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Rong Shu paused slightly and, with a gentle bow, made her way towards the rosewood chair.

Empress Qi waited until she was seated before warmly inquiring if they had taken their morning meal. Upon learning that they had, she promptly instructed her attendants to serve some pastries, fruits, and honeyed tea. A cursory glance revealed that they were all items Rong Shu enjoyed.

As Rong Shu nibbled on the fruit and sipped her honeyed tea, she responded to Empress Qi's questions.

The inner chamber resonated with the soft, graceful voices of women.

Emperor Jia Yu and Gu Changjin sat silently, sipping their tea, attentively listening to the conversation between the two ladies.

Half an hour passed in the gentle exchange between Empress Qi and Rong Shu, their conversation drawing to a close only when Nurse Gui and Wang Dehai entered to announce that it was time to depart for the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Today's visit to the temple was to inscribe the name of the Crown Princess, Shen Shu, onto the jade tablet. Along the way, they would also pay respects to the deceased Emperor and the Xiao royal ancestors, declaring that the Crown Prince had taken Shen Shu as his wife.

Upon entering the Ancestral Temple, Emperor Jia Yu and Empress Qi watched intently as the Minister of Rites solemnly presented the jade tablet engraved with "Shen Shu" to the high altar.

After Rong Shu and Gu Changjin completed their three kneels and nine prostrations before the altar, Empress Qi's eyes gradually reddened. A hint of complexity flickered in Emperor Jia Yu's usually placid gaze.

Their daughter, who had been lost to them since childhood, the one who chose to be a Shen rather than reclaim her royal roots, had finally returned to the Xiao family in this manner.

Empress Qi felt a slight sting in her nose, but she knew this was already the best outcome possible.

If she couldn't be her child's mother, she would strive to be the best mother-in-law in the world. Was it necessary to consider how someone remained by her side when she wanted to be kind to them?

If her child wished to be a part of the Shen family, then so be it.

After the ancestral tribute, the sky had darkened. Gu Changjin and Rong Shu finished their dinner at the Kunning Palace before returning to the Eastern Palace. By the time they reached the Purple Imperial Palace, it was already bedtime. Both weary from the day's activities, they took a bath before climbing into bed.

Gu Changjin drew Rong Shu into his embrace and asked, "Are you feeling sad?"

Rong Shu found his question amusing. "Why should I be sad?"

The man pinched her fingertips gently. "Back at the Temple of Ancestors, you were staring at the spirit tablets for quite a while."

Rong Shu hadn't expected him to notice such a small detail. She had indeed scanned each tablet on the platform.

"I was simply curious. If Xiao Fu hadn't abducted me, what name would I have been listed under in the Temple of Ancestors? I suppose I would've entered as a princess, but compared to being a crown princess, that sounds less grand." Rong Shu shifted her position, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not feeling sad."

Although those spirit tablets represented her ancestors by bloodline, and the two figures seated high above in the golden halls were her biological parents, she didn't feel a sense of belonging in that temple today. It was far less significant than the ancestral land of the Shen family.

Gu Changjin lowered his gaze to look at her.

Rong Shu met his eyes for a moment before she couldn't resist covering his eyes and said, "You're not allowed to look at me like that."

She paused and continued, "I admit, when I sense the fleeting sorrow in Empress Qi's eyes, my heart feels heavy. I don't know if it counts as sadness, but perhaps it does, because I can't respond to her emotions."

By nature, Rong Shu cherished every bit of kindness shown to her.

But Empress Qi was different.

The better she treated Rong Shu, the more Rong Shu felt as though she was carrying a stone in her heart.

She never saw herself as a precious princess, nor did she wish to be one. She didn't know how to respond to Empress Qi's kindness.

If possible, she would prefer Empress Qi to be more distant and cold towards her.

Gu Changjin gently took her hand down and pressed his forehead against hers, saying, "Zhaozhao, just think of it as meeting an excellent mother-in-law. A girl as wonderful as you deserves the best mother-in-law. If my mother were still alive, she would have adored you too – probably even more than her own son."

Rong Shu was taken aback for a moment, then she brightened up and replied with a firm "Mm-hmm," "You're right."

She would strive to be a good daughter-in-law – that was more than enough.

There was no need to dwell on many things; looking at them from a different perspective and letting nature take its course would suffice.

Seeing the shadow in Rong Shu's eyes fade away, Gu Changjin smiled, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "Rest now, there's a palace banquet tomorrow."

Tomorrow's palace banquet was a family gathering. The Xiao royal family was now thinly populated. Apart from Prince Shun and his wife, who had rushed over from Taiyuan Prefecture, only Xiao Huaian would be present.

At this family feast, Rong Shu sat beside Empress Qi, while Aunt Gui stood by her side, attending to her every need.

Sitting beside Rong Shu, Xiao Huaian glanced at her curiously.

They had played together in Minglu Yard before.

Despite Xiao Huaian's usual aversion to getting close to others, he had been unusually affectionate towards Rong Shu. Rong Shu also adored this mature young boy.

Perhaps it was due to their shared bloodline or the fact that both of them had grown up alone without parents. From their very first encounter, they had found a strong rapport with each other.

Noticing Xiao Huaian's gaze, Rong Shu shared half a plate of osmanthus cakes with him, asking, "What is it?"

Xiao Huaian picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, chewing it slowly while whispering, "His Imperial Uncle and Aunt adore your Highness the Empress."

Each word he spoke seemed to be muffled by the food, making his voice barely audible to anyone except Rong Shu, who sat beside him.

Rong Shu smiled warmly and replied, "Isn't that quite normal? You like me too, don't you?"

Xiao Huaian nearly choked on her words, quickly sipping some honey water before glancing at her again.

After a moment's thought, he nodded seriously and said, "Yes, it is normal."

The family banquet was held near the imperial garden. After the feast, everyone strolled through the garden for a while before departing.

As soon as they left, the imperial garden instantly turned cold and desolate.

Emperor Jia Yu and Empress Qi watched as the young princes and princesses gradually disappeared from sight, then they headed back to the Kunning Palace together.

It wasn't the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, so the Emperor was not required to visit the Kunning Palace today.

Emperor Jia Yu was an exceptionally diligent ruler, usually spending most of his time in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Hall of Mental Cultivation.