After receiving a glance from Chu Qitong, Ning Zhuangyan smiled faintly. She slenderly pointed her finger in the direction of Tian Mama and said, "Let's go over there, away from the interfering people."

Chu Qitong nodded at Ning Zhuangyan, not saying a word, as she let Ning Zhuangyan hold the umbrella and lead her towards the direction of Tian Mamu.

When Nanny Tian saw Chu Qitong leave and then return, her hazy eyes suddenly chilled a bit. She trembled and wanted to kowtow to Chu Qitong, but Chu Qitong was one step ahead and supported her instead. Chu Qitong said, "Nanny, the ground is cold. Let me help you up first."

As Chu Qitong's words fell, Tian Mamaba panicked and crawled up from the ground. She was still muttering anxiously under her breath, "No, no, I'm just a lowly servant. How can I let the princess help me?"

Perhaps it was because she knelt for too long or because the ground was too cold, but when Tian Mama got up, her legs were a little stiff. She stumbled a few steps and almost fell, but Ning Zhuangyan quickly grabbed Chu Qitong's hand and helped her up.

"Mama, how did you end up here?" Chu Qitong asked as she spoke up.

Madam Tian's expression was a little conflicted. She glanced at Chu Qitong and finally took the initiative to pull up her sleeve, revealing the white cat in her arms. She said, "After the Empress passed away all those years ago, this cat has been following me. A whole decade has passed, and I have grown old. This cat has also endured numerous hardships by my side. Last night, it was snowing heavily, and the house was cold. It..."

Speaking up to this point, the old nanny didn't continue speaking. Chu Qitong had already guessed the words she was going to say. Chu Qitong's gaze also fell on the white cat in Mrs. Tian's arms. She said, "This is the queen mother's cat from back then. I still remember when I mischievously knocked over her vase and refused to admit it, pushing it off onto someone else. As a result, it received a harsh punishment from the queen mother. It's been so many years in the blink of an eye."

As they spoke, Chu Qitong's thoughts drifted back to Fenqi Palace more than a decade ago. Azhe hadn't been born yet. The empress mother used to hold her hand while cradling a cat in her other arm, sitting beneath the tall paulownia tree in Fenqi Palace, and gently asking, "Tongtong, do you want the empress mother to give you a little brother or a little sister?"

Chu Qitong, who was of a young age, tilted her head and appeared like a little adult as she nestled on the Empress Wei's lap. She said, "Tong'er thinks that little brother is good. This way, the Empress can teach him how to read, the Emperor can teach him equestrian skills, and Grandfather can teach him swordplay and marksmanship. Tong'er will watch over him for the Empress."

The Empress Wei gently rubbed her daughter's head, her eyes filled with love. She said, "Tongtong is right. After your younger brother is born, I will follow Tongtong's advice and raise him to become a strong and respectable man."

Later on, Aze was born, but none of the expectations Chu Qitong had for him were fulfilled. The Empress Mother passed away one year after giving birth to Aze. The Emperor had many more children, so he was no longer solely Chu Qitong's father, and he no longer had the time to teach Aze horsemanship. Grandfather and his family went to the distant Nanjiang. The once magnificent Fengqi Palace was no longer her home. Chu Qitong moved into her own palace with Lilo, the Quwu Hall, while Aze was sent by the Emperor to be raised by the Warm Noble Consort. Only the phoenix tree in the Fengqi Palace still retained its lush appearance.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Within those ten years, Chu Qiting regained the favor of her father, the Emperor. She successfully brought Aze by her side. However, the Empress could never return again. She could no longer see her father, Aze, or even herself. And as for the promise to raise Aze together, in the end, she was the only one watching him grow into adulthood.