On this day, Su Yu was summoned to Yong'an Palace by an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager. It is said that grandparents love their grandchildren more, and this custom is no exception in the royal family. As the Empress Dowager's only grandson, Su Yu has been highly valued since childhood and can be described as a unique existence.

At this moment, Su Yu entered the hall. He looked up and saw a kind-faced, middle-aged woman sitting on the high throne in the hall. He immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Grandson Su Yu greets His Majesty the Empress..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager had already risen from her seat and walked straight toward him, saying with a smile, "Yu'er, get up quickly and let your grandmother take a look at you. You seem to have become even more haggard after not seeing you for so many days."

Immediately afterward, before he could even finish speaking, the Empress Dowager instructed the servants, "Someone... quickly bring some of my thousand-year-old ginseng to the Crown Prince to nourish his body."

"Thank you for your concern, Grandmother. I have come to see you today to say a few words." Su Yu took another step closer to the Empress Dowager and smiled slightly. "I'm sure you've heard about my situation, Grandmother. Recently, I brought back a woman from the Northern You Kingdom. She is the most important person to me, so... I have decided that I will marry no one but her in this life, and no matter how others object, they will never waver in my heart. If you truly love your grandson, Grandmother, I hope you can respect my choice."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager paused slightly, her expression suddenly turning serious. She continued, "But... I've heard that woman was once someone else's wife. For you to so hastily bring her into the Crown Prince's residence is a disgrace to our royal family. Moreover, we cannot afford to offend the Grand Tutor's residence..."

“Grandmother, I am the Crown Prince and the heir apparent of Jianglan Kingdom. Why should I live like a puppet? Even though Su Heng holds immense power in the court, he is still a servant of our Su family. Since ancient times, there has been a strict hierarchy. He has no right to interfere in my affairs.”

Unbeknownst to her, Su Yu's tone grew increasingly impassioned, and every word she uttered, every expression as cold as ice, was sharp and intimidating.

A little while later, after Su Yu paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, she had just stepped out of Yong'an Palace when she ran into Su Zhenzhen walking towards her.

He coldly sized up the woman in front of him, who appeared glamorous. After a moment of silence, he turned to leave, but unexpectedly, she followed him, forcing him to stop in his tracks and meet her gaze.

Su Zhenzhen is now past the age of coming of age, her figure is fully grown, her curves are delicate and alluring. She is dressed in a pink tight-fitting long dress, and a few strands of black hair on her head are simply gathered up with a white lotus jade hairpin. Her sideburns fall vertically to her shoulders, and her long hair is loose behind her. The only detail is a light red flower between her eyebrows, which perfectly embellishes her dignified and beautiful face.

Su Zhenzhen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sweet smile: "Cousin, I heard you've been back from Beiyou Kingdom for quite some time now, why haven't I seen you come to the Grand Tutor's Mansion?"

Meeting Su Zhenzhen's sparkling eyes, Su Yu glanced at her lightly, then looked away, her tone unusually cold: "As you know, I am naturally fond of quiet, especially in noisy places with too many people. It is my biggest headache. My cousin often comes to the palace to stroll around, so she should know my habits very well."