Old Lady Fu’s face was as cold as water, her mouth turned down in a frown.

Speaking of her dislike for Zan Ying, it was not unfounded and could be traced back to Zan Ying’s mother, Lady Tang.

Originally, Old Madam Fu had three sons.

The eldest son, Fu Rong, and the second son, Fu Xiao, were born of the main wife, while the third son, Fu Zixu, was a son of a concubine.

It was this least valued concubine’s son who married a wealthy and exceptionally beautiful woman.

This in itself might have been acceptable, but the Fu family was a scholarly clan.

Even though the Tang family was rich, being a merchant’s family, she should have followed the proper rules and served her mother-in-law with respect.

Instead, Lady Tang, after marrying, chose to travel extensively for trade, running all over Haizhou Prefecture.

She was as unruly as could be, ruling over everything as if she were the king of heaven and earth.

Old Madam Fu disapproved of the third branch’s daughter-in-law’s behavior but did not allow them to move out to another residence.

She was determined to keep her in check.

In response, Lady Tang used a precious piece of real estate in Wu Yi Lane to exchange with the neighboring Chu family’s ancestral home, connecting it with the Fu residence and renaming it “Rui Garden.”

On the surface, the two estates appeared to be one, but in reality, the gate separating them was closed, allowing the two households to lead separate lives, unrelated to each other.

Later, when Lady Tang passed away, Fu Zixu’s daughter was brought into the palace.

Old Madam Fu was sharp-eyed; the imperial couple was clearly not grieving for the orphan but coveting Lady Tang’s wealth.

The Fu family relied on this connection to rise from a second-tier aristocratic family to a first-tier one, and Fu Zean thus became the Crown Prince’s companion, ensuring a smooth career path.

Therefore, even though the Fu family had lost a portion of their ancestral inheritance, how could they snatch meat from the royal family’s mouth?

As for Zan Ying, who had been raised as the Crown Princess from a young age and rarely returned home, each time she did, Old Madam Fu had to meticulously care for her, fearing any mistakes might bring blame from the palace.

How could she ever grow to like her?

Ultimately, Old Madam Fu’s greatest affection was for her eldest son.

After losing him, her focus shifted to her eldest grandson.

When Fu Zhuangxue came to the house, Qiu Shi, upon seeing the face so similar to that of her eldest son, wept uncontrollably on the spot.

So similar, too similar.

After confirming the family heirloom jade pendant in the girl’s possession, Old Madam Fu embraced the girl, calling out with a broken heart, and acknowledged her as her granddaughter.

For now, keeping the granddaughter’s identity a secret was Fu Zean’s intention.

This was because, after Qingming Festival, the court was discussing conferring honors to the Northern Expedition’s heroes.

Fu Rong was expected to be honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

This was a family matter, and until it was settled, no disturbances were appropriate.

But judging by Fu Zanying’s words earlier…

Old Madam Fu’s expression turned serious. “You’ve learned about A-xue’s background?”

Her attitude towards Zan Ying had always been strict, neither warm nor cold.

In the past life, Zan Ying had always felt guilt for not being able to spend time with her grandmother and had strived to please her, despite the coldness.

Yet, the grandmother still didn’t like her and even skipped her crucial coming-of-age ceremony due to illness.

Was it because she had done too little?

Faces flashed through Zan Ying’s mind. No, it was because she had done too much.

With a demeanor that seemed distant, though her eyes were gentle, she replied，“Not only do I know, but the palace also knows, and perhaps in a few hours, the whole capital will know.”

This remark startled Old Lady Fu, who stared at the young lady in front of her and furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“Once the eldest brother returns, you will naturally find out,” Zanying replied.

She turned and said, “I’ll go rest in the Rui Garden. Once everyone has gathered, I will come back to explain.”

With that, she walked away.

For the first time in her life, Old Lady Fu was left standing in place by a younger generation, stunned and both angry and puzzled.

She turned to the accompanying maid, Wang Niang, and, pointing to the door, said, “How dare she! How dare she!”

Passing through the west wing’s garden gate and walking through a hanging flower gate, one arrives at the Rui Garden.

As Zanying walked, the lush flowers and trees unfolded before her eyes.

The garden was divided by a stone path: one half was adorned with colorful and exotic flowers from both the north and south, while the other half featured a solitary grove of green bamboo, standing tall and proud.

The flowers had their own delicate charm, and the bamboo stood with its own proud grace.

The two areas complemented each other, like an endless affection.

This harmonious atmosphere was even more evident in the hall.

In the east room, the walls and desk were lined with neatly arranged books.

On the other side of the screen, the inner room was decorated exquisitely, with every detail reflecting a woman’s thoughtful touch.

Though the owner had passed away, the Rui Garden was still cleaned daily, with every vase and utensil kept as if they were still alive.

Every time Zanying returned home, she would come here to sit in the room where her parents had lived.

She remembered a nurse named Rui who had been her grandmother’s maid and had watched her mother grow up.

Back then, the nurse would hold her on her lap and tell her stories about her parents.

The nurse especially liked to talk about the origin of the Yuan An Snow Scene screen in the room.

It was said that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a virtuous scholar named Yuan An, on a snowy day, preferred to endure hunger and cold in his house rather than go out to beg for food, saying: “On a snowy day, everyone is hungry; it is not right to bother others.”

Fu Zixu once read this and was greatly impressed, praising Yuan An for being able to empathize with others’ suffering and thus avoiding causing trouble, which showed his noble character.

Tang Su, however, disagreed, arguing, “The sage says that the accomplished help the world while the impoverished improve themselves. Yuan An, though poor, could not even improve himself. He could have survived by going out, but he stubbornly stayed in. Isn’t this just a stubborn scholar?”

So the couple argued about virtue and stubbornness, neither convincing the other.

In the end, Tang Su, being magnanimous, conceded and said with a smile, “Alright then, let the third son be the noble scholar in the snow, and I will send him some warmth in the snow to ensure he doesn’t freeze or starve.”

Although young Zanying couldn’t understand the deep meaning of these stories, she always felt warm inside when the nurse told them with vivid details.

Each holding their aspirations, understanding each other, loving and respecting one another without changing their ideals, was like the beautiful flowers and the pure bamboo supporting and admiring each other.

It was the most loving image of a couple she could imagine.

Her father and mother indeed embodied this ideal.

Her father, though a scholar, had a patriotic ambition and volunteered to join his elder brother in the northern campaign.

Her mother, even after the death of her husband and raising their daughter, remained resolute and continued to expand the maritime trade, leading the team on sea voyages.

Neither of them came back in the end.

But Zanying always felt that her parents were like eagles soaring in the sky, destined to reunite above the clouds someday.

Though she had no memories of their appearances, she knew they were both extraordinary people.

Only she felt inadequate and foolish.

“Father, I’m sorry.”

Zanying gently caressed the calligraphy left by her father on the desk, her voice hoarse and squeezed from her throat.

Over the years, apart from reading a few classical books and knowing the teachings of filial piety and female virtues, she had been ignorant and easily manipulated, her mind a jumble of confusion.

If her father knew, he would surely be angry and hit her on the forehead.

“Mother, I’m sorry.”

In her previous life, she had mistaken an enemy for a mother, only to end up like a cat playing with a mouse, ending in a miserable failure. Even the wealth accumulated by the Tang family over generations could not be preserved and was all lost.

If her mother knew, she would certainly scold her for being so unremarkable.

It won’t happen again.

The daughter promises you, it won’t happen again.

“Lady,” Chun Jin, who was watching the movements inside the residence, called from outside the door, “Doctor Fu and that young lady have returned to the residence.”

Zan Ying nodded lightly, rubbed her eyes, and took one last look around the room before heading towards the main hall.

When Fu Zean returned to the residence with Zhuangxue and did not find his carriage, he felt something was wrong.

Rushing back to the house, he learned that Zan Ying was indeed inside, and his headache only worsened.

Old Madam Fu saw that Zhuangxue, who had left the house looking well, had returned with swollen red eyes and a haggard expression.

She quickly inquired about what had happened from Fu Zean.

Both were anxious, and after managing to exchange information, Zhan Ying arrived.

She looked at the three of them—her grandmother, younger cousin and elder brother—with a cold expression, not bothering to remove her shoes, and directly sat down at a low table.

“Big Brother, what great skills you have. I thought you might have trouble taking this second lady out of the palace. It seems the Empress wants to sweep this matter under the rug, turning a major issue into a minor one.”

Seeing her disrespectful and sarcastic demeanor, Fu Zean’s chest heaved with anger.

It was clear that she showed no trace of the grace expected of a noble daughter.

“A-Ying, what exactly are you trying to achieve? Today, His Highness and A-Xue have already explained everything. I believe in their innocence. Why are you being so willful? Not only did you make a scene in the palace, but now you’re coming back to the residence and pressing the matter further. Do you know how chaotic things are in the palace?”