While Princess Fuping was still deep in thought, Qin Shuying caught sight of a green figure from the corner of her eye. She smiled coldly and knelt down, in her panic also disheveling her hair ornament, causing the hairpins to become askew.
Qin Shuying said in alarm: “Your Highness the Princess, please forgive me!”
Han Dan hurried over and quickly glanced at Princess Fuping. Seeing her expression was unclear, Han Dan quickly performed a curtsy and said: “Your Highness the Princess! I don’t know what has happened?”
Qin Shuying sneered inwardly.
She hadn’t needed to say so much to Princess Fuping. She could have simply knelt down when she saw Han Dan coming and performed the rest of the act—the subsequent plot wouldn’t have exceeded her expectations.
But she specifically wanted to tell Princess Fuping just how heartless Lianpin truly was. If she could treat her own cousin this way, naturally she wouldn’t be genuinely loyal to Consort De, whom she currently depended upon.
Everyone knew that the Crown Prince had a weak and incompetent character, yet was also stubborn and self-willed.
Although the Emperor could be called an enlightened ruler of his generation, his attitude toward his sons was inscrutable. Despite knowing the Crown Prince’s character, he had never revealed any intention to depose him.
Among the Emperor’s adult sons, besides the Crown Prince, there were the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Seventh Prince, all close in age—the Seventh Prince was fourteen, the Fourth Prince nineteen.
The Fourth Prince’s birth mother was of humble origin and had died early, but the Fourth Prince had long followed the Emperor on campaigns. Having served with the army for many years, he was brave in battle, both courageous and strategic, with high prestige in the military.
The Fifth Prince was Consort De’s son, one year older than Zhou Qin, now sixteen years old. He was outstanding in virtue and talent, decisive in handling affairs. Moreover, Consort De’s maternal family was the Duke Liang residence. Though it couldn’t compare to Duke Chu’s residence as founding merit, it was also a title earned through military achievements by Consort De’s great-grandfather, naturally commanding respect with distinguished lineage.
The Sixth Prince was Lianpin’s son, also outstanding in virtue and talent, with meticulous thinking, sharp and decisive. However, his birth status was somewhat lower, and Lianpin’s influence was far inferior to Consort De’s—not only inferior to Consort De, but even far below the Seventh Prince’s birth mother, Consort Kang.
The Seventh Prince was among the Emperor’s many sons, one who particularly won the Emperor’s favor. He was extremely handsome—it was said that when he appeared on the streets, he would cause traffic jams. But he wasn’t merely a pretty face—he was extremely intelligent and quick-witted. His birth mother Consort Kang’s father was the current Prime Minister, holding high position and great power, incomparable to ordinary people.
The Fourth Prince wholeheartedly supported the Crown Prince. The other princes all supported the Crown Prince on the surface, but privately each kept their own accounts.
Lianpin was affiliated with Consort De, while Consort Kang stood alone.
Their sons naturally stood on the same side as their mothers.
These matters, naturally no one had actively told her. She had pieced them together from rumors she’d learned in her previous life’s common circles, combined with half a year of careful investigation.
Money could make ghosts turn millstones.
She hadn’t let slip any vague news, any trace of evidence.
Analyzing carefully, pondering meticulously.
Reading court bulletins, studying records, contemplating each item, comparing each detail.
From Princess Fuping’s reaction just now, it seemed that her deductions were eighty to ninety percent accurate. For instance, the secret collusion between Consort De and Lianpin, the Crown Prince’s wariness of the Fifth Prince, Consort De’s guarding against the Crown Prince, and so forth.
Living a second life, she had no advantages except the business acumen accumulated from her previous life’s trials and a cautious heart that wouldn’t overlook any potential ally.
Princess Fuping was obviously intelligent. Though she now believed three parts of what Qin Shuying said, when she later told Consort De, she might not entirely believe Qin Shuying’s words.
That didn’t matter. As long as the seed of doubt was planted, there would come a time for it to sprout.
Indeed—
Princess Fuping’s expression remained calm as she said vaguely: “This is Seventh Miss of the Qin residence? How lacking in propriety!”
Qin Shuying’s clear eyes appeared calm on the surface, but deep within there was a ripple: faced with interests, no one would remain unmoved. Though Princess Fuping still had doubts about her words, it didn’t prevent Princess Fuping from developing wariness toward Lianpin.
—Of course, Princess Fuping didn’t appear foolish; on the contrary, she was quite clever. Her future closeness to Lianpin might not necessarily be genuine either.
Han Dan thought the matter of the picked Yao Huang had been discovered and explained: “Your Highness the Princess, please forgive me! This servant’s clothing got muddy, so I returned to the sleeping quarters to change clothes, instructing Seventh Miss to properly admire the flowers here. I didn’t expect her to still offend Your Highness. Seventh Miss, why don’t you apologize to Her Highness the Princess?”
Qin Shuying knelt on the ground, raised her head, her expression somewhat ambiguous: “Auntie Han Dan, I, I don’t know what crime I’ve committed!”
Only then did Han Dan pause in surprise, noticing that Qin Shuying’s hair ornament was disheveled and the Yao Huang flower was missing.
Though puzzled inwardly, she didn’t show it on her face, saying: “This… Her Highness the Princess said you don’t understand propriety, so you don’t understand propriety. You should apologize to Her Highness the Princess.”
Princess Fuping let out a cold laugh. The palace maid beside her said: “I didn’t know that Auntie Han Dan has become so capable now—with just one word, you’ve given our princess a reputation for being domineering.”
Princess Fuping usually wasn’t like this. Though honored as a princess, her temperament wasn’t arrogant. Why was she so irritable today? Qin Shuying’s hair ornament was disheveled—had she been beaten or struggled with someone just now? That would make sense; otherwise, how could the Yao Huang have disappeared without a trace?
Han Dan assumed Princess Fuping was angry at her because Qin Shuying had picked the flower, which was why she was different from her usual pleasant demeanor. Secretly delighted, she said with an apologetic smile: “It’s all this servant’s inappropriate words. Your Highness the Princess, please don’t hold it against this servant.”
Princess Fuping said: “This princess cannot bear your words. This princess only asks you—a Yao Huang flower is missing here. Do you know where it went?”
Han Dan showed a troubled expression and looked toward Qin Shuying, saying: “Seventh Miss, you, you haven’t told the truth? This is the crime of deceiving royalty!”
Naturally, a princess was also royalty.
Qin Shuying’s face showed complete astonishment: “Auntie, that Yao Huang…”
But she showed a troubled expression, as if not daring to continue.
Han Dan shook her head: “That Yao Huang is Consort De’s beloved flower. Her Highness the Princess, being filial, personally cultivated it to show to Consort De. Now that Seventh Miss has picked the flower, even though Lianpin and Consort De are on good terms, she wouldn’t dare cover for you. You, you, Seventh Miss, why don’t you quickly apologize to Her Highness the Princess? Your Highness the Princess, it’s all this servant’s fault, all because this servant didn’t watch Seventh Miss properly. If this servant hadn’t left for that while, Seventh Miss wouldn’t have made this mistake…”
As she spoke, Han Dan knelt down and knocked her head on the ground, “thud, thud, thud,” kowtowing three times.
After Han Dan finished kowtowing, she saw that Qin Shuying was still just kneeling there blankly, and was shocked to the core: “Seventh Miss, you, why aren’t you kowtowing in apology?”
Only then did Qin Shuying seem to come to her senses, saying: “Auntie, I didn’t pick any flower, and Her Highness the Princess hasn’t blamed me either. I suppose there’s no need to apologize.”
Han Dan was both shocked and anxious: “If you didn’t pick that Yao Huang, then who did? Seventh Miss, saying this is the crime of deceiving royalty. You, you… quickly apologize!”