Along the way, Fu Xi would occasionally introduce some courtyards.

When they passed by the flower room, he expressed his regret, saying, “Neither of the masters in the residence enjoys tending to flowers and plants. It’s a pity such a large flower room has been left empty. I’ve thought about renting it out several times, but I couldn’t find a tenant…”

Jiang Yanyi thought about the chili plant in her backyard, and a thought began to surge in her mind.

She tentatively asked, “I see your flower room is built so well; even if it’s for rent, the rent must not be cheap, right?”

Fu Xi naturally understood this little girl was probing him.

He replied, “The royal residence doesn’t expect to make much money from renting the flower room. We just feel it’s a waste for such a place to remain empty.”

After several moments of hesitation, Jiang Yanyi finally spoke up: “Steward, can the flower room not be rented as a whole but instead by area?”

Fu Xi replied, “Of course, that’s acceptable. If our neighbor wishes to use the flower room, you can do so directly without needing to pay rent…”

“Rent must certainly be paid.” Jiang Yanyi quickly interrupted Fu Xi.

Thinking that her plan for the chili seedlings had found a solution, a smile appeared in her eyes. “Since we’ve become neighbors with your residence, how can I take advantage of it indefinitely?”

Fu Xi nodded secretly, feeling increasingly that this young girl had no faults to speak of.

In the end, Jiang Yanyi rented a small piece of land in the garrison’s flower room at market price.

After teaching the royal kitchen’s female cook how to make egg tarts, she returned home with her mind fully focused on cultivating her chili seedlings.

---

In the Imperial Palace of the Capital:

Outside the Cangjiao Palace, a begonia was blooming vibrantly, its flowers extending halfway over the palace wall, contrasting starkly with the nearby withered yellow leaves.

The autumn wind howled, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground, feeling the cold seep through their clothes and into their knees.

Yet, none dared to breathe a word.

A begonia petal was blown away by the wind and landed on the new emperor’s embroidered golden dragon shoes.

The new emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression icy.

His phoenix eyes were clouded with gloom as he addressed the people inside the palace, “If you refuse to eat for a single day, I will have them kneel outside for an entire day!”

Autumn arrived late in the capital, and while the days were still bearable, the nights turned quite chilly.

Many palace servants shivered upon hearing the new emperor’s words, crying out to the inner palace, “Consort Xi, please eat something!”

Jiang Yanxi slowly walked out from the inner palace.

She had fasted for two days.

The normally slender figure now had a sharper jaw, and her skin was pale, with little color on her lips, which had even cracked and peeled.

Weakly, she said, “This is the only method you know how to use, isn’t it?”

The new emperor’s expression darkened immediately.

The head eunuch beside him hurriedly interjected, “Consort Xi, I had the imperial kitchen stew your favorite snow frog soup. Please drink some!”

At his signal, a palace maid approached with a tray.

However, Jiang Yanxi only glanced at the white jade bowl of soup before raising her hand to knock it to the ground.

Seeing the new emperor’s expression grow even darker, she felt a rare sense of vengeful joy rise within her.

Looking at the emperor, even though her weakened state made her voice soft, every word was like a needle prick. “You’re the emperor; I cannot resist you. You can implicate my family, execute me… Ha…”

She even laughed until tears fell: “I’m no longer afraid of death; do you think I would still fear you? The lives of others mean nothing to me!”

The palace servants kneeling on the ground were startled by her words, panicking and knocking their heads against the floor, crying, “Consort Xi, please have mercy! We don’t want to die…”

Jiang Yanxi merely glanced at the group of wailing palace servants before turning her weary body away.

However, she had barely taken a few steps when the new emperor suddenly grabbed her waist and swept her up, carrying her back into the inner palace.

She was too thin; beneath the luxurious robes, she felt almost like just a bundle of bones.

When the new emperor picked her up, he felt a strange pang of pain in his heart.

Jiang Yanxi struggled with all her might, punching and kicking, even messing up his dragon robe and scratching his face.

Yet, it was all in vain.

As she was forcefully pressed onto the bed, she almost resigned herself and shut her eyes.

He always dealt with her forcefully.

But this time, the new emperor did not forcibly strip her of her clothes as he usually did.

Instead, he ordered in a deep voice, “Bring the soup.”

A bowl of Eight Treasures Soup was delivered to him.

He raised it to his lips and drank a mouthful before leaning down to feed Jiang Yanxi.

Jiang Yanxi tightly closed her lips, refusing to drink.

He held her jaw firmly, applying some pressure, which forced her to loosen her mouth.

A spoonful of soup was fed to her, but most of it spilled out, causing Jiang Yanxi to cough violently.

The new emperor wiped her mouth with a yellow handkerchief and coldly asked, “Will you drink it yourself, or should I continue feeding you like this?”

Tears streamed from the corners of Jiang Yanxi’s eyes, soaking into her hair, as she replied, “If I die, it would fulfill everyone’s wishes, and I would also be free.”

Veins bulged on the new emperor’s hand as he gripped her chin tightly, snarling, “Without my permission, you don’t even have the right to die!”

“Just watch, if I want to punish Jiang Jing’an, do you think I can’t find a reason?”

Mentioning Jiang Shangshu made Jiang Yanxi panic.

With a mix of sorrow and hatred, she exclaimed, “You’re shameless! My father dedicated his entire life, while you are a foolish monarch!”

The head eunuch waiting outside, hearing Jiang Yanxi’s accusations, didn’t dare to breathe.

If it were anyone else daring to insult the new emperor like this, their head would have long been lost.

But since it was Jiang Yanxi speaking, the new emperor merely sneered, “Continue cursing.”

Jiang Yanxi shut her eyes, refusing to look at him, her voice filled with self-mockery: “In the palace, I’m nothing but a joke. Your Majesty would find it far more interesting to raise a golden songbird than to waste time with me. The Empress Dowager can’t tolerate me, the Empress can’t tolerate me, and the Grand Princess can’t tolerate me. Everyone says I used all my seductive tricks to entangle Your Majesty…”

“Who dares speak so recklessly? I will have his tongue pulled out!” The new emperor said angrily.

Fan Shengnian had been harmed by her, and after he was killed, the court became unstable.

The Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess would know that everything stemmed from her, so naturally, they wouldn’t treat her kindly.

To stabilize the Fan family, he had to first grant the daughter of the Fan family the title of Imperial Noble Consort.

Fan Shengnian was lured away by the Empress’s scheme.

The Empress was now pregnant and had the protection of the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess, making her untouchable.

However, the Fan family had learned the truth and was now fighting against the Empress’s maternal relatives.

The power of the Fan family was given by him, and he could reclaim it at any time.

If the Fan family could take this opportunity to trip up the Empress’s maternal relatives, he would no longer be constrained by them in the court.

The new emperor softened his tone, “I have already killed Fan Shengnian…”

Jiang Yanxi interrupted him with a cold laugh: “Does Your Majesty truly not know who is harming me?”

The palace fell into a brief silence.

After a long while, the new emperor finally said, “Once the Empress gives birth to the dragon heir, I will depose her.”

The words “dragon heir” made Jiang Yanxi’s pupils constrict slightly.

Unconsciously, her hand clutched the brocade quilt beneath her, her entire body filled with a chilling aura.

Yet, she still smiled at the new emperor and said, “So, the Empress is with child. You should be congratulating Your Majesty.”

The new emperor’s expression turned somewhat awkward as he placed his hand on Jiang Yanxi’s abdomen. “I’ve always wanted to have a child with you…”

Jiang Yanxi recoiled from his hand, arching her back like a small beast, rejecting his touch.

“Your Majesty, the Duke is still waiting for you in the study to discuss state affairs.”

The head eunuch, waiting outside, saw that time was running out and hesitated before finally speaking.

The new emperor closed his eyes and said to Jiang Yanxi, “I need to deal with state affairs first. I’ll come to see you later. Eat well, and if you want to see your father, just call for someone to send a message.”

After leaving the main hall, the new emperor coldly commanded the commander of the Imperial Guards, “Send more men to the Western Province. I want the head of the Jiang family’s legitimate daughter brought back to me!”

Once the King of Liao Nian loses this bargaining chip, he has plenty of ways to deal with him!

Western Prefecture.

Fuxi entered Feng Shuo’s study, holding a plate of small egg tarts. “These were made when the young lady from the Jiang family came to the residence to teach the kitchen maid.”

Feng Shuo looked at the official documents in his hand without glancing up. “Just put them down.”

Fuxi placed the egg tarts, which were in a small jade bowl, beside Feng Shuo’s desk.

As he bowed to leave, he added, “I heard from the people in the Ming Tan courtyard that the Grand Empress Dowager liked these snacks so much that she ate more than half a piece.”

Feng Shuo’s eyes lit up slightly. “Have the kitchen prepare more for the Grand Empress Dowager in the coming days.”

Fuxi nodded in agreement.

Feng Shuo glanced at the intricately crafted pastries but didn’t move.

He asked Xing Yao, “How’s the arrangement for secretly protecting the Jiang family’s eldest daughter going?”

Xing Yao replied, “I have already sent people to closely monitor the street of the Protectorate. We can detect any movement at the slightest sign.”

Feng Shuo pondered for a moment and instructed, “It’s safer to send someone to provide close protection. She might recruit some help in the shop. Make the arrangements.”

After Xing Yao accepted the order and left, Feng Shuo thought about Jiang Yanyi and the events in the capital.

He noticed the egg tarts beside him, picked one up, and took a small bite.

It tasted even sweeter and more fragrant than he had imagined, with a creamy milk flavor mixed with egg.

The filling was soft, while the crust was crispy, somewhat like a puff pastry, creating a rich texture.

Without hesitation, Feng Shuo finished the remaining three egg tarts.

Suddenly, he found it hard to focus on the official documents in his hand.

He left the study and walked toward the western courtyard.

Upon reaching the pavilion in the western courtyard, Feng Shuo instinctively leaned against the pavilion pillar, his striking phoenix eyes slightly lowered, and his jawline sharp and cold.

A gentle breeze fluttered the hem of his dark crimson robe embroidered with golden threads.

The dark iron bracers on his wrists reflected a shimmering light under the sun.

The gauze, soaked in blood, had dried to a faint yellow around the edges but was still wrapped around his palm.

As the wind blew, it carried a slight itch, reminiscent of the moment when she had wrapped his wound and accidentally brushed her delicate fingertips against his palm.

Feng Shuo instinctively curled his fingers as if trying to grasp something.

When the pressure on his palm made the wound sting, his dazed eyes suddenly regained clarity.

He slightly tilted his head to look at the pomegranate tree at the corner of the courtyard, his gaze drifting far away.

He liked being here.

Separated by a wall, he could clearly hear any sounds from the courtyard across.

He couldn’t remember when he started to care about someone.

Initially, he thought she was a spy, and it felt natural to pay attention to her every move.

Later, he realized she had become a taste in his life; whenever he was troubled, he wanted to be close to her, as if it was worth it just to sense the flavors of life.

But some things were seeds that had already settled in his heart; just a little rain and dew would prompt them to sprout and grow wildly, like weeds.

As the sun sank in the west, he leaned against the pillar, his exquisite face half in the sunlight and half hidden in the shadows.

The elongated shape of his phoenix eyes seemed to narrow as he softly uttered, “Jiang Yanyi.”

Earlier in the afternoon, a parrot that had foolishly called out “Elegant Lady” at an inappropriate time was now being made to reflect on its behavior in a nearby cage.

The parrot tilted its head several times, cautiously watching Feng Shuo with its black bean-like eyes, which looked particularly silly due to the white ring around its eyes.

The parrot pecked twice at the empty food trough with its sharp red beak, then stared at Feng Shuo for several glances, noticing that he hadn’t paid any attention to its empty trough all afternoon.

Suddenly hearing Feng Shuo speak, the parrot, for the sake of a bite to eat, dropped its dignity and made an effort to mimic its master, “Jiang Yanyi!”

Almost instantly, Feng Shuo’s hand grasped the parrot by the neck.

The parrot’s eyes widened, instantly silenced.