After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Lu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since she learned that Xiao Yebai's real age was fifteen, she hadn't dared to be so presumptuous in front of him. It was one thing if others misunderstood, but if Xiao Yebai misunderstood, it would be difficult to explain.

She had no desire to become a crown princess, nor did she want to be associated with the future King of Southern Chu.

Xiao Yebai, A Luo, and Liu Ying rode in a carriage together. Lu Zhiyuan was with the princess. Halfway there, they learned that Lu Jinyao had also arrived and was sitting in the Yue Prince's carriage with the Yue Prince.

After the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, Princess Ping Le began to dislike Lu Jinyao. Upon hearing that Lu Jinyao had recognized Grand Tutor Wei as her godfather and had even changed her surname to please him, Princess Ping Le despised her even more.

“My brother, the Prince of Yue, has really lost his mind. What right does a concubine who hasn’t even entered the manor have to attend such an occasion?”

“Your Highness, please do not be upset. My sister is probably relying on the Wei family’s status. She is the daughter that Grand Tutor Wei specially hosted a banquet to publicly acknowledge.”

"She's just an adopted daughter, not Grand Tutor Wei's biological daughter." Princess Ping Le curled her lip. "Who knows what her relationship with the Wei family really is!"

Lu Zhiyuan's eyes darted around, and she said seemingly unintentionally, "Since Lu Jinyao is both Grand Tutor Wei's adopted daughter and the concubine personally bestowed upon Prince Yue by the Empress, wouldn't Grand Tutor Wei become Prince Yue's father-in-law?"

“Just a concubine, what father-in-law? She’s not the Princess Consort of Yue.” Princess Ping Le muttered, then suddenly remembered something and grabbed Lu Zhiyuan’s arm: “Could it be that Lu Jinyao wants to become the Princess Consort of Yue? Before, she was just a distant relative of the Marquis of Pingnan, with no status or position. It would be a huge honor for her to be my brother Yue’s concubine. Now she’s become a member of the Wei family, with the status of the Wei family’s legitimate daughter, and that Grand Tutor Wei has inexplicably returned, acting unusually high-profile. Could it be that he wants to support my brother Yue in seizing power from my brother the Crown Prince?”

She knew that Princess Ping Le's innocence and arrogance were just a facade; someone who grew up in the palace was far from simple. With a slight reminder from Lu Zhiyuan, she understood the crux of the matter.

The Empress Dowager upholds the legitimacy of the royal family and has a close relationship with the Empress. She also genuinely likes the diligent and kind-hearted Crown Prince. Grand Tutor Wei's attempt to support Prince Yue through Lu Jinyao is still just speculation; it's not advisable to tell the Empress rashly. If the Jiang and Wei families clash, it's hard to guarantee that someone won't interfere and profit from the situation.

His Highness the Prince of Yue's birth mother and the Empress are sisters, and since entering the palace, he has always followed the Empress's lead. However, one cannot know a person's heart, and it is hard to guarantee that she does not have other plans.

Previously, this wasn't the case because the Jiang family supported the Empress and the Crown Prince, leaving the Prince of Yue with no chance of victory. However, with the support of the Wei family, coupled with the Prince of Yong'an's feigned allegiance, the Prince of Yue and his mother might well be tempted.

During a break, Princess Ping Le went to the Empress Dowager's carriage, hoping that the Empress Dowager would give the Wei family and the Prince of Yue a warning.

Since the princess wasn't there, Lu Zhiyuan didn't want to stay in the princess's carriage, so she made an excuse to get into Xiao Yebai's carriage.

The carriage wasn't large, and it felt a bit cramped with Xiao Yebai, A Luo, Liu Ying, and Lu Zhiyuan. A Luo leaned against Xiao Yebai, Liu Ying leaned against Lu Zhiyuan, and Lu Zhiyuan could only sit with Xiao Yebai.

After entering the mountain road, the carriage began to bump and jolt. Xiao Yebai had an injury to his right arm and dared not exert himself. With a sway, he fell onto Lu Zhiyuan.

Xiao Yebai stood up with a slightly flushed face. Before he could even sit down properly, the carriage wheel ran over a stone, and Lu Zhiyuan was knocked down by Liu Ying.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Bumpy roads are inevitable."

Xiao Yebai's ears burned. He knew Lu Zhiyuan was a young girl, and he knew she hadn't done it on purpose, just like he had been jolted by the carriage. For some reason, the moment she fell into his arms, he suddenly remembered what she had said in the side hall: she had said she liked his face.

Liking his face means liking him. Could this be considered a young girl's confession to herself?

Lu Zhiyuan tried to get up, but the carriage kept bumping around, and the more she tried, the tighter she clung to Xiao Yebai, even pulling on his clothes. Despite being a small, delicate girl, she was quite heavy on Xiao Yebai.

The girl seemed to have changed the incense; it smelled stronger than the wisteria one.

About half an hour later, the carriage began to sway less. Liu Ying hurried to help Lu Zhiyuan up, but was stopped by a look from Xiao Yebai. Only then did she see that her young lady had actually fallen asleep on Xiao Zhizi's lap.

Liu Ying touched her nose and whispered, "Your Highness's shoulder is injured, so let me carry you."

"It's alright, let her sleep for a while." Xiao Yebai turned to the side, and after confirming that his right shoulder was unharmed, he closed his eyes.

Three days later, they arrived at Huguo Temple. The temple was not as large as they had imagined, nor as magnificent as they had expected; it looked much like Hanshan Temple near the villa. The carriage arrived at the gate, and the abbot personally led them into the temple.

Inside the gate stood a large tree, about five or six zhang tall, with a mottled trunk and still quite lush foliage. Red and yellow ribbons hung from its branches, and beneath it was a shrine containing a kind-faced, seemingly very young monk.

The Empress Dowager said to Princess Ping Le, "You go to the main hall to offer incense on my behalf, and I will speak with Master Yuan De."

Princess Ping Le nodded and pulled Lu Zhiyuan toward the main hall. Xiao Yebai, who had come with them, naturally followed behind. Lu Jinyao entered later and hadn't heard the Empress Dowager's words. Seeing Princess Ping Le heading toward the main hall, she tugged at Prince Yue's sleeve.

"Your Highness, let's go with the princess."

His Highness the King of Yue nodded impatiently.

He disliked leaving the palace, and even more so, he disliked leaving with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was strict, and she would scold him every time she saw him. The more she scolded him, the more afraid he became, and the more afraid he became, the more he wanted to hide. In previous years, his father, mother, and concubine would ask him to come in place of his elder brother, the Crown Prince, but he always managed to make excuses. This year was no different; he had even planned to feign illness, but then Lu Jinyao sent a message through someone, insisting that he must come along no matter what.

Lu Jinyao had saved his life, was a concubine assigned to him by his mother, and was also the newly adopted daughter of Grand Tutor Wei. No matter what the considerations were, he had to agree.

Princess Ping Le offered incense and urged Lu Zhiyuan to make a wish before the Buddha. Lu Zhiyuan clutched her stomach and said, "Princess, please do it for me. I think I ate something bad and my stomach is upset. I'm afraid I might be disrespecting the Buddha."

Princess Ping Le had no doubts. She took the incense from Lu Zhiyuan's hand and bowed to the Buddha: "I, Ping Le, make a wish on behalf of my daughter Lu Zhiyuan: may the Xie family army be safe and sound, and may Yuan'er recover from her illness soon."

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the Buddha and thought to herself that the Buddha would surely protect the Xie family army, but as for her illness, he was afraid he was powerless to help.

A killer in her past life, now a sickly person—it's all part of the cycle of cause and effect. She has no resentment, no hatred; she'll live as long as she can. She's open-minded and won't force anything.