Empress Dowager Zhang narrowed her eyes and smiled meaningfully.

"It's in a man's nature to be fickle and easily bored."

"When the Empress was your age, she was also a beautiful woman loved by everyone."

"None of the young ladies in your generation can compare to her."

A hint of resentment flashed in the young lady's eyes.

The empress was beautiful, but she was like a puppet, with a perpetually faint smile on her face, devoid of any human warmth.

They appear friendly, but beneath the surface lies a deep sense of alienation.

I doubt any man would truly like that, right?

At this point, Empress Dowager Zhang took a deep breath and clenched her molars.

She gradually pieced together the truth later.

It turns out that both the late emperor and Crown Prince Lu Xingjian had fallen for that vile woman, Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan was truly beautiful back then, like a flower bud about to bloom.

She looks like a beautiful woman just standing there, attracting everyone's attention.

But so what?

Time flies and ages us all.

Now Su Wanwan is so thin that she's just skin and bones, and she looks lifeless. She's nothing like a fresh and vibrant fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.

The emperor hasn't stepped into Kunning Palace for over a month now, and I heard that today he was flirting with other young ladies in front of the empress.

Even if you eat your favorite dish for half a year, you'll get tired of it.

In other words, Su Wanwan was foolish; she couldn't tolerate Ma Ji and planted a thorn in the emperor's heart.

Instead, it made Ma Ji the emperor's unattainable white moonlight, while the empress was portrayed as a jealous, despicable, and ugly character.

How could a man possibly like her again?

Since Maggie could catch his eye and capture his heart, there were younger and prettier girls who could charm him.

As the Empress Dowager, all she had to do was quietly make arrangements and wait for the prince to be born.

...

Su Wanwan barely slept all night.

The next morning, I woke up with dark circles under my eyes, making them appear even larger.

She has children, and she has to create a safe haven for them.

When she was no longer the only woman in the harem, those sharp and malicious gazes would not be focused on her alone.

Su Wanwan had someone summon Zhang Yong.

"I need to find a tutor for Yan'er. I would like to trouble you, my lord, to recommend a few good candidates."

Zhang Yong was extremely indifferent.

He glanced indifferently at Yan Ge'er, who was leaning against Su Wanwan.

The child's eyebrows and eyes bear some resemblance to Su Wanwan's.

Yan Ge'er was so frightened that he hid in Su Wanwan's arms.

Su Wanwan gently patted Yan Ge'er's back and softly comforted him, telling him not to be afraid.

Zhang Yong frowned and said:

"The young master's identity is unclear, so it is not appropriate for him to live in the palace, let alone to invite famous teachers to teach him as a prince."

These words were extremely harsh, showing absolutely no tolerance for Yan Ge'er.

Su Wanwan patted Yan Ge'er's head, not taking it to heart, and smiled calmly:

“He was originally just an adopted son of mine, and I never thought of asking those Hanlin scholars to teach him as a prince.”

"I am but a woman, and Zhang Daban is in charge of my safety when I come and go in the palace. It is always more reassuring to ask you to recommend a reliable person than to ask someone else."

Zhang Yong's eyes narrowed slightly.

A woman who has just had a miscarriage, unable to receive her husband's affection, and instead devotes her energy to her adopted son, is truly pitiful.

Especially a beautiful and eye-catching woman like Su Wanwan.

Her beauty is not aggressive in any way.

Her demeanor exudes a tranquility and gentleness that makes one want to protect her.

She never flaunts her charm, and her dark circles are so obvious, yet she always manages to attract people's attention unintentionally.

Despite being an empress of noble status, she was so humble and sincere.

It seems they never treated him as a lowly servant or eunuch, but rather as a trustworthy elder.

Even though this trust may contain a hint of currying favor, it still makes one feel highly respected.

Zhang Yong was castrated and entered the palace at a young age. At the age of ten, he served in the Qianqing Palace of Emperor Xianzong, a higher starting point than most eunuchs.

This also fostered a mindset that was both insecure and arrogant.

Strive to do your best in everything and have extremely high standards for yourself.

However, due to her physical disability and the humiliating self-designation as a "slave," she lived a life of repression and inner turmoil.

Outside, he was a general whom everyone revered and worshipped, and who commanded the capital's army.

Upon returning to the palace, he had to perform the kneeling ceremony, address his masters as a servant, and dare not make the slightest mistake.

This separation of identities creates a very contradictory psychology.

Of course, he was always extremely respectful and never dared to be negligent in front of the ruthless Emperor Lu Xingjian.

But in front of Su Wanwan, this gentle and harmless woman, he often inadvertently revealed a sharp and unapproachable aura.

Now, his feelings of inferiority and pride are both satisfied, making it impossible for him to say no.

"This servant will keep an eye on this matter. However, there have been unusual celestial phenomena recently, so please be patient, Your Highness, and wait a few more days."

Su Wanwan smiled gently, her eyes clear and bright.

That smile seemed to melt away the frost and soften the air.

"Thank you for your help, Zhang Daban. I await your news."

Zhang Yong paused for a moment, then took his leave.

She always used the honorific "you" (您).

He Ying respectfully handed over a food box: "These are snacks that Her Majesty prepared for the eldest servant."

The empress tried to please a eunuch.

Zhang Yong's cold gaze fell on the carved mother-of-pearl food box.

She may have had ambitions.

She was simply not capable enough; she couldn't even hold onto the powerful weapon that the emperor himself handed to her, and it was snatched away by someone else.

Falsely faking a pregnancy to gain favor was foolish and also annoyed the emperor.

A weak, helpless, and foolish woman.

He desperately wanted to find someone to rely on.

Instead of using gold or silver to bribe them, they used a small plate of snacks.

Is she so certain that he is a person who values ​​loyalty over personal gain?

Zhang Yong lowered his eyes slightly and reached out to take the food box.

He Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and watched Zhang Yong leave.

As expected of a general commanding the capital's army, his aura of chilling menace was almost tangible.

It made people afraid to even breathe.

Despite his cold demeanor, the Emperor was always unintentionally playful and carefree when he was with the Empress.

Like a tamed tiger, he nestled beside the Empress, waiting for her to scratch his belly.

Zhang Yong's indifference is chilling and terrifying, as if he were talking to you one moment and could cut off your head without blinking the next.

Crane Shadow shook its head.

I made a foolish mistake again.

How could the Emperor be someone who could recruit a character like Zhang Yong without suffering a backlash?

The sunlight outside Kunning Palace was blinding, and the air was frigid.

Zhang Yong squinted slightly and looked up at the sky.

Venus was clearly visible in the azure sky.

"When Venus is seen in the daytime, it signifies the death of the emperor."

Venus was visible during the day in May, and now, five months later, such an ominous celestial phenomenon has appeared again.

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Yong's eyes as he went to Xiaoyuan.

Lu Xingjian was sitting in a chair, lazily watching the girl in red dance with her sword in front of him.

Upon seeing Zhang Yong approach, he gave a half-smile and asked, "Do you look familiar?"

Zhang Yong paused for a moment, then offered a fair comment:

"She does resemble Miss Ma somewhat."

At this time last year, Miss Ma was a very popular and sought-after person in the palace, and the emperor doted on her to an extreme degree.

But after only a year, Miss Ma married someone else.