Soon, Granny Zhao lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, quietly shaking her head at Mei Xiyuan.

Mei Xiyuan paused, seemingly quite surprised, then thought that it would be troublesome if someone with ulterior motives bumped into them in the middle of the night. She then turned to Tuoba Ze and urged him:

"Alright, we shouldn't stay here any longer. You should hurry up and get going. If the prince's men catch up with you, you won't be able to escape even if you grow wings."

Unexpectedly, Tuoba Ze didn't seem to care at all, and jokingly said to her with a smile, "With such a beautiful and charming Princess Qin here, even if the King of Qin came, he would probably obediently submit and let the Princess Qin make the decisions!"

Mei Xiyuan glared at him angrily, and Tuoba Ze then suppressed his laughter and clasped his hands in farewell, saying, "Thank you for your help in leaving the city, Princess Qin. We'll meet again."

Mei Xiyuan snorted and turned away disdainfully, saying, "Never again."

Tuoba Ze chuckled, turned around, stepped onto his horse, and rode away as soon as he left the city gate.

As they watched her leave the city and walk further and further away, the sturdy and sacred gate was finally locked again.

As Mei Xiyuan turned and walked towards the carriage, she asked Zhao Mama, who was supporting her, "Did you carefully examine her just now? Does she really not have that phoenix mark on her body?"

Granny Zhao remained silent for a while, pondering in her heart what had just happened in the carriage. Finally, she said with certainty, "This old servant has indeed checked everything clearly. That girl's withered body was completely naked, without any marks at all."

"How could this be? Could it be that my brother has made a mistake, and that the girl is not the Empress Dowager's child?" Mei Xiyuan frowned deeply, slowed her pace, and was extremely surprised.

"It seems that the Princess Consort may have made a mistake by betting such a high price this time." Granny Zhao suddenly felt that the price Mei Xiyuan had paid was not worth it.

Mei Xiyuan exhaled a sigh of relief and said dismissively, "Forget it, it's just a matter of losing money to avoid trouble. In any case, keeping her under His Highness's nose will only bring endless trouble. Lu Tianjiao alone is already a great worry for this princess."

After careful consideration, Granny Zhao realized that this was indeed the case. If such an outstanding person were to remain in the Prince of Qin's residence, it would surely cause great trouble in the future.

As they talked, they returned to the carriage. Then, Granny Zhao asked with concern, "Your Highness is going back so late. If you run into His Highness later, how will you explain it to him? He will definitely become suspicious."

After a moment of contemplation upon boarding the carriage, Mei Xiyuan suddenly narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Then let him be completely at ease."

"What Your Highness means is..." Granny Zhao looked at her with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding the meaning of the words, when she saw Mei Xiyuan slowly pull out a sharp dagger.

Upon seeing this, Granny Zhao asked in alarm and confusion, "Your Highness, what are you doing?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, a "hiss" was heard, and Mei Xiyuan swiftly reversed her hand, instantly stabbing the gleaming dagger into her shoulder.

"Your Highness!" Granny Zhao exclaimed in alarm, and hurriedly took out her handkerchief to help bandage the wound.

Despite the excruciating pain, Mei Xiyuan ordered, "Let's go, hurry back to the manor."

"Hurry back to the manor, quick!" Granny Zhao urged the servant driving the carriage outside anxiously.

Inside the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city, the lights were on everywhere.

Upon returning to the mansion, Xuan Yuanhan and Cheng Liang hurriedly headed towards Shaohua Pavilion.

This was the first time Xuan Yuanhan had stepped into this courtyard since Mei Xiyuan moved there.

The courtyard, which was already elegant and unique, has become even more noble under Mei Xiyuan's meticulous care.

It was late spring, and as soon as you approached the courtyard, the intoxicating fragrance of various flowers wafted towards you.

Whether it's day or night, the white walls, set against a backdrop of countless vibrant and colorful flowers, always make people want to stop and take a second look.

Celebrities and scholars all love crabapple blossoms because of their elegant appearance, beautiful blooms, and auspicious symbolism.

The word "sea" means "great"; the word "crabapple" is a homophone for "hall" and implies a house full of wealth and honor. Therefore, crabapple blossoms are also known as "flowers of wealth and honor".

A beautiful spring cannot be hidden; apricot blossoms peek out from behind the pink wall. Even though it grows in the cracks of the wall, unseen by anyone, it persists tenaciously, persistently blooming, truly unforgettable.

The pear blossoms are pale white, the willows are deep green, and when the willow catkins fly, the city is filled with flowers. Imagine how stunning and graceful a woman would be, standing beneath the pear trees, their blossoms as pure and elegant as snow, a sight that rivals the beauty of the pear blossoms.

And then there's the energy stored up all winter, now budding, waiting for a full, unreserved, and unashamed bloom—different from the lotus's elegance, and distinct from the plum blossom's aloof beauty. Noble and dignified, neither fawning nor vulgar, the peony would rather be demoted than submit to the powerful.

...

A gust of wind blows, and the petals on the branches fall down in a flurry, as if they were all shy. Even when the fallen flowers turn into mud, they still retain their fragrance.

As soon as Xuanyuan Han appeared in the courtyard, all the servants rushed out from all directions and knelt down, bowing to him and saying, "Your servants greet Your Highness, the Prince of Qin."

Xuanyuan Han stood with his hands behind his back, his deep, cold eyes sweeping over the pavilion in front of him. He stopped abruptly, as if a god of the night had descended.

At this moment, Cheng Liang hurriedly stepped forward and asked the crowd, "Has Her Highness the Princess already retired for the night?"

The servants had no idea what was going on; they were all stunned by the imposing presence of the person who had suddenly arrived—the true master of the mansion.

Everyone was caught off guard and for a moment, they didn't know how to respond.

At this moment, Cheng Liang pressed again, "Has Her Highness the Princess Consort finally retired for the night? Why is everyone so silent? Didn't you see the Prince has arrived? Why aren't you serving him and coming out to greet him?"

At this moment, a maid in the front row lowered her head, secretly glanced at the brightly lit pavilion behind her, and said tremblingly, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Her Highness, she..."

"What happened to the Princess Consort?" Seeing the maid hesitate and stammer, Cheng Liang became even more certain that something strange had indeed happened at Shaohua Pavilion tonight, so he raised his voice and asked anxiously.

"Your Highness, she...she is not in the pavilion," the maid said timidly.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan immediately raised his eyes, shooting out a chilling glint.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Liang immediately angrily reprimanded the maid, "Where is the Princess Consort? Why don't you raise your head and explain yourself clearly?"

A stern rebuke snapped the maid out of her reverie. She looked up in shock, her body trembling more violently as she said, "The Princess Consort has gone out, and she... she hasn't returned yet."

Before Cheng Liang could speak, Xuan Yuanhan seemed to finally lose his temper and asked in a cold voice, "When did this happen?"

The maidservant then met his eyes, and was immediately startled by those cold gazes, lowering her head even further. Trembling with fear, she replied, "Your Highness, she...she left before it even got dark."

Upon hearing this, the master and servant looked at each other in astonishment.

Just then, the maid seemed to sense something, slowly raised her head, and stared blankly at the archway behind Xuan Yuanhan.

A moment later, she exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, Your Highness has returned!"

As Mei Xiyuan was helped by Zhao Mama and slowly walked over into the light, the maid saw that Mei Xiyuan's face was pale and that there was a white handkerchief stained with blood on her shoulder.

As if on instinct, the maidservant suddenly stood up and rushed towards her, exclaiming in alarm, "Your Highness, Your Highness, what happened to you? How did you get injured?"

However, Mei Xiyuan, despite the pain, entered the room and saw Xuan Yuanhan standing in the courtyard. She stumbled towards him, bowed, and weakly said, "Your Highness, it's so late, why have you come?"

Xuanyuan Han also glanced at the shocking bloodstains on her shoulder, then shifted his gaze and asked Zhao Mama, who had come in with him, in a cold voice, "What happened?"

Granny Zhao then said with a look of fear and unease, "Your Highness, Your Highness, she...she was almost killed by that traitor from the Northern Lie Kingdom."

Before Xuan Yuanhan could speak, Cheng Liang rushed forward and exclaimed in surprise, "A traitor from the Northern Lie Kingdom? You mean Tuoba Ze from the Northern Lie Kingdom, who is currently wanted throughout the city?"

With one hand supporting Mei Xiyuan, Zhao Mama wiped away the tears on her face and nodded to her.

Just then, Mei Xiyuan suddenly felt her whole body sinking downwards. She felt dizzy and her vision went black. Just as she was about to fall towards Xuan Yuanhan, Cheng Liang quickly stepped forward, caught her, and picked her up.

He then roared at the kneeling servants, "What are you all standing there for? Get up and help the Princess Consort inside!"

Suddenly, a chaotic chorus of footsteps filled the area inside and outside Shaohua Pavilion.

After a long while, Imperial Physician Yue slowly walked out of the room and reported to Xuan Yuanhan, "Your Highness, rest assured, the Princess Consort's wound fortunately did not hit any vital organs, but she still needs to rest well and avoid emotional excitement or fluctuations, lest the wound reopen and cause infection..."

However, Xuan Yuanhan seemed to be deep in thought and did not listen to him. Even after he had finished speaking, he remained sitting silently, looking down at the floor of the room.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Liang hurriedly replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Physician Le. Please also give a proper instruction to the servants serving at Shaohua Pavilion. They must be careful in the coming days and not let them be careless."

Physician Yue said earnestly, "Of course, I'll go down and give them my instructions right away."

The two looked at each other and nodded. After bowing to Xuan Yuanhan, Physician Yue walked out the door.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

The servants were all busy taking care of Mei Xiyuan in the inner room. After seeing off Imperial Physician Yue, Cheng Liang went up to Xuan Yuanhan and whispered in his ear several times, "Your Highness, it's late. Why don't we go back first? Your Highness, Your Highness..."

However, Xuanyuan Han remained deeply engrossed in his own thoughts, unable to awaken from them.

The night is deep and the world is vast; pear blossoms fall, leaving the trees scarred.

And so he sat there, and the whole night went by...