On the other side of the courtyard, the leading figure exuded a domineering presence.

At this moment, upon hearing Wen Yuesheng’s words, his gaze turned cold, and his expression became unreadable.

Standing beside him was Wen Yuesheng’s father, Wen Xun.

Seeing the situation, his face darkened, and he raised his voice to reprimand, “Nonsense!”

As soon as he spoke, the people in the courtyard snapped to attention.

When they saw the person standing behind Wen Xun, their expressions all changed.

“Greetings, King Yong’an.”

King Yong’an, Xiao Jin, the fourth son of the current emperor, was also Wen Yuesheng’s nominal fiancé.

Because it was a private gathering, Xiao Jin was only accompanied by two attendants.

He wore a dark robe adorned with golden patterns, a white jade crown on his head, and cloud-patterned black boots on his feet.

Despite his relatively small entourage, his long tenure in high positions gave him a naturally imposing presence.

When his narrow, cold eyes swept over, it felt as if a dark shadow enveloped everything, sending a chill down one’s spine.

“It seems the five days of confinement haven’t brought you to your senses!” Before Xiao Jin could speak, Wen Xun had already begun to express his displeasure.

Wen Xun, though in his forties, still maintained his good looks and health.

Having spent many years in the bureaucracy, he had developed a presence that commanded respect without needing to raise his voice.

As soon as he spoke, Zhao Momo(Grandma Zhao), who was standing next to Wen Yuesheng, trembled and hurriedly kneeled.

The courtyard fell silent as everyone waited for Wen Xun to reprimand Wen Yuesheng.

Like everyone else, Wen Xun naturally assumed that Wen Yuesheng was upset upon seeing the gift Xiao Jin had given to Wen Yurou and had been speaking recklessly out of jealousy.

“Since when has it been your place to criticize the furnishings of this residence?” He furrowed his brows and looked at Wen Yuesheng, his gaze holding a subtle warning.

“If you continue this nonsense, return to your room immediately and reflect in solitude!” Wen Xuan said.

Over the years, Wen Xun’s authority had grown, and Wen Yuesheng had fallen out of favor.

Despite her arrogance, she no longer dared to act recklessly in front of Wen Xun.

When Wen Xun spoke, everyone expected Wen Yuedheng to back down.

But unexpectedly…

Wen Yuesheng raised her eyes and asked, “You don’t like it?”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Wen Xun: …

Which normal family would place a one- or two-meter-high golden Buddha statue in the courtyard?

And was she not just making an issue of the situation?

Could it really be about the Buddha statue?

“What should we do then?” Wen Yuesheng’s voice was hoarse from days without food or water.

This caught the attention of the already impatient Xiao Jin, who lifted his gaze to her.

Wen Yuesheng had a notoriously bad temper, but her appearance was stunning.

However, compliments on her beauty were rarely meant as praise in Wen Yuesheng’s case.

She was naturally enchanting, with slender, phoenix-like eyes and an innate charm.

Even though she often tried to conceal it, the allure in her eyes couldn’t be fully hidden.

Today, for some unknown reason, she hadn’t bothered to cover her seductive traits.

Her expression wasn’t as awkward as it usually was when she faced him.

She wore a simple white dress, her figure very slender, and when the summer breeze blew, it seemed as if it might carry her away.

Her complexion was unusually pale, which only accentuated the cold, ink-like depth of her eyes.

Her face, white as porcelain, was calm as she stood with her hands behind her back.

Her voice was soft and hoarse, like a lover’s whisper.

She spoke, “What should we do then? How about this…”

“You all move out.”

With these words, the entire courtyard fell silent.

Zhao Momo, kneeling beside her, looked at her in disbelief.

What was she saying?

“This is the princess’s mansion, not the minister’s house.” In the stillness, Wen Yuesheng said slowly, “Why don’t you go back to your own home and do as you please?”

Absurd!

For a moment, the people around her doubted their own ears.

In this world, could there really be a daughter who would expel her father from the house?

Wen Xun was so furious that he almost staggered.

He opened his mouth to scold her but found he couldn’t respond.

According to the rules of the Hui Dynasty, when a princess passed away, her consort’s title would be revoked.

The princess’s mansion was kept only because the emperor had shown mercy to Wen Yuesheng, who was still a young princess.

Although Wen Yuesheng hadn’t been allowed to see the emperor for years, she was still a princess, the daughter of a royal, and this princess’s mansion had nothing to do with the Wen family anymore.

Wen Xun, furious, could only mutter curses, calling her unfilial.

But before he could say anything further, a servant hurriedly reported, “Master! Second Miss has fainted!”

Wen Xun’s expression changed immediately. “What happened? Hurry, go to Zhongren Hall and ask Dr. Liu to come.”

Xiao Jin spoke in a low voice, “Use my seal to summon Dr. Zhou.”

The attendants by his side responded softly.

This gave Wen Xun a reason to rebuke Wen Yuesheng.

He shouted angrily, “Yuru is already weak, and you have treated her this way. You’re truly unfilial, heartless…”

But before he could finish, Wen Yuesheng had already begun to walk away.

As she passed by Xiao Jin, he caught a whiff of the subtle sandalwood fragrance on her.

He glimpsed her pale profile and the indifference in her eyes.

She was like a stranger, walking past him without a word.

Xiao Jin paused for a moment.

Wen Xun furiously rebuked, “Yu Ruo is still in danger, and you want to leave? Wen Yuesheng, if you step out of this door today, don’t even think about setting foot back in this household ever again!”

His response was met with Wen Yue Sheng’s resolute turn.

That slender figure in plain white disappeared from sight as the household steward and Zhao Nanny followed in her wake.

Only the steward returned later.

The steward glanced at Wen Xun’s darkened expression and whispered cautiously, “…The County Princess had a carriage prepared and left for the outskirts of the city. She said she was going to look for a suitable Buddha statue.”

Wen Xun’s face darkened, but he said nothing.

“I sent Zhao Momo to accompany her, fearing for her safety outside. Please rest assured, Master.”

Wen Xun was no longer as enraged as earlier; he calmly stroked his teacup and said coldly, “Instruct the gatekeepers to lock up at night. Since she is so disobedient and unfilial, we shall not concern ourselves with her anymore.”

The steward dared not reply and instead glanced nervously at Xiao Jin.

Fortunately, Xiao Jin’s attention was focused entirely on the imperial physician diagnosing Wen Yuruo and had no interest in Wen Yuesheng’s affairs.

---

Meanwhile, Zhao Nanny trailed behind Wen Yuesheng, deeply anxious.

If this were any other day, Wen Yuesheng, feeling aggrieved, would undoubtedly rush to the palace to petition the Empress.

In recent years, even the Emperor had grown tired of her antics, so if the Empress saw her once in ten attempts, it would be considered fortunate.

Zhao Nanny(Zhao Momo) wasn’t worried about Wen Yuesheng complaining to the Emperor, but she feared she might cause an even greater commotion.

What she hadn’t expected was that Wen Yuesheng’s destination was truly a temple.

The carriage sped along and finally stopped outside Tian Ci Temple, not far from the capital.

When Wen Yuesheng alighted from the carriage, Zhao Nanny was still in a daze.

By the time she followed, Wen Yuesheng had already entered the temple gates.

Inside, Zhao Nanny was surprised to see Wen Yuesheng genuinely burning incense and even sitting inside a grand hall copying Buddhist scriptures.

Zhao Nanny grew restless.

After all that commotion, she was now starving.

Wen Yuesheng had some snacks and tea in the carriage, but Zhao Nanny hadn’t eaten anything.

Seeing no one around, she slipped out of the hall, heading to the temple’s backyard to find a little monk to prepare some vegetarian food.

She was gone for a long while.

As dusk fell, a group of people entered the hall.

Leading them was a man clad in snow-white robes, embroidered with cold plum blossoms, the sash at his waist fastening with a transparent black jade pendant.

The setting sun shone on the black jade, reflecting dazzling light.

His attire was exquisite, but it paled in comparison to his appearance.

His hair was jet-black, cascading like a waterfall, held up by a simple white jade hairpin.

The setting sun bathed his figure in a warm glow, yet his features seemed colder than the perpetual frost on a snow-capped mountain, exuding an unapproachable chill that deterred any attempt at closeness.

“This way, Lord Yan, please.”

Upon entering the hall, the abbot leading them suddenly noticed someone already inside.

Yan Ling raised his gaze, his cold eyes meeting a scene suffused with golden light.

At the table sat a woman, her head bowed over the desk.

Her black hair cascaded over the desk, making her snowy-white skin stand out.

Her features were delicate and refined.

As she breathed, her slightly disheveled robes revealed the gentle curves of her figure—sensuous and alluring by nature.

The evening sunlight reflected off the solemn gilded Buddha statue, casting a divine glow upon her.

The light softened the coldness in her brow.

The abbot had discreetly withdrawn.

Yan Ling’s gaze remained impassive as he turned to leave when the sound of turning pages reached his ears.

The papers on the desk were covered in dense rows of Buddhist scriptures, each character rendered with force and precision, as though etched into the paper.

Yet beneath the surface of each character lingered an undeniable sense of killing intent, so intense it seeped into the otherwise tranquil scriptures.

Every stroke emanated a chilling aura, as if the scriptures were narrating tales of death and vengeance instead of enlightenment.

Had the abbot seen this, he would have surely muttered countless prayers of “Amitabha.”

“What are you doing?”

Yan Ling raised his eyes. The woman had woken, her dark gaze utterly lucid and focused.

Wen Yuesheng propped her chin on her hand, leisurely watching the man before her.

The golden light of the hall surrounded her as she lazily broke the silence, her voice husky from sleep.

Night fell. Yan Ling’s coldly elegant features seemed even more distant in the moonlight.

“Is the scripture for sale?” His voice was deep and velvety, like a vintage wine—cool yet intoxicating.

Wen Yuesheng studied him.

His gaze, however, remained fixed on the paper.

After a moment, she replied, “Ten taels.”

When he left the hall, his attendant emerged from the shadows, whispering, “The woman inside is…”

“The County Princess, Si Ning.” Yan Ling accepted a silk handkerchief from the attendant, carefully wiping his jade-like hands.

His expression was unreadable beneath the night’s shadows.

The attendant was startled.

That woman was the infamous Si Ning County Princess?

He had been following Yan Ling closely and hadn’t gotten a good look at her face.

Yet when Yan Ling reached for the scripture, he had felt an overwhelming wave of killing intent.

Yan Ling’s attendants were trained warriors who had faced countless dangers, but none had encountered killing intent so palpable and unrestrained.

He had been ready to defend his master, but Yan Ling had stopped him.

This only deepened his astonishment.

How could a pampered county princess possess such raw, murderous energy?

He wanted to ask but held back when he saw Yan Ling’s impassive expression.

The cool night breeze fluttered the silk handkerchief in Yan Ling’s hand.

“Send the scripture to the palace,” Yan Ling ordered calmly.

The attendant’s expression changed drastically.

The order was unexpected.

Yan Ling had been tasked with collecting Buddhist scriptures from renowned temples for the Empress Dowager’s prayers.

This was the last temple on his journey, yet he had chosen an ordinary scripture instead of one from a revered monk.

The attendant glanced at Yan Ling’s stunning profile under the moonlight but dared not question the decision.