Parents are busy farming

She opened her eyes wide and looked at the imperial sword handed to her by the retired emperor in disbelief.

The sword body flashed with cold light, and the hilt was inlaid with gems, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

After hesitating for a moment, Ye Zifen finally stretched out her trembling hands and carefully took the imperial sword.

The moment she picked it up, she felt a heavy weight. This was not only the weight of the sword itself, but also the great responsibility and supreme power it carried.

Ye Zifen knew very well that this imperial sword symbolized supreme authority and holding it meant shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the emperor's safety and defending the dignity of the royal family.

The burden was too heavy and made her feel timid.

However, when she raised her head and met the emperor's determined gaze, a warm feeling surged in her heart.

The retired emperor's eyes were full of trust and earnest expectation, which was a recognition of her ability and a firm belief in her loyalty.

Faced with such a look, Ye Zifen knew she could no longer refuse.

Although she was still reluctant deep down, she gritted her teeth and nodded heavily.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured! I will do my best to fulfill my mission and protect the stability and security of Your Majesty and Daxia. If anyone dares to overstep the boundaries, I will punish them severely with this imperial sword!"

Ye Zifen's words were powerful and revealed her immense determination.

The retired emperor nodded slightly in satisfaction, and a relieved smile gradually appeared on his face.

He looked at the brave and determined woman in front of him and felt secretly moved.

At this moment, the entire palace was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere, so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping to the ground could be heard clearly.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and everyone's eyes were focused on the Imperial Sword in Ye Zifen's hand, as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

After everyone's excitement gradually calmed down, the hall fell into a brief silence.

At this moment, the emperor, who had been silent all this time, suddenly turned his gaze to Ye Zifen who was standing beside him and asked, "Let me ask you, why did you come to the palace today? Is it for the red seal and iron certificate, or for your title of the eldest princess?"

Faced with the emperor's sudden question, Ye Zifen was stunned at first, but quickly came to her senses.

She just shook her head gently, and her beautiful eyes looked particularly firm and clear at this moment, like the twinkling stars in the night sky.

Then, she replied in a gentle but steady voice: "In reply to the words of the Retired Emperor, at this moment, these are no longer important, and there is no need for me to ask any more questions. I came to the palace rashly this time because I was concerned about the health of the Retired Emperor."

Hearing this, the emperor could not help but nod slightly to show his approval.

His eyes, which had experienced many hardships, showed a hint of approval, and he said softly, "Well, it's rare that you have such filial piety."

Ye Zifen felt relieved after receiving the emperor's affirmation, and continued, "And there is such good news, Zifen is very satisfied. The emperor just needs to rest and recuperate. In time, he will be able to recover his former vigor and be as healthy as before."

After hearing this, the emperor smiled with satisfaction, nodded repeatedly, and praised cheerfully: "Haha, what a clever girl!"

In the following period of time, Ye Zifen accompanied the emperor in chatting about some interesting anecdotes in the palace.

Her vivid narration made the retired emperor laugh heartily and nod in agreement with interest from time to time, and bursts of cheerful laughter could be heard from the palace from time to time.

Before they knew it, quite a while had passed. Seeing that the emperor looked a little tired, Ye Zifen stood up tactfully, bowed respectfully to him, and said, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. I hope you can rest early and take care of yourself. I will take my leave now."

After saying this, she carefully stretched out her hands, took the imperial sword, which symbolized supreme power, from the servant, then slowly turned around and left the palace with light steps.

The emperor sat there quietly, his eyes following Ye Zifen's figure as she walked away, until the pretty figure completely disappeared from his sight.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes, as if he had shut out the entire world, and began to enter a peaceful state of recuperation.

The retired emperor knew very well that since he had decided to put aside state affairs, it meant truly freeing himself from the tedious government affairs.

He had already properly handled all the necessary arrangements, and now he just needed to rest and recuperate, allowing his body and mind to fully relax and recover.

Shangguan Ying had been standing silently by the side. When she saw the emperor finally close his eyes and begin to rest, she carefully led everyone in the room to quietly retreat.

After leaving the room, Shangguan Ying stopped and turned to look at the eunuch beside the retired emperor, and asked softly, "Eunuch, how are the ladies in the harem arranged?"

The eunuch bowed quickly and replied in a low voice: "In response to the divine doctor, these ladies have all moved to the place where the concubines lived before. At present, the emperor is still alive, so those ladies with children cannot leave the palace for the time being, and need to stay and be taken care of by their respective princes in the future."

After hearing this, Shangguan Ying nodded slightly, indicating that she understood this arrangement.

However, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought, muttering to herself thoughtfully: "It seems reasonable. I just don't know what those ladies will think in their hearts..."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch lowered his head and responded respectfully: "You ladies are in the palace, so you can only obey this arrangement. After all, this is the rule of the royal family since ancient times, and no one can easily violate it."

Shangguan Ying sighed softly, raised her eyes, looked at the endless palaces and pavilions in the distance, and said with deep emotion: "This deep palace is like a huge cage, trapping the freedom and dreams of countless people. Here, how many people's fate is out of their control!"

The father-in-law remained silent, with his head down, following Shangguan Ying closely, as if he was afraid that he would fall behind if he was not careful.

The breeze gently blew across Shangguan Ying's body, lifting the corners of her clothes, which swayed gracefully in the air like a dancing butterfly.

However, at this moment, Shangguan Ying's eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and deep emotion that was hard to conceal.

"Forget it. How many things in this world can we really control?"

Shangguan Ying sighed softly, then slowly retracted his gaze, took another step, and walked forward firmly.