On a quiet summer night, not a single star lit up the sky.

Yan Ling left the palace near the third watch of the night.

The clouds hung low, and the moonlight was hazy.

The Ministry of Justice had been busy as usual, but today, one of the vice ministers had abruptly left his position. Though the year had not yet ended, the tides of the bureaucracy had already begun to shift.

As for the appointment of the new vice minister, rumors were rife, and undercurrents surged across the court.

From evening until now, more than a dozen individuals had come to inquire about the matter. Yet, it was not until deep into the night that Yan Ling finally submitted his memorial to the throne.

To outsiders, it might seem as if he was indecisive, hesitating for hours before reaching a decision.

Only his personal servant, Di Zhu, knew the truth: Yan Ling had long made up his mind about the new vice minister. His late-night deliberations were merely a facade for others to see.

Yet something was unusual tonight. Normally, Yan Ling would spend these extended hours reviewing documents or attending to official duties. But this evening, from dusk until midnight, he simply sat silently at his desk.

It was the same posture he maintained in the palace earlier that day, yet there was an indefinable difference.

Di Zhu couldn’t discern what had changed. The only thing he knew was that before leaving the Ministry of Personnel, Yan Ling had taken a bath—a rare event.

The Ministry of Personnel had a private bathhouse reserved for such occasions, but it was rarely used unless necessary. Tonight was an exception, and Yan Ling’s bath lasted much longer than usual.

When he emerged, Di Zhu detected a faint trace of sandalwood incense lingering on his master’s person.

This was unprecedented. Having served Yan Ling for many years, Di Zhu had never seen him light incense while bathing, let alone sandalwood.

Under the faint moonlight, Yan Ling’s expression was distant and cold as he spoke: “Inform the National Temple that I won’t be visiting for the time being.”

Di Zhu bowed his head in acknowledgment.

After a pause, he recalled something and thought of Princess Si Ning, who had been punished with confinement and was sent to the National Temple earlier that night.

But when he glanced back at Yan Ling, the man’s face revealed no trace of emotion.

Indeed, his master had always been aloof and indifferent, unlikely to let anyone influence his decisions. If he had decided not to visit the temple, there must be a valid reason, and it likely had nothing to do with Princess Si Ning.

The next day, the appointment of the new vice minister for the Ministry of Justice was announced.

The appointee had no ties to any major factions. He was a scholar from a humble background who had passed the imperial examination in the same year as Zhou Yuandu.

The events of the previous day had stirred quite the commotion among the capital’s elite circles. Yet in court, no one dared question the emperor’s decision.

In private, however, Princess Si Ning’s name was mentioned with increasing frequency.

The Wen family seemed indifferent to the matter. Ever since Wen Yuesheng’s departure, the household had acted as though she no longer existed.

In the afternoon, Lady Chen took a nap, while Mama Wang and a few maids gossiped in the rear chamber.

“It’s been seven days now, and judging by the master and madam’s attitude, it seems they have no intention of bringing the princess back,” one maid whispered. “Could it be that she’ll remain in the temple for good?”

“Who knows?” replied the gatekeeper maid, who was known for her wide network of contacts. “I heard from outside that this is the emperor’s true punishment for the princess. Think about it—he might as well have handed her a cup of poisoned wine!”

Mama Wang frowned and scolded her, “It’s not your place to speculate about noble affairs!”

The maid quickly covered her mouth and flattered Mama Wang: “You’re right. I’m too careless with my words. I’ll never be as wise and capable as you, working so closely with the masters.”

Mama Wang ignored the compliment, smirking slightly as she remarked, “That’s the way of the world. Some people act recklessly, relying on their high birthright.”

“But such foolishness only leads to their downfall. No matter how high their status, if they fail to see the bigger picture, they’ll only make themselves a laughingstock.”

“Thinking they can escape unscathed after showing off—hah! They’ve only sealed their own fate.”

The other maids nodded in agreement. “Exactly! When our Second Miss visited the temple to pray, she had an entire entourage of maids and servants filling two carts, not to mention all the luxurious provisions.”

“And even then, the prince was worried and personally escorted her out of the city.”

“Now look at the princess. Aside from her maid Zhao Qing and a clueless servant girl, she has no one. The National Temple may be grand, but it’s still a monastery. Who knows how harsh the conditions are there!”

Nurse(Mama) Wang smiled smugly and lowered her voice. “That’s not all. With her gone, no one in the capital will remember her. Returning will be next to impossible.”

“Those without favor, no matter how high their status, can only vent their frustrations on us lowly servants. She probably still thinks she’s the brightest star in the heavens!”

As they laughed, the door suddenly swung open.

Standing there was Jiang Mama, Lady Chen’s trusted attendant.

Seeing the group gathered, she frowned. “What are you all doing here? The master has returned.”

Nurse Wang was startled.

Five days ago, the palace held a grand banquet, and the household had been exceptionally busy. Even Lady Chen had only managed to come home briefly while the emperor and his ministers were out hunting.

Why had Master Wen Xun returned at this hour?

Lady Chen, too, was puzzled when she heard the news.

“Why has the master returned at this time?”

Wen Xun’s expression was grim as he said, “Prepare the carriage. I need to leave the city.”

Lady Chen, already dressed, sat up in surprise. “Why are you leaving the city at this hour?”

“Go fetch Si Ning.”

Chen Shi paused slightly while getting out of bed. After a moment, she followed up smoothly, “Did something happen at the hunting ground?”

Otherwise, why would someone who had been ignored for several days suddenly need to be fetched personally?

“This morning at the hunting ground competition, Prince Yong’an personally participated and tied with the Crown Prince of Haozhou. Afterward, the Haozhou envoys suggested another martial competition.”

Wen Xun’s face darkened.

During the palace banquet, the two nations engaged in cultural exchanges.

When it came to literary contests, Da Hui had never fallen behind, but as for martial competitions…

Other than Zhang Yulin’s victory on the first day of the banquet, Da Hui had not won a single match.

Day after day, the Emperor’s expression grew increasingly unpleasant. Early this morning, he had someone summon Zhang Yulin from the Imperial Temple.

Zhang Yulin arrived, but for some reason, he was far from his form on the first day.

He relied on brute strength and often exhausted himself.

The Crown Prince of Haozhou was indeed difficult to deal with.

Although Nu Lie was defeated, Haozhou had plenty of skilled warriors. Moreover, the rules of this competition had changed—it was no longer a simple contest of martial arts but a team-based hunting competition.

Da Hui lacked strategy, and Zhang Yulin was cumbersome.

A few small soldiers were enough to tie him down, leading to a resounding defeat for Da Hui.

The Emperor lost face and immediately summoned Zhang Yulin to question him.

Zhang Yulin, being honest, scratched his head and said, “The Princess is not here.”

The Emperor was speechless and asked what he meant.

Zhang Yulin straightforwardly replied, “I am the Princess’s bodyguard, and it is my duty to protect her above all else.”

As if the Emperor was not even his master.

The Emperor was so furious he nearly fainted on the spot.

Fortunately, the loyal and brave Marquis stepped in, explaining that his son was a fool and begged the Emperor for forgiveness.

The Emperor could not be bothered to argue with a simpleton, especially since Zhang Yulin was still needed to hold the line.

Seeing him like this, it was evident that without Wen Yuesheng present, he had no sense of direction.

Thus, the Emperor waved his hand and ordered Wen Xun to personally fetch Wen Yuesheng.

After hearing this, Chen Shi frowned, “There are so many generals at court, and the Princess does not know martial arts. How could she be asked to step into such a situation?”

Wen Xun sighed. “There are many generals, but their skills are far inferior to Haozhou’s. The situation is nearly one-sided.”

“You don’t understand; today’s competition is quite special. Over the past few days, many of the warriors have been injured. Even several princes and young masters of the Wei family participated in the match today.”

Despite this, the situation remained lopsided.

How could the Emperor not be enraged?

“Enough. It can also be seen as for Ruo’er’s benefit.” Mentioning Wen Yuruo, Wen Xun’s expression softened significantly. “In the past few days of literary competitions, Ruo’er has solved the most riddles and impressed the Haozhou envoys with her exquisite painting skills. Now, everyone in the capital knows her as graceful, intelligent, and well-educated.”

“Si Ning is her elder sister. If she can help win this competition, it will also bring great benefits to her.”

Chen Shi could not refute this.

Time was tight, so Wen Xun skipped breakfast and headed directly to the Imperial Temple.

Upon arrival, he walked along the temple’s long pathway with one of the monks.

The journey was exceptionally tranquil.

Although Wen Xun had arrived, there was no sign of Wen Yuesheng.

Wen Xun frowned slightly. As he passed through the temple gates, a gatekeeping monk asked, “Are you also here to see the Princess?”

Also?

Wen Xun was momentarily stunned. “Has anyone else come to see the Princess in the past few days?”

The guiding monk made no attempt to hide the truth.

After all, this was the Imperial Temple, and all visitors were registered. Even if they wanted to conceal it, they couldn’t.

The monk replied, “On the first day the Princess arrived, she met with Lord Zhou.”

Wen Xun’s expression shifted. “Which Lord Zhou?”

“Lord Zhou, the assistant magistrate of Fuzhou.”

Zhou Yuandu.

He had been demoted to Fuzhou because of Wen Yue Sheng, yet he still came to see her.

Wen Xun’s expression flickered several times before he asked, “What was Lord Zhou’s purpose here?”

“Lord Zhou only spoke a few words with the Princess before leaving,” the monk said. After a brief pause, he added, “Later that evening, he sent two female benefactors.”

Female benefactors?

Who could they be?

Wen Xun was full of doubts. But upon entering the temple and seeing Zhou Manniang, all his questions were answered.

Zhou Yuandu had left Zhou Manniang by Wen Yuesheng’s side!

As a fellow court official, Wen Xun was all too familiar with Zhou Yuandu’s character.

Zhou Yuandu had indulged Zhou Yujie because his wife, Madam Sun, came from a prestigious family.

Born into a poor family, Zhou Yuandu had risen to his current position thanks to significant support from the Sun family.

For this reason, he was extraordinarily lenient with Madam Sun and her daughter, allowing them to become arrogant and reckless, leading to this disaster.

Now demoted to Fuzhou, far away from the capital, Zhou Yuandu’s chances of returning to the capital were slim.

Leaving Zhou Manniang here—was it out of resentment for her role in this mess?

Unable to discern Zhou Yuandu’s intentions, Wen Xun was about to speak to Zhou Manniang.

But Zhao Mama, who served Wen Yuesheng, quickly approached and saluted him.

“Greetings, Master.”

“Why are you alone? Where is the Princess?” Wen Xun frowned.

He had already informed the temple about fetching Wen Yue Sheng, so she should be aware.

Zhao Mama hesitated before giving Wen Xun a complicated look and replied, “The Princess is resting and will see no one.”

Wen Xun: ?

He was furious but laughed instead. In a deep voice, he asked, “See no one? Does she even understand what she’s doing?”

Zhao Mama responded, “The Princess said this is a temple. If you wish for help, it is better to pray to Buddha than to ask her.”

She then stepped aside, leaving the path to the main hall clear.

“Please, go ahead.”