Regent, please maintain your aloof image.

In the afternoon, after returning to the Marquis's residence, Su Qianrou first went to Fuxi Courtyard, then to Siyi Courtyard, and finally, after more than an hour of fussing, returned to Qifeng Courtyard.

At this moment, she was lying sprawled on the couch, completely exhausted and not caring about her appearance at all.

After a while, Juxia came in and said, "Miss, you're back."

Su Qianrou then sat up and asked, "Has anything happened in the manor recently?"

"The rest are fine, it's just the master and madam..."

"What happened to my dad and mom?"

"Yesterday, the master and mistress had a big fight."

"You mean my father and mother had a fight?" Su Qianrou found it unbelievable, because in her memory, Su Jing'an and Lin Rong had always treated each other with respect and had never argued. So she asked, "Do you know why?"

"I heard that the concubine's wife wanted the master to favor Concubine Xu, but the master refused. The concubine's wife assumed that the mistress was preventing it, so yesterday, when she paid her respects, she scolded the mistress in front of Concubine Xu and Concubine Liu, and made the mistress speak to the master herself. After paying her respects, the mistress went to the master to discuss the matter, but unexpectedly, the master flew into a rage and argued with the mistress. In the end, he even slammed the door and left."

Su Qianrou was silent for a moment, then asked, "Chunzhu, do you still have the plum blossom cakes you brought back?"

"Miss, there's still a little bit left."

"Pack it up, and come with me to Fuxi Temple."

"Yes".

Then, Su Qianrou changed her clothes and went to Fuxi Courtyard.

When she arrived at Fuxi Courtyard, Su Jing'an was sitting on the couch reading a book, so she called out softly, "Father."

Upon hearing this, Su Jing'an looked up at her, somewhat surprised, "Rou'er, didn't you go to the other courtyard? When did you come back?"

"Just got back," she said, taking off her cloak and handing it to Chunzhu. Then she took the food box from her and walked to Su Jing'an's side. "I made some plum blossom cakes. I thought Father would like to eat them, so I brought some over. Father, would you like to try some?"

"Plum Blossom Cake".

"Yes, this is something I made myself. Dad, try it and see how it differs from Mom's," she said, handing the plum blossom cake to him.

Looking at the plum blossom cakes in the food box, Su Jing'an couldn't help but recall some past events.

Seeing him staring at the plum blossom cake in a daze, Su Qianrou softly called out, "Father."

Su Jing'an snapped out of his daze, replied, "Okay," then picked up a piece and took a bite.

"how".

"not bad".

"Which tastes better, the one made by your mother or the one made by your mother?"

Su Jing'an remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Your mother made it."

Su Qianrou pretended to be a little disappointed, saying, "I knew it," before sitting down to the side, looking sullen.

Su Jing'an comforted him, "Actually, yours tastes better, but I prefer your mother's because..."

"Why?" Su Qianrou asked, looking at him curiously.

Do you know how your mother and I met?

"I don't know," Su Qianrou shook her head.

Su Jing'an smiled wryly and said, "That's true, how could your mother tell you?"

"Would you like to tell me, Father? I want to hear it."

Su Jing'an was lost in his memories. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "Twenty years ago, one winter, I was in a bad mood because of some things, so I went to the river to clear my mind. I never expected to find your mother crying there. After I learned about it, I found out that her grandmother had passed away. She was sad, but she didn't want others to know, so she hid and cried. It was also on that day that she gave me a piece of plum blossom cake."

"I see. No wonder Dad prefers Mom's plum blossom cakes."

Su Jing'an didn't speak, but his expression looked somewhat complicated.

Su Qianrou didn't ask any further questions. She glanced at the chessboard in front of her and asked, "Father, would you be interested in playing a game with me?"

"it is good".

Then, the two began to play chess.

After a while, Su Jing'an asked, "Did you come back to attend the flower viewing banquet?"

"Ok".

“My official position hasn’t been decided yet. If you go to participate, I’m afraid people will laugh at you.”

"Let her laugh. No matter how much she laughs, she is still the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's mansion."

"Don't stand out that day, keep a low profile, and try not to let the Empress Dowager notice you."

Su Qianrou was somewhat surprised and looked at him, "Father doesn't want me to enter the Regent's Palace."

"The regent is not a good match."

“But if I enter the Regent’s Palace, I can not only help you, but also help my elder brother and Xiaoyu.”

"Your marriage should not be related to these things. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. You just need to find someone you like. As for the rest, we will take care of it. You don't need to worry about it."

Su Qianrou looked at him, unsure whether he was telling the truth or not.

Su Jing'an knew she didn't believe him, so he continued, "Whether it's you or Wan'er, I've never thought of using you to exchange for anything. I only hope you can live well... Also, as for Shan'er's matter, I'm sorry, but it won't happen again."

Su Qianrou stared at him blankly, feeling that he seemed quite different from the person she knew.

In contrast, Su Jing'an appeared very calm, as if he hadn't said those words at all.

"This game of chess still needs to be played," Su Jing'an said, seeing that she hadn't come to her senses for a long time.

Su Qianrou then came to her senses and refocused her attention on the chessboard.

Soon, the day of the flower-viewing banquet arrived. In the Imperial Garden, young ladies from various families, dressed in gorgeous and colorful clothes, walked among the flowers, making the surrounding flowers pale in comparison.

As Su Qianrou walked along the road, looking at the magnificent and resplendent palaces, she felt a solemn and oppressive sense of awe and reverence. She couldn't help but think of the concubines who were trapped here for their entire lives.

Fortunately, the current emperor is only eight years old, so she doesn't have to face the risk of being chosen in a talent show. Otherwise, with her looks, it would be difficult for her not to be selected.

Just as she was lost in thought, the palace maids led them to the Imperial Garden.

"Miss Su, we have arrived at the Imperial Garden."

Su Qianrou then came to her senses and said, "Thank you."

Qiulan cleverly handed a purse to the palace maid.

The palace maid accepted it without ceremony and then left.

This was not only Su Qianrou's first time entering the palace, but also the first time for Su Wanshan and Su Huaizhu. So, on the way here, the two of them couldn't help but look around. Now, they couldn't wait to make friends with the young ladies from various families.

"Second sister, I have something to attend to, so I'll head over first," Su Huaizhu said, and without waiting for Su Qianrou's response, she walked directly toward the young ladies of each household.

"Sister, I'll head over now. Please make yourself at home."

Su Qianrou kindly reminded her, "Sister, this is the palace. A slight mistake could cost you your head. So, you'd better be careful with your words and actions and avoid acting impulsively."

Su Wanshan replied nonchalantly, "I know," and then walked away.

Su Qianrou ignored her and found a deserted path to walk down.