First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

Mu Qingfu was too lazy to argue with Zuo Chengfeng. She walked past Zuo Chengfeng, through the crowd, and her gaze fell on the blue-clad young man standing at the front of the crowd on the left corner.

The young man in blue was only of average appearance, but he had a natural air of scholarly refinement about him.

Peaceful and quiet.

Zuo Chengfeng only needed one glance to realize that the man was a poor, pedantic student studying at the academy.

Because they wore only the simplest, unpatched, coarse cloth clothes. They always kept their backs ramrod straight, and wherever they went, they liked to carry a book in their hands.

He did this only to demonstrate his status as a scholar, because apart from that, he really had nothing else to offer or show off.

She may seem aloof, but deep down she is actually very insecure.

He's cut from the same cloth as Gu Yuanbai.

Zuo Chengfeng noticed that when Mu Qingfu looked over, the young man in blue also happened to look over.

He stood up straight, smiled slightly, and nodded to Mu Qingfu.

Mu Qingfu's cheeks instantly turned even redder.

For some reason, Zuo Chengfeng's initial panic turned into anxiety.

His face darkened, and he sneered, "Princess Qingfu, the learned man you spoke of, could he be this hypocrite who carries a book with him even when he's out and about? He's definitely not marrying you because of you, but because of your status."

Mu Qingfu glanced at Zuo Chengfeng, then pulled out a whip from her waist and lashed it at him: "What nonsense are you spouting? I am so outstanding, how could he not want to marry me because of me? Besides, he doesn't even know my identity!"

Mu Qingfu's whip showed no mercy and almost struck Zuo Chengfeng. Fortunately, Zuo Chengfeng's skills had greatly improved during his time working in the palace, and he barely managed to dodge it.

Only then did Zuo Chengfeng truly understand that Mu Qingfu was serious and genuinely wanted to marry this handsome scholar.

Otherwise, why would he hurt him for a stranger?

Women are so heartless. A while ago, she kept pestering him, making him think that Mu Qingfu had taken a liking to him.

This has left him feeling uneasy these past few days, fearing he might be robbed.

It hasn't been long, and the person has changed in the blink of an eye.

Zuo Chengfeng watched Mu Qingfu put away her whip, then rode his horse toward the young man in blue. After dismounting, he walked with the young man in blue, and the two chatted and laughed.

Zuo Chengfeng's dark face slowly returned to normal, and he let out a long sigh.

It's fine if Mu Qingfu marries someone else, then he'll be safe.

It's better for me to die than for my fellow Daoist to die.

Whether the young man in blue is hypocritical or not, whether he's the same kind of person as Gu Yuanbai, is none of his business.

"Giddy up!" Zuo Chengfeng, having figured things out, spurred his horse and caught up with the wedding procession.

After taking a few steps forward, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Mu Qingfu was still talking to the young man in blue. The two were getting closer and closer, and the young man in blue even reached out to brush away the stray hairs from Mu Qingfu's forehead.

"To lay hands on someone, hypocritical and shameless," Zuo Chengfeng couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

Not wanting to meddle in other people's business, he turned to his attendant and ordered, "Go and find out the name, address, and any vices of the young man in blue who is talking to Princess Qingfu. Report back to me!"

"Yes!" The attendant responded and rode away, feeling that their young master had finally come to his senses.

He used to keep his eyes on the Crown Princess. She was a good woman, but unfortunately, she was already taken. To keep pursuing her would not be infatuation, but rather coveting a married woman, which is immoral.

Princess Qingfu may be a bit domineering, but otherwise she is perfect. She is a good match for my young master in terms of both status and appearance.

It's a pity that it was always Princess Qingfu who took the initiative. Her own young master always avoided her, but now, thankfully, he's finally paying attention.

The wedding procession returned to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence in a grand procession. Apart from a minor hiccup caused by Gu Yuanbai, everything went smoothly afterward.

On this joyous day, Gu Junxi didn't want Ning Hanshuang to worry about Su Li anymore, so she didn't tell Ning Hanshuang what Murong Yuan had told her.

He privately checked the list of guests who attended today, and then instructed Wen Gu to verify what these people had done after arriving at the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Unfortunately, there were too many guests present today, and with so many people talking, it was really difficult to trace everyone's movements.

Aunt Wen shook her head: "If we had known earlier, we could have sent someone to keep an eye on things. Now that we've investigated, we probably won't find anything. Why don't you ask the Second Miss yourself? Perhaps she'll be willing to tell you the truth."

Gu Junxi nodded: "I will try to ask Su Li, but I'm afraid Su Li won't tell me the truth. If she wanted to tell me, she would have already done so. I still need to be prepared for both possibilities."

Wen Gu agreed with what Gu Junxi said. Su Li seemed easy to talk to, but in reality, she was extremely shrewd and no one could truly get into her heart.

Wen Gu suggested, "Young Master, since that's the case, then let this old servant take over the task of keeping an eye on the Second Miss. The Marquis has just gotten married, so let's not tell her about this yet, and let her be happy for a few days."

"Okay, sure!" Gu Junxi agreed.

Wen Gu was not only an elder, but also one of the few people she truly trusted. Moreover, Wen Gu was quite skilled in martial arts, so she could rest assured that Wen Gu was personally keeping an eye on Su Li.

After talking with Aunt Wen, Gu Junxi went to find Su Li, and as she expected, Su Li refused to say anything.

In the garden, Su Li sat on a swing, her legs on the ground, swaying back and forth with a very small arc.

Upon hearing this, she raised her eyes and glared at Gu Junxi with a mocking look: "Are you doubting me again? If you don't trust me this much, you might as well kick me out of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion. I don't really care about this second young lady of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion."

Su Li is like a hedgehog, encasing herself in armor, unwilling to expose any softness.

Gu Junxi let out a long sigh of relief, not daring to say too much, but only to further provoke Su Li and stir up her rebellious mentality.

If Su Li really leaves the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, it will be even more difficult to find out who is secretly causing trouble and controlling Su Li.

Moreover, Su Li was sent away as soon as she was born. If she really was the little girl who lured people to their deaths in the dilapidated temple that Murong Yuan mentioned, then the year she was sent away must have been extremely difficult.

How could she possibly bear to let Su Li leave again and go back to those miserable days?

She should protect Su Li and bring all those who harmed her to justice, making them all receive the retribution they deserve.

Gu Junxi pressed down on Su Li's shoulder, walked behind her, gently pushed the swing for her, and softly comforted her: "Lili, I don't distrust you, I just care about you. Since you don't want to talk about these things, then I won't ask."

"It's just that Murong Yuan seems to treat you differently. If you don't dislike him, you can try to get to know him."

"So Murong Yuan was just spouting nonsense to you, wasn't he?" Su Li looked up, a strange smile playing on her lips. "Don't you all just want to know who hurt me today? Why beat around the bush like this? I'll tell you!"

"Then tell me!" Gu Junxi's eyes lit up, and she perked up her ears.