Emperor Tai’an glanced at Princess Yi’an.

Before the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, Princess Yi’an didn’t display the arrogance she showed back at the Marquis of Weiwu’s manor. She immediately said obediently: “Imperial Grandmother, I’ll go to my room and change my clothes. You and Father Emperor can chat slowly.”

After Princess Yi’an withdrew, the Empress Dowager asked with a smile: “Does Your Majesty have some matter?”

A troubled expression appeared on Emperor Tai’an’s face.

The Empress Dowager sat up straight and signaled the palace maid who had been gently massaging her legs to withdraw: “What matter can Your Majesty not tell this old woman?”

Emperor Tai’an coughed, raising his fist to his lips: “I’m afraid if I tell you, Mother Empress will strike me.”

The Empress Dowager glanced at him sideways: “At your age, still playing the fool before me.”

“Then promise you won’t get angry, and your son will speak.”

“Speak.” Though the Empress Dowager’s face smiled, her heart sank.

Based on her understanding of her son, given this manner of speaking, what he was about to say would very likely affect her, but have little impact on the court.

Emperor Tai’an laid the groundwork and began: “This matter concerns Yi’an.”

The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows: “It concerns Yi’an?”

“Mother Empress has heard about Princess Lingque of Yuliu being injured at Fuxiang Garden, yes?”

“This old woman has heard of it. What—is Princess Lingque going to make trouble for Yi’an?”

“It’s not exactly making trouble for Yi’an. After Princess Lingque lost her memory, her temperament changed somewhat. That day, by chance, she had contact with Yang Zhe…”

After listening to Emperor Tai’an’s complete account, the Empress Dowager didn’t speak for quite a while.

Emperor Tai’an carefully observed the Empress Dowager’s reaction: “Mother Empress, are you angry with your son?”

The Empress Dowager’s eyelids trembled, her voice sounding much more aged: “For the sake of the realm and the nation, how could this old woman be angry with you? It’s just that Your Majesty should have spoken of such a matter first—after all, this is Yi’an’s lifelong affair.”

Emperor Tai’an revealed a troubled expression: “Princess Lingque struck the pillar right before your son’s eyes. I truly couldn’t withstand her making such a scene. If something really happened, Yuliu would certainly turn toward Great Qi, or use this opportunity to make exorbitant demands and make us bear even greater losses.”

The Empress Dowager sneered coldly: “Could she really seek death?”

Emperor Tai’an’s gaze flickered.

Mother Empress, for Yi’an’s sake, was truly angered.

“Even if it’s false, with her creating such continuous disturbances, the matter of two nations’ princesses competing for a husband will spread wider and wider, becoming a topic of endless discussion among the common people. This would also harm Yi’an, wouldn’t it, Mother Empress?”

The Empress Dowager’s lips tightened, and a cold breath escaped from her nostrils.

“Mother Empress, rest assured. Your son will certainly find Yi’an a husband even more outstanding than Yang Zhe.” Emperor Tai’an picked up a lychee from the glass fruit dish, peeled it, and brought it to the Empress Dowager’s lips.

The Empress Dowager turned her face slightly away, saying coolly: “This old woman is getting on in years and cannot eat things too sweet. Your Majesty should eat it.”

Emperor Tai’an held the crystalline, plump lychee flesh for a moment, then sheepishly put it in his own mouth.

“If Mother Empress doesn’t like things too sweet, your son will have someone send over some water chestnuts and lotus seeds later.”

The Empress Dowager made a sound of acknowledgment, at least not continuing to sweep her son’s face.

“Then you rest first. Your son will go handle some matters.” Emperor Tai’an left Cining Palace. The bright sunlight fell sparsely on his face, yet couldn’t dispel the coldness deep in his eyes.

Mother Empress’s resentment toward him had ultimately taken root.

He had anticipated this long ago, yet he had no choice but to do it.

Thinking of the piles of memorials about Northern Qi accumulating on his desk, Emperor Tai’an sighed softly and quickened his pace.

In Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager’s face was expressionless, not moving for a long while.

An elderly nanny at her side advised: “Empress Dowager, please don’t take it to heart. His Majesty is the most filial.”

The Empress Dowager looked at the trusted nanny who had followed her for most of her life: “Do you also think this old woman shouldn’t have swept His Majesty’s face just now?”

“Encountering such a matter, His Majesty is also in a difficult position—” the old nanny gently urged in a soft voice.

“Yes, this old woman knows he’s in a difficult position.” The Empress Dowager reached out and grasped a bright red lychee. The somewhat rough lychee shell rubbed against her palm, still soft despite her advanced years. “But no matter how difficult his position, he should have at least spoken to this old woman first.”

If today she had shown not the slightest displeasure, then for His Majesty in the future, she would be nothing more than an old mother who merely served to display his filial piety.

Nothing more than that.

“Go summon Yi’an.”

The old nanny assented and walked to the doorway to give quiet instructions to the palace maid.

Before long, Princess Yi’an entered with light steps, smiling before speaking: “Imperial Grandmother sent for me.”

The Empress Dowager beckoned: “Come sit beside this old woman.”

Princess Yi’an walked over and sat down. The Empress Dowager patted her hand: “Yi’an, this old woman has something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Looking at Princess Yi’an’s smiling face, the Empress Dowager’s heart felt even more stifled. She opened her mouth several times before finally speaking of the matter between Princess Lingque and Yang Zhe.

Princess Yi’an was thunderstruck: “What did you say, Imperial Grandmother? Yang Zhe has become Princess Lingque’s prince consort?”

“Yi’an, His Majesty also had no choice but to do this. You must understand His Majesty’s difficulties—”

“Impossible! I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it!” Princess Yi’an shook her head and stepped backward, then turned and ran outside.

“Yi’an!”

The Empress Dowager stood up, but Princess Yi’an had long since vanished. She could only instruct the palace servants to send word to stop Princess Yi’an from leaving the palace gates.

Princess Yi’an ran back to her room in one breath, crying as she kicked and struck tables, chairs, beds, and couches, venting her explosive emotions.

With the imperial family deliberately suppressing it, the matter of the top scholar changing from being the Great Zhou princess’s consort to the Yuliu princess’s consort didn’t spread widely. However, within the circles of officials and nobility, everyone quickly knew.

Han Baocheng dragged Yang Zhe and several others out drinking. By the end, tears streaming, he grasped Yang Zhe’s hand and apologized: “Brother Yang, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t called you over that day, you wouldn’t have fallen into the hands of a foreign demoness.”

Wen Feng coughed lightly as a reminder: “Brother Han, you’ve had too much to drink.”

The matter was already settled. By calling Princess Lingque a demoness, wasn’t Han Baocheng stabbing Yang Zhe’s heart?

“I truly feel terrible. I haven’t been able to sleep these past two days.”

Yang Zhe smiled: “Brother Han need not be like this. Even without that day, there would have been other occasions to meet. What’s meant to happen cannot be avoided.”

“You really don’t feel bad?” Han Baocheng opened his eyes wide, looking at his calm and untroubled friend.

Yang Zhe lowered his eyes, his slender fingers resting on the white porcelain wine cup, his tone as light as smoke scattered by the wind: “I don’t feel that bad, actually.”

“Brother Yang—”

Wen Feng raised his hand and placed it on Han Baocheng’s shoulder: “Brother Han, let’s drink.”

Lin Hao was strolling in the garden when she heard about this matter. The matter of opening the floral water shop was already on the agenda. Besides the common rose water and osmanthus water available on the market, she also needed to see what other flowers were suitable for making floral waters.

After hearing the news, she stood dazed for quite a while, then looked around and walked toward the surrounding wall.

This change was too significant—she had to discuss it with Qi Shuo.

“Miss, are you looking for the young master?” Baozhu followed behind and asked.

“Mm.” Lin Hao wiped her hands on her dress and leaped upward in one bound.

First, she’d see if Qi Shuo was there.

Grasping the top of the wall with both hands, she peeked her head over.

On the other side of the wall, the young man dressed in a plain blue-green robe smiled, surprise hidden in his eyes.

“What a coincidence—I was just looking.” Lin Hao laughed dryly.

Qi Shuo extended his hand: “Be careful coming down.”

Lin Hao jumped down toward him cleanly and efficiently.