Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Prince Cheng's Mansion.

Wang Lingshu was restless; the news outside was in complete disarray.

It is said that the group of civil officials in the imperial court who read the classics actually beat the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to death. Such a shocking thing is rare to see in the history books.

Now, with foreign enemies eyeing the capital with predatory intent, the emperor knocking on the gates, and internal strife raging within the court, the scene paints a picture of impending chaos.

Fortunately, Cheng Jing had already sent word that Zhu Qiyu was alright and only needed to go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager. Only then did Wang Lingshu feel somewhat relieved, knowing that at least his life was not in danger.

But as they waited, there was still no news, which made Wang Lingshu feel extremely anxious. She sent out the palace eunuchs to inquire about the news, but they found nothing.

The palace was under martial law, making it impossible to gather information. The only information they received from the officials in the Prince's residence was that Zhu Qiyu had an audience with the Empress Dowager.

Wang Lingshu couldn't help but feel a little resentful that her husband hadn't sent anyone back to the manor. Now she couldn't do anything herself, and after a while, she was filled with worry.

Zhu Qiyu, who was in the palace, had a meal with Consort Wu before leaving the palace.

As he was leaving the palace, he realized he had forgotten to send someone to inform Wang Lingshu that he had stayed in the palace to dine with Consort Wu.

Now it's not that he's forgotten his mother now that he has a wife, but rather that he's forgotten his wife now that he has a mother.

Zhu Qiyu inwardly cursed his bad luck and looked at Cheng Jing beside him, asking, "Have you sent a message back to the Prince's residence?"

"When Your Highness entered the palace to pay homage to the Empress Dowager, I sent someone to deliver a message. Afterwards, I followed Your Highness into the palace and dared not leave without permission, so I did not send any further messages."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu's face darkened, but he couldn't blame Cheng Jing.

"Return to the Prince's Palace immediately!"

Upon hearing that Zhu Qiyu's voice sounded strange, Cheng Jing thought about it and suddenly felt a cold sweat break out. It turned out that the princess had been anxiously waiting in the mansion for several hours without anyone informing her.

If something goes wrong, it will be a huge problem.

Zhu Qiyu rushed back to his residence and, upon learning of Wang Lingshu's whereabouts, went straight to the inner palace without waiting for an announcement.

Cheng Jing was sensible enough to quietly retreat halfway with Zhu Qiyu.

Just as Wang Lingshu couldn't help but go out again to summon the eunuchs to inquire about the news, she saw Zhu Qiyu standing in front of the door, panting heavily, as if he had run back all the way.

When Wang Lingshu saw Zhu Qiyu appear before her like a miracle, she initially thought she was seeing things, but then she burst into tears of joy. Disregarding her restraint and propriety, she hurriedly rushed towards Zhu Qiyu.

She held Zhu Qiyu tightly with both hands, appearing to be particularly forceful.

Ever since Zhu Qiyu revealed his feelings that night, Wang Lingshu has been living in constant fear. After all, her husband has embarked on an extremely dangerous path, and if he is not careful, his head will roll.

The matter of the Prince of Han had only just ended, so Wang Lingshu couldn't help but worry.

Sensing Wang Lingshu's unusual mood, Zhu Qiyu hurriedly explained, "I only went to the palace to see my mother. That scoundrel Cheng Jing was incompetent; he actually forgot to report back to the Prince's residence. I have already punished him!"

Cheng Jing, who was in the front yard, suddenly felt a cool breeze and sneezed for no reason. What a strange thing!

"It's good that my lord has returned!" Wang Lingshu didn't blame anyone. In such an emergency, it was difficult to be considerate of everyone. The moment Zhu Qiyu appeared, that was enough. "I heard that the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was beaten to death in the court. It was quite frightening. I was just worried that it would affect my lord."

After a long, tender moment, Zhu Qiyu took Wang Lingshu's hand and sat down, recounting the events of the day.

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's account, Wang Lingshu finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "So, the Empress Dowager has given her consent?"

Zhu Qiyu nodded and said, "This matter is no longer up to the Empress Dowager. From the moment my elder brother knocked on the door, everything was already set in stone. With today's events, the court officials have no way out. If nothing unexpected happens, once the Wang Zhen case is properly handled, I will take my final step."

Wang Lingshu nodded slightly, her expression extremely solemn. She never dreamed that she would one day become the empress.

However, there was not much joy in my heart at this moment. The closer I got to this position, the greater the risk became, and I needed to be more careful.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Wang Lingshu, hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but say, "There is one more thing. I want you to raise Jian Shen as your own son until he comes of age. That is, until you give birth to a legitimate son. This matter will not be changed for the time being."

Wang Lingshu was taken aback by these words. They meant that even if she were the Empress and gave birth to a legitimate son, he might not necessarily become the Crown Prince. She was also a clever woman, and she knew that her husband must have a deeper meaning in doing this. Perhaps he was making a deal with the Empress Dowager as a condition for ascending the throne.

At this moment, Wang Lingshu dared not cause any trouble, so she nodded and said, "I will listen to you!"

Now it was Zhu Qiyu's turn to be stunned. He hadn't expected Wang Lingshu to agree so readily, and all the words he had in his head were now useless.

Zhu Qiyu felt much more relaxed and jokingly said to Wang Lingshu, "When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. The ancients were right!"

Wang Lingshu blushed and said affectionately, "I am not knowledgeable enough to offer you any advice, my lord. I only wish not to hinder you, and that will satisfy me."

Such thoughtful words almost made Zhu Qiyu lose his composure, but fortunately he had important matters to instruct him on, which calmed him down.

"By the way, send someone to inform Yue Zu and your father-in-law that they are preparing to take up substantive positions. Yue Zu (Wang Quan) will go to the Prefectural Guard (Note 1), and your father-in-law (Wang Ying) will go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They can promote some of their confidants to follow them, but they must be moderate and prefer to have fewer but better ones. As for your second uncle, if he can complete his mission, I will give him an important position when he returns to the capital."

Zhu Qiyu wasn't entirely at ease with Lu Zhong, so he sent his father-in-law to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. With his status as a relative of the emperor, Lu Zhong could at least keep an eye on the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Currently, the Wang family was already on the same side as him, so he could make good use of them at least in the short term.

"Grandfather has not been in charge of affairs for many years. If he were to suddenly be given a high position, especially one for guarding the capital, I am worried that he might make mistakes." Wang Lingshu was quite upright. She naturally wanted her family members to hold important positions, but she was more worried about their lack of talent. Wang Quan had been in a sinecure for many years and was just a wealthy old man. If he made mistakes in Zhu Qiyu's important affairs, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhu Qiyu didn't take it to heart; it didn't require any outstanding talent, loyalty was enough.

"It's alright. Even Jiao Fuma can be the commander of the Beijing Garrison and patrol the capital. Yue Zu is also from a military family. He's certainly capable of handling this."

It's a pity Jiao Jing wasn't here, otherwise he would definitely have argued with Zhu Qiyu.

Wang Lingshu didn't say anything more.

After everything was settled, the two got up to prepare for their meal, but they couldn't help but linger for a while and unconsciously embraced each other.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

The voice of Concubine Hang Qingyi came from outside the door, her tone tinged with anxiety.

Wang Lingshu was startled and instinctively tried to break free from Zhu Qiyu's embrace.

After careful consideration, she realized that as the principal wife, the one who should avoid her should be Hang Qingyi. So she simply pretended not to know that Hang Qingyi was coming.

Hang Qingyi entered the room and stared at the scene before her, momentarily stunned.

She received a report from a palace servant that Zhu Qiyu had returned to the mansion, so she rushed over. This time, she saw that her husband and her sister Wang seemed to be very affectionate and inseparable.

I suddenly realized that I had come at the wrong time.

Zhu Qiyu considered himself an extremely generous person, so he quickly waved his hand and opened his other arm, signaling Hang Qingyi to come over.

Hang Qingyi was slightly taken aback, as if she had thought of something. Her pretty face flushed slightly. She glanced at Wang Lingshu, then mustered her courage and rushed straight into Zhu Qiyu's arms.

Zhu Qiyu was extremely pleased with himself, with beautiful women on his left and right, his arrival perfectly timed.

Kings are often amorous, and Zhu Qiyu was no exception.

A moment later, Zhu Qiyu, who was feeling smug, felt a sharp pain in his waist and gasped in shock.

She's a jealous woman, absolutely a jealous woman!