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The height of luxury was unmatched by anything outside the Palace, where the scenery truly couldn’t be compared to anywhere else.

Aunt Qi led the way through the Imperial Garden toward Consort Shu’s Ronghua Palace. Following behind Aunt Qi, Lin Yuan looked at the garden teeming with flowers in full bloom, flowers that didn’t normally blossom during this season, and couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows in surprise.

Dong Mei, at her side, smiled and explained, "These flowers are all cultivated by the eunuchs in the greenhouse."

So they were grown in the greenhouse, Lin Yuan realized. Apparently, the eunuchs had planted these flowers in the greenhouse and then moved them daily to the Imperial Garden. This daily replacement allowed the normally barren Imperial Garden to burst with flowers without withering.

Such extravagance!

Lin Yuan couldn’t help but shake her head.

If the grand Imperial Garden was already like this, considering also the fresh flowers needed by the Empresses and Concubines in their palaces, who knew how much Silver it would take to maintain these flowers.

No wonder she often heard the royal ladies talking about their flower viewing banquets—it wasn’t just flowers they were appreciating but virtually seeing Silver!

While she was silently shaking her head, Aunt Qi ahead slowed her pace and turned to whisper to Lin Yuan, "Miss Lin, up ahead is the Sixth Prince."

Reminded by Aunt Qi, Lin Yuan noticed a young boy in extravagant clothing slowly approaching.

The boy was barely ten years old, yet the aura around him far exceeded his age, his youthful face marked with an uncommon steadiness.

As the boy approached, Lin Yuan, lacking official rank herself, naturally had to give him her respects.

The young boy nodded slightly, looked Lin Yuan up and down, and then asked in a steady voice, "Are you the Boss of Fuman Building, the one Brother Zheng fancies?"

Caught off guard by the direct question, Lin Yuan was momentarily stunned, unsure whether to confess or deny.

Dong Mei covered her lips and chuckled, addressing Zhao Hongyan, "Your Highness, what brings you here today? Shouldn’t you be studying in your study?"

This path was indeed the usual route to the Imperial Study Room, and Zhao Hongyan’s presence here was quite revealing—Aunt Qi understood this, hence she smiled without speaking.

Zhao Hongyan indeed quickly diverted his gaze, prompted by Dong Mei, and hurriedly asked, "I heard Brother Zheng entered the palace, has he left yet? Or is he still in the Imperial Study Room?"

So, he came looking for Xia Zheng, Lin Yuan let out a sigh of relief. But before she could fully relax, she heard Zhao Hongyan nod and say, "Since Aunt Anle has entered the palace, Brother Zheng surely won’t be in a rush to leave. I shouldn’t wait for him in the Imperial Study Room."

Having said that, he turned his head back to continue looking at Lin Yuan, hesitating slightly before asking, "Um, I heard from my third brother that you’re planning to open a tavern in the Capital city.

What will happen to the Fuman Building in Zhuma Town then?

And Shopkeeper Liu, has he also come to the Capital city? "

Hearing this, Lin Yuan arched her brow in confusion, looking at Zhao Hongyan. If this child had merely asked about her and Xia Zheng, that would have been one thing, but why did he inquire about Shopkeeper Liu?

"Your Highness, do you know Shopkeeper Liu?"

Immediately, Zhao Hongyan’s expression became somewhat embarrassed. He lifted his hand to his chin and coughed lightly, almost like a little adult, "Well, I met Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter once, so I just wanted to ask if she had come to the Capital city as well."

Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter? Lin Yuan frowned slightly, remembering that Shopkeeper Liu only had two grandsons. Where did this granddaughter come from?

Seeing Lin Yuan’s confusion, Zhao Hongyan added, "She said her name is Yaya, wearing two little ox-horn braids, very pretty and cute."

Yaya? Two ox-horn braids?

Lin Yuan chuckled, recognizing that this wasn’t Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter at all; it was her own little sister, Lin Shuang! But how did Zhao Hongyan know her little sister? And why would he say she was Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter?

After thinking it over, Lin Yuan suddenly recalled that there seemed to be a few days when Xia Zheng always stayed hidden in the Lin family’s manor, refusing to go anywhere else and not allowing her to go to Zhuma Town either. Was he hiding from the person right before her eyes?

Realizing this, Lin Yuan understood why Xiao Linshuang would claim to be Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter. It seemed she did not want to reveal her true identity to this youth.

Since Xiao Linshuang preferred not to tell, then she, an "outsider," should not interfere either.

Lin Yuan smiled slightly, her eyebrows lifting, "Shopkeeper Liu hasn’t come to the Capital city; Fuman Building in Zhuma Town still needs him!"

"Then his granddaughter..."

"His granddaughter is naturally staying in Zhuma Town too." Lin Yuan’s lips curved, finding the youth’s anxious and deeply disappointed expression to be the most genuine sentiment a child could have, "Why, does Your Highness wish she were in the Capital city?"

Lin Yuan’s following question went unheard by Zhao Hongyan, who muttered to himself, "She clearly agreed to come to the Capital city with me. Why hasn’t she come?

It’s true though, her family is all in Zhuma Town; how could she come to the Capital city alone at such a young age? It seems I’ve thought too much."

After hearing that both Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng had come to the Capital city, Zhao Hongyan was excited to find them and inquire about Yaya.

Yet, Xia Zheng never entered the palace, and he pleaded with Consort Tian, who expressly forbade him from going out alone for fear of any incident.

Frustrated, he even considered disguising himself as a Little Eunuch to sneak out of the palace, but being always obedient, he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing.

Today, finally having the chance to see Xia Zheng enter the palace, he lied for the first time in his life and found an excuse to meet him. However, this eagerly awaited meeting ended in disappointment.

Watching the youth’s disappointed face turning pale, Lin Yuan felt somewhat reluctant to tell him the truth—that Yaya was not Shopkeeper Liu’s granddaughter.

Just as she was about to speak, she saw Zhao Hongyan suddenly stiffen as if a mouse had seen a cat.

All his nerves became alert, and he respectfully turned towards one direction, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "Greetings, elder sister. "

Elder sister?

Lin Yuan followed his gaze and indeed saw a woman in plain palace attire approaching slowly.

Her features were extremely delicate, especially those big, watery eyes.

However, for some unknown reason, there was always a hint of sorrow in her brows, and her demeanor was very cold, even her complexion somewhat pale.

Lin Yuan frowned, recognizing the signs of long-term thoughts of distress. It was said that the concubines in the palace saw the Emperor as seldom as once a month or as infrequently as once every few years. Could this woman be pining for the Emperor?

No. Lin Yuan shook her head silently. Zhao Hongyan had just addressed her as elder sister, which meant she must be the Emperor’s eldest daughter, the legitimate Princess Cuiwei, born to Empress Su.

Considering that Princess Cuiwei was already in her twenties and still unmarried, could it be that she was longing for the one she loved?

During these reflections, Lin Yuan, along with Aunt Qi and Dong Mei, bowed to Princess Cuiwei.

However, Princess Cuiwei clearly was preoccupied, merely nodding slightly before turning away and walking off into the distance.