Xuanwu stopped and, together with Qinglong, held up candlelight to shine back. They saw Lian Jie kneeling on the ground, holding Wuyan’s ankle and examining it carefully.

Wuyan: “Thank you for your physician’s parental heart, Seventh Prince. Wuyan is fine – probably just stepped on a stone or something.”

She hadn’t actually stumbled on anything with her foot, but while walking, her leg was suddenly struck hard on the knee by a stone. She guessed it must have been Su Zhen’s doing. Naturally, she couldn’t expose this, so she used “physician’s parental heart” to resolve this awkwardness.

Lian Yue was right behind the two of them and saw Lian Jie’s worried and anxious demeanor very clearly. Seeing Wuyan speak while Lian Yu had yet to respond, he was still frowning slightly and asking several questions. Her heart flared with anger as she said sternly: “Lian Jie, what are you doing! Proper conduct between uncle and sister-in-law, the distinction between men and women – don’t you understand? Get up quickly! What kind of behavior is this!”

“Sister, this isn’t the Huo residence where you make the decisions. Haven’t you harmed her enough?” Only then did Lian Jie straighten up, coldly responding to her.

“Lian Jie, you!” Lian Yue’s expression grew slightly pale. Even with her usual composure, she was momentarily shocked and angry. From this situation, it seemed Lian Jie had actually… taken a liking to Wei Wuyan? Was he mad?

How could she possibly let her younger brother like this woman!

Lian Jie’s gaze remained cold as he confronted this elder sister.

“Seventh Prince, is this the tone you use when speaking to your sister?” Huo Chang’an’s mouth curved slightly as he spoke slowly.

Lian Jie sneered: “You should manage yourself first, brother-in-law.”

Huo Chang’an’s eyes became fierce like a bird of prey, slowly scanning over his and Wuyan’s faces. Wuyan felt an inexplicable sense of oppression. Though somewhat flustered in her heart, she slightly raised her head without retreating, keeping her gaze as calm as possible.

“Very good.” Huo Chang’an said flatly, suddenly reaching out to grab Lian Jie’s shoulder: “Today, you owe an apology.”

“If you have the ability, make me speak.” Lian Jie actually smiled, his expression very resolute.

“Chang’an, don’t—”

Seeing the confrontation escalating with drawn swords and bent bows, Lian Yue cried out in alarm.

Su Zhen saw trouble brewing and knew she needed to smooth things over quickly — but from ahead, Lian Yu spoke flatly: “Oh, do you want to have a match in my mother’s tomb? Come, I’ll be the judge. If you find this place too small, go into the tomb chamber ahead to fight properly.”

Huo Chang’an withdrew his hand first, clasping his hands together: “This subject knows his crime. Please punish me, Your Majesty.”

Lian Yue said urgently: “Your Majesty…”

Lian Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharp yet quite peaceful: “Marquis Huo acted without intent. Mother here would certainly not bear to harshly blame him. Let it be.”

He glanced at Lian Jie again. Lian Jie bowed to the ground: “This younger brother was wrong.”

Su Zhen breathed a slight sigh of relief. Her purpose had been achieved — she just hoped Lian Yu wouldn’t vent his anger on her when they got out.

On the return journey, Lian Yu dismissed all the officials. He sent people to escort Murong Ji and Lian Xin back to the palace first, then pretended to send someone to escort Wuyan back to the temple halls to rest, but she actually got into the Court of Judicial Review’s carriage. After everyone had dispersed, he departed with her, but indeed ignored her.

In the carriage, no matter how Su Zhen pleaded, Lian Yu kept a stern face, obviously very angry.

Arriving at the Court of Judicial Review, he finally spoke: “Get out.”

“I really know I was wrong. But our mother probably wouldn’t blame me. Please forgive me too — it won’t happen again. When I go back to examine the corpse at the Imperial Mausoleum, I’ll bring good wine and food to honor her.”

Su Zhen walked to the carriage door and tentatively looked back.

Lian Yu’s mouth twitched, but he couldn’t maintain his stern expression. “Our mother” indeed — this person!

“My mother doesn’t drink alcohol.” He snorted lightly. Su Zhen was overjoyed, turned back and ran to him, embracing his neck and kissing his cheek.

Xuanwu and Ming Yanchu sighed silently and quickly stepped out of the carriage. Lian Yu embraced Su Zhen in return.

At night, magnificent lamplight illuminated the eaves of several grand temple halls. This was a temple, but definitely not a simple temple. The Buddhist nunnery and meditation halls stretched continuously, their solemn majesty hidden among the verdant hills.

A carriage raced up the mountain. Reaching the main hall entrance, the carriage stopped, and a red-clothed woman with her hair wrapped in a hooded cloak hurried out.

From her perspective, the main hall was decorated grandly and magnificently, with several golden Buddhas enshrined in the center. Before the Buddhas, two old monks led about a hundred monks dressed in red kasayas in evening prayers. Two young novices outside approached with very respectful attitudes, apparently familiar with this woman.

She seemed not to have come to burn incense and worship Buddha, immediately asking: “Where is Master Jingci?”

“As usual, in her meditation room,” one said, while the other went ahead, apparently to announce her arrival.

“Mm.”

The woman responded faintly, moving very hurriedly.

That this Buddhist hall had a master nun was somewhat absurd. However, both the woman and the novices clearly didn’t think so. Passing through several courtyard gates, the young novice brought the woman to a very secluded room in the inner courtyard. This room was different from others — two middle-aged women dressed in Taoist robes were guarding it.

Seeing the woman arrive, the two nodded. One of them knocked on the door.

“Is it Yue’er? Come in.” A soft, low female voice came from inside.

This voice sounded aged but was quite sweet and pleasant, like a warbling oriole.

The woman removed her hood, revealing a beautiful face with long eyebrows extending to her temples — it was Princess Imperial Lian Yue.

The two female Taoists had already opened the door, and Lian Yue quickly entered.

The interior was very spacious, elegantly furnished with exquisitely crafted beds, desks, chairs, incense burners… At the far end, there were passages on both sides leading to inner chambers. Near one of the tables was a tea set with four cups. A woman in a purple Taoist robe stood with her back turned, slowly contemplating a hanging painting on the wall.

“Does Mother Consort have guests?” Lian Yue glanced at the still-steaming tea set on the table and asked with some question: “Who?”

“Really now, are you afraid your mother consort is having an affair? Tell me, what brings you here this time?” The woman spoke flatly as she turned around. She appeared to be in her fifties, without makeup or rouge, yet her complexion still showed a charming color, quite attractive.

This was a woman who had been very sweet and lovely when young, even more gentle and beautiful than Lian Yue. But there was a sharp glint in her eyes, and when her gaze moved, she had an imposing presence that didn’t match her appearance, indicating her extraordinary background.

This was naturally Lian Yue’s birth mother, the former emperor’s most beloved concubine, Dowager Consort Ai.

This mother of hers was also a difficult character, no less than Xiao An. Lian Yue didn’t bother with pleasantries and said directly: “Seventh Brother seems to have taken a liking to that little vixen Wei Wuyan.”

Her tone was fierce. Even Dowager Consort Ai rarely saw this, and hearing such shocking news, she was slightly stunned. However, this lady then smiled faintly: “Why must you manage him so much? Haven’t you also stolen her man? Jie’er is young-hearted, just playing with something fresh. Let him be — when he grows tired, he’ll naturally abandon her. Then you can add insult to injury. Why be anxious now?”

Hearing this, Lian Yue breathed a slight sigh: “Mother’s instruction is right. Your daughter was momentarily impetuous.”

“Mm,” Dowager Consort Ai sighed lazily, a cold smile forming at the tip of her brow: “In this imperial family, how many men are devoted to one person? Don’t worry yourself.”

“Chang’an is different,” Lian Yue said.

Dowager Consort Ai looked at her daughter: “Worthless thing! Always thinking about your little marquis. What good could come from Xiao An’s nephew! Originally, if you hadn’t been so determined to live or die, I would have preferred you marry any ordinary official’s son.”

“He’s strong — he’s led great armies, been on battlefields, and fought major battles. Mother, if he weren’t Xiao An’s nephew, you’d like him too, wouldn’t you?”

Dowager Consort Ai sneered coldly, noncommittal: “Where is he?”

“I said I wanted to have some private words with Mother and didn’t need his company.”

“With you six months pregnant, he’s comfortable with this?” Dowager Consort Ai looked at her sideways, her tone seemingly carrying a trace of strangeness.

“Originally he wasn’t comfortable. Today he almost came to blows over Seventh Brother’s disrespect toward me. But you know, he respects me. The coachman is also one of Father King’s former palace experts you were given — no weaker than his men.” Lian Yue smiled slightly.

“You’ve completely won him over? But what’s to celebrate about this? Laugh when you successfully make him abandon that woman Xiao An.”

“Mother, you know this matter cannot be accomplished overnight. She is his real aunt after all.”

“Fine, you only know how to handle me, but you serve Xiao An perfectly. Tell me, what do you really want from me this time?”

“Mother, I want to borrow some personnel from you — skilled in martial arts and with identities difficult to trace.” Lian Yue’s expression became stern, her tone serious: “You must lend them to your daughter. I want Chang’an to give his heart completely to me.”

“Personnel?” Dowager Consort Ai frowned, her expression also tightening slightly as she slowly asked: “What exactly do you want to do? Attack Wei Wuyan?”

“How could your daughter attack her! Huo Chang’an still has some old feelings. If something happened to her, wouldn’t Huo Chang’an think about her for life! Don’t ask first — your daughter has her own arrangements. You’ll know in time.” Lian Yue spoke while stroking her belly, her eyelashes casting a layer of cold shadows.

“The Princess Imperial and Her Ladyship truly have deep mother-daughter affection.” Watching Lian Yue depart, three men slowly emerged from the inner hall, one of them smiling slightly.

PS: These two sections are key points.