Ushiha remained silent, observing the reactions of the crowd with a cold eye, and was particularly impressed by Wuzhaku, the daughter of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Wushitu.

However, none of these young ladies from noble families could tell that the "gardener" was not a real gardener. Ushiha did not point it out, and after casually scolding the "gardener" a few times according to Wuzhaku's words, he made him leave immediately.

The others naturally dared not object, and the matter was dropped. Only Xie Yalan remained sullen and unhappy.

After everyone else had gone to continue admiring the flowers, Ushiha specifically sought out Wuzhaku. Upon seeing Ushiha, Wuzhaku bowed shyly and said, "Greetings, Princess. I apologize for my earlier rudeness; please forgive me..."

Seeing Wuzhaku's polite and docile manner, Wuxiha admired her even more. She helped Wuzhaku up and said with a smile, "This princess is not angry. On the contrary, you have made this princess look at you in a new light..."

Wu Zhaku was taken aback and raised his head slightly. Only then did Wu Xiha get a good look at her appearance. The girl was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with an oval face and a very beautiful face. She had clear and bright pupils, arched eyebrows, long eyelashes that trembled slightly, fair and flawless skin with a faint pink hue, and thin lips as delicate and dewy as rose petals.

Wu Zhaku said in surprise, "My daughter just felt sorry for that gardener and didn't mean to show off..."

Ushiha smiled and said softly, "You misunderstand. This princess simply thinks you are very kind and brave..."

Wu Zhaku smiled with relief, stuck out her tongue, and tilted her head shyly, saying, "Your Highness, I thought you would be a very strict and unapproachable person. I never expected you to be so gentle, kind, and intelligent..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiha found the young girl quite adorable. Unlike other young ladies, she was not only kind and innocent but also full of fun. She even spoke in a very proper manner. He immediately developed a great liking for her and chatted with Wu Zhakushi for a long time.

Hongzhou fled the princess's residence as if escaping. The experience had left him terrified. Fortunately, he hadn't rashly gone there in his true identity; otherwise, he wouldn't have witnessed such a scene. He couldn't help but secretly rejoice at his clever plan. Remembering that Lanqin was still waiting for news at Changchun Palace, he didn't linger and returned to Changchun Palace.

Lanqin was naturally extremely anxious. If Baoqin and Yuxiao hadn't desperately stopped her, Lanqin would have already changed into a palace maid's clothes and sneaked into the princess's residence. Only when she saw Hongzhou return did she give up the idea.

Lanqin pulled Hongzhou along and asked curiously, "So? Tell me quickly, is there any woman you've taken a fancy to?"

Hongzhou's face instantly turned red to his ears, but he smiled without saying a word. Lanqin immediately realized that something was going to happen!

"Whose daughter is she? How old is she? What does she look like? What does her father do?" Lanqin asked in a flurry of questions. Seeing that Lanqin was getting more and more agitated, Hongzhou comforted her, "Your Majesty, please don't worry, I'll tell you slowly..."

“There is a young lady who really suits my taste. She is Wu Zhaku, the daughter of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Wu Shitu…” Hong Zhou confessed honestly. Lan Qin was somewhat surprised: “The daughter of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Wu Shitu? Why do you only have feelings for her?”

Hongzhou thought for a moment and answered seriously, "She is a kind person, but I... value her character and integrity even more..."

Lanqin smiled, puzzled, "You saw it clearly in just a short while? Are you in a bit of a hurry? I've invited so many ladies from noble families; perhaps there are even better ones..."

Hongzhou shook his head and told Lanqin everything that had happened in the back garden. Lanqin suddenly understood and secretly praised Hongzhou's wisdom. Hongzhou continued, "If I hadn't come up with this method, how could I have seen through their true thoughts? These women are all only interested in their princely status; in reality, they have no interest in anyone but themselves. They're like carp crossing a river—meaningless... But Wu Zhaku... she's very brave and kind..."

Lanqin felt that Hongzhou's words made sense, so she decided not to show herself.