Because the Ninth Princess’s illness was so peculiar, and Consort Xian’s memorial was so sincere and moving that her feelings warranted sympathy, Emperor Jianzhang specially granted permission for Master Yuanhui to enter the palace to divine the Ninth Princess’s fate. Following Consort Xian’s wishes, he also summoned the Ninth Princess’s study companions along with some noble young ladies from prominent families into the palace.

Lady Cui had already received news from the Empress and was so worried she couldn’t eat all day. She specially came to the Earl’s residence to persuade Song Chuyi: “There’s no need to compete with them over this temporary matter. They clearly have ill intentions—who knows what will really happen once you enter the palace? How about I go beg Her Majesty the Empress to grant you leave?”

What one can avoid on the first day, one cannot escape on the fifteenth. She had no intention of harming others, but if someone came to step on her tail, she wasn’t one to shrink back like a cowardly turtle either. Song Chuyi smiled and leaned close to Lady Cui’s ear, whispering a few words. Lady Cui’s eyes first widened in astonishment, then after coming to her senses, she couldn’t help but sigh and poke Song Chuyi’s forehead helplessly: “You! You always have this mischievous nature. I wonder who you take after.”

After saying this, she herself fell into a daze for quite some time. Given her understanding and agreement with Old Madam Song, they had always favored the second son of the Ye family—good-tempered and of good character, and most importantly, ambitious and self-motivated, not the sort of wastrel son who relied on family connections for his position. What was especially rare was how particularly attentive he was toward Song Chuyi. As elders who had all lived through this stage of life, which of them couldn’t recognize the look of a young man’s first awakening of love? It couldn’t escape their eyes.

But this match that seemed so perfectly suited had turned out to be like a barber’s carrying pole—hot only on one end. What use was it for only Young Master Ye’s side to be enthusiastic? Song Chuyi also had to like him, but Song Chuyi seemed to have no such feelings for Second Master Ye whatsoever. She showed more warmth toward Zhou Weizhao than toward Ye Jingchuan. Lady Cui felt somewhat troubled. It wasn’t that Zhou Weizhao wasn’t good, but he was after all the legitimate son of the Eastern Palace, the future ruler of all under heaven. How could an ordinary family’s daughter withstand such a position? The thought of three thousand beauties in the imperial harem alone was enough to make one shrink back in dismay.

Moreover, the current situation of the Eastern Palace was unstable. Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were already surging turbulently, and who would win or lose was still uncertain. Victory would naturally be good, but defeat would mean utter ruin—even survival would be questionable.

Song Chuyi had no idea that Lady Cui and Old Madam Song were already so concerned about her marriage prospects. She arranged her appearance and entered the palace with Xiang Mingzi to attend the banquet, her expression calm, showing neither joy nor anger, nor any resentment or panic.

Compared to Han Yueheng’s tearful eyes and Shen Huiyi’s gritted teeth as she forced herself to endure, she and Xiang Mingzi appeared much more leisurely and composed.

At first, Han Yueheng pitied herself, complaining about why she had to be stuck with a princess bound for a marriage alliance. But when she saw Song Chuyi, all that self-pity flew off to the far reaches of the sky—naturally, her own misfortune was bad, but if someone else was suffering alongside her, then this misfortune wasn’t entirely a bad thing after all.

After they finished their refreshments, Consort Xian with a kind and gentle expression looked over each of them one by one. As she looked, she kept saying “good, good,” and then turned back to smile at Xie Siyi, who stood before the Empress: “If it weren’t for the fate of our Great Zhou, I couldn’t bear to part with these young ladies who are as beautiful as flowers and jade.”

Han Yueheng lowered her head. Although her aunt had lectured her all night about reason, thinking about having to leave her homeland from now on, she was still so afraid she nearly cried. Shen Huiyi was even worse. She had originally hoped to marry a young master from a prominent family to compensate for the regret and dissatisfaction of being neglected by her parents since childhood, but now all of this had turned to nothing in the blink of an eye.

Consort Xian looked them all over thoughtfully and nodded to Xie Siyi with a smile: “Please have Master Yuanhui come out now. I see that each of these young ladies is excellent. I only hope that among them there truly is one who can suppress A-Jiu’s fate pattern and help her contribute her share for her imperial father and the common people of Great Zhou.”

Xie Siyi bowed respectfully to acknowledge the order, neither servile nor overbearing. Just as a palace maid turned to leave, she called out with a smile and stopped her, then turned to look at Consort Xian: “Speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence. Zhang Tianshi from Longhu Mountain happened to arrive in the capital a few days ago and entered the palace today to burn auspicious prayers for His Majesty’s longevity. His Majesty’s intention is that since he’s here, Zhang Tianshi should also examine the Princess and all the young ladies.”

Consort Xian’s brilliant smile instantly dissipated like the last rays of the setting sun, her face frozen, hardly knowing what to say.

Of course, Yuanhui would speak according to her own wishes, but what about Zhang Tianshi?

By the time the final results came out, her hands were clenched into tight fists, already drenched in cold sweat. Her heart felt as if it had frozen over with a thick layer of ice, and she didn’t even have the strength left to speak.

Master Yuanhui said the Ninth Princess was unsuitable for a distant marriage. Zhang Tianshi said the Ninth Princess had water in her fate. Master Yuanhui said Song Chuyi’s Heavenly Sha Lone Star fate could suppress the evil spirits of Dongying. Zhang Tianshi said Song Chuyi was indeed a Heavenly Sha Lone Star fate, but if she went to Dongying, she would likely stir up disaster.

What these two people said was vastly different, practically contradictory, but who Emperor Jianzhang would believe was self-evident.

She felt a sense of powerlessness gradually welling up and drowning her, leaving her without even the will to make trouble for Song Chuyi. She sat on the couch in a panic for a long time, unable to regain her composure.

The Ninth Princess stood barefoot behind the heavy curtains listening. The more she heard toward the end, the more her eyes threatened to split with rage. Finally, she could no longer control herself and tried to rush out. But the palace maids around her were clearheaded after all, and held her firmly to prevent her from moving.

Chen Mingyu raised her head from the crowd. It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed there was some unknown intrigue here, but she also knew the waters here were not something she could stir.

After what happened with her grandfather’s misstep, she had come to understand that the Changning Earl’s residence was a colossus. Trying to swallow it whole would only result in mutual destruction—she could only slowly devour it bit by bit.

She saw Song Chuyi still standing there with her usual smile, no extra expression on her face, the very picture of the gentle and virtuous demeanor a proper young lady should have. But she also clearly knew the truth wasn’t like this. Consort Xian’s purpose in summoning them to the palace today was as obvious as Sima Zhao’s intentions—known to all on the street. Master Yuanhui’s appearance and fate-reading was also to be expected. Only Zhang Tianshi…

The timing of his appearance was simply too coincidental. The cinnabar mole between Chen Mingyu’s brows was bright red, like a fresh, moist red bean adorning her brow, adding a touch of delicate softness. But the malicious intent in her eyes erupted almost instantaneously.

Zhang Tianshi was the Grand Prince’s master. Only he could summon Zhang Tianshi, whom even His Majesty could only meet three times a year. He had requested Zhang Tianshi to rescue Song Chuyi from her predicament, but what virtue and ability did Song Chuyi possess to deserve this?!