Chang'an City, the Grand Princess's Manor.
"Princess! Wait for me!"
Xiao Cui tugged at her skirt hem as she chased Li Yanzhu through the garden.
Li Yanzhu walked ahead without looking back. "If you have something to say, say it!"
Today was the day she was released from confinement.
She had inquired thoroughly; that bastard from the Fang family had finally left.
However, the leg she had stepped out with was immediately withdrawn.
She turned her head and mouthed, "Chao Chao sent a letter?"
Xiao Cui nodded vigorously, panting heavily.
"You should have said so earlier!"
Li Yanzhu shot back in a flash.
Xiao Cui was on the verge of despair, closing her eyes and trying her best to keep up.
By the time she finally ran back to the secret room, Li Yanzhu had already finished reading the letter and held a token in her hand.
"What is this?"
"This is a promise I made long ago. It seems it's time to fulfill it."
Xiao Cui patted her chest and took a deep breath. "Princess, are you still going to the gambling house?"
"Yes, I have a big gift to deliver."
Li Yanzhu hooked an arm around Xiao Cui. "Let's go, get changed."
Xiao Cui's head was filled with question marks. "Didn't you just change?"
Li Yanzhu shot her a glance and pointed at her hair ornaments. "Change into women's clothes, and go to the Wang family first."
"Ah?"
An hour later.
Li Yanzhu sat elegantly in the main hall of the Wang family.
She lowered her head, pinching the teacup lid to gently stir the tea, making the person sitting beside her feel restrained.
"Princess, are you here today for...?"
Li Yanzhu did not respond. She sipped her tea, squinting at the red coral partition in front of the courtyard. "This coral is a fine piece."
She lowered her gaze and placed the teacup in her hand on the table with a soft "clink." "My father wants me to apologize to Young Master Wang."
"Princess, you are too kind. You flatter this humble minister."
Prime Minister Wang stroked his beard and quickly bowed, lowering his head.
Li Yanzhu waved her hand impatiently. "That's enough."
She stood up, hitched her skirt, and walked into the courtyard by herself. Xiao Cui, carrying the food basket, followed closely behind. Neither mistress nor servant paid any attention to Prime Minister Wang.
Prime Minister Wang stood up, his shrewd eyes narrowed, and called for his personal servant. "Go, follow them. Don't let Wu'er eat anything the Grand Princess brought."
The servant nodded and scurried away.
He followed from the main hall all the way to Wang Xuanyuan's quiet courtyard. In the meantime, to catch up with the princess's pace, he took a shortcut through the garden.
He just managed to get ahead of Li Yanzhu.
After instructing the servants outside the door, he bowed and entered Wang Xuanyuan's room.
"Young Master, the Grand Princess has come to see you." He approached the bed to help Wang Xuanyuan up.
Wang Xuanyuan, lying on the bed, instantly perked up. "What? You said the little princess is here?"
"Yes, she's on her way." He helped Wang Xuanyuan up, his expression full of respect. "Take your time. My father instructed that you should not eat anything the Princess brought."
"Why?" Wang Xuanyuan struggled to sit up, anxiously putting on his clothes. "Did my father say why the Princess is here?"
He quickly pointed to the headscarf on the table. "Hurry!"
The servant quickly went to fetch it, but advised, "The Princess is here to see you. Young Master, you don't need to be like this."
Wang Xuanyuan blinked. "To see me?"
He thought for only a moment before nimbly throwing the wrongly buttoned clothes back onto the rack. He also took off the just-arranged headscarf and tossed it aside, then lifted the quilt and crawled directly under it.
The servant hurriedly tried to straighten the quilt for him, but Wang Xuanyuan pointed at the white cloth on the washbasin. "Bring that here, quickly!"
The sounds from outside the door made them even more flustered.
"What? Can't this princess come in?"
Wang Xuanyuan urged the servant through his breath.
"Hmph, you said you wanted to marry me, and now you won't let me in when I come to visit you."
Li Yanzhu's voice from outside grew louder, and there was the sound of pushing and shoving.
"What, is Young Master Wang also playing the game of keeping his beloved hidden in a golden house?"
This sentence almost made Wang Xuanyuan fall off the bed. He quickly called out, "So it's the Princess who has arrived. Why aren't you, you servants, inviting the Princess in quickly?"
He spoke in a hoarse voice, yet with a hint of a young master's authority. "It's cold and freezing. If the Princess falls ill, ten heads wouldn't be enough for you to lose!"
With a "bang," the door opened.
Li Yanzhu entered Wang Xuanyuan's sight along with the sunlight.
Viewed against the light, the tips of her hair danced merrily with the breeze. Her vermilion-colored ruqun made her look vibrant and full of spirit, yet her every move exuded a calm aura.
"Princess." Wang Xuanyuan's senses were captivated. He propped himself up on the edge of the bed with one arm, almost falling again.
Fortunately, the servant supported him.
"Please forgive me, Princess. Your humble servant's leg is injured and cannot perform the ceremony."
"It's alright."
Li Yanzhu glanced at him, then her gaze swept around the room.
The damp ground, the messy clothes, and finally landed on the face of the servant by his bed.
She lowered her head to adjust her sleeves and indicated with her chin for Xiao Cui to hand over the food basket.
Li Yanzhu's voice was clear and cold. She strode further inside and finally sat by the couch. "My father wants me to apologize."
There was no helping it; she had indeed beaten the person up a while ago, and even broken their leg.
Actually, it wasn't entirely her fault. He had asked her to go frolicking with that scumbag Feng Shaocheng.
She pointed at Xiao Die, who was opening the food basket. "Consider these my token of appreciation."
"It is the humble servant's great fortune to receive the Princess's visit."
Wang Xuanyuan put away his usual arrogance. At this moment, he was gentle and humble, embodying the role of a sycophant to perfection.
He weakly sat up with the help of his servant. "I wonder if the Princess has had her meal? If not, this humble abode can..."
"No need."
Li Yanzhu placed her hand on the teacup that had just been served. "We will leave after a short rest for a cup of tea."
She took a sip. "Young Master Wang, you need not bear any burden in your heart. I am only here because my father sent me."
Wang Xuanyuan's eyes, which had brightened, immediately dimmed. However, a smile still curved his lips. "I am already very happy that the Princess has come."
He lowered his head, but could not resist looking at Li Yanzhu.
Only after Li Yanzhu left,
Did Wang Xuanyuan raise his dejected head and look at the teacup placed on the table. The sunlight shone on it, making the treasures in his room lose their luster.
He shakily picked up a pastry from the food basket and took a bite. "So sweet."
On the other side, Li Yanzhu felt a sense of relief after leaving the Wang family.
"How unlucky."
She tilted her head, rubbed her shoulder, and got into the carriage.
Before she had even settled in, she called out to Xiao Cui, "Change!"
What could Xiao Cui say?
Xiao Cui was already used to it.
When she stepped out of the carriage again, she had changed into a light grey round-sleeved robe.
With fair skin and a bright complexion, she looked like a spirited young man, very neat and refreshing.
Xiao Cui also changed into men's clothing, holding a pouch of silver, and followed behind Li Yanzhu.
The two looked up at the words "Laifu Gambling House" and showed different expressions.
Li Yanzhu, with great swagger, ruffled Xiao Cui, who was full of resentment, and swaggered inside.
The place was a mix of all sorts of people.
Li Yanzhu, however, was not at all intimidated and played with great enjoyment, completely disregarding the Grand Princess's carriage parked outside.
Xiao Cui, on the other hand, tugged at her collar. "Young Master, why are we here?"
Li Yanzhu, while arranging cards, gritted her teeth and whispered, "Waiting for Fang Hanzhou."
"No, I mean, why..."
Li Yanzhu threw an arm around Xiao Cui's neck. "The original plan was just to use a borrowed knife to kill someone. What we're doing now is pouring oil on the fire. Shh, just watch me."
She released Xiao Cui and returned to the card game, indirectly inquiring about Fang Hanzhou's whereabouts.
Until she heard the manager call out "Young Master Fang," her spirits immediately lifted.
The fish had arrived.