That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

Five months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the height of summer has quietly arrived.

The pomegranate flowers are in full bloom.

Yu Tuotuo was still round and plump, and felt heavy in my arms.

In the sweltering summer heat, he wore only a bright red embroidered tiger bellyband, revealing his fair and tender arms and legs.

The little guy can roll over very easily now. He can turn from lying flat to lying on his stomach with such ease, and when he rolls over, he will shake his little head and smile at people.

He was a natural chatterbox. No matter who spoke to him, he would respond with his own babbling, which sometimes annoyed his father and mother.

After the grand ceremony of Song Shuangning's promotion to Imperial Noble Consort was held, she was ordered by the Emperor to temporarily take charge of the six palaces in place of the Empress.

Instead of rushing to establish her authority, she secretly sent people to investigate for half a month, thoroughly uncovering the problems of deficits in the palace's expenses, uneven workloads among palace staff, and secret interference from concubines. She even dug out those long-standing malpractices hidden in the nooks and crannies.

At the outset of the rectification campaign, she targeted the most criticized aspect: the allocation of allowances.

Not only did they review the three years' worth of accounts to plug the loopholes in the deductions, but they also established new rules to reject the special requests of high-ranking concubines, ensuring that those of lower rank also received their full allowances, without showing any leniency.

She treated palace servants with a combination of kindness and severity, employing ruthless methods. First, she strictly enforced the rules for their duties, then she added monthly stipends and rewards, creating a clear system of rewards and punishments that deterred anyone from harboring any illusions.

When it came to reorganizing the palace staff, she was even more swift and decisive.

First, secretly collect evidence of the crimes committed by the eunuchs and palace maids who acted recklessly because of the support of their former masters, then publicly read out their misdeeds and demote them out of the palace without any mercy.

At the same time, a group of honest and diligent low-level palace servants were promoted, replacing the old with the new, and thoroughly eliminating the corrupt practices in the palace.

She upheld the principle of combining strength and gentleness when dealing with the concubines.

She would order a thorough investigation into anyone who overstepped the bounds to gain favor, framed others, or mistreated servants, regardless of their rank. Once the evidence was conclusive, they would be dealt with according to palace rules without any leniency.

If someone is law-abiding but has difficulties, even if they are only in the lowest rank, she will help them as appropriate. With a combination of kindness and severity, no one dares to look down on them.

She always rewards those who have made merits and punishes those who have made mistakes; she never hesitates to act decisively.

In just five months, the imperial harem was completely transformed.

The once somewhat loosely organized imperial harem now exudes an air of order.

A peaceful and orderly scene.

Since she took over the management of the six palaces, she has become an extremely busy person.

Xiao Yan harbored some resentment and complained more than once that she "only had eyes for the harem and no eyes for him."

Whenever this happened, Song Shuangning would hand the jade to Xiao Yan and let the jade to heal him.

Of course, Xiao Yan also repeatedly praised Song Shuangning's virtue and composure in front of civil and military officials during court assemblies, saying that the six palaces were well-ordered under her management.

After several such incidents, Song Shuangning's reputation for virtue spread throughout the court and the country.

******

Rarely able to steal a day of leisure, Song Shuangning held her baby Yu Tuotuo, who was less than six months old. The five-month-old child already looked sturdy, and his soft body nestled in her arms.

After a short while, she felt her arm getting sore.

Song Shuangning couldn't help but gently shake him, "You little dumpling, why are you getting heavier and heavier?"

Yu Tuotuo seemed to understand but not quite, only kicking her short legs and frolicking in her arms, waving her white and tender little arms, hugging her neck, and giggling nonstop.

Suddenly, he nuzzled her with his soft little face, his saliva getting all over her cheeks, making them wet.

Song Shuangning was both amused and exasperated.

Use a handkerchief to wipe away his drool.

Xiao Yan arrived, and said with some displeasure, "You're off today, why didn't you tell me?"

She smiled gently: "I asked Li Fuquan, and he said that His Majesty was busy today, so he didn't send anyone to disturb him at the Emperor's presence."

Song Shuangning held Yu Tuotuo's chubby little hand and shook it gently. The little guy giggled and kicked his legs in her arms, bouncing around even more happily.

Looking at the chubby little boy, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a little frightened.

He rushed forward, picked up Yu Tuotuo, weighed her in his hand, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You're getting heavier and heavier. If you keep growing like this, who will be able to carry you?"

Leaving her sweet and soft mother and going into the arms of her fierce father, Yu Tuotuo immediately became unhappy, pouting her little mouth and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Xiao Yan looked down at the little dumpling wriggling in his arms. "Not very old, but quite temperamental."

Yu Tuotuo didn't understand what he was saying. She bounced around in his arms for a couple of seconds, then pouted and pretended to cry, all bark and no bite, not even a single tear.

"Tsk~" Xiao Yan patted his butt, "You just know how to fake cry."

Song Shuangning leaned against the couch, laughing non-stop.

Only Yu Tuotuo can cure Xiao Yan.

Seeing her mischievous appearance, Xiao Yan turned and called to the wet nurse, "Take the Fourth Prince away."

Yu Tuotuo's crying stopped abruptly. His round eyes stared blankly at his father, then at his wet nurse, before he belatedly realized that he had been "abandoned".

She was truly wronged and burst into tears, tears streaming down her face.

Xiao Yan said sternly, "Alright, stop crying."

Yu Tuotuo cried even harder, twisting her body to look for Song Shuangning.

Song Shuangning quickly took her son, who was crying his heart out, into her arms. Yu Tuotuo buried his head in her neck and leaned on her shoulder, sobbing softly.

Song Shuangning gently stroked his head, glared at Xiao Yan, and said irritably, "Why does Your Majesty always make him cry?"

Xiao Yan looked completely innocent and spread his hands: "I didn't."

That brat has such a bad temper.

Xiao Yan moved closer to the mother and son, deliberately putting on a stern face and complaining, "Ningning, you should reflect on yourself. In the past six months, how long has it been since you've given me any time? You've been either dealing with palace affairs or taking care of this brat, not leaving me even a moment of free time."

Song Shuangning thought back carefully.

I've been so busy for the past six months that I haven't had a moment to spare, and the only time I can spend alone with Xiao Yan is a few tender moments at night.

She leaned over and gave Xiao Yan a quick kiss on the cheek. "Alright, it was my oversight. After I've put Yu Tuotuo to sleep, I'll spend time with A-Yan, okay?"

Yu Tuotuo blinked his big, wet eyes, glancing at his mother and then at his father.

Suddenly, she reached out her chubby little hand, grabbed Xiao Yan's shoulder, pouted her soft little face, and gave Xiao Yan a big kiss on the cheek, leaving saliva all over his face.

Xiao Yan's face darkened.

Song Shuangning laughed so hard she almost fell over.

The family of three was enjoying a happy time together.

……

After putting Yu Tuotuo to sleep, it was already evening.

Xiao Yan then took Song Shuangning's hand and headed towards the long street in the inner palace. Strings of red lanterns were hung up, and small stalls were set up under the lanterns. Bamboo curtains were half-rolled up, and sweet fragrances wafted out.

Song Shuangning was so shocked that her eyes widened and her steps slowed down.

"Ah Yan... this is..."

Xiao Yan squeezed her palm. "I heard you mention the other day that you hadn't been out of the palace to stroll through the markets for a long time, so I had this place set up."

Before the words were even finished, a young eunuch dressed as a peddler called out in a loud voice, "Selling sugar paintings—sweet and delicious sugar paintings, both beautiful and tasty!"

Song Shuangning looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the copper pot at the sugar painting stall was boiling golden sugar syrup. With a gentle turn of the spoon in the vendor's hand, the sugar threads outlined a lifelike little rabbit on the stone slab.

Xiao Yan pulled her over and pointed to the stall: "Shall we pick one?"

Song Shuangning smiled and pointed at the bouncy little fox. The vendor deftly poured out sugar threads, stuck them on a bamboo skewer, and handed it to her.

The sugar had a sweet and refreshing aroma. Song Shuangning took a small bite, and the warm sweetness spread from the tip of her tongue, making her eyebrows and eyes crinkle into a smile.

Further ahead, there are stalls selling dough figurines.

Under the dim light, the chef's fingers flew, and in the blink of an eye, red and green dough were shaped into a small dumpling with a round face and upturned nose, its eyebrows and eyes somewhat resembling a jade ball.

Holding the dough figurine, Song Shuangning couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Isn't this just like our Yu Tuotuo?"

Along the long street, there were vendors selling fresh fruit, displaying exquisite silk flowers, and even a small stall with a chessboard where several eunuchs, disguised as passersby, were quietly debating a game. The evening breeze carried the scents of sugar, fruit, and a faint fragrance of osmanthus.

The shouts and laughter rose and fell, making one forget that they were in the depths of the palace.

As they passed a stall selling osmanthus cakes, Song Shuangning stopped in her tracks, and Xiao Yan immediately had someone buy two pieces.

The two sat on a stone bench by the street, sharing soft and sweet pastries, the lantern light flickering on their faces.

Song Shuangning leaned on Xiao Yan's shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, Yan. I haven't been this happy in a long time."

Xiao Yan put his arm around her shoulder and lowered his head to place a kiss on her forehead: "From now on, I'll often accompany you on strolls like this."

The distant chirping of cicadas was faint, and the warm lights on the long street reflected the two people smiling at each other.