Luo Sheng went to see Grand Marshal Luo.

“Did Sheng’er have fun today?” Grand Marshal Luo asked with a beaming smile.

Luo Sheng’s reply was straightforward: “No.”

Grand Marshal Luo froze. “Sheng’er wasn’t happy even playing with Princess Changle?”

He didn’t want to pass judgment on Princess Changle, but he knew Sheng’er had always gotten along well with her.

Having a good playmate for his daughter—what more could he ask for? After all, most noble young ladies would want to run away at the sight of his daughter.

Luo Sheng didn’t respond to that, instead saying: “There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Grandmother and the others shouldn’t know my birth date and hour, should they?”

Grand Marshal Luo had been particularly sensitive to the words “birth date and hour” lately. Hearing Luo Sheng’s question, his heart jumped in alarm, and he blurted out: “What happened?”

“Father, answer me first.”

Grand Marshal Luo suppressed his growing unease and replied with an awkward laugh: “They know.”

Luo Sheng raised her eyebrows. “How would Grandmother and the others know my birth date and hour?”

Grand Marshal Luo gave a dry laugh: “At the time, I thought you’d be staying in Jinsha for quite a while, so I wrote down your birth date and hour and sent it to your grandmother. I entrusted the old lady to help arrange matches if she encountered any suitable families.”

The Emperor’s secret decree hung over him like a suspended sword, stirring unease in Grand Marshal Luo’s heart. “Why are you suddenly asking about this, Sheng’er? Did something happen?”

When she had decided to come here, Luo Sheng had resolved to be partially honest: “Today I had a falling out with Princess Changle.”

“What happened?”

Luo Sheng lowered her eyes, looking somewhat aggrieved: “Princess Changle thinks I’ve changed, that I’m not like before when I’d want to snatch up any good-looking man I saw.”

Grand Marshal Luo’s expression twisted for a moment. After struggling to think for a while, he finally came up with consoling words: “This isn’t Sheng’er’s fault. Sheng’er has matured.”

What use was snatching up so many good-looking men anyway? They couldn’t become sons-in-law, just a waste of provisions.

Luo Sheng smiled bitterly: “You don’t understand Princess Changle. With her temperament, she’ll feel that my change has destroyed her beautiful memories, and that will make her hate me. Father, do you remember the young princess from Prince Pingnan’s household?”

Grand Marshal Luo’s heart trembled and his expression changed.

As Commander of the Jinlin Guard, how could he not know about that princess’s vicious ruthlessness?

“After I left the Princess’s Manor, I quietly arranged for people to watch the place. Father, guess what they discovered?”

Grand Marshal Luo frowned. “Did Princess Changle send out assassins?”

Luo Sheng looked deeply at Grand Marshal Luo, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: “Father, Princess Changle is capricious, not mentally deficient.”

Grand Marshal Luo sheepishly rubbed his nose. “I can’t guess. Just tell me quickly, Sheng’er.”

“They saw Su Yao leaving the Princess’s Manor,” Luo Sheng said calmly.

Grand Marshal Luo was shocked. “The top scholar Su Yao?”

Luo Sheng nodded.

Grand Marshal Luo’s frown deepened.

Su Yao emerging from the Princess’s Manor—this was even more shocking than if Princess Changle had sent out assassins.

Luo Sheng continued: “Later, Princess Changle also left the Princess’s Manor and entered the palace. Su Yao and Princess Changle have been meeting in secret. Your daughter suddenly remembered that when we were in Jinsha, Grandmother instructed my eldest aunt to go to the Su family to discuss a marriage between Su Yao and me—”

Grand Marshal Luo’s expression changed drastically. “Su Yao knows your birth date and hour?”

Luo Sheng pressed her lips together and sighed. “Better safe than sorry, so I came to tell you.”

Grand Marshal Luo remained silent for a long while before saying: “Sheng’er, go back to your room first. Don’t go out today.”

After Luo Sheng left, Grand Marshal Luo summoned his trusted aide.

“What are the Grand Marshal’s orders?”

Grand Marshal Luo motioned for him to come closer and gave him quiet instructions. Then he called for the First Concubine.

Coming before Grand Marshal Luo, the First Concubine curtsied. “Does the master need something from me?”

Grand Marshal Luo looked steadily at the First Concubine for a moment, then sighed: “Ping Niang, you’ve been with me for many years. Among all the women in the rear courtyard, you’re the most level-headed. There’s something I want to tell you in advance.”

The First Concubine’s expression didn’t change. “Please speak, master.”

“The Luo household… may be in trouble.”

The First Concubine was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. “Master need not worry about us sisters. We sisters thought about this long ago—this day was bound to come sooner or later.”

Now it was Grand Marshal Luo’s turn to be stunned.

Wait, what did she mean “bound to come sooner or later”? Did the concubines have so little confidence in him?

“Master need not feel guilty. Over the years, we sisters have enjoyed fine clothes and delicate food, servants and maids at our beck and call. We’ve enjoyed everything we should have, and it was only because of your position that we could enjoy such things. Now that we need to pay the price for it, it’s only natural. But has the master made proper arrangements for Third Miss?”

Mentioning Luo Sheng, the First Concubine’s expression grew serious. “Master cannot neglect Third Miss—she’s the only flesh and blood the late madam left behind.”

Grand Marshal Luo opened his mouth but momentarily didn’t know what to say.

The First Concubine smiled. “Of course, if the master has the capacity, please also look after the other young misses—”

“Enough!” Grand Marshal Luo could bear it no longer and cut off the First Concubine’s words, glaring in anger. “You foolish woman, who told you to wait for death?”

The First Concubine froze.

Had she misunderstood?

That shouldn’t be. Over the years, the sisters had long reached an understanding—the master’s work balanced on a knife’s edge. Even if he served the old Emperor smoothly until the end, when a new emperor ascended the throne, he would still face reckoning.

When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If the master fell into trouble, how could they, vines clinging to a great tree, survive?

“Find a chance to tell those women to prepare one or two sets of light, practical clothing. If there’s any sign of trouble, be ready to flee at any moment.”

“How do we flee?” The First Concubine was shocked.

So besides waiting for death, fleeing was also an option?

“Never mind how for now. Just prepare according to my instructions and don’t delay when the time comes…” Grand Marshal Luo spoke at length, then noticed the First Concubine wasn’t responding. He asked irritably: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. This concubine is listening.”

Walking out the door, the usually composed and restrained First Concubine’s eyes reddened.

So we concubines are actually people in the master’s heart, not objects to be abandoned at will.

While Grand Marshal Luo was arranging matters one by one on this end, on the other end Princess Changle had rushed to the palace and met with Emperor Yong’an.

“What brings Changle to the palace?” Emperor Yong’an asked with a smile.

Princess Changle looked at her smiling father, but suddenly recalled what Luo Sheng had said today: Your Highness can certainly move against me, just as you once did to the young princess. Just don’t forget—once, twice, three times—when dissatisfaction accumulates, people’s hearts will change.

Good thing she hadn’t forcibly kept Luo Sheng to accompany the Longevity Immortal Lady.

If she had done that, though Father Emperor wouldn’t have punished her, he would have stored up dissatisfaction with her in his heart.

Princess Changle gazed quietly at Emperor Yong’an and sighed inwardly: Lately Father Emperor had been calling her by her title Changle, not her childhood name Se’er anymore.

And she had only just now realized it.

“I missed you.”

Emperor Yong’an paused slightly, his smile warming. “Come sit beside Father Emperor.”

Princess Changle walked over with a smile.