Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Gu Nanzhi smiled slightly at her, then raised her eyes to look ahead. Unexpectedly, this glance met a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes that seemed to draw her in.

Jun Yanchen was sitting backwards on the cart, which put him face-to-face with the two people walking behind him.

During that eye contact, Gu Nanzhi had a fleeting feeling of being caught doing something wrong. This time, she deliberately looked away and gazed at the roadside.

The grass is so green, the trees are growing so well, the air in ancient times must have been so fresh!

She's pitiful, really, but don't look at her, it's no use. She doesn't have much chocolate, and it'll be gone after she eats it all. Besides, they're not even close.

Jun Yanchen noticed Gu Nanzhi's subtle actions the whole time, and seeing her evasive gaze, he glanced at her a few more times.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the imperial city, in a private room of a restaurant, two men with refined airs were leisurely sipping tea. Just as they finished, a middle-aged man entered the room. This man was clearly the one who had gone to Shili Pavilion to deliver gifts to Jun Yanchen and his group.

He entered the private room respectfully, bowed, and greeted the guests.

"Young master, the goods have been delivered."

Upon hearing this, the two young men exchanged a glance. One of them, a gentleman holding a folding fan, slightly twitched his fingers, opening the fan and gently fanning himself. A smile appeared in his captivating eyes.

"Hmm, how is that person?"

"It seems my appearance didn't elicit a reaction from him," the man replied after a moment's thought, adding, "However, the injuries appear to have been treated."

"Oh?"

The young master, who was holding a folding fan, stopped stroking it and looked at the man.

"He had medicine in his hand, and as he got out of the car, I happened to see his subordinate finish applying it," the man recalled, explaining his certainty based on a fleeting glimpse of Butler Li's actions as he got out of the car.

The young man holding the folding fan resumed his hand gestures, then looked away.

"Well, let's get down!"

"Yes"

The man bowed again, then left the private room and closed the door.

After everyone left, the young man with the folding fan put it away and placed it on the tea table, then sighed with emotion.

"Huaiqing is indeed Huaiqing. I really don't know how he obtained the medicine. He made me worry for so long, but he's already taken it."

The person sitting opposite him took a small sip of tea and responded with a simple "hmm."

Regardless of where the medicine came from, the fact that the person they were worried about was using it was a good thing.

The young master who had started speaking then changed the subject.

"What is Mo Bai's opinion on the news circulating in the capital today?"

"Such news has spread throughout the city. Regardless of whether the matter concerning the national treasury is true or not, it is a blatant provocation to the one in the palace. If this is not a rumor, it has put him in a dilemma."

The young man holding the folding fan agreed and took a sip of tea.

"The situation in the palace is not yet confirmed. Based on what happened this morning, regardless of whether there was a problem with the national treasury, something must have happened in the palace. We have already sent people to find out the specific details."

However, aside from the unclear situation in the palace, a truly skilled thief appeared in the capital last night, emptying both the Prime Minister's and Minister Gu's residences overnight. It's also rumored that some members of Minister Gu's household were injured. This matter has been reported to the authorities.

Thinking about it, he was also puzzled. "I wonder who could have such ability to empty two mansions without a sound. If I have the chance, I would really like to get to know them."

Take Minister Gu and the Prime Minister, for example; neither of them are good people. Now that they've suffered this calamity, it's actually quite gratifying. The person holding the folding fan thought to themselves, their peach blossom eyes widening with a smile.

"This person is indeed extraordinary. Since everything happened last night, it's highly likely that the thief and the person spreading the rumors are the same group. If that's true, the capital is in for a good show," another person boldly speculated.

This guess was also confirmed by the young man with captivating peach blossom eyes.

“Yes, how come I didn’t think of that? If that’s really the case, then… then the rumors about that person in the palace might not be unfounded. After all, this person was able to quietly empty two mansions; with that kind of ability, it’s not impossible for her to enter the palace.”

"If the national treasury wasn't stolen, this rumor can be easily dealt with. But... but if that person really had the ability to steal from the national treasury last night, even if they didn't empty it, then dealing with that person in the palace won't be so easy."

"If we can find the thief and recover the valuables, that would be good. But if we can't, wouldn't that make people believe the rumor is true, that he stole from the premises himself..."

"Things aren't that simple. Even if it gets to that point, given his position, it's too easy for him to just find a scapegoat."

Another young master seemed to disdainfully utter one possible ending.

Even the young master with his captivating peach blossom eyes found it difficult to refute his words. Indeed, everyone's fate was in his hands; it was all a matter of a single word from him.

"Yunzhi, we must proceed with caution in the capital from now on. I should also set off."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Gu Shangshu Mansion

Having finally regained consciousness, Aunt Zhao, supported by her maid, arrived at Xiangyue Garden, where her eldest daughter lived.

At this moment, Xiangyue Garden was also in complete chaos, and the concerned voices of maids could be heard from the inner room.

When Aunt Zhao finally arrived at her daughter's bedside, seeing her daughter lying safely on the bed, she felt a little relieved. However, she was still unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"My children, what's wrong with your mother? Where are you hurt? Where does it hurt? Tell your mother, she's here."

Gu Jiaoyue, whom she spoke of, had already cried her eyes out. Her eyes were vacant, staring blankly at the ceiling. Only when she heard her mother's voice did she slowly come to her senses. Her emotions surged again, and she tried to get up or raise her hand, but ultimately she couldn't.

He wanted to say something, but could only utter "ah ah" sounds without making a sound.

Aunt Zhao finally realized the seriousness of the situation, and excitedly hugged her daughter, crying out, "Daughter, Yue'er, what's wrong with Yue'er? Ah? Yue'er..."

But all that answered her was the sound of her daughter wailing and her helpless, terrified expression. Aunt Zhao burst into tears. Her Yue'er, why had she suffered such a calamity?

"Moon, moon"

Suppressing her heartache and anger, Aunt Zhao confronted the servants by the bedside, demanding, "Miss is injured, why aren't you fetching the family physician and a doctor to treat her? What are you lowly servants good for?"

Amidst Aunt Zhao's tirade, a maidservant knelt nervously on the ground, trembling as she replied, "Madam...the family physician has already come and gone to the eldest young master's courtyard."

"What did the imperial physician say after his diagnosis? What exactly is wrong with Yue'er?"

"Miss...Miss can't speak, and the family physician can't figure out the cause. Also, the tendons in Miss's hands and legs have been severed...The family physician said he can't cure her, he can only bandage the wounds because of excessive blood loss. If she wants treatment, she'll have to find another doctor."

The maid's words nearly made Aunt Zhao faint again. Who was her daughter? Not only had she stolen valuables, but she also harmed her children like this! It was utterly hateful! Her daughter was so outstanding; she couldn't let her life be ruined like this.