That afternoon, Madam Su sent her servant into the palace, asking to see the Empress. Just at the moment before the palace door closed, the approval from Empress Gu came out.

The next day, Madam Su and her daughter-in-law dressed up and went into the palace in the company of their maidservants.

After arriving at the Weiyang Palace, they curtsied to the Empress. Empress Gu smiled, asked them to get up and gave them two seats. Thought Wei Changying was young and could sometimes not be very considerate, she still understood the basic manners. It was not the banquet like the last time. The Empress and her mother-in-law were here, so she should be polite and stay standing. She insisted that she would not be seated, only being willing to stand behind her mother-in-law. The Empress smiled, said she was polite and stopped asking her to sit down.

As today was neither a holiday nor a banquet, the Empress was dressed very casually. Her hair was in a coiled bun with three plain gold hair clasps. She wore a pale pinkish grey upper shirt, an ivory bodice embroidered with koi, and a yellow dress fastened with a golden waistband and a jade pendant.

The Empress was very beautiful and knew how to preserve her looks, so she sat on her throne, still looking incredibly graceful.

When Wei Changying assisted Madam Su to sit down, Empress Gu held her teacup, smiling and asking, “Madam Su, you asked to see me, so how can I help?”

Madam Su looked serious, saying, “To be honest, Your Imperial Highness. A few days ago my son, Shen Cangfeng, visited the Spring Grass Lake with my daughter-in-law, but they encountered something quite ridiculous on Furong Islet. It could even be said that what had happened was extremely humiliating!”

She said carefully, “This matter involves the Crown Prince, so I have to come to report it!”

Empress Gu’s eyes showed surprise, saying, “The Crown Prince?”

Empress Gu had been relaxed as she sat on her throne, but she immediately sat up, leaning forward slightly, all ears and saying, “Tell me about it in detail!”

Madam Su looked at Wei Changying and sighed, “You were there so you say it.”

Wei Changying said, “Yes!” But she blushed and paused for a moment before saying, “Yesterday, my husband took me to Spring Grass Lake. It was very hot so we wanted to take a boat to the tavern of the Xie Family on Furong Islet for a meal.”

“Wait a second!” Empress Gu raised her eyebrow and interrupted, “Why is there a tavern open on Furong Islet on a hot summer day like this?”

“Your Imperial Highness, my husband sent a servant to tell the owner of the Xie family, so he specifically opened the tavern with his son and daughter-in-law.” Wei Changying said respectfully.

Empress Gu understood and ordered her, “Continue.”

Wei Changying continued, “It was the first time I had been to Spring Grass Lake, so actually I don’t know what to say about Furong Islet. Anyway, after we passed a stand of reeds, we saw a lot of lotus flowers. We also saw a lotus seedpod in the dense lotus flowers and leaves, so my husband asked the maid to row the boat closer so we could pick it, unexpectedly, a lotus-picking girl took it! If it was only that, the story would have been finished. After all, there were many lotuses as well as lotus seedpods around. However, when the lotus-picking girl saw my husband, she said he was very handsome and also said openly in front of me that she wanted to marry him!”

At this point, Wei Changying was totally red.

Empress Gu frowned, “And then?”

“Then my husband asked her to be respectful and said I’m his wife, But the lotus-picking girl kept on so and threw the lotus seedpod onto the boat, saying that she was just showing her affection. I was very angry with her shameless words so I threw it back.” Wei Changying bit her lip.

Madam Su took advantage of this pause to say to the Empress, “If it were only that, I wouldn’t have dared to bother you, Your Imperial Highness. After that, my two children didn’t get very far but were surrounded by a group of lotus-picking girls.”

Empress Gu couldn’t help but ask, "Did these lotus-picking girls gather together to kidnap Guard Shen?" She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

Wei Changying said awkwardly, “Your Imperial Highness, you are right.”

Empress Gu almost burst into laughter. She couldn’t be bothered to ask why this matter was related to the Crown Prince, leaning forward a little more and laughing, “Really, this is really... If they were to kidnap a handsome young master from somewhere else, it might make sense, but Guard Shen is always the best in martial arts practice every year, and if I remember correctly, you are also a martial arts master? How dare they want to kidnap your husband! That’s really...”

The people in the palace all snickered.

But Madam Su and Wei Changying didn’t laugh with her. Wei Changying kept her head down, blushing and staying silent. Madam Su sighed, “My daughter-in-law is young and shy, so she hasn’t mentioned many details. Your Imperial Highness, those lotus-picking girls surrounded the boat of my son and daughter-in-law, saying something libidinous and shameful. My daughter-in-law felt they were shameless! She is very young and has a temper, so she could not bear to hear those words, so with a lotus seed they had thrown onto the boat she broke one girl’s teeth to make them shut up!”

Empress Gu tried to hold back her laughter and said, “These girls sound so shameless. Even if they were from a brothel, in broad daylight, their behavior would not be tolerable! Guard Shen was traveling with his wife and was not interested in them, but they insisted on pestering, so it was their own fault if they got hurt.”

“Your Imperial Highness, thank you for your understanding.” Wei Changying whispered softly, but then said awkwardly, “But after I hurt that girl, the girl’s companions said that they were…they were the Crown Prince’s concubines!”

Empress Gu was completely startled!

Empress Gu was, after all, the Empress. So after being startled, she immediately calmed herself, looking serious, sternly looked around and asked, “Do you know anything about this?”

Everyone knelt down and reported, "Your Imperial Highness, we really don’t know it."

Empress Gu said unhappily, “The First Rank Madam came with her daughter-in-law in person, why should it be a lie? Those lotus-picking girls must have said something like this. Lin De, you, go quickly to the Eastern Palace, figure out and then come back to report!”

On that call, a thirtyish, fair-skinned servant came out, holding a fly-whisk, and bowed, “Yes, Your Imperial Highness!”

When he had gone, Empress Gu rubbed between her eyebrows, seemly talking to herself, “How could the Crown Prince do such a thing?”

Madam Su answered immediately, saying, “Your Imperial Highness, even my son, my daughter-in-law and I wouldn’t believe that the Crown Prince’s concubines could be so slutty. So...”

“What is it?” Empress Gu realized that she wanted to say more, frowning and looking down.

Wei Changying looked down and said, “My husband thought they were impersonating the Crown Prince’s concubines. Those girls were so arrogant, even when I was at my husband’s side. If they were the Crown Prince’s concubines, they should be loyal to the Crown Prince. Why would they assault other men? Also, they were picking lotus seedpods on the lake, but their clothes were a bit too... They just looked slutty! When hearing that they called themselves the Crown Prince’s concubines, my husband became furious. They didn’t stop being annoying, so he drew his sword in anger and taught them a lesson!”

“Well done!” Empress Gu looked very calm, saying, “I don’t believe there are girls like those in the Eastern Palace either! The Crown Prince’s wife and concubines are all in the Eastern Palace now, so how could they be on Spring Grass Lake? And it was not just one or two people, but a group of them! These girls sound even worse than those from a brothel! Even were they the Crown Prince’s concubines, let alone if dancers from a common place, there is no justification for being so badly behaved!”

The Empress spoke to Madam Su kindly, “Fortunately, it was Guard Shen who had encountered them! He is spoken highly of His Majesty. He is able to make a clear distinction between right and wrong and won’t be deceived by others!”

Then she became outraged, “I don’t know who is trying to frame the Crown Prince! So shamelessly that they used these dirty tricks! If I find them, they will definitely be punished heavily and will not be spared!”

Madam Su agreed, “Your Imperial Highness, you are absolutely right. I learned of this yesterday and didn’t want to delay it, so I immediately asked to meet you, and today I was able to come here to report! Your Imperial Highness, I hope we will soon find out the truth so that the Crown Prince will not be wronged!”

Wei Changying added, “Your Imperial Highness, yesterday on Furong Islet, my husband and I met the young master of the Gu Family, Gu Zilie, and two young masters of the Huo Family. As the first young master of the Huo Family was very handsome, they were also stopped by the lotus-picking girls. They said that young master Gu had scolded the lotus-picking girls away. But when they were leaving after having food together at the Xie Family’s tavern. Their boats had disappeared. The people of the Xie Family helped search for them, but no one couldn’t find them. We guessed that they were stolen by those lotus-picking girls as revenge.”

Empress Gu looked more and more unhappy, “How outrageous! How outrageous! Although the Crown Prince is not very talented, he has always been filial and respectful. He has never disobeyed His Majesty and me. His being sincere and noble made these people lose their respect? How dare they have the cheek to slander the future emperor of the country?”

Madame Su and Wei Changying, along with many of the palace people, advised, “Please calm your anger, Your Imperial Highness!”

Madam Su said, “Your Imperial Highness, don’t get so angry with these peasants. It will hurt you and they aren’t worth it!” And then she said, “Eunuch Lin has already gone to the Eastern Palace to ask the Crown Prince, so I think the truth will be revealed soon. Your Imperial Highness, then you can have someone to investigate it, even if there are many lotus-picking girls or they hide, there must be traces that we can use.”

Empress Gu said in a deep voice, “You are right.”

As they were talking, Lin De returned with beads of sweat on his head. It seemed that the weather was hot and he had walked hurriedly. Empress Gu didn’t ask him to bow, just asking, “What did the Crown Prince say?”

Lin De replied loudly, “Your Imperial Highness, I went to the Eastern Palace and asked the Crown Prince about this matter, and His Highness told me that last year he read a book depicting girls picking lotus seedpods among lotuses. His Highness was yearning after them so mentioned that he wanted to go and see beautiful lotus-picking girls, but His Majesty had a cough in winter, so he served His Majesty during this time and never mentioned it again. As for the lotus-picking girls of Spring Grass Lake, His Highness knows nothing of it.”

He added, “When His Highness heard what Madam Su and young madam Wei had said, he was greatly angered, and has gone to see His Majesty.”

“That is how it should be!” Empress Gu was satisfied by what the Crown Prince had done, “No one can harm the reputation of the future emperor!”

Madam Su agreed, “His Highness is filial, sincere and noble, which is well known to everyone in the country.”

The Empress was pleased, “Madam Su, you are being fair, I’m very relieved.”

Wei Changying stood respectfully, looking gentle and kind, but secretly biting her lip to hold back a laugh, “The Crown Prince... The whole country knows that if the lascivious Crown Prince could be described as "noble", everyone in the world would be clean and noble!”

Listening to the conversation between Madam Su and Empress Gu, Wei Changying was amused and was coming to realize something...