Chapter 4: Emptying the Imperial Palace

After leaving the Prime Minister's residence, Shen Xiangwan headed straight for the Imperial Palace.

"Heh!"

Seeing many areas within the palace brightly lit and the Imperial Guards seemingly mobilizing, Shen Xiangwan couldn't help but sneer again. According to the original novel's records, the direct lineage of the Wei Yang Prince's mansion—three generations from old to young—had all died on the battlefield. Wei Chengyi had also been forced to retire due to poisoning on the battlefield, and even though they had already surrendered their military power, the dog emperor still refused to let them go, fabricating a charge of treason to seize their property and exile them.

Thinking of that cold, ethereal man who looked like a fallen immortal, and the way he had promised to protect her, Shen Xiangwan felt even more irritated. She made up her mind to strip the dog emperor's palace bare.

Where was the most money in the palace?

Aside from the national treasury, it had to be the emperor's private treasury.

Following her single memory of entering the palace, Shen Xiangwan made her way to the emperor's sleeping quarters. The palace was crawling with Imperial Guards and Shadow Guards, so she didn't dare be careless. She carefully suppressed her aura throughout the journey. Once she confirmed the location of the private treasury, she used her space to slip inside undetected once more.

"I've made it! This wave of 'zero-dollar shopping' is just too satisfying!"

Inside the emperor's private treasury, gold, silver, and jewels were countless. Opening any random chest revealed it was piled high with various beaded strings, necklaces, and hairpins inlaid with pearls and agate, as well as high-quality jade ornaments, and so on. The sheer variety made Shen Xiangwan laugh so hard she sounded like a pig. Hers—all of this was hers now.

There were hundreds of large and small chests in the treasury. Some contained calligraphy, paintings, porcelain, and fabrics, but most were neatly stacked with gold bars and silver ingots. There were also so many decorative items made of rare materials, such as screens, that they were dizzying to look at.

Politeness was not in Shen Xiangwan's dictionary. With a wave of her hand, everything was swept into her space.

"Are you sure he doesn't have many good days left?"

In the Imperial Study, the emperor had not yet gone to sleep. He sat on the dragon throne, looking at the several imperial physicians kneeling below him with an inscrutable expression.

"Yes. The diagnosis from myself and all my colleagues is the same. Prince Wei Yang's anger has attacked his heart, allowing toxins to invade his meridians. Even with the best medicine to keep him hanging on, he will live at most seven more days. Furthermore, he is unlikely to wake up again."

The head of the imperial physicians raised his head and glanced at him cautiously, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

The emperor did not question him, nor did he express trust. For a moment, the study fell into an eerie silence. After a long time, the emperor finally waved his hand and said, "Dismissed. Withdraw all imperial physicians; there is no need for further treatment."

"Yes."

Trembling as they responded, the physicians hurriedly rose and left. It wasn't until they were outside the study that they finally let out the heavy breath they had been holding.

"Summon the Prime Minister to the palace."

"Yes."

A moment later, the emperor's command echoed in the study again. The head eunuch attending him quickly responded, giving a look to the young eunuch behind him before saying, "Your Majesty, it is late. Would you like some midnight snacks?"

"Mhm."

Too much had happened tonight, and the emperor was indeed hungry. Supported by the eunuch, he rose and went to the adjacent side hall.

Anger attacking the heart, vomiting blood and falling unconscious?

Shen Xiangwan, watching from inside her space, was filled with question marks. Were they sure they were talking about Wei Chengyi? She just couldn't believe it. How could a man who could remain calm even when his bride was swapped suddenly suffer a heart attack from anger and collapse?

Perhaps, this was an act?

Time waited for no one, and Shen Xiangwan did not dwell on it for long. Once she was certain no one was in the study, she quietly slipped in. Seeing the imperial seal sitting on the dragon desk, her eyes lit up. Without a second thought, she swept it into her space, along with several rare decorations nearby.

"Since we are one family, we should love each other and share our troubles, right?"

Before leaving, Shen Xiangwan placed the letters and account books she had found in the Prime Minister's study onto the dragon desk. Her deep, bright face was tinged with blatant malice. Given the dog emperor's suspicion and incompetence, once he saw these things, even if he didn't exterminate the entire Prime Minister's household, he would surely seize their property and exile them just like the Prince's mansion. When that time came, she wanted to see how they would continue to look down on others from their high horse.

With the imperial seal missing, the dog emperor would surely fly into a rage, and the palace would tighten its security. Shen Xiangwan did not delay further. After looting the private treasuries of the various palace masters one by one, she headed straight for the national treasury. While passing through the Imperial Garden, she swept all the flowers and plants into her space, leaving them with nothing but a patch of bare dirt.

Compared to the emperor's private treasury, the national treasury could only be described as shabby. A dozen massive storehouses were estimated to be worth less than the private treasury combined. And to think, this was the wealth of the entire nation.

Too lazy to complain about how incompetent and tyrannical the dog emperor was, Shen Xiangwan used the same method to enter the various storehouses, silently collecting everything inside, leaving the emperor not even a single copper coin.

Afterward, she went to the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Hospital. Whether it was ingredients or medicinal herbs, she swept them all into her space. This wave of "zero-dollar shopping" would be enough for her to squander for several lifetimes.

"Where is my imperial seal?!"

At the third quarter of the Yin hour, the emperor, having finished his midnight snack, returned to the Imperial Study. A sudden roar erupted, followed by the massive mobilization of the Imperial Guards, sending the entire palace into an uproar.

"Find it for me! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find it!"

Inside the study, the emperor was furious. The imperial seal was the symbol of the emperor; he never dreamed that in the time it took to eat a snack, it would vanish.

"Yes!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the commander of the Imperial Guards did not dare be careless and hurriedly bowed and left.

"This is bad! This is bad! Your Majesty, the private treasury has been robbed!"

Before they could catch their breath, a young eunuch with a pale face stumbled in.

"What?!"

The emperor, who had just prepared to sit down, widened his eyes in fury. His private treasury had been robbed?

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the national treasury has been robbed! Everything has disappeared!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Imperial Kitchen has been robbed..."

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Hospital..."

Like a chain reaction, reports of thefts rang out one after another in the Imperial Study. The emperor's body swayed, his chest heaving violently with rage. "Investigate! Investigate for me... ugh..."

"Your Majesty!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the emperor could no longer support himself and collapsed. The Imperial Study instantly descended into chaos, while the culprit behind it all, Shen Xiangwan, had already left the palace safely and soundly.