The news of the Crown Prince leaving the Capital City for a summer retreat was officially announced on the eighth day of the fourth month.

On the ninth day of the fourth month, another small piece of news circulated in the Palace.

It didn’t attract much attention, but when Tang Xiaobai heard it, he was stunned for a long time, until the visit from the First Miss’s maid interrupted him.

"The First Miss said that the Second Miss should accompany her to the Palace tomorrow to visit Pingyang Princess."

Tomorrow was a day off, and Tang Xiaobai had originally planned to go to Qujiang Pool with Gu Qinglan. After hearing this, he hesitated for a moment but agreed.

The next day, upon seeing Pingyang Princess in the Palace, even Tang Jiaojiao was momentarily taken aback.

"Are you here to see me off?" Pingyang Princess gave them a faint smile.

This smile seemed so pale and weak, as if they were there to send her off on her life’s final journey.

"How long has it been since the Princess had a meal?" Tang Xiaobai asked in shock.

The Palace Maid beside them had red-rimmed eyes: "She eats, but not much. Even the calming soup at night doesn’t help her sleep."

Pingyang Princess gave an embarrassed smile, "I just feel tired, no energy..."

Her smiling face was also languid, devoid of vitality.

Tang Xiaobai, feeling uneasy, noticing that Tang Jiaojiao remained silent, attempted to lighten the mood: "I heard the Princess is also going to Ren Zhi Palace. Is it fun there?"

The news just arrived yesterday: the Crown Prince was heading to Ren Zhi Palace, and Pingyang Princess was to accompany him.

At this mention, Pingyang Princess seemed dazed, almost as if she didn’t know about it.

"Oh... yes... I’ve never been there either..." she said slowly.

Before she finished speaking, Tang Jiaojiao suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Pingyang Princess’s hand, pulling her up, and without stopping, quickly led her outside.

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily stunned and, after giving some quick instructions to the maid who had accompanied them into the Palace, hurried after them.

Tang Jiaojiao didn’t go far, exiting the Princess’s Courtyard, passing through a Palace gate, and ascended to the nearest high building.

Pingyang Princess, having been unwell and ill-rested these past few days, was pulled along this path and climbed three floors. Just as she managed to stop and catch her breath, she was unexpectedly pushed to the railing, her upper body almost thrust over it, nearly losing her footing.

"Ah—"

Surroundings erupted in frightened cries.

Pingyang Princess instinctively clutched the railing, her scream stuck in her throat, looking out at the vast empty space ahead, feeling as if her soul had left her body.

"Sister! Sister, calm down!" Tang Xiaobai, too, was scared to the point of weak knees.

Tang Jiaojiao stared intently at Pingyang Princess, coldly saying, "He’s dead, do you feel that living is meaningless too? Then just jump down from here, there’s still time to be reborn together! Maybe in the next life, you’ll reunite!"

Pingyang Princess’s grip on the railing gradually weakened, but the sense of near-death brought clarity to her mind.

"I haven’t... I don’t want..." she shook her head.

After Zhao Jing’s death, she thought of nothing. Her heart was empty, feeling as if she’d been entirely drained.

"Haven’t what? Don’t want what? Who are you trying to disgust with this act of yours? Just jump and end it all!" Tang Jiaojiao looked at her with ruthless coldness.

Pingyang Princess was driven to tears by her words, sobbing, "Don’t act recklessly... if I fall, don’t think you’ll be safe either..."

Tang Jiaojiao sneered, "If you dare jump, I dare watch!" She said, pushing her out a little more.

Pingyang Princess screamed again in fright, "I don’t dare! I don’t dare!"

Tang Jiaojiao smirked in satisfaction, but suddenly someone grabbed her and pulled both her and Pingyang Princess back into the room.

From the shadows, a cold and furious voice sounded, "Tang Jiaojiao, attempting to harm the Princess, do you know the crime?"

Tang Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat.

Why is Li Shu here?

While helping Tang Jiaojiao up, he quickly glanced around for the backup, thinking how it had come so slowly, just as expected in the novel—without even a name!

Tang Jiaojiao gave a derisive laugh, "Did I really try to harm the Princess?"

That earlier tumble had left her hair slightly askew, lazily loose, adding an air of allure.

Li Shu’s eyes darkened, and just as he was about to reprimand, Pingyang Princess interrupted hurriedly, "No, no, I was just playing around with Jiaojiao!"

With someone backing her, Tang Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow with a provocative smile.

Li Shu’s expression darkened further, "Pure nonsense!"

It was only then that Tang Xiaobai heard the sound of footsteps rushing upstairs, while he had been waiting.

The newcomer was a young Imperial Guard General, wearing a refined and handsome face, holding a sword, he took a look around the room and saluted Prince Jin Li Shu and Pingyang Princess.

Li Shu frowned, "Captain Gu, what is your purpose here?"

The person who arrived was one of Tang Xiaobai’s many cousins from the Gu family, ranked third, named Gu Wei, who was the only one in the Gu family learning martial arts for now. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The incident when Zhao Jing almost strangled Tang Jiaojiao in Jinchang Village was suppressed by the Emperor as a "misunderstanding," and as a pacification, Gu Wei was placed in the Imperial Guard.

Witnessing the First Miss look like she was about to cause trouble, and with Tang Ziqian recently recuperating at home due to injuries, Tang Xiaobai had no choice but to ask someone to fetch Gu Wei.

And Gu Wei, as a nameless pawn in the novel, was fashionably late as expected.

But at least he showed up.

As soon as Li Shu questioned, Tang Xiaobai quickly answered, "My sister wanted to bring the Princess upstairs to enjoy the view. For the Princess’s safety, I specifically had Captain Gu bring people to guard!" With that, he gave Gu Wei a look.

This was nonsense, obviously.

Yet Gu Wei remained expressionless as he nodded, "Indeed."

The victim, Pingyang Princess, nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes! Jiaojiao is that thoughtful!"

Li Shu gave Tang Jiaojiao a cold glance.

Her eyes were lowered, and her demeanor betrayed no sign of impropriety. However, she exuded anything but humility, her rosy lips curled like a full-blown flower—both vibrant and charming.

"This is the Imperial Palace, not your Duke Yan Mansion." Li Shu coldly dropped this line and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Prince Jin’s obvious displeasure caused a brief chill in the atmosphere.

Tang Xiaobai quietly tugged on his sister’s sleeve and whispered, "Was he threatening us?" The First Miss absolutely loathes being threatened!

Sure enough, Tang Jiaojiao coldly snorted, and her eyes flashed with the long-awaited hostility.

Tang Xiaobai almost laughed out loud.

Mission accomplished: creating discord between the First Miss and Li Shu!

...

After being so frightened, Pingyang Princess seemed to gain an appetite. Upon returning to the Princess’s Courtyard, she unconsciously started eating the porridge sent by the maid.

Tang Jiaojiao watched her quietly for a while, then suddenly said gloomily, "I really don’t understand what you see in Zhao Jing, but looking at you like this... I hope I never meet someone I would fall for."

Pingyang Princess clutched her spoon in silence for a moment, softly saying, "The Zhao Jing I loved... wasn’t like this... He said others tore us apart, but I... feel it was him..."

The young man she met at fifteen—she could not forget, could not retrieve.

It was Zhao Jing, who destroyed her Zhao Jing.

"I don’t understand either... maybe it’s because I’m useless..."

When he was alive, she could refuse that completely changed self of his.

When he died, she became even more lost, unable to break free...

"Understanding or not doesn’t matter, but you mustn’t avoid eating!" The girl’s voice was like a cherry falling into an icy bowl, sweet and cold, lifting one’s spirits.

Tang Xiaobai was almost worried to death.

This little princess, won’t she become depressed?

As he pondered, Tang Xiaobai moved closer to Pingyang Princess, gently stroking her arm, and softly said, "In truth, it’s nothing much. If only life could be as simple as the first time we met—people change, some faster, some slower. The Princess simply took a bit longer!"

Tang Jiaojiao scoffed, "You understand?"

Tang Xiaobai ignored her, continuing to persuade, "Isn’t the Princess going to Ren Zhi Palace soon? It’s a great time to relax, forget all the troubles of the Capital City, and read some scriptures properly. Next time, don’t let anyone dub behind a screen during a ritual!"

Pingyang Princess giggled and nodded.

Tang Jiaojiao frowned slightly, "You’re still going to Ren Zhi Palace?"

Pingyang Princess’s smile faded, and after carefully thinking for a long time, she nodded, "Still, I should go."

Initially, it was indeed to get away from the Capital City, but not for this reason; given what’s been revealed by Zhao Jing, she should take this trip.

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Oh dear, almost forgot there’s another Chapter today!