Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

Chapter 167 Morgi Started the War

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was no longer pressing the issue, Shen Sangwan immediately changed the subject, picking and choosing some random things to tell the Empress Dowager.

The two talked for half an hour in the Phoenix Palace before leaving one after the other.

Consort Yi was indignant that the matter had been so easily dismissed. She cooked a bowl of sweet soup and went to Xingde Palace to find Shen Yuchen.

Instead of directly mentioning the Empress, she hinted that Shen Yuchen should stay at her son's place that evening, so that she could whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

However, Shen Yuchen stopped taking the herbal medicine and instead took Shen Sangwan's pills, but the effect was not very noticeable. When Jiang Sihan arrived, Shen Yuchen was on the verge of exploding.

Before she could even speak, Shen Yuchen slammed the teacup in Jiang Sihan's hand down, "Get out! All of you, get out of here!"

Having failed to achieve her goal with the Empress Dowager, Jiang Sihan was already feeling down. Now, having been rebuffed by Shen Yuchen, she was unwilling to give up so easily. Instead, she mustered her courage and stepped forward, wanting to be a gentle confidante and help Shen Yuchen solve his problems.

But she was met with a forceful shove, which knocked her to the ground. The broken teacup had shards of porcelain scattered on the ground, cutting her palm directly.

"His Majesty--!"

"Get out! Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

Knowing about Shen Yuchen's situation, Fu'an heard the commotion inside and quickly came in to help Jiang Sihan up before sending her out.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is quite troubled by matters of state these days. You should go back as soon as possible. I see your hand is injured; you should apply medicine quickly."

"Eunuch Fu'an, please tell me the truth, what exactly is wrong with His Majesty?"

The palace maid behind Jiang Sihan very sensibly took out a purse from her sleeve and handed it to Fu'an.

But the other party did not take it. Instead, he took a step back and said, "Your Highness, I have never dared to ask too much about His Majesty's affairs. Please do not make things difficult for me."

Before Jiang Sihan could ask any more questions, Fu'an turned and walked into the palace. Before leaving, he reminded her, "Your Majesty should return to the palace as soon as possible. If you have a scar on your hand, it may affect you."

The merchant who had been waiting outside was unaware of what had happened to Jiang Sihan inside. Only after hearing Fu'an's words did she notice that her mistress's palms were covered in blood.

"Your Majesty, your hand—!"

"I have nothing to do, I will return to the palace."

Jiang Sihan took out a soft handkerchief and pressed it onto the wound, then quickened her pace back to her palace.

Weiyang Palace

After Shen Sangwan left, Cen Yan and Wen Yuening continued to sit down and have their meal.

At first, the two remained silent. After they finished eating, seeing that Shen Sangwan had not yet returned, and finding it boring to sit there idly, they began to talk about trivial matters.

“I know you’re not from here, so you don’t need to be so cautious.”

Seeing that everything was just superficial and that Cen Yan was still quite wary of her, Wen Yuening cut to the chase and pointed it out directly.

"Did Sang Wan tell you this?"

Wen Yuening nodded.

"Then you must know that she and I are from the same place. Aren't you afraid?"

Cen Yan paused for a moment, but couldn't find a suitable word.

“Your Highness has always been Your Highness, why should I be afraid?”

Cen Yan didn't know why the other person would say such a thing, but she was shocked that Wen Yuening could accept someone from another world so readily.

Oh—no, now that you include her, there are two.

"Then...do you know about my relationship with her?"

Cen Yan spoke with some uncertainty, her tone slightly tentative.

"Your Highness has already told me that you are a very important person to her, a relationship that is closer than family, so you don't need to worry that I will misunderstand."

Wen Yuening suddenly felt that she wasn't so jealous anymore since she had openly and honestly talked to the other person about it.

She felt a sense of liberation, which made her feel relaxed and comfortable.

"I'm glad you don't misunderstand. Sang Wan and I have known each other since we were very young and have been friends for almost twenty years. Now that I see that she can finally settle down, and with you watching over her, I feel more at ease."

Cen Yan's tone suddenly turned into that of a heartfelt, elderly mother.

Shen Sangwan, who happened to be rushing back, overheard this and was so anxious she almost jumped up and down.

"Little Yan Yan, what nonsense have you been saying to A Ning behind my back?"

"What do you mean by 'reset'? Was I ever a womanizer before? Are you trying to sow discord while I'm away?"

The barrage of questions made Cen Yan burst into laughter, and she maliciously added fuel to the fire, "Shen Sangwan, if you had been more restrained in the past and hadn't left so many clues, you wouldn't be so terrified now."

Wen Yuening sat to the side watching how Shen Sangwan would try to argue her way out of trouble.

The scene of the three of them together was unusually harmonious.

"Um... Ah Ning, please don't listen to her nonsense. She's all alone and can't stand seeing you two together. I've always been very chaste and have never dated any shady people. The 'soulmate' thing is just that—nonsense. And I certainly don't fall in love with every guy I meet..."

Shen Sangwan rattled off a string of words, but as she spoke, she noticed that Wen Yuening's expression seemed to be getting worse and worse. She then glanced at Cen Yan, who seemed completely unaffected, and only then did she belatedly realize that she had just exposed herself!

"not me..."

Okay, now even if I try to explain myself, I can't get through it. The more I talk, the more confused I get!

Why is my damn mouth so useless? Why did I have to blurt out all that nonsense?!

"Did Your Highness have many female confidantes in the past?"

"Well, no, that's not true. Ah Ning must have misheard."

Shen Sangwan laughed it off, trying to brush it off.

Little did anyone know that Cen Yan, who was watching the show, had no intention of letting Shen Sangwan off the hook.

In the past, she was always the one tormenting herself, but now that there is finally someone who can take care of her, she naturally can't just let it go out of kindness.

"Yuening, let me tell you, she used to hang out at bars all the time, and there were so many beautiful women there. You didn't see how much she drooled over them, she was really..."

Seeing Cen Yan's hesitant and ambiguous words, Shen Sangwan reached out to punch her twice, but before her hand could touch Cen Yan, Wen Yuening stopped her.

"Is Your Highness so eager to cover Ayan's mouth? Are you burying your head in the sand?"

"No way—in just one meal, you two have gotten so close that you're calling each other by name?"

I feel like everyone has abandoned me!

"It's one thing for Xiao Tong to side with the Empress, but now even Xiao Yan Yan doesn't want me anymore. I can't live like this anymore."

Wen Yuening was about to pull Shen Sangwan out when they ran into Shuyun coming in.

"You look anxious, has something happened?"

"Your Highness, as expected, Moorji of Dongrui has raised an army and started a war with Nan Jing."

"Did the report come from the border or from one of our own people?"

"It's a clandestine communication, but the court only finds out a day or two later."