Noble Lady Xin frowned deeply and looked to the Empress. “Empress…”

“You two go back first,” the Empress said, waving a hand.

Noble Lady Xin wanted to say more, but the Empress shook her head. “Go back first!”

“Yes.” Noble Lady Xin bowed and left with her sister.

Feng Jin sipped his tea and ate his pastries, saying not a single word the entire time.

Once the people she despised had left, Noble Consort Ya’s mood improved considerably.

“First Prince, are the pastries to your liking?”

“They’re good.” Feng Jin answered quietly.

The Empress looked between the two of them, a shadow of worry she couldn’t shake lingering in her eyes.

Just as she was about to speak, Noble Consort Ya’s voice rose again.

“I didn’t come today only to bring you pastries.” Even with the Empress present, Noble Consort Ya spoke of “I” and “you” without the slightest restraint.

“Little Feng, show the First Prince your incense — let the Empress see it too.”

Noble Consort Ya waved a hand.

“The Empress has spent all these years deep in the palace managing the affairs of the harem, great and small — she surely doesn’t know about such a novel little thing as scented candles.”

“Yes.” Feng Jiu’er nodded and stepped toward the center of the hall.

Gong Xinyue, as if struck by an idea, carried over a table and set it down in the middle of the hall.

Feng Jiu’er placed her medicine chest on the table and took out candle after candle.

Seeing this, the Empress asked, “What is this?”

“Reporting to the Empress.” Gong Xinyue turned, bowed. “This is scented incense — different colors have different effects.”

“Noble Consort Ya, thinking of how exhausted the First Prince must be from all his recent travels, had Miss Feng bring the incense over.”

Feng Jiu’er lined up several colors of incense in a row. She looked toward the Empress, bowed, then turned her gaze to Feng Jin and bent her knee in a bow.

“First Prince, may I light a flame in the hall?”

“Granted.” The First Prince lifted his eyes, waved a hand carelessly, and picked up another pastry.

“Thank you for your grace, First Prince!” Feng Jiu’er cupped her hands and took a fire-striker from the medicine chest.

She lit two red candles and turned back to Noble Consort Ya.

“Send one each to the Empress and the First Prince. This red one — what was the effect again?”

“Noble Consort, it eases the muscles and relaxes the body and mind,” Gong Xinyue answered softly.

Feng Jiu’er bowed and carried a candlestick toward the Empress. She set it on the Empress’s table, stepped back, turned, went down the steps, and delivered one to Feng Jin as well.

In the time it took, Feng Jin had already eaten through half the pastries on his table.

Whether it was that Noble Consort Ya knew his tastes so well, or that Feng Jin was giving her face — either way, it showed that the two of them were no ordinary acquaintances.

Noble Consort Ya watched the First Prince for a good while, then turned her gaze to the Empress.

“Empress, how do you find the scent of the incense — is it to your liking?”

The Empress drew her gaze back from Feng Jin, met Noble Consort Ya’s eyes, and nodded. “It’s rather good.”

Noble Consort Ya’s lips curved faintly as she looked away.

“First Prince, what do you think?”

“It’s good.” Feng Jin stood, cupping his hands toward the Empress.

“Mother, I have no intention of marrying yet. Shall we wait and discuss this again on the fifteenth of the eighth month?”

“Very well.” The Empress nodded. “We’ll discuss it later, then. If Jin’er is tired, Mother won’t keep you any longer.”

“Noble Consort Ya, would you care to come to Yaxiang Hall with me, so the two of us can look into this incense together?”

“Of course!” Noble Consort Ya nodded graciously.

And so Feng Jiu’er’s incense followed Noble Consort Ya back to Yaxiang Hall.

Inside the hall of Yaxiang Hall, the Empress and Noble Consort Ya sat together over tea, with Gong Xinyue attending on either side. Feng Jiu’er sat at a table not far off, blending scents, making almost no sound at all.

“A’Ya, there have been some rumors going around the palace lately about you and Jin’er. I wonder if you’ve heard them?” the Empress asked quietly.

Noble Consort Ya glanced at the Empress, raising an eyebrow. “Is that so? Rumors about the First Prince and me?”

“What might they be? Sister Empress, please, do tell.” No sooner had she spoken than she pinched the cup in her hand, lifted it, and took a light sip.

The Empress looked at the woman beside her and drew a deep breath.

“The rumor says that you and the First Prince share some secret that cannot be spoken of. If that isn’t true, you’d best keep a certain distance from him.”

“Otherwise, it will do neither you nor him any good!”

“Sister Empress, do you believe this rumor?” Noble Consort Ya looked at the Empress, lips curving slightly.

“What kind of talk is that?” The Empress frowned. “Could it be…”

“If Sister has proof, you’re welcome to go straight to His Majesty and lodge a complaint.” Noble Consort Ya picked up the fine teapot and refilled the Empress’s cup.

“The First Prince is your own son, Empress — you’re welcome to go ask him yourself.”

“Whether it’s true or not, the First Prince gets the final word — and the Empress won’t be willing to believe my word either, will she?”

Noble Consort Ya, being the daughter of the horse rancher Gao Jinsheng, had never lacked for boldness. Her words even caught Feng Jiu’er off guard.

She had heard that what Feng Qiongcang despised most was harem infighting, and Noble Consort Ya seemed to be seizing on exactly that, deliberately being reckless in front of the Empress.

Perhaps she genuinely hoped the Empress would go running to complain to the Emperor, hoping it would make him despise her.

In under a quarter hour, the Empress left in anger.

Noble Consort Ya then had Feng Jiu’er send over some calming, mind-nourishing incense to her attendants as well.

Being Empress, it seemed, was truly no easy task!

That night, Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Jian Yi — who had been keeping watch at the rear courtyard of Yaxiang Hall the whole time — none of them left the palace.

The next day was the day of the Night Prince’s grand wedding.

Early in the morning, Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu went to attend Noble Consort Ya.

Today, following this woman around, they might just catch a glimpse of Father.

Yet Noble Consort Ya stayed inside Yaxiang Hall for half the day without stepping out.

It wasn’t until the third quarter of the Wei hour that Noble Consort Ya, after an elaborate round of dressing up, finally left.

Today’s makeup on Noble Consort Ya was Feng Jiu’er’s own work — and in order to keep her looking her best at all times, Noble Consort Ya allowed Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu to follow her out.

“Noble Consort, are we going to see the groom now?” Feng Jiu’er, sitting in the carriage, asked curiously.

“Before the Night Prince goes to receive his bride, he must first go to the Altar of Heaven to pay homage.” Noble Consort Ya held up a mirror, admiring her own face without restraint.

“His Majesty has ordered that this servant attend the rites at the Altar of Heaven as well.”

“You two are in luck, following me today — not to mention His Majesty, you’ll even get to see the Feng Clan’s foremost handsome man, the Night Prince.”

“Wonderful!” The corner of Feng Jiu’er’s mouth lifted, and she made no attempt to hide her delight.

“Heh!” Noble Consort Ya glanced at her.

“If I had wanted it, back in the day, the Night Princess would have been me. Since when do the likes of you mortals get to gaze upon the Night Prince?”

Feng Jiu’er let the curtain fall and turned back to look at Noble Consort Ya, a flicker of feigned delight in her eyes — though inwardly, she felt only contempt.

Even if she had wanted it, her own father would have had to want it too, wouldn’t he?

“If I could choose, of course I’d choose someone of even higher standing — the Emperor. And I’ve heard His Majesty is quite handsome too.”