Even now, Luo Sheng still remembered how Zhaohua looked when she spoke those words.

Somewhat disheveled, somewhat ashamed, but mostly calm.

She had naturally nodded her head, agreeing to help keep this secret.

She knew that with Zhaohua’s temperament, she would never mention that young man again, regardless of whether she had truly let him go from her heart.

That was not only Zhaohua’s affection for Xiu Yue, but also stemmed from a young girl’s pride.

If it weren’t to make Zhaohua believe she was truly Princess Qingyang, she shouldn’t have brought it up.

And after Luo Sheng asked this question, Zhaohua’s body swayed and she hurriedly stopped walking.

“Court Lady, what’s wrong?” Qing’er, who was following behind, quickly rushed forward.

Zhaohua held the side of her skirt with one hand, her face showing pain: “I’ve twisted my ankle.”

Perhaps because it hurt too much, tears involuntarily fell.

“What, what should we do?” Thinking they were outdoors, Qing’er panicked a bit.

“First help the Court Lady to my tent, then you go fetch the Imperial Physician for your Court Lady.” Luo Sheng arranged everything methodically.

Qing’er couldn’t help but look toward Zhaohua.

Zhaohua frowned and nodded: “Go.”

“Then please bear with it, this servant will fetch the Imperial Physician right away.”

Luo Sheng smiled and instructed: “Hong Dou, help Court Lady Yu into the tent.”

“Yes.” Hong Dou crisply responded, swept a glance at the delicate Zhaohua, and directly picked her up.

Besides Qing’er, Zhaohua had brought four palace attendants, who were all now dumbstruck.

It wasn’t until Hong Dou whirlwinded in and whirlwinded back out that the four people snapped out of their daze and lifted their feet to walk into the tent.

“Stop!” Hong Dou stretched out her hand to block them. “Our young lady doesn’t like many people entering her tent. The four of you should wait outside.”

One palace attendant couldn’t help but say: “This isn’t according to the rules—”

“Rules?” Hong Dou’s voice immediately rose. “What’s wrong with the rules? This is our young lady’s resting tent, there’s no wild man hidden inside, how is it against the rules?”

The four people’s faces all turned green upon hearing this.

Wild man? What, what kind of talk was this!

But the little maid wasn’t finished: “You should know your Court Lady twisted her own ankle. Our young lady showed kindness out of the goodness of her heart—is that wrong? If you think it’s against the rules, then you can carry your Court Lady away right now!”

Seeing the little maid’s voice getting louder and louder, the four people nearly knelt down.

“Elder sister, please don’t be angry, we spoke wrongly.”

Hong Dou rolled her eyes: “That’s more like it.”

Calling her elder sister—how annoying!

The four palace attendants didn’t dare say another word, exchanging glances with each other.

How has this fierce and domineering maid survived until now?

For people of their lowly status, they really shouldn’t have entered the palace—outside, one can apparently be this arrogant.

Hong Dou, acting as a door guardian, naturally didn’t worry at all about the consequences of offending people.

These kinds of palace attendants who could only sweep fallen leaves in the palace—if she offended them, so be it.

Inside the tent, Luo Sheng asked softly: “How’s your foot?”

Zhaohua shook her head, staring intently at her.

“Miss Luo.”

“Mm?”

“Who is Yang Zhun?”

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “Yang Zhun? He’s one young lady’s fiancé, and also another young lady’s beloved. After Yang Zhun became another young lady’s fiancé, that young lady cut down the ribbon hanging on the osmanthus tree and told me she had let him go from then on.”

Zhaohua covered her mouth, tears streaming down.

Yang Zhun was the person she had secretly placed in her heart when her feelings first awakened. Only the Princess knew this secret.

Taking it to the extreme, even if the Princess would tell someone, that person would absolutely not be Xiu Yue.

Xiu Yue hadn’t recognized her wrongly—Miss Luo was the Princess!

Zhaohua looked at Luo Sheng, tears streaming down her face.

Luo Sheng looked back at Zhaohua, a smile at the corners of her lips.

There was no time worse than when she had just awakened to learn her entire household had been destroyed.

Now she had her younger brother, had Xiu Yue, and had Zhaohua. She would walk forward with full confidence.

“Princess—” Zhaohua mumbled out these two words, then suddenly thought of something.

She forcefully removed the gold-inlaid seven-treasure bracelet from her wrist, pressed it into Luo Sheng’s hand, and said word by word: “Princess, this servant has not failed your trust. I return the bracelet to you intact.”

Luo Sheng closed her palm but didn’t take the bracelet.

“Princess?” Zhaohua was bewildered.

Luo Sheng looked steadily at her, her voice low but each word clear: “I can take back the bracelet, but my trust in you is not yet complete.”

Zhaohua’s lashes trembled. She said softly: “Please give your orders, Princess.”

Luo Sheng’s gaze fell toward the tent entrance, and she sighed lightly: “The road ahead is too difficult. I need you and Xiu Yue to keep walking with me.”

Zhaohua’s heart shook. She gritted her teeth and nodded: “This servant obeys your command.”

Luo Sheng looked at her, and seeing no evasion in those eyes that shimmered with tears, only then did she take the gold-inlaid seven-treasure bracelet and at the same time hand over the other gold-inlaid seven-treasure bracelet.

The two of them almost simultaneously slipped the bracelets back onto their wrists.

At this moment, even if someone came in, they wouldn’t realize the bracelets had quietly been exchanged.

The bracelets were originally a pair—what a perfect exchange.

Luo Sheng gently stroked the bracelet on her wrist.

On the bracelet, it seemed to still carry Zhaohua’s body warmth.

Her heart was filled with endless emotion for a moment.

This bracelet that could change the fate of the realm had been guarded by Zhaohua for twelve years and had finally returned to her hands.

“Young lady, the Imperial Physician has arrived.” At the tent entrance, Hong Dou’s voice rang out.

Soon a group of people walked in, led by Imperial Noble Consort Xiao.

“I heard Court Lady Yu twisted her ankle.”

Zhaohua, sitting on the low couch, quickly bowed toward Imperial Noble Consort Xiao: “This consort was reckless and has caused Your Ladyship to worry.”

“When out and about, Court Lady Yu should indeed be more careful. Imperial Physician, please examine Court Lady Yu.”

The Imperial Physician brought by Qing’er carried his medicine box forward. After an examination, he said: “It’s just a slight sprain. Rubbing and kneading with medicated wine to invigorate blood circulation will do.”

The actual implementation would naturally be left to the palace maids.

Qing’er followed the Imperial Physician to the side, carefully listening to the Imperial Physician’s instructions.

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao said: “This Palace has already sent someone back to call for a sedan chair. When the sedan chair arrives, Court Lady Yu can return.”

Zhaohua said with trepidation: “Thank you, Your Ladyship.”

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao looked at the anxious and delicate woman, slight disdain in her eyes.

Although Court Lady Yu was beautiful, her temperament was rather dull. She didn’t know how she had gained the Crown Prince’s exclusive favor.

Supposedly it was because of her former master?

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao pondered this, then took her leave of Luo Sheng: “Having seen what should be seen, this Palace will return first.”

“Respectfully seeing off Imperial Noble Consort.” Luo Sheng bent her knees slightly, seeing Imperial Noble Consort Xiao out of the tent.

When Luo Sheng returned, Zhaohua smiled and said: “I’m clumsy with my hands and feet. Last night following the cook, I didn’t learn how to make fish brain in sour soup. Since I’m here today, I wonder if the cook could teach me again?”

“Court Lady Yu has injured your foot and it’s inconvenient to go over and watch. Why don’t we have Xiu Gu come over and explain how to season it?”

Zhaohua quickly expressed her thanks, and naturally sent Qing’er out.

The head cook would only teach one person—Qing’er and the others had known this since yesterday.

Finally, only the master and two servants remained in the tent.

Xiu Yue held Zhaohua, crying and laughing, finally saying repeatedly: “How did you become Court Lady Yu? If not for the Princess, I would have misunderstood you…”

Zhaohua scoffed: “Isn’t it all because that person wanted to disgust people, saying something about ‘a piece of ice heart in a jade vase.'”