Zong Zhengjin returned to the palace after the morning court session, his mood visibly somewhat irritable. Back in the Zichen Hall, he had no heart to review the memorials.

  "Your Majesty, why dont we go to Zuiyunwu?" Su Shun asked boldly, seeing that the emperor was getting increasingly annoyed.

  Zong Zhengjin frowned, "How dare you."

  He already knew what she had done last night and felt annoyed in his heart, thinking that people were not as he thought, or had he been wrong all along?

  He subconsciously didnt want to admit it, he had just decided to spoil her well, and she dared...

  "I deserve to die, I deserve to die," Su Shunyan hastily knelt down.

  The sun and moon can be mirrors; he just thought that every time the emperor saw Su Gui Ren, his mood seemed to be good, so he dared to suggest it.

  Zong Zhengjin was made to kneel by him, and his heart felt even more stifled. When did he himself outwardly show one or two of them that they had seen through his thoughts?

  An emperor should not have weaknesses.

  The idea had just occurred to him for an instant when he rejected it. "Forget it, go and accompany the Noble Consort of the Imperial Concubine in the Zi Chen Palace."

  Its about time she was given a chance to explain herself.

  Su Shun hastily wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead and rushed to Zuiyun Pavilion to announce the news.

  Su Jing was stunned, the Zi Chen Palace was where the Emperor handled state affairs, and it was rare for imperial consorts to accompany him. In all these years, except for the Empress, only Shu Gui Fei had done so.

  "Empress Su, please hurry up and pack your things, and go with me. The Emperor is in a bad mood today."

  Su Jing heard the words and didnt want to entangle with those things anymore, returned to the inner chamber only re-combed a hair bun, also didnt change clothes, directly followed Su Shunxiang to the Zichen Hall.

  "The concubine attends the emperor."

  No sound came, only the faint rustling of pages being turned.

  Su Jing let out a sigh and raised her voice, "The concubines pay their respects to Your Majesty."

  Still no sound.

  It seems someones mood is really bad today.

  "Your Majesty?"

  "Your Majesty..."

  "Your Majesty..."

  ……

  Zong Zhengjin felt a bit helpless. If it were someone else, they would have been intimidated by his majesty and would only be kneeling like that.

  Shes being deliberately provocative, afraid he wont get angry otherwise.

  "I heard you, get up," his head still didnt lift.

  "The concubine does not rise."

  At last, Zong Zhengjin raised his head and looked at her, without getting angry, "Then just kneel there."

  Su Jing pouted and said, "The concubine has come to confess her guilt."

  He put down the red brush and looked at her, feeling a bit embarrassed and guilty. "The concubine did something wrong last night and felt uneasy in her heart, so she didnt sleep well today."

  "Oh?" Zong Zhengjin actually already knew what was going on, but at this moment he wanted to hear how she would say it.

  Su Jingxu couldnt tell anything from his expression, but the fact that he was still willing to see her now indicated that there was still a glimmer of hope.

  As far as possible, with true and simple words, recount what Xiao Fuzi did yesterday, and then, in the usual way of getting along with him, not forgetting to proudly praise himself for being so clever and resourceful.

  Just attributed the cause of things to unintentionally knowing it myself.

  "Hmm," Zong Zhengjin coldly hummed, but what she said was indeed the truth, and he hadnt actually concealed anything from her. Thinking of this made him feel a bit more at ease.

  "With what youve done, I can send you to the Cold Palace."

  "Your Majesty?" Su Jing actually had no bottom line in her heart, and the thunderous anger was not something she could easily withstand.

  Zong Zhengjin leaned on the dragon chair, seeing that after listening to his words, her eyes immediately misted up, wanting to cry but not crying, looking at him was indeed very heart-wrenching.

  Her hands tapped rhythmically on the dragon case, tapping until Su Jingyuns heart skipped a beat.

  "Go back and stay in seclusion."

  After a long time, Su Jing thought he wouldnt speak again and was about to open her mouth when she heard him say this.

  "Your Majesty, dont you want me anymore?" Isnt this a bit shameless?

  She knew he wasnt really angry, just momentarily unable to turn around, but she couldnt give him time, and thats how estrangement was born.

  Zong Zhengjin paused for a moment, his moist eyes looking very endearing, only...

  "Go back."

  Su Jing suddenly felt empty in her heart, was she really angry this time?

  "The concubine withdraws."

  As soon as he came out of the Zichen Hall, he saw Consort An leading a group of palace maids towards him.

  "Su Mei," An Shu Yin suddenly called out as they were about to part ways.

  Su Jing didnt expect her to call her, although they entered the palace together, but they had almost no intersection.

  "Whats up, Sister An?"

  Since she was called "Su Mei Mei", Su Jing naturally became "An Jie Jie". To be honest, these titles didnt really matter to her.

  An Shu hooked up the corner of her mouth and said, "Im older than you, so Ill call you little sister with a thick face. I hope little sister wont mind."

  Su Jing raised her head and glanced at the palace wall not far away, "Sister is joking, of course sister wont mind."

  "This time I want to remind my sister, recently be careful with everything, prevent trouble from happening," An Shu Wei suddenly walked over and whispered in her ear.

  "After saying that, he didnt wait for her reaction and said, Sister, I have something else to attend to, so Ill take my leave first."

  "Master, An Guiren is..." Xiang Yao said as she saw her master staring at An Guirens back in a daze.

  "What do you think?"

  "The slave thinks that An Guirens move seems to be really showing kindness, but..."

  "Its just that saying nothing is equivalent to saying everything," Su Jingyun withdrew her gaze, while on the other side, Su Shunian was politely welcoming An Shuxi in.

  Its just a empty words, even if she didnt remind her, Su Jing would naturally be careful too. She thought it was too simple to show off, or maybe she still thought Su Jing was just an inexperienced little girl.

  "Lets hurry back, we still need to be in quarantine."

  Xiang Ya was speechless, Master, are you really going into seclusion with that expression?

  "Master, cant you just be a bit more gentle with His Majesty?"

  "See that little bird on the palace wall? Im just like that bird, and the Emperor is this wall. No matter how hard I fly, in the end Ill still be by the Emperors side, never flying away."

  Its not that I dont want to fly away, its just that since I chose to enter this cage, I shouldnt complain about the heavens.

  Being too perfect is also a suspicious illusion.

  For example, Xiao Fuzi, if it werent for his exceptional abilities, he would have completed every task assigned to him perfectly, including last nights, otherwise, how could she be certain that he was the emperors man?

  She has been in the palace for so long, but it seems that she still hasnt done anything positive. However, once this crisis is resolved, everything will be fine.

  "The masters feelings towards the emperor are truly deep and profound."

  "Is it just deep feelings and heavy thoughts?..." Su Jings mouth curved upwards, the bird had already flown away.

  Zichen Hall

  "Concubine An has an audience with the Emperor," Concubine An walked in alone, no matter how calm her exterior was, she always had a deep respect for the man on the throne.

  She recalled that on the eve of entering the palace, her father called her to the study and had a detailed conversation with her for more than an hour. He repeatedly warned her that the emperor was her superior and she was his subordinate, and no matter what time it was, the etiquette between monarch and subject could not be abandoned, and the way the monarch and subject interacted must be remembered at all times.

  "Get up."

  An Shu took the food box from the palace maid, collected her thoughts and said, "Your Majesty, I saw that the weather has been quite hot these past few days, so I had a bowl of lotus seed porridge cooked. Would you like to try some?"

  "Bring it on."

  That woman seemed to have never done anything for him... thinking of this, Zong Zhengjin felt uncomfortable again.

  An Shu Yi and the other small eunuchs who had tested the poison stepped forward slowly, seeing the person in front of them suddenly release a low-pressure air, somewhat puzzled. After thinking back to their behavior from the moment they entered, they confirmed that there was no mistake, and only then did they slightly relax.

  Her father had also told her that as long as she could keep a low profile in the palace, the Emperor would naturally show some favor to the Auxiliary Kings Mansion and pamper her.

  She has always been doing so, and the emperor is also treating her well at present.

  Zong Zhengjin scooped up a spoonful and tasted it, then put it down.

  "Your Majesty, is it not to your taste?"

  She clearly knew that the emperor didnt like sweet flavors and made it thick, she tried repeatedly and specially made it.

  "Not you, youre doing well, Ai Yan has a heart, lets promote her to Liang Fei," said Zong Zhengjin casually.

  An Shu Yi immediately knelt down and thanked him, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for his kindness."

  "Get up, Ill go to your place tonight."

  This is an order to expel the guests.

  An Shuyi was well-informed and didnt entangle herself too much. "The concubines will take their leave first."

  Zong Zhengjin nodded, the woman in front of him was stern and expressionless, perhaps for others, there would be a desire to conquer her, but for him, he couldnt muster up any interest.

  It is better to expand the territory of Chu and Zhou than to conquer such a woman.

  Su Shun and others entered the palace to report to Emperor Xianfeng.

  Kunning Palace

  "Your Ladyship, Su Gui Ren has been put under house arrest by the Emperor," Jin Mu Mu said, dismissing a small palace maid and walking in to speak to the person on the couch.

  The queens eyelids moved slightly, "Can you tell what crime was committed?"

  "Its said that not long after the Emperor descended from his morning court, he had Su Shunxian go to Zuiyunwu to announce the edict. Not long after entering, news came out that she was put under house arrest. There are no spies in the Zi Ting Palace and those slaves mouths are tight, not a single rumor has leaked out."

  "If you could get news from the Emperor, I would be afraid," the Empress coldly snorted, waving her hand to signal Hui Zhu to stop massaging her legs.

  Jin Momo hastily knelt down, "I deserve to die, I deserve to die..."

  No matter how she gained face in front of other servants or even those favored masters, in front of the empress, she was nothing but a servant.

  The empress also knew that she had lost her temper earlier and affected others, so she signaled Huizhu to help Jinmumu up. "Quickly get up, I didnt mean to blame you."

  Jinmomo persisted in kowtowing on the ground for three heads, "The slave knows that the princess is bitter in her heart, but the princess still needs to take care of her body."

  The queens heart warmed up, and she personally got down to help her up, "Niangniang is the palaces niangniang, and only niangniang is truly considerate of the palace."

  "You worry too much, Master and Mistress, even though they are outside the palace, their hearts are still with you."

  "Hmph, I owe it to that father of mine for where I am today," the empress snorted in derision, clearly disbelieving.

  Because he was the prime minister of the current dynasty, he could have her ascend to the throne of empress, but also because he was the prime minister, he made her lose the emperors heart from the very beginning.