“Bravo!”
Just then, as Bian Xianyi finished her dance, applause and cheers erupted from all around.
Shen Xihe still found this Qin Zixie somewhat suspicious. Even though she had personally verified her female identity, her naturally suspicious nature wouldn’t let her dismiss it so easily.
If someone hadn’t aroused her suspicions, that was fine, but once they did, she had to investigate thoroughly until she had reasonable explanations for all questionable points.
“Master Bian’s dance skills are outstanding, truly a feast for the eyes,” Shen Xihe suddenly spoke up as the cheering began to die down. “However, Lady Qin just remarked that such exquisite dancing was merely ordinary. Might Lady Qin show us an even more sophisticated dance technique?”
At these words, everyone was startled and turned to look at Qin Zixie.
Even Bian Xianyi, who had always been extremely proud of her dance skills, came over. After paying her respects to Ye Wantang, Shen Xihe, and the others, she said, “I am obsessed with the joy of dance. I humbly request Lady Qin’s guidance.”
Little fox, Xiao Huayong laughed inwardly with mock reproach.
Outwardly maintaining the appearance of a proper, rule-abiding noble lady, she replied: “Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to travel through Luoyang with my grandfather. We happened upon a courtesan dance competition and saw the performances of Master Bai and Master Qi. Since then, all other dances have seemed ordinary in comparison.”
Bai Fugong and Qi Xiaoren were famous courtesans of Luoyang, admired by thousands, with wealthy nobles willing to spend fortunes on them.
Even Bian Xianyi had to concede: “I’ve long heard that Master Bai and Master Qi’s dance skills are unparalleled. If I ever have the fortune to witness them, I must earnestly seek their guidance.”
The trap Shen Xihe had set was easily deflected by Xiao Huayong, but the mention of Luoyang caught her attention – Luoyang was where she had first met Hua Fuhai.
“Does Lady Qin have deep connections to Luoyang?” Shen Xihe asked directly.
Others strangely noticed that while Qin Zixie was extremely aloof toward others, she showed great patience with Shen Xihe: “My grandfather travels between Luoyang and the Eastern Capital yearly to tutor His Highness the Crown Prince. I’ve accompanied him several times.”
The Crown Prince…
Shen Xihe’s eyes flickered briefly before she nodded slightly, not pursuing the matter further.
But Bian Xianyi suddenly spoke up: “Lady Qin grew up with His Highness the Crown Prince. Could you tell us about his preferences? His coming-of-age ceremony approaches, and we should prepare appropriate birthday gifts.”
Shen Xihe turned to give Bian Xianyi an expressionless glance.
Everyone knew about Shen Xihe’s close association with the Crown Prince now. Bian Xianyi was trying to create friction between Shen Xihe and Qin Zixie.
However, people were genuinely interested in this question. The Crown Prince had left the palace at age eight, only returning occasionally for festivals. Most civil and military officials had never seen him or gotten to know him. For his coming-of-age ceremony, they needed to show proper respect.
If not to curry favor with the Crown Prince, at least they didn’t want to unknowingly offend him.
“How did Master Bian come to know that I grew up with His Highness?” Xiao Huayong asked coldly. “I have never even met His Highness. Is Master Bian not satisfied with the Sixth Prince’s favor, that you seek the Crown Prince’s attention as well?”
She might as well have directly accused her of being fickle in her loyalties.
Not many people knew about Bian Xianyi’s private relationship with the Sixth Prince Xiao Changyu, and having it exposed publicly made several noble ladies look at her rather unkindly.
Though Xiao Changyu might have fallen from the Emperor’s favor, he was still a handsome and dignified royal son. He naturally had admirers, including noble ladies pursuing the position of his princess consort. These people looked at Bian Xianyi as if she were an enemy.
“I spoke out of turn and shouldn’t have groundlessly speculated about Lady Qin and His Highness,” Bian Xianyi quickly apologized with a pleading smile. “Please don’t take offense, Lady Qin. My relationship with the Sixth Prince is pure and proper. Given my humble status, how dare I harbor thoughts of seeking connections above my station?”
Put this way, it seemed as if Qin Zixie’s words were merely revenge for her implications about Qin Zixie and Xiao Huayong, deliberately bringing up Xiao Changyu and her relationship. This diffused much of the hostility.
“The wind is strong here. Let’s continue our conversation inside the pavilion,” Ye Wantang spoke up to smooth things over, not wanting more disruptions to her birthday celebration.
Everyone gave a face to the birthday girl Ye Wantang and returned to the pavilion, after which the birthday banquet concluded perfectly in harmony.
When leaving, after exiting the mansion gates and reaching the street, Shen Xihe encountered Qin Zixie again. Sitting in her carriage, she said to Shen Xihe: “I feel we’re kindred spirits. Might I invite the Princess to be my guest?”
Shen Xihe didn’t even lift her eyelids: “I don’t enjoy socializing with others.”
Xue Jinqiao, who had also left the mansion, nodded with satisfaction.
“Princess, since you’re suspicious of her, why not accept and investigate further?” Once back at the Princess’s residence, Biyu finally asked.
Biyu didn’t know that Shen Xihe’s suspicions were aroused by the agarwood scent. She thought it was because Qin Zixie’s maid had helped so promptly that it raised doubts. As a martial artist herself, Biyu knew that without constantly watching Shen Xihe, one couldn’t have reacted so quickly.
Why were Qin Zixie and her maid monitoring Shen Xihe’s every move?
“Not this time, but next time…” Shen Xihe’s gaze deepened.
Agarwood came from hollow honey trees under extremely strict conditions, aged and fermented over time, and was extremely rare.
But it wasn’t limited to one person’s use. For instance, the Emperor’s bed was scented with agarwood and ambergris among other fragrances. Shen Xihe had detected agarwood on Emperor Youning as well, though mixed with ambergris and other scents.
There were five types of agarwood, and Shen Xihe had been fortunate enough to smell them all. The person impersonating Hua Fuhai and Cui Jinbai had used the highest grade agarwood, with a rich and complex fragrance of supreme nobility.
Emperor Youning used the same type, though not as pure. What she smelled on Qin Zixie today was similar but fainter than the previous instances. When she deliberately touched Qin Zixie to test her, Qin Zixie must have noticed.
She wasn’t sure about this person’s relationship with Qin Zixie, or if there was any relationship at all. Regardless, she wouldn’t take the bait to investigate, which would only make her the fish biting the hook.
Next time, if he appeared again in another identity, once she was certain, she would play along without showing her hand.
Biyu didn’t understand Shen Xihe’s thoughts and said nothing more.
Back in the Eastern Palace, Xiao Huayong thoughtfully fingered a black jade chess piece: “She rejected me.”
Xiao Huayong had seen through her probing. Since she still had suspicions, logically she should have agreed to investigate him further.
“Could it be that she found Qin Zixie too boring?” Xiao Huayong pondered.
Alarm bells rang in Tianyuan’s mind, and he quickly said: “Your Highness, there are no more ladies in the capital who match your height!”
Even Qin Zixie was slightly shorter than Xiao Huayong, though not by much. With careful attention to clothing, it wasn’t easily noticeable, and no one would investigate a lady’s true height.
He truly feared his prince would find another lady to impersonate – he felt he would go mad, and if those who followed the prince knew, they would all go mad together!
“Your Highness, the Princess has sent a gift.”