them, it will be counterproductive.

Instead of targeting the Empress, it would be better to give the Su family a warning.

...

Su Wanwan asked He Jin to keep an eye on the affairs of the previous dynasty. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that the double compensation case had finally been settled.

She usually kept a low profile and dared not offend these powerful eunuchs, for fear of causing a backlash.

I wonder where Lu Xingjian is, and whether he is safe and well.

He's so tight-lipped; he won't utter a single word to her.

Ultimately, it's because I didn't trust her enough.

Su Wanwan grumbled inwardly, but dared not show it on her face.

The rumor that "if Venus appears in broad daylight, the emperor will die" especially alarmed her.

She didn't want to be a widow again.

What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

Su Wanwan didn't sleep well all night, dreaming of Lu Xingjian being chased and in danger.

When Su Wanwan woke up in the morning, she looked tired and had obvious dark circles under her eyes.

Seeing this, Heying brought over a set of new clothes and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty, this is a new dress that was delivered by the Bureau of Needlework yesterday. They said that His Majesty specifically instructed them to make it according to Your Majesty's measurements."

The clothes are actually very simple and ordinary.

The sky-blue jacket was only embroidered with a few gold threads on the collar and hem, and underneath it was a jasmine-white waist-length ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

The material is lightweight and breathable.

Even before you put it on, you can feel the refreshing scent wafting towards you.

Seeing Su Wanwan staring blankly at the clothes without saying a word, He Ying advised:

"His Majesty is also very attentive to Your Majesty. Your Majesty must not be so petty in the future and push people away."

Su Wanwan let out a sigh of frustration: "What good intentions? He just saw that Yanruo was dressed nicely and didn't get enough of looking at her."

So Baba made this outfit for her.

He Ying hadn't considered this, and her expression turned somewhat embarrassed:

"That's not quite right. Just because the princess has worn this color doesn't mean others can't wear it either."

Su Wanwan snorted: "The last dress he made for me was a bright red one, the color Maggie usually wears."

He Ying's brow twitched violently, and she said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, you are overthinking it."

"What do you mean, 'overthinking'? After I put it on, he glanced at it a few times and then made me take it off. There's no need to make things difficult for me." Su Wanwan's tone was not very friendly.

He Ying covered her mouth and laughed: "This servant clearly saw that His Majesty's eyes were wide open."

"Meng Yue also took a few more glances when he came in. The Emperor even glared at him, which is why he made you change, for fear that if the Empress dressed too beautifully, others would see it."

Su Wanwan paused.

Bright red is too flashy, so she rarely wears it.

She probably wore it when she was fifteen, at the time of her coming-of-age ceremony, and when she married Xu Peng'an.

As for her wedding to Lu Xingjian, she wore a blue-based kimono and never wore bright red.

Later, because Maggie always wore red, she began to dislike the color.

Seeing the new red clothes that he had specially prepared for him, he naturally didn't give him a pleasant look.

I always feel like there's someone else's shadow in my clothes.

He Ying's words did enlighten her.

Su Wanwan's eyes flickered, and she said:

"Then you should put it away for now and wear it when the Emperor returns."

“That’s right. Women dress up for those who appreciate them. Your Majesty should also put more effort into making the Emperor happy,” He Ying advised at the opportune moment.

She could tell how worried the Empress was these past few days, with the Emperor away and the celestial rumors circulating.

Unfortunately, he never backs down during arguments, giving others an opening.

"We'll see," Su Wanwan replied absentmindedly.

To cover up her dark circles, Su Wanwan put on makeup, which was unusual for her.

When I got ready to leave, it was a quarter of an hour later than usual.

To avoid being late for Jingtianzhai, they took a shortcut, cutting through a small path near Anletang.

Anle Hall was a place in the palace where dying eunuchs and palace maids were settled. It was an inauspicious place, and people usually avoided it.

Su Wanwan and Lu Xingjian are of high status, so they would naturally not pass by such places normally.

Across the street, two eunuchs were carrying a blood-covered person toward Anle Hall.

Upon seeing Su Wanwan and her group approaching, the two young servants were so frightened that they threw the person on the ground and fled in a panic.

Su Wanwan sent someone forward to check.

The palace servant reported back with a bloodstained leopard-print bronze plaque: "This is what that person was clutching. That person is barely clinging to life, and I'm afraid his chances of survival are slim."

Su Wanwan's pupils contracted sharply.

The leopard-print bronze token... was a token held by Lu Xingjian's secret confidants who frequented Xiaoyuan. It was extremely rare, and few outsiders knew about it.

Could it be that something really happened to Lu Xingjian?!

She immediately ordered the imperial physician to examine the man covered in blood, determined to extract information from him.

Su Wanwan instructed them to return to Xiaoyuan.

He Ying advised her, "Your Majesty, don't panic."

"The more critical the moment, the more we need to remain calm."

Su Wanwan took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he was much calmer: "Put your carriage at Jing Tian Zhai, He Ying, take the person back and treat him properly."

The people waiting in Jingtianzhai, who had been discussing and feeling uneasy, quieted down when they saw Su Wanwan appear on time.

The negative impact of the rumors has been largely mitigated.

In particular, Su Wanwan's unchanging attire and calm, composed demeanor gave them great confidence.

"If the Emperor were truly in trouble, would the Empress remain so calm? The rumors are far too unreliable."

"That's right, haven't you heard? The Emperor even ordered the Imperial Seal Workshop to make several new outfits for the Empress."

"It seems that now that Ma Ji is pregnant, the Emperor has turned his attention back to the Empress."

"Alas, if Her Majesty the Empress does not conceive, I'm afraid she might not be able to defeat Ma Ji."

"That's right, whoever is the first to give birth to a child and is made crown prince will be the true future empress."

Public opinion gradually shifted from the "loss of the emperor" to the competition between the empress and Consort Ma for the emperor's favor.

Su Wanwan forced herself to handle palace affairs, and it wasn't until lunchtime that Heying returned.

He Ying smiled and reassured her, "Your Majesty, please don't worry."

"It concerns the southern provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi."

She didn't see the person she had rescued earlier that day until she returned to Xiaoyuan that evening.

This was an unfamiliar eunuch, heavily wounded, carrying a token from Wei Yun, the eunuch in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi.

“This servant, Zhang Ju, is an attendant of the eunuch Wei Yun. I was ordered to accompany the ship to escort the silver back to the capital.”

"Twenty days ago, the silver transport ships were intercepted by bandits. The guards protecting the silver were either killed or fled, and the silver was looted."

“I have been a good swimmer since I was a child. I escaped by hiding in the water with the corpse.”