The princess was ordained by Heaven.

The gatekeeper was very perceptive and recognized him at a glance.

However, his gesture of bowing to him was standard, and his refusal to let him into the garden was decisive.

Jianyang was getting impatient and wanted to put in a good word for her, but the servant recognized her and still declined, saying that Plum Garden only accepts guests with invitations.

Jianyang was unwilling to give up: "Can't we make up for it later?"

The servant offered a few words of flattery, but his attitude did not soften in the slightest.

"I'll chop off your head, do you believe me?"

The servant laughed instead: "Princess Jianyang is a heroine among heroines, how could she possibly take my life over such a trivial matter?"

Jianyang: ...

They've been manipulated.

The emperor shook his head: "I'll have to take action myself."

However, he fared even worse; the servant didn't recognize him.

Zheng Xun, who had come along, became interested and asked him with a smile, "Then how can we get in?"

The servant glanced at her twice, but his gaze was not offensive.

Unexpectedly, after seeing her face clearly, a look of joy suddenly appeared on his face.

He bowed with a smile: "If you are Princess Yuanjia, the gates of Plum Garden will always be open for you."

Jianyang glared at him defiantly: "We're all princesses, why can't I be one?"

The servant explained cheerfully, "Princess Yuanjia has been kind to my master."

Zheng Xun asked curiously, "Who is your master?"

"You'll know as soon as you see it."

Are all the servants in your plum garden as clever as you?

The servant smiled shyly: "Among the servants in Plum Garden, I can be considered one of the best."

This statement, which is both humble and proud, is quite interesting.

Zheng Xun subconsciously opened the system, and after seeing who the owner of the plum garden was, she understood.

A servant had already informed the owner of the plum garden, so the owner postponed the start of the literary gathering and came to pick them up in person.

A young man in a moon-white robe walked slowly towards them, like a gentle breeze that dispelled the heat of late summer.

The visitor was none other than Xu Zhen.

He raised his hand in greeting, his wide sleeves fluttering slightly: "Greetings..."

"No need for formalities." The emperor raised his hand, his scrutinizing gaze lingering on him for a long time.

Could it be that even Father Emperor is captivated by Xu Zhen's beauty?

Jianyang: Beautiful? Indeed. But, how could her imperial brother have such a predilection? How come she didn't know?

Emperor: First, tell me what the word "也" means.

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Zhen's eyes as he heard the voice for the first time.

No wonder my grandfather used the word "miraculous" when describing Princess Yuanjia.

The emperor suddenly smiled and said, "Xu Zhen... I have long admired your name."

Only after meeting him in person did I realize that he was indeed a gentle and refined gentleman, which explains why Yuan Jia held him in such high regard.

Young girls are always easily attracted by appearances, and Xu Zhen has more than just a pretty face.

"A mere nickname is nothing to mention." Xu Zhen's lips curled up slightly, his smile warm.

He turned his gaze to Zheng Xun and bowed solemnly: "I will never forget the princess's kindness."

Zheng Xun asked knowingly, "How do you know that it was me who reminded you?"

"My servant, Shang Bo, has some knowledge of martial arts and recognized the Azure Dragon Guard."

[What do you mean? The Azure Dragon Guards botched their mission. Looks like we'll have to give them a good thrashing when we get back, lest they become arrogant.]

However, Uncle Shang is a reclusive master and a martial arts grandmaster. He probably wouldn't even notice that Uncle Shang has followed the seventh prince back to the princess's residence.

Sigh, I don't know if I can use this to get Shang Bo back, but I'll pass. If I'm going to use this to get back something, I'll go for something big.

emperor:……

His concern that she might be involved with Xu Zhen is unfounded.

Xu Zhen smiled and said, "Please follow me, esteemed guests."

The scenery in the plum garden is extremely elegant, somewhat similar to the style in the south. It is sparse and well-arranged, with beautiful scenery at every turn, and any corner can be a picture.

Putting aside the literary gathering, the scenery alone made their trip worthwhile.

We arrived at a small pond where many people had gathered; this was the place where the literary gathering was being held.

"Jingzhi! Everyone's waiting for you!"

"Sorry, I went to pick up two people."

Xu Zhen attracted a lot of attention wherever he went, and Zheng Xun and his group also received countless stares.

Of course, there were many people among them who knew the Crown Prince and the Emperor, but Zheng Xun and his group did not want to be high-profile, so naturally many people covered for them.

Xu Zhen wanted to give up the seat at the head of the table.

The emperor waved his hand: "Just continue as usual."

Xu Zhen stood in the crowd and announced the start of the literary gathering with a smile.

Then, Zheng Xun witnessed the legendary winding stream party.

It's quite interesting. Although she's not a well-read person, watching them play is still quite entertaining.

Jianyang's eyes lit up as she looked at a young man in purple. The emperor knew immediately what she was thinking.

She's just taken a fancy to some guy again.

He silently counted in his mind: one, two, three...

After counting to three, Jianyang stood up, straightened his hair, and walked towards the young master with his hands behind his back.

Li Xiaojun said with a smile, "Princess Jianyang is still so full of energy."

"Hmph, lecherous scoundrel."

The emperor shook his head helplessly, pondering how many of the young people here were capable of being captured and employed by him.

The crown prince, watching them play, became itchy to join in and decisively chose to do so.

Xu Zhen opened a venue and then returned to the emperor's side.

With him around, those who intended to make their presence known to the emperor would stop in their tracks, because they would easily feel ashamed in his presence.

[Xu Zhen's literary gathering was truly well organized, and it was also very convenient for him to build connections. Who would have thought that he was only a teenager and had not yet embarked on his official career, yet he had already begun to make his moves? His current reputation will be a stepping stone for him to rise in rank once he fully enters the officialdom.]

Xu Zhen, whose true purpose had been exposed, subtly looked at Zheng Xun and thought to himself, "This Princess Yuanjia seems to know quite a lot."

Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, the emperor scoffed inwardly, "Pretending."

However, he didn't know that two unlucky people had arrived today and would cause a major incident, which would implicate him.

Xu Zhen: How can you know what will happen in the future?

As if to verify Zheng Xun's thoughts, a scream came from the distant courtyard. It was terrified but short, and was drowned out by the noise, making it easy to mistake it for an illusion.

Zheng Xun stood up: "I'm going to freshen up."

After she finished speaking, she quickly left, and soon her figure disappeared behind a rockery.

The emperor quickly got up and followed along with Li Xiaojun and Li Zhuo.

Xu Zhen found the scene a bit strange, but surely the emperor couldn't be so perverted as to want to watch his daughter use the toilet?

Recalling his earlier thoughts, he quickly changed his mind and caught up with them.

Zheng Xun turned left and right, finally arriving at a secluded courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard, an unremarkable boy was hanging from a tree with his hands tied with rope. His head was hanging down, his body was covered in whip marks, and a large hole had been smashed in his forehead, from which blood dripped onto the ground.

Two richly dressed young men stood in front of him, one holding a whip and the other a dagger, laughing and talking.

Seeing the dagger in the boy's hand about to fall on him, Zheng Xun shouted sharply, "Stop!"