The emperor slowly regained his composure and asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Yan Ling rose and replied, “Your Majesty, the princess is discussing Buddhist teachings with me.”

Everyone was confused.

Wasn’t she just sleeping?

What kind of Buddhist teachings were they discussing?

If anyone else had said this, it would have been entirely unconvincing.

But it was Yan Ling.

The emperor, momentarily irritated, pressed his forehead, his voice deep, “Come with me.”

Yan Ling nodded.

After exiting the side hall, the emperor thought for a moment, then looked at Yan Ling, testing, “When we return to the palace, I’ll discuss with your aunt about arranging a marriage for you.”

Yan Ling was cold and distant, even toward his uncle.

The emperor had watched him grow up, and the closeness he had just seen with Wen Yuesheng 5was the closest he had witnessed in recent years.

Before he could think more, Yan Ling spoke in a calm voice, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I do not need it.”

The emperor choked on his words.

The surrounding eunuchs lowered their heads in silence.

The emperor, half laughing with exasperation, didn’t bother to press the matter further and instead turned to the pressing issue at hand: “The envoy from Haowu arrived in the capital today. Are you aware?”

“Yes.”

The emperor gazed into the distance, his expression darkening slightly. “I’ve heard that the emperor of Haowu is nearly in his sixties…”

“Who do you think is suitable for this marriage alliance?”

The sound of cicadas chirping in the summer heat grew louder, bringing with it a slight sense of restlessness.

The emperor’s voice was soft, as if still hesitating.

Yan Ling, however, spoke decisively and without emotion, “Princess Furui.”

“Yan Ling!” The emperor suddenly raised his voice in anger. “Furui is my first daughter!”

“I’ve watched her grow up. I cherish and pamper her more than any of my sons!”

“That’s exactly why it shows how much Your Majesty values this marriage alliance,” Yan Ling replied flatly.

“You…” The emperor pointed at him, but for a long moment, couldn’t find words to say.

Yan Ling simply said, “I take my leave.”

He turned and exited the main hall, where the attendant Di Zhu presented him with a silk handkerchief.

Yan Ling gently wiped his hands, then spoke, “Inform Furui.”

Di Zhu nodded respectfully.

As he looked at Yan Ling, he couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for Princess Furui.

This marriage to Haowu was a task given by the emperor to his lord.

He wondered how the spoiled princess would react upon learning she would be sent off for the alliance.

After a brief pause, Di Zhu remembered something and asked softly, “What about the zither you tested today…?”

Yan Ling’s hand paused mid-wipe, his voice as cold as ever: “It was destroyed.”

Di Zhu was surprised.

Yan Ling was a master of music, but he rarely played the zither himself.

Any zither he handled, once played, would be ordered to be destroyed afterward.

He had thought this time might be different, but…

Meanwhile, after leaving the emperor, Wen Yuesheng went straight to the meditation room.

Xiao Jin followed behind her, his expression somber.

Several princes stayed in the side hall, their voices loud enough for Xiao Jin to overhear.

“When did Yan Ling become so close with Si Ning?”

“What do you mean by close? Didn’t you hear Yan Ling say they were discussing Buddhist teachings?”

“Fourth Brother is usually busy with state affairs, but he can’t spend all his time on politics. Some things still need to be managed.”

“If it were anyone else, it would be hard to explain,” the eldest prince, Heng Guang Wang, said indifferently with a smile, “But I fear Fourth Brother doesn’t care. After all, it’s Si Ning here, not the second young lady of the Wen family.”

Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances.

That’s true. Xiao Jin had no affection for Wen Yue, and it was well known throughout the capital.

Perhaps this would give him the reason he needed to break off the engagement.

But Xiao Jin was not as calm as they thought.

Entering the meditation room, he looked coldly at the figure seated in stillness.

The bright summer sun bathed her, casting a golden glow over her.

Yet she didn’t offer a single explanation.

Xiao Jin’s gaze turned stormy, his voice dark as he demanded, “Why are you here today?”

“Si Ning, don’t forget your identity.”

His eyes were like burning embers, almost as if they could scorch her.

He didn’t stop to question what angered him—he simply felt that the scene he had witnessed earlier was too disturbing.

Wen Yuesheng slowly opened her eyes, and Xiao Jin suddenly realized that, without knowing when, her eyes had become like a pool of endless darkness, devoid of emotion as they met his furious gaze.

She looked at him and calmly replied, “We were discussing Buddhist teachings. Didn’t Yan Ling tell you?”

Xiao Jin’s expression grew even colder as his gaze fixed on the jade-like Buddhist beads on her wrist.

Just as he was about to speak, a palace servant interrupted.

“Your Highness, the emperor has just given orders to move to the northern training grounds.”

As they left the meditation room, Xiao Jin’s expression remained dark.

He overheard the third prince’s voice from inside the side hall, still speaking loudly.

“Speaking of which, Yan Ling is the true cold-hearted one,” said Wei Yangwang, the third prince. “When he was just a young man, his maternal family had a cousin who was renowned in Jiangnan for her beauty and talent. Her brother had committed a crime, and the cousin, tearfully, came to him for help. He wouldn’t even let her into his house.”

“Even though he was young, he already had power. You and I had to show him some respect, let alone the Ministry of Justice back then?”

“When that person was sentenced to death, his beautiful cousin, heartbroken, begged him again, but he said his household already had servants and didn’t need anyone else to serve him. In the end, she had to leave the capital in sorrow and married someone in Jiangnan not long after.”

“He’s maintained such cold composure all these years.” He shook his head.

Wen Yuesheng had exceptional looks, and perhaps in front of others, she would stir some emotions.

But for this one, it was absolutely impossible.

Yet the more this was the case, the stronger the unexpressed anger inside Xiao Jin became.

He lowered his eyes and said to the attendant beside him, “Send the princess back to the princess’s residence.”

The attendant behind him was stunned.

Who?

The princess!

Although Wen Yues2heng was the one betrothed to Xiao Jin, it was the first time for those who served closely to witness such a thing.

Before the attendant could respond, Xiao Jin turned around, only to see that Wen Yue Sheng had already left the temple and entered her carriage.

His expression darkened completely.

The attendant hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

The emperor’s carriage was ready, and Xiao Jin could only ride along beside it.

Wei Yang Wang teased, “Looks like today’s scene was just a trick from Si Ning to get your attention.”

Xiao Jin didn’t respond, his face so cold it seemed as though water could freeze.

Originally, their visit to the Guo Temple had been impulsive, but now, with no purpose accomplished, they had to quickly leave the side hall, unaware of what was happening. They had to rush out in a hurry.

Only halfway there did they realize that the emperor had moved his carriage to the training grounds to inspect the soldiers.

Recently, King Heng Guang, who had participated in the military discussions, suddenly turned pale.

Xiao Jin noticed, but didn’t delve into the emperor’s true intentions.

Instead, he found himself subconsciously paying attention to Wen Yue Sheng’s carriage, which, much to his surprise, had followed them to the northern training grounds.

However, Wen Yue Sheng wasn’t following them.

She had originally planned to stay at the Guo Temple for a few days, but after a brief nap with Qin, she decided against it.

With a message from Lu Hong Ying, she left the temple and headed for the northern training grounds.

The meeting place was changed to a quieter location, and both Lu Hong Ying and Zhou Man Niang looked displeased.

“Princess,” Lu Hong Ying’s eyes brightened for a moment when she saw Wen Yue Sheng.

“Previously, the weapon you asked me to modify has been adjusted after several tests. It’s finally in its best form. Would you like to try it?”

Wen Yue Sheng shook her head. “Since you say it’s good, then it is.”

Seeing how much she trusted her, Lu Hong Ying should have been delighted, but instead, she couldn’t bring herself to smile.

She exchanged a glance with Zhou Man Niang before speaking. “We originally came today to let Young Master Zhang test the weapon.”

“However, after getting the weapon, Man Niang noticed that Young Master Zhang had been injured.”

Zhou Man Niang nodded. She was kind-hearted, and after forgiving Zhang Yulin, she truly didn’t hold any grudges. But because of that, she noticed something strange about him.

“Some days ago, when we came, I noticed Young Master’s movements were slow. At the time, I thought he just hadn’t adapted to the new weapon or was too tired from training. But today…”

Zhou Man Niang whispered, “Young Master Zhang’s injury is severe, and it’s in a hidden location under his clothing.”

She paused, then whispered again, “Not only that, I noticed something off with him just now, when I was near Hong Ying.”

But she didn’t elaborate on what exactly was wrong.

Wen Yue Sheng nodded lightly, and together they moved to a training area on the grounds.

From a distance, she spotted Zhang Yulin.

Zhang Yulin was tall and particularly sturdy, standing out even among regular soldiers.

However, it wasn’t just his size that caught her eye.

… It was his strange posture.

Zhou Man Niang wasn’t wrong.

Zhang Yulin had indeed been injured.

Today, his movements were visibly slow and clumsy.

But his natural strength allowed him to still overpower others during a spar.

Yet, for some reason, whenever he raised his hands, they seemed weak.

He had only recently entered the military and didn’t know many techniques. If he wanted to win, he had to rely on his brute strength.

But now, his large body and heavy punches felt more like soft taps, as if he was just playing around.

And every time he moved, he hesitated.

The people sparring with him were aggressive and experienced.

Once they found his weaknesses, they attacked fiercely, landing blow after blow.

Soon, Zhang Yulin was knocked off balance, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He wanted to call for a stop, but it was too late.

Lu Hongying, familiar with the training ground, kept the three of them hidden, unnoticed by anyone else.

She watched for a moment and then said seriously, “I’ve observed, and it’s those few people.”

“While there are injuries during regular training, these people are different. They’re clearly trained and deliberately strike with great cruelty, aiming to hurt.”

“Zhang Yulin is strong and could withstand more hits, but a normal person would be bedridden for at least three months after such a beating.”

Wen Yuesheng spoke coldly, “Have you informed the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage?”

“I’ve sent someone, but the Duke has been busy these past few days and is not in the capital.”

Lu Hongying continued, “I had someone inquire, and although these people aren’t of high birth, they’re acting with blatant disregard for consequences.”

Zhou Manniang looked at Zhang Yulin, who was on the verge of collapsing.

Perhaps she understood part of the reason.

When Zhang Yulin apologized that day, his speech was a bit fast, and he kept glancing at his servant.

She, being born a concubine’s daughter, had learned to read people’s expressions since she was young.

She could tell that Zhang Yulin had just recovered and had been taught how to speak and act properly.

His apology seemed rehearsed.

To others, it appeared as if he was foolish and helpless, but Zhou Man Niang knew his eyes were clear.

He wasn’t foolish at all—he was just slow to adapt to the world.

Also…

She vaguely sensed that after accidentally injuring her and Wen Yuesheng, Zhang Yulin was now hesitant to use force.

He seemed afraid of hurting others.

This caused him to hold back, even though he had great strength.

Wen Yueeheng understood now.

Zhang Yulin had developed a psychological barrier.

“Bang!” Another loud crash.

Zhang Yulin fell to the ground with a thud.