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The man in black continued to sip his tea and glanced at Consort Xu, only to see her almond eyes glaring at him, causing his tea-drinking motion to pause.

"What’s the matter?"

Consort Xu didn’t want to engage with the man in black, lest he think she was easy to bully.

The man in black saw Consort Xu turn her head away, her pretty face clearly spelling out four words, I am angry~

Having spent some time together, the man in black could still discern Consort Xu’s temperament; whatever she was thinking would show on her face.

With such a temperament, it was very easy to suffer a loss in the palace!

And he roughly guessed why she was angry.

"If you’re not going to talk, then I’ll leave." The man in black put down the teacup and stood up to leave.

Consort Xu turned her head back upon hearing this and quickly called out to him, "You stop right there!"

The man in black halted his steps and looked askance at Consort Xu. Under the black mask, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile, "Yes?"

When Consort Xu saw the appetizing pastries on the table, she thought about the man in black’s excellent Kung Fu, and how he could easily make his way into Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

She raised her eyes to the man in black, "Can you do me a favor?"

The man in black asked, "What favor?"

Consort Xu got straight to the point, "Lady Shen has been imprisoned in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and I can’t get in. Can you help me deliver some food to her?"

The man in black nodded, "Alright."

Only then did Consort Xu reveal a smiling face, as she began to pack the food and even asked Cai Xia to bring the abalones, shark fins, braised venison, steamed perch... that hadn’t been delivered.

The man in black stood in front of the peach blossom round table, witnessing Consort Xu packing up the food, a sight that broadened his horizons.

An entire large packet of food, and an extra-large food box...

Consort Xu pointed to those two items, earnestly saying, "Please take care of this for me."

The man in black didn’t speak, took the items with one hand and deftly jumped out the window to leave.

Consort Xu took a few quick steps to the window and watched the man in black’s agile figure leaping eagerly forward among the pavilions and towers, suddenly envying his Kung Fu.

If she had known better, she would have learned Kung Fu with her brothers when she was young, so that she could move around freely in the palace.

At this moment, Xiaoxiang Pavilion was so quiet that only the chirping of insects and the rustling of the wind through the leaves could be heard.

In ancient times, dinner was eaten early, and after two hours had passed, Shen Chuwei woke up hungry.

Only one candle was lit in the room, barely allowing a glimpse of the furnishings within.

Everything could be endured, except sleeping on an empty stomach.

Shen Chuwei touched her round belly and consoled herself, "Don’t worry, I won’t let you go hungry."

Having said that, she got out of bed to look for something to eat.

Before she could even put on her shoes, she noticed an additional tall and straight silhouette in the room, a man who was carrying two large packages.

Shen Chuwei instinctively thought that a thief had come to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, no, a grand bandit; after all, no petty thief would have the ability to commit theft in the Imperial Palace.

What kind of thing to steal?

He actually stole food!

However, Shen Chuwei did not dare to take rash actions at this moment, with two little ones in her belly; she couldn’t take the risk.

So Shen Chuwei sat motionless on the bed.

When the man in black entered, he had immediately noticed that Shen Chuwei was awake. He went straight to the round table, placing the food on it one by one.

Only then did he turn to look at Shen Chuwei, sitting unmoved on the bed, "This is from Consort Xu."

On hearing it was from Consort Xu, Shen Chuwei finally stirred and got down from the bed, "Oh, it’s our own people, you scared me to death."

The man in black: "..."

Shen Chuwei, finding the candlelight in the room insufficient, lit a few more and then eagerly opened the food box, taking out each delicacy one by one and arranging them on the table.

The smell made me even hungrier.

Shen Chuwei ignored the man in black’s presence, picked up her chopsticks, grabbed some venison and started eating, it tasted delicious.

"I didn’t expect Concubine Xu to have a guard with such impressive kung fu skills by her side."

The man in black watched Shen Chuwei eat, a vague sense of familiarity in sight, perhaps it was the resemblance that prompted this feeling.

Shen Chuwei didn’t hear the man in black respond and thought he might be the aloof and taciturn type, so she didn’t mind.

"Thank Concubine Xu for me," she said.

The man in black nodded, "Mhm."

Shen Chuwei continued eating the venison, then picked up a piece of delicious fish and started eating that as well.

Noticing the man in black showed no signs of leaving, "Does Concubine Xu have a message for me to convey?" she asked.

The man in black shook his head: "No."

Fine then! Shen Chuwei ate an abalone next, it was quite tasty.

After eating her fill, Shen Chuwei leisurely drank a few sips of cool tea, then looked up to see the man in black nimbly climbing out the window~

The next morning, inside the Sky Prison

Qin Xiao had been tortured for three days and under normal circumstances would have been at death’s door by now.

It was because Xiao Jinyu brought him medicine every day, and at night, when no one was around, he secretly applied the medicine to himself.

All he got for three meals a day was mouldy Steamed Buns, not even a drop of water.

The water Qin Xiao drank every day was glucose.

Tonight, the food was surprisingly good; there was meat, there was fish, and it was all very clean.

Usually, in prison, if one got to eat food like this, it meant death was near.

A meal before execution.

Qin Xiao was taken aback at first, then it dawned on him that he hadn’t confessed anything yet, not even a false confession under duress, so it couldn’t be an execution meal.

It couldn’t be arranged by Prince Jinyu either, as the meals had not improved during his visits in the past two days. A sudden improvement in meals was a sign of trouble.

But having not eaten for three days, Qin Xiao, seeing the aromatic food, couldn’t help swallowing saliva and wanting to eat.

It was probably only at this moment that he could understand why Lady Shen loved food so much.

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Xiao picked up his bowl, lifted his chopsticks, and began eating.

Outside the prison cell, seeing that Qin Xiao was eating, the jailer who delivered the food turned and left.

Qin Xiao looked up at the prison door, took out a small bottle from the haystack, sent by Prince Jinyu, who said it was a medicine water made by Lady Shen herself, which could antidote all poisons.

And so, for the first time in three days, Qin Xiao had a hearty and warm meal, regaining quite a bit of strength.

In the deep of night

When the jailer came in, he saw the empty bowls and then looked at Qin Xiao lying on the haystack. He leaned over to check for breath and finding none, left the Sky Prison relieved.

Before dawn, Lady Chang looked at herself in the bronze mirror as Huai Xiang arranged her hair.

The little eunuch scurried in to report, "Young master, the deed is done. Qin Xiao committed suicide out of fear of his crimes."

Upon hearing the news, Lady Chang’s lips curled up in a proud smile, "Qin Xiao committed suicide out of fear of his crimes; even if Shen Lady dived into the Yellow River, she wouldn’t be able to clear herself."

With the Empress and Your Highness away, Lady Shen, your fate is sealed.

The first rays of morning light fell on the windowsill, and Lucky Jade bloomed even more gorgeously in the morning sun than usual.

Xuetuan squatted on the bed, scratching Shen Chuwei’s hand with its fluffy paws, trying to wake her up.

Meanwhile, at the gate of Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Xiao Jinyan, who had rushed back day and night, went straight to Xiaoxiang Pavilion upon his return to the palace but was stopped by the Imperial Guard at the gate.

ps: Second update

Oh, it’s spicy, I know the babies are going to say I’m teasing them again...