"Mother Empress once decreed that brothels and pleasure houses were forbidden, but this ban has repeatedly failed to take hold." "So, you mean to crack down on vice? Rescue the women in brothels?" The young emperor nodded. Though he didn't understand what "crack down on vice" meant, based on the fairy sister's words, he could roughly guess. "Then we need a pretext. We can't just suddenly raid them, or it might provoke a backlash," Shen Yunyun said. "Does the fairy sister already have a plan?" The young emperor looked at Shen Yunyun. Shen Yunyun beckoned him over. The young emperor's eyes sparkled as he leaned in close. Shen Yunyun whispered a few words in his ear. The young emperor's face suddenly darkened, and he immediately refused: "No." "Why not? My plan is flawless." "It's not safe. I'll find someone else, or I'll disguise myself as a woman." The young emperor blushed as he spoke. Shen Yunyun's idea was to conduct a sting operation, with her acting as bait. She hadn't expected the young emperor to worry about her getting hurt. "Don't you know my abilities? How could they possibly harm me?" The young emperor's expression turned awkward, and he cleared his throat: "A girl's reputation is very important." Shen Yunyun looked at him calmly: "So the emperor's reputation and dignity aren't important?" The young emperor fell silent. Of course, he believed in the fairy sister's abilities and didn't think anyone could harm her. But he didn't want her to take the risk. He was a man, and he should be responsible—how could he let a girl protect him? "Alright, stop agonizing over this. A man of great worth doesn't sit in harm's way. Your life is too precious to take any risks. Let's go back to the capital to handle this. If anyone finds out you've left the palace, it could cause real trouble." The young emperor nodded. The two returned to the palace, no one knowing they had already visited the orphanage in Shangshan County. They went to discuss the vice crackdown with the Empress Dowager, who looked delighted. "Have there really been far fewer abandoned infants among the people?" "Yes, there were only two abandoned babies at the Shangshan orphanage," Shen Yunyun replied. The Empress Dowager said happily: "That's wonderful. This is all thanks to you. If not for the food you provided, the people would still be starving." Shen Yunyun recalled the commoners she had seen in Shangshan. Though they weren't yet well-fed and clothed, at least they were no longer dying of hunger. Population is the foundation of a nation's development; without people, everything is empty talk. The Empress Dowager was excited for a while before they continued discussing the vice crackdown. Her brows furrowed, and her expression darkened: "After the Great Li dynasty was established, I decreed that no pleasure houses or brothels could be opened." She only said this much, and Shen Yunyun already understood the situation. After the Great Li dynasty was founded, the Empress Dowager still held real power, so she could enforce the ban strictly. But later, the late emperor stripped her of authority, and the decrees she had issued were no longer followed. It wasn't hard to understand. In a male-dominated world, they could indulge and pamper women, but when women tried to claim a share of their power, they became adversaries. "Mother Empress, I've already made up my mind on this matter. I'll go with the fairy sister," the young emperor said stubbornly. The Empress Dowager looked troubled. She knew it was inappropriate to use the emperor as bait, but the young emperor was so obstinate that she feared if she suppressed him, he would sneak out again. With him out of her sight, it would be even more dangerous. She looked at Shen Yunyun, who had the same thought.