Night remained quiet within the imperial palace.
Yet beneath the moonlight that filtered through the gauzy curtains of Hua Lan Residence,
a shadow moved softly—hidden beneath the plain garb of a palace maid.
She had not come to seek advice,
nor to inspect affairs,
nor even to speak.
The only sign of her intent was a single hairpin,
adorned with a pale crimson peony bloom—
a style no one in this residence ever wore.
⸻
Xianlan sat calmly in the study,
slowly unrolling a scroll,
a jade-triggered mechanism box placed discreetly beneath the table.
"If the visitor is not one of mine,"
"the jade needle inside will spring open within ten steps of the door."
But the soft footsteps…
stopped at the seventh step.
Xianlan set down her brush, her voice quiet but sharp.
"If you've come merely to steal,
then it's best you leave while your hands are still intact."
The girl in maid's garb looked up immediately—
a jade hairpin still clutched in her hand.
Her face was young, but her eyes held a hardened glint.
"I was ordered to retrieve something hidden beneath your writing desk…
but I don't know what's inside."
Xianlan rose and calmly lifted the box.
It opened automatically,
revealing it to be completely empty.
"This box has been empty longer than you imagine."
The girl's eyes widened.
Xianlan met her gaze and asked softly,
"Who told you there was something important inside?"
The girl said nothing—
but tension gripped her body.
⸻
Moments later, trusted aides of both Xianlan and Wen Yichen arrived.
The girl was taken into custody—
without force or cruelty.
Xianlan spoke only briefly:
"Have the Black Tea Chamber prepare a quiet place for her to rest."
"Whoever sent her is likely waiting to hear whether she's vanished… or returned."
⸻
Morning – Crown Prince's Residence
Feng Yuhan read the report detailing the attempted infiltration of Hua Lan Residence.
When he finished, he set the scroll down quietly and murmured:
"A flowered veil may look beautiful—
but if used to hide a blade, it's no different from poison behind a smile."
Wen Yichen added:
"The maid who snuck in bore a tattoo beneath her shoulder—
the sigil of the Zhao clan from the State of Xuan Yu."
Feng Yuhan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The Zhao clan…
that's the family of Princess Bai Yue Ning."
⸻
At the Noble Consort's residence
Su Zhen had received the news as well—
yet she merely lifted her lips into a soft smile.
"She may not be mine…
but the enemy of my enemy still has value."
"Zhao Shi… You've joined the game a bit too soon, haven't you?"
⸻
Interrogation Room
The girl remained silent—
until Xianlan entered the chamber alone.
Xianlan sat across from her, voice even and unshaken.
"If you won't speak, I'll have you sent to the same place I was imprisoned as a child."
At the mention of "that place," the girl flinched.
Her voice finally broke through the silence.
"I… I'm a second-tier maid from Princess Bai Yue Ning's residence."
"I wasn't given direct orders—
but the Zhao clan used a deal to spare my mother from conviction."
"I was trained not to think since I was little…"
Xianlan stood slowly, silent for a moment.
Then, as she left, she spoke without turning:
"From now on… you'll learn what it means to think for yourself."
"For those without their own thoughts… are pawns that everyone's willing to discard."
⸻
Secret Room, Bai Yue Ning's Residence
The allied princess had just returned from the Outer Palace.
She entered her chamber in silence, unrolling a map of the imperial court across her table.
"Hua Lan Residence…"
"That lowborn woman holds more secrets than anyone imagined."
She smiled coolly,
and placed a matching peony veil atop the map.
"This time…
I want to see how long a mere commoner can play the part of an empress."