Time passed, and as evening descended, the nine-branched bronze lamps in the Eastern Palace were all lit.

But the person the Crown Prince was waiting for never came.

Li Jinghuan rubbed his temples, tossed aside his brush, and circled twice on the floor in his white silk socks before asking Li Jian, “What time is it?”

The water clock was clearly right in front of him.

Li Jian bowed and replied softly, “Your Highness, it is now the hour of Xu (around 7-9 PM). Shall I have the meal served?”

“Serve it,” Li Jinghuan ordered.

However, when the meal was finally laid out, he didn’t touch a single dish.

He simply stared out the window at the darkening sky, his gaze heavy and silent, until the soup grew cold.

Li Jian, who was exceptionally skilled at gauging his master’s mood, thought for a moment, then ordered the servants to clear the table.

Smiling, he suggested, “Your Highness, the kitchen needs some time to reheat the dishes. Why not take a walk in the meantime? It might lift your spirits.”

Li Jinghuan immediately rose to his feet. “Good idea. A walk sounds nice.”

Outside the hall, moonlight bathed the stone steps in silver.

Li Jinghuan changed into a simple dark silver robe with plain patterns, slipped on square-toed wooden clogs, and strolled past the central path of the palace, heading somewhat deliberately towards the western annex.

After a brief walk, an intricately designed pavilion with flying eaves and ornate beams came into view.

Li Jian feigned surprise, “Oh, look at that! We’ve wandered right to Yuzhu Hall. The lights inside are still on; perhaps Lady Fu is still busy preparing for tomorrow’s banquet and hasn’t had dinner yet. Why not go in and persuade her to eat? After all, she usually eats so little and only listens to you.”

Seeing the light from the hall, a warm glimmer flickered in Li Jinghuan’s eyes, but he pretended to hesitate. “Hmm, I suppose that’s the only thing to do.”

With that, he took a few deliberate steps, maintaining a poised demeanor before finally making his way toward Yuzhu Hall.

The sound of his wooden clogs tapping crisply on the smooth stone pathway echoed in the night.

Li Jinghuan strolled leisurely, and the young eunuch on guard under the courtyard lanterns was momentarily stunned by the prince’s unexpected arrival.

After paying his respects, he quickly went to announce his presence.

Li Jinghuan stood in the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back, anticipating the sight of that girl running out to greet him with surprise.

But just as the smile began to form on his lips, the lights inside suddenly went out, plunging everything into darkness.

The Crown Prince’s smile froze.

The lattice door creaked open a crack, and a maid stepped out with a troubled expression, speaking hesitantly, “Please forgive us, Your Highness, but our young lady has already retired for the night.”

Li Jinghuan was so angry he laughed.

Of all times to sleep, she chose to do so right when he came.

They hadn’t seen each other for seven or eight days, and here he was, kindly coming to see her, only for her to throw a little tantrum.

In the ensuing silence, the shadows cast by the lanterns on the stone wall seemed murky and indistinct.

He suppressed his frustration, and, unable to maintain his usual aloofness, strode up to the wooden corridor, standing just outside the ornate window.

As he prepared to speak, his voice unconsciously softened, “Stop playing around. I know you’re awake. If it’s inconvenient, just light a lamp, and we can talk through the window.”

He couldn’t see inside, but in the dark room, Zan Ying could clearly see the silhouette projected onto the window by the lantern hanging under the eaves.

She calmly examined that side profile—tall, refined, exuding an elegant charm.

But it was like a dream, an illusion, a bubble—ephemeral and unreliable.

The moon’s reflection was not its true form, and beneath the handsome façade, there was no true heart.

Li Jinghuan waited patiently for a long time, but the room remained pitch-black and silent.

“Ah Ying.” He prided himself on his status and could not bring himself to force the door open, but his tone had already grown tinged with discontent.

He called out in a low voice, “Say something.”

Zanying couldn’t help but smile coldly.

The person standing outside the window, no matter how mature he appeared, was still just the nineteen-year-old Li Jinghuan.

As for those youthful days when she had eagerly followed behind him, calling him “Brother Jinghuan,” they felt distant now, like they belonged to a past life.

Her heart had long been hollowed out, and the only memory that lingered was his merciless act of pushing her towards the rebel army outside the city.

A window separated them, but it might as well have been a lifetime.

The person outside, however, still thought she was just sulking.

Back then, they could talk endlessly, but now, with their feelings drained, even saying one more word felt unnecessary.

Through the window, she could hear Li Jian trying to smooth things over.

“Your Highness, perhaps Miss Fu truly needs some rest.”

Li Jinghuan didn’t believe it, of course.

His patience had always had limits. His voice, already losing its warmth, rang out beneath the moonlight: “Fine. If she doesn’t want to speak today, then let her not speak to me for the rest of her life.”

With that, he left, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the air like a child’s tantrum.

It wasn’t until the sounds outside had faded that Chun Jin dared to speak in the dark, “My lady, you and His Highness…”

She wanted to offer some words of advice, but the task her lady had entrusted her with for tomorrow weighed on her.

She had a feeling that the situation between the young lady and the crown prince was far more serious than a mere quarrel.

Cold moonlight poured into the dim room, casting its glow over the young lady dressed in loose white undergarments by the window.

Her long hair fell softly to her waist, tied loosely with a satin ribbon, and the shadows on her face were graceful and silent.

Her left hand unconsciously rested on her right arm, like a wounded crane tending to its own broken wing.

Though still fragile, she did not pity herself. Her voice was soft, devoid of emotion. “There is nothing more between him and me.”

What she needed now was a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow, she would leave this place, never to return.

The day of her coming-of-age ceremony arrived, and before the sun had fully risen, Yuzhu Palace was already bustling with activity.

The kitchen prepared the traditional longevity noodles, while the attendants busied themselves with readying her ceremonial attire, accessories, perfumes, and powders.

The personal maids ensured every detail was perfect for the event.

Zanying rose early and just as the ceremonial bureau sent over three sets of formal dresses for her to choose from.

One set featured a red silk apron with embroidered brocade at the waist, paired with a twelve-pleated pomegranate skirt.

Another was a pale yellow robe with wide sleeves and a triple-layered skirt with narrow pleats.

The last was a light aqua blouse paired with a turquoise patterned brocade skirt.

The chief maid who delivered the garments bowed respectfully and smiled, offering her congratulations. “Her Majesty the Empress is most kind. She ordered three sets of dresses to be made, and you may choose whichever one pleases you most.”

“How rare.”

Zanying had just woken up, and her voice, still soft with sleep, held a lazy, amused tone as she gazed at herself in the bronze mirror.

With a raised brow, she commented casually, “Such vibrant colors for me to choose from. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the ceremonial bureau had just opened a new dye house.”

Upon hearing this, Chun Jin’s toes curled in her soft slippers, too nervous to respond.

The chief maid froze in place, completely taken aback.

What kind of comment was that?

Such veiled sarcasm!

It was certainly not the joyful gratitude one would expect.

But both the Empress and Miss Fu were nobles, and it wasn’t her place, as a mere seventh-rank maid, to speculate further.

Bowing again, she excused herself to the corridor, where she spotted Madam Lu in the courtyard, busy directing the young eunuchs to carry the ornate sedan chair over.

Once Miss Fu was dressed and ready, they would carry her directly to Hualin Garden.

Hualin Garden, adjacent to the central palace, was situated in the northernmost part of the imperial city.

With mountains, lakes, and pavilions, it was the largest imperial garden within the palace grounds.

Empress Yu had arranged for Zanying’s coming-of-age banquet to be held there and had invited all the noblewomen from prominent families.

The event was sure to be grand and flawless.

Everyone in the palace knew that today, there could be no mistakes.

News of the Crown Prince’s visit last night only reached Madam Lu from the servants early this morning.

However, she had no time to play the messenger.

Today, the young lady had sent Qiukui(Okre) away, leaving only Chun Jin to do her hair, and had closed the doors, refusing to let anyone in.

Even if a girl was shy about putting on makeup, the banquet was about to start.

Madam Lu waited anxiously outside, but the doors remained shut.

Finally, unable to hold back, she knocked several times.

She didn’t know how many times she had knocked when the door finally opened from the inside.

Zanying, her hair cascading down to her waist, stepped out gracefully, leaning on Chun Jin’s arm.

The sight of her white attire was like a bolt of lightning striking Madam Lu straight in the face.

Thinking she was seeing things, Madam Lu rubbed her eyes hard, but the spotless white clothes on the young lady were even more blinding than before.

“What is the meaning of this, young lady? Do you know what day it is today? Chun Jin, is this how you dress the young lady?”

Madam Lu was so flustered that she spoke incoherently.

Since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, the system of ranks and attire had been strictly enforced.

Plain white clothing, unadorned and unembroidered, was typically worn by merchants, commoners, monks, and Taoists—or worse, as mourning attire.

No one wore white on their birthday.

But more frightening than the clothes was the young lady’s indifferent expression.

Madam Lu wanted Zanying to change her outfit, but Zanying refused, her eyes deceptively innocent. “Didn’t the Empress tell me to choose an outfit I liked? This one is perfect. The banquet is about to start; there’s no time to change.”

She stepped around Madam Lu and boarded the palanquin.

After all, Zanying was still the mistress of Yuzhu Hall on the surface, and Madam Lu couldn’t stop her.

She could only watch in stunned silence as the palanquin carried her away.

For a long while, Madam Lu muttered, “Heavens, please let nothing go wrong.”

In the Hualin Garden, ornate red railings, and exquisite wooden beams framed the lush green landscape.

Dense willow trees mingled with a colorful array of flowers, creating a vibrant summer scene.

The banquet was set in a three-sided floral pavilion by the waterside, providing shade while offering a scenic view.

Empress Yu, dressed in a deep blue and pale green long robe embroidered with a pair of phoenixes, her collar and sleeves edged in delicate borders, wore a white jade pendant and a golden hairpin.

After greeting the Emperor in the morning at the central hall, she had arrived early to oversee the preparations.

It was customary that if an elder were present at a younger one’s birthday, it might diminish the younger’s luck, so Emperor Li Yu had sent a gift ahead of time, leaving the rest to the Empress.

Empress Yu was determined to make this day special for Zanying.

She had personally overseen every detail for over a month and had even invited the esteemed Madam from Grand Marshal Gan’s family to serve as the “Fortune Lady” for the coming-of-age ceremony—a gesture more than worthy of that girl.

Such was the heart of a parent.

Even her birth mother couldn’t have done more.

As she pondered this, a colorful palanquin rounded the waterside pavilion in the distance, and the Empress smiled faintly from beneath her elegant fan.

According to tradition, the younger generation must first bow to their elders on their birthdays.

Empress Yu was simply waiting for Zanying to come and pay her respects.

But as she watched, she felt something was off.

Who was that dressed in white on the palanquin?

As the palanquin drew nearer, a young woman in white alighted gracefully.

Frail and delicate, she carried an air of Xi Shi’s malady, her pale complexion and ethereal beauty making her seem almost too fragile for the world.

Who could it be if not Fu Zanying?