Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

The light that had been shining in Ling Xi's eyes, unwilling to give up, dimmed little by little the next moment.

She naturally knew that all embassies were directly managed by the Ministry of Rites and were important places for state guests, guarded by the Imperial Guards, and only officials were allowed to enter.

Especially since she was a princess of Chu who was sent for a political marriage, and is now a member of the royal family of Liang, her status is special.

She hadn't seen her brother for a year and missed him terribly. Despite the heavy snow falling outside, she, who was always afraid of the cold, didn't feel the slightest bit of chill.

Wushuang tilted the umbrella towards Ling Xi, a thin layer of frost already settling on her own shoulders. Her gaze drifted calmly towards the embassy courtyard, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes composed, a hint of contemplation flickering in their depths.

"Princess, we won't be able to see the Crown Prince like this. Why don't we go back and think of a solution?"

"Yes, Princess! The young master has just arrived in Jinling, so let him rest for a couple of days first. With such heavy snow today, Princess, please don't catch a cold."

Perrin also came forward, worried that her princess might catch a cold again.

Ling Xi glanced around the courtyard reluctantly, but didn't see a single person.

The three men, master and servants, came with great enthusiasm but returned dejected.

Ling Xi had been calculating all the way, and there were only three compliant ways to see her brother.

First, the imperial court is holding a banquet, and she, as the Crown Prince's wife, is ordered to attend. However, she can only catch a glimpse of the banquet from afar, and this will be after the court assembly in the first month of the lunar calendar, and she will have to wait several more days.

Secondly, his elder brother, as an envoy of the state, formally paid his respects at the Prince Rui's residence. However, no one in the Prince Rui's residence welcomed him. If he had gone, he would have immediately guessed her situation within the Prince Rui's residence.

Third, she swallowed her pride and begged Xiao Ce for a document from the Ministry of Rites, which shouldn't be difficult. Then she could legitimately enter the embassy to meet her brother.

After much deliberation, she finally decided to go back and ask Xiao Ce for help. After all, she had already given him enough gifts, so he shouldn't refuse such a small matter.

At noon, Xiao Ce sat in the dining hall and saw that the lunch on the table was still the same as Ling Xi had been arranging for the past few days, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"The Crown Princess...has not returned yet?"

Lu Ming bowed and nodded. Seeing that the prince's expression had darkened, he thought to himself: He had originally intended to go to Yuehua Courtyard to ask, but the prince himself said it wasn't necessary.

Just then, Qiuyue, who had been waiting quietly by the door, came forward to reply:

"Your Highness, I saw the Princess Consort leave the residence earlier in the front hall. She said she wouldn't be returning for lunch today."

What is she going to do after leaving the mansion?

Xiao Ce looked out the window and frowned unconsciously. The fine snow was still falling sporadically, showing no sign of stopping.

Lu Ming stood aside, not daring to ask any more questions. Just a few days ago, he seemed to think that the young master didn't care much about the young master's wife. But now, his expression didn't seem to indicate that he was completely indifferent. However, it didn't seem like he cared that much either.

A moment later, Xiao Ce turned back and picked up his chopsticks as usual, his expression so calm that no one could tell anything was amiss.

Ling Xi was unable to enter Wanfang Pavilion. She originally planned to go straight back to the manor, but when she saw that it was almost noon, she went directly to Hongyue Tower.

Ling Xi ate her lunch absentmindedly, and halfway through, she changed her mind, no longer wanting to ask Xiao Ce for help.

Although she had moved into the Chuixing Courtyard, she couldn't even enter his study, while Mu Wanning could enter his courtyard as freely as if it were his own. As a princess of Chu, she was being treated so differently by Xiao Ce, which made Ling Xi feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Most importantly, she felt that Xiao Ce hated her brother, and even if she shamelessly begged him, he might not agree.

Since asking anyone is the same no matter who you ask, you might as well go to Xiao Xiao and ask Prince Yu.

So, after leaving Hongyue Tower, the three of them hurriedly went to pick out gifts for Prince Yu and his wife.

Originally, due to prejudice, Prince Yu and Princess Yu did not like Ling Xi at first. However, she was beautiful, kind-hearted, and sweet-talking, and Xiao Xiao got along very well with her. Over time, Prince Yu and Princess Yu gradually changed their opinion of her.

As evening fell and darkness descended, Xiao Ce grew increasingly agitated in his study. A drop of ink dripped onto a folded paper he had just finished writing, and he casually threw the brush down on the table, causing a few drops of ink to splatter and spread across the paper.

He raised his hand to press his temples, which were throbbing slightly, wondering what was bothering him today.

"Your Highness, would you like someone to bring over a bowl of calming soup?"

His hand paused, a moment of surprise flashing across his eyes, which was then masked by a faint sense of irritation.

He had been busy with official duties these past few days, and Ling Xi would occasionally instruct the servants to prepare calming soup for him. He didn't think the soup really had any effect, but he would drink it whenever she brought it to him.

"Send someone to Yuehua Courtyard to see if she has returned."

"Your Highness, I have already sent someone to inquire, and the Princess Consort is not in Yuehua Courtyard."

Not at Yuehua Courtyard?

Today was his day off, his first day off since she moved into Chuixing Courtyard. He had thought that the two of them would feel awkward living under the same roof during the day, but to his surprise, she didn't appear in front of him at all that day, except for inviting him to walk in the snow with her in the morning.

Xiao Ce slowly lowered his hand from his forehead, looked up at the window, and found the world quiet and dim.

He suddenly remembered that Lu Ming had said that morning that she was somewhat displeased because Wan Ning could freely enter his study while she could not.

Is she upset because of this?

"Your Highness, should we send the guards out to search for the Princess Consort?"

Xiao Ce hesitated for a moment, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"Send someone to Wanfang Pavilion to see if the Chu delegation has arrived in Jinling yet?"

"Yes."

The people sent to Wanfang Pavilion had barely left when Ling Xi returned to Chuixing Courtyard.

Because Prince Yu agreed to help her obtain the Ministry of Rites' official document, Ling Xi felt lighthearted, and her steps were filled with joy.

When she entered the bedroom, she saw Xiao Ce leaning against the couch with a gloomy expression, casually holding a book in his hand. He did not move when she entered the room.

Upon seeing him, Ling Xi recalled being stopped by Lu Ming outside his study that morning. She pretended not to see him and went straight to the inner room.

"Where did you go?"

His voice was flat as he casually tossed the military treatise onto the small table beside the bed, his gaze fixed on her without blinking.

Ling Xi paused, wondering to herself, "What does he mean by this? Is he starting to monitor my movements?"

Seeing her frown and remain silent, Xiao Ce's brows immediately showed a hint of impatience.

"Did you go to Wanfang Pavilion?"

"You sent people to follow me?"

"Now that you have married into the Prince Rui's mansion, you are a member of the royal family of Liang and a person of my Prince Rui's mansion. You are no longer a person of Chu. The Wanfang Pavilion houses envoys from various countries. Without a proclamation from the Ministry of Rites, it is considered unauthorized meeting with foreign envoys and is regarded as treason."

He straightened up, his tone not harsh or critical, yet it possessed an inexplicable air of authority.

Ling Xi was speechless. She naturally understood this reasoning, but she was unhappy. From beginning to end, they had never treated her as a member of the Prince Rui's Mansion, but now they remembered that she was.