The most favored Princess Jiu’er in the palace had arrived, and even the Third Prince accompanied her by her side. Everyone who saw her immediately dropped to their knees in fright — who would dare say a word?

The medicine attendant who had struck someone with the wooden box, after kneeling down, was trembling uncontrollably with fear.

He had no idea whether the Princess had heard the words he had spoken just moments ago — how could he not be in a panic?

“How audacious! Who gave you the right to address the Princess by her name directly?”

Though the medicine official was particularly fond of Yanu, in the presence of the Princess, he did not dare show favoritism.

He had wanted to first punish Yanu as a way to appease the Princess’s anger, but looking at this young man’s delicate and fair complexion, he simply could not bring himself to lay a hand on him.

Yanu was only stunned for a brief moment before he knelt down before Feng Jiu’er and Feng Jiang, saying in a low voice: “This servant pays respects to the Princess, and to the Third Prince!”

The crimson staining his face did nothing to diminish his beauty — on the contrary, it lent him a poignant and captivating charm.

Even Feng Jiang could not help but acknowledge that this young man was truly remarkably handsome.

No wonder everyone had assumed he had previously served the Princess in an intimate capacity — a man this handsome being favored by the Princess was not at all a strange thing.

Still, Feng Jiang knew that his little sister had no such thoughts at the moment.

Feng Jiu’er walked over to where Yanu knelt. Yanu simply kept his head lowered, saying nothing.

Jiu’er crouched down.

The moment the Princess crouched, everyone else immediately followed by kneeling further — everyone, that is, except Feng Jiang, who remained standing to the side.

No one knew what the Princess intended to do — was she angry, or was she… filled with pity?

Indeed, it seemed so — looking at the gaze with which the Princess regarded Yanu, it carried a distinct trace of pity!

Several of the younger medicine attendants were utterly frightened. Did this not mean that Yanu had a chance to redeem himself?

And if so, would they not be done for?

Feng Jiu’er said nothing. From the pouch she carried on her person, she took out medicine and bandages and swiftly tended to his wound.

The wound was not particularly large, but the skin on Yanu’s face was simply too pale and delicate.

Vivid red blood had streaked across it, creating a sight that was rather alarming — which was why it had appeared as though the injury was far more severe than it truly was.

As the Princess applied medicine to him, Yanu said not a single word from beginning to end, only staring at her in a daze.

His heart ached. Things that had once been so ordinary now felt so rare and precious.

After Jiu’er finished dressing the wound, she also wiped his face clean before saying: “Get up.”

Yanu rose. But the others remained kneeling.

Not one of them dared breathe a sound — the more kindly the Princess treated Yanu, the more frightened they became.

After all, they had bullied Yanu just moments ago.

After rising, Yanu instinctively moved to return to Jiu’er’s side, behind her.

But no sooner had he taken that first step than he pulled his foot back.

He had already been dismissed from the Princess’s chambers and was no longer the Princess’s person — going to stand at her side was no longer appropriate.

This handsome young man simply stood before her in a daze, looking rather at a loss for what to do with himself.

When all was said and done, Feng Jiu’er felt a bittersweet ache in her heart — though she could not understand why, there was always a certain sullen feeling pressing inside her chest.

This feeling could not be vented, and she herself did not even know why it sat there, pent up like this.

Her gaze swept over to the herbs scattered across the floor: “What is the value of these herbs?”

A medicine official immediately replied: “These herbs are tributes sent from the regions below. If assessed at market prices, they would be worth approximately three to four hundred taels of silver.”

“And what is this medicine attendant’s monthly stipend?” Feng Jiu’er pointed to the attendant who had just struck Yanu with the box.

“Furthermore, this box looks quite exquisite and must be of considerable value — how much is it worth?”

The medicine attendant kept trembling, desperately wanting to plead with the medicine official, but in the Princess’s presence, the official dared not conceal the truth.

“In response to the Princess — this box is a palace item and has never circulated on the open market, so its price is difficult to determine. However…”

He thought for a moment before continuing: “If one absolutely had to place a value on it, the cost of making it… would likely fall somewhere between fifty and sixty taels of silver.”

“As for this medicine attendant, his monthly stipend is thirty taels of silver.”

“Oh! It seems the monthly stipend is not inconsiderable — our palace is quite well-off indeed.”

As for where Jiu’er’s understanding of market prices came from, she herself did not quite know.

Yet in her heart, it was as though she had a scale, and she simply knew how to measure things.

She said: “Then let it be deducted accordingly. I have no particular fondness for beatings and the like, so the rod punishment — we can set that aside. We will simply deduct it at the assessed value, taken from his monthly stipend until it is paid off in full.”

The medicine attendant’s face fell miserably, yet he still had to kowtow, his expression full of sorrow: “Th-thank you, Princess!”

With only thirty taels a month, the value of what he had caused to be spilled would mean having at least a year and a half’s worth of his stipend docked.

How was he to live through that year and a half?

“You need not despair. The palace will provide you with meals to eat, a place to stay, and even the clothes on your back will be provided by the palace according to standard issue. You will not starve, nor will you end up on the streets — what is there to fear?”

So it was simply a matter of having no money for a time — one could still live.

The medicine attendant could only kowtow repeatedly: “Yes, this servant thanks the Princess for her mercy!”

Feng Jiu’er withdrew the smile from her lips and looked at Yanu: “You have been sulking for quite long enough. Now — are you willing to come back with me to the Princess’s chambers?”

Yanu was taken aback. What did the Princess mean by these words?

He… had not sulked at the Princess at all. And as for the Princess’s chambers, he had not left of his own accord — it was the Princess who had driven him away.

But the Princess’s words caused everyone around them to suddenly regard Yanu in a completely different light.

So this handsome young man had actually stormed off on his own after having a falling out with the Princess.

They had all assumed the Princess had cast him aside — how had it turned out to be… this kind of reason!

This Yanu was truly too oblivious to his own good fortune — he had actually dared to throw a tantrum at the Princess!

And yet… the Princess truly did seem to like him very much.

Yanu looked at Feng Jiu’er, unable to quite come back to his senses.

But Jiu’er took the initiative to reach out her hand and clasp his large palm in hers: “You have sulked enough. Let us go back.”

And so Yanu, still in a daze, followed her out of the medicine storehouse and back toward the Princess’s chambers.

The entire way, Yanu said not a word, only watching Feng Jiu’er’s profile.

Jiu’er did not speak either. Once they had walked out of the medicine storehouse, she released Yanu’s hand and walked on ahead.

Feng Jiang watched the two of them and could not quite make out what Jiu’er was thinking.

Yet this girl, despite appearing careless and scatterbrained, was clearly possessed of a profound and quiet wisdom.

She was, in truth, extraordinarily perceptive — this much, Feng Jiang was beginning to firmly believe.

The Jiu’er who appeared before their Imperial Father was a mask, yet she played the role so convincingly that had Feng Jiang not spent time with her in ordinary daily life, he was certain he would never have been able to see through it.

Yet everyone before the Emperor wished to present their very best face, hoping to earn their Imperial Father’s praise and favor.

So why did Jiu’er deliberately present herself before the Emperor as incapable and mediocre?

Even though the position of crown heir would surely be hers, if she appeared too incompetent, their Imperial Father would not dare entrust the empire to her so readily.

What on earth was this Imperial Sister of his, Princess Jiu’er, thinking?