After the milk ball arrived, the father who had no heirs had a string of good luck.

Qin Zhirou cursed that old hag in her heart and hurriedly looked at the Crown Prince, only to see a mocking look in his eyes.

"Your Highness, this dog servant is talking nonsense, I really didn't..."

"If you say there isn't any, then there isn't. I'll deal with that old bastard myself."

The Crown Prince stood up, looking somewhat weary: "Remember, return all of Princess Li's dowry within three days. If you don't, you can forget about being the Crown Princess."

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhirou's vision went black, and she almost fell over.

The Crown Prince ignored her and strode away to find his beloved Consort Chen.

Qin Zhirou collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

For some reason, the image of Situ Che protecting Qin Zhiyan came to mind.

Why?

Both are legitimate daughters, yet Qin Zhiyan's husband is so protective of her.

Her husband, however, only saw her as a nuisance.

And the dowry...

Where does she have any dowry left?

How is she going to repay her debt in three days?

Qin Zhirou was completely at a loss and could only write a letter and have it sent to the Yong'an Marquis's residence.

If she can't do anything to Qin Zhiyan, then surely her father can too?

If Qin Zhiyan gives up the dowry herself, then she won't have to pay it back.

...

The Marquis of Yong'an's mansion acted swiftly. Upon receiving the reply, they sent a letter to Qin Zhiyan the very next day, inviting her to return to the mansion for a gathering.

At this moment, Qin Zhiyan had no interest in the letter from the Yong'an Marquis's residence; instead, she was staring at Consort Gu in front of her.

The servants had long since left the room, leaving only the two of them.

Consort Gu remained unchanged, neither sad nor happy, with her eyes lowered.

Qin Zhiyan belatedly realized that she seemed to have never truly understood this woman before.

Unlike Consort Zhu, she didn't enjoy gourmet food.

Unlike Li Ji, she didn't like to spend money.

Unlike Zhang Ji, who was highly skilled in martial arts.

Gu Ruoxue was as indifferent as a chrysanthemum and had no interest in anything.

But now she realizes that this seemingly indifferent woman is actually the most audacious and the least discerning of women.

Qin Zhiyan sighed, "Consort Gu, is there anything you want to say to me?"

Gu Ruoxue wasn't stupid. Seeing her posture, she knew that Tang Rui had already told her. So she calmly knelt down, her back straight, and said, "This concubine has nothing to say."

Qin Zhiyan was speechless and asked, utterly bewildered, "Why? If he were someone better than the Prince, it would be one thing. But... in terms of talent and character, how can he compare to the Prince? You've always been so arrogant, yet you're with him... you're truly blind!"

Gu Ruoxue still had that deadpan expression, but upon closer inspection, her face had paled slightly: "Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. Your Highness may punish me as you see fit."

"What's the use of me punishing you? You are the prince's concubine, listed in the imperial genealogy. If this matter blows up, the prince will lose face."

Qin Zhiyan rubbed her temples and continued with the question: "There is no love or hate without a reason in this world. Why do you fall for him? I want to know the reason."

Knowing the cause is the only way to treat the problem properly and cure Gu Ruoxue's blindness!

Gu Ruoxue pursed her lips and said, "The Crown Prince saved me."

"..." Hilarious! A prince like that, someone who would save people? "When and where?"

Since she had already spoken, Gu Ruoxue didn't hide anything: "When I was young, at the age of eleven, I went to Jinshan Temple with my aunt to offer incense. I accidentally fell into a dry well while alone. In my half-awake state, I vaguely heard a boy calling for help. When I woke up again, I was holding a jade pendant in my hand. I had someone inquire about this jade pendant, and it belongs to His Highness the Crown Prince. He is the boy who saved me back then."

Whether it was because she was an outsider or not, Qin Zhiyan almost immediately sensed the problem: "A boy? Are you sure it's a boy?"

Gu Ruoxue nodded slightly: "The young man's voice is hoarse and his vocal range is narrow. He is currently experiencing vocal cord damage. I am quite certain of this."

Qin Zhiyan: "..."

"Dao Cang" refers to the period of voice change in a teenager.

So here's the question...

Qin Zhiyan looked at her speechlessly: "If I remember correctly, the Crown Prince is seven years older than you. You're eleven, so he's already eighteen. Tell me, does an eighteen-year-old boy still experience manicure?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Ruoxue's composure vanished instantly, and she looked up at Qin Zhiyan with a stunned expression.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

That seems... to make sense!

But how could that be?

Gu Ruoxue wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Qin Zhiyan: "But... before I was married, I casually asked His Highness the Crown Prince about this, and he didn't deny it..."

"Did he admit it?" Qin Zhiyan interrupted her.

Gu Ruoxue was speechless again.

No…

Gu Ruoxue was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

Qin Zhiyan suddenly felt like laughing. After spending several years together, Gu Ruoxue was indifferent to everything, and it was rare to see her show such an expression.

No, you can't laugh!

Laughing at such a serious moment would be going too far.

Qin Zhiyan picked up a handkerchief and touched the corner of her mouth, suppressing the urge to laugh. She continued earnestly, "You usually seem like a very shrewd person, how come you're so muddle-headed about something like this?"

"How could this be..." Gu Ruoxue was completely bewildered. She took out the jade pendant she had treasured for a long time from her bosom and looked at Qin Zhiyan blankly: "Even if the Crown Prince lied to me, this thing is still his! Look, there are even the Empress's small characters on it. It was given to the Crown Prince by the Empress. I sent people to inquire, and there's no mistake."

"...They still refuse to face the facts!"

Qin Zhiyan glanced at the jade pendant casually, and quickly froze: "Your jade pendant..."

Seeing her like this, Gu Ruoxue quickly asked, "Your Highness, do you recognize this jade pendant?"

Qin Zhiyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Once, when my mother summoned me to the palace for questioning, she was carrying this jade pendant. I saw that it was made of the finest mutton-fat jade, which was very rare, so I asked her a question..."

At that time, the Empress couldn't get anything out of her and didn't give her a friendly look.

It was the nanny who served the Empress, who was afraid that this new and enthusiastic Princess Li would quit her job right away, so she casually said something.

The old woman said that this jade pendant was a personal item of the Empress. Not long after she gave birth to Prince Li, she saw that the little Prince Li liked to play with this jade pendant, so she casually gave it to him to play with.

The Empress was furious when she heard this and scolded the nanny for being nosy.

The old woman quickly changed her tune, saying that the Crown Prince also had one, but his jade pendant was engraved with his own character "Xiao".

After Qin Zhiyan finished speaking, she looked at Gu Ruoxue with sympathy: "You seem to have mistaken someone for someone else. The one who saved you back then was not the Crown Prince, but a Prince."

"How could this happen..." Gu Ruoxue slumped to the ground, her face deathly pale.

The usually aloof and proud person's eyes gradually reddened, and a tear rolled down their cheek: "How could this be, how could this be..."

She felt nauseous when she thought of the letters she had exchanged with the Crown Prince over the years, filled with tenderness and affection.

"Ugh..." Gu Ruoxue couldn't help but gag.