In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

However, when they reached the side gate, they found that things were not quite as they had expected.

Two old guards stood at the door, expressionless, like two wooden stakes.

The head maid of the Tian family stepped forward and handed over the invitation, saying with a smile, "Gentlemen, the ladies of the Tian and Hu families have come to pay their respects to the Princess."

The old officer didn't even glance at her, coldly uttering only two words: "Wait."

Madam Tian and Madam Hu were taken aback.

They're used to running rampant in Yanjing County. When have they ever been treated so coldly at the county government gate?

"Officer, we did send out invitations..." Madam Hu couldn't help but speak up.

"Even if you've sent a letter, you still have to wait." The old officer's tone was curt. "The princess is taking a midday rest. No one is allowed to enter without being summoned."

Madam Tian's expression changed slightly, and she was about to lash out when Madam Hu stopped her.

"Alright, they are from Chang'an after all, so it's understandable that they have to be particular. Let's just wait a bit," Madam Hu said in a low voice. "Don't let this little thing ruin the bigger picture."

This wait lasted a full quarter of an hour.

The sun was getting increasingly intense. The two ladies, who were used to living a life of luxury, stood outside the exposed corner gate, their foreheads sweating and their carefully applied makeup smudged.

Just as their patience was about to run out, the side gate creaked open from the inside.

Cai Fan walked out with a cold face.

"Your Highness has risen. Ladies, please come in with me."

Madam Tian and Madam Hu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed them inside with their maids and servants.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, they immediately sensed a completely different atmosphere.

The front yard of the county government office was dilapidated, but the inner courtyard was kept spotless.

The weeds in the courtyard were cleared away cleanly, and there wasn't even a speck of dust on the bluestone slabs.

What terrified them even more were the servants who attended to them.

The maids and servants in the inner quarters moved about without making even the slightest rustling sound of their clothes; each of them kept their heads down, their manners so strict that they seemed to have been carved from the same mold.

No one was talking or laughing under the eaves.

No one was looking around.

The entire inner courtyard was so quiet it was almost suffocating.

Madam Tian and Madam Hu exchanged a glance. The slight disdain and confidence they once held had unknowingly dissipated by half in the face of this unspoken rule.

Cai Fan stopped at the foot of the inner hall steps.

"Let me state the rules first." Cai Fan turned around, looking down at them. "As a princess of noble birth, she is not allowed to see outside officials without an imperial decree. Today, she is making an exception to see you, which is a great favor from the princess. Once inside, you must not look directly at the princess, make any noise, or speak without permission. Do you understand?"

Madam Tian and Madam Hu were stunned by her eloquence and could only nod subconsciously.

"And one more thing," Cai Fan glanced at the maids behind them carrying gift boxes, "these servants are not qualified to enter the inner hall. Leave the gifts in the corridor and wait outside."

"This..." Madam Tian said anxiously, "These are all for the Princess..."

"Stay in the corridor." Cai Fan emphasized, her eyes sharp as knives.

Madam Tian dared not argue any further and had no choice but to have her maids put the gift boxes down.

Cai Fan then turned around and lifted the heavy curtain of the inner room.

A faint, elegant fragrance, yet exuding an indescribable air of nobility, instantly wafted towards me.

Madam Tian and Madam Hu took a deep breath. They had never smelled this fragrance before, and after inhaling it, they felt that even their breathing became more careful.

The two of them lowered their heads and followed Cai Fan into the inner hall.

The room was dimly lit, with heavy brocade curtains hanging all around, effectively blocking out the summer heat.

A fine beaded curtain was placed in the center.

Behind the beaded curtain, a figure sat serenely, barely visible.

Although his face was obscured, the imposing aura emanating from him, sitting regally in a high position, pressed down like an invisible mountain.

"kneel."

Wen Bo stood outside the beaded curtain, his voice deep and authoritative.

Madam Tian and Madam Hu's legs went weak, and they knelt down on the ground with a thud.

In Yanjing County, when have they ever performed such a grand ceremony for anyone, except when they worship Buddha during festivals?

But in this inner hall, faced with this overwhelming set of rules and aura, they couldn't even muster the slightest thought of resistance.

"This humble woman, surnamed Tian (or Hu), greets the Princess. May the Princess enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

The two kowtowed tremblingly.

There was no sound behind the beaded curtain.

A full ten breaths of silence.

Those ten breaths felt longer than a year to the two kneeling on the ground.

Their foreheads were pressed against the cold blue bricks, and sweat streamed down their cheeks, but they didn't even dare to wipe it away.

Finally, a cool, calm voice came from behind the beaded curtain.

"Get up."

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power.

Mrs. Tian and Mrs. Hu felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and stood up shakily.

"Please take a seat," Yanhe said calmly.

Wen Bo pointed to the two bare round stools at the head of the table: "Ladies, please sit down."

Madam Tian and Madam Hu looked at the two stools without even a backrest and felt bitter, but they could only sit carefully on only half of their buttocks.

The hall fell silent once again.

There is no tea.

There were no polite small talk.

Yanhe sat quietly behind the beaded curtain, watching them.

The feeling of being looked down upon made Madam Tian feel as if her back was covered in thorns.

She knew that if she didn't speak up, the princess could make them sit there all day.

She forced a smile and boldly broke the silence.

"The princess is new to Yanjing County, a poor and remote place, and she may find it difficult to adapt. We women are worried, so we have prepared some local gifts, a few pieces of decent Shu brocade, and a few boxes of pearls, to cheer her up."

Madam Hu quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, the magistrate works tirelessly day and night in the front courtyard, and the princess also works very hard in the inner quarters. If the yamen lacks any daily necessities, the princess should just give the order, and we women will do our best to fulfill it."

These words sound respectful, but in reality, they are still a way of handing over a hand.

Testing the waters.

This implies that "we can solve the problems for the government."

Behind the beaded curtain, Yanhe chuckled softly.

The laughter was extremely cold, like ice beads hitting a jade plate.

"Traditional goods? Shu brocade? Sea pearls?" Yanhe repeated these words slowly and deliberately. "Madam Tian, ​​Madam Hu, do you think that because I come from Chang'an and have never seen the world, a few bolts of silk and a few pearls are enough for me to consider you as close friends?"

Madam Tian's expression changed: "This humble woman dares not!"

"You wouldn't dare?" Yanhe's voice suddenly turned sharp. "I bet you dare!"

"Look at what you're wearing." Yanhe's gaze pierced through the beaded curtain, coldly fixing on them.

"Madam Tian, ​​is that double-threaded, dark-patterned Shu brocade you're wearing? Madam Hu, yours is made of gold-threaded kesi (silk tapestry). In this remote Yanjing County, to be able to afford such fabrics and to send out several boxes of sea pearls at once, your two families must be far wealthier than the county government's treasury."

Madam Tian and Madam Hu were so frightened that they quickly stood up from the stool and waved their hands repeatedly.

"Your Highness, please understand, this...this is merely a small amount of our private savings..."

"Private funds?" Yanhe sneered. "A fine private fund indeed."

"Yesterday, I accompanied the magistrate into the yamen. In the yamen's storeroom, the grain reserves were moldy, and there was only a dozen or so strings of cash. The shed at the city gate was crooked, and the grievance drum was cracked."

"And what about you?"

"You come here in my inner hall dressed in double-silk Shu brocade and wearing red gold hairpins, and all you talk about is 'sharing the burden of the government' and 'supplementing daily expenses'."

Yanhe picked up the teacup on the table and slammed it down heavily.

With a sharp "bang," the two of them jumped in fright.