"Jun Xiaoqiao, if you're so capable, go and say those words to Shen Jinchen yourself, and see if he doesn't kill you. He's the emperor now, you need to watch your words, understand?"
Cen Xi laughed in anger. This woman, she didn't know where she stood, she couldn't just say whatever she wanted, didn't she know that?
"I... I admit I spoke without thinking. So how do you suggest we resolve this? I'm willing to put up with this shit."
After Cen Xiyi reminded her, Jun Xiaoqiao realized that she had lost her temper and said the wrong thing, so her momentum weakened a bit.
"Isn't this perfect opportunity? Wen Qiheng has agreed to take a concubine, so you can leave now. You can freely seek out your handsome man in this vast world without any worries. What are you still hesitating about? You haven't fallen in love with him, have you? That would be terrible! Yesterday, I heard from Shen Jinchen that Wen Qiheng took the initiative to stand up and share the Emperor's burdens. Don't you think your infatuation has been misplaced?"
Cen Xi gave Jun Xiaoqiao a meaningful look, then mocked her with a strange smile.
"I... when did I fall in love? I was only attracted to his looks. You said he willingly helped Shen... to share the Emperor's burdens, so why did he say last night that the Emperor forced him on him?"
Upon hearing Cen Xi say that she had fallen for Wen Qiheng, Jun Xiaoqiao's eyes flickered with panic, then she immediately denied it, muttering to herself the question in her heart.
"Xiao Shunzi, you also went to the morning court yesterday. Tell the Prime Minister's wife what happened. Otherwise, she might think I'm just spouting nonsense."
Cen Xi glanced at the eunuchs waiting in the hall, yawned, and lazily asked him to answer the question.
Yesterday was too absurd; I didn't even get a proper bath before this woman rushed over today.
That empress's life must have been so tragic.
Shouldn't we establish rules for these noblewomen, prohibiting them from trespassing into the palace without permission?
But thinking about it, I decided against it. Apart from Jun Xiaoqiao, none of these noblewomen dared to act presumptuously in front of her.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's wife, yesterday it was the Prime Minister who voluntarily stepped forward to share the Emperor's burden and took away those ten foreign women. The Prime Minister also said that the Prime Minister's wife's household never takes her seriously, and it's perfectly normal for him to take a concubine to relieve his stress."
Xiao Shunzi glanced at the Empress's expression, then at the Prime Minister's wife's, and very tactfully recounted everything that had happened in court the previous day.
"Did you hear that? I told you not to act up, but you just have to. Men need to be coaxed. You've had your baby for six months now, and you still won't let anyone touch you. Even if I'm your man, I'm going to dump you."
Upon hearing Xiao Shunzi's words, Cen Xi smiled broadly, mocking her with schadenfreude.
"Wen Qiheng, well done!"
Jun Xiaoqiao was furious. She turned around and left, disappearing from the palace in a short while.
Seeing Jun Xiaoqiao rushing towards the Prime Minister's residence, Cen Xi's mood, which had been ruined by her early morning, immediately improved. Not only was it great, but she also laughed heartily.
After laughing enough, he couldn't help but grab the woman in green beside him and ask:
"Qingyi, tell me, what kind of trouble will this Prime Minister's wife cause when she gets home? How will Wen Qiheng torment her?"
"This servant does not know, but judging from this situation, a big fight is definitely in the works."
Qingyi didn't quite understand what her mistress found funny, but she still answered truthfully.
"I suspect that all of this is part of Wen Qiheng's cunning scheme, and someone will be in for a world of trouble soon."
"What you're trying to say is that the Prime Minister's wife clearly cares about the Prime Minister, but she's pretending not to care. She'll suffer when she gets back."
Before the woman in green could answer, the woman in red interrupted, laughing as she spoke.
"Red-clad is the best judge of all. Why don't we sneak out of the palace and go see a good show?"
Cen Xi looked at the woman in red with great interest.
"Isn't Your Highness supposed to go to the Imperial Women's Bureau for inspection today?"
Qingyi was truly impressed by the Empress's perverse sense of humor; instead of doing her proper duties, she was up to these petty thefts.
"I'll go to the National Women's Prison tomorrow. I've already slept until late morning, so I won't be able to handle much there. I might as well go out and have some fun. It's been a long time since anything has interested me. Now that I've come across something, how can I let it go?"
Cen Xi thought about Jun Xiaoqiao's usual arrogant and domineering manner, and how she enjoyed seeing her suffer. Today was definitely a good opportunity.
"Go! Your Highness, let's quickly freshen up and then set off. The court session is about to end, and if we wait until the Prime Minister returns to his residence, we'll miss it."
Hongyi readily agreed with Cenxi's request to go see the excitement, so she enthusiastically pulled her along to get ready.
"So, are we still going to take a shower?"
Qingyi remembered that Her Majesty the Empress always took a bath like this.
"I'm not washing it anymore, it's a waste of time. I'll soak it properly when I get back."
Cen Xi wore an excited smile, wishing she could fly out of the palace immediately.
The woman in green shook her head silently and stepped back to the side without saying a word.
Soon, the woman in red finished getting Cen Xi ready, and the two quietly left the palace. The woman in green sighed helplessly and followed them in a flash.
Upon returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Jun Xiaoqiao went straight to the main room and sat there with a sullen face, waiting for someone.
She wanted to wait until Wen Qiheng finished court so she could ask him why he had lied to her last night.
He even said he only loved her and that all the other women were just decorations. She should be damned if she believed him.
Fortunately, she held her ground last night and didn't let him into her room.
Fine! Since he asked for it himself, she'll give way to those women. But before she does, she needs to settle the score carefully.
Hmph, it's not like I can't live without him. Although the current court still has restrictions on women, thanks to Cen Xi, women can now support their families independently.
She already owns property from the Yuan family, so becoming a merchant wouldn't be bad for her.
Wen Qiheng should not even think about controlling her.
After waiting for a long time, it wasn't until noon that Wen Qiheng finally returned to his residence by carriage.
As soon as they returned to the manor, the gatekeeper informed Wen Qiheng of everything Xiao Qiao had done that morning.
Wen Qiheng didn't take it to heart. He curled his lips and slowly walked into the study. After putting down what he was carrying, he went to the main room to see the angry woman.
Upon seeing him appear, Jun Xiaoqiao jumped to her feet, glaring angrily.
"Why did you lie to me last night? You were the one who took the initiative to bring those women to the manor, so why are you telling me you forced them?"
"Please calm down. As a subject, I naturally had to stand up and share the burden for Your Majesty after yesterday's morning court session. Moreover, you kept saying you wanted to leave, but you never did, so I brought them back to test your intentions. As expected, you still disappointed me; you still didn't let me into your room."
"Yes, I understand what you mean, Madam. You can't force things. Here's what we'll do: I'll let you go. I'll write the divorce papers in a bit, and you can take them with you when you leave. But from now on, Yu'er will no longer be your son. The Wen family bloodline cannot be allowed to flow outside the family. This is an ancestral rule. Although I have deep feelings for you, Madam, I cannot go against this rule. Please don't make things difficult for me."
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