The noble girl is beautiful.

A day and a night had passed. The ministers loyal to Prince Duan were summoned to the inner palace for discussions, while the others remained detained in the Hall of Proclamation. The gathered officials exchanged glances, realizing the vast extent of Prince Duan’s influence. His supporters were embedded throughout the imperial court, from the Six Ministries to the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review.

Duke Qi sat in a sheltered corner as Shen Shuo returned with a pot of hot tea, pouring a cup for his father to warm himself.

From the inner palace, Changming emerged and respectfully approached Shen Shuo. “Master Shen, the prince requests your presence for the discussion.”

The officials’ expressions varied, but Shen Shuo remained calm. He set down the teapot, rose, and followed Changming inside.

Not long after, a soldier arrived with a food box containing steaming pastries and hot tea. He placed the box before Duke Qi, saying, “Please enjoy.”

Suddenly, Duke Qi became the center of attention, with many casting meaningful glances his way. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, he opened the box and shared the pastries with the others.

Some officials accepted and thanked him, while others, like Duke An, were disdainful. “Duke Qi, you’re playing both sides well—on one hand, aligning with the Crown Prince, and on the other, having your son support Prince Duan.”

Duke Qi remained unfazed. “So now I’m not being called a traitor?”

Inside the inner palace, Ji Zhuo was using the emperor’s desk to draft an imperial edict. The emperor had suffered a stroke and could no longer manage state affairs, so he was abdicating in favor of the Crown Prince. Given the Crown Prince’s frailty, Prince Duan was appointed as the regent to oversee the government.

This decree caused an uproar among the officials.

Minister Yao was the first to object, saying, “This is the perfect opportunity to ascend the throne immediately. Delay will only lead to complications!”

Other officials disagreed, arguing, “Usurping the throne would damage your reputation. Acting gradually will preserve the Crown Prince’s good name. Moreover, many senior officials detest the idea of a coup. Appointing Prince Duan as regent might quell their anger and win them over in time.”

Some, like Duke Qi and Shen Shuo, remained silent, following only Prince Duan’s orders.

Standing at the desk, Ji Zhuo wrote on the yellow silk with red ink in one fluid motion. After a moment, he set down the brush and ordered Changming to seal the decree.

“Your Highness, please reconsider!” some officials urged.

“Everyone,” he finally spoke, addressing the gathered ministers, “I have made my decision. There’s no need for further persuasion.”

The room fell silent, and no one spoke again.

They watched as the imperial seal, passed down for generations, was pressed onto the silk with a dull thud. With that sound, everything was settled.

Ji Zhuo smiled slightly. “Next, it will be time to reward all of you.”

Suddenly, the officials were excited, forgetting the earlier debate over whether Prince Duan should ascend the throne. Now, securing more rewards was the priority.

Duke An and others watched as the ministers emerged from the inner palace, straightening their robes and looking invigorated.

Shen Yourong hid by the side of the hall, watching Ji Zhuo slowly ascend the Hall of Proclamation. A trembling eunuch stood beside him, holding the imperial edict.

The contents of the decree surprised many. Some of the emperor’s loyal ministers cursed him for his treachery. However, when they heard he wasn’t proclaiming himself emperor, many chose to bide their time.

No one was more eager than Duke An, who immediately recognized the decree’s legitimacy and knelt faster than Duke Qi could believe. Without Prince Duan, the throne would likely pass to the Seventh Prince. Now, even though it was obvious the new emperor was merely a puppet, Duke An’s daughter was assuredly the empress, and their family remained the most prominent in the capital.

Ji Zhuo didn’t comment on Duke An’s pragmatism. Instead, he dealt with the emperor’s loyal ministers harshly, executing or exiling them, making it clear that even without the title of emperor, he held absolute power over life and death.

The ministers knelt and paid homage to the regent. Ji Zhuo stood above them, his power overwhelming.

Was he really the emperor’s son? Even the late emperor couldn’t be sure. He would rather be a lifelong rebel than have any connection to the emperor.

With everything settled, his gaze met Shen Yourong’s. She was the only one inside or outside the hall who hadn’t knelt.

He smiled at her, but it was as if he bore a heavy burden, making her heart ache. She couldn’t help but feel sorrow for him, finally realizing that his plain robes were, in fact, mourning clothes.

The palace guards withdrew, and the court officials, along with the noblewomen delayed in the rear palace due to the rituals, began to leave the palace.

Prince Duan kept Shen Shuo behind, so Duke Qi also stayed.

In the inner palace, Shen Yourong, wearing a cloak, stepped out. When Shen Ying saw her, he was shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“Yesterday, the Noble Consort ordered me into the palace, and as soon as I entered, I was detained by the emperor’s men,” she replied.

Shen Shuo frowned slightly, looking at Ji Zhuo. They exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Shen Ying quickly went to her side and asked, “Were you hurt?”

She shook her head.

As for why the emperor had her detained, everyone present knew except for Shen Ying. But as a long-time senior official, even without knowing the details, he could guess that it was related to Prince Duan.

He sighed inwardly, wondering how both his children had become entangled with Prince Duan.

Changming personally escorted them out of the palace, where Du Juan was waiting. Upon seeing Shen Yourong, she cried out, “Miss, where did you go? You scared me to death!”

Shen Yourong reassured her, “It’s over now, don’t worry.”

Shen Ying turned to Changming and said, “Thank you.”

Changming quickly replied, “You’re too kind, my lord!”

With that, they all boarded the carriage to return home. The old lady and others had returned earlier and had already taken care of the household affairs. As soon as Shen Ying entered the house, his face darkened, and he said to Shen Yourong and Shen Shuo, “Come to the study, I have questions for you.”

Shen Shuo responded, “Father, if you have questions, ask me. My sister has been through a lot and narrowly escaped with her life; let her rest first.”

Seeing Shen Yourong’s pale face, Shen Ying softened and said, “You may go rest.”

Shen Yourong curtsied and headed towards the rear courtyard.
In the study, before Shen Ying could press him, Shen Shuo confessed everything about siding with Prince Duan. He did not mention the mutual affection between Shen Yourong and Ji Zhuo but explained how the prince had noticed her during the educational sessions held at their residence, which led to a series of events.

Shen Ying remained silent, lamenting internally. First, Ji Chengyao came to their residence for studies and ended up wooing Shen Qingyan, and now another, Ji Zhuo, had his eyes on Shen Yourong.

“We’ve brought wolves into our home, truly brought wolves in!”

Shen Shuo listened to his father’s muttering, keeping his head down in submission. Suddenly, a steward entered and announced, “Lord Guogong, there’s someone here from Prince Duan’s side.”

Both Shen Ying and Shen Shuo paused, but while Shen Shuo remained calm, Shen Ying was visibly apprehensive.

“What’s the matter?”

Behind Changming, an old physician followed. He greeted Shen Ying politely and said, “The prince is concerned that the young lady may have been frightened in the palace, so he has sent Imperial Physician Xu to check on her. If she is resting now, it’s no matter—Physician Xu can stay in the residence until he can see her and then report back to the prince.”

Shen Ying and Shen Shuo exchanged a glance, but neither said a word.

It was only the first day of Ji Zhuo holding power, and he was already making no attempt to hide his intentions toward the Shen family.

Shen Shuo let out a faint scoff but maintained a calm expression. He said, “The prince is considerate.”

He then instructed someone to ensure that the physician was well taken care of.

This interruption ended Shen Ying’s long sighing. He suddenly felt both mentally and physically exhausted. He thought that before the physician could see his daughter, he might need to call a doctor for himself first.

In the palace, the old emperor had suffered a stroke and was now unconscious, only kept alive through care for basic needs. In the Eastern Palace, the crown prince had finally been stabilized after several days of treatment at the Imperial Hospital, narrowly escaping death.

The crown prince was pitiful. Upon waking, not only did he find himself legless from his severe injuries, but he also discovered that the palace had undergone a dramatic shift. Although he had become emperor, the situation disgusted him more than not ascending to the throne at all.

Inside the bedchamber, the crown princess and Shen Qingyan stood outside the inner room, watching Crown Prince Ji Chengyao lose his mind on the bed. The room was filled with kneeling palace maids and eunuchs.

Ji Chengyao’s eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled. A once-noble crown prince now resembled a mad, evil spirit. Shen Qingyan, seeing this, felt terrified.

She struggled to conceal her emotions, but Ji Chengyao noticed her fear. He glared at her intensely, shouting, “What are you afraid of?! I am the crown prince! One above all, and second to none!”

She took a step back, which provoked him further. “Come here! Come here! I said, come here!”

She dared not approach, so he grabbed a porcelain pillow from the bed and hurled it toward her. She pulled the crown princess aside, and the pillow shattered before them.

The crown princess was pale and shaken. Shen Qingyan whispered, “Perhaps we should leave for now.”

Lu Yanzhi hesitated but then said, “No, I will stay here to care for the crown prince.”

She turned to Shen Qingyan, whose expression remained tense, and added, “Sister Qingyan, you should go. I will stay with the crown prince.”

Shen Qingyan didn’t argue, nodding as she quickly made her exit. Standing at the door, she turned to look back into the room. Inside, it seemed like a wild beast was locked up, with continuous howls and shouts coming from within.

She vividly recalled their first meeting in the Eastern Garden, by the flower gate, where someone had gently plucked a magnolia flower.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not take another glance.

Before the New Year, the new emperor ascended the throne. The old emperor proclaimed himself retired emperor, while the lady Shu and lady Li consorts became the Dowagers. The Seventh Prince was given the title of Jin Wang and sent to his fiefdom along with the two dowagers. In the new emperor’s harem, Lu Yanzhi was crowned empress, while Shen Qingyan became Consort Shen. The rest of the concubines were only given lesser titles like Beauty or Talented Lady.

The edict was sent to Ji Zhuo. Upon reviewing it, he made one slight adjustment, elevating Shen Qingyan to the rank of Noble Consort Shen.

Shen Ying was fully aware that this was Ji Zhuo giving face to the Shen family out of regard for Shen Yourong.

The changes in the imperial court were far more drastic. Ji Zhuo executed a group of officials, promoted another group, and practically revamped the entire system. As the new year approached, Wei Xiliang accused the late emperor of being foolish and declared the accusations against the Cheng’en Marquis’ household a miscarriage of justice.

Ji Zhuo ordered a thorough investigation, which ultimately vindicated the Cheng’en Marquis’ household, trampling the Taishang Huang’s reputation into the mud. This sent a clear message to the court: the authority of the Taishang Huang was waning, and Ji Zhuo’s position as regent was becoming increasingly unshakable.

At the beginning of the new year, the new emperor changed the reign title to Zhaoning, ushering in a new era.