"I," the Emperor stroked his beard, pondered for a long time, and then sighed, "I remember when you first arrived in the capital, I saw you in the Qiankun Hall. At that time, the little princess was still dressed in her finest attire. How long has it been, and she has become like this?"

“Times have changed,” said the Prince of Anping, his eyes filled with despair. “I have tried everything I could, but the little princess is still the same.”

Logically speaking, given the current situation, it's clear to anyone with eyes to see that Prince Anping is preparing to return.

He accepted everything passively.

But how could the young princess accept such a submissive arrangement?

Unfortunately, the current emperor did not bring this up at all.

Many thoughts raced through Prince Anping's mind, and the plea lingered on his tongue for a long time before the Emperor stood up and said, "If it's an illness, it should be treated properly. I will find someone else."

"His Majesty!"

A man's knees are worth their weight in gold, but Prince Anping knelt down without flinching.

“Your Majesty,” Prince Anping said, tears streaming down his face, “I only have this one precious daughter. She grew up in the beautiful Xichuan region and is now suddenly facing difficulties adapting to the capital.”

The Emperor knew that Prince Anping had knelt down, but he did not turn around.

He even spoke in an unusually cold and stern tone: "Do you know why I summoned you to the capital?"

"In today's world, the country is divided by regional warlords, and many people have declared themselves kings. His Majesty is worried that things will turn out the other way around, so he has given them enormous power, which will eventually lead to them becoming a threat."

"You..." The Emperor slowly turned around, his eyes filled with deep thought, and finally grasped Prince Anping's hand. "It's good that you know. Don't worry, I will not sacrifice anyone."

"but……"

Wang Hai of Anping prepared to bargain.

At that moment, a report came from outside that the Regent had returned.

Prince Anping arrived at the flower hall with his guards.

Inside the flower hall, Qi Guze looked at Prince Anping and said, "His Majesty will not let you leave, at least not now."

Prince Anping was furious and became agitated. "For so many years, I have been protecting the capital without fail. I am the Emperor's cousin, yet he doesn't believe me!"

"Although blood is thicker than water, His Majesty is still hesitant to act rashly. The more he hesitates, the more power you have, isn't that right?" Qi Guze analyzed from the Emperor's perspective, "Actually, that's how those in power think, and it's only human nature."

“His ‘human nature’ is to make my daughter a martyr.”

The Prince of Anping was furious.

Qi Guze offered a "Take it easy" remark, then froze in place, saying nothing.

Meanwhile, the current emperor is already close to his bed.

On the hospital bed, the little princess was dying.

Seemingly surprised by the rustling footsteps, she blinked her innocent, bewildered eyes and looked at the emperor opposite her.

On the second day after arriving in Chang'an, Princess Anning accompanied her father to pay her respects to the Emperor. However, due to the distance, she may not have been able to see what the Emperor looked like clearly.

Now that it's so close, she feels like she's dreaming.

"Royal Uncle?"

"yes."

The Emperor, with a gentle smile and kind eyes, sat down in front of the young princess, clutching his sleeve. "I heard you were ill. How are you? I've taken the time to come and see you today."

"Cough cough cough," An Ning coughed violently, indicating that he was already terminally ill. "It's alright, the illness is alright, it's just that I miss my hometown, damn it."

"What 'Ge Laozi'?"

The Emperor was surprised.

Anning didn't know what it meant, but she knew it was a "vulgar word," "everyone uses it, it's probably a modal particle."

"Damn it, you'll get better." The Emperor seemed indignant.

The young princess smiled sweetly, but her eyes filled with sorrow again. "They said that His Majesty would not let us go home. Now that we are under the Emperor's nose, you can control us and observe our every move up close, is that right?"

"These words," the Emperor said without any anger, but with the authority of an elder, "are fine for you to say to me, but you must never tell anyone else. Bad rumors travel a thousand miles, and you'll lose your head."

"Are you worried that your father will usurp the throne?"

This statement is truly worthy of being called a death sentence.

But the innocent little princess still managed to ask the question.

The Emperor laughed heartily, looking up at the sky, "Why would I worry about that?"

But for the current emperor, the Prince of Anping will no longer be killed by nameless soldiers.

If they were to actually rebel, they would become the most formidable enemy of the capital.

"Alright," the Emperor interrupted the conversation upon seeing that the young princess was unwell. "I'll take my leave now. You should rest well. I will arrange for the most skilled person to treat you. As for what you just said, it was just innocent talk from a child, and I won't take it to heart."

"knew."

At this moment, at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly entered.

Xu Yuehuai lifted the carriage curtain to take a look. As soon as she entered the Prince's Mansion, a subtle fragrance wafted in the air. It was the fragrance of lotus flowers blooming in July and August, which was also the faint fragrance of damp soil after being moistened by rain. It was also a fragrance that was hard to describe, formed by various flowers.

Xu Yuehuai lowered the curtain and did not see Qi Guze sitting in the flower hall chatting with Prince Anping.

Wei Yixiao led the way, and they soon arrived at the door of the boudoir.

As soon as she got out of the car, Xu Yuehuai smelled a strong herbal aroma.

Knowing that the frail princess was now being kept alive with herbs, her heart skipped a beat. The person had arrived, but what should she do next?

“The young princess is inside. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, it’s all on your shoulders.”

"Don't worry, I will definitely save her."

Xu Yuehuai appeared completely calm and collected.

Upon entering the room, the young princess weakly opened her eyes and glanced outside. She saw a woman in red gracefully approaching. Her lithe body was as light as a feather, and the young princess thought she was seeing things.

Everyone says that the soul-reapers of hell are extremely ugly, but I never imagined they would be so beautiful as angels.

"Your Highness." Xu Yuehuai approached and bowed.

As if waking from a dream, a faint, peaceful smile appeared in Xiaojun's sleepy eyes. "Who are you? What are you doing here at my house?"

"I will treat your illness."

"I am terminally ill and my life hangs in the balance."

Xu Yuehuai looked at the young princess.

The young princess is not even sixteen years old yet, but her eyes are so withered, her complexion is dull and dark, and her cheekbones are prominent. She is far from the stunning beauty she had when she first arrived in the capital.

The young princess is so pitiful now.

"Things will get better," Xu Yuehuai changed the subject. "I heard you want to eat Sichuan food?"

"Yes, I crave it every day."

"I have studied cooking for many years, and I am sure I can create a dish that you will like. Just wait and see." In fact, Xu Yuehuai was not sure whether the terminally ill princess was just having a whim or really wanted to eat.

She was also planning to subtly and indirectly probe the subject.

However, firstly, the young princess was indeed half-dead, and secondly, the maid next to her kept giving her meaningful glances, so she had no choice but to come out from inside.