Yunhai Residence.

The Seventh Prince silently followed behind Emperor Jiande, walking toward the study.

Today was the most special attention his father had ever shown him, actually coming to his Yunhai Residence.

The Seventh Prince vaguely sensed that his father wasn’t here to continue scolding him. His father wasn’t that idle—when a prince was outstanding, father would value him; when a prince was mediocre, father wouldn’t bother with extra discipline, simply leaving them to their tutors.

Upon entering the study, Emperor Jiande looked around at his son’s reading quarters, then took a book from the shelf, recited a passage, and tested his son’s insights.

The Seventh Prince still gave a mediocre response.

Emperor Jiande frowned and told his son to remain in the study reading, saying he would summon him again later.

The Seventh Prince thought Emperor Jiande was about to leave and lowered his head: “Your son respectfully sends off father.”

Emperor Jiande waved his hand: “I’ll sit in the main hall for a while. You continue reading. I’ll naturally send someone to call you before I leave.”

The Seventh Prince was greatly alarmed. What exactly was Father planning to do?

Emperor Jiande left a eunuch outside the study to wait, ostensibly to supervise the Seventh Prince’s reading.

The Seventh Prince was thus trapped in the study, unable to leave.

Emperor Jiande came to the eastern side chamber where the Seventh Prince rested, sat down, and instructed Grand Eunuch Cao: “Summon Lady Li. I have questions for her.”

Eunuch Cao went to summon Li Yuniang.

Li Yuniang usually stayed in a small courtyard within Yunhai Residence, separated from the Seventh Prince’s quarters by only a courtyard wall, quickly accessible through a small gate. Having just learned that Emperor Jiande had arrived, Li Yuniang had remained in the courtyard without coming over—this was palace protocol. Women like them, without imperial summons, shouldn’t approach the Emperor’s presence.

Learning that Emperor Jiande wanted to see her, Li Yuniang’s first thought was that the Emperor wanted to inquire about the Seventh Prince’s daily activities.

Whatever Emperor Jiande intended, Li Yuniang could only obey the summons.

Reaching the front of the main hall, Eunuch Cao stopped and whispered that the Emperor was in the side chamber, telling Li Yuniang to go there herself.

Li Yuniang glanced at the empty main hall and couldn’t help looking toward Eunuch Cao.

Eunuch Cao’s gaze swept upward from Li Yuniang’s embroidered shoes, passing over Li Yuniang’s full figure before settling on Li Yuniang’s rippling, beautiful phoenix eyes. Fearing she might be obtuse and spoil the Emperor’s mood, Eunuch Cao quietly reminded her: “Our palace servants’ lives and deaths rest entirely on the Emperor’s whim. If we serve well, the Emperor rewards us; otherwise, losing our heads is just a matter of his word.”

Li Yuniang’s heart sank.

“Please?” Eunuch Cao gestured inward.

Li Yuniang lowered her eyes and walked in. At this moment, Consort Zhuang’s protection of her in Yikun Palace and Emperor Jiande’s gaze flashed quickly through her mind. Li Yuniang suddenly understood why Consort Zhuang had chosen that day to summon her and ask meaningless questions.

It turned out that even the so-called Emperor couldn’t escape the control of those two taels of flesh.

Everything happened too quickly, not giving Li Yuniang much time to consider countermeasures. In what seemed like just a few blinks, Li Yuniang had entered the side chamber and saw Emperor Jiande sitting in a chair. She didn’t look at Emperor Jiande’s face, only noticing his hands resting on his knees.

Emperor Jiande was already over forty. At this age, with fresh, tender beauties offered for his enjoyment every year, he must have tired of the fresh ones and now wanted to taste her aging body.

“Your subject’s wife pays respects to Your Majesty.” Li Yuniang knelt.

Emperor Jiande slightly narrowed his eyes.

Li Yuniang, before him, wore a plain azure jacket with a white jade hairpin, dressed ordinarily like any other wet nurse, nothing outstanding. But Li Yuniang’s beauty was blazing—once anyone’s gaze fell on her face, they surely wouldn’t miss her beauty.

After seeing Li Yuniang that day in Yikun Palace, Emperor Jiande understood this was all Consort Zhuang’s arrangement. That woman, fearing his punishment, had prepared an offering for him in advance.

Emperor Jiande was very satisfied with this offering. It had been a long time since anyone had stirred his heart with such unbearable longing.

As an emperor, Emperor Jiande could possess as much gold, silver, and jewels as he wanted, but psychological stimulation—he couldn’t openly ask his ministers for it, nor could he easily find it in the palace.

“You are Prince Seven’s wet nurse?” Emperor Jiande asked.

Li Yuniang lowered her head: “Yes.”

Emperor Jiande then asked about her husband.

Emperor Jiande had already thoroughly investigated Li Yuniang’s background. He simply wanted Li Yuniang to speak more—her voice was soft yet seductive, very pleasant to hear.

Whatever he asked, Li Yuniang answered.

Emperor Jiande suddenly said, “My legs are somewhat sore and tired. Massage them for me.”

Li Yuniang’s lashes trembled slightly, then she accepted the command, kneeling forward to Emperor Jiande’s front and lowering her head to massage his legs.

Emperor Jiande examined Li Yuniang at close range, looking at her beautiful, obedient face. Just having her massage his legs aroused Emperor Jiande.

He grabbed Li Yuniang’s hand.

Only when the Emperor truly moved did Li Yuniang suddenly shake off his hand, quickly retreating and kowtowing: “Your subject’s wife is of lowly status and unwilling to soil the dragon’s body. Please, Your Majesty, show understanding.”

Emperor Jiande was in high spirits and wasn’t angry, only watching her playfully: “If I don’t mind your lowliness and insist you serve me, what would you do?”

Li Yuniang raised her head and met Emperor Jiande’s gaze: “If Your Majesty insists, your subject’s wife will comply, but Your Majesty possesses the realm, and your virtuous reputation spreads far. Now to ruin your illustrious name for one or two hours of pleasure and leave an inglorious mark in the history books—your subject’s wife thinks it’s not worth it.”

Hearing this, Emperor Jiande’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

One or two hours of pleasure?

Could that ninth-rank official Zhou Zhi last one or two hours in such matters?

When Emperor Jiande was young, including foreplay and afterplay, he might last half an hour. One or two hours was impossible.

Like having a bucket of water thrown in his face, Emperor Jiande’s burning passion gradually cooled.

He certainly didn’t want Li Yuniang to know that he, the mighty Emperor, could now only give her a brief moment.

As for Li Yuniang’s other reasons, Emperor Jiande paid them no mind. As long as he didn’t speak and Li Yuniang didn’t speak, if they acted secretly, there would at most be some gossip outside—who would dare record it in the history books?

“Forget it. Since you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.” Emperor Jiande indicated that Li Yuniang should withdraw, then came to the main hall and sent someone to summon the Seventh Prince.

When the Seventh Prince arrived, Li Yuniang was already gone.

Emperor Jiande casually tested the Seventh Prince again, gave some guidance, and left.

After seeing off Emperor Jiande, the Seventh Prince first called over Eunuch Kang, who had been waiting outside, and inquired about what had just happened.

Eunuch Kang lowered his head and reported truthfully.

He guessed that the Emperor wanted to favor Li Yuniang, but Li Yuniang had emerged so quickly—he didn’t know if she had said something or if the Emperor had lost interest himself.

The Seventh Prince was eleven years old and had grown up in the palace, so he already understood matters between men and women.

The Seventh Prince was well aware of his wet nurse’s beauty, but she was a minister’s wife—how could father harbor such thoughts toward her?

When had Father even seen his wet nurse?

The Seventh Prince silently recalled for a moment and pieced everything together.

The youth clenched his fists. Mother’s schemes had even calculated the people around him.

When evening mealtime approached, Li Yuniang finally came to the main courtyard.

She acted as if nothing had happened, arranging for the little palace maids to set out the meal.

The Seventh Prince sat in his chair, silently watching her.

After the meal, when Li Yuniang was about to withdraw, the Seventh Prince called her back.

“Wet nurse, I’ve grown up and don’t need you to worry about me anymore. A’Fu is still small—I’ll arrange for you to leave the palace to care for A’Fu. How about that?”

The Seventh Prince looked at Li Yuniang.

He believed his wet nurse would be happy to leave the palace rather than stay and become mother’s tool, become father’s forbidden treasure.

The Seventh Prince couldn’t contend with mother or father. The only thing he could do was send his wet nurse out of the palace.

Li Yuniang understood the Seventh Prince’s intentions. She smiled at him and said with complex emotions: “For Your Highness to say such words, you must understand His Majesty’s meaning. That being so, does Your Highness think Her Ladyship would permit me to leave the palace?”

She had been selected by Consort Zhuang to enter the palace and assigned to the Seventh Prince’s side. She served the Seventh Prince, but Consort Zhuang was the one who truly controlled her coming and going. With things as they were, before Emperor Jiande clearly expressed losing interest in her, Consort Zhuang couldn’t possibly let her leave the palace—otherwise, it would offend Emperor Jiande.

How intelligent the Seventh Prince was—just now he had acted emotionally, wanting to protect his wet nurse without considering so much.

“I’ll plead with mother.” The Seventh Prince still wanted to try.

Li Yuniang shook her head and smiled bitterly: “Her Ladyship can’t make this decision either. It depends on His Majesty’s intention.”

The Seventh Prince instinctively wanted to argue, but he had to admit his wet nurse was right.

If father was interested in his wet nurse, even if she left the palace, father could find ways to bring her back. Then the commotion would be even greater, affecting her family more. Better to stay in the palace. If father had no interest in his wet nurse, then her continuing to stay in the palace would also be safe.

The Seventh Prince lowered his head and only asked after a long while: “Today, you and father…”

Li Yuniang told the truth, except for omitting the “one or two hours” comment, treating it as if Emperor Jiande had been purely persuaded by her remonstrance and decided to continue being a wise ruler.

The Seventh Prince breathed a sigh of relief. Good that his wet nurse hadn’t suffered. Good that the father was still willing to listen to advice.

Late at night, the Seventh Prince lay in bed, unable to sleep.

Mother had framed the Second Prince to eliminate the outstanding princes and push him forward.

Mother had used his wet nurse to compete for father’s favor and make father visit Yikun Palace more often.

But if he could become the most outstanding prince like Third Brother, become the one father valued most, the father would naturally visit Yikun Palace more often. Then, mother would achieve her wish and wouldn’t need to use his wet nurse anymore. And father, for his sake, might not pursue his wet nurse either.

From that night on, the Seventh Prince no longer concealed his abilities.

The princes’ literary and martial tutors were the first to notice the Seventh Prince’s change. The eleven-year-old youth was like a treasured sword suddenly sharpened, outstanding and magnificent; none could compete with his brilliance. Even the wrongfully deceased Third Prince would pale in comparison to the Seventh Prince.

The entire imperial palace was shocked by the Seventh Prince’s transformation.

Consort Zhuang was surprised, delighted, and proud, followed by heartbreak.

She had waited so long, earnestly advising her son to strive for advancement, but he had refused to cooperate. Now that Li Yuniang had been pushed forward by her, her son was no longer hiding his talents to protect Li Yuniang. So in her son’s heart, she, his birth mother, was less important than a wet nurse who worked for money?

Emperor Jiande felt no heartbreak—he was extremely pleased with the Seventh Prince’s excellence. Even the Seventh Prince’s previous concealment and current brilliance seemed to Emperor Jiande to be the proper depth a good prince should have, though the Seventh Prince was too young and inevitably acted somewhat impulsively.

Emperor Jiande hadn’t forgotten Li Yuniang. He was just waiting for a certain pill—one that could make women float in bliss. With this pill, he could give Li Yuniang pleasure far exceeding what Zhou Zhi could provide, and wouldn’t fear being mocked by Li Yuniang again.

The Seventh Prince’s change was just a pleasant surprise for Emperor Jiande. As a man, Emperor Jiande needed Li Yuniang; as an emperor, Emperor Jiande needed an excellent heir. Though the Second Prince was good, he still had slight shortcomings. Now with the Seventh Prince as well, Emperor Jiande could choose the better one rather than settle for the Second Prince with regret.

If even Consort Zhuang could see that the Seventh Prince wanted to protect Li Yuniang, Emperor Jiande could see it even more clearly. This made Emperor Jiande’s interest in Li Yuniang even more intense. What exactly had this small wet nurse done to make the Seventh Prince go to such lengths for her?

Emperor Jiande visited Yunhai Residence two more times, each time only talking with the Seventh Prince without summoning Li Yuniang.

Before they knew it, the month’s end arrived again. Every month’s end, Li Yuniang could leave the palace to visit her family.

Upon leaving the palace gates, Li Yuniang’s heart flew homeward. She missed her husband and three children.

However, when she returned home, she discovered that her husband Zhou Zhi had accepted a transfer three days ago and had gone to serve as an official elsewhere, leaving only a long letter for her, instructing her to take care of herself.

Li Yuniang held the letter, looking at her eldest son and daughter surrounding her, and the youngest daughter in the wet nurse’s arms. She forced herself to smile, touching her eldest son’s head: “It’s alright. Father has gone to be an official elsewhere—he can be transferred back in three years.”

With her precarious situation in the palace, having her husband far from the capital to hear less gossip might make life more peaceful.

Li Yuniang comforted herself thus.