The engagement with the Sun family had already been agreed upon—only the formal betrothal remained. This wasn’t the modern age, where marriage and divorce were easily tossed around.

  In times like these, a single misstep could ruin a young woman’s entire life.

  And for the Zhao family, offending someone with real power could bring unimaginable consequences to the household.

  Had Zhao Dongshi thought of any of that?

  Selfish, shortsighted fool. He never once considered what this matter might mean for his elder sister—never considered how unstable her favor was at court, nor the fact that she remained childless. Could she alone shield the entire Zhao cn?

  “Soon, I’ll request His Majesty to assign the Zhao family a tutor. All the younger generation will begin their studies again—from the very start.” Wumian’s tone was firm. “A ck of education is one thing, but cking sense? That’s fatal.”

  Madame Qian blinked in confusion. “Ah?”

  “This is settled. When you return home, tell the family this is my will. He isn’t allowed to take much silver with him—only what’s in his own courtyard. Let him take what he wants from there, but no one is to give him more. And the wedding—don’t host it in the Zhao estate. What would the Sun family think? What would the censors and court officials say? Letting him marry quietly outside is already a kindness. Do you really think no memorials criticizing the Zhao family have reached His Majesty’s desk? He’s simply chosen to suppress them. Don’t mistake pity for protection. This—this is what’s truly good for him. If he comes to his senses in a few years, all the better.”

  The rest of the Zhao were, at the very least, sensible. That was something.

  “But... will His Majesty bme you for this?” Madame Qian asked anxiously.

  “His Majesty is a wise ruler. It won’t come to that,” Wumian replied. “But if this matter isn’t handled properly, it could dey Eldest Brother’s future.” Her voice softened slightly. Madame Qian, for all her tears and helplessness, did truly love her daughter.

  Madame Qian sighed. She had more than one son, and she couldn’t abandon the others for the sake of one fool. The Zhao cn had more than one grandson—they wouldn’t risk everything on him.

  Madame Qian stayed for lunch. As they ate, she mumbled awkwardly, “Don’t be angry, Your Majesty. He’s just a foolish brat.”

  “I’m not angry just because of him,” Wumian sighed. “The whole Zhao family feels like a bunch of newly rich upstarts.”

  True, the Zhao family held a noble title—but no one of real substance had come out of it. They lived entirely off the glory of their ancestors.

  Each generation weaker than the st.

  They’d once been humble, their reputation in the capital decent enough—though faded, they were neither rich nor powerful.

  But ever since Wumian became Empress, the entire family had started to float.

  And that simply wouldn’t do. She hadn’t thought it was a bad thing before—in fact, she believed she’d brought good fortune to the family.

  But if she let these arrogant, incompetent, and self-righteous people continue on like this, they were bound to stir up disaster.

  She only had to look at the Shen family’s blood-soaked downfall as a cautionary tale.

  After sending Madame Qian off, Wumian went to see the Emperor.

  Back in the past, whenever she came to the Taiji Pace, she would rarely see him. The Emperor was always busy—always "occupied" with something.

  But this time, she didn’t have to wait long before being invited in.

  “What brings the Empress here so suddenly?” Lou Yingqiong asked. “Didn’t your family just visit? Have they already left?”

  He had, as usual, sent over soup and tonics at noon.

  “They’ve left. I came to ask for Your Majesty’s help with something.”

  “Sit, let’s talk,” Lou Yingqiong gestured toward a nearby chair.

  Wumian sat down. “I would like Your Majesty’s help finding a good tutor for the Zhao family. Someone to guide our younger generation.”

  “Oh?” Lou Yingqiong raised an eyebrow. “And what kind of tutor does the Empress have in mind?”

  “Learning and schorship are secondary,” Wumian replied. “What they truly need is someone to teach them how to behave in the world—to understand propriety and consequences.”

  Lou Yingqiong looked at her with a mix of surprise and amusement. “That’s quite the request…”

  “Not too difficult, I hope?” she asked calmly.

  “If the Empress wishes it, then even the difficult must be done,” he said with a faint smile, rising to his feet. “I heard you had your fourth brother bring that common girl into the pace. What sort of appearance does she have?”

  He asked more out of curiosity than judgment.

  He wasn’t interested in the woman herself—he was far more curious about how Wumian had handled the matter.

  Wumian said, “Like a little white rabbit. She didn’t say much, just cried—looked as if I were the one bullying her.”

  Lou Yingqiong nodded knowingly.

  “She’s pregnant,” Wumian went on, her voice light and even. “So I agreed to let them marry. But they’ll be wed outside the estate. From now on, they can live their lives together. If their love is so true, let it withstand hardship. I doubt that woman fell for Zhao Dongshi’s title.”

  Her words floated in the air, calm yet barbed with subtle meaning.

  Lou Yingqiong found it even more amusing now—wasn’t everything she just said ced with irony?

  All that talk of love stronger than gold—wasn’t it just a man blinded by beauty and a drifting woman clinging to a new lifeline?

  “Empress certainly has a... distinctive approach to resolving matters,” Lou Yingqiong said, half in praise, half in jest.

  “Is Your Majesty truly complimenting me—or teasing me?” Wumian gave a bitter smile. “The younger generation in my family cks discipline. As the Empress, if I can’t set an example myself, how can I expect the other concubines to manage their own households?”

  “You’re absolutely right,” Lou Yingqiong nodded. “Of course, I was praising you. Don’t worry about the matter of the tutor—I’ll see to it. Your younger brothers are still young. They don’t understand much yet. Don’t waste your energy getting angry. Just teach them slowly.”

  “Yes. Then I shall take my leave—I won’t trouble Your Majesty further.” Wumian rose to her feet.

  “So the Empress really pns to use me and leave?” Lou Yingqiong caught her hand with a smile.

  “There’s still a mountain of memorials on Your Majesty’s desk,” Wumian replied calmly. “Please finish your work first. If you’re done early, I’ll be waiting at Fengyi Pace. If not, perhaps an early rest would be best, wouldn’t it?”

  She had no interest in staying here—sleeping in a room that wasn’t hers meant waking up far too early.

  And it wasn’t as if her own massive Fengyi Pace, with its vast halls and private chambers, wasn’t good enough. Was she supposed to come here just to accommodate the Emperor’s whims, only to rise at dawn and hurry back?

  She was the Empress, after all—was she meant to live like she was just another concubine?

  The Emperor’s body may be tempting, fragrant, and warm, but Wumian’s stance was clear: she was not going to suffer just for a taste of meat.

  “Well then,” Lou Yingqiong chuckled, finally letting go, “since the Empress is so virtuous and considerate, I suppose I must yield.”

  Wumian smiled at him. “Then may Your Majesty diligently govern and bring blessings to the people. I shall take my leave.”

  With a graceful curtsey, she turned and walked away. Lou Yingqiong watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from view, then finally looked away.

  “The Empress these days... is quite interesting,” he remarked.

  Lu Zhong gave a sycophantic smile. “Indeed, Your Majesty. In the past, Her Majesty was still very young.”

  “Heh... true. Even now, she’s only nineteen.” Lou Yingqiong shook his head with a faint smile and picked up a memorial. “Not long ago, she scolded me—said I never yielded to her.”

  Lu Zhong wisely kept his head down and said nothing.

  In his mind, the Emperor’s attitude toward the Empress had certainly changed. Perhaps it wasn’t affection just yet, but it was no longer cold and indifferent. At the very least, when the Empress requested an audience today, His Majesty hadn’t hesitated to receive her.

  Ah, the harem was ever-changing. Who knew when the central pace might grow lively again?

  Word of the Empress visiting the Emperor quickly spread throughout the inner court, though no one managed to find out the details.

  Fengyi Pace, ever since Wumian’s arrival, had quietly dismissed several people. Now, the pce was tightly guarded. As for the Emperor’s side, if he didn’t want something known, no one would dare spread it.

  It was clear to the concubines: no one dared casually inquire what the Empress had done. The matter seemed minor, but if someone dug too deep and caused trouble, they’d only invite disaster.

  That night, the Emperor did indeed arrive.

  Wumian wasn’t surprised in the least. She set her book aside and rose to greet him.

  The sky had only just darkened. He had clearly already eaten.