The summer heat was overwhelming, with the scorching sun shining its rays as if to melt everything in the world.

The entire harem, the Imperial Garden, and Duanning Palace alike.

Except for the cicadas desperately chirping, there was no other sound.

Even Da Bai and Xiao Bai in the back garden were nesting in some shady spot, unwilling to come out.

Snow Ball was lying under a flower tree next to the back garden pool, panting from the heat.

Outside, the heat waves were suffocating.

Inside, however, it was cool and refreshing.

Apart from the exquisitely carved ice mountains placed in every corner.

The little palace maids and little eunuchs were fanning the place with fans soaked in ice water, bringing in cool air.

Yue Er played with the goldfish for a long while and finally felt a bit sleepy.

The little girl, however, clung to them, unwilling to sleep.

Xia Ruqing laughed at her.

"Do you want to sleep with the goldfish? They seem not to sleep at all!"

Yue Er rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Why?"

"Aren’t they tired of swimming all the time?"

"I want to take them out to sleep well, for a rest!"

Zhao Junyao held his daughter, amused and helpless.

"If you take them out, they will die!"

Yue Er gazed at the goldfish innocently and asked in her childish voice.

"Why would they die? I’m not hurting them!"

"Because they cannot leave the water!"

Xia Ruqing explained while stroking her daughter’s hair.

Yue Er squinted her eyes, not sure if she understood, but nodded anyway.

"I understand, it’s like Father Emperor and Mother Empress cannot leave me, right?"

Xia Ruqing quickly nodded. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Yes, yes, yes, you go to sleep now!"

It’s easy to get sleepy in the heat, so sleeping more can relieve exhaustion without so much suffering.

Yue Er finally couldn’t resist her sleepiness and waved goodbye to the goldfish.

"Alright!"

"Goldfish Daddy, Goldfish Mommy, Little Goldfish, I’m going to sleep, you continue!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl yawned and fell asleep.

...

After sending Yue Er away, Xia Ruqing also felt sleepy.

In the mid-afternoon, not taking a nap would be unfair to such weather.

She got up and lay on the bed, turned over, and closed her eyes to sleep.

Zhao Junyao also lay down next to her.

Unfortunately, his mind was filled with worries, and he couldn’t sleep at all.

Thinking over and over, he unconsciously began to mutter to himself.

"What should I do?"

Xia Ruqing, annoyed by him, turned over and drowsily asked him.

"What should be done?"

Zhao Junyao couldn’t hold it in any longer, so he began to recount what had happened at court one by one.

By the time he finished speaking, Xia Ruqing had almost fallen asleep.

"Qingqing, what do you think I should do?"

Hearing her name, Xia Ruqing woke up again. But asked about what should be done, she didn’t know.

She had already forgotten most of what had been said earlier, or maybe she hadn’t listened at all.

"Your Majesty, you should rest a bit and think again!"

Zhao Junyao looked quite helpless.

"I can’t sleep!"

"Then..."

Xia Ruqing was also at a loss, but she was a bit speechless.

"Isn’t it just about Hai Feng? Is it necessary to be so troubled?"

"I think..."

"The Fifth Prince and Hai Feng are husband and wife, a family! They even have a child, a family of three."

"You can’t do anything to Hai Feng, but, the Fifth Prince... that’s possible!"

If it doesn’t work, the Princely Heir can also be dealt with, right!

Though it might be a bit disgraceful for the grand Emperor to deal with a child.

But the relationships within the royal family in ancient times were that complex.

Things like implicated nine families, fathers’ debts repaid by sons, and so on, were just commonplace.

Thinking about it carefully, it’s not that disgraceful.

Of course.

If the Fifth Prince doesn’t intend to rebel, he should manage these relationships himself, shouldn’t he?!

A somewhat vague statement.

In fact, even she didn’t know what she was talking about.

The image of those few little goldfish kept flickering in her mind, leaving her quite muddled.

But Zhao Junyao, on the other hand, listened clearly and understood, his mind suddenly clear.

"Yes!"

"Qingqing, you’re right!"

If he can’t act against a woman, surely he can act against his own brother!

Zhao Junyao closed his eyes and began to slowly plot.

Meanwhile, beside him, Xia Ruqing had already peacefully fallen asleep.

...

The next day at court.

Before the civil and military officials started quarrelling in the main hall.

Zhao Junyao took the initiative.

"How is Fifth Brother doing lately?"

The Fifth Prince’s heart skipped a beat and he hastily stepped forward to reply.

"Replying to Your Majesty, this humble brother has been well lately, just as usual."

But in his heart, he wondered:

His own status was sensitive, and he had recently taken leave and stayed home.

Why had the Imperial Brother specifically sent a message for him to attend court, was there something happening?

Zhao Junyao lightly coughed twice.

"It’s not really anything significant."

"There is a rebellion in the Northwest, and the people are suffering terribly, with no one to console them at the rear!"

"Since Fifth Brother has nothing to do in the Capital City, why not lead your Madam to the Northwest to relieve the disaster!"

With these words.

The people below were instantly dumbfounded.

The Fifth Prince was even more stupefied.

’Disaster relief is straightforward, but what does it mean to bring the Madam?’

’Could it be...’

His expression gradually turned awkward.

To be precise, his whole person, his entire status was quite awkward.

His father-in-law had practically brought an army of eighty thousand to his doorstep to threaten a fight.

No matter whether he helped anyone or didn’t help anyone, he would become a laughingstock.

So he didn’t want to go out at all.

He even secretly sent word to Empress Dowager Zhen, expressing his wish to divorce his wife.

If not divorce, at least marry a secondary wife!

He simply could not bear to have married a daughter of an enemy state as his wife.

Besides the sensitive identity, he’d be ridiculed endlessly!

Empress Dowager Zhen was also quite distressed.

These days she frequently visited Duanning Palace.

The purpose was to implore Xia Ruqing to plead with the Emperor, to find some way for the Fifth Prince to successfully divorce his wife.

Although the Fifth Prince wasn’t as pampered as the beloved Sixth Son, he was still her son, how could she not care about such a big matter.

Moreover.

If this matter were to be exploited by those with ulterior motives, it could very well affect the Sixth Son.

Such a thing Empress Dowager Zhen would never allow.

Xia Ruqing was also quite troubled.

A legitimate royal daughter-in-law, how could she just be divorced?

Even the Emperor couldn’t find a reason to convict her, let alone herself.

So regardless of what Empress Dowager Zhen said.

Xia Ruqing merely played Tai Chi with her.

After visiting a few times, seeing that even the Empress didn’t want to help her, Empress Dowager Zhen finally gave up and stopped coming.

Xia Ruqing could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

...

Back to the topic at hand.

The civil and military officials were all surprised by the Emperor’s decision, but couldn’t find any words to oppose it.

The Fifth Prince was the same.

No matter how bitter he felt or how unwilling he was, he could only accept the decree and express his gratitude.

Just like how he could no longer divorce Hai Feng no matter how much he resisted or regretted marrying her!

Frustration, annoyance, anguish, turmoil in his mind.

The Fifth Prince had already forgotten how he walked out of Taihe Hall.

On his way back to the mansion in the carriage.

The cries of street vendors, the whispers of citizens by the roadside, the laughter from the storyteller in the tea house.

All seemed to be mocking him.

Marrying the daughter of an enemy state as a princess consort and even having a child, it was simply an unimaginable disgrace.

The Fifth Prince clenched his fists tightly, his face pale.

He returned to the mansion like a walking dead.

The servant boy cautiously approached.

"Master, you... your complexion looks so bad?"

"Do you want me to call the Imperial Physician?!"