In the inner court, every player smiles… before they strike.
⸻
Before the golden light of morning could spill across the imperial hall, whispers had already begun to ripple through the marble corridors of the palace.
"Did you hear? Princess Xianlan was seen sneaking into the Prince's residence two hours past midnight."
"She was spotted inside the White Jade Pavilion—strictly off-limits to any woman."
"They say she brought auspicious sweets…"
What began as a whisper turned into a storm of rumor, sweeping across the court within the span of a single hour.
No one knew who started the gossip.
But the only person calmly admiring plum blossoms with eyes too gentle to be genuine… was Su Mengyu.
⸻
"She stepped into the fog willingly…"
Su Mengyu lifted a silk fan patterned with phoenixes to hide her smile, her gaze trailing a butterfly fluttering softly past the blossoms.
"I merely had someone place the sweets in the Prince's quarters—under her name," she said lightly to her maid.
"If anyone discovers it… I'll simply show concern."
Her eyes narrowed with cool calculation.
"Those who cross the line first… often fall into their own trap."
⸻
Xianlan's silence… was never without reason.
In her private quarters at the Xianyan Residence, Xianlan sat quietly sorting through old household ledgers from previous reigns.
Her expression was calm, but her gaze was deeper than any lake.
"About the sweets in the White Jade Pavilion…
Do you truly believe it was me, Second Brother?"
Her voice carried neither blame nor heat,
yet it caused Prince Su Yan, who stood nearby, to look away.
There was a sting in his chest.
Though he was a prince now, he couldn't forget that in their youth, she had once shielded him from punishment for a crime he didn't commit.
He hesitated, then replied softly:
"I can't judge what hasn't been proven…
But I don't want this matter to become a double-edged blade that wounds you."
⸻
Wen Yichen and the nameless letter
By midday, while Xianlan sat beneath the bamboo grove, a small jade box was delivered to her by an elderly maid.
Inside was a note written in a deliberately forged hand:
"The seal of the inner court does not lie in the hands of the one who should bear it."
She was silent for a long moment.
Then looked up at the sky.
"Wen Yichen…" she whispered.
⸻
Jiang Xinluo grows uneasy
In a shaded corner of the Changxin Residence, Jiang Xinluo sat sipping tea.
The rumor of Xianlan's midnight visit had reached her ears.
But what unsettled her wasn't the gossip itself—
it was the look Xianlan had given her the night before.
That gaze was still.
Neither venomous nor pleading.
Yet it carried something Jiang had never seen in the eyes of the hunted.
⸻
An unsuspecting move on the game board
That afternoon, the central palace held a seasonal fruit offering.
Every princess was invited to attend.
When Xianlan entered, the courtyard fell into a hush.
Not because of her rank—
but because of the rumors that preceded her.
Su Mengyu approached with a dazzling smile,
placing a flawless pink peach on a tray before her.
"I heard Princess Xianlan has a sweet tooth.
I thought this peach might please you."
All eyes turned to watch.
A noble consort, seated nearby, spoke softly:
"Wasn't it just last night that Her Highness sent sweets to the Prince's quarters?"
⸻
Xianlan's answer flips the board
She smiled faintly,
then replied with a voice so calm and clear, the entire courtyard heard:
"Sweets mean nothing if given without courtesy.
And if I were to offer my heart, I certainly wouldn't do so through a midnight dessert."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
She had named no one—
but everyone knew who was being spoken of.
She had no evidence.
But the pieces were now set for the court of public opinion to decide.
⸻
The ponytail that brushed against the wind
After the ceremony ended, Xianlan walked slowly back to her residence.
Footsteps trailed behind her for only a moment—
before a dark-blue robe appeared at her side.
Feng Yuhan said nothing.
He simply handed her a small envelope.
"Someone forged your signature on a request for silk from the royal stores."
"My men tracked the discrepancy… and I knew this information would soon reach the ears of someone you don't trust."
Xianlan accepted the letter, her eyes calm as ever.
"Why help me?"
Feng Yuhan paused,
then spoke quietly:
"Because you're unlike any woman I've ever met.
You know when silence cuts deeper than ice—
and when to wield words like a blade."
He turned to leave,
leaving only the soft trace of sandalwood drifting behind him in the breeze.