When Liu Changqing heard Court Lady Qiu say that Her Majesty didn’t want to see him, he glanced towards the palace, then said to Court Lady Qiu, “Then I’ll have to trouble Court Lady Qiu to look after Her Majesty.”


  Court Lady Qiu hastily curtsied. “That is this servant’s duty.”


  Liu Changqing glanced towards the palace one last time before turning to leave.

  Court Lady Qiu walked into the palace and said to Ning Shu, “Your Majesty, the phoenix empress has left.”


  Ning Shu asked, “What did he come for?”


  “He seemed to have come to bring Your Majesty soup.” Court Lady Qiu had noticed that Liu Changqing was holding a food box, but then he left with it.

  Ning Shu: …


  It was soup again? If she had drank all the nourishing soup that Liu Changqing brought, who knows how over-nourished she’d end up? It was possible that she’d fall even more ill since the tonic was too strong for her currently weak body to handle.

  However, Ning Shu had a feeling that Liu Changqing was probably here as a test to see if there was something wrong with her body.

  In any case, Ning Shu was very much on guard against Liu Changqing and Mu Xue, this pair of father and daughter.

  “Your Majesty, today is the fifteenth,” said Court Lady Qiu.

  So what if it was the fifteenth? As of now, she was in so much pain that walking was like stepping on swords, how could she possibly go to Phoenix Perch Palace? It’d be so painful that she’d rather just ram her head against a wall.

  Even a blind person would be able to notice that something was off about her. Ning Shu reminded Court Lady Qiu again. “Pay close attention to the people below and make sure not to let anything spill.”


  “This servant will pay attention.” Court Lady Qiu saw that Ning Shu’s clothes were completely drenched by sweat, so she hastily went to prepare hot water so that she could wash up.

  That night, a servant from Phoenix Perch Palace came over to invite Ning Shu and ask if she was going to Phoenix Perch Palace, but Court Lady Qiu directly said that Her Majesty was busy with court matters so she wouldn’t be going.

  The servant returned to tell Liu Changqing that Her Majesty wouldn’t be visiting Phoenix Perch Palace today. When Liu Changqing heard this news, he pressed his lips together, then said, “Then let’s rest.”


  The next day, when Ning Shu arrived at court and saw Mu Xue, she picked up a memorial and threw it straight at Mu Xue.

  Mu Xue was taken aback and froze, so she ended up being hit straight on the forehead so hard that she started bleeding.

  Mu Xue touched her forehead. When she saw the trace of red on her fingers, a dark expression flashed across her face. However, she quickly knelt down with her head lowered and said fearfully, “This subject daughter doesn’t understand why Imperial Mother is angry.”


  “Your Majesty, please quell your anger!” All the ministers knelt down.

  “Open the memorial and read it. Crown Prince, as the heir apparent to this nation, you’re actually keeping so many male mistresses outside? What exactly are you doing!? As the crown prince, you should always be prudent. Could it be that you want the entire nation to think that the crown prince is a licentious person!?”


  “Do you even want your status as the heir anymore?” said Ning Shu coldly. “You’re keeping so many mistresses, the sounds of vice are even bothering the neighbors!”


  Mu Xue’s handsome brows were tightly furrowed as she picked up the memorial on the ground and opened it. The memorial accused her of being extremely licentious and secretly keeping a lot of mistresses, a behavior that went against the calmness and prudence that a crown prince should have.

  Ning Shu looked at Mu Xue coldly. “What do you have to say for yourself?”


  “This subject daughter…” Mu Xue’s expression was complicated. Those men weren’t her mistresses, they were talents that she had found. Why would she mess with mistresses? Mu Xue felt like she had just stepped in shit.

  Mu Xue couldn’t understand how she had ended up being accused of misconduct? As of disturbing the neighbors, those people probably wouldn’t do something that dumb.

  Mu Xue glanced at the aloof emperor, then gave up on refuting. “This subject daughter has erred.”


  “If you know that you’ve erred, change. How are we supposed to hand this country over to you without worries when you’re like this? Send those mistresses back to wherever you found them. Make sure they don’t appear in Daylily City again.” Ning Shu felt like all the bones in her body were about to be crushed. She practically had to force her voice out through the gaps in her teeth and her entire body was covered with sweat.