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Leaving Yunshi County, with each passing day, the daylight seemed to get a little shorter. Then, as the day turned into night and the carriage persisted on its journey, these short hours of daylight began to elongate once more.

The winter solstice had passed and the New Year was approaching gently.

Throughout the passage of time, the carriage slowly made its way on the occasionally icy roads, then miraculously returned to the outskirts of the Imperial City without a hitch.

As they queued at the city gates, Xiao'er looked up at the towering city walls and suddenly felt a sense of apprehension about coming home.

"Yang Liu, do you think my mother will break my legs to stop me from wandering off again?" recalled Xiao'er. When she left, she lied to Mrs. Liu, saying she would stay in the palace to accompany the Empress.

But now, more than three months had passed, and Shen Chengyao had returned to Marquis Mansion. The truth was bound to surface.