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Having just finished dealing with the disaster relief matters reported by the Ministry of Revenue, Emperor Kangxi couldn't wait to rush to the side hall, his steps even faster than usual.

His mind was filled with Liu Yunshu's pale face. He thought she should wake up, and he would only feel at ease if he watched her drink the medicine himself.

But as soon as she stepped into the side hall, she saw only an empty bed, the brocade quilt neatly folded, and even the white jade fan that she always held in her hand was gone.

Kangxi's heart sank. He turned and grabbed the approaching eunuch, his voice strained: "Where is the Madam? Where has she gone?"

The young eunuch was so frightened by the panic in his eyes that his knees went weak. He quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the Lady has already bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and has left the palace to return to the Tong residence."

"Take your leave? Return to the Tong residence?" Kangxi's pupils contracted sharply, his fingertips clenched involuntarily, and his knuckles turned white.

She just left without a word? Not even a goodbye?

Yun Shu, oh Yun Shu! How could you be so heartless? Do you really have no regrets at all?

Kangxi's chest heaved violently, his heart filled with both anger and heartbreak. No one had ever dared to treat him like this before!

"Insolence!" Kangxi abruptly shook off the eunuch's arm, his voice filled with suppressed rage, and the air in the hall instantly froze.

The little eunuch knelt down with a thud, his head bowed low, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Are you really so stingy with even a farewell to me?" Kangxi uttered a low rebuke, his eyes swirling with anger and resentment.

But in the end, his anger inexplicably dissipated by most of it.

He recalled the image of her hanging from the roof beam, the indifference and self-mockery in her eyes, and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

Li Dequan, watching from the side, was alarmed and quickly stepped forward, curtsying and pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Perhaps the Madam is afraid of disturbing your handling of state affairs, which is why she wants to return to her residence first. How about I prepare a carriage for you..."

As he spoke, he looked up and glanced at Kangxi.

Kangxi closed his eyes, his imperial dignity and inner turmoil churning within him.

Just as he made up his mind to personally find Liu Yunshu and ask her for an explanation.

Liang Jiugong entered with a hunched back. He glanced at Kangxi's expression and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lord Suo'etu and Lord Mingzhu are waiting outside the hall. They say they have important matters concerning the canal transport in Jiangnan to report."

Liang Jiugong kept his voice very low, not daring to even raise his head.

Kangxi suddenly opened his eyes, the anger in them not yet completely gone, but the words "Jiangnan canal transport" brought him back to his senses.

The Grand Canal is crucial to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Jiangnan. Just a few days ago, news came that the canal was silted up and grain ships were stranded. If it is delayed, it may cause a popular uprising.

He took a deep breath, his knuckles still clenched so tightly they turned white, but he still said in a deep voice, "Tell them to wait in the Qianqing Palace. I will be there shortly."

"Yes, sir." Liang Jiugong bowed and withdrew, and the hall returned to silence.

Kangxi turned to look at the empty bed, the bedding neatly folded, as if no one had ever lain on it.

A bitter feeling welled up in his chest again, and he raised his hand to press his brow.

"Li Dequan," Kangxi suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Your servant is here." Li Dequan hurriedly stepped forward.

"Go to the Tong residence yourself," Kangxi paused, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist, his tone carrying a hint of admonition that he himself was unaware of.

"Don't disturb anyone. Go and check on her for me. See if she's feeling better after returning home, if she's taking her medicine on time, and whether the people in the Tong family are treating her well."

Li Dequan quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, this servant understands, and will certainly not let anyone else know."

The hall fell completely silent. Kangxi walked to the window and looked at the ginkgo leaves falling in the courtyard.

He was both angry that she left without saying goodbye and worried about her situation after returning home.

Was he going to follow in his father's footsteps? Thinking of this, he gave a self-deprecating smile.

He used to look down on his father, the Emperor, but now he has lost his composure and sense of propriety because of a woman.

"Never mind." Kangxi sighed softly, turned and walked out, "Let's go to the Qianqing Palace first."

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Suo'etu and Mingzhu had been waiting for a long time.

Kangxi composed himself and returned to his dignified and composed imperial demeanor.

His figure on the dragon throne was as upright as a pine tree, and the panic and bitterness he had felt in the side hall were all suppressed deep in his eyes.

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Guided by his bodyguards, Li Dequan sneaked into Liu Yunshu's main courtyard.

The crabapple trees in the corner of the courtyard were in full bloom, and when the wind blew, the petals fell onto the soft couch under the eaves.

Liu Yunshu was leaning against the couch, holding a book in her hand.

"Your Majesty! Emperor Kangxi has sent Li Dequan to secretly visit you!"

Liu Yunshu paused as she turned the pages, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes before she regained her composure.

Li Dequan stood in the corner, secretly observing the lady who had captivated the Emperor.

She was still wearing that moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her black hair was loosely tied in a bun, and a few strands of hair fell beside her cheeks.

Her face was as pale as snow, and it became even more translucent under the sunlight.

She exudes a cool and lonely aura, like a plum blossom under the moon, beautiful yet aloof, which makes one's heart clench.

Li Dequan secretly admired her. This lady was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. No wonder the Emperor was so concerned about her.

He deliberately made a noise to attract Qiu Shuang's attention.

Qiu Shuang heard a noise from the corner and looked sharply in that direction, only to see that it was Li Dequan.

She quietly slipped away and tiptoed around to his side, lowering her voice to ask, "What brings Steward Li here? Did the Emperor give any orders?"

Li Dequan quickly made a "shush" gesture and lowered his voice, saying, "His Majesty is concerned about the Madam's health and is afraid she will be mistreated if she returns home. He specially sent me to check on her. Is the Madam's health stable? Is she taking her medicine on time?"

Qiu Shuang glanced at Liu Yunshu, who was engrossed in reading on the couch.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. After returning to the manor, the lady rested for a long time and took her medicine as prescribed. No one in the manor dared to neglect her."

Li Dequan finally breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Liu Yunshu again and couldn't help but ask, "Then... has Madam mentioned anything about the palace? Or... is she thinking of the Emperor?"

Qiu Shuang whispered to Li Dequan what Liu Yunshu had said earlier, and added with red eyes at the end.

"The lady said that the affairs in the palace should be regarded as a dream. She was afraid that she would disturb the emperor's country and also afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the Hesheli clan and the Tong family."

After hearing this, Li Dequan sighed inwardly.

He had served Emperor Kangxi for many years and was accustomed to the women in the harem vying for favor and reward.

But I have never seen anyone who, despite having won the Emperor's favor, insists on pushing people away.

Looking at Liu Yunshu's profile as she quietly read a book on the couch, Li Dequan felt increasingly uneasy.

This lady was clearly harboring many concerns, which is why she hid her concern so well.

She feared implicating her family and hindering the emperor, so she preferred to endure the grievances herself rather than show the slightest bit of lingering affection.

He gently patted Qiu Shuang's shoulder and lowered his voice, saying, "Please take good care of Madam, Miss. We will report back to the Emperor truthfully."

After saying that, he glanced again in the direction of the soft couch before quietly retreating.

Li Dequan hurried back to the palace. As soon as he entered the side hall of the Qianqing Palace, he saw Emperor Kangxi staring intently at the map of the Grand Canal.

"Your Majesty, this servant has returned." Li Dequan stepped forward quietly and bowed in response.

Kangxi immediately raised his eyes, his gaze falling on him. His tone seemed calm, but it concealed a barely perceptible urgency: "How is she? Is she alright at the Tong residence?"

"Your Majesty, the lady rested for most of the day after returning home, and she took her medicine on time. No one in the Tong household dared to neglect her."

Li Dequan first informed them that everything was alright.

Seeing that Kangxi's tense shoulders had relaxed a bit, he whispered and repeated Qiushuang's words, "Your Majesty, the Madam has you in her heart, but... when I went to see her today, her face was terribly pale."

He remained silent, the turbulent emotions in his eyes gradually subsiding, leaving only a deep and unfathomable complexity.

He had no idea that she had hidden these concerns so deeply.

He thought her leaving stemmed from resentment and disbelief, but he never considered that she was doing it for his and her family's sake.

Yun Shu, oh Yun Shu, how can you be so sensible, so sensible that it breaks my heart!

You said you wanted the Empress's position today, was that intentional?

Make me think you're the kind of woman who craves titles and honors, so that when I think back on it later, I'll feel less guilty and more "clear-headed."

If I hadn't planted someone by your side, wouldn't I have been fooled by you?

Do you really think you don't care at all and just want to distance yourself from me?

Emperor Kangxi gripped the map tightly with his fingertips, the edges of the paper crumpled, and the tenderness welling up in his eyes was almost overflowing.

"A dream?" Kangxi murmured softly, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne. "I will make this dream come true."

We need to come up with a foolproof plan. How can we let such a lovable girl bear this grievance alone?