Rong Rong seemed to have been stung by a bee, quickly turning around.

“Your Majesty, Madam Liang from the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence has come to pay her respects.”

“The Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence? They haven’t been back to the capital for years. Bring her in,” the Empress said.

She cast a quick glance at the Crown Prince, who was absentmindedly looking outside.

The Empress was immediately displeased. “What are you looking at?”

The Crown Prince lazily withdrew his gaze, his expression slightly amused. “Whatever Mother Empress wants me to look at.”

“Ahem,” the Empress’s face turned awkwardly as she tried to find the right words.

An Ru immediately spoke up, “Your Majesty, Madam Liang has arrived.”

The palace servants lifted the silk screen, and Madam Liang, dressed in official robes, entered with a young girl in her teens.

“Your humble servant pays her respects to the Empress.”

“Quickly, rise, rise,” the Empress gestured, and An Ru stepped forward to help Madam Liang up.

The Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence was very well-known in the court.

The Liang family, like the Jing Ning Marquis’s family, had a history of military service.

Besides the ancestor who was granted the marquis title, the Liang family had produced several famous generals, and the previous Wei Yuan Marquis had died heroically in battle, earning the reputation of “Loyal and Righteous Family.”

“Thank you for the Empress’s grace.” Madam Liang stood up calmly.

Although the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence was not in the capital, both Madam Liang and the young girl behind her maintained impeccable manners.

“You’re here to enjoy the flowers today, so why dress so formally? Please, have a seat.”

The palace servants set up embroidered stools for Madam Liang and the young lady.

Unlike the other ladies who had come to pay their respects briefly and then left, the Empress’s offering of seats to these two indicated they were highly valued.

“This is the first time we’re meeting the Empress since returning to the capital, so we must be formal. Even after many years, Your Majesty still looks so impressive, which makes me admire you even more.”

“You too, I see you haven’t changed at all!” After a few pleasantries, the Empress’s gaze fell on the Liang family’s young girl. “This must be Mu Chen, right?”

Madam Liang nodded, and the young girl stood up again to greet the Empress.

“I am Liang Mu Chen, here to pay my respects to the Empress and the Crown Prince.”

“Quickly, rise, rise. Just sit and chat, no need for constant formalities,” the Empress said warmly, standing up to help Liang Mu Chen sit down and holding her hand.

Her tone was increasingly gentle and affectionate. “Mu Chen, you used to come to the palace with your mother when you were little. Do you remember?”

Mu Chen nodded and subtly glanced at the Crown Prince standing nearby.

The Empress noticed and turned to lightly pat the Crown Prince. “That time, when Prince Qing was bullying Mu Chen over something, it was you who stepped in and taught that brat a lesson. Otherwise, Mu Chen would have really been bullied by Prince Qing!”

“Is that so? I don’t recall clearly,” the Crown Prince replied with his usual indifference.

The Empress shot him a disapproving look before turning back to the wife of the Marquis of Wei Yuan. “Although Mu Chen was young back then, I could already tell she was a beauty in the making. After not seeing her for ten years, she truly has grown into a stunning woman.”

An Ru, standing beside her, agreed, “Indeed! Not a single flower in the Imperial Garden can compare to Miss Mu Chen’s beauty.”

“Your Majesty, you flatter me. Your praise has made me feel quite light-headed,” the wife of the Marquis of Wei Yuan responded modestly.

“I’m not just flattering her; I’m rewarding her too! An Ru.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” An Ru replied.

“Bring out the gift I prepared for Mu Chen.”

As soon as the Empress spoke, An Ru quickly brought out an exquisite box.

When opened, it revealed two large, lustrous pearls.

An Ru explained with a smile, “These are East Pearls, which were a tribute from the south last year. There are four in total; two are in the Eastern Palace, and the Empress has kept these two to present to Miss Mu Chen.”

The Crown Prince cleared his throat from the side.

The Empress gave him a sideways glance but continued as if it were nothing. “As the saying goes, good things come in pairs. You can make these into a pair of earrings. Next time you come to the palace, wear them so I can see.”

Mu Chen, blushing and hesitant, didn’t immediately reach for the gift.

It was only when the wife of the Marquis of Wei Yuan urged her, “Why don’t you quickly thank the Empress?” that Mu Chen stepped forward to accept the gift, bowing to both the Empress and the Crown Prince.

“Mother, Yuanbao is playing over there; I’ll go check on him.”

The Empress grumbled, “Change your clothes before you go, so you don’t end up covered in mud.”

“Understood,” the Crown Prince said, standing up and giving a slight nod to the wife of the Marquis of Wei Yuan before heading out of the pavilion.

Watching the bashful Liang Mu Chen, the Empress thought for a moment and then waved outside, “Zhao Yang, come here.”

Princess Zhaoyang had finished admiring the flowers and was resting nearby, drinking tea.

When she heard the Empress calling, she immediately got up and walked over.

“What does Mother Empress need?”

“This young lady is from the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence, and she has just returned to the capital recently, so she doesn’t know many people.

Take her around and introduce her to the other ladies. She should come and socialize often,” the Empress said.

Knowing the reputation of the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence, Princess Zhaoyang immediately took Liang Mu Chen’s hand. “Come on, let’s go out and have some fun.”

Liang Muchen intended to greet the Empress before leaving, but since Princess Zhaoyang was holding her hand, she had no choice but to follow her out, leaving the pavilion with only the Empress and Madam Liang remaining.

“Miss Liang, what is your name?” Princess Zhaoyang asked.

Although Princess Zhaoyang was not the Empress’s daughter, she was greatly favored among the many princesses, thanks to her straightforward and perceptive nature.

She was warm and approachable, especially when she saw Liang Muchen’s shy demeanor.

Liang Muchen, who had left the capital when she was very young, was naturally surprised and flattered by the warm reception from both the Empress and the princess.

“Replying to the princess, my name is Liang Muchen.”

“That’s a beautiful name!” Princess Zhaoyang praised. “Mu Chen, since Mother Empress treats you so kindly, don’t be so formal with me. Just call me Zhaoyang.”

“I can’t…”

“Why not? You’re not often in the capital. We always call each other by our names when we’re together.”

As Princess Zhaoyang and Liang Muchen chatted, Xie Yuanrui approached. “Princess Zhaoyang, which family does this young lady belong to? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”

“This is Miss Mu Chen from the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence.

She has just returned to the capital with her mother and is here to pay her respects to the Empress today,” Princess Zhaoyang said.

She noticed that Xie Yuanrui was approaching with a fixed expression and understood her intentions.

Turning to Liang Mu Chen, she asked, “I saw you talking with the Crown Prince earlier. Did you know him before?”

Mentioning the Crown Prince made Liang Muchen’s fair face blush again. “I met the Crown Prince when I was little, when I visited the palace.”

Princess Zhaoyang spoke nonchalantly, but Xie Yuanrui caught the hint and turned a bit pale.

She quickly extended her hand to Liang Mu Chen, saying warmly, “Sister Liang, you’re a guest here, so let me show you around the Imperial Garden.”

Seeing that Xie Yuanrui was not backing off and was being so friendly to Liang Mu Chen, Princess Zhaoyang sensed there might be something more.

She didn’t want to get involved in any complications, so she said to Liang Muchen, “Yuanrui is from the Jing Ning Marquis’s residence and often visits the palace. You should tour the garden with her first. I’ll go have some tea and come find you later.”

Liang Muchen was reluctantly led by Xie Yuanrui, who eagerly introduced the various flowers in the garden.

As they walked, they soon arrived at the area where Yuanbao was playing with Liu Qi and Liu Lin.

“Yuanbao, be careful. Come over here,” Xie Yuanrui called out warmly.

Yuanbao, absorbed in his play with Liu Qi, looked up and responded with a disinterested expression, “Aunt Yuanrui, what’s the matter?”

“You have mud on your face. Let me clean it for you,” Xie Yuanrui said gently.

“I’ll do it,” Rong Rong, who was nearby, thought with a tinge of guilt.

As Yuanbao’s personal maid, she should have noticed the mud on his face.

But she hesitated, not wanting to ruin her embroidered shoes in the mud.

Just as she was about to step back, she suddenly bumped into something solid.

There was no wall in the garden, and she turned to find the familiar scent of dragon saliva.

It was him.

Rongrong didn’t want to turn around, but his closeness and the memories of last night made her angry.

Without thinking, she elbowed him, only for him to grip her wrist firmly.

His hand was warm from holding the heater, and her cold hand felt unexpectedly comfortable in his grip.

This person?

Rong Rong looked up in surprise.

Despite his usual facade of composure, the Crown Prince’s eyes were now tinged with a hint of mockery.

He took the handkerchief from Rong Rong’s hand and said, “I’ll wipe it.”

After releasing her hand, he walked towards the mud area, wearing his purple court robe and boots, clearly prepared for the mess.

Rong Rong’s hand still felt warm from his touch.

As she watched the Crown Prince interact with Yuanbao, Liu Qi, and Liu Lin, she was momentarily lost in thought.

At that moment, Xie Yuanrui called out from a distance, “Rong Rong, come here.”

Although Xie Yuanrui was no longer her direct superior, she was an important guest in the garden, so Rong Rong had to go over.

She was aware that Xie Yuanrui harbored feelings about her presence in the Eastern Palace, but Song Rong felt it was unfair to blame her for it; if anyone, Xie Yuanrui should direct her frustration at her brother.

“Rong Rong, this is Miss Liang Muchen from the Wei Yuan Marquis House,” Xie Yuanrui introduced.

Rong Rong’s gaze shifted to Liang Muchen, standing next to Xie Yuanrui.

Liang Muchen’s beauty was striking—her eyes were like dark ink, and her skin was as white as snow, resembling a lotus blossom from a watercolor painting.

Despite her young age, her demeanor was both delicate and endearing, like a fairy newly descended from the heavens.

“Miss Liang,” Song Rong greeted with a curtsy.

“Xie Sister, this is…” Liang Muchen looked at Xie Yuanrui.

Xie Yuanrui smiled and said, “Rong Rong was once a maid in my household. She now serves in the Eastern Palace, attending to the Crown Prince.”

Liang Muchen, initially focused on the conversation, was momentarily taken aback by this revelation.

Her gaze returned to Rong Rong, whose plain attire could not conceal her innate beauty.