Inside the Princess’s estate, the air was thick with fragrance. Princess Changle stood barefoot upon Su Yao’s body, her expression frigid. “What exactly did you say to Luo Sheng?”

Anguish struggled in Su Yao’s eyes, yet he couldn’t utter a single word.

With each passing moment, he felt the agony of losing his ability to speak more acutely.

This rendered him powerless over the people and matters he had once influenced so effortlessly with mere words.

Like Princess Changle before him now, looking at him as one might regard an ant.

In this woman’s eyes, he could no longer see any interest—only resentful anger.

Watching the man’s lips move soundlessly, Princess Changle raised an eyebrow. “This palace forgot—you’re mute now.”

As she spoke, she rose and approached Su Yao, kicking him hard in the abdomen.

Su Yao clutched his stomach and staggered backward repeatedly, his expression twisted in pain.

He couldn’t help thinking: In the past, if he had merely frowned and said it hurt, what he would have received was sympathy.

Princess Changle cared nothing for what Su Yao was thinking.

To her, only people who interested her were worth a proper glance. Those who were boring weren’t even as good as the goldfish kept in the glass bowl on her windowsill.

“Was it you who leaked the secret?” Princess Changle drew closer, her manner aggressive. “Did you instigate this palace to bring Luo Sheng into the palace on one hand, while secretly going to tip her off on the other?”

Su Yao shook his head, his mouth only able to produce fragmented whimpering sounds.

“Someone come! Lock him in the stables for this palace!”

Soon two servants came and dragged away the once supremely distinguished top scholar.

Princess Changle, still unsatisfied with her anger, raised her foot and walked into the meditation chamber.

Inside the meditation chamber, incense mist swirled thickly. The beautiful face of the Longevity Immortal Maiden seemed veiled in a layer of mystery.

Princess Changle walked over, raised her hand to caress the Longevity Immortal Maiden’s cheek, and murmured, “Are you lonely? How about I have the top scholar come keep you company? Though he’s mute now, the genuine talent and learning in his belly is still there.”

The Longevity Immortal Maiden’s eyes were compassionate, as if quite satisfied with this proposal.

“No.” Princess Changle shook her head and tapped the Longevity Immortal Maiden’s body. “A’Sheng said this place is more suitable for housing young girls.”

A’Sheng—

Thinking of her childhood friend, Princess Changle pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes reddening with grievance.

Had she known it would come to this, she wouldn’t have said those things to Father Emperor.

Then Luo Sheng wouldn’t have fled the capital, and she wouldn’t have become even lonelier…

Princess Changle raised her eyes and gazed at the Longevity Immortal Maiden as tears fell.

It turned out she was even lonelier than the Longevity Immortal Maiden.

Ever since that year when Third Sister fell from her horse and died before her with her neck twisted, ordinary joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures could no longer stimulate her.

She had truly loved A’Sheng, who had twisted off that peacock’s neck without hesitation.

But her A’Sheng could never return.

Her slender, pale hand gently stroked the Longevity Immortal Maiden’s cheek, sliding downward inch by inch.

A thunderous crash rang out as that hand angrily pushed over the Longevity Immortal Maiden’s statue.

A maidservant who heard the commotion called out urgently from outside the door: “Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Come in.” With the Longevity Immortal Maiden shattered into pieces, Princess Changle had regained her calm. “Clean this up and fetch a new Longevity Immortal Maiden from the storeroom.”

After giving these instructions, Princess Changle walked out.

The maidservant crouching on the ground cleaning up the divine statue trembled all over, feeling only that this fragrance-heavy meditation chamber was eerie and terrifying, making one want only to flee.

She inadvertently met the smiling yet not-smiling eyes on the Longevity Immortal Maiden’s severed head and was so frightened she fell backward onto the ground, covering her mouth tightly with both hands.

In the capital, the tremendous upheaval caused by Grand Commander Luo’s defection had not yet subsided when a rumor that suddenly spread throughout the streets and alleys stirred up another tremendous wave.

It was said that the imperial announcement selecting women born at the hour of mao on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year Wuchen to enter the palace was not at all because the Imperial Preceptor had calculated that women with this birth date and time possessed phoenix destiny, but rather to kill them as sacrificial offerings to the gods, adding blessings and longevity to Princess Changle.

It was also said that previously they had already killed a batch of women born at the hour of mao on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year Bingyin. But it wasn’t enough—they needed women born at the hour of mao on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year Wuchen to supplement them. And Grand Commander Luo’s most beloved daughter, Miss Luo, happened to be born at that time, so Grand Commander Luo had fled with his entire family to protect his daughter.

The rumor must be true—otherwise why would Grand Commander Luo run when he had a perfectly good position as Commander of the Jinlin Guard?

What’s that? Grand Commander Luo couldn’t possibly give up glory and wealth to wander the ends of the earth just for a daughter? Ha! Only people from outside the region who hadn’t heard of Miss Luo would think that.

Just look at how Miss Luo lived so freely and willfully—could that be possible without a father who cherished her like his own life?

This type of daughter-obsessed man would do anything for his daughter.

Preventing people from speaking is harder than damming a river. Even though the new Commander of the Jinlin Guard led men everywhere to disperse crowds of common people gossiping, he still couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading wider and wider, with momentum suggesting all under heaven would know.

Second Miss Wang stumbled and ran to the Wine House, weeping before its tightly closed doors.

So that was it, so that was it!

Her elder sister had long ago died beneath Grand Commander Luo’s blade.

Second Miss Wang stared blankly at the wine house, resentment growing in her heart: Miss Luo had known all along, yet had treated her like a fool, letting her suffer a hundred torments holding onto hope amid despair.

But soon she wiped her eyes, and her gaze regained its clarity.

Though her elder sister had been only two years older than her, she had taught her many principles. Elder sister had said one shouldn’t look at things one-sidedly, but must look with one’s heart, from others’ perspectives.

The one who had acted was Miss Luo’s father; the one who had given the order was the one sitting on the dragon throne. Facing her, Miss Luo truly couldn’t speak of it.

Yet her heart still ached…

Second Miss Wang returned home in a daze, only to see the few remaining servants in the household coming and going, packing things. She couldn’t help being startled. “What are you all doing?”

“Preparing to move.” An aged voice came from behind her.

Second Miss Wang turned around and curtsied to the elder. “Grandfather.”

The former Junior Minister Wang, now Old Master Wang, frowned and asked, “You went out again?”

Second Miss Wang pressed her lips together and said nothing.

“Don’t run around anymore. Once we finish packing, we depart today.”

Second Miss Wang couldn’t help widening her eyes. “Grandfather, we’re leaving so quickly?”

“Spring is nearly over—we should have left long ago.”

Yet Second Miss Wang found it hard to accept. “Grandfather, let’s leave a bit later. This is too sudden…”

She couldn’t say what exactly was too sudden, but in her heart she understood perfectly: Elder sister was in the capital. Even if elder sister was gone, this estate held traces of her everywhere.

If they returned to their ancestral home, there would be nothing left.

Old Master Wang’s expression grew stern. “We must leave today! Someone, watch Second Miss closely.”

“Grandfather—”

Under her family’s firmness, Second Miss Wang sat in a blue-curtained carriage, her eyes red-rimmed as she left the capital.

And just the day after Second Miss Wang’s departure, those who worried that disaster might befall their beloved daughters and wanted to send them out of the capital temporarily to avoid trouble discovered to their shock that when people reached the city gates, they were stopped.

No one dared force their way through, so they could only return the way they came, growing ever more worried about the rumors.

When the rumors reached Princess Changle’s ears, she immediately entered the palace to see Emperor Yong’an.