When the empress stepped into Yangxin Hall, the emperor had just concluded a small morning meeting.

The Prime Minister and cabinet members exited one by one, bowing to the empress before departing.

Seated at the head, the emperor set down his writing brush and said in a calm voice, “You’re here.”

The empress approached the emperor, whose fatigue was faintly visible, and gently massaged his temples. In a soft tone, she said, “Your Majesty just returned from the west, experiencing many challenges along the way. Why push yourself so hard? It would be better to take care of your health and rest more.”

“Hmm.” The emperor half-closed his eyes, allowing the empress to massage his temples and neck. “You’ve always been so understanding and perceptive; you must know why I’ve summoned you here.”

The empress’s fingers trembled slightly but continued their movement.

Not long after, a cold breeze slipped through the cracks of the door, causing the candlelight to flicker faintly.

Looking at the shadows beneath the emperor’s eyelashes, the empress softly said, “So Your Majesty can also hear the Ninth Princess’s inner voice.”

The emperor responded with a simple “Hmm.”

The empress’s fingers moved to his earlobes. After a brief pause, she asked, “Would Your Majesty be willing to share how you came to meet this Ninth Princess?”

“Hmm. That is exactly why I called you here,” the emperor replied, treating the empress differently than most.

The emperor began recounting how Wu Yi had found Yuan Ruan, how she had saved him multiple times, and how he had recently had the Directorate of Astronomy formally bestow upon her the title of National Preceptor.

The empress’s expression shifted from disbelief to anger when she heard about the “plot-kill,” then to surprise at the mention of “national destiny,” and finally to approval when she learned of the emperor’s decision to treat Yuan Ruan as the National Preceptor.

At the end, the emperor added, “There are still debates in court about the matter of the National Preceptor. The officials supporting her have submitted a petition suggesting we hold a sacrificial ceremony in two weeks to gain the approval of the heavens. What does the empress think?”

The empress replied, “I believe it would be a good idea. On the one hand, it would confirm at the earliest possible time that the national destiny is truly our Xia Kingdom’s National Preceptor. On the other hand, her divine nature would silence some of the ignorant officials.”

The emperor nodded slightly. “Indeed.”

He then marked the petition with a red “Approved.”

After a moment of thought, the empress said, “Your Majesty, I also have a question.”

The emperor chuckled lightly. “Ask.”

The empress said, “Your Majesty mentioned that the little princess foretold Your Majesty would face a mortal calamity. I wonder if my son might also face danger in the future. Could this calamity…”

“The crown prince did indeed have a death calamity, but his original calamity is one he will no longer encounter,” the emperor replied.

The empress was startled, then quickly sighed in relief. However, she soon realized the subtle implications of his words.

Unable to stop herself, she asked, “Does Your Majesty mean that while the original calamity won’t occur, he might face a new one in the future?”

“On the way back to the palace, Yuan Ruan mentioned many interesting ideas to her system. One of them was ‘character determines destiny.’ I find this quite reasonable,” the emperor said, avoiding a direct answer. He continued, “The crown prince is intelligent and kind-hearted, but for this very reason, he is easily taken advantage of by others. As his mother, you should keep a closer eye on him.”

The empress’s expression darkened slightly.

The emperor added, “You are the empress. It is your duty not only to guide the crown prince but also to care for the other princes. Since they address you as their legitimate mother, you must keep them in mind as well. In the coming days, pay more attention to Consort Rong, Noble Consort De, and observe carefully who can hear the little princess’s inner voice and who cannot—especially the princes.”

The empress was taken aback. She had expected Consort Rong to be mentioned, but not Consort De.

The emperor then added, “And the second prince—his character is unfit. Tomorrow, send him to the Office of the Imperial Clan.”

The empress froze, then seemed to realize something. Her face turned grim as she said, “Your Majesty, may I boldly ask: does my son’s death calamity have anything to do with the second prince?”

The emperor waved his hand dismissively. “It’s late. Rest now.”

The empress clenched her fists tightly. The emperor’s lack of denial was a deliberate hint.

Suppressing her emotions, she said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

She resolved that she would ensure the second prince would be well-disciplined.

Zhaoyang Palace

From the first day Yuan Ruan moved in, she felt extremely comfortable.

For instance, when one isn’t particularly hungry, their sense of shame increases.

With her mature mindset, Yuan Ruan felt embarrassed about being breastfed by a wet nurse. She complained to her system, and to her surprise, Zhao Yang Hall sent not a wet nurse but the Seventh Princess, carrying a set of beautifully crafted silver utensils.

“It’s cold out, so every sip of milk my little darling takes must be warm!” Consort Rong said, scooping up milk with a small silver spoon while keeping the bowl warm in hot water. “Let’s see if my darling can get used to this.”

Yuan Ruan was deeply touched. Get used to it? She loved it!

To show her happiness, she eagerly grabbed the small silver bowl with her chubby hands, almost burying her face in it to drink.

Then there was her love for shiny jewels—especially jade of the highest purity.

It was her absolute favorite!

She soon discovered that the bed Consort Rong had prepared for her was surrounded by gold and silver treasures at all four corners. These weren’t just delicately carved—they were massive. Each piece of jade was at least the size of a pigeon egg, exuding an air of unparalleled luxury.

Even the system commented sarcastically, saying, Are these accessories or weights?

Yuan Ruan argued back: 【Big is best! It’s grand. If you can’t handle it, you lack blessings. Look, I can handle it!】

After the debate, Yuan Ruan looped a high-purity green jade necklace several times around her neck.

Consort Rong, smiling at her silly antics, laughed and gifted her an even larger, more transparent jade necklace, tying it around her pigtails.

The best part was that whenever Yuan Ruan’s gaze lingered on something a little too long, she didn’t even need to babble. The next moment, either Consort Rong or the Seventh Princess would bring it to her, letting her play with it to her heart’s content.

Yuan Ruan couldn’t help but exclaim to her system:

【Did Brother always live this well?!】

The system face-palmed: 【Consort Rong truly has keen insight. I’m beginning to think your brother is a legend. How could he stay so cold toward such a thoughtful, capable beauty?】

Consort Rong, sitting nearby with a faint smile, thought to herself: In truth, she wasn’t this attentive to His Majesty—after all, she couldn’t hear his thoughts.

When she glanced at the Seventh Princess and saw her usually indifferent daughter nodding at her, Consort Rong felt even more satisfied.

When people are happy, they tend to act a little extravagantly.

Consort Rong waved her hand grandly. “Come! This is just the beginning!”

Wu Yue didn’t seem very interested, but when she noticed Yuan Ruan’s tiny face light up with excitement, she immediately scooped her up and followed Consort Rong outside.

Two days later.

The emperor had just finished court. Heavy snow had fallen the previous night, and a steady light snow continued today. The snow on the roads was deep enough to cover half a leg.

Riding in his imperial carriage, the emperor noticed a thin layer of frost forming on the golden handrails from the drifting snow.

The chief eunuch quickly handed him a jade hand warmer. After accepting it, the emperor suddenly asked, “Have any been sent to Zhaoyang Palace?”

The chief eunuch, understanding who the emperor truly cared about, quickly replied, “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs prepared seventeen or eighteen jade hand warmer designs for Consort Rong to choose from.”

The emperor frowned slightly, but the chief eunuch added, “Consort Rong specifically requested very small jade warmers. Concerned that this might be difficult to craft, I ordered them to use only warm jade. This way, the warmers are small and delicate, without using hot coals, ensuring they won’t harm the little princess’s hands.”

The emperor’s frown eased, and he gave the eunuch an approving nod. “Your work is always reassuring.”

The eunuch humbly expressed his thanks, marveling internally. In the past, the emperor would criticize Consort Rong’s extravagance. Yet now, when it concerned the little princess, he smiled while giving praise. Clearly, the little princess’s status needed to be elevated even further.

At this moment, the imperial carriage arrived at Zhaoyang Palace.

The chief eunuch stepped down to announce their arrival. Soon, the palace doors were slowly pulled open by the servants.

The emperor descended from the carriage and, as he stepped over the threshold, was so startled by what he saw that he nearly stumbled.