Since his childhood, Li Jinghuan had often heard people praise him as “a rare figure of grace” among princes.

However, few knew that the silly girl who followed him around as a child used to privately say, “Jinghuan gege looks scary when he doesn’t smile.”

And then she would poke him with her soft fingers, begging him to smile more often.

As a child, Li Jinghuan, with his youthful nature, would indulge her happiness, and even if he didn’t smile outwardly, he would remember to curve his lips upward when he crossed the threshold of the Jade Candle Hall.

The innocent friendship of childhood is indeed a beautiful story, but people inevitably grow up.

When he began to understand the ways of the world, Li Jinghuan learned that his marriage to Fu Zanying was not due to any idealistic romance but because of the wealth of the Tang family, which was comparable to the state treasury.

Since the Jin Dynasty’s power had waned after moving south and was hindered by powerful families, it needed a chance to recover.

The Tang family’s wealth drew the attention of both Northern and Southern courts.

If this fortune fell into the hands of another family, it would pose a grave threat to the Jin Dynasty’s imperial authority, and the court would not allow that to happen.

Thus, marrying a Tang descendant into the royal family was the most ideal solution.

As the Crown Prince of the Great Jin, who had been raised under the admiration of all, Li Jinghuan must have had his pride.

One can imagine his disappointment and frustration when he learned that his marriage was not a tale of destined love but a matter of compromise and transaction.

From that day on, he ended his carefree childhood and began deliberately distancing himself from Zanying.

During that time, the palace maids in the Shengyang Palace would laugh and say that the Crown Prince had grown up and become shy.

In reality, it was not the case.

Li Jinghuan simply did not want to be gossiped about behind his back as someone who married for money.

Yet, with his worries, the little girl four years younger than him, who still understood nothing, continued to be his little shadow, blissfully ignorant of the adult world’s complex calculations and power struggles, instinctively drawn to him.

Little Zanying would sit in the palace corridor every afternoon, holding her small face in anticipation of his return from class.

When she could talk to him, she was as happy as a little rabbit with many carrots.

She was like a blank slate, innocent and passionate, completely unaware of the complicated machinations and calculations of the grown-ups.

She instinctively drew close to him.

For Li Jinghuan, who had just begun to learn about state affairs, whenever the pressure felt too heavy, seeing this smiling and innocent little girl in the palace made life seem hopeful and lightened his burden.

So he softened.

He gradually realized that he should not project his dissatisfaction onto the innocent Zanying.

The plan to distance himself from Fu Zanying, which he had resolved to follow, failed within half a year.

Zanying was completely unaware of these matters.

What she had was only her simplicity, from the age of five to fifteen, remaining pure, as if only her stature and appearance had grown over the years, not her intellect.

She simply believed that as long as she liked Jinghuan gege, everything would be fine.

Little did she know how many twists and turns his feelings for her had undergone.

He had truly been delighted, carefully protected, diligently taught, privately annoyed, and ultimately reconciled with her.

He didn’t like her excessive fragility but tolerated it.

He wasn’t fond of her obedient and dull demeanor but was patient with it.

She, on the other hand, only knew how to laugh when she was happy and throw a tantrum when she was angry.

For a trivial misunderstanding, she disregarded the dignity of the royal family and left the palace in a fit of pique.

Yes, Li Jinghuan admitted that upon first seeing Fu Zhuangxue, he did feel a jolt of attraction for the resilient and extraordinary young woman.

Deep down, he had entertained thoughts of keeping her by his side in the future.

But that was merely a thought; he had never crossed any lines with Fu Zhuangxue.

In his heart, his legitimate wife would always be Fu Zanying, and this would not change.

As the carriage and horses traveled through the morning dew and the muddy path left by the previous night’s rain, Li Jinghuan thought that Zanying didn’t understand his feelings.

He believed that once he found her, he would be able to openly discuss these thoughts with her.

Once she knew his intentions were pure, she wouldn’t run away again.

If she didn’t like him interacting with Fu Zhuangxue, that was fine.

He would avoid her in the future.

With this generous mindset, the Crown Prince alighted at the foot of the mountain.

To avoid disturbing the people on the mountain, he waited until dawn to send someone to deliver a message.

But as he waited, he was met not with a reply but with two carriages approaching.

Li Jinghuan, with clear eyes, called out, “A-Ying,” but there was no response from the closed carriage.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing the black-armored guards on either side of the carriage, he realized something and instinctively took a step back, his voice sinking in disbelief, “Fu Zanying.”

The side of the carriage was casually lifted by an old bamboo scroll.

The hand holding the scroll was slender, with pale, cold skin.

Under the lifted curtain, a half-visible, cold face appeared, with eyes colder than the man’s hand.

The person Li Jinghuan wanted to see was completely hidden behind this man, with only a corner of a snow-white sleeve visible.

How could this be? Li Jinghuan’s face changed color.

How could A-Ying, who was so timid, be in the same carriage as this person?

Was she coerced, or deceived like ten years ago?

Standing a bowshot away from the Crown Prince, Yuan Cong saw the Grand Marshal’s carriage and immediately knelt, paying respects. “This servant greets the Duke of the State,” without mentioning the Emperor’s summons.

Li Jinghuan’s personal attendant, Li Jian, also knelt, echoing the same greeting, “This servant greets the Duke of the State.”

Li Jinghuan’s face went pale as he remembered.

This person had insisted on being called the “Duke of the State” by all officials after Empress Wei’s death.

In truth, he was not interested in being a duke, but he insisted on being the only duke in the Jin Dynasty, which meant his sister, Empress Wei, was the only empress.

This person had never regarded the Yu family with any respect, leading to the downfall of the Yu clan.

Wei Yi.

Years without returning to the capital, and now he had come back, only to want to abduct A-Ying?

Li Jinghuan even began to suspect whether A-Ying’s departure from the palace yesterday had been planned in advance.

With her timid nature, how could she have had the courage and foresight to create such a major incident, unless someone was inciting her from behind?

Li Jinghuan clenched his fist, staring at the green-draped carriage, furious but unable to speak.

Li Jian, drenched in sweat from fear, gently tugged on the Crown Prince’s robe, reminding him to observe the proper etiquette.

The person in the carriage was a ruthless figure who had once left a blade in the Empress’s palace.

Li Jinghuan ground his teeth in anger.

Wei Yi, however, coldly spoke up, “The tutors in the palace have indeed fallen short these years. The Crown Prince doesn’t even know how to show respect to his elders.”

Li Jinghuan felt a sudden chill as the sharp, oppressive gaze swept over him, his spine bending under the invisible pressure.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “I have met the Grand General.”

Wei Yu’s eyes flashed with a blood-red intensity. “Repeat.”

Those two words, as light as feathers, struck Li Jinghuan’s heart with a heavy thud.

He didn’t want to bow his head to this person in front of Fu Zanying.

If he called out “Uncle,” where would that place his mother, and where would it place his uncle who died in Lingnan?

But now, with Wei Yu holding the military power of the North and even his father yielding to him, he lacked the strength to oppose him.

Just endure for now, and there will be another day.

Veins bulged on Li Jinghuan’s forehead as he stared fixedly at the man across from him, and finally, he bowed his hand in respect. “I have met you, Uncle. If you are here to escort Zanying back to the palace, you need not trouble yourself. I—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Wei Yu interrupted with a cold reprimand. “Who is your uncle? How dare you address me as such.”

There was no respect for the Crown Prince of the present dynasty.

After speaking, Wei Yu ordered his men to move and let down the curtain.

As the Crown Prince, Li Jinghuan was taken aback by such mockery and was both shocked and angry.

Not knowing where Wei Yu was taking Fu Zanying, in a moment of impulse, he blurted out, “Zanying nearly sold you out back then, and you’re going with her?”

This statement made Fu Zanying, who had been silent, suddenly turn her head.

Before the curtain fell completely, Li Jinghuan finally saw her glance toward him and caught a fleeting look at her face.

At that moment, seeing her expression, Li Jinghuan was stunned.

Zanying’s eyes held no emotion he had anticipated—no innocence, ignorance, or fear.

Her black eyes were as cold as a stream of snow, exuding a clean and chilling coldness.

What he saw was disdain.

A kind of disdain he had never imagined seeing in Zanying’s eyes.

Anyone could leave, but only little Zanying would stay.

Any flower could have thorns, but she was not supposed to hurt him.

As the curtain fell, his gaze was separated from hers, and the sound of wheels faded away.

Li Jinghuan stood there, still staring at the direction the carriage had gone, unable to understand how she could possibly disdain him.

“Your Highness,” Li Jian, having gotten up from the ground, carefully asked his master, “Should we wait?”

Li Jinghuan remained silent, running his fingers over the jade pendant at his waist.

After a while, he suddenly turned his gaze to Yuan Cong, who had been silent, and in a fit of anger, he shifted his ire. “Master Yuan, you just met someone but didn’t mention a word of the Emperor’s decree. Is it so easy to fool around with the matters from the court?”

Yuan Cong, the head steward of the inner court, was different from the previous bowing posture.

He slightly bent his waist and forced a smile. “This servant is at fault and cannot ease the Emperor’s worries. But Your Highness should also know that even the Emperor has always been powerless against this Grand General.”

Li Jinghuan stared at him for a while, then slowly squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth, “Wait.”

Perhaps due to not having eaten since early morning, after uttering this word, he felt a sudden dizziness.

Without warning, a flash of fire crossed his vision, and amid the thick smoke, a familiar palace plaque appeared.

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in shock. “Where is the fire?”

Li Jian, startled, quickly looked around.

The quiet countryside was peaceful and serene, and he replied, “Your Highness, there is no sign of a fire.”

“I must be seeing things,” Li Jinghuan pressed his temples, calming himself.

In a low voice, he said, “Wait here. I don’t believe she won’t return.”