Wen Yurou’s strength completely left her when she heard Wen Yuesheng’s refusal. Before she could gather her thoughts, she heard the Emperor’s voice.

Silence.

Though many people were standing in the vast Imperial Garden, it felt as though the place was empty.

Even the Empress’s expression shifted slightly.

The Emperor’s intentions were clear.

His earlier question to Wen Yuesheng about whether she regretted her decision was merely a test.

If Wen Yuesheng had agreed, the engagement could have been restored.

However, it was obvious that, more than restoring the engagement, the Emperor preferred to see this: a princess who could command armies, a royal capable of training countless fierce generals, someone who did not belong to any prince’s faction but was purely loyal to the Emperor.

Wen Yuesheng was more reliable than most generals. As a woman, she had no chance of claiming the throne, but she was a true member of the imperial family.

For a moment, many were stunned by this news.

Just days before, there were rumors that Wen Yuesheng had shut off all paths for herself.

She had broken off her engagement with Prince Yong’an, offended Prince Jingkang, and with Prince Hengguang already married, Prince Wei Yangwang was the weakest of the four princes, lacking the competitiveness.

Her words in front of the court had cut off any possibility of joining the true circle of power.

If she wished to rise again, her only option seemed to be marrying into Haozhou.

But whether she married Haozhou was no longer up to her.

Today, however, the political landscape had changed dramatically, and Princess Sineng was no longer the same.

And it was precisely because she had severed those possibilities that she had gained the golden waist plaque.

If she could not marry a man in power, she would seize power for herself.

Though the military stationed at the northern city training grounds was only a few thousand strong, this was a step toward military command—something even several princes did not possess.

This alone was enough to shake the court and the public.

When the Empress left, she quietly instructed the maid beside her, “From this year onward, the Duke of Zhen’s family must prepare a New Year gift for the Princess.”

Previously, the Duke of Zhen’s family would send their New Year gifts to the Princess’s mansion.

Now, things had changed.

As the Empress departed, Wei Lanzhi followed closely, but Wen Yuru was not invited along.

Left standing in the garden, the autumn wind blew harshly against her, cold and biting like the chill in her heart.

After Wen Yuesheng left, the Emperor calmly spoke, “The longer this drags on, the more restless my sons become.”

Yan Ling turned and said, “I take my leave.”

He slowly followed Wen Yuesheng, and when they reached the palace gates, they stood side by side.

The faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, the very fragrance that had haunted his dreams, drawing him in.

Yet Yan Ling’s face remained distant and indifferent.

But his eyes, like vast waves, deepened just a bit more.

He spoke in a low voice, “I hear the Princess had General Lu investigate the past of the Yan family.”

Wen Yuesheng glanced at him. “Master Yan, you seem well-informed.”

She suspected that the entire palace was filled with his spies.

However, Yan Ling merely replied, “If the Princess wishes to know, she may ask me directly.”

They were still in the palace, and having just met the Emperor, it was not a place for private discussions.

Di Zhu turned around and gave a silent gesture to the hidden guards.

The guards were already prepared to clear the area, but Wen Yuesheng spoke up, “Master Yan, when will you play the zither again?”

Di Zhu was slightly taken aback.

But Yan Ling’s unreadable gaze deepened once more.

He did not speak, and Wen Yuesheng looked up at the sky.

“Autumn days are dry,” she said softly.

Indeed, autumn had arrived, and the news of Wen Yuesheng receiving the golden waist plaque had quickly spread, stirring currents beneath the surface of the court.

Wen Yuesheng, however, was completely at ease.

She had held the golden waist plaque for three days, but had yet to visit the northern city training grounds.

The Princess’s mansion remained calm, and she even found time to write Buddhist scriptures.

It was not until three days later that the City North’s Li Qingyuan, the training officer, sent Wen Yuesheng a letter requesting her presence to inspect the soldiers.

Only then did she make her way to the training grounds.

The weather had begun to cool, with the crispness of autumn in the air.

The oppressive heat of summer had faded, replaced by the refreshing autumn breeze.

The road from Tian Ci Temple to the northern city training grounds was still quiet, but the fragrance of osmanthus flowers could be faintly smelled along the way.

September was the season when the golden osmanthus bloomed, and the provincial exams had just posted their results.

Some rejoiced, others worried, and the number of people visiting the temple to burn incense and pray had increased.

Wen Yuesheng went to Tian Ci Temple to retrieve the prayer beads she had placed before the Buddha.

After receiving the blessed beads, she headed to the northern city training grounds.

Tian Ci Temple was located on the outskirts of the capital, and the journey to the northern training grounds was somewhat long, but carriages and travelers frequently passed by.

Yet, for some reason, today the road was eerily quiet.

As she traveled, not a single carriage or pedestrian was in sight.

Only the faint fragrance of osmanthus filled the air.

Gu Yu opened one side of the carriage window, and Wen Yue Sheng sat by the window, reading a book, with a cup of refreshing lotus seed tea beside her.

The carriage was quiet, with a gentle breeze brushing against the face, inexplicably lifting one’s spirits.

Wen Yue Sheng read, while Gu Yu admired the scenery, and the journey was uneventful.

It wasn’t until they reached a narrow path that Wen Yue Sheng lifted her eyes.

Gu Yu softly asked, “Princess, what’s wrong?”

She had been with Wen Yue Sheng for a long time, yet rarely saw her wear such an expression.

It seemed curious, yet tinged with a hint of amusement.

It was very different from her usual serene, meditative demeanor.

No wonder Gu Yu was curious; Wen Yue Sheng herself hadn’t expected it either.

The longer one lived, the more one would encounter strange things.

“Stop the carriage,” she ordered, and the coachman halted.

“Your Highness?” The place was still some distance from the northern military training grounds. The sudden stop puzzled the coachman.

“You come in.” Wen Yue Sheng spoke softly.

The coachman didn’t ask more questions but followed her order and entered the carriage.

As the coachman entered, Wen Yue Sheng stepped down from the carriage.

“You two stay in the carriage, close the window and door,” she said calmly.

The coachman was even more confused by her words.

Although Gu Yu didn’t understand Wen Yue Sheng’s intention, she never questioned her commands, so she followed them without hesitation.

After the carriage window and door were closed, the outside world grew even quieter.

It felt as though, in the entire world, there was no living creature except for Wen Yue Sheng.

But that wasn’t entirely true.

Wen Yue Sheng lowered her head and let out a soft laugh.

She never imagined that one day, someone would attempt to ambush her—or rather, to assassinate her.

It seemed the longer one lived, the more one saw.

Meanwhile, at the northern military training grounds…

Zhang Yulin was speaking with his subordinates when several soldiers rushed in, out of breath.

“What’s happened?” Li Qingyuan furrowed his brows.

The soldier’s face was grim as he reported, “Report to the lord, the soldiers were patrolling as usual, but unexpectedly, just a few miles from the training grounds, they discovered several corpses.”

Li Qingyuan’s expression changed dramatically. “Where were they found?”

“Outside Hengguan Road.”

Hengguan Road was the only path leading from Tian Ci Temple to the northern training grounds.

Before Li Qingyuan could react, Zhang Yulin’s face darkened. He coldly asked, “Has the princess arrived?”

The soldier, stunned, wondered why they were suddenly talking about the princess when they were discussing the discovery of the bodies.

Still, he replied, “The princess has not yet arrived.”

Recently, the emperor had granted Princess Sinning a golden medallion, and the soldiers at the northern training grounds were now under her command. This news had spread all over the capital.

The soldiers knew about this, and so Zhang Yulin had arrived early, preparing his men for training.

Despite the morning passing, the soldiers still hadn’t seen the princess.

The soldier who came in to report had even overheard some complaints from the other soldiers.

They had no right to refuse when it came to being at the princess’s disposal, as she was their superior, but the long wait had begun to wear on them. The weather was not as hot as before, but the sun was still strong, and standing for so long was exhausting.

While the soldier was still thinking about this, Zhang Yulin spoke in a low voice, “Something has happened.”

Zhang Yulin had changed a lot in recent days. He followed the training plans Wen Yue Sheng had given him, studying, learning to read, and training the soldiers. His growth had been rapid.

“Hengguan Road is the path the princess takes to the training grounds!” Zhang Yulin’s face grew darker. “Prepare the horses!”

The training grounds immediately became chaotic.

The golden medallion from the emperor had not been seen, but something had happened to the princess on the way.

This was bad news for everyone.

Especially for the soldiers at the northern training grounds, who were meant to guard the area.

If something happened to the princess on their watch, they might never be able to serve as guards again.

For this reason, regardless of what anyone had thought of Wen Yue Sheng before, now everyone was only concerned with one thing: hoping she was safe.

The situation was sudden, and no one knew how many people were involved.

Zhang Yulin gathered five hundred soldiers and set off toward Hengguan Road with great urgency.

The commotion at the northern training grounds could not be hidden from the capital.

Moreover, the area around the training grounds was full of intersecting roads, and since this was the first time Wen Yue Sheng was inspecting the troops, many people had been paying attention to her.

Thus, news of the princess being attacked on the way spread rapidly throughout the capital.

Before the capital had time to react, Zhang Yulin and his soldiers had already reached Hengguan Road.

He was in a hurry and almost galloped the entire way. But as they traveled, an eerie silence filled the air.

As they reached a narrow alley, he suddenly smelled the overwhelming stench of blood, and his expression grew even darker.

Without thinking much more, he urged his horse forward, riding straight toward the vicinity of the carriage.

Upon arriving, Zhang Yulin was stunned.

Under the blazing noon sun, everything was visible.

Beside the princess’s carriage stood a person.

She wore a dark robe, her face pale, and her eyes dark.

In front of her, lying on the ground, were bodies.

Amidst the bodies of the fallen…

Wen Yue Sheng stood on the only clean patch of ground, leisurely wiping her hands.

With a calm expression, she said, “They’ve come.”

She had actually planned to leave one person alive, but these people preferred to use assassins.

So, she simply killed them all.