Indeed, when their family discovered the child was missing, they were frantic with worry and searched everywhere. At this time, Zheng An approached Nanny Tong, demanding she take responsibility for poisoning Li Chengzong, or else wait to collect her grandson’s corpse. Not wanting her little grandson to lose his life, Nanny Tong had no choice but to agree to their demands. After leaving that letter, she hanged herself.

Zheng An had conducted this matter extremely secretly. Apart from the deceased Nanny Tong, no one else knew the truth. The kidnapped child might know something, but as a three-year-old child, how could he clearly explain such a complex matter?

Liuye consoled her, “Miss is blessed by heaven and is the master’s legitimate wife. Even without this servant’s method, you would have been fine.”

“Legitimate wife?” Zheng Shi laughed mockingly. “When has my husband ever regarded me as his legitimate wife? Since marrying him in the eighth year of the Daye era, I’ve fulfilled my wifely duties conscientiously. When he wanted to take concubines, I allowed it. When he favored only Lady Ji, I never said a word and even took care of Lady Ji and the sickly child she bore in every way. What did I get in return? His suspicion and doubt, his cold cruelty. Since my confinement was lifted and I’ve been bedridden, he’s only come once, said a few words and left, as if there were fierce beasts here to bite him. It truly breaks one’s heart.”

“Master was indeed excessive this time, but miss, if you keep thinking about these things, you’ll only make yourself suffer. Try to be more open-minded. Although master isn’t good, at least you still have Second Young Master and the child in your womb.”

The child in her womb seemed to hear Liuye’s words and kicked Zheng Shi forcefully. She smiled bitterly, “I thought that as long as I bore him children, he would look at me more. So I prayed to gods everywhere, drank countless bitter medicines, and finally got my wish by giving birth to Chengdao and conceiving a second child. What was the result? He still favors Lady Ji more than me, likes that sickly child more than Chengdao.” At this point, her usually dignified face contorted like a demon’s. “Why? Lady Ji is just a dancing girl. What gives her the right to have all this? What gives her child the right to be above Chengdao? Why!”

Seeing her emotional agitation, Liuye quickly said, “Miss, calm your anger. Master is just temporarily bewitched by her. Sooner or later he’ll understand that miss is the one worthy of his sincere treatment.”

“I’m afraid he’ll never understand in his lifetime!” Zheng Shi spoke these words coldly, her eyes shooting cold light. “Jirong… I will never let this matter rest with her!”

After this day, Zheng Shi’s condition gradually improved, and she and Lady Ji resumed their former closeness – though whether it was genuine or false closeness, only they themselves knew.

On the fifth day of the twelfth month in the thirteenth year of the Daye era, Yang You’s enthronement day arrived. Although he was merely a puppet emperor, Li Yuan still prepared with great care. The entire city of Chang’an swept its streets clean, hung lanterns and decorations, celebrating the new emperor’s ascension together.

On this morning, a woman in dirty clothes appeared at Kaiyuan Gate on the western side of Chang’an city. After entering the city gate, she looked at the unusually lively Chang’an with great surprise. In her memory, although Chang’an was still a great city, due to Yang Guang’s poor governance, it was no longer as prosperous and lively as before.

She stopped a passerby and asked, “Excuse me, why is the city so lively?”

The person looked her over and said, “You must have just arrived in Chang’an?”

“Yes, I just entered the city.” Hearing the woman’s words, the person smiled, “No wonder you don’t know. Let me tell you – today is the new emperor’s enthronement day, so naturally it’s extraordinarily lively.”

“New emperor?” The woman tightly furrowed her slender eyebrows. “Isn’t Chang’an the place where the Acting Emperor stays? How did a new emperor suddenly appear?” At this point, her eyelid twitched, and she said urgently, “Don’t tell me even Chang’an has been occupied by those rebels?”

The person said with displeasure, “What rebels? Woman, don’t speak nonsense. After Duke Li entered the city, he abolished cruel laws, opened prisons to free prisoners, and supported the Acting Emperor as emperor. He’s the greatest loyal minister in the realm.”

“Duke Li…” The woman asked puzzledly, “Which Duke Li are you talking about?”

“You woman really know nothing. Who else but Duke Tang?” His words made the woman’s face change. All along her journey, she had only focused on hiding and concealing her identity, rarely interacting with people. She didn’t know Li Yuan had already reached Chang’an – and this was only half a year since his rebellion began. What remarkable speed.

Seeing the person about to leave, she quickly grabbed him, “You just said Duke Li supported the Acting Emperor as emperor. That means today’s enthroned new emperor is the Acting Emperor, right?”

“Right.” The person responded, then shook his head, “If you ask me, Duke Li should be the one sitting on the throne. The Acting Emperor is only thirteen years old – what could he understand?”

Hearing this, the woman who had just shown joy immediately bristled with anger and scolded, “How dare you say such treasonous words! Although the current situation is somewhat chaotic, this realm still belongs to the Yang family. The Acting Emperor’s enthronement is perfectly natural. When is it the turn of someone surnamed Li to sit on the throne?”

Upon hearing this, the person immediately became displeased, “What do you mean ‘surnamed Yang’? Where is that written? Hmph, Emperor Yang was licentious and tyrannical, oppressing the people and causing chaos throughout the realm. If not for Duke Li’s benevolence and remembrance of old friendship, the Acting Emperor… hah, probably wouldn’t even have his life!”

The woman said angrily, “How dare you speak of the new emperor this way! Believe it or not, I’ll report you to the authorities and have you arrested!”

The person looked at her like she was a monster, “I say, woman, are you sick and confused? Why do you keep saying strange things?”

The woman glared at him hatefully and said angrily, “Ignorant commoner, I won’t argue with you!” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving the bewildered person behind.

As the woman walked, she muttered hatefully, “It seems there are quite a few unruly people in Chang’an city. When I see You’er, I must have him properly punish these unruly people and see if they still dare to be insolent.”

This woman was none other than Princess Xin’an. On the day Yuwen Zhiji, Pei Qiantong, and others rebelled, she happened to be outside the city enjoying herself with a newly acquired male lover, thus avoiding disaster. After learning of Yang Guang’s death, she knew she could never return to Jiangdu. At that time, only a few major cities like Luoyang and Chang’an remained under Yang control. Chang’an was guarded by Yang You, while Luoyang was guarded by Yang Tong. Although Yang Tong was even younger, his temperament was not as good as Yang You’s. So after some consideration, Princess Xin’an decided to come to Chang’an to seek refuge with Yang You. However, the journey was far from easy. There was chaos and warfare everywhere, and she had been constantly on edge, dodging and avoiding to prevent accidentally offending someone and bringing fatal disaster upon herself. She was no longer the mighty Princess Xin’an of before.

To make matters worse, halfway through the journey, the male lover she had kept by her side actually stole all her money while she slept. For the rest of the journey, she had survived by begging. As a princess, this was the first time she had suffered such hardship. But she had finally arrived. Although Li Yuan had entered Chang’an, fortunately the throne still belonged to the Yang family and hadn’t fallen into Li Yuan’s hands, so she could still be her princess.