Green tiles and vermillion walls, curtains layered upon curtains – the resplendent golden palace appeared magnificent on the surface, yet who knew how many white bones lay buried beneath?

Simeng Palace was located in the southeastern corner of the imperial palace. The environment here was secluded, adjacent to vast expanses of peony gardens. These peonies had been specially ordered by the Emperor to be rushed from Luoyang by swift horses and carefully tended by craftsmen before being transplanted here. Every peony blooming season, the garden burst with brilliant purples and reds, most beautiful to behold.

The resident here was one of the Four Consorts, the currently favored Consort Chen, mother of the Eighth Prince.

When the Emperor first ascended the throne with an unstable foundation, Consort Chen’s father controlled military power and sent Consort Chen into the palace to show support for the Emperor. For the Emperor, this guaranteed the stability of his throne. The Chen family had shown him certain kindness, while Consort Chen herself was gentle and graceful, born beautiful and quite talented. She never competed jealously with the other beauties. The Emperor most loved her uncontentious nature and protected her intentionally or otherwise. Later, when Consort Chen gave birth to the Eighth Prince Xuan Li, her status rose with her son’s, advancing to the head of the Four Consorts.

The Empress bore the Crown Prince. Among the Four Consorts, Virtuous Consort bore the Fourth Prince, Virtuous Consort De bore the Fifth Prince, and Pure Consort bore Princess He Yi.

All court officials knew that the Eighth Prince Xuan Li was clever and gentle, the Fifth Prince Xuan Hua was loyal and brave, the Fourth Prince Xuan Lang had mediocre talents, and Princess He Yi was charming and beautiful. The Crown Prince was incompetent and useless, unfit for great responsibility. The Fourth Prince Xuan Lang was amiable but lacked schemes. Currently, court sentiment leaned toward Xuan Li and Xuan Hua.

While the Emperor had always treated Consort Chen very well, though Xuan Hua also wielded great influence, his mother Virtuous Consort De was not as favored as Consort Chen.

Though storms raged in the court, Simeng Palace remained warm and prosperous, as if this place was far removed from scheming and jealousy, with only abundant stretches of time to dream peaceful dreams of missing Jiangnan’s misty rains.

The white jade couch in the room was covered with thick Persian wool carpets, their fine white fur spread out and embedded with sparkling gems like stars. Four maidservants dressed in light white robes were all clear-browed and beautiful, standing quietly with lowered heads. The gentle breeze from outside lifted a corner of the curtains, making them truly appear like immortal maidens from the celestial palace above.

The woman seated was earnestly working on a silk pouch, her slender jade hands bearing not a trace of rouge, her nails emanating a faint pink luster as her delicate fingers moved nimbly up and down. Unlike other women in the palace, this woman seemed to have no trace of haughty superiority. She bit off a section of silk thread, revealing a fair, pretty face with delicate, beautiful features that held no aggression, possessing a water-like gentleness. She seemed not to be some unreachable noble consort in the palace, but rather a blossoming maiden awaiting marriage in some Jiangnan family – pure, sweet, gentle, and graceful.

Though Jiang Susu was already born incomparably beautiful, she carried some deliberate artifice. This woman was different – even in these nine-tiered palace halls, she possessed an incongruous gentleness and grace, a water-like softness carved into her very bones.

Her lips curved in a light smile. If someone passed by at this moment, they would surely think the scene before them matched the palace’s name – merely a beautiful dream of romance and elegance.

The curtains were swept aside heavily as a figure entered, saying with a smile: “Mother.”

Consort Chen set down the silk pouch in her hands and looked at the newcomer, suddenly smiling: “Why didn’t you have someone announce your arrival?”

Looking at the woman so close before him, Xuan Li’s previously agitated and restless heart slowly calmed. Consort Chen possessed a special magic – it seemed that no matter how complex worldly affairs became in her hands, like these dense silk threads, she could always easily sort them out and transform them into colorful silk pouches.

Xuan Li said: “Mother, you know about the Prime Minister’s residence matter, don’t you?”

Consort Chen’s expression paused slightly: “I know.”

The imperial palace was only so large, with so many palace servants going in and out daily – even things one didn’t wish to know would reach her ears. Consort Chen knew about the Prime Minister’s residence matter but wasn’t worried for Xuan Li, nor was Xuan Li dejected because of it. He said: “Your son wishes to ask mother for a favor.”

“What favor?” Consort Chen smiled slightly.

“Please ask mother to persuade father to grant a marriage between your son and Miss Jiang of the Jiang family,” Xuan Li said.

Consort Chen’s originally gentle, calm expression couldn’t help but freeze upon hearing these words, frowning: “What?”

“Regarding the Prime Minister’s residence matter, father has already begun to suspect your son,” Xuan Li said. “But mother cannot help with this matter.”

Consort Chen was currently favored in the palace not only because Lord Chen and Consort Chen herself were gentle and graceful, but more importantly because she was cleverer than the other three consorts. She always maintained a gentle, considerate, detached appearance, never commenting on court politics or influencing the Emperor’s decisions. When the Emperor came to Simeng Palace, he would always only have beautiful dreams. What the Emperor valued was precisely her uncompetitive nature. If she rashly pleaded for Xuan Li or showed even the slightest such intention, given that rulers had always been suspicious, he would never again favor her without reservations as before.

Consort Chen knew this point, and Xuan Li knew it too. So he wouldn’t easily ask Consort Chen to help plead for him. He knew that as long as Consort Chen remained favored, the Emperor wouldn’t truly abandon him even if he harbored some suspicions.

“The Jiang residence has connections with the Xia residence. With the Prime Minister’s residence in trouble and court sentiment changing, your son must stabilize his own power and demonstrate his relationship with the Xia family to everyone. If I act rashly, father will also be suspicious. Miss Jiang is not favored in the Jiang family – using her name can make father lower his guard while not severing all ties with the Xia residence.”

Consort Chen looked quietly at Xuan Li: “Your Highness, you haven’t told this palace the complete truth.”

Xuan Li’s gaze stalled. He knew this mother had always been clever – otherwise how could she sit so securely in the position of head of the Four Consorts in this man-eating harem? The Emperor knew she certainly wasn’t without schemes, yet still favored her so – this was her mastery of human hearts.

In fact, on his path to succession, Consort Chen had given him much advice. Even the Seventh and Ninth Princes who had quietly disappeared from the palace were connected to Consort Chen.

But so what? Those people had long since become fertilizer beneath the peony flowers, while Consort Chen’s position only grew more secure.

He considered: “Miss Jiang is no ordinary person. The Prime Minister’s residence’s sudden downfall is greatly related to her. Li An once warned me that Jiang Ruan’s intelligence surpasses ordinary people – if she could be an asset, she could be greatly useful. Your son thinks that since she possesses heavenly talents, perhaps she could be of use.”

“Heavenly talents?” Consort Chen shook her head: “Li An was stubborn and arrogant, not understanding that there are always people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. It’s no surprise he fell into others’ hands – this palace has long known such a day would come. But that he fell into a woman’s hands is truly surprising.”

Xuan Li said: “Precisely, so your son thought that if we could form a marriage alliance, that woman could be brought under our control.”

Consort Chen laughed: “Your Highness is still young and has relied too heavily on Li An, thus believing his words without doubt. This palace feels that claiming the woman has heavenly talents is truly excessive. But since Your Highness speaks so, presumably in Your Highness’s eyes, that woman differs from ordinary women. Your Highness and this palace are true mother and son. At the palace banquet in a few days, this palace will personally bring up this matter. This palace will only give her one year – if she cannot demonstrate her heavenly talents, she won’t deserve the title of Your Highness’s fiancée. Fiancées can be changed, but that Miss Jiang might have to meet her fragrant demise. How does Your Highness find this?”

She spoke lightly of plotting someone’s life, yet her features remained gentle as lotus blossoms, as tender as a kind-hearted immortal. Xuan Li pondered for a long while before raising his head. His face, very similar to Consort Chen’s, flashed with cruelty: “Good. If she cannot be used by me, she must certainly be eliminated, lest she become a future threat.”

Consort Chen smiled with satisfaction: “Your Highness is wise.”

She picked up several completed silk pouches from the basket beside her: “Yesterday this palace made several new pouches – come see if they’re suitable.”

The day before the palace banquet, Old Madam Jiang specifically ordered Ruyi Building to deliver the completed new clothes. All the garments used fabrics chosen by the Jiang residence young ladies themselves. When Liu Ruyi delivered the clothes, she looked at Jiang Ruan with some regret: “Miss Jiang has such fair skin – that bolt of fire cloud satin from the other day would have made excellent clothing. Though this peach pink is quite good, it’s not as bright as that bold red.”

In Liu Ruyi’s view, Jiang Ruan was actually very suited to bright red clothing. Her features were naturally vivid, and wearing bright red made her appear incomparably charming. Yet her temperament also carried some steadiness – when she wore that fire-like color, it actually possessed an ice-like coolness. Fire and ice were two extremes, yet when worn on her, they harmonized extraordinarily, creating an unmatched beauty that captivated the eye.

Jiang Ruan was well aware of this point. Her everyday clothes were mostly red. This time attending the palace banquet, she had unprecedentedly chosen a peach pink garment. Though Liu Ruyi tactfully suggested otherwise, Jiang Ruan was determined. Helplessly, Liu Ruyi could only make it according to her wishes.

“Thank you for Shopkeeper Liu’s kind intention,” Jiang Ruan smiled. “However, I still prefer this one.”

Though not understanding why Jiang Ruan insisted, through several encounters Liu Ruyi had learned this Miss Jiang was extremely decisive. She surely had her reasons now, just not sharing them. Thinking this, she smiled: “Miss has incomparable beauty and looks good in anything – this servant overstepped. It’s just that the other young ladies in the residence take this palace banquet extremely seriously, having this servant modify their garments several times.”

She tactfully reminded, and Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “The palace banquet is of great importance. It’s natural for my sisters to not want to disgrace the Jiang residence’s reputation.”

What kind of place was the palace banquet? If not for this year’s great flood disaster in the Great Jin Dynasty, these officials’ daughters might never have such an opportunity in their lifetimes. Not only that, the palace banquet would naturally have young gentlemen from noble families – everyone wished to leave a good impression, hoping to perhaps achieve a marriage match in the future. Thus the palace banquet was an opportunity more important than life itself for officials’ daughters, especially those born of concubines.

After Liu Ruyi delivered the clothes and took her leave, Jiang Ruan had Lu Zhu see her out. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xinzhi entered the courtyard and immediately said upon seeing her: “Ah Ruan, are you prepared for tomorrow’s palace banquet?” Seeing the new clothes set aside, he said: “Since you’ve had new clothes made, tomorrow Ah Ruan will surely amaze everyone with her beauty.”

In Jiang Xinzhi’s eyes, Jiang Ruan was naturally excellent – born beautiful and gentle, plus understanding and strong. He didn’t understand about red or pink clothes, only feeling Jiang Ruan looked good in anything.

Jiang Ruan couldn’t be bothered with his nonsense, but Jiang Xinzhi sat down across from her seriously: “The palace is different from the residence – everything must follow rules. The people in the Jiang residence have never taught you palace etiquette, and even now haven’t sent anyone to remind you. They surely want you to embarrass yourself before everyone tomorrow. You must remember…”

“Elder brother,” before Jiang Xinzhi could finish, Jiang Ruan interrupted: “Since elder brother returned, do you think I’ve done anything improper?”

Jiang Xinzhi was startled and shook his head: “No.” This was true – since his return to the capital, he felt Jiang Ruan had grown up considerably. Even her temperament was completely different from before, her every movement extremely graceful. These past days, accompanying Guan Lianghan in various activities, he had encountered many daughters of high officials and nobles, yet felt none could compare to Jiang Ruan’s bearing. Though Jiang Ruan was still young, Jiang Quan had left her on the estate for five whole years without care. Who knew she hadn’t been raised with rustic manners but had blossomed like a palace noble, rivaling even princesses.

Jiang Ruan smiled: “Since there’s nothing improper, why should elder brother worry? If I can handle the Jiang residence, I can naturally handle the imperial palace. The palace is no different from the Jiang residence – the conditions are simply somewhat stricter.”

Jiang Xinzhi frowned: “But you’ve never been to the palace…”

“Elder brother,” Jiang Ruan interrupted: “I know the ranks of various palace maids, the proper rewards for eunuch masters, what ceremonies to perform when meeting nobles, and which side halls cannot be entered.” She said calmly: “How much does elder brother know? Upon entering the palace, do you know who is the most trusted eunuch by His Majesty’s side? Which most inconspicuous little eunuch beside that eunuch is his godson? That two of the four maids beside the Empress Dowager know martial arts? Which beauty has the most fierce temper and should best be avoided?”

She spoke slowly but firmly, while Jiang Xinzhi listened with shock, feeling both absurd and incredible, yet he had always deeply trusted Jiang Ruan’s words. Jiang Ruan’s tone suggested she was thoroughly familiar with these palace secrets, even as if… she had witnessed them personally. Naturally Jiang Ruan couldn’t have witnessed them personally, but how could a sheltered noble family daughter know these most private palace matters? Each of these things, if revealed, would be a tremendous affair. A strange feeling rose in his heart as he looked at Jiang Ruan: “Ah Ruan, how do you know these things?”

“What does elder brother think?” Jiang Ruan looked at him and asked in return.

Jiang Xinzhi was speechless, involuntarily thinking of Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao’s relationship with Jiang Ruan didn’t seem ordinary, and Xiao Shao was deeply trusted by the Emperor. This person also wielded tremendous power, able to walk sideways in the palace. If Xiao Shao had told Jiang Ruan these things… On one hand, he felt pleased that Xiao Shao trusted Jiang Ruan so much. On the other hand, he was somewhat annoyed – Jiang Ruan originally had no connection to palace affairs, so why would Xiao Shao speak of these things unprompted? Jiang Xinzhi only wished for Jiang Ruan to remain ignorant of worldly hardships and live happily and simply. The more Xiao Shao told Jiang Ruan, the more complex her life became.

He looked at Jiang Ruan seriously: “Ah Ruan, don’t mention these things to others.”

Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “I naturally won’t mention them to others. I only wanted to tell elder brother that I’m not unfamiliar with palace affairs. Elder brother needn’t worry about me. Conversely, this trip to the palace will inevitably involve someone secretly creating obstacles. Elder brother must be careful and not act impulsively.”

Jiang Xinzhi nodded: “I understand.” Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Xinzhi withdrew an item from his chest: “I haven’t given this to you before – now I return it to its rightful owner.”

In Jiang Xinzhi’s palm lay quietly a crescent-shaped amber piece, lustrous and smooth, with half a butterfly wing vividly preserved inside. Last time on Wulin Road, those people had attempted to use this amber to lure Jiang Xinzhi into a trap. Jiang Xinzhi had kept this amber without returning it to Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan said: “Five years ago before I went to the estate, this amber went missing. I never expected it to survive until now.” Her heart turned cold – this amber had disappeared five years ago, yet reappeared precisely when Jiang Xinzhi returned. Could it be that five years ago, Xia Yan had already planned to use her to harm Jiang Xinzhi’s life? What an excellent calculation.

Jiang Xinzhi handed her the amber: “Those who scheme in the shadows – I won’t let them off lightly.”

Jiang Ruan saw him emanating a faint murderous aura and shook her head: “Don’t act rashly.”

Jiang Xinzhi looked up, but his gaze fell on Jiang Ruan’s wrist, saying curiously: “When did you get this bracelet?”

Jiang Xinzhi didn’t recognize this as the Blood Moon Bracelet, only seeing that the bracelet wasn’t made of ordinary materials, emitting a faint glow – clearly a rare treasure. This item he hadn’t seen with Zhao Mei, nor could it possibly be from the Jiang family. For a moment he was suspicious.

Jiang Ruan followed his gaze, pulled her sleeve down to cover the bracelet, and said: “A gift from a friend.”

Jiang Xinzhi wanted to ask more, but Jiang Ruan changed the subject.

After Jiang Xinzhi left, Lu Zhu returned from seeing off Liu Ruyi. Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi were both somewhat nervous about tomorrow’s palace banquet, early selecting jewelry from the dressing table’s boxes. Lian Qiao picked a gold filigree cat’s eye bracelet, but Bai Zhi shook her head: “It looks rather frivolous. Tomorrow the palace will be full of nobles – better to be more dignified.” She selected a azure jade flower ornament from the box: “How about this one?”

But Lian Qiao waved her hand: “No, this one is too somber and doesn’t match Miss’s clothing – it wouldn’t look good together.”

Jiang Ruan set down her book: “No need to choose. Tomorrow I’ll wear a simple spiral bun with just that rose hairpin.”

Jiang Ruan had never paid much attention to grooming and dressing, always letting the two maids fuss over her. This time she was unusually specific. Lu Zhu said: “Miss, dressing so simply seems too plain.”

“I naturally have my reasons,” Jiang Ruan said. “That’s how it will be.”

Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi exchanged glances, both puzzled but not questioning further. Lu Zhu stuck out her tongue and hurried to help pack the box. Jiang Ruan looked at the book before her, her gaze becoming distant for a moment.