The person approaching was none other than Lian Xin, who appeared extremely excited and delighted upon seeing her.

“Li Huaisu, why are you in my mother’s sleeping quarters?” She lifted her skirt and ran quickly toward her.

Suzhen glanced at Aunt Hong and pulled her aside, the two whispering to each other.

“I need your help with something.”

“Help with what? Don’t talk about that first—I was just thinking about leaving the palace to find you.”

“Find me?”

“You don’t know since you’re outside the palace, but I can see clearly from within—my Sixth Brother has gotten close to that Gu Shuangcheng these past days. Did you do something to anger my Sixth Brother, or did she do something to win his favor?”

“I’ll explain this to you later. First, get me in front of your Sixth Brother.”

Suzhen told her about Lian Yu’s prohibition order.

Lian Xin’s expression changed slightly. “How could this be?”

“Aunt Hong,” she said, looking toward Aunt Hong, “my consort rarely enters the palace. I want to stroll through the Imperial Garden with him and talk. Please report to Mother Empress that I’ll come pay my respects to her later.”

Although these two had a marriage agreement, it couldn’t be taken seriously. Lian Xin’s casual mention of “consort” made Aunt Hong, who knew Suzhen’s true background, stare in amazement.

“Princess, this isn’t proper. You two… haven’t yet married. Let this servant first report to the Empress Dowager. If she approves, then you may invite Director Li.”

“Fine, fine, you old nanny are so troublesome. I’ll wait here.”

Once Aunt Hong entered the sleeping quarters, she quickly pulled Suzhen along. “Let’s go!”

Suzhen said: “What if the Empress Dowager blames you—”

Lian Xin looked completely unconcerned. “I’m her daughter—what can she do to me? She’s furious about the consort matter and barely pays attention to me when I come daily. Today she finally thought of me and called me over. Don’t worry. You there, quickly take off your clothes and find a place for Director Li to change!”

A cup of tea’s time later, the Princess appeared before the Son of Heaven’s sleeping palace with several palace servants and maids, looking imposing.

The imperial guards bowed to Lian Xin, then said: “His Majesty has caught a cold recently. After court, he has been resting quietly in his chambers and sees no visitors. Please return first, Princess, and come back in a few days.”

Lian Yu had publicly claimed it was merely a cold, which Suzhen understood.

Upon hearing this, Lian Xin’s willow-like eyebrows shot up in anger. “The Emperor Brother is ill, and I’ve come to visit him—perfect timing! What are you to dare tell me to go back? Let me tell you, today you must announce me whether you want to or not. I absolutely must see His Majesty.”

Lian Xin had always been willful in the palace, but the leading guard was one of the Son of Heaven’s personal attendants and wouldn’t accommodate her. “Princess, please forgive us.”

Though he spoke of forgiveness, his attitude remained firm.

Suzhen couldn’t help but wonder—while it was true that Lian Yu’s injuries were serious, Lian Xin wasn’t like Quan Feitong or Wei Chenghui. Why wouldn’t he allow her an audience?

Could it be that Lian Yu was guarding against her, even extending to Lian Xin? Or perhaps A’luo’s condition wasn’t good, and Lian Yu was attending to her without removing his clothes, but didn’t want news of A’luo’s exclusive favor in the palace to spread and invite more suspicion from Xiao’an and the concubines? It was said that Xiao’an had greatly disliked A’luo in the past. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been summoned to the palace today to hear those words. But if we’re talking about dislike, in Xiao’an’s heart, she—this remnant of a treasonous minister—should be even more feared.

As she pondered this, she heard Lian Xin let out a cold laugh and suddenly remove a golden hairpin from her hair, slashing it viciously across her own wrist. A string of blood drops spurted out. Several timid palace maids behind her cried out in alarm, the guards were greatly shocked, and Suzhen was also surprised, whispering sternly: “Who told you to do such a stupid thing?”

“I learned it from you.”

Lian Xin said this in a low voice, pushing away Suzhen’s hand that reached to help compress her wound, speaking coldly: “Now I’m also ill. His Majesty dotes on me and will surely come see me. But since I’m already here, there’s no need to trouble the Emperor Brother with the journey—I’ll just go in and let him see me.”

A hint of hesitation finally appeared on the stern face of the guard captain. “This…”

“Are Ming Yanchu, Qinglong, and those other servants here? Tell them to come out and see me. Then it won’t matter to you whether you announce me or not, right?” Lian Xin raised her eyebrows, her voice becoming even more fierce.

“In that case, please wait a moment, Princess. This subordinate will go report.”

The guard captain bowed and hurried inside. Soon, Qinglong and Baihu came out quickly. Suzhen quickly lowered her head. Dressed as a palace servant and mixed among Lian Xin’s attendants, the two didn’t notice her. Seeing blood flowing from Lian Xin’s wrist, Baihu became anxious: “Princess, let this subordinate bandage it for you—”

“No need,” Lian Xin interrupted flatly. “There are plenty of imperial physicians in this palace. Today I only wish to see His Majesty.”

Baihu and Qinglong exchanged glances. Qinglong nodded: “Very well, but since the Princess is friends with Director Li, please don’t mention Director Li’s affairs in front of His Majesty later.”

“Oh, I understand. The Emperor Brother has been getting along well with Gu Shuangcheng recently. I’m not stupid—why would I mention Li Huaisu? Let’s go.” Lian Xin’s sarcasm was neither salty nor bland.

Both Qinglong’s faces changed somewhat, but they couldn’t say anything and walked ahead to lead the way.

It turned out Lian Yu had gone out.

Following behind Lian Xin, Suzhen whispered: “Little Lian Xin, I owe you another favor today.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You know I like Wuqing, and Wuqing treats you just like Sixth Brother treats me.” Lian Xin also replied softly.

“You like Wuqing that much?” Suzhen suddenly felt Lian Xin was somewhat pitiful.

Lian Xin made a sound of agreement, then gestured for silence. “These two servants have good hearing. Let’s not talk now to avoid being discovered. Later I’ll help block them while you go talk properly with my Sixth Brother.”

“Thank you,” Suzhen thought to herself.

Soon, Qinglong and Baihu led them to a place with shimmering lake light and graceful flowers and leaves—a pavilion in the Imperial Garden.

There were four people in total inside and outside the pavilion: two attending outside, two sitting inside. Outside were Ming and Xuan, and inside, needless to say, were Lian Yu and Shuangcheng. Lian Yu wore a brocade white light sash robe today, while Shuangcheng beside him had his cloak draped over her shoulders. On the table before them were various fruits and a jade qin.

Shuangcheng leaned against Lian Yu’s shoulder. The two were speaking softly about something. Lian Yu’s expression looked very gentle, his eyes showing indulgence. He would nod from time to time. His injuries hadn’t healed, and there was a hint of pallor around his eyes and brows. Occasionally when he coughed, Shuangcheng would reach over to gently pat his shoulder and back. Suzhen’s eyes stung watching this.

Xuan and Ming were alert and, while still at a distance, knew someone was approaching. They came forward to investigate. Here, Lian Xin had already smiled coldly and led everyone forward without a word.

Before Ming Yanchu could make introductions, Lian Yu coughed lightly again. Shuangcheng said something at this moment that made Lian Yu’s expression darken. He reached to grasp her hand, but Shuangcheng suddenly pushed him away, walked around the stone table in the pavilion, and knelt before him.

“Gu Xiluo, what is the meaning of this!”

As Lian Xin approached, Lian Yu didn’t even look. Suzhen, benefiting from Lian Xin’s presence, was also able to get close and hear his words clearly. His tone was extremely cold, filled with anger.

Lian Xin was very pleased, whispering to Suzhen: “Good that they’re fighting.”

But Suzhen felt no schadenfreude whatsoever. Though Lian Yu was furious, his eyes still clearly showed a trace of heartache, tightly focused on the woman on the ground.

Shuangcheng looked up, her eyes full of sorrow.

“Just take her as a concubine and stop tormenting yourself. I know you have her in your heart. I’m extremely unwilling, but I can’t bear to see you suffer like this. If only I didn’t love you so much—perhaps then I could be with someone else and leave, never returning to your side.”

“I…” She spoke with a sob in her voice, unable to continue.

“If anyone must leave, it can be anyone but you. Who do you want to be with? Quan Feitong?”

Lian Yu swept his sleeve, sending the jade qin and fruits on the table crashing to the ground with several sharp crashes. He stared at her intently, speaking word by word.

Shuangcheng looked up to see Lian Yu’s dark eyes filled with determination and painful anger.

He walked over, about to help her up, when a figure shot out from the corner like an arrow, striking palm-first at Shuangcheng’s head and face, suddenly pushing her to the ground.

“Little slut, making trouble in front of my Sixth Brother—watch me beat you to death!”

Suzhen had reached out to signal Lian Xin that she needn’t go to such trouble, but who knew Lian Xin would be as fierce as a wild beast, not only pushing Shuangcheng down but cursing as she did so.

Ming Yanchu and the others were quite shocked. Shuangcheng looked coldly at the girl before her. Since she was Lian Yu’s sister, she said nothing.

“Lian Xin, no matter how presumptuous you are, I can tolerate and endure it, but is she someone you can strike?” Lian Yu’s gaze was cold as a hawk’s. He stepped forward and swung his hand.

“Slap!” A cold, muffled sound echoed through the pavilion corridor.

Lian Xin’s eyes widened, but she wasn’t crying injustice for herself. She looked somewhat panicked at the person blocking in front of her.

Suzhen, dressed as a palace servant, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and finally raised her head, which she had kept lowered until now.

“Your Majesty, the Princess is childish by nature. She only acted rashly because of me. Please don’t blame her.”

Then she turned toward Shuangcheng and bowed: “Li Huaisu apologizes to the young lady on behalf of the Princess.”

Shuangcheng showed a moment of surprise seeing her, then said quietly: “Lian Xin is His Majesty’s younger sister. I won’t take it to heart. But are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Suzhen smiled, pulling Lian Xin along, preparing to leave.

“Is this a place where you can come and go as you please?”

A cold voice came from behind.

Lian Yu stared at her, his face showing no expression.

“Yes, Lian Xin doesn’t understand things, so you instigated her to come cause trouble?”

This sentence was like another slap across Suzhen’s face. In the past, if he saw her making trouble, he would probably be quite happy. Now—she thought she was no longer the former Feng Suzhen, but some things about her were still foolish. Before with Li Zhaoting, it was like this, and now with him, it was the same.

Her refusal to see him was hoping he would miss her. His order not to see her was hoping to begin forgetting. She clearly knew this, yet still—

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond, wanting to fearlessly say, “Yes, it was my instigation,” while also wanting to tell him, “Think what you will—you don’t need to order it, I’ll leave on my own.”

“Li Huaisu, how did you end up here? You’ve given this minister quite a search.”

In the silent deadlock, several people approached, one of them speaking to her in a flat tone before she could respond.