Translator – Ink Hub
Editor – Ms. B

By the time the Flower Banquet officially commenced, Chi Ying was still in a daze.

A seemingly casual nickname had struck her with the force of a tidal wave, nearly shattering her ability to think. Her mind repeatedly replayed that single sound, but the more she thought, the more confused she became. Her thoughts were mired in a chaotic swamp, unable to distinguish which character he had actually spoken.

Yan Xuecuī grasped her hand, which was slick with cold sweat, and asked with concern, “What is it? You’ve been distracted ever since just now.”

Chi Ying’s face was pale. She curled her fingers but couldn’t break free from his palm. “No, it’s nothing.”

Yan Xuecuī smiled slightly. “Still thinking about the pitch-pot? Actually, if you want to learn, I can teach you.”

Chi Ying gave a distracted reply, but she gathered her courage to look up, staring at him intently.

He was always like this: composed, smiling, his joy and anger never showing on his face. She realized she could never see through him; she was often lured by his gentle appearance, only to be startled into a cold sweat by a sudden, ambiguous remark.

This was the first time Yan Xuecuī had felt such a direct, unshielded gaze from her. He took a sip of tea and finally couldn’t help but laugh. “Why do I feel like you’re looking at me again?”

Chi Ying watched him for a long time, her gaze never wavering for a second, yet she still couldn’t capture any trace of abnormality. His thoughts seemed forever hidden beneath this constant mask of smiles, perfectly airtight.

During the banquet, graceful songs and dances played on, the music of silk and bamboo never ceasing.

Yan Xuecuī’s palm covered the back of her hand, and he couldn’t resist interlacing their fingers atop the table. “We see each other every day; haven’t you grown tired of looking at me? It’s lively today with so many people; don’t you want to look at others more?”

Chi Ying was slightly startled. Was he saying this because he wanted her to integrate into the circle of imperial relatives and socialize more with the princesses and consorts?

She asked tentatively, “I didn’t expect Your Highness to step forward to protect me earlier.”

Yan Xuecuī seemed surprised by her thought. “We are husband and wife, are we not?”

Chi Ying found him increasingly difficult to read.

A voice deep in her heart whispered comfortingly to her: if her identity had already been exposed, she wouldn’t be sitting here peacefully. The Marquis of Changyuan and his wife would have been imprisoned immediately, and the real Princess Consort, Chi Yingyue, would be guilty of a capital crime for her adultery.

And Prince Zhao would certainly not be telling her so calmly that they were husband and wife.

So, she must have misheard. That word must have been “Ying” for Yingyue; he was calling her “A-Ying.”

In the dialect of the Great Jin capital, those two characters sounded very similar. Coupled with his casual way of speaking, it was truly difficult to distinguish. The daughters of the Chi family followed the “Yue” generation; the eldest sister was named Xinyue, and her cousins were named Jingyue, Jiaoyue, and Qingyue. Only the middle character held the specific hopes of the elders and was their own name. Thus, calling her “Yingyue” or “A-Ying” was perfectly appropriate.

He just wanted to use a more intimate term for his wife, that was all.

Once she reached this conclusion, Chi Ying let out a long sigh and slowly calmed her heart. However, having gone through such an emotional rollercoaster, she had no heart to appreciate the dancing or the delicacies before her.

Princess Yuxi’s table was right next to theirs. She had just gone to help the Eighth Prince and the daughter of the Pei family—whom he was being matched with—create a “chance encounter.” Upon returning, she heard about what had happened and looked at Chi Ying with great apology.

“Seventh Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. Had I known you didn’t like pitch-pot, I wouldn’t have forced you to come over.” She sighed. “If I had stayed by your side just now, they wouldn’t have dared to humiliate you in public…”

Chi Ying shook her head and smiled. “It was just a game, there was no humiliation. The Princess shouldn’t take it to heart.”

Princess Yuxi generously raised her wine cup. “Seventh Sister-in-law, I toast to you. Consider this my apology.”

Chi Ying didn’t want to slight the Princess, but she remembered the lesson from last time when three cups had left her unconscious. She only touched the rim to her lips, not daring to swallow.

Princess Yuxi drained her cup in one go and laughed. “This is Lixue Brew; it’s the most sweet and refreshing. It tastes good, doesn’t it?”

Chi Ying froze. It was actually Lixue Brew.

Seeing Princess Yuxi finish her cup, she doubtfully licked her lips. She actually tasted a faint scent of pear blossoms in the liquid, completely different from the taste Prince Zhao had given her last time.

That night, she had only tasted strength and spice.

She stole a glance at Prince Zhao.

Yan Xuecuī’s expression was normal as he spoke casually, “Yuxi, your sister-in-law cannot handle her wine. Do not urge her to drink more.”

This time, Princess Yuxi obediently stopped.

Chi Ying held her wine cup and took another small sip. The flavor on the tip of her tongue was fragrant and mellow; it was indeed different from that night.

So Prince Zhao had lied to her? That wine hadn’t been Lixue Brew at all?

But why would he do that?

Thinking it over, after that night, other than her lips being a bit swollen, nothing seemed to have changed. Prince Zhao’s attitude toward her was the same as usual, and they had even kissed many times afterward.

Excluding the possibility that her identity was exposed… did he lure her into drinking just to kiss her?

He was a Prince; why would he go to such lengths?

Chi Ying felt as if she were trapped in a confusing circle she couldn’t escape. However, one thing was certain: she was indeed bad with alcohol. Having only taken a shallow sip, she already felt the wine going to her head. Her cheeks were slightly hot, and a ball of dark fire seemed to be burning in her chest.

Was her tolerance really that poor?

Yan Xuecuī rubbed her palm and noticed it was somewhat hot. He frowned. “Are you unwell?”

Chi Ying shook her head. “No.”

The alcohol was just showing on her face; she was far from being drunk.

Yan Xuecuī said, “Your palms are very hot.”

Chi Ying: “…”

This man’s perceptiveness was truly awe-inspiring.

She said helplessly, “I just had some soup, so I’m a bit warm. It’s fine.”

All around the banquet, people were toasted and laughing. Noblewomen and consorts were exchanging cups and chatting; no one was like her, getting dizzy after just a drop of wine. She was afraid people would mock her if she spoke of it.

Being very close, Yan Xuecuī caught a faint, lingering fragrance that seemed to come from her hair. “Are you wearing a peony?”

Chi Ying nodded. “Yes, the Empress bestowed flowers. I chose a ‘Silver Red Reflecting Jade.'”

Hearing him ask so suddenly, she remembered the Soul-Departure Pills in the wooden box. Her chest tightened, and she leaned closer to him, asking in a voice only they could hear, “Is something wrong?”

Her soft body pressed against him, and the peony atop her head became even more fragrant. Although the banquet was surrounded by flowers and scents that could easily interfere with one’s sense of smell, he keenly detected another dark fragrance distinct from the flowers.

However, this scent was extremely faint, as if it weren’t attached to the peony on her head but was more like a scent picked up from someone else while passing by.

Yan Xuecuī asked, “Did you have close contact with anyone today?”

Chi Ying was puzzled but tried to remember. “I only met several Imperial Brothers and Sisters-in-law with you, three princesses, Consort Li, Concubine Wen… I only had more contact with Princess Yuxi. With the others, it was just standard greetings, no other interaction.”

Yan Xuecuī couldn’t distinguish much for the moment. After a pause, he said, “If you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me beforehand.”

Chi Ying whispered, “Alright.”

After several rounds of wine, another song and dance concluded.

Yan Xuecuī suddenly asked, “Is someone looking at us?”

Chi Ying, feeling increasingly drowsy from the wine, reacted slowly. She scanned the surroundings and saw Prince Xuan and his wife sitting directly across the courtyard. She looked over, and Prince Xuan was indeed looking at her, even giving her a slight smile.

Chi Ying assumed it was just an accidental crossing of gazes, but thinking it would be impolite not to respond, she forced a smile back at him.

Yan Xuecuī noticed she hadn’t answered for a long time. His jaw tightened slightly as he called her in a low voice, “Princess Consort.”

Chi Ying blinked slowly and withdrew her gaze. “Your Highness?”

Yan Xuecuī spoke with a half-smile, “Who is the Princess Consort looking at?”

Chi Ying had only exchanged a glance with Prince Xuan; there was no need to mention such a small thing. Plus, her head was swimming and she didn’t have the energy to explain, so she just said softly, “Nothing, everyone is just drinking.”

Seeing his expression turn slightly displeased, Chi Ying took his hand and gave it a gentle shake. “Your Highness, when can we go back?”

She had already seen someone leave their seat; the figure looked like a certain Princess Consort.

Yan Xuecuī asked, “You want to go back?”

Chi Ying’s cheeks were flushed, and her fingers rested on his arm as if seeking support. “…Yes.”

Yan Xuecuī finally realized something was wrong.

She had always been careful and restrained in front of him. Even in bed, she would lie down obediently, being very submissive but rarely taking the initiative. Especially at a palace banquet with so many eyes watching, given her shy and introverted nature, she would never proactively grasp his arm. Her voice had even slowed down, trailing off with a soft, sticky quality that sounded like she was acting spoiled.

Yan Xuecuī heard her slightly heavy breathing. He took the wine cup in front of her and weighed it; more than half was left, and he hadn’t heard her pour a second cup. So, from beginning to end today, she had only drunk that one small sip of Lixue Brew.

Mere Lixue Brew had almost negligible potency. That night, he had given her Bawang Zui, a strong liquor soldiers at the border drank to ward off the winter cold. Compared to that, Lixue Brew was no different from a sweet drink. How could she be drunk so easily?

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the hall. Kang Fu, the Chief Eunuch of Qianqing Palace, had a grim expression as he walked quickly to the Emperor’s side and whispered a few words. Emperor Yongcheng’s face changed instantly. He cursed, “Simply outrageous!” and immediately stood up with a dark face to handle the matter.

The people in the hall didn’t know what was happening and began to whisper among themselves. Several other consorts and princes also received news, their faces changing as they hastily left the banquet.

Cheng Huai had been watching for movements outside the hall. Having found out what happened, he immediately returned to report. Since it was a grave matter, he didn’t dare speak loudly, leaning in to whisper, “The Princess Consort of Rui couldn’t handle her wine and went to the side hall to rest. Unluckily, the Eighth Prince stumbled in while drunk just now…”

At this, Yan Xuecuī understood.

The Eighth Prince was currently in marriage negotiations with the daughter of Pei Zhi, the Governor of Jiliao. Pei Zhi held massive military power, commanding the military and political affairs of Jizhou, Baoding, and Liaodong. With such a powerful border official as a father-in-law, how could people not be envious?

Therefore, even if nothing had actually happened between the Eighth Prince and the Princess Consort of Rui, this marriage was definitely ruined. This move not only sabotaged the Eighth Prince’s marriage but also drove a wedge between Prince Rui and the Eighth Prince. As the mother of the heir, the Princess Consort of Rui would also have a rift with Prince Rui from now on.

Today, the female guests were all drinking Lixue Brew. Usually, an entire pot wouldn’t make one this drunk. The Princess Consort of Rui had likely been drugged, which was why she went to the side hall to rest while her head was spinning…

As he pondered, the girl leaned closer to him again.

Yan Xuecuī pulled her into his arms, once again smelling that strange fragrance from the peony on her head. He thought for a moment, then lowered his head to ask her, “Did you have contact with the Princess Consort of Rui today?”

Princess Consort of Rui… Chi Ying remembered and murmured, “Yes, I picked out my peony alongside her.”

Now, even when she spoke, her breath was scalding, falling in strands against the man’s neck.

Yan Xuecuī’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He asked in a deep voice, “Were your peonies kept together?”

Chi Ying: “…Yes.”

Yan Xuecuī closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Burning desire crashed beneath his skin, the veins on his neck bulging.

***

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