"Shang Yi has woken up!"

  She heard the excited shouts and slowly opened her eyes——

  Only to see a dozen palace maids and eunuchs kneeling around, holding bowls full of medicinal fragrance. Seeing her wake up, the maid in charge shouted out in surprise and delight.

  Morning dew slowly rises, black long hair hanging in front of chest, gentle breeze blows, floating like a fairy.

  Yu Yun heard the news and came in, seeing this scene -

  As if about to defy the wind and leave, it's so unreal and illusory.

  He let the crowd disperse and called out tentatively:

  "Xiao Chen..."

  She still hung her head, letting her hair float and cover her eyes.

  "Xiao Yun... I dreamed of him..."

  "I dreamed that I was still twelve or thirteen years old, riding a horse to a distant place, and telling Yuanxu: wait for me for three years, I want to fight side by side with you..."

  As if in a dream, she murmured: "How I wish this were just a dream... Turning back, Yuan Xu was still there waiting for me, we had agreed to drive out the Tartars together and bring peace to the world."

  She lifted her head, and tears finally burst out of her eyes——

  "He betrayed me! He finally betrayed our vows!"

  Those teardrops, like pearls, shone brightly, but ultimately fell to the ground and vanished.

  ****

  Yuan Qi heard the palace staff report that Shang Yi had already woken up, and he felt a wave of relief in his heart. He quickly walked in, but saw Chen Lu had already gotten up and was tidying up her appearance behind the screen, while Qu Yun stood guard outside with a worried expression.

  He was startled in his heart and rushed in, colliding head-on with the figure walking out from behind the screen.

  "Ah!"

  A soft cry, and Morning Dew, dressed in a palace gown with crossed collars, was knocked straight to the ground. Yuan Qi hastily helped her up.

  She raised her head and they faced each other.

  Yuan Qi only saw her wearing a pale blue gauze shirt, her face was pale and almost transparent, weak and unable to withstand the wind. When she saw herself, she didn't show any fear, but just slightly narrowed her eyes, that expression, without evil and charming, made people's hearts beat faster.

  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; fortunately, he didn't know the true meaning behind this gaze.

  He lifted up Chenlu, but did not let go, and carried her in his arms, amidst the maids' cries of alarm, gently placing her on the bed.

  "I heard you were better and rushed to visit, only to bump into this - quickly call the imperial physician!" The second half of the sentence was spoken to the panicked palace maid.

  "It's just a slight collision, no big deal."

  "You've been severely injured by internal force, it's extremely perilous!"

  Yuan Qi frowned, his worried emotions overflowing: "You were too reckless that day, and the envoy's words were provocative. I have my own way of dealing with him, and giving you an outlet for your anger - but you're also too hot-headed!"

  Morning dew lightly smiled: "I'm not for myself, but I am the mighty Tian Chao, how can I be humiliated by such a person!"

  The last sentence is decisive in meaning, and its momentum can be seen.

  Yuanyu's eyebrows twitched, and he gazed at her with a newfound sense of familiarity - all these days, he had only heard the gentle cooing of women, their soft and delicate voices, all vying for his favor, but where could he have heard such a voice like gold and stone?

  What a woman the world has!

  Every time, she made him feel amazed...

  He laughed heartily, a young emperor of just twenty years old, with a majestic and vigorous appearance.

  "This great victory of yours is truly a relief for Us. They thought We had no great generals outside and no masterminds within... what a joke!"

  Yuan Qi recalled the shock and shame of the Tartar envoy on that day, and in his heart he only felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

  He ascended to the throne at just ten years old, and the court's famous generals were dwindling. Relying on the private soldiers of several vassal kings and the sudden rise of Zhou Jun's heterodox army, they barely managed to repel the Tartar troops - during the peace talks, they had to give away a staggering amount of gold, silver, silk, and satin, which made the ten-year-old emperor feel extremely humiliated.

  "It's only you who dares to openly confront the Tartars, those civil and military leaders, upon hearing the word 'Tartar', are like rats seeing a cat."

  He sighed sarcastically.

  "There are also ministers who aren't like that, on that day, the Minister of War Huang, wasn't he speaking loudly and boldly, wanting to 'display the Khan's head to the whole world'?"

  "Do you believe what he said?"

  Yuanyu couldn't believe his ears at first, but when he saw Chenlu smiling and trembling with laughter, he realized he had been tricked.

  "Your Majesty spares his life. This Mr. Huang has admirable aspirations, but when it comes to fighting wars, it's better for scholars not to get involved!"

  After Morning Dew smiled, she said very refreshingly.

  Yuan Qi thought it was strange, not to mention the current dynasty, but in all previous dynasties, the status of scholars had always been above that of military generals. Many scholars emphasized the importance of "entering as a general and exiting as a prime minister", believing that their advice could turn the tide of battle. In this dynasty, there were even those who used Zhou Yu's example to make a point, thinking that these military generals did not understand the great principles of the sages and had no one to restrain them, which is why they became so arrogant today.

  Under such a one-sided public opinion, Chenlu actually thinks that scholars "shouldn't get involved in fighting"?

  He was amazed in his heart, after a round of questioning, Chenlu just smiled and refused to say anything else.

  She hastily added: "I'm just a woman, how can I dare to discuss state affairs? What I said earlier was just nonsense, if it made you smile, that's all the merit I need."

  Such a strange woman, Yuan Qi couldn't help but think of her weak body and bid farewell.

  Chenlu looked around and saw that the objects in the bedroom were dusty, and three shifts of palace staff took turns to attend to her. Only after asking did she learn that this was the idle Bimonth Palace, and the emperor, fearing that there would not be enough personnel in the small courtyard, had specially moved her here.

  Xiaogongnu spoke endlessly, and Yanxiang said: "The emperor is really good to Shangyidian. You fainted for a day and night, and he came to visit you several times, looking like he hadn't slept at all!"

  Morning dew smiled without speaking, waiting for everyone to leave before softly saying: "Really? Yuan Xiu in those years, wasn't he also treating me as his only precious treasure..."

  Facing the magnificent palace, she smiled with sorrow and melancholy.

  "In this world, true and false hearts, I've grown tired of distinguishing between them..."

  "I'd rather owe the whole world than let one person harm me!"

  ****

  Morning dew body is not healed, there are all kinds of gifts, as well as the palace concubines who came to comfort her, one after another.

  The bustling scene in front of the gate gradually subsided after the imperial physician moved out with the emperor's oral decree.

  There were several people, but they really couldn't stop him.

  First to rush into the room despite attempts to stop her was Mei Gui, who had already been promoted to a higher rank. She personally carried high-quality tonic and wept with tears streaming down her face: "Sister saved me from disaster last time, this time if something were to happen, little sister would truly be heartbroken..."

  She diligently served by his side, regardless of her recent childbirth and weak body.

  It was not easy to persuade the palace staff to leave her, and the second one who appeared was Qi Fei, who had been banned for a month and fined for three months. Mei Pin's miscarriage caused rumors, although it couldn't be said that she was the murderer, but she was also suspicious. Yuan Qi gave her a small punishment with the crime of "not being able to manage the harem", which made her lose face completely. Adding to this, Mei Guifei is now favored again, and her position as the first favored concubine is precarious.

  She was well-prepared this time and as soon as she entered the door, she bowed to Chen Luyu.

  "Shang Yi, I know that previously I have wronged you too much, and you probably don't have a good impression of me."

  She was unexpectedly sincere this time, a spoiled girl as she was.

  "It's not like that, actually, I really admire the true nature of the princess!"

  Ziqi thought she was just being polite, but unexpectedly Chenlu continued: "The emperor likes your true nature, so some spoiled behaviors of yours, you mustn't change."

  "Is Xiang Yi teasing me?!"

  Empress Qi's face was burning with anger: "Now the Emperor is extremely disappointed in me, and has been staying at Consort Mei's place all along. If I continue to be reckless, I will definitely provoke his great wrath!"

  Morning dew smiled, her smile was as beautiful as the dawn, her voice was sweet and seductive with a hint of mystery.

  "The emperor wants is exactly your nonsense, so he can balance the entire harem..."

  "He stayed at Mei Gui's place, just wanting to see if this newly discovered chess piece was useful or not..."

  "You don't want to end your life as a concubine, do you?"

  Ziqi felt that the girl's eyes were enchanting and alluring, evoking the deepest desires and ambitions in people's hearts.

  "I understand." She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, stood up and bowed: "Please instruct me, Lord Shangyi."

  "You may still make things difficult for anyone, especially the Empress, but don't go and disturb Consort Zhou."

  "Also, please give my regards to your respected father—"

  Ziqi's pupils constricted, and even if she was foolish, she knew that this was no longer a matter of the harem.

  "Harmony is better than fighting, and patience is better than haste." The girl said it with conviction.

  Watching her leave, Chenlu turned around and said to Qu Yun:

  "Look, Xiao Yun, a storm is brewing... Something earth-shattering is about to happen!"

  The girl's voice was filled with a carefree and wise tone, but in the depths of her eyes, that last hint of warmth had already disappeared.