Yun Cai twitched her mouth corner, "Who else could it be, naturally it’s the one who used to be very close with the Commandery Princess."

Lin Xiaoyue?

Wen Wan shivered, lifted the fox fur cloak on her body, got off the bed, took a hand mirror to tidy her appearance, then stepped out of the Hanging Flower Gate, heading towards the West Corner Gate.

Indeed, there was a carriage parked outside, with a thin layer of snow covering the roof. Wen Wan saw the familiar Jin Zhi standing outside.

Jin Zhi was quite displeased with Wen Wan but couldn’t resist her noble status, so she had to kneel unwillingly, giving a reluctant salute.

Wen Wan looked at her with a smile, "Your madam has come?"

Jin Zhi grunted a muffled "Hmm".

Wen Wan was about to speak again when she heard Lin Xiaoyue’s angry voice coming from the carriage, "Wen Wan, you never let me down!"

Wen Wan, in her haste to leave, forgot the hand warmer, cold enough to tuck her hands into her sleeves, her brows slightly raised, "Since you’re already here, won’t Madam Su come in for a cup of tea?"

Detecting the other’s completely unconcerned attitude, Lin Xiaoyue felt as if she was punching cotton, her chest blocked painfully. She yanked open the curtain, glaring at Wen Wan angrily, "Do you even know what you’re doing!"

Wen Wan curled her lips, her smile tender, "Just as you see."

"You!"

Lin Xiaoyue’s expression was ugly as she bit her teeth and cursed angrily, "Shameless!"

Wen Wan remained calm, "There is hot tea brewed in the mansion, if you’re willing, come in for a cup to warm yourself before leaving, if you’re not willing, then forgive me for not seeing you off."

Lin Xiaoyue was so furious that it felt as if her heart, liver, and lungs were all in pain, "Sending us couple to the Western Border, and then you think up ways to divorce Song Wei, now it’s smooth to get along with... Is this your goal? What exactly are you trying to do? Create chaos in the country and confirm the people’s words of ’a femme fatale’?"

Wen Wan was silent for a moment, then asked her, "Do you believe me if I say I have my reasons?"

Lin Xiaoyue sneered, "When don’t you say you have your reasons?"

Wen Wan nodded, "Since I’ve already been defined in your mind, I bet you wouldn’t believe anything I say anyway. Let’s leave it at that; if you don’t want to come in, then I’ll go in myself."

Watching Wen Wan turn away, Lin Xiaoyue’s pupils shrunk, "Wen Wan!"

Wen Wan’s footsteps paused slightly, hearing her questioning tone: "I really want to know, what made you become so selfish and unfeeling? Proposing divorce at your mother-in-law’s memorial hall, don’t you think you lack even the basic conscience of being human?"

Wen Wan didn’t look back, only smiled lightly, "Avoiding harm for benefits is a human instinct, what I’ve done now is merely for survival."

"For survival, you can even abandon two children and a spouse of nine years, for survival, you can do such shameless things with... Do you still have a conscience?"

Wen Wan chuckled softly, "How could a person without conscience have a heart? How disappointing to Madam Su, truly sorry."

Lin Xiaoyue’s chest surged with angry blood, she calmed herself for a while, then instructed Jin Zhi, "Let’s leave!"

Wen Wan watched Lin Xiaoyue’s carriage disappear at the street corner before she raised her steps and walked inside.

...

The beauties selected by Su Qing, renowned within Jiuli.

After resting overnight at the post house, they were sent to the palace the next day.

Zhao Xi accepted them all, granting one a concubine position, and three noble positions.

These four people learned the Han language better, but could only understand daily conversation. Zhao Xi specifically arranged female officials and nannies to teach language and etiquette, temporarily not sleeping with them.

Meanwhile, Empress Dong was intensely preparing for Zhao Xi’s Thousand Autumn Banquet.

That day, Zhao Xi received a gift from Ningzhou, packed in a colorful square box, with the box carved with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.

Hearing it was from Ningzhou, Zhao Xi didn’t even have to ask to know who sent it. He cleaned his hands, carefully opened the box lid, and saw inside a lifelike root sculpture of a red-crowned crane, its raw material from the aged pine and cypress roots in Ningzhou’s deep forests. Every part of the crane was carved meticulously, filled with lacquer, very textured, clearly a lot of thought went into it.

This was an ornament, suitable for placing on a writing desk to hang a brush.

And the gift sender was Song Yuanbao.

Under the base of the crane pressed a letter, Song Yuanbao stated in the letter that this was a gift he had promised to send to Your Majesty, but since Ningzhou couldn’t catch a living red-crowned crane, he had to dig up pine and cypress roots to carve a fake one. He also said although this gift was somewhat light, it was something he spent a long time learning from his grandfather, hoping Your Majesty wouldn’t find it contemptible.

Zhao Xi held the letter in one hand, while lightly stroking the crane with the other, seemingly able to imagine that person quieting down to learn diligently how to carve the crane.

Eunuch Sanbao observed the situation and laughed, praising, "This crane is carved so well, let me put it away for Your Majesty."

"No need." Zhao Xi stopped him, "Just leave it on the writing desk."

Zhao Xi once gifted Song Yuanbao a Hai Dongqing, which Song Yuanbao quickly passed on to Ye Ling. Zhao Xi ignored Song Yuanbao for a long time. To apologize, Song Yuanbao promised to give him a crane. But he didn’t end up sending the crane; when he returned from Jiangnan, he gifted a green-feathered parrot instead.

This crane should be fulfilling the promise made back then.

Eunuch Sanbao moved the crane to the place of the pen holder, and then hung the two brushes that His Majesty usually uses and likes the most on the crane’s slender neck.

Zhao Xi folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then turned and opened an empty locked box on the antique shelf, placed the letter inside, and locked it again.

Eunuch Sanbao kept his eyes lowered throughout, not daring to make a sound or ask.

...

The next day, Wen Wan came to attend court and saw the crane pen holder on the writing desk. Her eyes lit up, "This little thing is really unique. I wonder which minister gave it to His Majesty?"

As she spoke, she reached out to touch it.

"Don’t touch it." Zhao Xi spat out two words lightly.

Wen Wan withdrew her hand, no longer interested, and shifted the topic to serious matters, "The Beiyang Delegation is about to arrive in the Capital. Is Your Majesty’s assassination plan well deployed?"

Zhao Xi’s expression remained calm, "It’s ready to go."

Wen Wan breathed a sigh of relief, "That’s good. With your birthday approaching, with greetings from all directions, many forces are now gathered in the Capital. It’s best to exercise caution."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted again to the crane, "Not even allowing a touch. Could this thing be poisonous?"

Zhao Xi: "Want to try?"

Wen Wan chuckled, "Let’s not. Safety first."

...

On the day the Beiyang Delegation entered the Capital, due to the cold and slippery weather on the official road inside the North City Ding’an Gate, two carriages collided, injuring people, and a dispute is now unfolding.

Minister Xue from the Ministry of Rites, Xue Yinhuan’s grandfather, who had long been advised by the higher-ups to lead the delegation on a detour, stepped forward to say to the Beiyang envoy, "An accident occurred ahead, and it may take some time to resolve. I must trouble everyone to take a detour."

The leader was Fu Zichuan, Prince Liang’s heir from Bei Yan. He sat upright on horseback, glanced at the congested road ahead, and frowned deeply.

Knowing that the Beiyang Delegation was to enter the Capital today, yet Chu Country allowed such incidents on the official road, didn’t handle it in time, and even asked the delegation to detour—isn’t this intentional?

Imperial Concubine Li Yuan disguised as Fu Zichuan’s attendant today, secretly exchanged a glance with Fu Zichuan upon seeing this.

Fu Zichuan’s tight expression eased slightly, "If it’s inconvenient, then let’s detour!"

Minister Xue smiled apologetically, "Right this way, please."

Leaving the official road, they entered lanes passed by common people’s horses and carriages, and the road gradually narrowed. Unable to proceed in parallel, they rode single-file, with Fu Zichuan leading, Li Yuan closely following, and other envoys trailing behind.

It appeared Li Yuan was protecting Fu Zichuan, but actually, Fu Zichuan, the envoys behind, and the Yan Guards were shielding Li Yuan in the middle.

Nonetheless, when the feathers of arrows were shot, it was still difficult for Fu Zichuan to take care of Li Yuan, as the lanes were too narrow for maneuvering.

Realizing an ambush for assassination, Fu Zichuan’s handsome face turned frostily cold, leaping up while drawing the long sword from his waist, dodging left and right to strike down the dense feathers of arrows.

Soon, dozens of dark figures appeared aggressively. Surrounded by assassins, Fu Zichuan was unable to spare himself; his expression grew colder and grimmer, "Just entered the Capital and there’s an assassination attempt—this is how Chu Country treats guests?"

Minister Xue shouted nearby, "Accident! It’s all an accident! Quick, protect the envoys!"

The guards he brought rushed over to join the fight, creating a chaotic scene with the clash of swords, the neighs of horses struck by arrows, and the cries of wounded guards, all mingling together.

In the midst of chaos, no one noticed a crossbow arrow cutting through the cold wind, zooming straight into Li Yuan’s left chest.

Zhao Xi’s skilled archer, with precision and power, hit the target, positioned just an inch from the heart—not fatal, but seriously wounding.

Not yet freed from the encirclement of black-clad assassins, Fu Zichuan saw Li Yuan struck down by an arrow, his face changing dramatically, almost blurting out "Your Highness."

The assassins, seeing the archer had succeeded, exchanged glances and withdrew in different directions, taking advantage of Fu Zichuan’s distraction.