"Miss An Er, would you be willing to become an official by my side, to constantly supervise me?"
An Ling trembled all over. She hadn't expected that after uttering such disrespectful words, the Empress would not only not be angry but would also invite her to be a female official.
"Can I, a commoner?" She had never told anyone that she had dreamed of becoming an official since childhood, but because she was a woman, she couldn't express her thoughts even if she had them.
"Yes. The words you just spoke, no one in the court dares to say. I need people like you who dare to offer advice. An Ling, you are the person I need."
The maiden spoke with great sincerity.
An Ling's eyes lit up. She knelt and kowtowed, "This commoner is willing to contribute my meager strength. As long as it is within my ability, this commoner will go all out, until death."
"Good. Xue Yan, An Ling, and Xiu'er are entrusted to your care," Xue Zi Ning said.
Xue Yan nodded, "Your subordinate accepts the order."
"Your Majesty..." Wen Yu Xi rushed over after receiving the news. Seeing her, he couldn't help but smile and said in a low voice, "A Ning, you truly leave no room for men to seek pleasure."
Xue Zi Ning looked at Wen Yu Xi with a cold gaze and asked, "Have you been here before too?"
Wen Yu Xi's smile softened a little upon hearing this, "There's no one here that I desire."
Xue Zi Ning asked, "Has Shen Yun Xuan set off?"
Wen Yu Xi nodded, "He has already set off. Don't worry, Wen Nuan will escort him to the capital."
"I trust your judgment implicitly. It's just that I somewhat regret appointing An Yi back then. He's clearly someone who can't distinguish right from wrong," Xue Zi Ning expressed some regret.
Wen Yu Xi replied, "Perhaps, he concealed himself too well."
An Manor
"Aunt Moon, something's wrong, something's wrong!"
Aunt Moon, hearing the hurried voices from outside, quickly instructed the maid behind her, "Go quickly and see what has happened!"
To be honest, ever since An Yi left, her heart had been in turmoil, filled with unease.
She had never felt such a sense of unease before.
She absolutely could not let anything happen to An Yi, at least not before the wedding.
"Aunt Moon, something's wrong, the master has been imprisoned by His Majesty in the Tingwei prison!" the maid rushed over to report.
The golden hairpin in Aunt Moon's hand fell to the ground. She stood up and walked towards the maid, asking, "What exactly happened?"
The maid shook her head, "This servant does not know."
"Go and bring the person in. I want to question them myself," Aunt Moon said.
After the maid went out, she quickly brought the servant in. Aunt Moon said, "Tell me everything you know and have seen."
The servant did not dare to conceal anything and recounted everything he knew and had witnessed.
Finally, the servant said, "The master asked this servant to specifically tell Aunt Moon that he will await the clearing of his name and to please not worry."
"I understand. You all may withdraw," Aunt Moon said.
After the servant withdrew, Aunt Moon paced back and forth in the room. Did Xue Zi Ning know she was here?
No, she shook her head. It was impossible. She had always been very cautious.
Whether it was helping An Yi seize the position of Tingwei or all the subsequent events, she had executed them flawlessly.
It must have gone wrong because of An Ling. If only she had killed her.
Now, there were endless troubles.
"Someone," Aunt Moon called out to the outside.
Soon, a servant walked in, "Aunt Xue."
"Go and fetch the Old Madam from the separate residence." Aunt Moon ordered.
The servant received the command and left.
An Ling couldn't control everything, but she had a weakness in the Old Madam. As long as she held the Old Madam in her hands, everything would be manageable.
She walked to the bronze mirror and carefully reapplied the human skin mask.
Stepping outside, she said, "Take the master's cloak and some food."
Arriving at the Tingwei prison, since the Empress had not forbidden visitors, after giving some silver, the jailer allowed Aunt Moon to enter the prison.
Reaching the cell door, An Yi saw Aunt Moon and stood up to walk towards her. "Yue'er, you've come."
Aunt Moon nodded and whispered, "Tomorrow, take all the blame upon yourself. Absolutely do not shirk responsibility."
An Yi was taken aback and asked, "Then I will be convicted."
"No, the Empress won't. Don't worry, do as I say." Aunt Moon instructed.
An Yi nodded, "Don't worry, I'll listen to you, Yue'er."
"I must be going. Don't forget what I said." Aunt Moon left.
Stepping out of the prison, Aunt Moon looked towards the imperial palace, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Xue Zi Ning, we will meet soon."
Retracting her gaze, she walked outwards. A man and a woman walked towards her. She hadn't seen the woman before, but the man made her pause.
Why was he here?
"Aunt Moon, what's wrong?" the maid asked, seeing Aunt Moon suddenly stop.
Aunt Moon shook her head, "It's nothing, let's go!"
She lowered her head even lower.
After they brushed past each other, the man suddenly stopped, turning to look at the woman hurrying away.
"Young Master Shen San, what's wrong?" Wen Nuan asked.
Shen Yun Xuan shook his head, "It's nothing, I just feel a sense of familiarity."
Wen Nuan snorted upon hearing this, "Young Master Leng San also said something similar when he saw me!"
Shen Yun Xuan's mouth twitched, "Don't misunderstand. I only said it felt familiar, not anything else."
Wen Nuan rolled her eyes at him, "You don't need to explain to me. I won't interfere in your romantic affairs. My task is to escort you to the palace. You can tell the Empress about anything else!"
Mentioning the Empress, Shen Yun Xuan's eyes lit up, "I wonder how she is doing now?"
"Won't we see her soon? I really don't understand why you men like women like that," Wen Nuan said, looking at herself. Did she really not like her allure?
"I don't look at outward appearance, only at substance," Shen Yun Xuan said faintly.
"Shen Yun Xuan, I suspect you're talking about me," Wen Nuan said coldly.
"I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't dare. Miss Wen is naturally wonderful, and someone will appreciate you."
Wen Nuan snorted, "Let's go. The mission is almost complete, and I can finally rest."
Upon hearing that Shen Yun Xuan was just outside the imperial study, Xue Zi Ning quickly sent for him to enter.
Shen Yun Xuan walked in and immediately saw that pure and peerless beautiful face, along with her clear and bright eyes.
His heart throbbed, beating violently only for her.
He lowered his gaze and knelt, saying, "This subject greets Your Majesty."
A hand as fair and smooth as jade helped him up. "Young Master Shen San, please rise."
He looked up, her face now close before him.
"Your Majesty..."
"Xue Yan, serve tea." Xue Zi Ning looked him up and down and said, "You are still the same as the last time I saw you."
"Your Majesty, you are too. I heard that your wedding is approaching. I have nothing grand to offer as congratulations, so please accept this jade pendant once more." He presented the jade pendant.
Xue Zi Ning looked at the jade pendant and said, "Young Master Shen San, I cannot accept this."
"Does Your Majesty find the token too insignificant?" Shen Yun Xuan looked up at her.
His gaze was too ardent. Xue Zi Ning took it, saying, "Alright, I'll keep it here for now."