The wuzhu coin was the smallest denomination of currency, worth only one wen.

Even a three-year-old child would know about it.

How could a descendant of the wealthy Tang family not have seen such a small amount?

“Awu, don’t be disrespectful.”

“Don’t blame her. It’s indeed my fault.” Zanying gently rescued the young maid from embarrassment.

She hadn’t had much opportunity to use money in the palace.

Previously, she had only seen wuzhu coins used as decorations during festivals, but this was the first time she had handled real copper coins.

Indeed, how could she not recognize them?

The ancestors of the Tang family, who built their wealth from scratch, accumulated their vast fortune one wen at a time.

Generations of hard work—how could she, with a heart of stone, easily part with it?

Zanying’s snowy cheeks tightened, and she held the copper coin up to the sun, gazing through the square hole at the small but bright spot in the blue sky.

Her gaze was clear, focused, and serene, as if something was stirring beneath the calm surface of a deep pool, yet no one could see what it was.

“Watch your eyes.”

Suddenly, a cold voice appeared by her ear, like a stone dropped into water.

A slender, muscular hand hovered in front of Zanying’s eyes.

It was a hand with thick calluses on both the fingertips and palm, with well-defined bones and sharp palm lines.

Zanying looked up and met the gaze.

She thought she would see a grand marshall in a long robe, but instead, before her stood a refined gentleman in flowing attire, wearing a light robe of dark silk with a jade hairpin adorned with black lotus.

He was still dressed in black, but the composed and effortless demeanor he displayed today was entirely different from the cold and weary man with frost on his lashes from the previous night.

Today, he was not wearing his fur coat.

The servants quietly withdrew.

Wei Yu lowered his hand and, looking down, admonished her gently, “You must never look directly at the sun again.”

His tone was like that of an elder scolding a playful child.

Zanying recalled what he had said to her the night before, and her heart warmed.

She lowered her head and softly replied, “I understand.”

Then, lifting her face, she asked, “Did the Grand Marshal sleep well last night? Have you had breakfast?”

Wei Yu paused.

These should have been his questions for her, yet today, she was neither distant nor afraid of him.

His gaze fell on the girl’s intricately styled hair.

Zanying seemed to know what he was looking at and said, “I’ve carefully put away the hairpin you gave me, Grand Marshal. Yesterday, I…”

She felt grateful but struggled to find the right words.

As she was pondering, a flash of white suddenly caught her eye.

Before she could react, a massive creature pounced at her feet.

Wei Yu was quick to respond; before Zanying could scream, he kicked the beast a few feet away and lightly pulled the girl’s arm to prevent her from falling.

Their wide sleeves briefly tangled and then separated.

The man in a flowing black robe stood firmly in front of the girl in a pale white dress, and then he stepped back to maintain a proper distance. “Don’t be afraid. It’s the one you used to hold when you were little; it won’t bite.”

The Grand Marshal’s fingers were not as cold as they were last night.

So, today, he wasn’t feeling cold?

These words inexplicably popped into Zanying’s mind.

She looked down in a daze and finally realized that the creature whimpering at the bottom of the steps was, in fact, a snow-white wolf.

With a mere glance from Wei Yu, the massive wolf, over half a meter in length, lay down obediently, its fluffy tail dragging on the ground, not daring to move.

“It recognized you and wanted to come over to play,” Wei Yu said, keeping his gaze fixed on her. He asked again, “You’re sure you weren’t frightened?”

Just then, Lady Ren and Chun Jin rushed over, asking repeatedly if Zanying had been startled.

The sight had frightened them out of their wits.

Zanying shook her head, her face pale. “When I was little? How could I have held a wolf when I was little?”

Wei Yu raised his brows slightly, a faint and unfathomable look in his eyes. “You don’t remember?”

The more Zanying thought about it, the stranger it felt. What was she supposed to remember?

Before she could ask, several footsteps echoed in the courtyard; it was Xu Shi and two personal guards looking for Wei Yu.

Manager Du had also come early to visit Zanying, and when the group saw the white wolf on the steps, they all froze.

It was Xu Shi who reacted first.

Seeing the pale-faced Lady Fu, he quickly ordered the guards to take the wolf away.

A young adjutant in brigandine armor stepped forward, saluted Wei Yu with a military gesture, and reported, “General, the palace has sent Eunuch Yuan from the Imperial Household with a verbal order from His Majesty, requesting you to enter the palace. He’s currently at the foot of the mountain.”

Wei Yu’s gaze remained on Zanying’s bewildered face, his expression unreadable.

Without turning around, he asked, “Who is it?”

The adjutant replied, “It’s Chief Eunuch Yuan Gonggong.”

Zanying was still lost in thoughts about the wolf, but the mention of this familiar title snapped her back to reality.

She knew that Eunuch Yuan was a favored confidant by the Emperor’s side, never leaving him for a moment.

The fact that the Emperor sent him personally to bring someone back from outside the city—and using the word “please” instead of “summon”—was enough to show the extraordinary status of the Grand Marshal.

Wei Yu spoke lazily, “Yuan Cong, huh? Has he stepped past the gate of the palace?”

The adjutant replied crisply, as if responding to a military command, “No, General. He seems to know your rules and has cautiously stopped just outside the palace boundaries, not daring to take another step. I’ve already stationed people there to keep an eye on him.”

“Keep an eye on him,” Wei Yu said, turning his back to Zanying. “If he dares to set foot even one step into my palace, crush him into pieces and send him back to the Tai Chi Hall.”

His words were neither harsh nor loud, but his disdain and unyielding edge were unmistakable.

There was no hint of obedience in his words, and every sentence carried a tone of great disrespect.

Zanying gazed up at the suddenly imposing and arrogant figure, her eyes widening in surprise.

The personal guard showed no hesitation and left immediately.

Manager Du, after a thoughtful pause, said to Zanying, “Young lady, the Crown Prince also arrived with people and is waiting outside the palace. He said he wants to escort you back to the palace.”

Zanying’s eyes flashed with sharpness as she turned and flicked her sleeve. “The Crown Prince, has he crossed the palace archway yet?”

Manager Du was stunned, rooted to the spot.

Military Advisor Xu inadvertently coughed, and even Wei Yu turned to look at her.

Manager Du mumbled, “No, he hasn’t crossed. The Crown Prince and the Grand Eunuch are waiting together.”

Zanying nodded.

Her tone was soft and delicate, lacking the ferocity of a battle-hardened general.

Compared to the fierce northern wolves, she seemed more like a cicada on the willows of Jiangnan or a light red tassel on a blood-stained iron spear.

Yet, despite her gentle demeanor, she spoke with clear firmness. “Tell him that before I left the palace, I left eight redwood chests in the Jade Candle Hall. Have the palace send them to me as soon as possible.”

“Also,” Zanying added, “over the past ten years, the Tang family has offered many gifts to the palace. Uncle Du, if you have records of these, please organize a list and have it sent back to the palace as well.”

In this lifetime, she and the Tang family had lost much, and every piece, every bit, was not something they would let go of.

After Zanying spoke, everyone on the steps of the palace turned their gaze toward her.

Manager Du, who was experienced and well-traveled, was stunned by what the young lady had just said.

After a long pause, he uncertainly asked, “Miss, are you suggesting that we demand repayment from the palace?”

He hesitated to use the word “debt,” his mind already in turmoil.

He hadn’t anticipated this at all.

After hearing about the Prince’s behavior at the young lady’s coming-of-age ceremony, Manager Du had been both angry and resentful.

This morning, when he learned that the Crown Prince had been impeached by the officials, he felt a sense of relief.

At that moment, he thought that the Prince deserved it and planned to visit the young lady to apologize and show his sincerity, hoping that she might then be willing to return to the palace with the Prince.

If she didn’t want to return, he would be more than happy to continue serving her at the mountain retreat.

But now, from what the young lady had just said, it seemed she intended to settle accounts with the imperial family.

Since ancient times, who has ever dared to openly demand repayment from the imperial family?

Especially when it involves reclaiming something previously given away, and insisting on having it returned in full.

This would be like slapping the imperial family in the face, a slap so loud that the whole world would hear it.

By taking this step, the young lady would be completely severing ties with the imperial family, never to look back.

Yesterday’s events had unfolded abruptly. Manager Du had been focused solely on pleasing the young lady.

Whether moving out of the Ruilan Garden or relocating to the mountain retreat, he had done whatever was necessary to make her happy.

It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized the young lady had, from the moment she left the palace, truly never intended to return.

If the young lady was uncomfortable in the palace, it might be better for her not to return.

Though Manager Du had thought about this, he had not dared to fully accept it.

He had countless personal concerns and wished he could watch over the young lady with his own eyes, protecting her from any harm.

However, if his own desires led to the young lady’s identity shifting from a princess to a merchant’s daughter, it would not truly be in her best interest.