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

Xiao Yanzhi picked up the wine cup again, tilted his head back and drank the second cup in one gulp, but his expression did not change at all, still maintaining the gentle and composed demeanor he had always displayed since his mission.

The song and dance in the hall changed to another piece. He raised his cup, put it down, smiled and nodded along with the others, but he looked at the Grand Preceptor's seat far less often than during the previous dance.

After several rounds of drinks, the palace banquet came to an end. Civil and military officials rose one after another to leave their seats, and the members of the Da Ying delegation also stood up, with Xiao Yanzhi at the head of the line.

He didn't stop walking as he passed the Imperial Preceptor's seat, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Helian Jing bending down to help Xi Yueli put on the thick cloak draped over the back of the chair.

Helian Jing's fingers slid from her shoulder line down the neckline of her thick cloak to the front, tying the ties for her with delicate and natural movements.

Xi Yueli stood there with her head slightly tilted back, letting him tidy her up. Her chin was slightly raised, and for a moment she was as relaxed as a cat being stroked.

Xiao Yanzhi withdrew his gaze, quickened his pace, and the hem of his crimson python robe fluttered in the cold winter wind. He was the first to step out of the gate of Hanguang Palace.

The night wind blew in his face, blowing on his burning forehead, instantly sobering him up.

He stood on the stone platform for a moment, and then the sound of footsteps came from behind him. Civil and military officials passed by him in twos and threes, bowing and saying goodbye. He returned their greetings one by one, his demeanor calm and composed.

But his palms were clenched so tightly that they were covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Xiao Yanzhi looked down at his hands. He had once touched her fingertips through the rainy air, once twisted the end of a silver needle for her at midnight, and once received a cup of green tea she had brewed in the morning light.

He thought those were just ordinary exchanges during his mission, but now, standing in the cold wind of the winter night, as he pieced together those fragmented moments, he realized that in each one, his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than when he looked at others.

He gave a wry smile, then sullenly walked out.

After the Ministry of Rites of Beishuo returned the document to the Da Ying delegation, Xiao Yanzhi personally copied a note, circled the changed parts with vermilion ink, and added his own annotations on the side.

He sat under the lamp in the guest room until midnight before resting. When he woke up in the morning, there was a faint bluish shadow under his eyes, but his face remained as gentle as ever.

At 9:00 AM, Xiao Yanzhi knocked on the courtyard gate of the Imperial Preceptor's bedroom. When he stepped into the main hall, Xi Yueli was sitting behind her desk flipping through documents. A slender wrist was visible through the cuffs of her black robe.

She looked up when she heard footsteps, and smiled slightly: "Envoy Xiao has arrived early."

Xiao Yanzhi placed the copied document on the corner of the table, pressed his fingertips against the cover, and pushed it in front of her: "I revised a few wordings last night. The Imperial Advisor has reviewed it. If there are no issues, I will file the original document today."

Xi Yueli took the document and opened it, her gaze falling on the changes circled in vermilion ink. She was so engrossed in reading that she didn't notice Xiao Yanzhi's gaze lingering on her lowered brows for a moment before moving away.

Just then, Helian Jing appeared at the door carrying a celadon medicine bowl. His gaze fell on Xiao Yanzhi, who was standing in front of the desk, and lingered for less than a moment.

"Imperial Preceptor." He walked over with the medicine bowl in his hand, his voice gentle and deliberately soft. "Today's medicine is ready. Drink it while it's hot."

When he walked to the desk, Xiao Yanzhi was standing to Xi Yueli's right. Helian Jing naturally went around to the left, leaning slightly as he put down the bowl, half-blocking Xi Yueli's view.

His eyes, hidden beneath the silver-gray mask, curved slightly as he nodded gently in Xiao Yanzhi's direction: "Good morning, Envoy Xiao."

Xiao Yanzhi returned the greeting: "Good morning, Doctor Lian."

When Helian Jing straightened up, he didn't retreat far. He stood half a step behind Xi Yueli to the left, with his hands at his sides. He looked down at the document that Xi Yueli had opened, his gaze sweeping over the area circled in vermilion ink.

"Last night, I re-examined the original manuscript of Grand Preceptor Fuyuan. The original manuscript did indeed have the word 'temporary' after the word 'takeover,' which was omitted last time, but has been added this time."

He took half a step forward, went around the corner of the desk, and stood again to Xi Yueli's right front, just as she was sandwiched between the two of them.

Helian Jing lowered his eyes, his voice still in that gentle and harmless tone: "Envoy Xiao is truly meticulous. The draft of the Grand Preceptor Fuyuan is piled up in half a storeroom, and Envoy Xiao has only been in Beishuo for a little over a month, yet he was able to find that draft."

He paused, tilted his head slightly, and said, "When I was preparing medicine for the Imperial Preceptor, I heard from the Imperial Hospital that Envoy Xiao's lights were on in the guest quarters until midnight last night. Envoy Xiao has devoted so much effort to the documents from Beishuo; he is truly a model for envoys of Daying."

When these words were spoken, the tone was respectful and gentle, and every word was impeccable.

Xiao Yanzhi's lips curved slightly, the curve carrying a sharp edge as if his interest had been piqued: "Even the doctor cares so much about the lamps in the guest courtyard; he truly is a close confidant of the Imperial Advisor."

Xi Yueli sat between the two, turned a page of the document, her gaze fixed on the paper without looking up, but the faint smile on her lips was already barely concealed.

Helian Jing took half a step forward, circled around Xi Yueli from behind to her right, and stood between Xiao Yanzhi and Xi Yueli. He bowed slightly and reached out to reach the celadon teacup on the desk that was placed on Xiao Yanzhi's side.

He picked up the teacup, and the sleeve of his moon-white robe swept across the gap between Xiao Yanzhi and Xi Yueli, completely blocking the already narrow passage of sight.

"The Imperial Preceptor hasn't drunk his medicine yet." He put the teacup back on the corner of the table, turned around and picked up the celadon medicine bowl, handing it to Xi Yueli, his voice gentle and soft, "It'll get cold if you don't drink it soon."

Xi Yueli finally raised her eyes. Her gaze first fell on Helian Jing's silver-gray mask, and then she glanced over his shoulder at Xiao Yanzhi.

Xiao Yanzhi stood opposite the desk, but looking at Doctor Lian's gentle and considerate demeanor, the light in his eyes clearly said, "He did it on purpose."

She lowered her head and took a sip of the medicine. The bitter taste of the medicine mixed with the sweet aftertaste of licorice. After swallowing, she put the bowl back on the table, looked up at Helian Jing, who was standing half a step to her right, and then at Xiao Yanzhi, who was standing opposite her at the desk.

"Envoy Xiao, I have reviewed the revised terms and there are no problems. Envoy Xiao, you have worked hard. Go back and rest."

Xiao Yanzhi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment. He bowed respectfully and turned to leave. As he passed Helian Jing, their eyes met briefly as they passed each other.

Helian Jing nodded slightly, his eyes curving into a smile. Xiao Yanzhi withdrew his gaze and walked out of the courtyard.

After closing the door, Helian Jing turned around and walked back to the desk, bending down to put away the empty medicine bowl.

Xi Yueli leaned back in her chair, watching his profile as he cleared the bowls. Morning light streamed through the window paper, falling on the shoulder line of his moon-white robe. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, her voice carrying a suppressed laugh: "Doctor Lian's few steps just now were more dramatic than my acting."

Helian Jing paused as he was putting away the bowl. He straightened up and turned to look at her: "Grand Preceptor, did you realize I'm jealous?"

Xi Yueli paused slightly in her teacup, then put it down and looked up to meet his gaze: "Your Highness is quite frank in admitting it."

Helian Jing placed the medicine bowl back on the tray, turned to face her, leaned against the edge of the desk, and looked down at her slightly: "If I were not frank and open, how could I be worthy of being the Imperial Preceptor's 'confidant'?"