The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

The next morning, before dawn, Shen Wangxi got up, as he needed to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to preside over the sacrificial ceremony.

He looked at Shen Qingruo, who was still asleep, and thought that there was no need to talk to her about it; he should let her sleep a little longer.

He should be back by the time she wakes up and has some food.

Shen Wangxi withdrew her gaze and slowly walked outside.

-

In the morning, inside the Qingyi Hall.

Shen Qingruo had already stood up, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.

"Little Nine, what time is it?" she asked softly in her heart.

"It's already past 9 AM, Aruo. Shen Wangxi has arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple," Xiao Jiu replied.

Before long, a series of chaotic footsteps came from outside the palace, accompanied by the panicked cries of palace servants.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess has arrived!"

The palace doors were suddenly pushed open with great force, and Wulan Yun, wearing a golden phoenix headdress and with a cold expression, stepped into the palace.

Shen Jingyan followed closely behind, her face a mixture of excitement and malice.

What's even more alarming is that behind them were not only palace servants from Jiaofang Palace, but also a squad of imperial guards armed with weapons, instantly crowding Qingyi Palace to the point of being impassable.

Most of the palace servants in Qingyi Palace were personally selected by Wu Tian, ​​came from Taiji Palace, and were well-trained.

Seeing this, though startled, they remained calm and immediately stepped forward, silently protecting Shen Qingruo behind them as they confronted the newcomers.

Shen Qingruo also pretended to be startled by this sudden turn of events. She slowly stood up, and following the proper etiquette, obediently curtsied, her voice soft and gentle:

"Qingruo greets Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Princess."

"May I ask what brings Your Highness and His Highness here today with such a grand entourage?"

Shen Qingruo appeared respectful, but secretly removed the illusion surrounding Jiaofang Palace, allowing Wulan Yun to see her more clearly.

Wu Lanyun's gaze swept over Shen Qingruo.

The girl before her, with her captivating charm that subtly lingered in her eyes and brows, was completely different from the timid princess she remembered.

This is clearly the kind of seductive charm that comes from someone who has been favored for a long time.

Jealousy and hatred burned in Wulan Yun's eyes.

She gave a cold laugh: "What is it?"

"I received a secret report that you, Shen Qingruo, have behaved improperly, had affairs with outsiders, and defiled the palace. Now, you have become even more audacious, secretly pregnant with an illegitimate child!"

Wu Lanyun stared intently at Shen Qingruo's lower abdomen.

Shen Qingruo instinctively covered her lower abdomen with both hands, took half a step back, and said in a panicked voice:

"Your Majesty, I did not. I have never had an affair with an outsider."

"No?" Shen Jingyan jumped out impatiently, pointing at her hand protecting her lower abdomen, and shrieked:

"Then why are you panicking? What are you protecting? If you didn't have something to hide, what would you be afraid of?"

"Mother, look at her, she's clearly acting like she has a guilty conscience."

Ulan Yun had long lost her patience; she was determined to succeed today, and gave a stern order:

"What are you all standing there for? Seize him for me!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuchs and maids from the Jiaofang Palace she brought with them were about to step forward and arrest the person.

"How dare you!" Granny Yan stepped forward abruptly, blocking Shen Qingruo's path, her back ramrod straight, her voice deep and stern:

"Your Majesty, this is Qingyi Palace, the residence of Princess."

"His Majesty once gave an oral decree, ordering the princess to rest quietly and not to be disturbed without imperial permission."

"You've led your troops intruding without permission and are even resorting to violence; are you trying to defy His Majesty's will?"

The palace servants of Qingyi Palace immediately stepped forward to stop her. They were clearly skilled in martial arts, and their movements were swift and precise. In just a few moves, they pushed away the palace servants from Jiaofang Palace who were rushing towards them, and even subdued them. For a time, the people from Jiaofang Palace could not get close to Shen Qingruo.

"Useless!" Ulan Yun was so angry that her chest heaved when she saw how incompetent the people she had brought were.

She took out the Phoenix Token from her sleeve, held it high, and gave the order to the imperial guards:

"Imperial Guards, heed my command! Princess Qingruo has defied the imperial decree, and her palace servants are aiding and abetting her wickedness; this is tantamount to treason."

"Take them all down for me. If they dare to resist again, kill them without mercy."

Upon seeing the imperial edict, the imperial guards' expressions hardened, and they clasped their hands and bowed, saying, "We obey Your Majesty's command."

They were highly trained, far superior to ordinary palace servants.

Within a few breaths, the palace servants of Qingyi Palace were roughly subdued, their arms twisted, and forced to kneel on the ground.

Granny Yan's arms were also held tightly by two imperial guards, making her unable to move.

"Granny!" Shen Qingruo exclaimed, trying to rush over, but was stopped by two imperial guards.

She stood helplessly in the hall, her hands still tightly protecting her lower abdomen, her voice broken:

"Your Majesty, you can't do this! I'm carrying His Majesty's child; he won't allow you to do this!"

"His Majesty's child?" Ulan Yun seemed to have heard the most ridiculous words. She approached step by step, her eyes filled with madness.

"You actually lied like this to escape punishment, saying you're carrying the emperor's child? That's utterly ridiculous!"

"In the annals of history, His Majesty has never summoned you. Where did this bastard child come from?"

"Clearly, he was having an affair, a crime deserving of death."

"Today, I will cleanse the family of Your Majesty's wicked child and abort your offspring."

She stared at Shen Qingruo's hand protecting her lower abdomen, and snapped at Emerald beside her:

"Jade, bring the medicine here. Let me clean the filth out of her stomach."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Emerald's face revealed a ferocious smile as she opened the food box and took out a bowl of thick, black medicine.

Shen Qingruo shook her head in despair, tears streaming down her face. "I really didn't have an affair."

Granny Yan was held tightly, staring at the bowl of medicine, her eyes bloodshot, and she screamed at the top of her lungs:

"Stop! Your Majesty, you can't!"

"The princess is indeed carrying His Majesty's child! A legitimate imperial heir!"

"If you harm the imperial heir today, it will be a crime of treason, and His Majesty will never forgive you!"

Ulan Yun ignored him, staring intently at Shen Qingruo, and gestured for the palace servants to step forward and restrain her.