Zan Ying raised her hand and rubbed her face absentmindedly, unsure whether the flesh in her palm or cheek was softer.

On a whim, she called out, ‘Wolf.’

As soon as she spoke, a large, fluffy white ball crossed the threshold and lazily walked over to her.

Zan Ying thought it was truly amazing that it responded to her call and seemed to understand.

She looked down and seriously faced it. ‘Wolf, let me pet you. Be good and don’t bite me.’

The white wolf lowered its head and lightly nibbled at Zan Ying’s skirt.

She extended her hand and gently stroked the fur under its ears.

The touch was unexpectedly soft.

After she finished eating, Manager Du had arranged the guard duty schedule for the Grand Marshal’s guards and went to the young lady’s quarters to find Mrs. Ren and whispered a few words.

Zan Ying, hearing through the shadow of the setting sun cast by the window, asked, “Is it Uncle Du? Is there something?”

She was worried there might have been some issues with the (Elderly Consort) Empress Dowager Xi.

Soon, Mrs. Ren entered and said with a smile, “It’s not that. Old Du had some thoughts and asked me to share them with you.”

Zan Ying was puzzled. “Why didn’t Uncle Du tell me himself?”

Mrs. Ren smiled and said, “He likes to follow old customs and didn’t want to intrude on your private quarters. Don’t worry about it.”

She then explained, according to Uncle Du’s wishes, the general idea of the situation about how the father of the Hui County Prince had relinquished the position of Crown Prince.

She quietly said, “The young lady first broke off her engagement with the Crown Prince, now she is supporting the Empress Dowager Xi and has moved to a residence next to the Prime Minister, who is at odds with the Crown Prince’s faction. Although we have nothing to fear and are not scared of the palace, we still need to be cautious.”

“After all, if not for that incident back then, today’s Crown Prince would be…”

Zan Ying’s heart was stirred, understanding Mrs. Ren’s unfinished words.

The current Crown Prince would have been Hui County Prince Li Rongzhi.

She had never thought about the twists and turns in the royal succession.

After a moment of surprise, she instead began to smile, scratching the soft fur on the wolf’s neck.

“What I want is for them to overthink things, the more they think, the better; the more chaotic, the better.”

If she wasn’t afraid of Hui County Prince, what was there to fear?

Mrs. Ren observed the young lady’s innocent and harmless smile with great astonishment.

The palace was indeed in a state of disorder.

The previous day, the Crown Prince suddenly fell ill with severe headaches, prompting the attendance of half the Imperial Medical Office at the East Palace for diagnosis, but no one could determine the cause.

From the pulse, the Crown Prince appeared healthy and strong, with no apparent illness, yet he continued to moan, clutching his head, and changing his clothes repeatedly due to cold sweats.

Empress Yu, dressed and staying in the East Palace, had been anxiously accompanying her son through the night.

Today, the Prince of Hui and his wife came to the palace to take away Lady Xi.

This action implied a criticism of the palace’s care for the elderly lady.

In the quiet night, in the Inner Hall, the Emperor sat under the golden light, staring at the long silk cloth that had been cursed for three days, murmuring, “The cauldron cannot be moved.”

He repeated these four words three times.

He initially thought that A’ying’s act of breaking off the engagement with the royal family was the most rebellious and shocking act.

To his surprise, she then fell out with the Fu family; he thought her severance with both the palace and the family was the most unwise move, only to see her move to the palace and become neighbors with Wei Yu.

He thought she would be satisfied at this point, but she even dared to seek compensation from the palace.

He thought at this stage that the little girl had become audacious beyond measure, but he never expected her to agree to support the elderly lady and move to Wuyi Alley.

She had once been such a well-behaved and trouble-free young lady.

The Emperor’s gaze darkened, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

He had waited for two days for news from the Xianyang Palace, but with no response, he knew his options were running out.

Zan Ying’s actions could no longer be understood by ordinary reasoning.

If she truly caused a scandal, it would be problematic.

On a larger scale, the Southern Dynasty was the legitimate ruler of the Hua Xia land.

If such a scandal were to spread across the river, the northern tribes like Later Qin and Northern Wei might mock them, which would be a disgrace.

As a ruler, Emperor Li Yu still maintained a measure of tolerance.

It was not that things couldn’t be returned, but the primary matters concerning the state and the royal family were absolutely untouchable.

Yuan Cong, kneeling at the desk and lighting a lamp, noticed the Emperor’s furrowed brows and cast a glance at the silk cloth.

After some contemplation, he tentatively suggested, “Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, even if the ceremonial vessel is returned, under the dragon’s might, Lady Fu would not dare to present it as a gift. It is only a child’s stubbornness. As for the royal lands under the imperial family, there are still many available.”

The Emperor’s gaze shot over suddenly.

Yuan Cong shuddered and quickly knelt, “This servant has spoken out of turn about the royal family and deserves death.”

The Emperor stared at him for a moment, then chuckled coldly, “You clever servant, do you think I can’t tell you’re trying to speak well of A’ying? Just because your adopted son received a hundred lashes, A’ying pleaded with me for leniency. You are indeed a grateful one.”

Yuan Cong hastily denied, “This servant is loyal to Your Majesty, and naturally, I am grateful for the heavenly grace, wishing Your Majesty a long life and great fortune. I would never change my heart.”

“Enough.” The Emperor drawled, tapping his fingers on the removed wrist beads, as if speaking to himself, “The members of the royal family who only know how to indulge in hunting dogs have already taken enough.”

After a moment, Yuan Cong exited the inner hall.

A young palace servant in green-brown attire, waiting in the shadow below the jade steps, approached him cautiously when he saw his godfather come out, and whispered, “Godfather, how did it go?”

Yuan Cong glared at him and tapped his head with his blue silk hat, relaying the Emperor’s exact words, “You clever servant, indeed a grateful one.”

The young servant flinched.

How could he forget?

A hundred lashes!

Back then, he had nearly been executed for merely commenting, “Today is the birthday of Lady Wei,” and it was only thanks to Lady Fu’s timely visit to the Emperor that he survived.

He remembered it for life.

Yuan Cong huffed in irritation. In truth, his support for Lady Fu was not just for this single incident.

Over the years, Lady Fu had been dutiful and close to the Emperor, frequently visiting the Inner Hall, the rear palace, and the Imperial Kitchen.

Whenever the Emperor was troubled by state affairs or health issues, Lady Fu’s presence had eased many of their frustrations.

Moreover, when there were difficulties in the various palaces, everyone knew the little bodhisattva resided in Yuzhu Palace. Whenever possible, they would seek Lady Fu’s help, and she was always willing to lend a hand.

The group of officials and attendants kept their thoughts to themselves, but Yuan Cong knew that deep down, everyone was thinking that if this noble lady were to take over the central palace in the future, they would be in for a good time.

It is often said that those without roots are dirty, greedy, and cruel-hearted.

Yet, in this city where people are constantly stepping on one another, there is a lady like Fu who still treats them like human beings.

Yuan Cong shook his robes and looked up at the crescent moon in the sky.

He sighed, “Your adoptive father is weak and lacks your loyalty. He can only act like those straight-talking officials at the Censorate, making a few insinuations, haha.”

He smiled softly, but the light in his eyes, dimmed by the moonlight, quickly turned cold. “Go, inform the head of the Inner Court. All the overseers of the treasure vaults, gold and silver vaults, and silk and satin vaults should tighten their belts and prepare for a reckoning. They have enjoyed a prosperous life these years thanks to the Tang family. It’s time they tighten their belts and prepare to disgorge some of their wealth.”

As the moon reached its zenith, the Empress’s palace was also restless.

The Crown Prince had never had headaches or illnesses growing up. Yesterday, he suddenly fell seriously ill, and the imperial doctors were helpless, which truly frightened the Empress.

Fortunately, after a night, the Crown Prince’s condition gradually stabilized, and he was still in a deep sleep.

Distraught, the Empress learned in the afternoon that the Hui County Princess was coming to take the Consort Xi out of the palace.

Empress Yu Shi was naturally displeased, and her words were sharper than usual.

She did not expect that Yi Xing’s Zhou Shi would dare to use the King of Shu to pressure her.

What made Empress Yu Shi even more depressed was that the Emperor, who was always sentimental about his siblings, did not support her.

While she was still reasoning with the Hui County Princess, His Majesty issued an edict agreeing to the request of the Hui County Prince.

Wasn’t this a slap in her face?

Empress Yu Shi bit her bright red lips, seething, “Ever since she left the palace, nothing but misfortune has followed. She’s truly a disaster.”

Though she did not name names, the court ladies knew she was referring to Fu.

They thought to themselves that if Fu were truly a disaster, she must have been a blessing when she was in the palace.

Since her departure, the harem had been full of turbulence.

Of course, such thoughts were not to be spoken aloud.

A court lady gently comforted her, “Your Majesty, please calm down. At least with His Majesty, there is no indication that he is swayed by Fu’s influence. His heart still leans towards you.”

“What do you know?” Empress Yu Shi’s expression was grim.

Having entered the palace at fourteen and been with the Emperor for nearly thirty years, she certainly understood his nature.

He merely wanted to appear dignified and magnanimous as a ruler, but at the same time did not want to give up any benefits.

He wanted both but said neither, pushing her out to handle the situation.

But could she voice this?

No, she couldn’t.

Could she not handle the matter?

Considering Crown Prince future, she couldn’t.

Empress Yu Shi tightened her brow. In two days, she would surely turn the situation around.

The Fu family only learned that Zan Ying had moved to the Wuyi Lane after receiving another secret edict from the Empress.

“What does she intend to do?”

It was night outside, and no one in the Fu mansion had any intention of sleeping.

The old Lady Fu, leaning on a low couch, could only use ginseng soup to soothe her racing heart.

“Instead of serving her proper grandmother here, she goes to care for that old dowager and even eagerly moves to a new residence. She is abandoning the Crown Prince and trying to curry favor with the Hui County Prince. What is she hoping for? The Hui County Prince already has a legitimate wife. She, who voluntarily broke off her engagement, couldn’t become a Crown Princess, so she wants to be a concubine? Is heaven sending this disaster star to make my Fu family an eyesore to the imperial family?”

Standing below, Fu Ze’an moved his lips.

Recently, he had been reflecting on Zan Ying’s words at the temporary palace, and his expression showed some frustration.

Hearing his grandmother’s words, he said in a hoarse voice, “Grandmother, please don’t speak of Ah Ying like that.”

This was the first time in his life he had contradicted an elder, and his voice was low.

The old Lady Fu, still angry, did not hear him clearly.

She was still thinking about the words in the Empress’s secret edict, and her heart was horrified.

Her eldest son had sacrificed his life at the border, and she could not let even one posthumous honor be taken away by that deceitful thing.

Qiu Shi’s gaze shifted between her youngest son and eldest grandson, eventually settling on the latter.

“Go,” she instructed Fu Ze’an, holding a small soup bowl, “Send a letter to your fiancée from the Wang family. Isn’t she acquainted with that girl? Have her persuade her. I think the girl moving to Wuyi Lane likely means she wants to curry favor with the Wang family. Since it’s close by, let Wang’s daughter take appropriate action.”

Fu Ze’an looked at his grandmother in surprise.

The Fu and Wang families had arranged a marriage alliance several years ago, which was Fu Ze’an’s engagement to Wang Sannv, the daughter of Wang Zheng’s family, a branch of the Wang clan.

Although the Fu and Wang families belong to different factions in court, such alliances between prominent families are quite common.

Given the uncertainty of future political situations, it is wise to intertwine family ties through marriage to build connections.

The old matriarch of the Fu family grudgingly accepted that her eldest grandson could marry a woman from the prestigious Wang family.

However, the wedding should have taken place two years ago, but Wang Sanny’s father passed away, and she had to observe a three-year mourning period.

The old Lady Fu thus felt that Wang Sanny was inauspicious.

Not only did this delay her grandson’s marriage, but it also thwarted her dream of having a great-grandson soon, which made her dislike Wang Sanny.

Now, with a new opportunity to use Wang Sanny’s status, she was reconsidering.

However, Fu Ze’an had always been proper and respectful.

He had never had any personal dealings with Wang Sanny, and even if they met at a banquet, he would only exchange a few polite words in the presence of others.

He had never been alone with her, nor had he engaged in any intimate acts such as sending embroidered letters.

He politely said, “Grandmother, it’s inappropriate for the Wang family to intervene at this time. Additionally, A’ying might not want the Fu family involved in her matters. After reflecting on A’ying’s words when I returned home, I believe our previous actions might have been improper.”

The old Lady Fu was in a bad mood recently, and upon hearing this, she became very angry.

She thought it was bad enough that Fu Zan Ying was disobedient, but now even her usually obedient grandson was starting to argue with her.

She said loudly: “Precisely because the Wang family has not yet officially joined us, their current status is easier to handle. She will eventually be part of the Fu family. This is a chance for her to contribute to her husband’s family. If she dares to refuse, it shows she doesn’t respect her future husband. As for that rebellious girl, An’er doesn’t need to speak well of her; she is unworthy.”

Fu Ze’an frowned deeply, still feeling the situation was improper but not wanting to go against his grandmother.

He was at a loss.

Fu Xiao, who had been silent until now, spoke to his nephew earnestly despite his own injuries: “An’er, your grandmother thinks ahead. This is not solely for the Fu family; it’s also for A’ying’s own good. Consider this: she is young and naive, relying on the emperor and empress’s leniency. She openly defies the imperial family and dares to talk about repayment and compensation. This is a serious act of disrespect. If she doesn’t correct her ways now, she might face severe consequences in the future. Though she has said she would sever ties with the Fu family, it won’t harm us, but it will cost her life.

“Your grandmother’s harsh words are actually out of concern for her. She wants you to write to the Wang family to persuade A’ying for her own good. As for our past mistakes, we can make amends with A’ying slowly in due time. You’re a smart child; think carefully about this reasoning.”

The old Lady Fu clearly did not intend to be kind-hearted.

She wanted to remove Fu Zanying from the Fu family tree and make this disobedient girl lose her family support.

However, her strategy was to use Wang Sannv as a precursor to force Fu Zanying into a corner, making her have no choice but to retreat.

After Fu Xiao’s glossing over, it turned into a seemingly caring act.

Upon hearing this, Fu Ze’an was somewhat moved.