After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

I never expected her to bring up matters in the palace out of the blue. This matter happened quite some time ago, so why bring it up now?

Fang Xiaoran replied calmly, "It's all in the past now. I'm sorry to have worried my mother."

"If you feel wronged, you can talk to me about it, and maybe I can help you," Jiang Yuke said with a smile, as she picked up a cup of tea and sipped it lightly.

Why should she help with things that are in the past? Besides, Fang Xiaoran didn't think Jiang Yuke could help her with anything.

“I don’t feel wronged,” Fang Xiaoran replied.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuke stopped mentioning matters in the palace and instead engaged her in pleasantries.

"Speaking of which, Qing'er really cares about you. This is the first time I've seen him so concerned about someone. No wonder his joke back then was taken seriously, and even His Majesty tried to match you two up." Jiang Yuke said with a light smile, occasionally glancing at Fang Xiaoran. Her smile seemed genuine, but it gave off a very fake feeling.

Fang Xiaoran did not respond to this matter, but simply smiled and remained silent.

After chatting for a while and drinking a few cups of tea, Fang Xiaoran made an excuse to leave. Before she left, Jiang Yuke had someone pack some tea leaves for her and said, "Yichuan new tea has a refreshing effect. Take some back with you. It just so happens that Granny Zheng has been feeling dizzy lately, so perhaps drinking some will be effective for her."

Fang Xiaoran thanked him and left. After leaving the courtyard, she always felt that a pair of eyes were watching her. This was completely different from the feeling Ye Lan had given her before. It was a cold and sticky gaze, like a venomous snake in the dark, waiting for its chance to strike.

She didn't stop walking, but she didn't go to Qingxin Residence either. Instead, she walked into the garden. The Marquis's mansion was very large, with several gardens alone. The rockeries and winding paths made it the perfect place to hide.

Walking deeper into the garden, seemingly to provide the other party with a strong hiding place, was actually her way of avoiding the sight of others.

"Princess, aren't we going back?" Wu Guicheng couldn't figure out what Fang Xiaoran was planning to do, so he couldn't help but ask in a low voice. Fang Xiaoran smiled and shook her head slightly. "I plan to wander around by myself. You go back first. By the way, there's no need to open this tea, and don't let anyone else touch it. Just leave it there."

"Yes." Although Wu Guicheng was puzzled, he always listened to Fang Xiaoran's every word, so he nodded and left.

As soon as he left, Fang Xiaoran's eyes swept into the distance, and she spoke in a clear voice: "Come out."

Her voice was calm, yet it carried a faint hint of murderous intent; if the other party didn't know what was good for them, she wouldn't hesitate to take action.

Of course, she didn't think there was any danger to the Marquis's residence. This person dared to approach so openly, so he was obviously not an ordinary person.

Soon, a man dressed as a guard walked out from behind the artificial hill with a cold expression. He looked at Fang Xiaoran with a cold eye, as if he was sizing her up, but he quickly looked away and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Young Madam, the old Marquis invites you."

"The old Marquis?" Fang Xiaoran was shocked by this person.

Although she knew this person, the old Marquis Gu always lived in the back mountain and rarely showed his face. Why would he suddenly invite her over?

Although she had just married into the Marquis's mansion and should have paid her respects to her nominal grandfather, he did not appear on her wedding day. The people in the Marquis's mansion did not care about the marriage, and no one even reminded her to pay her respects later. She had explained this to Granny Zheng, but Granny Zheng told her that she did not need to worry about it.

What do you mean? The old Marquis doesn't like being disturbed. Unless he personally invites you, don't go and cause trouble.

Therefore, Fang Xiaoran did not pay her a visit.

I never expected that he would invite her over now.

Regardless of the purpose, since she had been invited, she naturally had to go. Moreover, she truly admired the old Marquis. She had heard that he had never suffered a defeat and was once a renowned war god in the court. However, he later retired due to injury and gradually faded out of the court.

The old Marquis's villa was located on the back mountain. The pine and cypress trees in the courtyard were vigorous, and the stone steps were mottled, exuding a solemn atmosphere.

However, the place was very deserted, and I didn't see many servants along the way. I did, though I could vaguely feel a gaze being cast at me from the shadows.

This is exactly the same feeling as the person from before; they must both be guards of the Marquis's residence.

Fang Xiaoran glanced coldly at those gazes, and upon being noticed, they immediately restrained themselves, no longer staring at her so brazenly.

As I stepped into the courtyard, the clear chirping of several kingfishers reached my ears.

Further in, you can see an elderly man with white hair standing under a tree, smiling as he teases the sparrows in the birdcage.

Fang Xiaoran paused slightly, her fingers unconsciously tightening.

The old marquis had his back to her, his aged but steady hand holding a bird feeder, teasing the caged bird, his tone casual as if he were chatting: "You've arrived? Have a seat."

This was her first time meeting the old Marquis, and the feeling he gave her was very different.

I had imagined that a veteran general who had fought on the battlefield would be dignified, cold, and menacing, but the old man in front of me was like an ordinary wealthy man, with even a hint of kindness in his eyes.

She steadied herself and bowed, saying, "Old Marquis."

The old man then turned around, his eagle eyes sharp as knives. Although he had a smile on his face, no one dared to relax for a moment. He pointed to the stone bench: "Don't be shy, sit down."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran walked over with neither arrogance nor servility. As soon as she sat down, she heard the old Marquis say in an annoyed tone, "You have no manners. You should call me grandfather."

When they met, Fang Xiaoran hadn't thought much about it. The title "Old Marquis" just slipped out of her mouth. Besides, she assumed that the Old Marquis disliked Gu Yuqing and therefore didn't have a good impression of her either. She thought that his meeting with her this time was mostly meant to suppress and reprimand her.

Although the matter in the palace had not spread, it was not difficult for the old Marquis to know. In her opinion, Gu Yuqing's request to the Empress Dowager was not a good thing for the Marquis's mansion, and it was normal for her to be blamed for it.

But now, upon seeing the old Marquis, she suddenly felt that things were completely different from what she had imagined.

Could it be that I am overthinking it?

"What are you daydreaming about? Is it because it's your first time seeing me? Are you a little uncomfortable?" At this moment, the old Marquis put down the birdcage with a smile, leisurely brought out a large plate of shortbread from the room and placed it on the table. His eyes flickered slightly, and he said with reminiscence, "Your mother loved to eat this. Every time she came to my place, she would ask me for some candy. This shortbread is no ordinary candy; it was something I managed to get from Liaoxia with great difficulty. But she never hesitated to eat a whole plate of it as soon as she arrived, and she even took a big bag of it back with her."

Speaking of this, the old Marquis's smile became even more gentle, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight. "So I often keep some sesame candy on hand, just waiting for her to come. Qiqi has a miraculous healing touch. If it weren't for her, I'm afraid my old bones would have been long gone."

I never expected that my mother would be so familiar with the old Marquis.

She hadn't heard Bai Qiqi mention her much before and didn't know much about Bai Qiqi's past. Later, at the Fang family, Bai Qiqi was clearly unhappy and became taciturn, only showing a long-lost smile when facing her.

Only now did she realize that her mother was also incredibly happy when she first came to Yancheng, but unfortunately, fate is cruel, and there are always some people who will destroy that happiness.

Thinking about these things, a sense of sadness and regret welled up in my heart.

She thought, no one should dislike a person like her mother, so why did she end up like that?

"Try it quickly, Qiqi loves it, and you'll definitely like it too." Perhaps noticing Fang Xiaoran's emotional fluctuations, the old Marquis quickly changed the subject, pointing to the brittle and urging her to try it.

Fang Xiaoran had eaten crispy candy before, but she never liked overly sweet flavors. However, since the old Marquis had invited her so earnestly, she couldn't refuse, so she picked up a piece and took a small bite.

A sweet and slightly floral fragrance instantly filled her mouth. This was completely different from the candy she had eaten before. Although it was sweet, it was not cloyingly sweet, but rather a light and refreshing sweetness. There was also a hint of citrus tartness in it, which neutralized the sweetness. Even someone like her who doesn't like sweets couldn't help but take a few more bites.

"How is it? It's delicious, isn't it? Qiqi is very picky, but she loves this candy. She even gave me acupuncture for free once in order to get enough candy from me."

The old marquis laughed heartily, a rare moment of joy for him.