The next morning, the news of the Liang family’s downfall sent a ripple of shock throughout the imperial court.

Shu Fei, now known as Liang Zhaoyi, had been spared from being sent to the cold palace only because she had borne an imperial prince.

However, despite this, the Liang family had completely fallen from grace.

In the entire affair, it seemed the only one unaffected was Prince Jingkang.

But the wrongdoers were his mother and her relatives—their actions had left him unable to escape blame.

As autumn began in September, the imperial examinations were approaching, and the Emperor withdrew his position in the Ministry of Rites from King Jingkang.

Coupled with the collapse of the Liang family, this was a devastating blow to him.

Logically, Prince Jingkang should have distanced himself from the Liang family, cutting ties with them completely.

However, he did not do this. Instead, he went straight to the palace early in the morning to kneel outside Taihe Hall and beg for the Emperor’s forgiveness.

Since birth, Prince Jingkang had been weak and sickly.

The Emperor had treated him more leniently than other princes, which was why Liang Zhaoyi hadn’t been sent to the cold palace immediately.

Even though Prince Jingkang was ill, he still dragged his weak body to the palace to seek forgiveness, kneeling under the autumn sun outside Taihe Hall for an entire morning.

He collapsed from exhaustion and was carried out of the palace.

Despite his plea, the Emperor did not pardon the Liang family, but did not press the matter further.

As a result, Prince Jingkang was able to retain his title.

Meanwhile, the court was buzzing with speculation, and any discussion of the matter inevitably turned to Princess Sining.

After court adjourned, Wen Xun walked down the street.

On one side, people praised Wen Yuesheng’s polo skills, saying she had outshone Haoyu to win.

On the other side, there was talk of the Liang family trying to use the Princess to their advantage.

“…The Princess is certainly talented, but the Liang family’s attempt to win her over like this—how is that any different from treason?”

“It’s a pity. If the great scholar Liang were still here, how would he feel seeing the Liang family in this state?”

“His feelings would be obvious. While he was alive, he spoiled his children too much. Liang Zhaoyi and Liang Ji were both allowed to become so unruly.”

“Right now, though, it seems Princess Sineng is quite wise.”

Many people agreed with this sentiment.

After all, the palace was the Emperor’s, and as long as he remained healthy, no matter how many people had their own ideas, they couldn’t make them known openly.

Wen Yuesheng had first broken off her engagement, then, in front of all the court officials, she had severed ties with the various princes.

Each step she took seemed to be in accordance with her own will, but on closer inspection, it was clear that nothing was as simple as it appeared.

Court politics had become increasingly intense, and the Emperor now considered his ministers more carefully than before.

The punishment of the Liang family was not just about retribution but also served as a warning.

While the heir to the throne was important, whether he ascended the throne ultimately depended on the Emperor’s will.

Wen Xun understood this principle well.

However, now that Wen Yuesheng had stepped into the spotlight, she was completely detached from him.

After driving them out of the Princess’s mansion, she didn’t make a big fuss.

But because of Wen Yurou’s connection with Xiao Jin, after her broken engagement, everyone in the imperial court now saw her as disconnected from the Wen family.

She was simply Princess Sineng, the only daughter of Princess Huiyi, the Emperor’s niece.

Her honor and disgrace had no ties to the Wen family or to her biological father.

Wen Xun’s gaze darkened, and he struggled to express his thoughts.

Meanwhile, things were also not going well for Wen Yuru.

After the banquet at the Duke of Zhen’s residence, the Empress and the people of the Duke of Zhen’s family had grown noticeably distant toward her.

After all, the thing that had pushed them into the public eye was the phoenix crown that Wen Yurou had worn.

Back at her residence, Wen Yurou cried for several days, her sorrow palpable.

However, Xiao Jin hadn’t come to see her once.

It was one thing for him to keep a low profile for a few days to avoid attention, but as the days passed, Wen Yuro u couldn’t help but feel anxious.

At this time, the Empress planned a Chrysanthemum Appreciation Feast in the palace.

People in the capital were whispering that, while it was advertised as a feast to admire chrysanthemums, it was actually meant to select a consort for Prince Yong’an and two secondary wives.

After the broken engagement, Prince Yong’an’s marriage needed to be settled quickly to calm the storm caused by the previous events.

Fortunately, after days of cold treatment, Wen Yurou finally received an invitation to the feast.

The constant indifference had made her nervous, but now, with the invitation in hand, she felt a sense of relief.

In order to salvage her reputation, the Wen family placed great importance on this Chrysanthemum Appreciation Feast.

On the day of the feast, Wen Yuru dressed in fine clothes, bringing with her gifts for the Emperor and Empress, as well as a box of hand-made pastries.

She entered the palace to meet with the Empress.

The Empress’s attitude seemed the same as usual, warm and friendly, but for some reason, Wen Yurou still felt uneasy.

She stood with Wei Lanzhi, one on each side of the Empress, enjoying the position of prominence, but the changed looks of the people around her made her feel unsettled.

At the feast, Lu Hongying was also present.

The reason was simple: she was of marriageable age and had been invited along with the other noble young women.

However, while others were there to compete for attention, Lu Hongying had come purely for the spectacle.

She was enjoying herself when she overheard a conversation behind her.

“A lot of the noble young women from the capital are here, but Princess Sining isn’t.”

“After breaking off her engagement with the prince, there’s no way she’d come to the Chrysanthemum Feast.”

“That’s true. If they come and see Wen Yuru acting like this, wouldn’t it make things even more repulsive?”

In the capital, after Wen Yusheng broke off the engagement, the noble ladies had two attitudes towards the situation.

Some believed Wen Yurou was despicable, knowing that the prince had an engagement with her sister, yet still clinging to him and causing trouble.

Others thought it was the prince who was infatuated with Wen Yurou, and that she was innocent in the matter.

Whether she was innocent or not, those present couldn’t say for sure.

One thing was clear: if Wen Yurou couldn’t marry into the royal family and become the Princess of Yong’an, it would be almost impossible for her to find a suitable marriage in the capital in the future.

Lu Hongying was listening to the gossip and whispered to Zhou Man-niang, “Didn’t we hear that the princess also entered the palace when she left?”

“Is she not here for the Chrysanthemum Feast?”

Zhou Manniang whispered back, “The princess couldn’t possibly come to this feast. As for why she entered the palace, I’m not sure.”

Wen Yusheng had indeed entered the palace, but it wasn’t the empress who summoned her—it was the emperor.

Today, the emperor was not in the Taihe Hall or the Imperial Study, but in the Imperial Garden, with Yan Ling standing beside him.

When Wen Yusheng arrived, the emperor had just been discussing matters with Yan Ling and stopped talking when he saw her enter the Imperial Garden.

The heat of September hadn’t relented, and under the strong sunlight, Yan Ling wore a dark robe, his figure spotless, his brows sharp, and his expression cold, like a statue without emotions.

When he saw Wen Yusheng, he gave her a slight nod.

The emperor looked on, intrigued, and remarked, “A few days ago, the Third Prince said to me that you, Lord Yan, are distant and indifferent, and when he sees you and his brothers, you don’t even greet them.”

“Why, are you so cordial with Si Ning?”

Yan Ling’s attitude couldn’t be called warm.

But compared to his usual behavior, even with the emperor or his aunt, Consort Yan, he was less cold towards Wen Yusheng.

As he watched her walk closer, her azure-green gown fluttered in the wind, her figure slender, almost blending into the breeze.

Her black hair fluttered in the wind, brushing across her beautiful face. When the wind rose, she raised her eyes and met his.

Yan Ling didn’t speak, and the emperor was used to it.

Only Gao Quan, who was standing beside them, accidentally glanced at Lord Yan’s neck.

No matter the season, Yan Ling always kept his collar tightly fastened, almost impenetrable, leaving only a small section of his neck exposed.

It was there, hidden from view, that a faint flush appeared on his skin.

Gao Quan looked around, but didn’t spot any mosquitoes.

When Wen Yusheng approached, he saw Yan Ling’s Adam’s apple subtly move.

“Go, bring some cool tea,” Gao Quan quietly instructed a nearby palace servant.

Though it was September, the heat was still intense.

What Gao Quan didn’t know was that ever since Yan Ling was affected by a potent fragrance a few days ago, he had been repeatedly trapped in a strange dream every night—a dream he hadn’t had for over twenty years.

The palace doctor had treated him, saying that the fragrance had long dissipated.

But for some reason, he kept falling back into that dream.

Especially when he smelled that cold sandalwood scent.

But Lord Yan, ever composed, remained calm. The fragrance used that day was a very strong one.

The emperor had arrived just in time, and though the fragrance had not caused any scandal, Yan Ling had been sick for a few days afterward, due to the potency of the scent.

Even after being exposed to the fragrance, Yan Ling remained calm, not reacting, and stayed until the palace banquet ended, leaving only after the emperor had dealt with the Zhou family.

And throughout the banquet, only Wen Yusheng had realized he was affected by the fragrance.

His calm demeanor and nearly exaggerated self-restraint were evident.

Thus, no one could see the turbulent waves beneath his seemingly tranquil surface.

Meanwhile, the emperor motioned for Wen Yusheng to sit.

In recent years, after Wen Yusheng became increasingly outrageous, the emperor had rarely seen her.

Such a private audience was the first in years.

After a brief silence, the emperor spoke, “Before, when you insisted on breaking the engagement, I didn’t ask you.”

“Si Ning, today I ask you: do you regret it?”

The emperor was well aware of the empress’s intentions for the Chrysanthemum Feast.

And not only was he aware, but after asking this question, the empress and all the noble ladies present were also brought into the Imperial Garden.

“If you regret it, I can revoke the decree, and your engagement with the Fourth Prince will be restored.” As soon as the emperor’s voice fell, Wen Yuru, standing beside the empress, immediately turned pale.

The empress also stiffened for a moment.

But she understood that Wen Yusheng was not the same as before.

Otherwise, Consort Liang would not have made such an outrageous move.

After the incident at the Liang residence, the emperor had to support the royal family and make the chaotic court realize where true imperial power lay. It was only natural that he would treat Wen Yusheng with more favor.

In fact, today, as long as she spoke, the emperor could have the empress and the Duke of the State of Peace disregard all past grudges and accept her.

It all depended on her attitude.

“As for your sister, if you are willing, she can become a concubine in the Prince of Yong’an’s residence. If not, I will find her another marriage.”

Countless eyes turned to Wen Yuru, and she suddenly felt a chill run through her body, nearly unable to stand.

She looked desperately at Wen Yusheng, never imagining that one day the fate of this marriage would come down to a single word from her.

But Wen Yusheng said, expressionless, “There’s no need.”

A dead silence fell over the room.

The emperor also looked up, gazing deeply at her.

She turned her head and met his gaze. “This marriage is one I do not want.”

Not wanting meant not wanting. How could there be any question of regret?

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

Everyone’s eyes were on her, and seeing that the emperor hadn’t spoken, they thought he was about to get angry, but to their surprise, the emperor smiled.

“Good!” The emperor laughed loudly. “What a ‘no.’”

“Since that’s the case, I will grant you a golden waist plaque. With it, you may freely enter and exit the North City Training Grounds. All the soldiers in the North City, including Zhang Yulin and Li Qingyuan, can be ordered at your command!”