Mei Xiyuan said meaningfully, "It seems that what I was looking for was right under my nose. Lu Tianjiao's arrival is very timely. I was just wondering how I could see her again."

Granny Zhao looked puzzled and asked, "Does the Princess want to see Miss Lu because...?"

Mei Xiyuan sneered and slowly said, "Granny, do you believe that I, the Princess Consort, have been used as a pawn by that girl surnamed Lu... Yes, a pawn in her revenge. If I'm not mistaken, this Miss Lu has probably long harbored ill intentions towards our high and mighty Prince Qin. Hmph... What a 'junior sister,' speaking the most high-sounding words while doing the most despicable and vile things behind the scenes."

At first, Granny Zhao was confused, but as she listened further, she seemed to understand a little more. However, she asked, as if to confirm, "Does Miss Lu really harbor ill intentions towards His Highness Prince Qin?"

At this moment, Mei Xiyuan exhaled a deep breath and looked at the plate of pastries that Zhao Mama had just brought in and placed beside her. It was a plate of delicate, round, yellow-brown pastries with a red plum blossom on top. She elegantly reached out, picked up a piece, brought it to her nose, and gently smelled it. Looking at the red plum blossom on the pastry, she said, "What an elegant pastry. It's a pity it shouldn't overshadow the real red plum blossom."

Then, she gently peeled off the flaky pastry topped with red plum blossoms before enjoying the pastry.

Granny Zhao stared at her blankly, wondering what Mei Xiyuan was really planning.

Just then, a maidservant entered and announced, "Your Highness, Miss Lu requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan immediately put down the snacks she was still eating. Granny Zhao quickly replaced them with a bowl of fragrant flower tea, and then brought over a rinsing bowl for Mei Xiyuan to rinse her mouth. Afterwards, she gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, then tidied her makeup and sat back down, waiting to meet this ignorant person who dared to use her as a pawn in his scheme.

Lu Tianjiao was indeed courageous. He was so open and honest about what he had said and done when he left the Qin Prince's mansion last time, which surprised Mei Xiyuan even more.

It had only been a few months since their last meeting, yet Lu Tianjiao still possessed a refined and elegant demeanor. Upon entering, she bowed very politely to Mei Xiyuan, saying, "This humble girl, Tianjiao, greets Your Highness, the Princess Consort of Qin."

Mei Xiyuan stared blankly at the seemingly unassuming yet incredibly intelligent woman before her, momentarily stunned, before quickly regaining her composure and saying, "Sister Tianjiao, please rise. Didn't I promise you that we would be sisters from now on? It's only been a few months, how could you have forgotten so quickly?"

"Yes, Sister Mei," Lu Tianjiao replied demurely before smiling and slowly rising. Mei Xiyuan then gestured for him to sit beside her. Immediately afterwards, a maid carried in a large food table and served various expensive teas and snacks.

Mei Xiyuan personally picked up the hot tea from the table, smiling warmly as she said, "Why did you rush here today, little sister? It's freezing outside, please take good care of yourself. Have some hot flower tea to warm yourself up."

As she spoke, she handed a bowl of exceptionally beautiful light green tea, dotted with flecks of white foam, to Lu Tianjiao. Lu Tianjiao took it, looked at it with some curiosity, and smelled it before asking, "Sister, is this also flower tea? I always thought flower tea was all tea with no flowers in it, but what's floating on top of this cup... could it be... jasmine petals?"

Mei Xiyuan smiled and said, "Sister, you are indeed clever. The jasmine tea we usually talk about is actually made by putting jasmine flowers and tea leaves together, with the jasmine flowers releasing their fragrance and the tea leaves absorbing it, and then separating the tea leaves and jasmine flowers for scenting. But this 'Jade Pool Snow' is made from the finest fresh jasmine flowers picked on a sunny day during the hottest days of summer and tender buds from early spring. Sister, look at the light green tea soup with its fluffy white specks floating on top. The color is elegant and just right. Just looking at it is pleasing to the eye and refreshing to the mind. The taste of the tea is even more mellow and delicious. Sister, would you like to try some?"

After speaking, Lu Tianjiao held the cup saucer in one hand and gently wiped the surface of the tea twice with the lid in the other before taking a sip. He immediately exclaimed, "The floral fragrance is subtle and lingers on the palate; truly a fine tea!"

Seeing that she liked it, Mei Xiyuan smiled and said, "Anything that my Dongning royal family cherishes must be the finest in the Lingkong Continent. If you like it, sister, when you go back, I'll just tell Granny Zhao to pack some for you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao quickly put down her teacup and asked with a smile, "Then I thank you for your generous gift, sister. By the way, how has Sister Mei been doing at the Prince's residence lately?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan's smile gradually faded, and then she feigned calmness and said, "Younger sister, you may not know this, but my health has never been very good since I was a child, so I need a clever female physician to take care of me."

Lu Tianjiao immediately asked with concern, "Is that so... Has Your Highness arranged someone to take care of my sister? Or does my sister already have someone suitable? If needed, I can help you inquire about some trustworthy and reliable people?"

Mei Xiyuan smiled and said, "We've found this person. He's quite a clever servant, and he'll be coming to the Prince's residence after the Lantern Festival."

“In that case, I am relieved. His Highness is usually burdened with state affairs and is also taciturn by nature, requiring someone to take care of him. I have come all the way from Dongning, and now His Highness also needs my service, which has made me even more exhausted. Therefore, you must take good care of yourself.”

Although Lu Tianjiao outwardly expressed her willingness, she was inwardly consumed by jealousy. Her heart was set on Xuan Yuanhan, which could not tolerate any additional woman in the Prince's residence, not even a lowly maid. Yet now, in just a few months, so many women had moved into the Prince's residence, one after another, but none of them had ever found their own place.

"Aren't you curious, little sister, about who this skilled female physician is who has the ability to enter the Qin Prince's mansion?" Mei Xiyuan asked, seemingly probing, interrupting Lu Tianjiao's thoughts.

Lu Tianjiao didn't know why Mei Xiyuan was saying such things to her at this moment, but in fact, her curiosity was also secretly at play. She also knew that the people in the Qin Prince's Mansion were very tight-lipped, and it seemed that only from Mei Xiyuan could she get the information she wanted. So, after a little guess, she said, "Judging from what you're saying, sister, could it be... could it be that this female doctor is also someone I know?"

Mei Xiyuan smiled, looked into her eyes and said, "That's right, I believe you are more familiar with this person than I am with her?"

Lu Tianjiao frowned and lowered her eyes, racking her brains. Suddenly, she blinked, as if she had guessed something, yet she found it somewhat unbelievable and inconceivable. She thought to herself, Mei Xiyuan has only been in Xiqin for a few months and couldn't possibly know many people. Could it be... that girl? Then she said, "Could it be that sister is talking about... Yi Shangyun... that ugly girl?"

Mei Xiyuan was surprised once again. Lu Tianjiao was indeed meticulous and intelligent. However, at the same time, she became even more certain that she had almost been used as a pawn by her. She did have that ability. This woman was not old, but she was quite shrewd and calculating.

If Lu Tianjiao's intelligence and talent could be used to her advantage—both to control her and to become her right-hand woman helping her deal with those unwanted suitors who coveted the King of Qin—it would be a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone strategy. But what should she offer as leverage in negotiating with this woman?

Then she smiled and praised, "My sister is indeed intelligent and kind-hearted."

"Sister, you flatter me. I was just guessing randomly. I didn't expect you to be right," Lu Tianjiao replied, trying to cover up her misunderstanding. She was unaware that Mei Xiyuan already had suspicions about her intentions.

Seeing that he was still putting on an act, Mei Xiyuan was also getting impatient, but she still gritted her teeth and tried her best to endure it, first trying to change the topic and continue to probe.

She smiled and said, "By the way, sister, you haven't answered your question yet. What brings you to the Prince of Qin's residence in such a hurry today?"

Lu Tianjiao blinked, seemingly somewhat worried, and said, "Sister, please don't be offended. It's not that I intentionally came to bother you because the New Year is approaching; I'm just here on my father's orders to deliver an urgent letter to His Highness."

“Sister, you are mistaken. How could I possibly mind your visit to the Prince’s Mansion? I would love for you to live here forever and keep me company... I was just curious what kind of letter would require the noble young lady of Xiqin Academy to personally go through all this trouble to deliver it?” Mei Xiyuan quickly explained to her.

“Sister, I really don’t know. I only know it’s a secret letter. My father never allows me to find out the contents of his letters to His Highness, and he absolutely forbids me from opening them without permission. He only instructed that no one else, except His Highness, should handle them,” Lu Tianjiao replied truthfully, also looking puzzled. After all, she had to obey her father’s orders.

Mei Xiyuan had been busy for half a day but hadn't gotten any information, so her patience waned. Meanwhile, Lu Tianjiao was only thinking about how Yi Shangyun would soon be living under the same roof as Xuan Yuanhan, spending every day together. The thought filled her with anger, and she gritted her teeth.

Just then, a maidservant hurriedly entered from outside, bowed to her mistress, walked to Zhao Mama's side, whispered something to her for a moment, and then left.

Upon hearing this, Granny Zhao frowned, then hurriedly whispered in Mei Xiyuan's ear, "Your Highness, His Highness has left the residence. I heard he brought his sword, and only Cheng Liang accompanied him."

Mei Xiyuan was shocked and exclaimed, "What?"

Lu Tianjiao was also startled and hurriedly asked, "Sister, what happened that you're so flustered?"

Mei Xiyuan immediately dropped her pretense, her eyes wide with terror and her tone extremely harsh as she roared at Lu Tianjiao, "What message did you deliver to His Highness today? His Highness never carries a sword when he goes out, but after seeing you, he hurriedly left the mansion with a sword. This must be related to the letter you delivered, it must be, it must be!"

Hearing this, Lu Tianjiao was also extremely worried, shaking her head desperately, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me, how could I do something to hurt Brother Han? It can't be like that, it can't be."

"Then why did he carry a sword when he went out today? Something dangerous must have happened. Hmph... Brother Han... you call him so affectionately. You've long harbored ill intentions towards His Highness Prince Qin, haven't you?" Mei Xiyuan shouted hoarsely.

Upon seeing Mei Xiyuan's ferocious expression, Lu Tianjiao was shocked. Hearing her words, his eyes quickly darted away, and he stammered, "Sister, I...I..."

At this moment, Mei Xiyuan was overwhelmed by love and lost her reason. No matter how much resentment she felt, she never wanted the person she loved most to be in danger, especially since she would rely on him to climb to the position she longed for and win the highest honor of her life.