Xiao Shu'er stepped out of the gate of the Imperial Clan Court and took a deep breath of the air outside.

The two eunuchs who opened the door for her kept their heads down, looking aggrieved, and dared not look directly at Xiao Shu'er.

You must know that this arrogant and domineering princess has already nearly killed them during her time in the Imperial Clan Court. Sending her away now is like sending away a big, intolerant Buddha.

Bai Mei had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Upon seeing this, she immediately led a group of palace maids to greet Xiao Shu'er and help her back to the palace.

Although Xiao Shu'er was poorly dressed, had no makeup on her face, and her black hair was not properly combed, she did not suffer much in the Imperial Clan Court.

She's already being kind by not causing trouble for others, so who would dare to mess with her?

Bai Mei grabbed her arm and said with concern, "Princess, you've lost weight."

"Finally out! I was going to go crazy if I stayed in that stinky place any longer," Xiao Shu'er complained, angrily flicking her sleeves.

The maids trembled with fear and dared not speak.

"Your Majesty is truly ruthless. You actually kept me locked up there for so many days. Is this really for the sake of a little bitch's life? You want to kill me!" Xiao Shu'er's eyes revealed malice.

Bai Mei smiled obsequiously and said, "How could that be? The Emperor dotes on the princess the most; this is merely a temporary measure."

She thought to herself that this crime of deceiving the emperor, coupled with framing others and murdering Physician Jiang's entire family, would have resulted in anyone else being torn to pieces long ago. How could they have escaped without even losing a hair?

However, she certainly wouldn't dare say that.

Xiao Shu'er's face darkened, and she asked, "That little bitch, and Meng Yuxiu, how are they?"

Bai Mei's heart leaped into her throat, and she hesitated before saying, "They're doing quite well right now... I heard that General Meng has been preparing for their wedding..."

Sure enough, before she could finish speaking, Xiao Shu'er screamed like a wildcat with its fur standing on end: "What? A wedding is being prepared? They caused me to fall into this state, and now they want me to get married? Royal brother... Royal brother has given his permission?"

Bai Mei subtly distanced herself from her before saying, "His Majesty has tacitly approved."

Xiao Shu'er stopped in her tracks and roared, "Impossible!" After catching her breath, she finally calmed down a bit. Her eyes flashed with a fierce light as she looked around. "I won't let them succeed. They won't get away with this!"

However, Xiao Shu'er, who always spoke rashly, did not immediately issue an order. Instead, she instructed Bai Mei and her group to return to the manor first, saying that she needed to investigate the situation before taking any action.

It seems that her time spent in the Imperial Clan Court has tempered her temperament and made her more composed.

The weather was fine and sunny, perfect for going out. Grandma carried a basket and went out to buy some good food to make soup for Chang Lili to nourish her body.

She noticed that Chang Lili had returned early the other morning but stayed in her room. These days she had been lingering at the military workshop and hadn't returned home for a long time. When she finally got home, she was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

She was afraid that her small body wouldn't be able to withstand it if things continued like this.

Meng Yuxiu naturally took good care of her, but Chang Lili still kept craving the fish soup she made.

The market was bustling with people; even before dawn, it was already incredibly lively.

The sounds of hawking and bargaining filled the air, a noise that brought a sense of peace.

With a kind smile on her face, the old woman looked at the fish that had just been caught at the young fishmonger's stall.

The fishmonger was a very easygoing person and readily gave the old woman a discount. But just as the old woman took out her purse to pay, a fair and slender hand handed the fishmonger a silver ingot first.

The old woman looked at the owner of the hand and froze. The vendor, taking the money, was also dumbfounded and said awkwardly, "Miss... this... you see, I've only just started setting up my stall. This money... my small business can't keep change for a while..."

Before the vendor could finish speaking, the girl readily replied, "No need to look anymore."

The vendor could hardly believe his ears. Watching the young woman pull the old woman away, he took the silver to his mouth, bit it, and then carefully wiped it with his clothes.

The mother-in-law came to her senses and tried to struggle, but Guo Yan was a trained fighter, and she couldn't break free.

"Why are you so persistent, young lady? I've already told you, I'm an old woman and I don't know you!" The mother-in-law was getting angry.

Guo Yan remained calm and said in a light voice, "Don't be so hasty in saying that. You won't say that once you see that person."

The mother-in-law couldn't figure out who she was talking about, but hearing her confident tone, her heart began to race.

"Let me go! You little brat, where are you taking this old woman?!" Seeing she couldn't break free, she screamed, "Help..."

She had barely uttered two words when Guo Yan turned around with lightning speed and gently tapped her throat, rendering her unable to make a sound.

Guo Yan affectionately took her arm and whispered in her ear, "Aunt Chang, don't worry, I only ordered your duck blood. I'll untie it for you when we get there."

The mother-in-law could only let Guo Yan lead her to a sparsely populated area. Under the dim light, the once bustling streets were now deserted.

Soon they turned into a quiet alley and then entered a secluded courtyard.

The courtyard was dilapidated and looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. In the very center of the courtyard stood a graceful figure, wrapped in a black, intricately patterned robe and wearing a black bamboo hat.

Even though her face wasn't visible, one could sense that a beautiful face was hidden beneath the straw hat.

The mother-in-law stared blankly at the figure. Guo Yan released her and released her speech-impairing pressure point, but she forgot to struggle.

It wasn't until Guo Yan walked out of the courtyard and closed the gate behind her, and the person in front of her slowly turned around, that she came back to her senses.

She was still unable to speak. The basket she was casually draped over her arm fell to the ground, and live fish jumped out of it.

Her withered hands reached out to that slender figure, trembling, her eyes filled with tears, her lips quivering, yet she choked and could not utter a single word.

The woman in black extended her slender, white fingers and removed the bamboo hat from her head. The black veil on the hat fell away, revealing a face that was both cold as ice and beautiful as peach blossoms.

“Aunt Chang.” A hint of tenderness appeared on her usually cold and beautiful face as she looked at the old friend she hadn’t seen for more than ten years, tears welling up in her eyes.

Tears welled up in the mother-in-law's eyes, but she froze, stammering for a long time before finally managing to say, "You...you...you are...Xin'er?"

Aunt Xin's face, full of mature charm, had a bright smile like a young girl's, yet it also revealed sadness.

"Aunt Chang, are you treating Xin'er like an empress?"

The mother-in-law's eyes revealed undisguised disappointment. Her smile was both comforting and self-deprecating. She sighed, "It's alright. I'm happy to see you doing well."

Then she stepped forward and hugged Aunt Xin, and both of them burst into tears.

The mother-in-law's body was already somewhat hunched over, and the tall and thin Aunt Xin bent down, nestled in her arms like a child.