Who said the eldest daughter is crazy? She's clearly a woman of high rank and influence in the

Before the carriage came to a complete stop, the two vermilion gates were pushed open from the inside. Inside, two squads of Xuanjia guards stood in neat rows, stretching from the gates all the way to the screen wall in front of the second courtyard. The hilts of the long swords at each man's waists faced outwards, and the blades were sheathed. The imposing array of guards was overwhelming.

Helian Jing got off the carriage first, then turned around and, without asking the driver to hand him a footrest, directly reached out and supported Xi Yueli's arm. As she bent down to get out of the carriage, his other hand naturally draped over her lower back, helping her to the ground.

The moment Xi Yueli stepped onto the ground of Prince Chen's mansion, the Xuanjia Guards all knelt down on one knee, the sound of their armor clashing like a deep drumbeat.

"Welcome the eldest princess to the mansion—" The leading captain's voice was clear and steady. At that moment, the corridor lights on both sides of the gate lit up simultaneously, outlining the entire Prince Chen's mansion with a warm glow in the twilight.

Xi Yueli stood in the newly spread warm light, the shoulders of her black riding outfit tinged with a dark gold by the twilight and lamplight.

Helian Jing stood beside her, turning his head to look at her. "The manor has prepared a main house for you, and the courtyard is twice the size of the He manor. The accountants will come to reconcile the accounts for you tomorrow morning."

"Main courtyard? You're exaggerating a bit. And there's an account reconciliation? How dare I be the master of your Prince Chen's residence?" Xi Yueli chuckled awkwardly, regretting that she hadn't gone back to live with him.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," he said confidently, his voice lowering slightly. "Let's eat first."

The news spread throughout the capital that very night, faster than urgent reports delivered on horseback.

The eldest princess, who had just been personally recognized by the Empress, did not enter the palace, the princess's residence, or pay respects at the ancestral temple. Instead, she went straight to live in the residence of the Prince of Yingchen, a man whom all the civil and military officials had to bow down to.

Everyone was waiting for the eldest princess, who had been living among the common people for many years, to return to the capital. They were expecting her to be trembling with fear, cautious and restrained, standing before the emperor without daring to raise her head, carefully learning the palace rules, and waiting to be scrutinized, commented on, and accepted by the empress and other noblewomen.

But she didn't.

She entered the capital dressed in black riding attire. She did not go to the Xi residence, the ancestral temple, or any other place she was supposed to go. She went straight across the threshold of the Prince Chen's residence.

The next morning, the Empress's throne in the central palace was still empty. The Empress had unusually fallen ill that day and did not receive any other officials. The decree to "supplement the Golden Book of the Eldest Daughter of the Emperor," which should have been issued last night, was left on the table and had not been stamped with the imperial seal by noon.

At the flower banquet at the Princess's residence, the Princess smashed the first teacup. The crisp sound of shattering echoed throughout the garden, and all the noble ladies present fell silent in fear.

Princess Helian Yu sat in the main seat, wearing a pomegranate red robe covered with gold trim. A round fan covered half of her face as she glanced around the table, finally settling on the empty one—the Prince Chen's residence had sent a reply saying that the eldest princess was unwell and would not be attending.

Helian Yu placed the round fan on the table, her voice shrill like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "What eldest princess? Who knows where this bastard came from! At my flower banquet, all the famous ladies in the capital came, but she didn't even glance at an invitation."

"I wonder where she grew up. She has no manners at all. Did she pick her up from the wild and learn no manners?"

A chorus of laughter erupted from the room. Several noble ladies who were close to the princess chuckled softly behind their handkerchiefs. One of them added, "That's right. I heard she didn't even go back to the Xi family and went straight to Prince Chen's residence."

Some people pursed their lips and said, "This isn't about recognizing one's ancestors; it's about climbing the social ladder."

The eldest princess picked up her fan again, raising her chin even higher: "Her Majesty the Empress was kind enough to acknowledge her return, but she's gone and moved into a man's residence. She really is no good—"

At midnight that night, the lock on the storeroom door of the Princess's residence was removed from the outside. Half a wall of gold and silver valuables, two boxes of unopened silk, the box of newly arrived South Sea pearl powder on the dressing table, the silver notes accumulated over half a lifetime in the storeroom's secret compartment, and even the dwarf pine tree in the jade pot under the corridor were all taken away.

When the eldest princess arrived at the storeroom at dawn, she saw the half-empty room, plopped down on the ground, and let out a shrill, distorted howl.

"Who stole it! Which heartless bastard dared to steal from me! Investigate! Investigate for me! Search every inch of the capital and find the thief!"

Three groups of people from Shuntian Prefecture came and ransacked the storeroom inside and out. The locks were pried open with a thin blade. There were no signs of climbing over the wall, no footprints, and not even a single hair was left behind.

The head constable stood in front of the empty frame, wiped his sweat, and replied with a forced smile, "Your Highness, this method... seems to be that of a seasoned expert in the martial arts world who specializes in 'empty doors,' leaving no trace. I really can't find out where it came from."

The eldest princess smashed her teacup on the ground: "Useless! All of you are useless!"

Meanwhile, in the warm pavilion in the back garden of Prince Chen's mansion, the sunlight was warm.

Three sandalwood boxes were laid out side by side on the stone table, their lids wide open, overflowing with gold, jade, pearls, and jewels. When the sunlight shone on them, shimmering light flowed from the edges of the boxes across the table.

Xi Yueli leaned back in her chair, holding a flat, old brocade box in her hand. The box had a dark lacquer finish, and the edges had been repeatedly rubbed until they shone.

She opened the box, and in the center of the dark red velvet lining was a dent caused by an item that had been placed there for many years—the shape and curvature of the dent perfectly matched the outline of the Nine Heavens Hairpin in her hair.

She took the hairpin off and put it in; it fit perfectly, even the worn lines on the edges matched.

Helian Jing walked up behind her, bent down to look at the hairpin neatly embedded in the box, and a smile curved his lips: "The original hairpin box? Found in the Princess's storeroom?"

Xi Yueli nodded, put the hairpin back in her hair, and gently stroked the end of the hairpin with her fingertips. "He Qingshuang said that she bought this hairpin from a wandering Taoist priest. The Taoist priest was a flower thief in the Jianghu who specialized in stealing and reselling rare treasures."

Intoxicated by the flowers.

Helian Jing sat down beside her and gave a few instructions. A guard brought intelligence.

"Huajianzui specializes in stealing and reselling the treasures of wealthy and powerful families. In the past three years, his footprints have covered the capital and the southern border. He has excellent lightness skills, and can climb over walls as if walking on flat ground, never leaving a trace. He once sneaked into the Prince Chen's mansion twice, stole a set of jade chess pieces and returned them with a note that read, 'Borrowed to play with.'"

"This man is unruly and enjoys sneaking into secluded courtyards at night to flirt with the handsome young men and women in the mansion. He doesn't steal people, he only steals their hearts—he flirts and then runs away."

"Rumors circulate that she has defiled several respectable young men, and her words are often lewd. After extensive investigation, the Dark Pavilion has determined that this is a false rumor. Hua Jian Zui does not harm anyone's innocence, nor does she engage in any immoral acts."

"There was a minor official in the Ministry of Rites in the capital who was embraced by her in his study. The next day, he submitted his resignation, saying that he was 'too confused to continue his duties.' His colleagues asked him, 'Did she do anything improper to you?' He remained silent for a long time before replying, '...She complimented my earlobes.'"

Xi Yueli took the thin booklet, her gaze lingering for a moment on the line "flirt and run," before she curved the corners of her mouth into a smile.

She looked up at Helian Jing, "She stole from the Princess's residence, but left the hairpin box in a hidden compartment in the storeroom. She did it on purpose; she left an opening for me."

That night, the evening breeze, carrying the warm aroma of wine and the sounds of string and bamboo instruments from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, spilled out from the half-open windows and spread across half the street.

Xi Yueli and Helian Jing took their seats in a private room by the window on the second floor.

Helian Jing's position was directly opposite the stairwell. His gaze swept from the street outside the window to the stage downstairs, and then back from the stage to the corner of the stairwell.

Xi Yueli sat opposite him, slowly taking a sip of tea, as if waiting for someone to come in to the beat of a drum.

Three singers appeared on stage. The third singer, carrying a pipa, emerged from the side curtain and played half of "Three Variations on Plum Blossom." The music had just ended, and the lingering notes still hung in the air—

A figure suddenly appeared on the carved railing on the second floor.