“Princess, you… what is this?” In the midst of the silence, Lady Xu finally regained her composure and stared at her in a daze.

Wen Yuesheng: “Annulment of the engagement.”

Those two cold words sent a shockwave through the entire hall, jolting everyone back to their senses as though waking from a dream.

People might have understood her words, yet they couldn’t quite comprehend them at the same time.

Everyone exchanged looks of confusion.

In their lifetime, they never thought they would witness someone breaking off a royal engagement—especially on such an occasion and under such circumstances.

Previously, most people assumed Wen Yuesheng’s actions were mere childish tantrums, simply because the idea of this event was too absurd to believe.

Lady Xu felt her head spinning.

She stood up abruptly and stammered, “Princess, this… you… why are you suddenly speaking of annulment?”

“Suddenly?” Zhang Yulin frowned and retorted, “You gave away the phoenix hairpin, yet now you’re asking why? Are you really claiming everything is fine?”

The moment he spoke, the floral hall fell silent again.

Seated beside the Old Madam, Wen Yuruo lowered her head, her hands seemingly trembling slightly.

It appeared that she had no idea how to handle the situation.

The Old Madam(Matron), however, was someone who had weathered many storms.

Her voice remained relatively calm as she said, “Princess, your engagement with His Highness was personally arranged by the Emperor and the Eldest Princess. Such matters cannot be decided by myself or even the Duke.”

Lady Xu quickly nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes.”

Wen Yuesheng replied coolly, “The annulment letter has already been sent to the palace.”

The atmosphere turned silent once again.

They had all heard of marriage contracts before, but no one ever imagined they would see an annulment letter.

At that moment, even those who had earlier dismissed her actions as petulance now fully understood—she truly intended to break the engagement.

Outside the floral hall, Xiao Jin stood frozen for a long time without moving.

The retainer behind him glanced at his expression cautiously.

But after just one glance, the retainer quickly lowered his head.

Having served Xiao Jin for many years, he had never seen his master wear such an expression.

Shock, anger, panic, disbelief, and even a hint of suppressed pain—these emotions tangled together, darkening Xiao Jin’s face to an extreme.

“Prepare the horses,” Xiao Jin finally spoke, inhaling deeply to quell the overwhelming emotions threatening to spill over.

“Your Highness?” The servant hesitated.

“Prepare the horses! I’m going to the palace!” Xiao Jin’s voice suddenly rose in volume.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

His voice had been so loud that everyone inside the hall turned to look at him.

For a moment, countless pairs of eyes landed on Xiao Jin.

Yet he had no time to respond to anyone, nor could he even process the storm of emotions within himself.

He simply cast a long, deep look at Wen Yuesheng before striding out of the hall.

It was clear to everyone that he was headed to the palace because of whatever Wen Yuesheng had sent there.

But whether he intended to stop the annulment or get ahead of the situation in front of the Emperor was something no one could determine.

The shattered blood jade fragments lay scattered on the floor, but not a single servant from the Duke’s household dared step forward to clean them up.

The banquet’s atmosphere was frozen to an unbearable degree, and the only person who remained completely calm was Wen Yuesheng herself.

She was still quietly fingering the prayer beads in her hand.

Those watching her found the sight nothing short of bizarre.

---

Meanwhile, in the imperial study, the Emperor was in the middle of a meeting with his ministers.

Halfway through the discussion, Gao Quan received a message and hurried outside.

When he returned, his expression was exceptionally grim, as though he were holding a scalding-hot object in his hands.

He hesitated to present it, clearly torn.

After much internal debate, he finally seized an opportunity when the Emperor paused to rest. Steeling himself, he carefully handed the item over.

“Your Majesty, this… this was sent by Princess Sining.”

The Emperor glanced at it and, seeing that it was a memorial, chuckled. “Sining is submitting a memorial? Since when did she learn to write one?”

Cold sweat beaded on Gao Quan’s forehead. He swallowed hard and whispered, “It… it is a letter of annulment.”

The hall fell instantly silent.

The ministers resting nearby also heard Gao Quan’s words, and many of their faces shifted dramatically.

The most notable reaction came from Wen Xun.

Were it not for the setting, he would have already stepped forward to interrogate Gao Quan about what nonsense he was spouting.

But now he could do nothing. He could only watch as the Emperor’s expression darkened.

The Emperor opened the memorial, his face growing colder with every word he read.

“Bang!” After a long silence, the Emperor slammed the document heavily onto the table, startling all the nearby servants.

The Emperor’s voice thundered with rage. “Good! Very good!”

“She must have gone mad! Writing something like this—an annulment? Does she think this is a matter she can decide on her own!?”

No one dared utter a word.

The Emperor’s anger only grew. “Wen Xun! You’ve raised a fine daughter!”

The Emperor snatched the document and flung it at Wen Xun. “Read it! Take a good look at what she’s written!”

Wen Xun picked up the letter and unfolded it.

Standing closest to him, one of the Grand Scholars, Lord Wang, caught a glimpse of its contents. His eyes widened in shock.

This…

Some murmured in disbelief, “Wasn’t the Princess said to lack literary talent?”

One of the court officials, Master Wang, couldn’t help himself and exclaimed, “The Princess’s writing is truly extraordinary!”

The Emperor, enraged, sneered, “Is that what I told you to focus on?”

The room fell silent as the Emperor’s anger surged.

Those who had seen the contents of the memorial looked visibly stunned—save for one.

Standing among the officials, Yan Ling calmly stated, “The phoenix hairpin is a symbol of utmost importance in this dynasty, bestowed only upon the Crown Princess or the consort of a prince. To present the phoenix hairpin is to declare the recipient as the Main wife.”

The Emperor’s expression darkened further, his voice cold. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Yan Ling replied steadily, “Prince Yong’an had a prior engagement with Princess Sining, yet he presented the phoenix hairpin to another.” He paused. “How can a royal princess be reduced to a concubine?”

The hall fell into an uneasy silence.

Wen Xun kept his head lowered, his eyes fixed on the memorial in his hands.

Wen Yuesheng, it seemed, had no limits—having driven them out of the Wen household, she was clearly capable of far more.

Yet he couldn’t help but feel a sense of alienation.

She had changed completely, from the woman he once knew to someone entirely unrecognizable.

The Emperor’s face remained cold and unreadable, his fury barely restrained.

At that moment, another palace servant entered in haste, bowing deeply.

Gao Quan, drenched in sweat, hesitated, unsure how to relay the latest developments.

“Speak!” the Emperor commanded icily.

With no other choice, Gao Quan relayed the news:

Wen Yuesheng had shattered the betrothal token in front of all the influential figures at the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence.

Surprisingly, the Emperor’s fury lessened.

His voice dropped to a chilling calm. “So, it seems she truly wishes to end this engagement.”

The officials remained silent, though many were privately contemplating the Crown Prince of Haozhou’s proposal.

The Emperor had yet to make a decision, partly because of Princess Sining’s engagement to Prince Yong’an.

To approve the marriage would damage the imperial family’s reputation.

But if the engagement were dissolved…

The implications were clear to many present, though none dared to voice their thoughts openly.

After a long silence, the Emperor sat back on his dragon throne, his eyes dark and inscrutable. Finally, he spoke coldly, “Why are you all still standing there?”

Gao Quan snapped to attention, bowing low. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

“She has broken the imperial token herself. Do you expect me to force this marriage upon her? Go—grant her wish!”

The Emperor’s gaze grew even colder. “And tell her this is her one and only chance. If she regrets it later or causes more trouble, I will not forgive her!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Relieved, Gao Quan quickly left the hall.

Unbeknownst to him, Xiao Jin had also entered the palace.

News of Wen Yuesheng’s actions spread like wildfire, even reaching the Empress’s quarters.

By the time Xiao Jin emerged from the Empress’s palace, Gao Quan had already delivered the Emperor’s decree to the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence.

“By imperial decree, the engagement is annulled!”

The announcement stunned the entire gathering into silence.

Xiao Jin’s attendant, left behind at the Duke’s residence, was the first to react.

He paled and stammered, “Eunuch Gao! His Highness hasn’t returned yet. This matter—”

“This matter is settled,” Gao Quan replied curtly.

The engagement had been dissolved, just as the Duke’s household had once desired.

They no longer had to be tied to Princess Sining.

Yet not a single member of the Duke’s family, not even Wei Lanzhi, felt joy at the outcome.

The manner in which Wen Yuesheng had ended the engagement had placed the Duke’s household and Prince Yong’an under a harsh spotlight.

Their reputation, not to mention the next day’s court session, would undoubtedly be disastrous.

How could Princr Heng Guang, Prince Yong’an’s long-time rival, let such an opportunity slip by?

The Duke’s household had only themselves to blame.

From the beginning, they had disregarded Wen Yuesheng.

They had neglected, ignored, and even deliberately oppressed her.

Their favoritism toward Wen Yurou, elevating her to unattainable heights, had directly led to this moment.

Other guests, meanwhile, cast subtle glances toward Wen Yurou.

Judging by the attendant’s frantic demeanor, Xiao Jin had likely rushed to the palace to prevent the Emperor from approving the annulment.

If that were the case, then Wen Yurou’s prized phoenix hairpin…

It was becoming a humiliating joke.

Amid the tense silence, Wen Yuesheng stood unhurriedly.

But instead of leaving, she walked toward the head table.

Everyone watched her movements with bated breath, not daring to speak.

Wen Yuesheng stopped before Wen Yurou.

This was the first time since her arrival that she had looked directly at her so-called younger sister.

Yet her gaze wasn’t on Wen Yurou herself but on the phoenix hairpin atop her head.

In front of everyone, Wen Yuesheng reached out and pulled the hairpin from Wen Yurou’s hair.

Wen Yurou’s hair cascaded down as her face turned pale. She looked up in panic, stammering, “Sister, I—”

Before she could finish, Wen Yuesheng cut her off coldly.

“You are not yet worthy of wearing the phoenix hairpin.”

Then, without a second glance, Wen Yuesheng tossed the hairpin onto the ground.

“Clink!”

The ornate hairpin shattered upon impact, the pearl held in the phoenix’s mouth rolling free.

“Return to the manor,” Wen Yuesheng said, casually wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief.

“Yes, Your Highness,” her attendant replied.