“Ah, I just wanted to encourage you to see things more openly, but why are you crying again?”

Mei Ningxiang took out a handkerchief to help Rong Rong wipe her tears.

Rong Rong waved her hand, wiping her tears with her sleeve instead. “It’s not your fault, sister. It’s just that my perspective is too narrow and I can’t see things as clearly as you do. I don’t want to disturb you on New Year’s Day, so I’ll head back now.”

Without waiting for Mei Ningxiang to keep her, Rong Rong turned and walked back to her place.

“Always putting yourself in a position where you’re not appreciated?”

Mei Ningxiang shot a sideways glance at the person she was talking to. “You don’t understand. I just find this girl interesting.”

“Interesting? How?”

“Yesterday she was talking about going back to her hometown for the New Year, and today she’s back so early, wearing a gray rat fur cloak. The quality of that fur is something you can’t even buy with money on the market.”

“There’s something even more interesting. Want to hear it?”

Mei Ningxiang asked curiously, “What is it?”

“There’s someone hiding behind that locust tree fifty steps behind you,” the man said, noticing Mei Ningxiang was about to turn around.

He quickly added, “Don’t move.”

Mei Ningxiang composed herself and let out a light sigh.

“Someone followed her here. You should keep your distance from her in the future to avoid trouble.”

“I’m just a respectable businessman. What’s there to be afraid of? You, on the other hand, better keep your claws hidden and not bring trouble to me,” Mei Ningxiang said dismissively and went back inside.

---

Today is the first day of the New Year.

The seamstresses in the courtyard went to Mei Ningxiang’s house for a meal, and Chunxing hasn’t returned yet.

The small courtyard is cold and empty, with no fire in the stove.

Rong Rong spent some time alone in the room, calming herself down.

She wanted to cook a bowl of noodles but couldn’t start a fire.

So, she took some money and went out.

Since it’s the New Year, many traveling merchants have gone back to their hometowns, and only half of the shops in the market are open.

Rong Rong initially wanted to eat a bowl of plain noodles or order a basket of soup dumplings.

However, remembering Mei Ningxiang’s words, she decided that being alone on such a festive day was already sad enough, so why not eat something more satisfying?

Determined, she entered the Hui Bin Restaurant.

Hui Bin Restaurant is the most popular restaurant in the capital, and the owner was not taking the New Year off.

The restaurant’s staff, including waiters and miscellaneous workers, were all present.

Rong Rong was shown to a good street-facing seat.

After some thought, she ordered Mapo tofu, stir-fried snow cabbage with pork, drunken chicken, vinegar-simmered cabbage, Dongpo pork, and a braised carp, as a wish for good luck and abundance in the New Year, since eating fish is a must for the New Year.

The waiter shouted, “Got it!” and quickly set up her utensils, bringing the dishes out soon after.

The food looked good, and Rong Rong tasted each dish.

Although the restaurant’s chef could not match the palace chefs’ skills, the dishes had their own refined qualities.

The coarse, hearty flavors of the food were satisfying.

“Miss Xue, didn’t you go back to your hometown?”

While Rong Rong was eating, someone approached her cautiously.

It was Yang Tong.

“Mr. Yang.” Rongrong was surprised to run into him here and nodded slightly. “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Miss Xue.”

Rongrong expected him to leave after exchanging pleasantries, but to her surprise, he stood there and didn’t move. Fortunately, he wasn’t unpleasant, and Rongrong actually felt like talking to someone at this moment, so she said, “If Mr. Yang hasn’t eaten yet, please join me. I’ve ordered too much food.”

“I’ve already eaten.” Despite this, Yang Tong sat down.

He appeared quite uneasy and a bit nervous, unable to look directly at Rongrong.

“Well…”

As Rongrong was unsure how to continue the conversation, Yang Tong spoke up, “Yesterday at Miss Xue’s house, I saw some storybooks. Do you like reading storybooks in your spare time?”

“I read storybooks to pass the time when I have nothing to do. Do you read them often, Mr. Yang?”

“I…” Yang Tong didn’t answer directly but instead vaguely responded, “I see that the storybooks on your table are written by Linxi Shusheng. What do you think of his writing?”

Rongrong thought for a moment and nodded. “I borrow my storybooks from Boss Mei. The ones I had before were by Xiao Heshang and Zhu Jiansheng. Among these two, Linxi Shusheng’s work is indeed better.”

“Could you say what makes it better or worse?” Yang Tong asked.

Rongrong didn’t understand why he was so interested in storybooks.

After all, they were not particularly prestigious, mostly about romantic and flowery themes.

As a woman, discussing such books with a man was awkward.

If a well-bred young lady were found reading such books, it would tarnish her reputation and affect her prospects.

But since Yang Tong was asking earnestly, Rongrong responded thoughtfully.

“Linxi Shusheng’s books are rich in content. The cases in his stories are intriguing and keep me engaged.

His writing is also elegant and well-crafted, but… the love stories in his books are not particularly exciting.

Xiao Heshang and Zhu Jiansheng’s books are quite interesting, but after reading a lot of them, they all seem similar—usually about a poor scholar encountering a fairy, with the same themes recurring.”

Rongrong’s comments were brief, as the books by Xiao Heshang and Zhu Jiansheng were filled with emotional and sensual descriptions, which made it uncomfortable for her to discuss in detail with Yang Tong.

However, Yang Tong seemed to understand even without her explicitly stating it.

He laughed awkwardly, “Most people in this world prefer the kind of books written by Xiao Heshang and Zhu Jiansheng.”

Seeing his somewhat emotional and sorrowful expression, Rongrong couldn’t help but ask, “Most people read these storybooks just for entertainment. Why do you care so much about this matter, Mr. Yang?”

“To be honest, I… I am Linxi Shusheng.”

Rongrong was taken aback, not expecting that Yang Tong was actually the Linxi Shusheng who wrote the storybooks.

She was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yang Tong lowered his head and said, “A few years ago, my family encountered some problems and couldn’t support me to continue with the imperial examinations.

I came to the capital to look for my uncle, hoping to work while saving money to continue my studies.

Unfortunately, I’m not very skilled and didn’t do well as an agent. I ended up doing odd jobs for my uncle.

One time, when my uncle was helping someone from the Hongxiu Bookstore find a house, I overheard that the bookstore needed stories.

I brought some of the novels I had written in my spare time for them to look at.

Their boss liked my stories, but after a few publications, they said the sales were poor and stopped publishing them.”

So that’s what happened.

Yang Tong sighed and said, “I didn’t expect to see you reading my book at your house…”

“Actually, your writing is quite good. It’s just that some parts are a bit hard to understand and don’t feel as straightforward as the books by Xiao Heshang and others.”

“Which parts are hard to understand?”

“For example, in ‘The Record of Huangshan,’ where Xiao Zichu and others discover the unnamed corpse at the foot of the mountain, the part about examining the corpse is too long and many words are unfamiliar. I quickly skimmed through those pages.”

“I see. When I was at home, I helped in the local yamen as a clerk, so I was familiar with the process of corpse examination. I thought this would make the story more realistic and exciting, but it seems that others don’t enjoy it.”

“Reading preferences are hard to predict. For instance, Boss Mei says she loves the books by Linxi Shusheng and regrets not being able to buy them anymore!” Rong Rong privately preferred the more emotional and romantic stories by Xiao Heshang and Zhujian Sheng. She wasn’t a scholar, just an ordinary person who enjoyed reading about love and emotions for fun.

But she didn’t mention this to Yang Tong.

“How much did the Hongxiu Bookstore pay you for your manuscripts?”

“They paid according to the story’s quality. For a small writer like me, they paid one or two silver coins per book. Famous writers like Xiao Heshang and Zhujian Sheng could get dozens or even hundreds of silver coins for a book.”

Writing stories is so profitable?

Rong Rong thought she couldn’t write the scholarly works like Linxi Shusheng’s, but she might be able to write emotional and romantic stories like Xiao Heshang and Zhujian Sheng.

A story isn’t very long, and she could probably write one in a month.

When she read those stories in the past, she had ideas for her own stories.

Maybe she could try writing some and find a new path.

Although making ham was profitable, it only lasted two or three months a year.

Writing stories could be a good alternative—earning money without having to be in the public eye.

But thinking about it and actually doing it were two different things.

“Miss Xue, I see you have some insight into story writing. I have some manuscripts that the Hongxiu Bookstore returned. If you have time, could you give me some guidance?”

“Me? I’ve read a lot, but I don’t have any particular insights.”

“I’m not good with words, and I won’t last long in the business. It’s just that writing stories…”

Rong Rong sighed inwardly.

It wasn’t that Yang Tong didn’t know how to speak; he clearly understood how to handle things well.

“Then bring them over. I have nothing to do at home either, so it’s fine for me to read the storybooks you wrote. But if I can’t offer any useful feedback, please don’t hold it against me.”

“No, no.” Yang Tong was extremely pleased.

He was a refined-looking man with a fair complexion, and he looked quite charming when he smiled.

Yang Tong promptly went back to retrieve the manuscripts and brought them to the restaurant.

Rongrong ordered a pot of tea and a plate of mung bean cakes, and then sat at the restaurant reading Yang Tong’s manuscripts.

With tea and books, the first day of the New Year passed pleasantly.

---

After the palace banquet, the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace with Yuanbao.

The New Year is the most important festival of the year, and the New Year ceremonies in the palace were exceptionally elaborate.

As the Crown Prince, the Emperor had entrusted him with many troublesome matters.

Yuanbao had followed the Crown Prince through the entire day’s events and was utterly exhausted, falling asleep in the carriage.

The Crown Prince carried Yuanbao off the carriage and walked back to the sleeping quarters, making sure Yuanbao was settled comfortably before giving a glance to Fuzhuan.

“What’s the matter?”

“Just now, Liuli came to report that Miss Xue has already left.” Fuquan lowered his voice, afraid of waking Yuanbao, but kept his eyes on the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince showed no reaction to the news, even showing a hint of coldness.

“Does the Eastern Palace now need to report even if the salt is running low?”

Fuquan felt awkward, not daring to speak, and his old face twisted into a pained expression.

“This… Young Master Yuanbao instructed this morning that everything should be reported.”

The Crown Prince shot a glare at Fuquan, the old fox.

Yuanbao was already asleep. Who was he supposed to report to?

“Have you sent someone to follow her?”

Fuquan cleared his throat a couple of times. “Your Highness did not allow Liuli to follow, so Young Master Yuanbao instructed An Yue to protect Miss Xue.”

The Crown Prince remained silent.

Fuquan, feeling embarrassed, glanced at the shadow behind him and waved his hand. “An Yue, come up and report.”

The shadow guard An Yue, dressed in black, stepped forward and bowed in front of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince still did not speak, so Fuquan had to say, “Report what you saw today to His Highness.”

An Yue glanced at the Crown Prince and then at Fuzhuan, hesitating for a moment before speaking, “Today, Miss Xue left the palace and went straight to Huaihua Lane.

At the entrance of a small courtyard, she met a man and a woman, spoke with them for a while, and then went inside, crying.

She wandered around the kitchen and then went to the Hui Bin Restaurant for dinner.

She ordered six dishes and chose a seat by the window.

After a while, a young man came over and spoke with Miss Xue.

She invited him to sit down, and they chatted while eating.

Later, the man went out and came back with a thick stack of manuscripts.

They spent the afternoon at the restaurant, drinking tea and reading the manuscripts together, laughing and chatting, and only parted ways after dinner.” An Yue finished his report and cautiously looked at the Crown Prince.

Normally, he would not speak unless instructed, but since Fuquan had asked him to and the Crown Prince had not stopped him, he quietly awaited further instructions.

Fu Quan said, “Miss Xue is like an immortal. It’s not easy for her to make a living alone. I wonder how many people are secretly trying to take advantage of her.”

The Crown Prince remained silent.

But Fu Quan could tell the Crown Prince was not indifferent.

His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was deep in thought.

Fu Quan started to worry—it didn’t seem like a reaction of jealousy.

“From now on, there’s no need to follow her.”

---

Kun Ning Palace.

The Empress had just finished her bath and was lounging on a couch, while her maids dried her hair and applied rose oil from the Western Regions.

The rose oil was truly a wonderful thing. It could be used on both hair and body, with a delicate rose scent that was better than other perfumes.

However, the Empress’s skin was in good condition, so it felt a bit greasy to use on her body, so she only used it on her hair.

“Your Majesty,” said An Ru, the head maid of Kun Ning Palace, “we received news from the Eastern Palace.”

“Oh? What did they say?”

An Ru took the rose oil from the maid and applied it to the Empress’s hair. Once the other maids had left, she began to explain, “Last night, someone from the Crown Prince’s side brought a woman back and placed her in Ruiyi Pavilion.”

“The Crown Prince usually handles things discreetly. How did we find out?” The Empress was somewhat skeptical. “Go on.”

“The Crown Prince’s people are usually very efficient. Our people didn’t notice anything at first. It was only later, when something went wrong on the Crown Prince’s side, that we found out. After checking, we discovered some unusual activities.”

“Go on.”

“On New Year’s Eve, wasn’t the Crown Prince supposed to stay up?

But then it was reported that the Crown Prince and Prince Yuanbao left early because Prince Yuanbao was tired.

I specifically asked the guards at Qian Yuan Palace, who said that the Crown Prince’s guards came looking for him once, and then the Crown Prince took Prince Yuanbao back to the Eastern Palace.

Half an hour before that, someone with an Eastern Palace token opened the city gate. The gatekeeper said that there were two women.”

“Interesting. What kind of woman would make him return to the Eastern Palace early?”

“Not only that, but after settling Prince Yuanbao in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince went to Ruiyi Pavilion.”

The Empress immediately became interested. “Did he stay there all night?”

“No, he left after staying there for just a short time. When he left, he seemed agitated.” An Ru continued, “The Crown Prince ran out of Ruiyi Pavilion in a panic. Fu Quan and the others at the door were startled and followed him, causing quite a commotion. That’s how our people discovered someone was inside Ruiyi Pavilion.”

“Ran out in a panic?” The Empress frowned and sighed. “What kind of behavior is this? Either avoid women entirely or go crazy for them. Is that woman now settled in the Eastern Palace?”

An Ru shook her head. “She left the Eastern Palace early in the morning.”

“What is her background?” The Empress knew that An Ru was reliable, so if she reported, it was surely well-investigated.

“The young woman is named Xue Rongrong. She lives in Huaihua Lane with a group of seamstresses and usually takes on embroidery work.”

The Empress was surprised. “How would Liu Zhen know such a seamstress?”

“She was previously a maid at the Jingning Marquis’s residence and served in the study of the Young Master Yuanchu. A few days ago, she went to the hot spring villa with Young Master Yuanchu.”

“A maid from Yuanchu’s residence?” The Empress suddenly understood and laughed. “The Crown Prince has his own methods. I’ve sent so many beautiful women to him, but he hasn’t looked at any of them. Now he’s taken interest in a maid from Yuanchu’s residence!”

“Perhaps it’s just a matter of personal preference.”

The Empress thought for a moment and nodded slightly. “That’s true. Even though the child wasn’t an exceptional beauty, she suited his tastes.”

“It’s been so long, and he’s moved on. Your Majesty need not worry about it.”

The Empress raised an eyebrow, her expression full of mockery. “If he had truly moved on, it would be good. But since this girl is from the Jingning Marquis’s residence, it’s not so easy to handle.”

An Ru remained silent.

It’s embarrassing to have a woman from Jingning Marquis’s residence brought into the palace while discussing marriage with Xie Yuanrui.

“Yuanrui is a good girl, but unfortunately, she didn’t meet Liu Zhen’s approval. I’ve realized that forcing something that isn’t sweet isn’t worth it.

If Liu Zhen isn’t willing, let it be. As for the seamstress, find an opportunity to bring her to me.”

“Does Your Majesty want to see her in person? She is of low status, so…”

“Of course I want to see her. How can I be at ease about Liu Zhen’s affairs without seeing her myself?

What does her background matter?

Since Liu Zhen likes her, even if she was born in a humble place, she’s still a phoenix.”

An Ru saw the Empress’s slightly mischievous expression and couldn’t help but smile.