Seeing her elder brother silent, Fu Zhuangxue could not help but stand up and ask, “Is it because my elder sister refuses to return? If so, it’s my fault. But my elder sister, being virtuous and polite, surely is not unreasonable. If there’s anything I can do, please instruct me, Brother.”

Fu Ze’an shook his head in despair.

Even he was powerless; how could others persuade her?

Reflecting on the coldness in Zan Ying’s eyes earlier, he had to admit that the little girl who had always been so simple and transparent had become someone he no longer understood.

The immediate task was to inform Grandmother about the changes at Ruiyuan to prevent her from being startled when the commotion arose.

Although Manager Du’s attitude was rude, his words were not without truth—the deed to that garden had indeed always belonged to the Tang family.

It was just that family ties had never been so clearly divided before.

But now, if they were determined to make a fuss, the Fu family might not be able to argue effectively.

At this moment, a servant’s voice asking for greetings was heard outside the corridor.

It was the second master of the Fu family, Fu Xiao, returning from court.

Fu Xiao held the position of Chancellor of the Board and also the Minister of the Interior, equivalent to a vice-premier.

His official attire included a crimson silk court robe, a Jin Xian two-beam crown, and a belt with seals and jade.

As a member of an aristocratic family, it was disrespectful to visit one’s elders in official attire, but today Fu Xiao had no time to change and entered the main hall in his official regalia.

After hastily greeting his mother, he directly asked his nephew:

“Do you know the reason your sister left the palace? How did it come to this, even mentioning breaking off the engagement? Where is she? Call her to see me.”

The commotion at Hualin Garden had stirred up a lot of noise, and the news had even reached the previous dynasty.

Fu Xiao cast a sidelong glance at Fu Zhuangxue, who stood with lowered eyes by the side.

He had initially been skeptical about accepting this girl, as it seemed hasty to determine she was his brother’s offspring solely based on a jade pendant after so many years.

However, considering his mother’s deep affection for the girl, he had kept his opinions to himself.

Yet, he had never expected things to develop to this point.

Feeling his second uncle’s unfriendly gaze, Fu Zhuangxue shrank timidly into Grandmother’s arms.

Grandmother Fu, maintaining her dignified demeanor, spoke, “She left on her own. There’s no need to look for her. She’s muddle-headed and has faced difficulties; she’ll naturally come back and admit her mistake.”

“Left on her own?” Fu Xiao was taken aback by his mother’s calm manner and sighed deeply.

The women of the inner quarters had no idea about the dangers of the previous dynasty.

For instance, the position of the Crown Prince in the court was far from secure.

With the Wang and Yu families having longstanding grievances, and the Yu family now weakened while the Wang family eyed the Eastern Palace, any small mistake could be magnified.

Such an uproar today, stemming from the newly acknowledged girl, could lead to dirty water being thrown onto the Fu family.

If this scandal tarnished the Fu family’s reputation, even the posthumous honors for his elder brother might become a fantasy.

To speak plainly, the Crown Prince’s maternal family was weak, and to secure his position, he relied on his marriage with the wealthy Tang family.

The Fu family’s connection with the Eastern Palace was also dependent on Fu Zanying as the link.

Even he, in the Jiangzuo region where first-class aristocratic families were everywhere, had only managed to become a vice-premier and lead hundreds of officials because his niece was to be the future Crown Princess, or even more, the future Empress.

The stakes were high, and a single misstep could spell disaster.

“Second Uncle, please calm down.” Fu Ze’an, also aware of the gravity of the situation, looked at Fu Xiao’s sweaty face with an apologetic expression. “It’s my mishandling. Tomorrow, I’ll visit the Western Mountain Palace to persuade Aying.”

“The Western Mountain Palace? Aying went to the Western Mountain Palace?” Fu Xiao was stunned, feeling as if the world was spinning around him.

He had rushed back urgently to prevent the situation from escalating further, only to be hit by one disaster after another.

The vice-premier was almost in panic, wondering who had taught the usually well-behaved girl to act this way.

The Western Mountain Palace, once a significant site, had connections to the Wei, Yu, and Gu families, as well as the eldest princess, following the death of Empress Wei.

For years, no one dared to touch this sensitive issue or even mention it.

Fu Xiao felt a chilling premonition as his heart fluctuated between cold and hot.

Unable to accept this, he intended to rush directly to the palace.

As he stepped out of the room, he was met by Wang, the steward of the Fu household, who ran up urgently. “Second Master, dozens of people claiming to be from the Tang family have barged in at the entrance. They’ve started moving things from the Western Garden, and the guards can’t stop them.”

Fu Xiao was shocked. “What?”

The noise from the other side of the courtyard wall came through clearly, as if the ground itself was shaking.

The old lady in the room dropped her porcelain cup in shock and said with a trembling voice, “What’s going on? Are bandits raiding in broad daylight?”

Fu Ze’an, feeling exhausted and defeated, closed his eyes and, amidst the bewildered gazes of his family, said with difficulty, “Don’t worry about it. Let them move.”

While the Fu family was in chaos, the palace was no better.

As dusk fell, Li Jinghuan knelt on the golden tiles of the Zhongzhai Hall, his back straight.

The light from the osmanthus tree by the pillar cast shadows on the Crown Prince’s face, highlighting its somberness.

Zanying had left the palace three hours ago, and he had been kneeling here for three hours.

On the dragon throne above, Emperor Li Yu, without crown or sash, his silver-streaked hair covered only by a black silk hat, and dressed in a plain dark robe, looked like an ordinary old man from a prominent family.

But when his deep and restrained eyes swept over, they carried an undeniable majesty and scrutiny.

“I taught you to refine your character and to evaluate and select candidates. The Minister of Personnel praised you as competent, and the other Ministers also praised your talent. I thought you had truly made progress.”

Even though he maintained his appearance, the emperor’s voice carried a touch of age and coldness as he asked sternly, “The misdeed of neglecting the past and present. Speak for yourself. Where did you drive away the girl?”

Li Jinghuan gripped his hands tightly and remained silent.

Empress Yu, observing the Crown Prince’s stubborn temper, quickly interjected with a smile, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Today’s events are all misunderstandings. I saw it clearly. It was a matter of miscommunication, and it was not entirely Huan’er’s fault. I have already sent She Xin to the Fu family to bring her back. Once A-Ying returns, I will make Huan’er apologize to her.”

She spoke while carefully observing the emperor’s expression.

Emperor Li Yu, having few sons and no children with his original queen, had only one son, Li Jinghuan, with Empress Yu in his later years.

While he disciplined him, he also showered him with affection, often boasting in front of officials that Jinghuan resembled him.

It was the first time he had been punished to kneel with such fury.

However, seeing that the emperor’s anger had subsided, Empress Yu felt reassured, knowing that much of the emperor’s anger was for show.

With years of palace experience, she knew to strike while the iron was hot and promised, “I will ensure that A-Ying will not be wronged.”

Just then, a voice came from outside the hall, indicating that She Xin had returned.

Empress Yu, rising from the chess mat, warmly greeted the door. “You child, you’re getting a bit temperamental. It’s getting dark; don’t scare people.”

At the same time, Li Jinghuan, who had been silently kneeling, looked up with a glimmer in his eyes, searching for her.

A few hours earlier, after he had rushed back to the Yuzhu Hall from the banquet, he stood in the empty room, unable to see Zanying.

The guards reported that she had left the palace, leaving Li Jinghuan stunned and burning with uncontainable frustration.

In the past, even taking an extra step would make her timidly ask someone for guidance, so how did she dare to run off without a word?

Immediately, the image of the broken jade hairpin and those cold, ice-filled eyes flashed in Li Jinghuan’s mind.

Despite knowing that she couldn’t be lost, he was still disturbed and anxious.

When she returned, he would definitely punish her severely—Li Jinghuan thought as he gritted his teeth.

He would make her copy characters until she begged for mercy with red eyes, ensuring she would never dare to throw a tantrum or run away again.

Only then would he relent and gently comfort her.

However, after kneeling for three hours, Li Jinghuan’s resolve softened.

He thought, maybe it’s better not to punish her; she’s such a delicate girl.

Just comforting her wouldn’t be too much.

With this helpless yet relieved feeling, Li Jinghuan turned his head.

However, the expected figure was not there.

Only Yuan Cong stood alone, holding a whisk and bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty, Miss Fu is not at the Fu residence. The Fu family said—”

Li Jinghuan furrowed his brows.

Emperor Li Yu asked, “Said what?”

Yuan Cong, standing in the shadow at the entrance of the hall, lowered his head and said, “They said Miss Fu has gone to the Western Mountain Palace.”

“Boom!”

A sudden rumble of thunder echoed in the overcast night sky.

Empress Yu shivered all over, her heart icy cold, afraid to turn around and look at the Emperor’s expression.

The Western Mountain Palace was the place of that person.

Although His Majesty had never mentioned her in years, Yu Linghong knew that His Majesty had locked away everything about that person deep in his heart, forbidding anyone from touching it.

Empress Yu gritted her teeth.

What kind of trouble had that girl, Fu Zanying, gotten herself into?

Was she not satisfied with the mess caused today?

The hall fell into a strange and oppressive silence.

Emperor Li Yu stood with his head lowered, seemingly unmoving, as if asleep.

Another thunderclap sounded, accompanied by the damp night breeze lifting the heavy curtains in the hall, signaling an approaching heavy rain.

Listening to the thunder, Li Jinghuan suddenly recalled the time when he and Aying were children, eating at the same table and sleeping in the same room.

The little girl, terrified of thunder, would quietly crawl into his bed with a small blanket, curling up into a ball.

He also remembered her annoying frailty, so delicate that she was afraid of thunder and could catch a cold from just a bit of rain.

The Western Mountain was more than twenty miles outside the city.

How could she withstand the rain-soaked mountain road at night?

He could hardly stay kneeling, moving his knees as if he wanted to rush out of the city immediately to bring her back.

At this moment, the Emperor spoke, his voice low but carrying a palpable sense of oppression, pinning the Crown Prince’s knees back to the ground.

It seemed the Emperor suddenly remembered an unrelated question, his voice hoarse, “Where does the Grand Marshal stay in the capital?”