“Why does Eighth Sister want me to leave when she initially instructed me to stay close to the Empress Dowager?” After leaving Chaolu Palace, Qin Wan couldn’t help but speak up. She glanced back at the entrance of Chaolu Palace, still feeling something was amiss. First, they wouldn’t let her enter the palace, then they changed their minds and told her to stay by the Empress Dowager’s side. But now, they had pulled her away. Earlier, Feng Lingsu had deliberately mentioned searching for plum blossoms in the snow, which finally made the Empress Dowager relent. Sure enough, Feng Lingsu then sent her out. Qin Wan instinctively felt it wasn’t right to leave, but neither the Empress nor Qin Chaoyu had stopped her.

Qin Chaoyu only knew that the Empress had mentioned Feng Lingsu and Yan Qi were planning to do something about the Empress Dowager’s illness, but she didn’t know anything else. She wasn’t sure how things would unfold today, and at this point, she was simply following Empress Zhao Shuhua’s instructions. Though somewhat confused, Qin Chaoyu said, “What are you worried about? The Empress is inside. When it’s time to watch the opera, you can return to the Empress Dowager’s side once the Empress moves away.”

Qin Chaoyu thought that the Empress probably wanted to allow Feng Lingsu and Yan Qi to act, thereby catching them in the act of wrongdoing. Although this put the Empress Dowager at considerable risk, Qin Chaoyu had no emotional attachment to her. As someone destined to be the Crown Princess, she naturally considered everything from Yan Che’s perspective.

While Qin Chaoyu’s explanation made sense, Qin Wan was still uneasy. She just wanted to quickly pick some plum blossoms and return to Chaolu Palace.

Seeing Qin Wan walking quickly, Qin Chaoyu said, “Slow down. There are many people here today. We must maintain proper etiquette at all times and not lose our dignity…”

Qin Wan paid no attention to these concerns and continued forward. As she watched Qin Wan walk ahead, Qin Chaoyu suddenly asked, “How do you know the plum forest is that way?”

Qin Wan’s steps faltered slightly, her heart tightening. In her haste, she had forgotten that this should be the Ninth Young Lady’s first visit to Chaolu Palace – she shouldn’t have known the layout so well. Qin Wan’s nostrils flared slightly as she responded, “Can’t you smell the fragrance?”

Qin Wan turned to look at Qin Chaoyu for a moment. Qin Chaoyu then realized that since Qin Wan was skilled in medicine and familiar with medicinal ingredients, she would naturally be sensitive to these floral scents. There was indeed a plum blossom fragrance around Chaolu Palace, but it was scattered and very faint – she couldn’t detect it. Qin Chaoyu did not comment and walked ahead to lead the way.

After walking a short distance, Qin Chaoyu’s steps suddenly halted. The plum forest was right before them, but there were suddenly many people around. Looking up, they saw Crown Prince Yan Che and Qin Yan, along with five or six other young men standing in the octagonal pavilion beside the plum forest. Qin Wan glanced over and also saw Chen Zhaowen, the heir to the Marquis of Wu’an, and Zhao Jing.

At today’s palace banquet, the selection of primary consorts for Yan Che and Yan Qi was the main event. Qin Wan felt this had nothing to do with her and showed no interest in Yan Che and the others’ presence. Seeing Qin Chaoyu pause, Qin Wan went off by herself to pick plum blossoms, while Qin Chaoyu stood for a moment before following.

Because Yan Che and the others were in the pavilion, many noble young ladies were coming to admire the plum blossoms. When Qin Chaoyu and Qin Wan arrived, they attracted quite a few glances. Qin Chaoyu lifted her chin slightly but didn’t look much toward the pavilion, as if this would better display her status. However, she picked the plum blossoms very slowly, as though she needed to be extremely selective.

Qin Wan quickly picked five branches of flowers. Seeing that Mo Yi, who was by Qin Chaoyu’s side, had only picked one branch, she lost patience waiting and went forward to say, “Eighth Sister, I’ll go look for where the Ninth Prince is first, and I’ll return on my own later.”

Qin Chaoyu had heard the Empress Dowager tell Qin Wan to find Yan Sui, so she had no reason to stop her and simply nodded. Seeing this, Qin Wan left the plum forest without looking back.

Meanwhile, Yan Che watched as Qin Wan disappeared beyond the plum forest.

Though he didn’t show it obviously, he had noticed as soon as Qin Chaoyu and Qin Wan arrived. He saw very clearly that Qin Wan hadn’t spared them a single glance from beginning to end. Not only that, even knowing they were there, she showed no desire to linger. He understood now – what she had said that day was all true; she had no interest in entering the Eastern Palace!

Yan Che’s expression darkened slightly, and he ignored the others who were chatting and laughing. Zhao Jing noticed his discomfort and stepped forward, asking, “What’s wrong, Your Highness? Qin Family’s Eighth Young Lady is still over there. Should we invite her over for a conversation?”

Zhao Jing knew that his sister wanted the Qin Family’s Eighth Young Lady to become the Crown Princess, and he supported this. Having only recently returned to the capital, he didn’t know if Yan Che had any objections to this decision.

Hearing this, Yan Che shook his head without looking in Qin Chaoyu’s direction. As he withdrew his gaze, Qin Wan’s figure lingered in his mind. Despite his status as Crown Prince, and though most of the noble young ladies hovering in the distance had come for him, Qin Wan alone was different from everyone else. The more unattainable something was, the more precious it seemed. Yan Che wasn’t sure of his feelings now, but he knew for certain that after the incident at the Marquis’s mansion, Qin Wan had become capable of disturbing his usually calm thoughts.

Just then, He Yin hurriedly walked in from outside with a grave expression.

“Your Highness, there’s been a development—”

At these words, Yan Che immediately raised an eyebrow. There weren’t supposed to be any major events today, so where did this ‘development’ come from?

Yan Che stepped outside, and He Yin immediately whispered something in his ear.

With just one sentence, Yan Che’s expression changed dramatically. “Is it true?!”

He Yin nodded and said quietly, “It’s true. The register has already been sent to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and the Ninth Young Lady’s name is indeed there. The Prince of Cheng placed the Ninth Young Lady in the position of primary consort…”

Yan Che immediately took a deep breath, his fists clenching inside his sleeves.

Nearby, Zhao Jing noticed something was wrong and followed a few steps closer. “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

Yan Che shook his head, his eyes flashing with intense light. He Yin asked, “Should we inform the Empress?”

He Yin meant to discuss the matter with Zhao Shuhua, but Yan Che shook his head. “No, Mother is with Grandmother now, and the Noble Consort is there too. If we speak of it now, the Noble Consort will certainly know we’re trying to stop them.”

Yan Che didn’t know that this was exactly what Yan Qi wanted him to know… And his instinctive reluctance to let Zhao Shuhua know was also because he guessed that even if she knew, she probably wouldn’t intervene now. Zhao Shuhua had planned from the start to use Qin Wan as bait, not truly caring about her safety. If the Prince of Cheng wanted to marry Qin Wan, Zhao Shuhua would destroy her rather than let him have his way. But this wasn’t what he wanted to see.

Though Qin Wan’s behavior annoyed him, he felt it would be wrong on all counts to let her be destroyed needlessly.

Thinking this, Yan Che suddenly asked, “Has our register been sent as well?”

He Yin nodded, “Yes, it has been sent. After the Imperial Astronomical Bureau completes its calculations and gets the results, they will show them to both the Empress Dowager and His Majesty—”

Yan Che quickly asked again, “Have they started the divination?”

He Yin shook his head, “Not yet—”

Yan Che narrowed his eyes and suddenly gave He Yin a quiet instruction. Hearing these words, He Yin’s expression changed dramatically. “Your Highness? This seems inappropriate! The Empress won’t agree!”

Yan Che’s lips tightened. “But there’s no other way now. If he wants to use the position of primary consort as leverage, I can only respond like this.”

He Yin helplessly glanced at Qin Chaoyu in the distance. “But Your Highness, if we do this, the Marquis’s household will likely be displeased. Moreover, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager probably won’t agree either.”

Yan Che raised an eyebrow. “I’m not asking for their agreement. I just want to foil the Prince of Cheng’s plans!”

“But… this will also make His Majesty displeased with you…”

Yan Che frowned, his gaze turning dark. He stared at He Yin for a moment, and He Yin immediately dared not say more. Even though he knew Zhao Shuhua wouldn’t agree with this approach, his master was Yan Che, and the future ruler of Great Zhou would also be Yan Che. Whose words to follow were obvious. He Yin bowed, “This servant will arrange it immediately. Please rest assured, Your Highness.”

After He Yin left, Zhao Jing looked even more confused. By generation, he was Yan Che’s uncle and naturally needed to be more concerned about Yan Che’s difficulties. He hurriedly asked, “Your Highness, what exactly has happened?”

Yan Che took a shallow breath and said quietly, “The Prince of Cheng wishes to take the Qin Family’s Ninth Young Lady as his primary consort.”

Hearing this, Zhao Jing’s eyes widened. “What? You say the Prince of—”

Zhao Jing, being from a military background, let out a loud shout that immediately drew the attention of Qin Yan and the others. Realizing his mistake, he abruptly cut off his words, but Qin Yan and the others quickly gathered around.

“Your Highness, what has happened?”

Looking at Qin Yan, Zhao Jing wanted to speak but held back, but Yan Che’s expression had already softened. “Nothing. Mother wants to arrange a marriage for the Young General, but he’s unwilling. He just got excited for a moment.”

At these words, everyone burst into laughter and began teasing Zhao Jing. Zhao Jing’s lips curved into a bitter smile, but his gaze on Yan Che remained anxious. Though he had only met Qin Wan three times, firstly, the Marquis’s household and the Crown Prince were already aligned, so he considered Qin Wan one of their own. Secondly, he greatly admired Qin Wan and had some inexplicable fondness for her. Before this, no other young lady had given him such a feeling. Being so, how could he watch the Prince of Cheng take Qin Wan away?

After some joking, Yan Che turned toward the plum forest. Zhao Jing followed closest behind and quietly asked, “What arrangements has Your Highness made?”

Zhao Jing was somewhat anxious. “How has Your Highness arranged it? This time the Prince of Cheng is willing to offer the position of primary consort – he seems to be very confident. Unless someone else proposes to the Ninth Young Lady now, otherwise…”

“I understand what you mean,” Yan Che said flatly, then after a pause added, “So I ordered Qin Wan’s name to be added to the Eastern Palace’s register.”

Zhao Jing’s steps faltered as he looked at Yan Che in disbelief.

…

…

After leaving the plum forest, Qin Wan followed the small path on the west side of Chaolu Palace. She remembered there was a side garden on the left of Chaolu Palace – if Yan Sui wanted to play in the snow, that would be the perfect place. Earlier, when Nursemaid Su led him out, they had also gone west. Thinking this, when Qin Wan reached the west side, she didn’t see Yan Sui.

Qin Wan frowned slightly. Bai Ying said, “Young Lady, could the Ninth Prince have already returned?”

That was certainly possible. Qin Wan nodded, “Let’s go back and check.”

As Qin Wan turned back toward Chaolu Palace, halfway there she saw Nursemaid Chen and Nursemaid Su coming this way with anxious expressions. Qin Wan frowned, immediately sensing something was wrong. When she reached the two of them, Nursemaid Su hurriedly asked, “Ninth Young Lady, have you seen the Ninth Prince?”

Qin Wan’s heart sank as she shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Wasn’t the Ninth Prince with you, Nursemaid?”

Nursemaid Su heaved a long sigh. “This servant is at fault. Earlier, I was with the Ninth Prince playing in the snow in the side garden here. Then two ladies came by wanting to speak with the Ninth Prince. He naturally ignored them, so I dealt with them briefly. In just those few moments of conversation, when I turned around, the Ninth Prince had vanished.”

Qin Wan turned around. “You mean that side garden over there?”

Nursemaid Su quickly nodded. “Yes, that side garden…”

Nursemaid Chen smiled bitterly. “This servant and Nursemaid Su have already searched the area once. We’re not sure if the Ninth Prince ran off somewhere else. Worried he might return on his own, we went back to check again, but His Highness hadn’t returned at all.”

Nursemaid Chen had thought the same as Qin Wan earlier. Hearing this, Qin Wan quickly handed the plum blossoms in Bai Ying’s hands to Nursemaid Chen. “Nursemaid, please take these back first. I’ll go with Bai Ying and Nursemaid Su to find the Ninth Prince. Please return and assure the Empress Dowager…”

Nursemaid Chen took the flowers and nodded. “Very well, then I’ll trouble the Ninth Young Lady.”

Without further words, Qin Wan followed Nursemaid Su westward. “Nursemaid, where exactly were you playing earlier?”

“Right here. This servant had her back turned to His Highness while speaking with the two ladies. When I turned around, His Highness was gone. The two ladies’ view was blocked by the corridor pillars, so they didn’t see which way His Highness went either.”

Qin Wan scanned the area and saw only one corridor leading west. Though there were small paths on both sides of the corridor, they all led to the courtyard, which was covered in snow. If Yan Sui had left through that snow-covered area, he couldn’t have disappeared without a trace so quickly. Qin Wan continued along the corridor until she came to three diverging paths.

Nursemaid Su hurriedly explained, “One path leads deeper into the inner palace, another to the Imperial Garden, and the third to Tianyin Terrace where they watch operas. This servant already searched the Imperial Garden direction. His Highness usually likes to play there, but I didn’t see any sign of him just now.”

Listening to Nursemaid Su’s words, Qin Wan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Then let’s split up now. There are many people today, and His Highness might have found something else to amuse himself with. Nursemaid, you go toward the inner palace. I think His Highness might have run off to where he used to live. I’ll check around Tianyin Terrace…”

With Qin Wan’s arrangement, Nursemaid Su’s eyes brightened. If nothing else, Yan Sui was indeed very likely to have gone to where Noble Consort Jin used to live. Thinking of this, Nursemaid Su didn’t dare delay and hurried off.

Qin Wan took the corridor leading to Tianyin Terrace.

Tianyin Terrace was where the inner palace residents regularly watched operas. Qin Wan had been there once before. However, just after turning a corner along the corridor, her sharp eyes caught sight of two black Go pieces on the ground.

Bai Ying’s eyes lit up. “Young Lady, those are what the Ninth Prince was holding!”

She picked up the pieces and handed them to Qin Wan. Taking them, Qin Wan confirmed they were indeed from Shoukang Palace. While she initially thought she’d found Yan Sui’s trail, she quickly noticed something amiss. The black Go pieces from Yan Sui’s hand somehow carried a faint but distinct fragrance.

Qin Wan hadn’t detected this scent in Shoukang Palace, nor on Yan Sui or Nursemaid Su, yet these pieces were somehow infused with it. She held the pieces to her nose for a moment, and suddenly, like a flash of lightning, she remembered!

It was the scent of lotus seeds – their unique, clean fragrance.

In an instant, Qin Wan instinctively stepped back—

The Go pieces carrying the lotus seed fragrance meant whoever handled them had recently touched lotus seeds. Fresh lotus seeds weren’t available in this season unless specifically prepared for some dish. Earlier in Chaolu Palace, Feng Lingsu had mentioned she was late because she was making lotus seed soup for the Emperor.

A chill ran down her spine as Qin Wan increasingly felt today’s events were far too strange. She looked toward the end of the corridor – Tianyin Terrace wasn’t far now. It was an independent palace building. If Yan Sui had truly run there himself, how did these pieces end up here? And how did they come to be scented with lotus seeds?

For Feng Lingsu to make lotus seed soup for the Emperor, naturally someone would have helped her prepare the lotus seeds. This person must have been someone close to her, and besides her, which palace servant would casually handle lotus seeds? The noble ladies certainly wouldn’t have.

Qin Wan took another step back, then another. Bai Ying noticed something was wrong and quickly looked around. Sure enough, she spotted a figure flashing behind the decorative wall not far away.

“Young Lady, there’s someone behind the openwork wall to the northwest…”

Qin Wan gripped the black Go pieces tightly, her brows furrowed deeply.

Something was wrong, very wrong. According to Qin Chaoyu’s words, this wasn’t how things should be at all.

Feng Lingsu and Yan Qi were supposed to target the Empress Dowager, not her. Why were they doing this?

It couldn’t be just to frame her for losing Yan Sui…

Looking ahead once more, Qin Wan’s brows furrowed even tighter.

She was searching for Yan Sui, and these pieces appeared exactly here – they were breadcrumbs, meant to lead her to Tianyin Terrace.

Without saying much, Qin Wan merely pretended to examine the black pieces carefully, then stepped toward Tianyin Terrace while quietly saying, “Watch that person—”

Bai Ying, already alert to the situation’s change, responded with a soft acknowledgment.

Qin Wan walked forward anxiously, looking ahead while calling out softly, “Ninth Prince?”

After calling twice without a response, Qin Wan continued forward. Soon, she turned another corner, and her steps suddenly halted. Bai Ying looked back and quickly said, “Young Lady, that person has left.”

As these words fell, Qin Wan’s eyes filled with an icy gleam.

Her mind raced through possibilities, and she quickly arrived at one: Feng Lingsu wasn’t planning to target Empress Dowager’s illness at all. Qin Wan herself was the target, and Tianyin Terrace ahead was a trap waiting for her.

If this was the case, it wouldn’t surprise her. But if so, what roles did the Empress and Qin Chaoyu play in this? The Empress had wanted her to leave too, as did Qin Chaoyu. She had felt it was improper from the start, and now thinking about it, the Empress and Qin Chaoyu seemed to welcome this development – they were willing to watch Feng Lingsu set a trap for her.

Reaching this conclusion, Qin Wan’s grip on the Go pieces tightened.

Qin Chaoyu had said the Empress hoped to catch Feng Lingsu targeting the Empress Dowager, but now she understood – the Empress wasn’t hoping to catch Feng Lingsu harming the Empress Dowager, but rather to catch her harming Qin Wan.

Feng Lingsu wouldn’t be foolish enough to move against the Empress Dowager, but she would move against Qin Wan. No matter how she did it, it would ultimately anger the Empress Dowager. The Empress’s role was to fan the flames and then expose Feng Lingsu when she thought she had succeeded. This way, they would catch her red-handed, and Qin Wan, as the victim, would be the Empress’s perfect accuser.

Though Qin Wan wasn’t certain if this speculation was true, having reached this conclusion, she absolutely wouldn’t fall into Feng Lingsu and Yan Qi’s trap. Looking around, a sharp glint flashed quickly through her eyes. She turned and gave Bai Ying two very quiet instructions. Bai Ying’s eyes widened slightly, but when she met Qin Wan’s gaze, she saw an unusual coldness in those typically calm eyes. Bai Ying’s expression grew serious, and she nodded in acknowledgment.

Qin Wan nodded and continued forward with Bai Ying, but after just a few steps, she slipped into an inconspicuous narrow alley. Meanwhile, a servant quickly entered Chaolu Palace and whispered something in Feng Lingsu’s ear.

Hearing this, Feng Lingsu’s face showed satisfaction.

Zhao Shuhua witnessed this and glanced toward the palace entrance, still seeing no sign of Qin Wan. A gleam flashed in her eyes as she realized Feng Lingsu’s plan had likely succeeded. She lifted her teacup and took a drink.

After another moment, Feng Lingsu said leisurely, “It’s about time, Sister. Shouldn’t we escort the Empress Dowager to Tianyin Terrace now—”

Zhao Shuhua looked at the sky and smiled. “Yes, we should go. His Majesty should be arriving about now.”

The Empress Dowager frowned. “The Ninth Girl hasn’t returned, and Little Nine hasn’t been found yet.”

Zhao Shuhua smiled. “Don’t worry, we might run into them on the way.”

The Empress Dowager frowned worriedly and didn’t respond when Yuan Qing’s voice suddenly announced, “His Majesty arrives—”

As soon as these words fell, Yan Huai entered the hall with a hearty laugh. “Why are you still here? I thought the opera would have started by now.”

Before the Empress Dowager could respond, Zhao Shuhua said, “We were just about to leave. Now that Your Majesty is here, you can go to Tianyin Terrace with the Empress Dowager. The opera stage should be ready by now.”

Everyone in the hall performed a grand bow. Yan Huai, in an excellent mood, waved his hand. “Announce that everyone should proceed to Tianyin Terrace.” He walked to the Empress Dowager’s side. “Mother, let me help you over—”

The Empress Dowager was helped up but hesitated. “The children haven’t arrived yet.”

Yan Huai laughed. “Making you wait, one after another. Let’s go first – if they don’t come, we’ll start without them…” He glanced at Yuan Qing, who quickly said, “This old servant will send people to notify all the princes and princesses.”

Zhao Shuhua added, “Also look for Little Nine and the Ninth Young Lady.”

Yuan Qing quickly agreed, and only then did the Empress Dowager relax, holding Yan Huai’s hand as they slowly moved toward the hall’s entrance.

Feng Lingsu followed behind Yan Huai, her smile deep and triumphant.