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

When Zhu Qiyu returned to the palace, it was already late at night.

Princess Consort Wang Lingshu and Consort Hang Qingyi, along with Prince Zhu Jianji and a group of officials from the Prince's residence, gathered in the main hall. Their expressions were very solemn, but no one dared to speak as they waited quietly for Zhu Qiyu to return to the residence.

News of martial law in the capital had already reached everyone's ears, and Zhu Qiyu was summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, which could not possibly be a good thing.

Based on the available information, the officials of the Prince's Palace deduced that there might be a problem with the war in the north, otherwise the capital would not be under martial law, and their own prince, a mere puppet, would be summoned to the palace. This matter must be quite serious.

Upon hearing that Zhu Qiyu had returned to the manor, Wang Lingshu and Hang Qingyi immediately went to greet him, followed closely by the officials of the Prince's Mansion.

Wang Lingshu spoke first, asking, "Your Highness, has something happened in the palace?"

Zhu Qiyu nodded, looked at the group of "oddballs and rotten apples" behind him, sighed helplessly, and looked at Hang Qingyi, saying, "Qingyi, take Jianji to rest. Don't worry!"

Hang Qingyi was relieved to see that Zhu Qiyu had returned safely. She was always obedient and dared not say much. She nodded slightly, bowed, and then quickly took the young master Zhu Jianji away.

"Please sit for a moment, I will be right back."

After saying this, Zhu Qiyu took Wang Lingshu's hand and left in front of everyone.

Wang Lingshu was taken aback by Zhu Qiyu's sudden intimate gesture. She knew that Hang Qingyi was Zhu Qiyu's favorite concubine, and the two rarely acted so intimately in front of the officials of the Prince's residence.

She was naturally delighted by Zhu Qiyu's gesture of goodwill, and she tightened her grip on his hand in response, after all, the person in front of her was her beloved.

The two went to a side room. Zhu Qiyu placed his hands on Wang Lingshu's shoulders, looked intently into her eyes, and said, "Lingshu, the entire Ming army has been annihilated, the elite of the three major camps have been destroyed, and my brother has fallen into the hands of the Oirat rebels. I have already petitioned to make Jian Shen the Crown Prince, and the Empress Dowager intends for me to oversee the country, manage state affairs, act on my orders, and bring peace to the realm. Do you understand the implications of this?"

Wang Lingshu comes from an official family. The Wang family has served as the commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard for generations during the Ming Dynasty. Wang Lingshu's father, Wang Ying, is currently the commander of the Central City Military Command. He receives a salary but does not perform any duties. Although he does not perform any duties, his family background speaks for itself.

Wang Lingshu could be said to have been exposed to the affairs of the court since childhood. With her intelligence, she instantly understood Zhu Qiyu's unspoken meaning.

"Does Your Highness mean that His Majesty might not be able to return?"

The Empress is still alive, and Zhu Jianshen is not the eldest son of the legitimate wife. At this moment, the court officials and Empress Dowager Sun agree to make him the Crown Prince, which means that the worst possible outcome is possible.

Zhu Qiyu nodded and said, "Esen, the Grand Tutor of the Oirat Mongols, is a wolf in sheep's clothing and has always wanted to seize the capital. Now that my brother is in his hands, how can we easily release him? Even if he returns, our Great Ming must fight another battle with the Oirats, and we must win, not lose. Only then will my brother have a chance to return. If my brother cannot return for a long time, I'm afraid I will have to..."

Zhu Qizhen was no longer worthy of the throne; Zhu Qiyu was fit to sit on it. As the saying goes, fortune's wheel turns, and this year it's my turn!

Wang Lingshu was startled, her breathing becoming slightly rapid. After a moment, she took a deep breath, her eyes immediately hardening, and asked, "What should I do?"

The original owner felt indebted to Wang Lingshu, believing that she was a princess arranged by Empress Dowager Sun, and therefore rejected her. However, after nearly half a month of contact with Zhu Qiyu, Wang Lingshu was clearly a woman of great talent and insight, and thus a good match for him.

This is something that Hang Qingyi, from a humble background, could not compare to.

"We are husband and wife, one for all, sharing both glory and ruin. Now I am in a situation beyond my control, with no possibility of retreat. One wrong step and I will be doomed. In matters of the harem, I only trust you, and I can only rely on you!" Zhu Qiyu's eyes were full of deep affection.

Zhu Qiyu's words were sincere. His mother was in the deep palace and could hardly offer any help at the moment. The only person he could rely on was his princess.

Wang Lingshu stared blankly at Zhu Qiyu without saying a word, her eyes gradually welling up with tears, and the grievances she had held for the past few years poured out in an instant.

Since she married into the Prince's Mansion, her relationship with Zhu Qiyu has been lukewarm. Perhaps it is because she was chosen by Empress Dowager Sun that she always felt there was a barrier between her and Zhu Qiyu. Relatively speaking, Zhu Qiyu doted on his concubine Hang Qingyi more, and Zhu Qiyu currently only has one son, who was born to Hang.

Faced with Zhu Qiyu's heartfelt confession, she almost burst into tears and nodded emphatically to him.

"you say!"

Zhu Qiyu sensed Wang Lingshu's determination and felt somewhat relieved. He instructed her, "You and Qingyi will raise Jianji together. From now on, you must personally handle and oversee all matters concerning Jianji, big and small."

"But what about Sister Hang?"

Wang Lingshu was in a dilemma. With Lady Hang still alive and a concubine, it would be strange if Lady Hang felt comfortable with Zhu Qiyu's arrangement.

"This matter is not for her to decide. I will speak with Qingyi. You are Jianji's legal mother, so there is nothing wrong with this. If you can bear children in the future, we will make other arrangements for Jianji."

Zhu Qiyu's most pressing concern was protecting his only son. Moreover, Wang Lingshu was a long-lived woman with excellent health, and she had already given birth to a daughter in the first month of this year, unlike his sister-in-law, Empress Qian, who was frail and had yet to bear children.

If Empress Qian had a legitimate son, Empress Dowager Sun would not be in such a passive position.

Zhu Qiyu made up his mind to continue to act as husband and wife, and Wang Lingshu might be able to give birth to a legitimate son in the future. Once Wang Lingshu had a legitimate son, Zhu Jianji could be left to be raised by his birth mother alone.

Wang Lingshu nodded. Zhu Qiyu's message was that she was in charge of the harem, and if she didn't have a son, then Zhu Jianji would be her son. This promise reassured Wang Lingshu, and she was confident that she could control Hang Qingyi.

"I will obey your command!"

"Furthermore, after the curfew is lifted, you should secretly send someone to inform your father-in-law, so that he can use his connections to find out news in the capital, especially officials who have the tendency to flee south. Also, have your father-in-law and maternal grandfather prepare to take up real positions. You can also recommend some capable people to serve as Jinyiwei. Your father-in-law doesn't need to know them; just recommend them, and I will consider them."

At this point, Zhu Qiyu had very few people he could trust. His maternal relatives, however, were trustworthy, and regardless of their abilities, at least they wouldn't plot against him for now. All he needed to do was wait for the edict to become regent so he could place his people in positions of power.

"I understand!"

Zhu Qiyu further instructed: "If the Empress Dowager and your sister-in-law summon you to the palace and ask about other matters, respond accordingly and state that there is no harmony between you and me as husband and wife, and that I will not tell you anything. If it involves spending money to redeem your brother, agree immediately, even if it means emptying the Prince's mansion."

Wang Lingshu nodded repeatedly, indicating that she understood; it was simply a way to lull the people in the palace into a false sense of security.

After giving her proper instructions, Zhu Qiyu held Wang Lingshu in his arms and gently kissed her forehead, almost making Wang Lingshu tense up. She leaned against Zhu Qiyu's chest, quietly listening to her heartbeat.

After a moment of tenderness, Zhu Qiyu said gently, "Remember, keep this a secret. You must be extremely careful in your actions. Rest for now. I will come to find you after I have discussed important matters with the officials of the Prince's Palace."

"I will be careful!"

Wang Lingshu straightened her clothes, a slight blush appearing on her face.

A moment later, his expression returned to normal, and he left decisively.