Though Yanshu wasn’t particularly interested in Granny Zhuang’s personal life, the whole situation did seem quite bizarre.

Curious, she asked the system, *“What’s going on here? How did Granny Zhuang get involved with that old lecher, the Duke of Cheng’en?”*

The system replied, *“This goes back about thirty years. The Zhou family has always been an old and prominent family, and the Duke of Cheng’en was pampered from a young age. A notorious philanderer even before marriage, he’d already… well, ‘been with’ nearly all the maids around him. But that wasn’t enough for him—he set his sights on the maids in his sister’s residence, who were all refined and attractive, given that his sister, the Empress Dowager, managed the place so well.”*

*“Of course, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t tolerate such behavior. When she noticed his intentions, she gave him a stern warning and reported him to their parents, who gave him a thorough scolding. Outwardly, he appeared to settle down, but he grew more rebellious inside. The more his sister forbade it, the more determined he became. So, one afternoon when the household was empty, he… ‘did that’ to Granny Zhuang.”*

Yanshu was taken aback. *“So Granny Zhuang was forced into it? Did she ever tell the Empress Dowager?”*

The system sighed, *“Tell her? Not a chance. The Empress Dowager sensed something was amiss and even asked her about it, but Granny Zhuang went to great lengths to cover up for that scoundrel, keeping the whole thing under wraps. From then on, she was utterly infatuated with him, unable to extricate herself.”*

Yanshu, *“What?! Is this… Stockholm syndrome?”*

The system, *“Pretty much.”*

Feeling completely unsettled, Yanshu continued, *“But the Duke of Cheng’en has always been a womanizer, from youth to old age, with countless women along the way. Has Granny Zhuang never harbored any resentment over this?”*

The system replied, *“As you can see, not at all. To this day, she exhausts herself thinking of ways to support that old rascal, even trying to leverage her affliction to manipulate the Empress Dowager.”*

Yanshu sighed. *“It seems her condition is indeed severe.”*

But the problem was, if Granny Zhuang wanted to be devoted to the Duke, that was her business—it didn’t concern anyone else!

Hadn’t the Empress Dowager already done her part in supporting her natal family? Hadn’t the Emperor already shown the Duke of Cheng’en some face?

Was there really anything wrong with her accompanying the Emperor to pay respects to his birth mother? Was it enough to make Granny Zhuang despise her this much?

But, more importantly, how did Granny Zhuang even know that she had accompanied the Emperor to visit Consort Hui today?

The system interjected, *“Take a guess.”*

Yanshu, *“… Could it be that Granny Zhuang has planted spies to follow me and the Emperor?”*

*“There’s no other likely explanation.”*

Yanshu felt as though she might choke on her indignation.

*Has that old woman truly gone mad? To go so far as to have us spied on?*

Without her “melon-eating” system, such a misunderstanding could easily have been pinned on her beloved Empress Dowager!

Frustrated, she reached for the teacup beside her, intending to take a sip.

But at that moment, the system’s warning alarm blared, *“There’s castor oil on the rim of that cup. It could cause discomfort for a pregnant woman.”*

What?!

Startled, Yanshu froze mid-movement.

Noticing her sudden pause, the Empress Dowager’s eyes narrowed with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Thinking quickly, Yanshu covered her mouth, pretending to feel queasy. “I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel a bit nauseous…”

The Empress Dowager immediately showed concern. “But haven’t you already passed the three-month mark? Why are you still feeling nauseous? Has the imperial physician been checking on you daily?”

Before Yanshu could respond, Ren Dong quickly replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jiang has been taking Her Grace’s pulse daily. In fact, just yesterday, the little heir had their first movement, and Imperial Physician Jiang assured us that everything is normal.”

The Empress Dowager nodded, though she still appeared puzzled. “Then why would you feel unwell today?”

As soon as Yanshu heard the Empress Dowager’s concern, she composed herself, pretending to feel calmer. She placed a hand on her chest, looking apologetic. “I don’t know what happened—just as I was about to drink the tea, I suddenly felt that the scent was… a little off. Perhaps I’m just being oversensitive. I’m sorry for worrying Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager paused, her expression giving nothing away, though a hint of suspicion crossed her mind.

“The scent was off? How could that be? Could someone have tampered with the tea?”

Yanshu heard this inner thought and felt reassured that her subtle hint had done its job.

The Empress Dowager turned to her and said, “You’ve been out long enough today. You should go back and rest.”

Yanshu thanked her, allowing Ren Dong to help her up, and respectfully took her leave from Cian Palace.

As she stepped outside, she could still hear Granny Zhuang’s anxious inner voice: Is this girl really feeling unwell, or is she faking it? I only rubbed a bit on the rim of the cup with my fingertip, yet she noticed?

Yanshu couldn’t help but inwardly scoff.

This old woman is clearly courting disaster and shouldn’t be allowed to stay in the palace any longer. If I were to expose this matter on the spot, the Emperor could easily have her executed for this crime. But unfortunately… she’s aligned with the Empress Dowager.

Making a fuss now would only drag the Empress Dowager into it.

This was the most discreet way to alert the Empress Dowager to investigate the matter herself.

As Yanshu exited the hall, she noticed Granny Zhuang attempting to call a servant to clear the teacup that Yanshu had used.

However, the Empress Dowager stopped her.

With a calm expression that revealed neither anger nor delight, the Empress Dowager ordered, “Summon the attendants from the tea room.”

Granny Zhuang hesitated but complied and left to fetch them.

Soon after, two palace maids from the tea room, Meixue and Danshuang, arrived and paid their respects.

The Empress Dowager asked, “Who prepared the tea today?”

Meixue immediately replied, “Your Majesty, it was I who prepared the tea.”

The Empress Dowager remained expressionless and asked again, “What tea did you prepare for Consort Yi?”

Meixue replied, “I prepared Liu’an Guapian tea, which is the tea Consort Yi often drinks.”

Danshuang, standing by her side, nodded in agreement, both maids appearing calm and honest.

The Empress Dowager gestured toward the seat Yanshu had occupied. “Go check that teacup and see if anything is amiss.”

The two palace maids responded, moving together to inspect the teacup.

After a careful look, Meixue suddenly said, “Your Majesty, it seems there’s oil on the rim of this cup.”

Danshuang examined it closely as well, wiping some of the residue onto her hand. She nodded, “It does appear to be oil.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression turned cold as she asked, “Who handled this teacup before it reached Consort Yi?”

Meixue immediately knelt and replied, “Your Majesty, both of us personally carried the tea to the entrance of the hall. It was Granny Zhuang who brought it inside. No one else touched it.”

The Empress Dowager recalled the scene and turned her gaze toward Granny Zhuang.

In that instant, her gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Granny Zhuang froze, hurriedly dropping to her knees and exclaiming, “Your Majesty, I am innocent!”

The Empress Dowager merely let out a cold laugh. “My greatest mistake was not dismissing you sooner. Out of everyone in this hall today, you’re the last person I trust.”

Hearing this, Granny Zhuang immediately burst into tears, exclaiming, “Your Majesty, you’re wronging me! I have always been loyal to you! Do you know that yesterday His Majesty went to Yongfu Palace to pay respects to Consort Hui, and Consort Yi accompanied him? You’ve been so kind to Consort Yi, yet despite her pregnancy, she still follows His Majesty there. How can she possibly have any regard for you?”

The Empress Dowager frowned. “And for that, you were willing to endanger the imperial heir? How could you bring yourself to do such a thing?”

Granny Zhuang shook her head desperately. “No, please, Your Majesty, understand—I only rubbed a tiny bit of castor oil on the rim of the cup. Even if Consort Yi drank it, it would be a minuscule amount, causing nothing more than a slight stomach upset. It wouldn’t have harmed the imperial heir at all.”

What?

Just a bit of castor oil?

The Empress Dowager was instantly furious.

“She is with child now; even the slightest carelessness could have consequences. And you say this so lightly? Why did you do this?”

Granny Zhuang wept, “I only wanted Consort Yi to realize that she shouldn’t go to such places, to ensure her loyalty to you, Your Majesty, and deter any disloyalty in the future.”

The Empress Dowager was speechless. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “Isn’t this just human nature? Consort Hui was His Majesty’s birth mother. If he felt nothing for his own mother, could he possibly be truly filial to me? His Majesty is Consort Yi’s husband. Should she not show her husband consideration? What have you learned from all these years?”

But Granny Zhuang continued to cry, “Your Majesty, I’ve thought of nothing but you and the Zhou family for all these years!”

The Empress Dowager shook her head. “If you truly cared for me, you would never have done such a thing.”

With another long sigh, she said, “Enough. Since you’re so devoted to the Zhou family, then go back to them.”

Granny Zhuang froze in shock.

~~

That evening, Yanshu received news from the system that the Empress Dowager, under the pretense of caring for Granny Zhuang’s health, had sent her back to the Duke of Cheng’en’s residence.

Raising her eyebrows, Yanshu thought, It seems the Empress Dowager has uncovered the truth.

Although she only sent the old woman back to the Zhou family, I understand her position.

After all, Granny Zhuang was one of the Empress Dowager’s most trusted attendants. If something drastic had happened to her, it would certainly spark a lot of speculation.

In any case, as long as she wasn’t in the palace causing trouble, that was good enough for Yanshu.

As for Granny Zhuang’s fate… well, Yanshu couldn’t help but find it ironic. Now this “Stockholm syndrome patient” would have to witness her one and only man—the old lecherous Duke—spend his days reveling with concubines and mistresses. Who knew what she would feel about that?

Sigh, it’s truly hard to comprehend, Yanshu thought with a shake of her head.

Lost in these musings, she noticed that the palace servants had already laid out dinner.

Feeling her stomach rumbling, Yanshu went to wash her hands, preparing to dig in.

One glance at the table and she saw it was filled with her favorite dishes: spicy crucian carp, roasted peppers with preserved eggs, stir-fried kidneys, and spicy lamb trotters.

Ever since her nausea had subsided, she’d developed a sudden craving for strong flavors—anything spicy, sour, or uniquely seasoned had become her new favorite.

With her appetite now in full swing, she was just about to pick up her chopsticks when the voice of an attendant called from outside the hall, “His Majesty has arrived…”

What? The Emperor?

Slightly surprised, Yanshu put down her chopsticks and rose to greet him at the door.

“Your Majesty, welcome,” she said, bowing respectfully.

Yuwen Lan gave a soft “Mhm.” “No need for formalities.”

He reached out to help her up, and together they approached the table.

Yanshu thought, Finally, I can eat, and eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

The Emperor, however, wasn’t in a rush to eat. Instead, he immediately asked, “I heard the Empress Dowager just dismissed Granny Zhuang from the palace. Do you know why?”

Yanshu had no choice but to put down her chopsticks again, leaning close to whisper the events of the day into his ear.

As she finished, Yuwen Lan’s face darkened, his brows furrowing. “Is that so? Such leniency… could it be too light a punishment?”

But as he said this, both of them heard a flurry of curious thoughts echoing around them—

“What happened? What on earth are they talking about? Can’t Their Majesties speak louder so we can hear too?”

“I knew Granny Zhuang must’ve done something bad to get sent away, but what did she do? Come on, Your Majesty, please spill the details!”

Yuwen Lan: “…”

Yanshu: “…”

She could only wave the onlookers away, silently apologizing in her mind for stirring up their curiosity.

Once the hall was empty, she turned to Yuwen Lan. “I felt that if this became a bigger issue, it could reflect poorly on the Empress Dowager. After all, Her Majesty is innocent in this matter…”

Yuwen Lan sighed. “Your heart is pure and considerate.”

And it was rare indeed for her to have such a special ability.

Unable to resist, he reached out and gently touched her belly.

As he did, he pondered about the kind of people the Empress Dowager had allowed to remain close to her.

But just then, he heard her inner voice: Oh, I heard that! He’s thinking about ‘the kinds of people around the Empress Dowager’!

Yuwen Lan startled, quickly realizing that his hand was still resting on her belly. He swiftly pulled it away, testing to see if he could hear her inner thoughts again.

Strange… Why can’t I hear anything now?

Relieved, Yuwen Lan secretly wondered if his touch on her belly had somehow triggered her mind-reading ability.

Perhaps it was connected to the little one growing inside her?

It was his child, after all. Maybe the baby had somehow inherited his mind-reading ability, granting her this unique power? If so, perhaps whenever he touched her, it temporarily activated it.

Feeling amused yet also strangely proud, Yuwen Lan even wanted to laugh.

But then he grew a bit worried—Did this mean he couldn’t touch her belly in the future?

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard her wonder inwardly, Why could I only hear him that once? Is this mind-reading ability really so unreliable?

Alarmed, he quickly changed the topic. “The food is getting cold; let’s eat.”

He picked up a spicy lamb trotter with his chopsticks and placed it on her plate.

Yanshu gave a small hum of agreement, setting aside her curiosity for now and eagerly digging into her meal.

The lamb trotter was fragrant, spicy, and tender, just as she liked. She took a bite, savoring the flavor.

Before she had finished, he placed a slice of stir-fried kidney on her plate and said, “You should eat this while it’s hot; it won’t taste as good if it gets cold.”

Yanshu quickly wiped her hands and picked up her chopsticks to eat. As she chewed, she nodded in delight. “Yes, that’s right! The kidneys are tender and delicious now; if they get cold, they’ll have a bit of a gamey taste. Your Majesty should try some too!”

It seemed she had already forgotten their previous conversation.

Yuwen Lan let out a silent sigh of relief and finally relaxed enough to enjoy his meal as well.

~~

A few days later, Yanshu received new updates from the system. After returning to the Duke of Cheng’en’s residence, Granny Zhuang had tried to meddle in the household’s affairs and was promptly kicked out by the Duke’s wife.

This outcome was unsurprising, so Yanshu didn’t have much to say about it.

She refrained from telling the Empress Dowager, not wanting to cause her any distress.

With the loss of two close attendants, Yanshu knew the Empress Dowager would likely feel a bit lonely, so she made a point of visiting Cian Palace daily to keep her company and provide some comfort.

After observing for a while, Yanshu felt reassured. The remaining attendants in Cian Palace seemed loyal and devoted to the Empress Dowager.

One day, as she was chatting with the Empress Dowager, a palace attendant entered and announced, “Your Majesty, Lady Shao from the General of Wuan’s residence requests an audience.”

Lady Shao from the General of Wuan’s residence?

The name felt unfamiliar to Yanshu.

She knew of General Wuan—a renowned general from the late emperor’s reign, famous for his battles against the Xiongnu and celebrated for his military achievements.

He must be in his fifties or sixties by now.

She had seen his daughter-in-law at palace banquets, but this “Lady Shao” was a name she was hearing for the first time.

The system clarified, “She’s one of General Wuan’s concubines. She doesn’t hold the rank to attend palace banquets, so naturally, you haven’t met her.”

Yanshu nodded in understanding, while the Empress Dowager also seemed surprised and asked the attendant, “Why has she come to see me?”

The attendant replied, “Lady Shao mentioned that the General of Wuan is gravely ill, and no skilled physician outside the palace could help. She humbly requests that Your Majesty allow an imperial physician to treat him.”

The Empress Dowager looked taken aback. “What? The General of Wuan is gravely ill? I hadn’t heard any news of this. Bring her in at once.”

The attendant quickly went to fetch her.

Moments later, a woman around forty entered the hall, bowing deeply to the Empress Dowager.

“Your Majesty, I am ashamed to stand before you like this, but the General has been ill for over a month, and no physician outside the palace has been able to help. Out of desperation, I dare to request Your Majesty’s kindness and ask for an imperial physician to examine him.”

The Empress Dowager sighed. “There’s no need to apologize. The General of Wuan once fought valiantly for the nation. How could I stand by and do nothing? I will send Imperial Physician Jiang with you. Keep me informed of any updates on his condition.”

She instructed the palace maid Hefu to accompany Lady Shao to the Imperial Medical Bureau to summon the physician.

Lady Shao thanked her repeatedly, bowing deeply before following Hefu out.

Once the hall was quiet again, Yanshu couldn’t help but ask, “Why did Lady Shao seem so… self-conscious in her words?”

The Empress Dowager sighed. “She was originally from a courtesan house. Years ago, General Wuan defied all opposition and redeemed her from her former life, taking her in as a concubine. However, her background has always been a subject of criticism, which is why she carries herself that way.”

Yanshu paused.

A concubine with a courtesan’s background?

Oh…

This sounds like quite the twist-filled love story.