Yuchi Yan excitedly spun around several times on the ground, grabbed Qin Huaiyuan’s shoulders with both hands and patted them forcefully, “Minister Qin, We thank you! We thank you on behalf of all the people of Great Yan for this brilliant plan!”

Qin Huaiyuan hurriedly knelt down and performed a grand salute: “Your subject dare not accept such praise. As a subject of Great Yan, it is natural for your subject to think for Great Yan. Your subject merely contributed a small amount of strength, how can Your Majesty treat your subject this way? Your Majesty is noble as the ruler of a nation, needing to govern the entire realm under heaven. To say Your Majesty handles countless affairs daily would not be an exaggeration. To be able to share even one worry for Your Majesty is your subject’s honor.”

Qin Yining also knelt down together, listening to her father’s words and secretly memorizing these subtle words of flattery in her heart.

The Emperor felt a warm comfort in his heart. Someone was acknowledging and understanding his efforts and dedication, which was the most delightful thing possible. Looking at Qin Huaiyuan again, besides being a worthy minister and good teacher, he also felt a sense of kindred spirits.

“Minister Qin, please rise quickly.” Then he looked at Qin Yining with great approval, “Xuan Su has deeply learned from Minister Qin’s words and example, truly the most intelligent woman of this dynasty.”

Qin Yining hurriedly performed a salute: “Your subject’s daughter dare not accept such praise. Your subject’s daughter has not seen much of the world, only understands some trivial matters of needlework, how dare she accept such praise from Your Majesty.”

Hearing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh. He knew he was not proficient in court affairs, and sometimes his judgment was truly not as accurate as Qin Yining’s. If Qin Yining only understood trivial matters like needlework, wouldn’t he understand even less than such small matters?

However, the Emperor was not a suspicious person and didn’t think much of it. Having found a solution to the problem, Yuchi Yan’s mood relaxed considerably, and he began discussing with Qin Yining about setting up the altar tomorrow.

After making arrangements, Yuchi Yan and Qin Huaiyuan left together.

Qin Yining escorted them all the way to the door. Walking to the ornamental gate, Yuchi Yan didn’t forget to turn back and instruct: “You should go back quickly, no need to escort further. There are many flowers and trees here, there must be many mosquitoes too. Be careful not to get bitten. Later We’ll have them make a large mosquito net to wrap around the entire pavilion.”

Eunuch Lu and the accompanying palace attendants, as well as the imperial guards at the door, heard these words and looked at Qin Yining with different eyes, even more respectful than before.

Qin Huaiyuan, Second Master, and Third Master felt uncomfortable in their hearts. Was the Emperor acting this way because he wanted to treat their family’s young lady like a courtesan?

After Yuchi Yan left, Qin Yining returned with Ji Yun and Qiu Lu to rest early, which we’ll set aside for now.

At this time in Fengyi Palace, Empress Li Yanyan wore a bright red nightgown and sat cross-legged on an arhat couch by the window, lost in thought.

Her dowry wet nurse, Nanny Li, softly consoled: “Your Majesty the Empress should not overthink. The Emperor must have rushed there because there were too many common people at Xuan Su Temple and he was worried about chaos. No matter how devastatingly beautiful that little hussy from the Qin family is, she is ultimately just a lay practitioner now, and one personally appointed by the Emperor himself. What waves could she possibly make? No matter what, you are currently the Emperor’s only empress.”

Li Yanyan smoothed the long hair falling over her chest with her fair hand, her eyes full of desolation and resentment: “Though you say so, the Emperor’s heart is ultimately with that woman. From the time of the imperial selection, this palace witnessed the Emperor’s special treatment of Miss Qin. This palace originally thought I was only destined to be a consort, with no fate to compete with Miss Qin. But Heaven took pity, and this palace became empress, the Emperor’s only legitimate wife. Since Heaven granted this palace such an illustrious husband, why must it be that even after the grand wedding, he still refuses to settle his heart and return…”

Li Yanyan thought of the Emperor’s refined features, elegant bearing, and gentle smile, and her heart felt both warm and bitter.

Then thinking of how just now the two were about to retire for the night, intimately close together, when suddenly an attendant came to report that something had happened at Xuan Su Temple, and the Emperor without a word abandoned her and left…

Li Yanyan’s burning heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

The Emperor was not her husband alone, she knew. The Emperor did not belong to her alone.

But it was one thing for the palace consorts to compete with her, how could a lay practitioner also be allowed to compete with her?

Picking up a mirror and looking at her gentle features in the lamplight, then recalling Qin Yining’s beauty that was so stunning even she as a woman was captivated by it, her heart felt both bitter and jealous. No matter how much fondness she had for Qin Yining before, it was gone now.

“It seems this palace must let her know her place.”

Hearing this, Nanny Li smiled: “Your Majesty is the mother of the nation. Teaching a small lay practitioner a lesson is naturally appropriate. Moreover, now that Prince Ning is on his deathbed, among the current court officials who could serve as commander-in-chief against Great Zhou, only Duke Dingguo is capable. There are still many places where the Emperor must rely on Duke Dingguo. Your Majesty is Duke Dingguo’s beloved daughter, so naturally the Emperor treats you differently.”

Li Yanyan just smiled upon hearing this, her smile containing helplessness but also pride in her powerful maternal clan.

At this time, the little attendant standing guard outside came to report: “Your Majesty, the Emperor has returned to the palace.”

Li Yanyan hurriedly stood up: “Quickly, prepare for this palace.”

The little attendant saw the Empress looking delighted and hastily added the rest: “Reporting to Your Majesty, after the Emperor returned, he went to rest at Yangxin Hall and told Your Majesty not to wait.”

Li Yanyan’s smile immediately froze on her face. It took great effort not to show her disappointment, instead gracefully waving her hand: “Understood, you may withdraw.”

After the Emperor went to see Miss Qin, upon returning he didn’t even want to look at her once…

The jealous fire in Li Yanyan’s heart was about to consume her entire being.

The news that the Saint would set up an altar to question Heaven had spread to everyone’s knowledge.

Shopkeeper Zhong, the disguised Huzi, and Mu Jinghu in azure robes – the three of them left before dawn, heading toward the villa.

They thought they had left quite early, but who would have expected that many common people had already gathered in front of the villa gates. Clearly they had come to wait very early.

With nothing to do while waiting, and unable to leave lest they lose their spots when trying to squeeze back in, the three could only chat quietly to pass time, waiting for the villa gates to open and the ceremony to begin.

Who knew that just after the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the morning sky that had been fairly clear suddenly began to drizzle. The rain wasn’t heavy, falling sparsely, but it wouldn’t stop either, quite bothersome.

The common people had nowhere to take shelter from the rain but were unwilling to leave. Fortunately the light rain wasn’t heavy, and it was during the hot summer, so it wasn’t unbearable.

Thus, they finally waited until the villa’s great gates were opened by someone.

Someone called out loudly: “Everyone, don’t push and shove. Same old rules – if the Saint has anything to say, naturally someone will come out to inform everyone, so whether you enter Xuan Su Temple’s gates or not makes no difference. Everyone, don’t cause a stampede, don’t collide with the Saint…”

The common people had come to see how the “Saint” would set up an altar to question Heaven. Those in front naturally rushed inside wanting good spots, and those behind followed suit, pushing inward.

Shopkeeper Zhong, Huzi, and Mu Jinghu were squeezed until their hats fell off and clothes went askew. Huzi’s fake beard nearly got squeezed off.

After much effort, the three finally found their footing on the arched bridge and could see from afar that in the plaza, within a circular space formed by one hundred Taoist nuns sitting in meditation, incense tables and sacrificial offerings had already been arranged.