When the news reached Youjian Tavern, Hong Dou was sitting in the main hall cracking melon seeds.

The fragrant roasted melon seeds—tossing the shells onto the spotlessly swept floor—nothing could be more carefree.

“Miss Hong Dou, can’t you spit the melon seed shells here?” Shi Yan pushed a small basket over.

Hong Dou rolled her eyes at Shi Yan and began chatting with Kou’er.

“Do you think that Su Yao has something wrong here?” Hong Dou pointed at her head. “When our Miss thought well of him, he was reluctant. But then he took a liking to that little county princess.”

Shi Yan, standing to one side, also rolled his eyes.

If it weren’t for having eaten Miss Luo’s cooking, speaking frankly, that top scholar hadn’t chosen wrong.

Between Miss Luo who kept male companions and the demure little county princess—anyone would know which to choose.

Of course, the true situation wasn’t like that. One could only say these common mortals hadn’t discovered Miss Luo’s merits.

Kou’er spat out a melon seed shell and pursed her lips: “I said long ago he wasn’t good enough. Sure enough, I wasn’t wrong.”

Wei Han stepped inside just in time to hear Kou’er’s words.

Who wasn’t good enough?

Shi Yan had sharp eyes. Seeing Wei Han, he immediately went to greet him: “Master, you’ve returned.”

Wei Han glanced at Kou’er and asked Shi Yan nonchalantly: “Where is Miss Luo?”

“Miss Luo is in the back.”

Wei Han nodded slightly and said to Kou’er: “Please trouble yourself to tell Miss Luo that I’ve returned.”

“Your Highness, please wait a moment.” Kou’er turned and went to the back.

Wei Han sat down nearby and asked: “During the time I wasn’t in the capital, did anything happen?”

Before leaving the capital, he had instructed Shi Yan to send word if anything happened to Miss Luo, yet he hadn’t received even a scrap of paper.

“Nothing major—” Shi Yan was clever. Sensing his master’s gaze turning cold, he hurried to say, “There were two small matters related to Miss Luo.”

“Speak.”

“Not long ago, Prince Pingnan’s heir abducted Fuxue…”

Wei Han listened impassively to the end, lowering his eyes to sip his tea: “And the other matter?”

Hong Dou eagerly said: “Su Yao became engaged to Prince Pingnan residence’s young county princess.”

Wei Han gave Shi Yan a cool glance.

What did Su Yao’s engagement to Wei Wen have to do with Miss Luo?

Sensing danger, Shi Yan said with a serious expression: “This subordinate misspoke. There was only that one matter related to Miss Luo.”

At this moment Kou’er lifted the curtain and emerged: “Your Highness, our Miss requests your presence in the courtyard.”

Wei Han set down his teacup, rose, and walked inside.

In the courtyard, the persimmon tree had become lush with foliage, with unripe fruit hanging from its branches.

The young woman waited quietly beside the persimmon tree. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, falling upon her and gilding her plain-colored dress with a faint golden hue.

Wei Han couldn’t help quickening his steps.

Luo Sheng pointed at the stone stool opposite the stone table: “Your Highness, please sit.”

Wei Han sat down and looked carefully at Luo Sheng.

Her expression was serene, her gaze gentle—she didn’t look angry with him.

He had been away so long, perhaps Miss Luo had forgotten…

Wei Han secretly breathed a sigh of relief and passed over his gift: “I brought some local specialties for Miss Luo.”

The travel-worn man and the carefully wrapped gift formed a striking contrast for a moment.

Luo Sheng struggled for an instant between canceling meal gifts and pretending to forget, then calmly accepted the gift: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

So be it. If he dared touch her head again in the future, canceling meal gifts wouldn’t be too late.

But now, naturally there were more important matters to discuss.

“Your Highness, come with me.”

The two rose and went into the house.

The sun in early June was already somewhat fierce. The youth chopping wood at the base of the wall glanced this way and felt it was quite routine.

The youth shook off sweat droplets and continued chopping wood.

The monotonous sound of wood chopping carried into the house, yet Wei Han found it quite pleasing to the ear.

Indeed, nowhere was as good as coming back here.

Wei Han poured a cup of tea for Luo Sheng and conveniently poured one for himself as well.

The clear tea entered his mouth, bitter with a slight sweetness afterward.

The tea was good tea.

He then picked up a piece of mint cake from the plate and ate it.

The cool, refreshing mint cake was also delicious.

Luo Sheng fell silent.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but Prince Kaiyang seemed even more familiar than before he left.

This discovery again gave her the impulse to cancel meal gifts.

Sure enough, acting as if nothing had happened would make this man take a mile when given an inch, wouldn’t it?

During the silence, Wei Han ate a second piece of mint cake.

“Has Your Highness not eaten his fill?”

Wei Han honestly nodded: “I came here as soon as I entered the city. I haven’t returned to the Prince’s residence yet.”

Luo Sheng moved her lips and stood up: “Then Your Highness should eat first. I’ll go get something.”

Wei Han watched that figure enter the inner room and didn’t touch the mint cake again.

After all, he wasn’t someone who loved sweets.

Before long Luo Sheng emerged and passed over a register: “Obtained from Zhu Wu.”

Wei Han took the register and looked through it, his expression turning cold.

As expected, the Crown Prince was implicated in this.

Luo Sheng quietly waited for Wei Han’s reaction.

Wei Han closed the register and returned to calmness: “What thoughts does Miss Luo have regarding the Crown Prince?”

Luo Sheng said coldly: “He is the mastermind behind my father’s imprisonment. Naturally I don’t want him to have an easy time.”

“Then I’ll keep this register first and find an opportunity to present it to His Majesty.”

“Your Highness doesn’t plan to present it immediately?”

Wei Han shook his head: “Since we’re going to deal with the Crown Prince, when we strike, we cannot give him a chance to recover. Presenting the register at this time would certainly enrage His Majesty, but it’s still not enough.”

Not enough to enrage His Majesty to the point of deciding to depose the Crown Prince.

In that case, it was better to patiently wait for an opportune moment.

Luo Sheng smiled: “I also think waiting would be better.”

Waiting to see if good news would come from Noble Consort Xiao’s side.

Time slowly flowed to July. The trees reached their most lush stage, and the cries of cicadas were somewhat annoying.

In Yuhua Palace, several young palace attendants climbed tall trees to catch cicadas.

Her Ladyship the Noble Consort had been feeling somewhat unwell these days—they couldn’t let these cicadas disturb Her Ladyship any longer.

Noble Consort Xiao at this moment was not asleep.

Her chest felt as if turbid energy swirled within, and she couldn’t get comfortable no matter what.

“Your Ladyship, the imperial physician has come to check your pulse.”

“Let him enter.”

Before long, the imperial physician entered quietly on light feet, his manner respectful as he took Noble Consort Xiao’s pulse.

Once he began taking the pulse, it didn’t end for quite some time.

Noble Consort Xiao glanced at the imperial physician and frowned slightly.

These imperial physicians who regularly checked the pulses of palace nobles had long since cultivated the ability to remain expressionless even if Mount Tai collapsed before them. Why was Imperial Physician Yang so abnormal today?

“Imperial Physician Yang, what exactly is wrong with me?” After waiting for some time without hearing the physician speak, Noble Consort Xiao asked impatiently.

Under normal circumstances, she disdained to lose her temper easily with people outside Yuhua Palace, but these past days she had somehow been irritable and vexed.

“Your Ladyship, please wait a moment.” The imperial physician switched to the other hand.

Noble Consort Xiao saw sweat beading on the imperial physician’s forehead, and her heart sank.

In previous years when the weather turned hot, although she had been somewhat listless, it had never been this severe. Could she have contracted some serious illness?

For that one instant, Noble Consort Xiao’s thoughts went in a certain direction, but she quickly rejected it.

Because she hoped too much, she dared not think about it.

She always felt that showing that hope would make disappointment more likely.

With child? That was something she absolutely must not think about.