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

Jun Yanchen nodded slightly in response, maintaining his usual cold expression, and then introduced Gu Nanzhi beside him as a form of reply.

Gu Nanzhi gave a slight bow in return. What could she do? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Besides, with a scene like this today, she figured her knees would be a real pain even in the palace.

There's nothing I can do but wait and find another opportunity to return it.

While they were exchanging formal greetings, Zhen Yunzhi was secretly giving Jun Yanchen and Gu Nanzhi winks and jeers from behind.

During this brief, polite encounter, Gu Nanzhi sized up Zhen Yunzhi's father, Zhen Jieming, and then glanced at Zhen Yunzhi himself, who was raising his eyebrows and making faces behind them.

One can't help but sigh inwardly, perhaps this serious and dedicated old man, who is dedicated to education, is capable of employing someone like the "rigid old man" that people often describe.

How did they end up raising a playboy like Zhen Yunzhi... oh... a charming young man?

I'll have to ask Zhen Yunzhi next time we meet.

These two families entered the palace around the same time, although they didn't have much interaction along the way.

The Empress Dowager's birthday celebration was held in the Yiluan Hall, which was quite a grand occasion. The importance attached to the event was evident from the moment one entered the palace gates, with colorful pavilions erected along the way. By the time one arrived at the Yiluan Hall, the atmosphere was already very lively.

They were already considered late.

To Gu Nanzhi, everyone she saw was a stranger: people dressed in official robes of various colors, as well as elegantly dressed women and young, beautiful girls.

The seating arrangements for the banquet in Yiluan Hall have already been arranged, with seats neatly arranged on both sides extending from inside the hall to the outside. There is also a stage in the middle of the open space outside the hall.

This year's Empress Dowager's birthday celebration was exceptionally lively, as ministers were especially permitted to bring their wives and children, making the banquet exceptionally grand and unprecedented.

Gu Nanzhi listened to Jun Yanchen's explanation and realized that there were other motives as well; to put it simply, she could also take the opportunity to find a blind date.

It was nothing more than the daughters of those high-ranking officials and the princes.

This is quite understandable. When countries establish marriage alliances to maintain peace, the princes can also gain the support of the court officials through such means.

The banquet hall was very lively. The court officials chatted among themselves, and the ladies and noblewomen maintained their best appearance and demeanor in all social interactions.

Upon entering this scene, Gu Nanzhi was momentarily dazzled by what she saw.

But she showed no sign of it on her face, merely glancing around with a flat expression and silently observing.

The seemingly harmonious and lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent for a moment when their arrival was noticed.

Speaking of which, everyone should have heard that Jun Yanchen left the capital and has now returned.

Hearing about it is one thing, but having been back for so long, I haven't actually seen him. Some people only heard that the emperor allowed him to return to his original palace...

And today, Jun Yanchen appeared at the banquet, right before everyone's eyes.

Moreover, his aura remains as strong as ever; the only thing missing is the mask he used to wear.

In a daze, he was still the regent who instilled fear in everyone, and wherever he went, no one dared to take a step forward.

It was this subconscious understanding that caused everyone to fall silent, and the banquet hall, which had been filled with pleasant conversation, became completely quiet.

During this time, no one broke the silence, and no one stepped forward to intervene.

It was this brief silence that allowed Gu Nanzhi to once again experience the awe-inspiring presence emanating from her own man.

Tsk tsk tsk,

Four years have passed, and it turns out everyone still hasn't forgotten...

No wonder he's the man she's chosen; she loves this feeling.

All eyes turned to Jun Yanchen. At first glance, everyone was drawn to Jun Yanchen, but then some people were also drawn to Gu Nanzhi, who was standing next to Jun Yanchen.

The events of that year are still vivid in my mind.

They were all people who frequented the imperial court; even those who had never met her knew that the woman the emperor had betrothed to was a girl who had been abandoned on a farm since childhood and was completely ignorant.

Because of this, people automatically attribute their impression of this person to their mediocre appearance and their lack of worldly experience as a country girl.

However, it was clear that the woman standing next to Jun Yanchen at this moment, who was aloof and composed, unafraid of the occasion and ignoring everyone's scrutiny, and who possessed a touch of cold pride, was definitely not the ignorant woman they thought she was.

This woman, just standing there, evoked the phrase "plum blossom braving the snow" at a glance.

Upon closer inspection, one will be deeply attracted by her ethereal beauty.

Compared to her, all the noble ladies in the capital seemed utterly insignificant.

The beauty of those meticulously dressed individuals, adorned with the most glamorous and dazzling jewelry, was inexplicably and effortlessly overshadowed by the person who stood quietly there, not even bothering to raise their eyes.

Some of those present had seen Gu Nanzhi once before during the events of that year, and they too were momentarily stunned, unable to recognize her as the pitiful woman from back then.

Everyone now had questions and curiosity in their hearts.

I am curious about Jun Yanchen and Gu Nanzhi, and about their experiences over the years.

Someone who should have faded into obscurity has now returned to the public eye, and his arrogance remains undiminished. He simply appears in everyone's view.

How can we prevent people from having second thoughts about this?

However, Gu Nanzhi, who was the one who brought this matter to the forefront, ignored everyone's gaze and silence, as if no one had ever caught their attention.

When Jun Yanchen realized that those people's gazes were fixed on Gu Nanzhi, he lowered his eyes slightly, unconsciously releasing a pressure that was both a declaration of his dominance and an expression of his disgust at the gazes directed at him.

Wolf cubs are always protective of their food and will not allow anyone to covet their possessions, not even the slightest bit.

Gu Nanzhi also withdrew her scrutinizing gaze, lowered her eyes, and gently released her hands from the wheelchair onto Jun Yanchen's shoulders.

Jun Yanchen was protective of her food, but Gu Nanzhi was no different.

Gu Nanzhi, being a woman herself, was well aware of the gazes that fell upon Jun Yanchen's face from some of the women.

Perhaps those people were only briefly amazed by Jun Yanchen's face, but given his status and situation, they wouldn't have any other thoughts; it was merely a fleeting moment of amazement.

After all, it was previously said that Jun Yanchen wore a mask for many years because he was disfigured.

Little did they expect that beneath the mask lay such an astonishingly handsome face.

And that's why it's so amazing.

But Gu Nanzhi wouldn't allow it. This face was hers, and she didn't want others to see it. For some reason, she felt particularly unhappy.