Father King smiled and patted Yu Wensang’s head, saying, “Sanger has grown up and looks exactly like your Queen Mother when she was young, just as clever too.”

“Oh? So you’re praising Mother Queen rather than praising Sanger then?” Yu Wensang pretended to be angry as she released her hands and pouted.

“You little girl, always causing mischief. You’re nearly an adult, yet you still act so improperly.” Queen Yuwen walked into the garden. Though her words sounded scolding, her face was full of smiles.

“Father King was just praising you,” Yu Wensang reached out to grab Queen Yuwen’s arm while still keeping her other arm around Father King’s neck.

“Come down now. Acting like this, do you still think you’re a child?” Queen Yuwen reached out to pull away Yu Wensang’s arm from around Father King’s neck, pushing Yu Wensang to stand properly before her.

Father King smiled gently as he looked Yu Wensang over, then reached out to take Queen Yuwen’s hand and gently held it in his palm, sighing, “Look, Sanger has grown so big, carved from the same mold as you were back then, so beautiful it’s impossible to look away.”

Queen Yuwen turned her head to glare at King Yuwen with feigned annoyance, saying, “I’m already a yellow-faced old woman, yet you bring up how I was back then—aren’t you deliberately trying to provoke me? Back then, I never heard you praise my beauty, but now you use our daughter to make your point. Too late!”

King Yuwen reached out with his other hand to pat the back of Queen Yuwen’s hand, his gaze tender as he smiled gently, “You were just as beautiful then as you are now.”

“That’s right, Queen Mother is the most beautiful. I’m just basking in Queen Yuwen’s glory,” Yu Wensang quickly laughed in agreement.

Queen Yuwen bent down and lightly tapped Yu Wensang’s nose, saying, “You’re the only one who knows how to talk.”

…

…

“Didn’t I tell Sanger that honesty is a virtue? Sanger is just being honest!” Yu Wensang lifted her head with complete certainty, making both King Yuwen and Queen Yuwen burst into laughter at her serious expression.

Just as the three were laughing happily, an old palace servant came running into the garden, bowing respectfully to report that Princess Chang had arrived at the manor. Queen Yuwen immediately headed toward the front hall, with Father King also pulling Yu Wensang along.

“Princess Aunt!” As soon as Yu Wensang entered the hall, she ran forward and embraced a noble lady sitting in a chair. The lady had her hair styled in an elegant, wealthy flower arrangement, adorned with three silver hairpins and a golden peony. Though no longer young, she was exceptionally gentle and noble.

“Sanger, it’s only been a few months since we last met, and you’ve grown taller again.” Princess Chang smiled as she examined Yu Wensang in her arms, her face full of smiles.

Queen Yuwen reached out to pull away Yu Wensang’s arms from around her aunt, laughing, “Sanger gets overexcited whenever someone visits. I hope Princess doesn’t mind the embarrassment.”

Princess Chang smiled and shook her head, saying, “You and the King are blessed. The Prince and I don’t have such a fortune.” As she spoke, Princess Chang let out a slight sigh.

Prince Anding of the Yuwen clan, who was also King Yuwen’s blood brother, had been injured in the war against the demon clan years ago and had never been able to have children—this was a great heartache for the Yuwen clan. Yu Wensang knew that Princess Chang had touched upon a painful subject again, so she quickly interjected with a bright smile, “Princess Aunt, did you bring anything interesting from your visit to the Dragon King?”

“Does this count? This is a fragrance pouch I brought back from a seaside place called Pengcheng. It’s quite fragrant. It was originally a tribute meant for the human royal court.” Princess Chang smiled as she handed the fragrance pouch to Yu Wensang, who immediately accepted it with delight and gratitude. Upon careful examination, the pouch had a light azure base color with jasmine flower patterns embroidered in plain silver thread—the flowers were elegant and lifelike. Taking a closer sniff, the pouch truly contained dried jasmine flowers. Turning it over, she saw a small line of embroidered characters: “Holding your hand.”

“This fragrance pouch is truly exquisite. Sanger thanks Princess Chang.” Yu Wensang bowed in gratitude, and Princess Chang quickly gestured for her to dispense with the formalities.

“Well then, your father and I will chat with your aunt about some matters. If you have nothing to do, go play in the back courtyard. I’ve already had Huayi prepare a qin for you.” Queen Yuwen smiled and signaled to the maid Huayi standing nearby, who then bowed to Yu Wensang and gestured for her to follow back to the rear hall.

“More Qin practice, sigh…” Yu Wensang let out a deep, disappointed sigh, but having no choice, she could only purse her lips and follow Huayi to the back courtyard.

“Huayi, why must I learn the qin? I’m not going to sing for money!” Yu Wensang walked while gazing at the beautiful weather outside the corridor.

Huayi, who was the same age as Yu Wensang, turned to look at her and laughed softly, covering her mouth, “Learning the qin cultivates the heart and calms the spirit—that’s what the Queen says.”

“Father King is an elegant gentleman, and his qin music is all about Mother Queen. I can’t play that matter how I try, I just can’t find the right feeling.” Reaching the door, Yu Wensang didn’t wait for Huayi to help, directly pushing open the door and entering the room.

It was a two-section room. The left side contained a dark sandalwood bed surrounded by Yu Wensang’s favorite light azure gauze curtains. To the right of the headboard was a screen embroidered with lotus flowers, beyond which stretched a row of tables and shelving holding ceramic decorations and various trinkets Yu Wensang enjoyed. Opposite the sandalwood bed, three cypress wood wardrobes leaned against the wall. In the center of the room sat a large round table with tea sets and fruits. The outer room contained a writing desk and a qin table, with a floor-standing rack holding bamboo scrolls and several landscape paintings hanging on the walls.

“Huayi, what day is it today?” Yu Wensang lifted her skirt and sat down at the qin table, asking casually.

“Today is the fifteenth. The princess’s birthday is in twenty more days.” Huayi smiled as she brought over a cup of tea.

Yu Wensang’s eyes immediately lit up as she raised her head, “The fifteenth? Doesn’t that mean there’s a fair?”

Huayi nodded, “Yes, the streets are quite lively today.”

Yu Wensang shot up with a whoosh, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, “Huayi, go get my men’s clothing!”

Upon hearing this, Huayi’s eyes widened immediately as she waved her hands frantically, “You’re not planning to sneak out again, are you?”

Yu Wensang walked directly around Huayi, excitedly running to the wardrobe where she bent down and reached into the innermost compartment, skillfully pulling out a set of men’s clothing, “Hehe… such beautiful spring weather—staying inside practicing qin would be such a waste!”

In no time, Yu Wensang had already put on the azure scholar’s robe she’d pulled out, then ran to sit before the mirror and let down her hair, styling it in a man’s fashion while saying, “Huayi, same as always—you sit there and practice qin, and I’ll bring you something delicious when I return.”

Huayi’s face showed extreme distress at Yu Wensang’s enthusiasm, her brows furrowed in deep concern, “I urge you not to go. You can’t leave the palace now, precisely because last time you returned too late from the fair, causing everyone in the palace to worry, which is why you were confined for a month. In just a few more days, you’ll be able to go out openly—why take this risk?”

Yu Wensang dismissively waved her hand as she took some oil paints from a box to darken her face, saying, “Ah, in a few more days the fair will be over. What’s there to see on ordinary trips to the streets?” She then turned around with a charming smile to look at Huayi, taking her hands and continuing, “Good Huayi, I’ll return very early today. Just stay in the room for two hours and I’ll be back. Please sit down…”