The next morning, Xu Nian only managed to get out of bed by sheer willpower.

He had barely sat up when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Then a eunuch's voice rang out, "General Gu, the Emperor summons you to the palace."

Her tone sounded urgent. Gu Zhan got up, dressed, and then laid her back down on the bed, saying, "Sleep a little longer. You were exhausted yesterday too."

Recalling what happened yesterday, Xu Nian's face instantly turned red.

She turned her back to Gu Zhan, refusing to acknowledge him any longer. A soft chuckle came from above her head, followed by a warm, soft touch on her forehead.

The door opened, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Xu Nian opened her eyes, staring at the bed canopy. She blinked a few times, her body aching all over. Sleepiness washed over her, and she slowly closed her eyes.

When I woke up again, I was in a swaying carriage.

Although the emperor granted them permission to stay at the palace for a few more days, they were not allowed to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

"What does His Majesty want with you?" She asked with her eyes closed, shifting into a more comfortable position in Gu Zhan's arms.

The fact that the groom was summoned to court so early in the morning suggests that it must be an extremely important matter. Otherwise, Jiang Mingyun wouldn't have gone back on his word.

Gu Zhan gently patted his wife's back, stroking her soft, long hair. "The Fifth Prince is returning to the capital." His tone was gentle, as if he were afraid of startling Xu Nian.

It took the person in his arms a while to remember who this fifth prince was.

The emperor's fifth son, Jiang Yuanche. He was the unfortunate fellow who somehow offended the emperor and was banished to his fiefdom after being granted the title of prince.

A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Nian's eyes. "Isn't he disliked by the emperor and always sent his subordinates to report to the capital every year? Why did he come back in person this year?"

"His Majesty personally ordered him to return." The carriage stopped, and Gu Zhan carried the man horizontally into the General's Mansion, entering his courtyard amidst the ambiguous glances of Da Bao and Er Bao.

He pulled his wife's flushed face out of his arms and said, "The emperor summoned me to the palace today so that I could lead troops to meet him outside the city in five days."

Sigh, all these princes. This is probably going to be another good show.

Who can argue with that?

On the third day after their wedding, Xu Nian changed into elaborate palace attire and followed Gu Zhan into the palace to express her gratitude. When they arrived at the Empress's residence, they saw that the Empress, who was usually radiant, looked quite haggard.

Anqing was by her side and rushed to greet them when they arrived.

"Niannian, you've come at the right time." Before they could even pay their respects, she pulled Xu Nian toward the Empress. "Quickly, take a look at my mother. She's been having headaches for the past few days and hasn't been sleeping well at night."

The Empress was protected by a red aura, preventing any evil spirits from getting close.

Xu Nian asked her to extend her hand, and took her pulse with her delicate hand. After about fifteen minutes, she released her hand, "Your Majesty, is something troubling you today? Your liver fire is excessive, and you feel weak and powerless. You should calm down and stay calm."

The Empress sighed; the imperial physician had said the same thing to her.

But given the current situation, how could she remain calm? She could only nod perfunctorily. Forcing herself to speak a few high-sounding words, she then tried to get her and Gu Zhan to leave.

Anqing was extremely anxious.

Xu Nian noticed her reluctance to speak further and didn't press the matter. Instead, she took out a piece of yellow paper from her pocket. "This is a calming talisman. Your Highness can place it under your pillow when you sleep to help you calm your mind."

"Fu'an, you're so kind. Just leave it there."

She had said everything she needed to say; whether the Empress listened or not was up to her. Xu Nian nodded and took her leave. Just as she and Gu Zhan arrived at the residence, the Emperor's decree was issued.

Xu Nian was granted the title of Princess of the County and a second-rank Imperial Lady.

After politely seeing off Eunuch Wang, Xu Nian sighed, holding the two imperial edicts. "Husband, what do you think the Emperor means by this? All I did was give the Empress a calming talisman."

Gu Zhan didn't understand this sudden promotion either, so he simply stopped thinking about it. "Perhaps he has gained His Majesty's favor in some other matter. Don't overthink it."

On the fifth day of their wedding, when Xu Nian woke up, Gu Zhan was no longer beside her.

Only the warmth and scent of that person remained in the quilt. She stretched and got up, summoning a maid to help her change clothes and wash.

Liu Yun tidied her temples. "I heard that the Fifth Prince has returned to the capital, and all the noble ladies and wives have gone to the city tower to watch. Would you like to go and see him too, Princess?"

With her eyes closed, Xu Nian fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm not going. I'll definitely see him at the welcome-home banquet tonight. Any news from the Second Prince?"

Liu Yun released her grip, dismissing the other maids. Then she took out a letter from her sleeve. "The news arrived yesterday, but the general saw you were asleep and didn't ask me to give it to you."

"He read the contents of this book."

The question was so certain that Liu Yun dared not answer. But yesterday's events had been so sudden that she hadn't expected to run right into the General's hands.

Fortunately, Xu Nian didn't care about these things; if she knew, she knew. She could explain it later.

Opening the letter, Jiang Yuanqing had clearly made up his mind: a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. Only by eliminating the Gu poison once and for all, and removing this time bomb from his body, could he focus on his plans.

However, now that the emperor intends to give him an important position, he cannot afford to feign illness and retire.

So he could only wait until it got warmer, then use his health as an excuse to disappear from everyone's sight. He would only come out again once he was fully recovered.

Meanwhile, on Gu Zhan's side, a hundred miles outside the city, on the official road, he rode a tall horse, gazing at the endless road stretching into the distance. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that Xu Nian was helping the Second Prince with his illness, but he didn't expect that the two of them had become allies!

He certainly didn't want his wife to get involved in the royal infighting, but now that he was deeply entangled in it, how could he extricate her?

"General, they're here."

The adjutant, oblivious to Gu Zhan's expression, leaned close and whispered as a large, indistinct group of people finally appeared in the distance.

Gu Zhan snapped out of his daze, his eyes now clear. "Line up! All of you, stand at attention!"

Jiang Yuanche's mother came from a humble background and died young. Compared to Jiang Yuanlang's domineering nature, he had a calm demeanor but gave people a gloomy and oppressive feeling.

Gu Zhan and the others dismounted when they arrived. "Your subject Gu Zhan has come by order of His Majesty to welcome Your Highness back to the palace. Please allow Your Highness's carriage to accompany me."

The curtain of the understated yet luxurious carriage moved slightly, and a gentle voice came from inside, "Thank you for your trouble, General Gu."

A large group of people entered the city in a grand procession, attracting the attention of the entire capital. The Fifth Prince's entourage went to the prepared Prince's residence to rest, while the Fifth Prince, escorted by Gu Zhan, entered the palace.