After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Lu Zhufeng was promoted, from a marquis with no real power to the Minister of Revenue.

Not only was he highly valued by His Majesty, but he was also considered a rising star in the entire capital, with countless people flocking to his mansion to curry favor with him.

"Is it the Crown Prince?" Wei Zhaoning asked Pei Yi in a low voice.

Pei Yi nodded, showing no surprise, remaining completely calm and composed.

"They...could it be...? How could His Majesty...?" Wei Zhaoning had a string of questions in her mind, but she didn't know where to begin.

"Don't worry." Pei Yi simply said two words without even blinking.

After the meal, Wei Zhaoning and the Duchess went inside to talk, while the Duke, with a forced smile, was "forced" to receive Pei Yi.

"Ningning, are you all imposters?" The Duchess had sharp eyes and could see through the deception at a glance.

Wei Zhaoning was taken aback. "Nothing can be hidden from Mother."

"I'm afraid, I'm afraid that if I back out rashly, His Majesty will have a prejudice against the General's Mansion. There are already rumors outside that the General's Mansion's achievements are overshadowing the Emperor's... But don't worry, after this period of time, they will be divorced."

The Duchess frowned. "Why bother with a divorce?"

Wei Zhaoning was stunned. "Huh? Mother saw through it too. We're not a real couple. I can't just occupy someone else's position as a princess and be selfish. Once this storm passes and my maternal grandfather and the others return from the border, I'll get a divorce."

The Duchess was disappointed in him.

"Ningning."

Are you blind?

The Duchess was the legitimate daughter of a military family. She spoke frankly and was not particular about etiquette. Before she was married, she would practice swordsmanship with her brothers.

Wei Zhaoning wanted to laugh a little. Every time her mother said such unrefined words, she found her mother very cute.

"Mother, why are you scolding me?" Wei Zhaoning asked with a smile.

The Duchess shook her head and sighed, "You really are blind."

"Can't you see the Regent's feelings for you?"

Wei Zhaoning's breath caught in her throat, her face flushed. "Mother, don't speak recklessly. He and I are not close. We were only acting out this charade for mutual benefit; what ulterior motives could we possibly have?"

The Duchess sighed, "Not familiar? When you were little, you kept asking to see Brother Pei Yi every day, but now that you're all grown up, you're not familiar with him anymore."

I was thinking of going to the Empress Dowager to discuss arranging a marriage between you two, but who knew that the child was going to the battlefield, so the matter was dropped.

Although you were young then, you weren't much younger than you are now. Before he left, he held your hand and said he would marry you when he came back. You were rolling around on the bed, so shy.

I felt he treated you differently back then, but time changes everything. After three or five years on the battlefield, who remembers whom? I never expected that child would still be... Sigh, if I had known earlier, I would have stopped you from marrying Lu Zhufeng, even if it meant my death.

Wei Zhaoning felt her head buzzing, and for a moment she even forgot to breathe.

Did she know the Regent before?

She couldn't remember many things after hitting her head, but could it be that her body still remembered that familiar and reassuring feeling from the Regent?

"Ningning? Don't you remember?" The Duchess became suspicious when she saw Wei Zhaoning's puzzled expression.

Wei Zhaoning smirked, "Oh, I remember, but that was all from when I was a kid. Why bring that up now?"

Only Dongxu knew about her amnesia, and she deliberately kept it from her mother. During that time, her mother and father argued every day, which was already troublesome enough. She didn't want to cause her mother any more trouble because of her own situation.

It's the same now. If you forget about it, then forget about it. Why make others suffer along with you?

The Duchess narrowed her eyes. "Ningning, you didn't tell your mother the truth."

Wei Zhaoning slapped his forehead, smiled wryly, and said helplessly, "Mother, I do remember, but it's been too long, and I can't recall many details now."

My mother also said that time will heal all wounds. After all, it happened many years ago. Not only me, but the Regent probably doesn't remember much either.

Mother has misunderstood; what you saw was just an act.

The Duchess was skeptical, saying, "Do you think I'm old and blind? You're a good actor, but even a pig could tell that the Regent is real."

Wei Zhaoning blushed deeply. The information she had learned today was almost overwhelming, and she had no desire to discuss the issue at all.

"Mother, oh dear, let's not talk about that. Has anything interesting happened at the Duke's mansion lately?"

The Duchess pursed her lips. "It's still the same. That child from the collateral branch of the Qin family comes to the Duke's mansion every day, saying he's showing respect to Aunt Qin. He's gone out now, but he'll probably be back soon."

They were quite well-behaved and didn't cause any trouble.

Wei Zhaoning's eyes flashed, "Qin Jingshu."

"And what about Aunt Qin? Has she done anything to displease Mother?"

From a young age, she often saw her father favoring Aunt Qin. Aunt Qin would openly or secretly come to her mother to show off, and each time her mother would get very angry and have a big fight with her father. As a result, their relationship grew further and further apart.

But the Duchess's face remained expressionless. "I won't get angry at her now. I've come to terms with it. When you get to my age, you'll know that everything else is meaningless, and that you yourself are the most important thing."

However, I haven't seen her for quite some time. It seems she's sick and spends her days recuperating in the yard.

Wei Zhaoning was finally relieved.

The mother and daughter chatted for a while before Wei Zhaoning went out.

Pei Yi was already waiting outside the courtyard.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his fingertips occasionally tapping the jade pendant at his waist, making a soft, tinkling sound. The lanterns under the eaves emitted a warm yellow light, making his skin appear even whiter than snow, and the coldness in his eyes and brows faded, replaced by a gentle smile.

Wei Zhaoning's heart skipped a beat.

She walked those few steps as if she were traversing mountains and valleys.

Her mind was in a mess.

The Regent knew her before, so why has he never mentioned it during all these years of spending time together with her?

Every time he heard her tell funny stories from the past, he listened with great interest, as if it were the first time he had heard them.

My mother said that the Regent's thoughts... He said he would come back to marry her?

She never saw the Regent again after marrying Lu Zhufeng in her previous life.

She tried hard to recall, but still couldn't remember any images of the regent.

She felt like she was dreaming, it was all so unfamiliar. Was she really that close to the Regent before?

As I was lost in thought, a clear, sweet female voice rang out.

"Brother Yi, why didn't you tell me you were coming to the Duke's mansion?"

"How long has it been since we last saw each other? I've been thinking about you day and night, and you're so heartless, not even giving me a message..."