The Eldest Prince casually plucked a plum blossom blooming amid the snow and offered it to Yun Shu.
In the shadows nearby, four Dragon Shadow Guards who had been anxiously debating whether the prince was harboring improper intentions or attempting to seduce the Princess were instantly struck speechless.
He gave her a flower!
Was there any need for further analysis?
Had Her Highness not explicitly called out this very act as one of the clearest signs of a suitor's intent?
Ah ku silently curled his fingers.
Completely unaware that he was now under close surveillance, the Eldest Prince continued his impassioned declaration of affection.
"Perhaps the Princess does not know—on that day, when I caught but a fleeting glimpse of you in the streets, you took root in my heart.
You are like this beautiful plum blossom. Unlike the common flowers of the world, you stand apart. Even in the heart of winter, you bloom proudly, unyielding. Just like—"
Snap!
Without warning, the branch in the prince's hand broke in two.
Suppressing the corners of her lips that nearly curved into a smile, Yun Shu turned cold and said plainly, "It broke."
"…This…"
Even with his ability to react swiftly, the Eldest Prince found himself momentarily at a loss.
A branch would not snap for no reason.
But if someone had struck silently from the shadows, he had not sensed a thing.
Could there truly be such a master hidden by a mere princess's side?
Surely not… right?
Or was it simply a coincidence?
"…"
"The prince just compared this blossom to me," Yun Shu said, her voice like frost. "And the next moment, you broke it. Might you be implying something?"
Noticing the prince lingering over the broken branch, Yun Shu sneered, "Why bother with such theatrics? If you have something to say, say it plainly."
"You misunderstand, Princess!"
Before he could think more deeply on the matter, Yun Shu turned and began to walk away. The Eldest Prince hurried after her in long strides, not forgetting to signal discreetly to the heir of Prince Lian and the others behind him, instructing them not to follow.
"That broken branch was merely an accident. My feelings for the Princess are sincere!"
"Sincere?"
Yun Shu let out a cold laugh. "Are your so-called sincere feelings spoken only with your mouth?"
"Of course not!"
The denial was instinctive. The Eldest Prince glanced around the imperial garden, only to realize with some distress—
Sincerity… Not that he had any to begin with.
But even if he wanted to act, this place offered him no room to maneuver.
"Fifth Sister!"
Just then, Yun Chuhuan emerged from some obscure corner, spotted Yun Shu, and jogged over cheerfully with two skewers in hand.
"Fifth Sister, what are you doing here? Who's this?"
"The Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang," Yun Shu said casually, her eyes drifting toward the skewers he held, bewildered. "Where did you get those?"
"We roasted them ourselves!"
The moment Yun Chuhuan learned that the tall man nearby was the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang, he lost all interest and turned his full attention to sharing his skewers with Yun Shu.
"Ziming, Cen Yiyi, and I arrived pretty early. There wasn't much going on at first, but we found a pile of kindling tucked away somewhere. I remembered how you took me out for skewers a few days ago, so we had some ingredients sent over and roasted them ourselves. We were just wondering when you'd show up. Since you're here now, come eat with us!"
"You must be the Sixth Prince," the Eldest Prince said, catching the tail end of the boy's invitation.
His eyes brightened.
Seizing the chance, he spoke with earnest enthusiasm. "Just now, the Princess asked to see proof of Our sincerity."
"I know that in Tian Sheng, noble sons pride themselves on keeping out of the kitchen, that only women cook for men. A man preparing food for a lady—such a thing is unheard of.
As the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang, this too should be beneath me. But for the Princess, I willing to make the attempt."
"How interesting," Yun Shu murmured with a slight tug of her lips.
It was true that the withered branches in the imperial garden were gathered and removed regularly. Sometimes, if there wasn't time to finish the job, they were temporarily piled in a discreet corner and collected later.
But today was the Emperor's longevity celebration.
Everyone knew that, come afternoon, the sons and daughters of noble families, even imperial princes and princesses, would gather here.
What palace servant would be so careless as to leave a heap of dead branches lying around?
And this palace banquet—every detail of it had been arranged personally by the Empress herself. A woman who could not tolerate even a single speck of dust in her eye.
The Empress. The Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang.
Yun Shu's eyes narrowed.
Perhaps even Yun Chuhuan's reaction had been anticipated in this web of calculation.
It seemed the Empress's desire to remove her was stronger than Yun Shu had imagined.
Casting a faint, amused glance at the Eldest Prince, Yun Shu finally relented. "Since the Prince is so eager, We shall wait and see."
"You shall not be disappointed, Princess!"
The Eldest Prince looked and acted the part of a fool lucky enough to win a rare opportunity. Caught between nervousness and delight, he was desperate to impress.
"May I ask what ingredients the Sixth Prince has on hand? When I traveled to Tian Sheng, I feared I would not take to the cuisine, so I brought some of my favorite foods from Bei Xiang. If the two Highnesses do not object, I would be glad to have some of them brought over so we may all share."
"From Bei Xiang?" Yun Chuhuan echoed, his interest piqued. He had been struggling to understand why the Eldest Prince was declaring his devotion and offering to cook for his Fifth Sister, but all confusion vanished upon hearing this.
"Are they things we don't have in Tian Sheng?"
"They should be!" the prince answered quickly, having long learned that Yun Chuhuan and Yun Shu shared a close bond.
"There are some ingredients native to Bei Xiang, and others I've gathered on my travels—uncommon delicacies with unique flavors I wanted to bring back. Very rare."
"Then hurry and have them sent over!"
Yun Chuhuan nodded vigorously. "Even though we found a pretty hidden spot, if someone discovers us and tells Father Emperor and Consort Mother, we probably won't get to roast anything at all. We need to eat as much as we can before we get caught!"
"I shall send for them at once."
Naturally, the Eldest Prince agreed without hesitation.
He had been told someone would create an opportunity for him to drug Yun Shu before the evening banquet. At the time, he hadn't believed it.
Now?
As expected of a woman capable of becoming Empress.
Such cunning. Such precision.
Were it not for the fact that he had been informed of some of the plan in advance, even he would have believed all this was no more than a series of fortunate coincidences.
How laughable. That Fifth Princess likely couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams that she would one day fall victim to someone within her own circle.