Who could have thought that Zanying would swear to break off her engagement and then come to the late imperial palace in the pouring rain?

Xu Shi glanced back at the softly glowing windows of the palace, lowering his eyelids with a sigh.

He knew that tonight, Wei Yu was probably bottling up a lot of anger.

He had no intention of getting caught in the crossfire, so he’d best avoid any confrontation until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back in the Southern Palace, Zanying had returned, surrounded by attendants.

Everything had been meticulously prepared—fine bedding, incense, and warm bathwater.

The attention to detail rivaled that of the imperial palace.

In one corner of the room, Zanying noticed a vanity mirror and ivory comb set that had once belonged to her mother, Lady Tang.

Ren Nianzi, who had accompanied her inside, asked gently, “What did the Grand Marshal say? Was he fierce?”

Zanying, already looking around the room with curiosity, responded absentmindedly, “Not fierce at all. He told me to sleep well.”

Her eyes sparkled like stars, and a soft smile revealed dimples at the corners of her cheeks, all traces of the day’s heaviness gone.

It seemed that on this lonely day, where she had severed ties with her family and walked a path all on her own, someone had unexpectedly appeared.

This person had given her a belated coming-of-age ceremony, with words she had never dared dream of hearing: “A-Nu, in this world, you are closest to me.”

That was her true initiation into adulthood.

Ren Nianzi stood stunned for a moment before smiling and saying, “Good, good. It’s best not to worry. Just listen to the Grand Marshal and rest well after your bath. Tomorrow, all your troubles will be gone.”

It had been a long day—breaking off an engagement that had lasted over a decade, severing ties with her blood family, and leaving the home she had lived in for many years.

It was enough to exhaust even the strongest of adults, let alone a girl as delicate and sheltered as Zanying.

Ren Nianzi and Du Zhanggui(Manager Du) had feared that Zanying might collapse under the weight of it all, storing her grievances in her heart until they festered into illness.

But to their surprise, beneath her fragile exterior, the girl had an inner strength.

When Chun Jin came to undo her hair for the bath, Zanying instinctively raised her hand to protect the hairpin. “No, sister, let me keep wearing it for a while.”

Chun Jin, noticing the oddly styled hair that Wei Yu had arranged, smiled indulgently. “Very well, you may wear it.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zanying sank into the bathwater.

The warm, fragrant water rose to meet her skin, shimmering around her delicate, white collarbones.

Her cheeks, soft and smooth as peach blossoms, flushed a deeper red from the heat.

She yawned, utterly tired after the long day, but her mind remained alert, unwilling to rest.

Curled up obediently in the bath, she asked, “Sister, did I meet the Grand Marshal when I was little?”

He had said, “She’s grown up,” which suggested they had met before.

Given his status as the imperial uncle, it wouldn’t have been unusual for him to come and go in the palace.

She had been in the palace too, so it wasn’t unlikely that they had crossed paths.

But Zanying couldn’t remember anything from before she turned five.

Chunjin was by the bath, scooping water for her mistress.

As she recalled, she said, “I was transferred to serve the Lady when she was six years old, by then the Grand Marshal had already left the capital and hadn’t returned to the palace since. I’m not too familiar with what happened before that.”

She suddenly remembered something and perked up a bit. “I seem to have heard that when the Grand Marshal was still in the capital, around the time the Lady was three or four years old, there was once an incident in Hualin Garden where he coaxed you into climbing a tree. It nearly scared the young lady to tears.”

“Climbing a tree?”

“Yes, does the young lady still remember? There was a time when I misspoke and nearly got sent to Yongxiang by Nanny Lu for making a joke about it. I had forgotten the rule of not mentioning outsiders in the Jade Candle Hall. It was the young lady who pleaded for me back then.”

As Chunjin spoke, she glanced at the young mistress, only to find that Zanying had already fallen asleep, her head leaning gently against the edge of the tub.

“Oh no, young lady, you should dry off before sleeping, or you’ll catch a chill.”

Zanying’s closed lashes naturally curved upwards, with the delicate tips catching the candlelight and casting a soft shadow on her eyelids.

Her rosy cheeks and gentle breathing gave her a look of innocent tranquility.

Chunjin called her twice, but Zanying didn’t wake.

She knew that the young lady was truly exhausted from the day’s events and couldn’t bring herself to wake her.

Yet this couldn’t go on, so she called in Madam Ren, who was waiting outside the bath chamber.

Seeing the situation, Madam Ren’s expression instantly softened. “The young lady must be so tired. Let’s not wake her. I’ll gently carry her out and dry her off.”

Madam Ren appeared slender, but she was quite strong.

She wrapped the girl in a large towel and lifted her from the bath, managing not to disturb the sleeping young lady.

She carefully carried her to the fragrant and warm bed.

However, as Madam Ren gently wiped the young lady’s body, what she saw and felt caused her, a woman well aware of worldly matters, to blush and her heart to quicken.

Zanying, fast asleep, was oblivious.

She unconsciously shifted slightly, her lips curving into a soft smile, as if someone was still calling her “Anu” in her dreams.

The West Mountain Palace passed the night peacefully, but the next morning, the court at Taicheng was in an uproar.

The Grand Marshal, who had long been stationed at Jingkou, had returned to the capital but did not attend court.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, who was usually present at every morning assembly, was conspicuously absent.

Emperor Jin, with dark circles under his eyes, ascended the steps to the throne, but before he could settle into his dragon seat, Gu Yuanli, the Imperial Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward and boldly presented his case: “I dare to impeach the Crown Prince for his reckless conduct and lack of personal virtue.”

The civil and military officials exchanged uneasy glances.

The saying “bad news travels fast” proved true; everyone with ears had heard about what happened inside the palace yesterday, especially since many of the officials’ wives were present at the scene.

However, no one expected the upright and forthright Imperial Censor to bring it up so directly.

Under his imperial crown, Emperor Li Yu’s eyelid twitched heavily.

Standing among the civil officials, Fu Ze’an, dressed in his dark green court robe, felt his expression harden, matching the hue of his attire.

He stepped forward, ready to argue against the accusations, but before he could speak, Lu Kang, the Right Deputy Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, stroked his beard and leisurely added, “This old servant supports the petition against Chancellor Fu. He has failed to govern his household properly, bringing shame to the name of a noble and scholarly family and dishonoring the status of the gentry.”

With that, another sleepless figure was added to the mix: Fu Xiao, who had been restless all night and now found himself the subject of scrutiny alongside his family.

Gu Yuanli, a man known for his strict demeanor and deep respect for tradition, hailed from a prestigious southern branch of the Gu family.

Upon hearing Lu Kang’s support, he courteously cupped his hands in salute, “Lu Gong, after you.”

Lu Kang, still stroking his half-black, half-white beard, smiled mildly. “No need for formality, you may speak first, young man.”

As the two of them exchanged pleasantries, the emperor’s expression grew darker.

Despite this, the officials of the Censorate, whose role was to offer direct counsel, were not ones to shy away from speaking their minds.

Holding his tablet firmly, Gu Zhongcheng raised his voice, saying:

“Yesterday, during the coming-of-age ceremony of Lady Fu, the Crown Prince behaved inappropriately, speaking carelessly and causing a rift between the two families. This led to Lady Fu breaking her hairpin and calling off the engagement before leaving the palace. Your Majesty is already aware of these events. Although it concerns the inner palace, it is also a matter of state. The engagement between Lady Fu and the Crown Prince was a promise made by the late Empress Dowager and Lady Tang. It is a contract of national importance. If the sovereign lacks trustworthiness, how can he establish his credibility among the people? I urge Your Majesty to hold the Crown Prince accountable, to reassure the hearts of the common people.”

The emperor’s eyes flickered, his expression darkening further at the mention of the “late Empress Dowager.”

His voice grew cold as he replied, “You are unaware of the full situation in the inner palace. The events of yesterday are not as serious as you make them out to be. This is not a matter to be exaggerated. Does anyone else have something to report?”

Clearly, the emperor wished to move past the topic.

However, Gu Yuanli stood firm, his voice unwavering. “Your servant is fully aware of the gravity of this situation.”

The gathered officials exchanged glances, recalling a well-known fact about Gu Yuanli’s household: his wife, Lady Fang, was notorious in the capital for being quite outspoken.

It was said she would even gather friends to recount in great detail the most trivial spectacles, such as monkey performances or duck fights in the marketplace.

With her presence at yesterday’s event, it was unlikely that Gu Yuanli returned home without hearing every dramatic detail.

Some officials couldn’t help but chuckle while others frowned, their expressions a mix of amusement and frustration.

The emperor’s face was as stern as stone. Forced to address the matter, he said, “The Crown Prince left the capital early this morning to bring someone back from Mount Xi. What happened yesterday was nothing more than a childish quarrel. Rest assured, Lady Fu is the one I have chosen for the role of Crown Princess, and that will not change. There is no need to speak further on this.”

At that moment, Lu Kang nodded respectfully and added, “Your Majesty, I believe reprimanding the Crown Prince is only one part of the issue. The other part lies within the internal governance of the Fu household, which was lax enough to allow this matter to escalate.”

He cast a sidelong glance at Fu Xiao, his tone shifting. “The young lady who caused this disturbance—this so-called daughter of the late Doctor Fu—has lived in obscurity for over ten years. Her bloodline, tied to such a meritorious family, cannot be taken lightly. However, has the Fu family confirmed her identity? Who is her mother, and how did she travel from the northern regions all the way to Jiangnan? There are many unanswered questions here. In my humble opinion, the posthumous honors for Doctor Fu should be postponed until all these details are thoroughly investigated.”

Fu Xiao’s face paled upon hearing this.