Her heart trembled slightly. Qin Chang Ge’s first reaction was that Yu Zixi’s martial arts had improved again—his sound transmission technique was quite remarkable.

Her second thought was that he had already snuck into Longevity Gate and seen her make her move.

Though she maintained her usual smile on the surface, not even moving an eyebrow, showing no shock or confusion, appearing like everyone else as if she had heard nothing different.

Yu Zixi kept staring intently at Qin Chang Ge. Seeing her expression remain normal, not seeming to have heard his sound transmission, he also became somewhat doubtful. This maid was quite clever, but had he perhaps overestimated her capabilities?

Earlier, when he heard his cousin’s cry of alarm, he had flashed into Longevity Gate, just in time to see two people tumbling down the palace steps. He recognized Qin Chang Ge and looked more closely, discovering that her hand had brushed past the Jiang woman’s Brain Gate acupoint, which led to his earlier test.

But could that touch have been unintentional? After all, her movement was subtle, and having just fallen down the long steps, anyone would be dizzy and confused at that moment—how could she remember to secretly attack someone?

Her indifference to the sound transmission had only two possibilities: either she had no martial arts and didn’t hear it, or she heard it but pretended not to.

If it was the latter, that would be too terrifying.

Anyone facing sudden events would inevitably have stress reactions. No matter how good their self-control, there would be traces to follow, especially since he had been staring at her closely, unwilling to miss any subtle detail.

Yet she showed absolutely no abnormality. If this was controlled through later training, then this woman’s deep scheming and composure under pressure had reached an unmatched level.

No, there was one person who could do this.

But…

Yu Zixi silently exhaled. He would rather be overthinking, would rather this woman hadn’t heard, would rather that touch was coincidence. Some matters, some things buried deepest in the heart that were most secret and untouchable, he had always avoided, unwilling to get even a bit closer.

Those clever and wise women—you with your magnificent beauty, smiles that could topple cities, yet ultimately either disappeared like immortals or withered like beauties, like startled swans flying through rain, coming through clouds and skimming waves, then returning accompanied by snow and moon.

Leaving only faint lingering fragrance that wouldn’t fade, accumulating day by day through the passage of time, becoming cinnabar moles on the heart, congealed blood amber on the chest.

Warm memories held in hand couldn’t warm a heart that had already grown cold from searching and waiting.

Smiling almost enchantingly, Yu Zixi said, “Ah, it wasn’t you? What a pity. Actually, I would be quite happy for you to molest me.”

“If His Majesty issued an edict pardoning me first, if Your Highness swore not to hold me responsible and wouldn’t ‘think of this matter, rise from bed in clothes, pace around the room, weep in the middle of the night with incomparable grief,'” Qin Chang Ge smiled gently, “this servant wouldn’t mind molesting Xiliang’s most beautiful man.”

“Being responsible to me frightens you so much?” Yu Zixi’s resentful expression was pitiful to behold. “You don’t know how many people want to be responsible to me.”

“Yes, this servant knows there are many,” Qin Chang Ge said regretfully. “That’s precisely why this servant dares not get involved. Otherwise, with all those females in a fury, unwilling to accept it, swearing to protect Your Highness’s purity to the death—this servant is weak and alone, how could I resist? Though this servant wouldn’t hesitate to die for Your Highness’s beauty, thinking that if I died, Your Highness’s beauty would also become meaningless, bearing only an empty reputation—it would ultimately be somewhat unprofitable.”

Glancing at the eunuchs and palace maids throughout the hall whose faces had turned red from suppressing laughter, Yu Zixi smiled lightly, his expression lazy. He looked Qin Chang Ge up and down and said, “Such a clever tongue… Fine, I won’t banter with you anymore. Since I said I like you, I should naturally be considerate of you. Go have your injuries looked at. I’ll also go check on my sister.” He went to the side hall, then crying sounds could be heard, along with Yu Zixi’s low intimate words. Before long, the imperial physician came out looking embarrassed. Princess Wen Chang asked, “Is Princess Xiang all right?”

The physician coughed twice and said, “Slight abrasions… I’ve left medicine for the Princess. As long as it’s applied on schedule, it won’t leave scars.”

“That’s best,” Princess Wen Chang nodded with satisfaction. “She’s still an unmarried girl. If any scars were left, how could I live with myself?”

The physician withdrew with repeated assurances. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the side hall, wiped cold sweat from his forehead, and retreated almost as if fleeing. Princess Wen Chang looked curiously toward the side hall. Qin Chang Ge smiled and said, “See no evil—be careful.”

Before she finished speaking, Yu Zixi came out supporting Princess Xiang. The young lady leaned delicately and timidly against Yu Zixi’s shoulder, her face still flushed with tear traces remaining, like a rain-dampened beautiful pear blossom. Standing together with the gorgeously beautiful Yu Zixi, they were radiant and brilliant—truly a perfect pair… if one didn’t think about their sibling relationship.

But speaking of it, these “siblings” were indeed rather strange.

The two bid farewell to Princess Wen Chang and left in sedan chairs. Qin Chang Ge watched their departing figures intently and asked in confusion, “Where did Prince Jing’an produce this sister from? Isn’t he an orphan?”

“No one in Xiliang knows,” Princess Wen Chang smiled. “According to what he says, this girl is his distant cousin. When her parents died in childhood, she was fostered in his home and became like his sister. Later they were separated due to family upheavals and were reunited by chance. The two have somewhat similar appearances, so no one thought much of it. Since she’s his sister, A’Jue reasonably gave this girl a title.”

“Was this after that incident?”

Princess Wen Chang naturally knew “that incident” referred to Ruiyi’s death and nodded. “Yes, she came at the end of that year.”

Nodding, Qin Chang Ge asked no more questions and entered the inner hall with Princess Wen Chang. Princess Wen Chang personally examined Qin Chang Ge’s back—there were some abrasions, but nothing serious. She applied medicinal ointment and asked, “What happened to you today? Why did you suddenly do such a thing? You scared me.”

“The deposed empress had problems,” Qin Chang Ge said lightly. “So I struck preemptively.”

Drawing a sharp breath, Princess Wen Chang said, “Could it be that the Empress Dowager and deposed empress had arranged this together?”

“Not necessarily,” Qin Chang Ge said lazily. “In any case, Jiang Zhaowei shouldn’t cause any more trouble in the future.”

She changed the subject: “Today is a good opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. I remember your palace has a secluded side gate—can it still be opened?”

“Yes, why?”

“Send a reliable servant to find His Majesty and have him quietly enter through the side gate. Ask him to hide behind the screen in Floating Fragrance Hall without showing himself. If he asks, tell him you’re inviting him to watch a play.”

“You mean…”

“Wait. We’ll catch the traitor according to plan.”

Facing Princess Wen Chang’s widened eyes, Qin Chang Ge smiled mischievously.

“The ‘traitor’ in spy.”

“Today when I returned, I saw that you’ve taken good care of the palace. All departments are in their proper places, Jin’Ou Palace is exactly as before, with no negligence despite my absence. I’m very satisfied.” Princess Wen Chang sat high in the hall, with a purple sandalwood screen decorated with coiling phoenixes and peonies behind her in bright colors that made her appear even more serene and smiling with regal composure.

The palace servants kneeling below kowtowed in disorder, a chaotic mass of humble thanks and modest words.

Princess Wen Chang waited quietly for the voices to die down before saying peacefully, “Now that I’ve left the palace to practice Buddhism, I’m half a monastic. Those many pearls, jade, jewelry, and objects I received as princess gifts are of no use to me now. Given your dedication, I thought I’d reward some to you—consider it the bond between master and servants.”

Everyone below showed expressions of delighted surprise, looking at each other as if they couldn’t believe such good fortune. Who didn’t know that Princess Wen Chang enjoyed deep imperial favor? Whenever provinces or foreign countries presented tribute to the harem, besides what was first sent to the Empress Dowager by protocol, her palace had first choice. All the finest things were hers first. During festivals, her rewards were always the most precious and exquisite. Anything Princess Wen Chang brought out would probably equal half a lifetime’s expenses for ordinary people—this was truly windfall wealth.

Immediately the kowtowing became even louder and the expressions of gratitude more moving. Princess Wen Chang just smiled and listened, then had Qin Chang Ge bring out a gold-decorated box, saying, “But with gold, silver, pearls, and jade, there are inevitably differences in value. If I distributed them randomly, it wouldn’t be fair. If this caused any thoughts, it would be unbeautiful. So let’s simply draw lots. The servants doing rough cleaning work outside the second gate have separate rewards and aren’t included here. You who work in the inner hall are all my capable palace servants—sixteen people total. I’ve placed sixteen boxes in this chest. Come take them yourselves. Whatever you encounter is what you get. If you get something good, consider it your luck. If you’re dissatisfied, don’t blame me for being stingy.” She smiled as she spoke.

Everyone below thanked her repeatedly, all saying they didn’t dare accept the Princess’s generous favor. Jin’Ou Palace’s head eunuch Fu Daquan smiled obsequiously: “Princess, you’re right. Taking good care of Jin’Ou Palace is already our duty—we dare not ask for rewards. Besides, whatever reward you bestow, even if it’s just a blade of grass, we’re overwhelmed with gratitude and can only repay with our lives. How dare we calculate thickness or thinness? Since the Princess is in the mood today, we’ll play along, but as for rewards, we dare not accept them.”

What a well-spoken head eunuch. Qin Chang Ge looked at him and smiled, “Manager Fu, please go first.”

After more modest thanks, they finally took boxes in order. Some casually selected with feigned composure, some closed their eyes and grabbed one before leaving, some trembled as they touched this one then that one, hesitating indecisively. But how could they feel which was good or bad? Unable to endure the urging from those behind, they gritted their teeth and took one.

Soon distribution was complete. The palace servants and eunuchs were both happy and excited, holding large and small boxes while offering thanks with pursed lips.

Princess Wen Chang smiled, “Finished? All open them and look.”

The palace servants looked at each other again. They had originally planned to open them privately in their own rooms, keeping secrets from each other—this would spare those who got precious items from arousing covetousness and jealousy, and those who got inferior items from feeling resentful watching others get rich. But since the Princess had given orders, how dare they disobey? They all opened their boxes.

Golden brilliance and treasure light rose up, with exclamations of surprise and praise forming a chorus. Mutton-fat jade bottles, thousand-layer agate strings, purple sandalwood jade-inlaid ruyi scepters, yellow jade Buddha’s hand citrons, pure gold tea sets… spewing colors and emanating auspicious light, dazzling people until their faces glowed red and their eyes grew dim.

But someone let out a soft “eh.”

Qin Chang Ge and Princess Wen Chang were waiting for exactly this sound.

Where their gazes fell, a clean-featured palace maid with slightly dark skin stared blankly at the thing in her hands, her face full of strangeness. Everyone had now noticed and all looked over, seeing her holding a brilliantly golden small crossbow, all stunned.

The moment everyone looked over, Qin Chang Ge’s gaze flashed like lightning, quickly sweeping and lightly settling on a palace maid in stone-blue long dress in the corner of the hall.

That palace maid stared intently at the golden crossbow, her face showing undisguisable tension.

Qin Chang Ge gave Princess Wen Chang an extremely light, subtle nod.

Princess Wen Chang understood, leaning slightly forward on her seat. Looking at the golden crossbow in the palace maid’s hands, she said in surprise, “Eh, this is His Majesty’s childhood plaything that I treasured in the inner hall. How did this get put in as well?”

Qin Chang Ge exclaimed, showing a flustered expression, hurriedly kneeling and saying in a trembling voice, “This servant saw this box at the bottom of the chest. The shape seemed similar, thinking it was an item prepared for rewards, and mistakenly took it. Please forgive this servant, Princess.”

“Oh,” Princess Wen Chang glanced at her lightly, “I remember now. Last time when leaving the palace, I originally planned to bring it but opened the box and forgot. Today Qi Mo isn’t here, and you’re unfamiliar with where I place my things—I can’t blame you. Manxia, I can’t give you this. I’ll exchange it for something else later.”

Manxia immediately knelt, “Yes, please take it back, Princess. No other reward is necessary.”

Princess Wen Chang smiled, gazing at the golden crossbow. Her expression suddenly showed wistful melancholy as she slowly descended from her seat, taking the golden crossbow from Manxia’s hands and saying softly, “This small crossbow was His Majesty’s beloved object… probably when he was six years old. The first time he shot arrows, he hit the target, and uncle secretly gave it to him. His Majesty loved martial arts from childhood and was very talented. From then on, this small crossbow was inseparable from him. Sometimes he’d shoot birds and run over excitedly to give them to me. I thought the birds were pitiful and usually released them… he’d even get angry with me…”

She smiled slightly, her lips curving upward from those pure and beautiful memories of youth. Her slender fingers gently caressed the streamlined, gleaming crossbow body. On her beautiful countenance, her gaze sparkled and changed, containing deep nostalgia and reminiscence like the sea.

Seemingly completely unintentionally, she reminisced while slowly walking among the group of palace maids, aimlessly heading toward the corner of the hall.

That palace maid unconsciously stepped back, instantly remembering that by protocol she couldn’t move without permission. Biting her lip, she stopped. Watching Princess Wen Chang looking down at the crossbow and approaching closer and closer, sweat had already begun to seep from her forehead, reflecting the hall’s pale luminous pearl light in ghostly dark glimmers.

Princess Wen Chang walked to the corner of the hall and casually stopped, laughing lightly, “With this crossbow, His Majesty even taught me how to use it. Having treasured it for so many years, holding it in my hands today, I somehow suddenly really want to shoot it once myself.”

Qin Chang Ge came over, smiling, “That’s easy. This servant will wrap the arrowhead with cloth, then we can test shoot right here in this hall.”

The two discussed and laughed pleasantly, completely ignoring the stone-blue-dressed palace maid beside them who looked deathly pale, her legs shaking, wanting to flee but not daring to.

Princess Wen Chang hummed in agreement, “Good idea.” Her finger touched the crossbow trigger, turning sideways to smile at the palace maid beside her, “Caitan, do you see if my hand position is correct?”

At this moment, the golden crossbow’s rear end was pointing directly at Princess Wen Chang and Caitan. Princess Wen Chang smiled broadly, slowly pressing down the trigger.

“No!!!”

A hysterical scream.

With guilty conscience, completely crushed by the psychological offensive of Princess Wen Chang and Qin Chang Ge’s step-by-step attack, Caitan let out a heart-rending, terrifying scream.

With a crash, a yellow jade Buddha’s hand simultaneously rolled onto the smooth, hard gold-inlaid cloud brick floor, shattering to pieces.

This sound startled everyone. Fu Daquan had already glared and shouted, “Caitan, have you lost your mind? What place is this? How dare you make such a commotion!”

Princess Wen Chang looked at Caitan in surprise.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you screaming for no reason?”

“I, I, I… I…” Caitan fell to her knees with a thud, ignoring the yellow jade fragments piercing her knees and breaking the skin, blood beads seeping out deep red. She only prostrated on the ground, unable to speak coherently, “This servant… this servant was… was distracted… Please Princess… forgive…”

“Oh,” Princess Wen Chang knelt down compassionately, the golden crossbow still in her hands, its handle pointing directly at Caitan’s forehead. “…didn’t sleep well last night? Too busy with duties?… Poor thing, why are you so panicked?”

Crawling a few steps, dragging long blood trails under her knees, Caitan stared in terror with wide eyes, frantically shaking her head, trying to escape the terrible range of that crossbow. “No, no, no… no…”

Her expression was frightened and frantic, her behavior hurried and confused. No matter how you looked at it, it absolutely couldn’t be because of some “distraction.” The atmosphere in the hall was now eerie—Princess Wen Chang holding the golden crossbow, Qin Chang Ge smiling ambiguously, Caitan weeping and collapsed like mud, constantly dodging the golden crossbow. No matter how you looked at it, something was wrong. Not only Fu Daquan, but even the other palace servants had noticed and involuntarily changed color.

Putting away her smile, Princess Wen Chang said lightly, “You were distracted. What you lost wasn’t just your wits. You lost your heart and soul—you don’t even recognize your master anymore.” She sighed and waved her hand.

Qin Chang Ge smiled at Fu Daquan, “Manager Fu, about today’s events…”

Stunned, Fu Daquan met Qin Chang Ge’s gaze. Though very gentle and calm, somehow those deep black pupils revealed something sparkling and bright that made the worldly-wise old man’s heart pound like drums for an instant. His legs went weak, and he involuntarily fell to his knees with a thud, “This old servant… this old servant saw it, but this old servant swears on his life that no matter what he saw, it will rot in his stomach. He won’t say a word even in his sleep! Please Princess, considering this old servant’s diligent service… don’t…”

Qin Chang Ge said lightly, “Caitan has lost her mind, but you haven’t. Today’s events—everyone saw them. As for whether you can forget, it depends on whether everyone wants to live well. You’ve all been in the palace for some time—some things don’t need my reminding.”

Smiling, she pointed to the rewards in everyone’s hands, “The Princess is kindhearted. As long as you serve loyally, she ultimately won’t treat you unfairly. Remember: when the Princess prospers, you all prosper; when the Princess suffers disgrace, you all suffer disgrace. Go now.”

The palace servants retreated in confusion, their footsteps mixed and chaotic. Princess Wen Chang immediately straightened up, smiling somewhat helplessly at Qin Chang Ge, seeming quite unaccustomed to the sinister role she had played today.

Waving to Xiao Jue behind the screen, whose expression was cold and who seemed about to charge out, signaling him to remain calm, Qin Chang Ge took the golden crossbow and pressed it smiling against Caitan’s forehead, saying softly, “Miss Caitan, let’s speak plainly. You know better than I what’s inside this. If you still want to live, you know what to do.”

Caitan collapsed kneeling on the ground, raising a face streaked with tears, constantly sobbing, “…this servant… doesn’t know…”

“There are many ways for people to die,” Qin Chang Ge said slowly. “There are many ways to kill those who harbor evil intentions. Hmm… flaying, combing torture, boiling, drawing intestines… which do you prefer?”

Just hearing the names of those cruel punishments, Caitan’s face had already turned blue-green, her whole body trembling like leaves in the wind. She kowtowed frantically, whimpering, “Please… kill me… please…”

“Killing you would be letting you off easy. That request is too extravagant,” Qin Chang Ge smiled, casually taking a sharp golden needle from the candle stand on the table. She pulled over Caitan’s hand and examined her ten fingers admiringly, “Like jade joints better than congealed fat, picking flowers lightly in the spring breeze, gracefully falling like a peach petal, lazily rising from sleep to roll up embroidered curtains… so beautiful… such a pity…”

Caitan looked at her with terror and confusion.

Qin Chang Ge smiled.

Her hand pressed down, pierced, twisted, then flicked like lightning.

A bloody strip flew out, landing on the smooth floor with a soft “pop!”

It was a fingernail that had been forcibly picked off.

Before Caitan’s agonized scream could escape, Qin Chang Ge quickly tore off the embroidered handkerchief from her chest, balled it up and swiftly stuffed it into her throat, forcibly blocking it.

Ten fingers connected to the heart—the tearing pain made Caitan desperately throw back her head, mouth wide open, sweat beads rolling down profusely. Her throat emitted broken whimpers like the dying cries of a small animal.

Princess Wen Chang couldn’t bear to watch and turned her head away. Behind the screen, Xiao Jue slowly backed up and sat down.

His gaze wasn’t looking at the woman who intended to harm him at all, only staring intently at Qin Chang Ge.

Qin Chang Ge remained unmoved by the trembling and moaning before her, only calmly moving the golden needle’s tip slowly toward the second finger. Caitan stared in terror with wide eyes, desperately trying to pull her hand back, but it was firmly held in Qin Chang Ge’s grasp, unable to move at all.

Seeing the needle tip had already reached her fingernail, thinking of that instant of heart-rending pain just now, Caitan made frightened sounds. In desperation, she simply closed her eyes, biting deeply into her lips until slowly, a line of blood seeped out.

She would rather deceive herself by closing her eyes than face it, yet didn’t dare speak up and confess.

“You don’t look like someone with strong willpower,” Qin Chang Ge stopped her hand, looking at Caitan who could endure pain but had concerns that prevented her from speaking, thoughtfully saying, “I think that person isn’t necessarily worth such loyalty from you… You have other weaknesses in that person’s hands, don’t you?”

Her whole body trembled as if struck. Caitan turned away her eyes, silently crying, her uninjured hand convulsively clawing into the cracks of the bright, gleaming gold bricks.

“That person is someone in this palace, isn’t she?” Qin Chang Ge stared intently at her eyes, slowly saying, “…with noble status, controlling the life and death of someone you care about?”

Looking up in surprise, Caitan even forgot to cry, showing a hesitant expression.

“Family members?”

…

“Fine, I can preserve your family’s lives,” Qin Chang Ge said coldly. “The condition is that you confess honestly. If you remain stubborn, I won’t touch you—I’ll just ask the Princess to immediately expel you from Jin’Ou Palace. Do you believe that as long as you leave Jin’Ou Palace in your current state today, before midnight you’ll definitely die very unsightly in some unknown corner of the palace, and all your family… will have the same fate as you.”

Another violent shudder. Caitan’s eyes showed fear, panic, and helplessness. She bit her lips thinking, then said in a low voice, “…you must guarantee… you guarantee to protect my family well…”

“I make no guarantees.” Qin Chang Ge coldly stood up amid Caitan’s shock, saying lightly, “You attempted regicide and tried to frame the Princess—this is already a grave crime deserving death by slow slicing and implication of nine generations of your clan. You and your family should already be dead. What qualification do you have to bargain with me? What you can do now is sincerely confess who’s behind this and hope for lenient treatment by imperial grace. His Majesty, seeing your filial devotion, might spare your family name. Weigh the pros and cons yourself!”

“And I dare make such promises naturally because I have my backing,” she said, looking sideways at the screen. “Your Majesty, isn’t that right?”