It's quite late, so I'll edit this chapter tomorrow. Please point out any mistakes if you see any, thanks!

At dawn, the vociferous chirping of birds roused a certain ex-insomniac.

...

A hand feebly reached through the gorgeous crimson curtains. The formerly fair arm was now a spectacular pallor.

"That dastard!" Xia Yuqing's voice issued from the curtains as she propped herself up tenderly. Her expression was dark. SOB, even if it was wrong of me to expose his affair with the beautiful grand tutor, it doesn't give him the right to bully me like that!

Xia Yuqing thanked a certain seme who'd run off in the morning with an inner middle finger.

In the imperial study, he who had been thanked felt his nose itch and had to sneeze.

"What is it? Did you exert yourself too much yesterday and catch a cold?" Yan Ran raised his head from his documents and taunted.

"Perhaps someone was thinking of me." Feng Tingye drawled, glancing sideways at Yan Ran.

Feng Tingye looked like the cat that got the cream. It creeped out Yan Ran to the point of getting goosebumps. He laid his hand on the taciturn Leng Ruofeng's shoulder and asked, "Ruofeng, don't you think married men are terrifying?"

Leng Ruofeng coldly dusted off the offending hand. "Not as much as you." he said impassively.

"Me, terrifying? How am I terrifying? You're breaking my heart here, Ruofeng." Yan Ran immediately clasped his bosom heartbrokenly. Leng Ruofeng shuddered.

"Stop fooling around, you miscreant." Feng Tingye smacked Yan Ran on the head with a sheaf of papers. "If you have time to goof around, then why don't you think of a solution? Zitang is returning." He reminded him.

"That brat's coming back? Yan Ran's face froze. He sneaked a glance at Feng Tingye.

Feng Tingye smiled. He patted Yan Ran's shoulder, apparently sympathetic. "Yes, that brat."

...

"Milady, you've awakened." Hearing movement, Cui'er was in the room before Xia Yuqing set foot down. "Are you alright, milady? Let me help you wash up."

The ordinarily thick-skinned Xia Yuqing colored at this. "I'll do it myself."

"Can you even get up, milady? Just let me do it." Cui'er chuckled.

Xia Yuqing's face burned hotter, but she didn't refuse. She didn't have the strength to get ready by herself.

Xia Yuqing's color was much improved after the currying. She simmered, supporting her nearly bisected pelvis.

"Cui'er, let me ask you something."

"Go ahead, milady."

"Are outsiders permitted to stay in the palace?"

"Why do you ask? Per court etiquette, outsiders cannot stay and may only remain in the palace till 9 to 11 pm."

Xia Yuqing narrowed her eyes. No wonder he'd have to vent if the beautiful grand tutor couldn't stay.

No! She couldn't continue like this. 3000x the affection or no, she'd definitely kick the bucket if this went on! She needed to come up with a plan to bring the beautiful grand tutor into the place. If not, then she at least needed to find Seme-sama another uke!

"It's time for breakfast, milady." Cui'er said, noticing Xia Yuqing's expression

Xia Yuqing came to her senses and nodded a little. She'd just picked up a steaming white bun when a eunuch burst inside.

"Milady, the empress dowager had returned. She's summoned you to an audience at the Palace of Tranquility and Compassion!"

"..." Xia Yuqing hadn't even managed a bite before she dropped the bun in the soup before her, splashing hot broth everywhere.

An emperor's affection, a love rival, and now an evil mother-in-law. *tableflips* Can't this shitty transmigration just let me bee.

Puffed with indignation, Xia Yuqing nevertheless obediently followed the eunuch towards the Palace of Tranquility and Compassion. Since this was someone else's life, endure!

"My greetings to the empress dowager." Xia Yuqing bowed, cautiously peeking sideways at the enseated woman.

The empress dowager ought to be over forty, yet the seated woman didn't look over thirty. Her looks might lose to a younger woman's, but she possessed dignity unique among those genteelly raised ladies, a dignity that stemmed from experience in exercising authority. If it weren't for the unmistakable traces of makeup, then it would be truly difficult to believe that she was a forty some years old woman.

Madam Zhangsun took two sips from her teacup as she privately appraised the Xia princess who'd been raising hell in the palace. When she noticed Xia Yuqing staring at her with blatant astonishment, she secretly smiled to herself. Seems she isn't some scheming strumpet.

Her eyes crinkled as she recalled the message she'd received this morning. She really wanted to see what sort of person this the foreign princess who'd libeled that her son was impotent, was.

"You are the princess from the State of Xia?"

Xia Yuqing nodded flusteredly. "Yes, ma'am." She said to the floor.

Those questions were like grilling a suspect. Uwaah, could this be that super harsh, super malicious and nigh-invincible last BOSS? That infamous sadistic mother-in-law of many novels?

"Rumble—" A loud noise broke Madam Zhangsun's attention and Xia Yuqing's daze.

Xia Yuqing touched her protesting belly and sobbed silently. Yesterday after dinner, she'd been forced to "workout" by that savage for quite some time. Then she'd been laid up for most of the morning. And when she'd finally received some buns to eat, she'd been hurriedly herded here. She didn't even get a bite of porridge, damnit!

Madam Zhangsun was nonplussed and almost snickered. She fixed her expression and coughed lightly. "Come on then."

Xia Yuqing's eyes lit up. She lifted her head towards Madam Zhangsun, then realized that Madam Zhangsun had no intention of allowing Xia Yuqing to get up. Her smiling expression seized up. She must want to intimidate me first! How cruel!

Soon a line of maids bearing delicate dishes filed in. Each one breezed past Xia Yuqing.

The aroma unfailingly roused her stomach cry. Xia Yuqing wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.

You evil capitalists! Even your breakfast is so extravagant! That's made from the blood, sweat, and tears of the people! Eat then, eat till you burst! Xia Yuqing thought savagely.

Meanwhile, the woman who'd been pegged as an evil mother-in-law, watched Xia Yuqing's unpredictable expressions amusedly. "You've probably not had breakfast yet, princess. Come, let us first." She said when enough food had arrived.

Xia Yuqing was startled. She glanced up skeptically at the solemn empress dowager. Eh, this witch is inviting me to dine? Is there a trap card?

Despite her doubts, she couldn't resist the lure of fine food. Xia Yuqing thanked Madam Zhangsun happily and got up, intending to join her. She straightened boldly, forgetting her overworked hips...and fell from heaven to hell.

"AH—" Xia Yuqing yelped. She flailed for the closest maid and tumbled down with her. This motion set off the defenseless victims in front of them, and Xia Yuqing experienced the eighth wonder of a different world—HUMAN DOMINOES!

Feng Tingye had learnt that Madam Zhangsun summoned Xia Yuqing only after court ended. Worried, he set off towards the Palace of Tranquility and Compassion at a killer pace.

]Just as he arrived at the door, he heard a burst of shrieking. Feng Tingye's heart clenched and he charged in.

Some eunuch was screeching in the chaos, "H-Help! Get the imperial physician—the physician—the empress dowager's broken her hip–."