Inside a gorgeous pavilion, lithe women decked in a colorful dress were dancing gracefully while two men watched from a platform. One of them was Wen Xueran, with his alluring smile and devastatingly handsome face. He looked even more beautiful than the dancers below.

His black hair was draped over his shoulder, lending him an androgynous allure. His wide robe made him look like an ancient scholar, with a trace of languidness in its flightiness. Beside him was the elegant Hua Yunheng in a light-colored robe.

The dancers were twirling around gracefully, their sleeves fluttering with every action, their dainty waists twisting from time to time, as they displayed their elegant figures. Instrumental music from both sides that accompanied the performance made them look all that more delicate and beautiful. Upon closer look, the musicians were all beauties themselves. But dressed in men’s attire, they looked more dashing instead.

However, these women didn’t catch the attention of the two noblemen above.

“I’m going back.” Hua Yunheng put down the wine cup in his hand and looked solemnly at Ning Xueyan, whose eyes were narrowed.

“You’re going back? Aren’t you going to wait a little longer? Who knows, maybe it wasn’t her who died in the Cloud Reflection Courtyard,” Wen Xueran replied lackadaisically, blinking his alluring eyes at Hua Yunheng.

Neither of them believed his words.

“It doesn’t matter if it was her. Even if she’s alive, she might not even remember me anymore, and even if she does, she might just hate me. After all, if my family didn’t spread the rumor that she might be the princess of the previous dynasty, Xia Manor wouldn’t have set an engagement with her, and she wouldn’t end up like this…”

Hua Yunheng seemed calm but he couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes. He picked up the wine cup on the table and took another swig.

Wen Xueran smiled and personally prepared a small cup of warm wine for him. Rolling up his long sleeves, he poured a cup for him and said thoughtlessly, “It’s not your fault. Ning Manor was in the wrong for trying to find another engagement when they had an engagement with me. I wasn’t even dead, but Ning Manor wanted to kick me aside.”

“They probably thought you died in the war and didn’t want to get Ying’er involved in it again. Ying’er is a good girl.” Hua Yunheng picked up the cup of wine in front of him and downed it again. He was in such a hurry that he couldn’t help coughing.

Getting tipsy, he leaned back and a wry smile appeared on his face. “She’s a good girl, always obedient and well-behaved. Had I insisted on marrying her that day, I could’ve prevented everything. She’s just a wonderful girl who doesn’t know anything.”

He was older than Ning Ziying and also knew the matter better. He knew that he came to Ning Manor to get engaged with her, so he had always taken care of her as if she was his wife. Although he was still a boy back then, he adored the innocent, naive, kind little girl from the bottom of his heart.

He was also determined to marry her in the future!

Yet, change was the only constant in the world. Upon hearing that someone else might be the Grand Elder Princess of the previous dynasty, his father immediately broke the engagement with Ning Manor and even spread the rumor that Ning Ziying might be the princess to the ambitious Minister Xia. Thus, his fate with her ended.

Although he was reluctant to part with that adorable girl, he thought their relationship was insignificant compared to his family and country. He listened to his family’s advice and got engaged with another woman. He was still young anyway. He wasn’t without any opportunity should he wait for a few more years.

Once he was done with his family affairs, he would be able to come back and continue his relationship with her.

However, three years ago, her mother died. Once he heard the news, he sent his men here, only to come up empty. Ning Manor was deserted except for a bunch of ignorant servants. Ning Ziying went missing. He never thought that the first thing he heard about her in a long while was the news that her fate was unknown.

The painful memory made Hua Yunheng stand up and throw the wine cup in his hand to the floor. He didn’t want to feel the heartache of his hopeless love. The cup made a crisp noise as it shattered on impact. “Xueran, I’ll be going home first. Our opportunity has come now. Maybe God is helping us.”

“All right, I’ll be waiting for your news!” Wen Xueran laughed and applauded at Hua Yunheng’s cup-smashing. He stood up as well. “Take care, Brother Hua.”

Indeed, the two of them couldn’t be discovered together. Although Hua Yunheng had been keeping a low profile since coming to the capital, he couldn’t be sure that no one else was aware of his identity.

“Take care!” Hua Yunheng nodded, turned around, and left.

Only Wen Xueran was left on the platform. He held a wine cup in his hand, still smiling. He flicked his long and wide sleeves and settled down again. The dancers and musicians below continued to perform wholeheartedly as if they didn’t notice that their master’s guest— a guest that they didn’t even know the face of—had departed. Without their master’s order, they weren’t allowed to stop.

There was once a dancer who was pampered by their master. She stopped dancing as soon as the guests left, and ended up being sentenced to death by their master. Their master wasn’t as harmless and gentlemanly as he looked.

A woman in white appeared silently behind Wen Xueran and said respectfully, “Master, Ning Qingshan sent a letter. She wants you to get rid of Princess Yi.”

Wen Xueran leaned back languidly, knocking the folding fan in his hand on the table. His long hair cascaded like a waterfall, partially covering his face, as faint mirth lit up his enchanting eyes. “If I take Princess Yi away, I wonder if that counts as granting Concubine Ning’s wish.”

The woman in white was stunned, not understanding what her master meant. Although she had a crush on him and thought she understood him well, she was still confused at this moment.

“Do you mean to kidnap Princess Yi as a favor to Concubine Ning?” she asked with uncertainty.

“She’s just a concubine. Why should I do favors for a lowly concubine? Or do you think that a lowly concubine, and a fake at that, has the right to discuss conditions with me?” Wen Xueran’s expression sank. Its enchanting face immediately turned cold and hostile.

The woman in white was dumbfounded and subconsciously lowered her head, her face pale and body shivering. She hadn’t recovered from the whipping before. She thought that her master took care of Ning Qingshan and even sent her Death Guards because she was the princess of the previous dynasty. In the end, she found out that she was mistaken.

Wen Xueran didn’t notice her abnormality. His sculpted brows knitted into a frown as he struggled to make up his mind. He wanted to keep Ning Xueyan beside Ao Chenyi for that would benefit him the most. He viewed Ao Chenyi as his only worthy opponent, but now, he was beginning to hesitate.

Was it because of Ning Xueyan’s firmness in rejecting the matters of the previous dynasty? Or was it because he realized Ning Xueyan had a good impression of Ao Chenyi?

No matter what it was, some things had already left his control. He had no idea when that woman entered his heart, but so what? He felt that she, as the second princess, should take responsibility for the previous dynasty even if she hadn’t been a princess for even a day. She could only blame it on the blood of the Xuanyuan Clan in her veins.

But why did she seem not to care about losing her position as a princess?

How could she not care? This should be her responsibility!

Whenever he thought about this, he couldn’t help but become furious. His engagement with the daughter of the former imperial family was decided between the Empress of the former dynasty and his mother. Although Ning Ziying wasn’t expressly named as the candidate, she was the only princess at that time. Thus, it was decided that he was engaged to Ning Ziying then.

Things were different now. With Ning Ziying dead, his fiancee ought to be Ning Xueyan. He was overjoyed when he learned of this. That girl, with her slight wariness and coldness, had wisdom and beauty different from most people. She was more to his liking than Ning Ziying.

She was his fiancee, the one who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Ning Ziying, like a dainty flower who could only grow in a greenhouse, was too weak and unsuitable for him. Thus, to restore the former dynasty, he accepted the fact that Ning Xueyan had to marry Prince Yi. If she was able to contribute to his great cause, he was willing to give her the position she deserved in the future.

And yet, why couldn’t he bear it anymore? He picked up the jar of wine and drank it straight without pouring it into a cup. He was so upset at this moment. The sweet wine trickled down his face from his beautiful lips, wetting his clothes. He felt as if some things were completely out of his control now.

Should he take her away? Should he not?

Due to all the ruckus that Chen Hexiang made that day, the Ministry of Justice decided to conduct a public trial for Manor Xia’s case. Ning Xueyan brought Xinmei and Qingyu to the ministry to watch the proceeding.

Chen Hexiang’s statement had gotten numerous parties involved, such as Xia Manor and Lord Protector’s Manor. The newly-established Prince Xiang’s Manor was also said to be involved. Someone had tried to assassinate Prince Xiang recently and no one knew if he had regained consciousness.

The string of incidents was enough to attract everyone’s attention and was considered to be the biggest uproar in the capital at the moment. Many people attended the trial. By the time Ning Xueyan’s carriage arrived, the front of the Ministry of Justice was packed with pedestrians and a carriage couldn’t pass. Thus, she ordered the driver to stop the carriage outside the building and Xinmei to go down and check the situation.

“Master, we can’t see or hear anything from here.” Qingyu listened through the carriage window for a moment before pushing it open and taking a look outside. She couldn’t see or hear anything at all. With so many people around, their carriage couldn’t stop anywhere near the front. They could only stop the carriage a distance away.

Never mind watching the trial, they wouldn’t even be able to hear anything at this distance.

“It’s all right. We’re here just for a quick look. We’ll make do with what we can see and hear.” Ning Xueyan, still seated, looked out of the window that Qingyu had opened. Today was the first day of the trial and for some inexplicable reason, she had the urge to come and see it. The people involved were all connected to her.

Xia Yuhang, Ning Ziyan, Chen Hexiang. It was time for a clean break…