Her hair was cloud-like and beautiful! She opened her eyes and found herself back in the third year

Princess Huizhen did not actually fall to the ground.

Under the pomegranate tree, some of the young eunuchs and palace maids lay on the ground as cushions, while others reached out to catch her, preventing a tragedy from befalling her.

However, Empress Dowager Cheng, with a dark face, ordered her to be dragged away and given a good wake-up call.

When Qin Yizhen arrived, Princess Huizhen was kneeling in the hall listening to the instructions. Her eyes lit up when she heard a palace maid announce, "Princess Yizhen has arrived."

"Mother, look, even Yizhen is here. Please give your son some face, otherwise, how embarrassing would it be for your son as the elder sister!"

"You still know what shame is!" Empress Dowager Cheng slammed her teacup heavily on the table in anger. "If you had any self-respect, why would I have made you kneel here?"

Empress Dowager Cheng was really troubled: "I don't know who you take after. Yizhen and your younger brother are both like your father, they are steady and reliable. But you are like a monkey all day long. I think neither I nor your uncle are like you."

Princess Huizhen muttered to herself, "I've heard that the second son of the Cheng family is always jumping around, and so is the Marquis of Chengen. Perhaps I'm just too unfortunate, and my personality is just like his."

"Shut up!" Empress Dowager Cheng was so angry she felt like she had a heart attack. She really wanted to whip her a couple of times. "If you dare mention them again, get out of here!"

I'm so angry!

It's better to have a stone than a daughter. After raising her for more than ten years, even a stone can be warmed by your touch. But this biological daughter of yours is always stabbing you in the heart.

"You and that Cheng fellow are both heartless!"

The head maidservant of the palace ushered Qin Yizhen into the hall. Seeing that Empress Dowager Cheng's expression was not good and that Princess Huizhen was also kneeling, Qin Yizhen stepped forward to kneel and pay her respects.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed."

Empress Dowager Cheng was even angrier: "This man has no conscience! Kneel down before me!"

"Yes." Qin Yizhen dared not argue, but simply knelt there quietly, waiting for Empress Dowager Cheng to speak.

However, Qin Yizhen dared not argue, but Princess Huizhen had something to say.

She said, "Oh dear, Mother, you know that my uncle dotes on our Yizhen the most. If you make her continue to kneel, he will feel sorry for her when he finds out. Why don't we sit down and talk?"

As she spoke, she shuffled forward on her knees and tugged at Empress Dowager Cheng's robes, pleading, "Mother, please, you are so magnanimous, please don't hold it against us. Even if you were to hold it against your son, you shouldn't wrong Yizhen, right?"

"Do you even know how to speak properly?! Do you think I can't bear to see her wronged?" Empress Dowager Cheng was even angrier upon hearing this.

Qin Yizhen quickly comforted her: "Mother, please don't be angry. It was your fault. You can't blame me. If you want to punish me, I will have no complaints. My sister is just worried about my health. She is thinking of me and has a kind heart."

Empress Dowager Cheng gave a light 'heh': 'You have the guts to admit your mistake. I thought you would hide in the Marquis of Pingxi's mansion for the rest of your life and never come out again.'

Qin Yizhen lowered her head and dared not utter a sound.

Empress Dowager Cheng continued, "Now that Ayan has returned, let him move back to Chunxie Courtyard. If the couple lives separately, what will people think? If outsiders find out, they'll think you two are having marital problems."

Qin Yizhen looked up in surprise. She opened her mouth to explain, but a glance from Empress Dowager Cheng made her cower in fear.

Empress Dowager Cheng said, "I'm getting tired of talking to you. I'll say it one last time: you're not my biological child. At most, we're just a generation apart. What are you being so stubborn about? There's no need to pay too much attention to the rumors in the world."

"Take me for example. Your younger brother is young and I hold power. There are many people in the world who say that I am like a hen crowing at dawn. I can see a memorial every few days that says, 'Respectfully request the Empress Dowager to retire to the inner palace.'"

"I am not afraid of what others say about me. I only know that I have not wronged your father, nor have I wronged Dong Qin, nor have I wronged the people of the world. Therefore, I am fearless. I will leave my merits and demerits to future generations to judge. Future generations will have their own judgment."

Qin Yizhen kowtowed: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I have been thinking wrong all these years. From now on, I will definitely live a good life with the Marquis and grow old together. I will no longer cause Your Majesty any worry."

"Oh?" Empress Dowager Cheng looked at her in surprise, somewhat disbelieving. "Have you really figured it out?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have figured it out." Qin Yizhen said respectfully, "I have thought about it. Even though Your Majesty and I have no romantic feelings for each other, Your Majesty is still the most important person in my life. I should not be so coy and estranged from you."

"It's all my fault."

As Qin Yizhen spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, showing that she genuinely regretted her actions.

This adopted daughter has never been one to lie. When Empress Dowager Cheng heard her say this, her eyes reddened again, showing that she truly knew her mistake and had corrected it. She sighed and said, "If only you were three parts like Huizhen."

Upon hearing this, Princess Huizhen immediately perked up: "Mother, is that right? Your subject is good. Yizhen should be like your subject."

Empress Dowager Cheng glanced at her: "What I mean is, if Yizhen were even a little bit like you, so self-willed and hedonistic, how wonderful that would be! Instead, she's just like you, full of flaws!"

Princess Huizhen was about to laugh when Empress Dowager Cheng said, "If you are really smart, find a husband to marry soon. If you haven't found one by next year, I will personally find one for you."

"Mother!" Princess Huizhen exclaimed anxiously, "I think things are fine as they are now. Does that mean I can't get married?"

"Not getting married?" Empress Dowager Cheng smiled. "Then you should think it through. Currently, there are four kingdoms in a tripartite balance of power. This year is relatively stable for now, but war may break out tomorrow. If, due to diplomatic relations between the two countries, a princess is required to marry into another kingdom, don't blame me for not protecting you then."

"I wonder if there are also the Fifth and Sixth Imperial Sisters?"

Emperor Taizong had few children, having only four sons and six daughters in his lifetime. One of his sons died young, leaving only the Prince Rui who rebelled and the Prince Kang, and finally Emperor Jing'an.

Of the six daughters, two died young: the eldest and fourth daughters are gone. Huizhen was the second daughter, Yizhen was the third daughter, and there were also the fifth and sixth princesses. The fifth princess was thirteen years old this year, and the sixth princess was ten years old.

Empress Dowager Cheng said, "You are the Empress Dowager's own daughter and the elder sister of the Emperor of Eastern Qin. Which princess of Eastern Qin can compare to you? If you don't want any trouble to happen, you should get married as soon as possible."

Princess Huizhen hesitated, then could no longer kneel and sat cross-legged on the ground: "Then I want to marry Xie Zhan."

"Find another place. The Xie family is large and has many rules. It's not a place for your wild nature to run rampant."

Besides, why should a man who already has someone else in his heart marry into a family and have to put up with their attitude?

Princess Huizhen refused: "No, no, Mother, I like Xie Zhan, I like his good looks. Why don't you grant me and Xie Zhan a marriage?"