At the birthday banquet, Jiang Yuanfu's gaze sharpened, only to hear Qin Weixi say...

On Jiang Yuanfu's birthday, Zhao Shuhan and Ping An arrived at the Luo residence early to wait for her. With Queshe driving, the two headed to the palace together. Seeing Qin Weixi, who usually dressed elegantly and rarely wore bright clothes, suddenly dressed in such a charming outfit, she exclaimed, "Beautiful! Beautiful!"

Luo Ling then took Ping An into the East Palace to see Crown Prince Jiang Yuanjun.

Qin Weixi smiled and accepted the jade-inlaid lotus hairpin she had specially ordered from a jewelry shop some time ago from Feng Hua. She would have it polished after it was finished. For Jiang Yuanfu, she gave her a pure gold bracelet inlaid with gemstones. For Jiang Yuanjun, she gave her a writing brush in a brush box. The lower right corner of the brush box was engraved with four very small characters: "May all things bring joy." She then handed the brush box to Luo Ling, entrusting him to deliver it to Jiang Yuanjun today.

Luo Ling suddenly remembered the Zhejiang brush she had asked someone to bring back from the south that day, and now she realized that its owner was here. She couldn't help but laugh.

She placed the hairpin in Zhao Shuhan's hair and said with a smile, "I've been wanting to give this to you for a long time. How can I just give you a purse for your birthday?"

The lotus can grow in the mud unsullied, and its jade color best complements the tranquil Zhao Shuhan, who loves it very much. However, she was surprised for a moment when she looked at the hairpin's end, but she quickly understood and smiled as she squeezed Qin Weixi's palm.

Jiang Yuanfu had a palace maid present several cups of lychee wine. In previous years, the Imperial Kitchen would brew wine for the princess's birthday, brewing dozens of jars, which would then be given to the noble ladies from various families who came to the banquet on the princess's birthday. However, this spring, the princess took on the task of brewing the wine herself.

The palace maid said that this wine was brewed by the princess herself, and that it was made in small quantities but of the finest quality. The noble ladies, not understanding why, but considering the princess's favor, each covered their faces with their handkerchiefs and took a small sip, savoring it carefully.

After everyone finished their drinks, smiles spread across their faces. Several palace maids then presented each person with a special pastry from the Imperial Kitchen, each imprinted with a magnolia blossom. A noblewoman exclaimed in surprise, "Magnolia blossoms? Isn't that the magnolia blossom that our Great Xia Emperor's most beloved flower?"

A palace maid smiled and said, "This spring, when Miss Luo returned to the capital, the princess was so happy that she personally made lychee wine and also had this unique dessert made."

Qin Weixi and Zhao Shuhan were sitting inconspicuously in a corner of the garden, but they still heard the palace maid's laughter. She looked up and saw Jiang Yuanfu looking at her with a smile in the distance.

She immediately smiled back at her.

Liang Xi, who was listening intently from the side, held a wine cup in one hand, but couldn't bring herself to drink the fruit wine she was about to drink. She spoke up at the right moment, "Princess, would you like to play the zither and dance the Rainbow Dance again this year?"

Jiang Yuanfu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's always the Rainbow Dance. I haven't had enough of it, and the other sisters have had enough of watching it too."

The women immediately replied in unison, "How could that be? The princess's dance is the most graceful!"

Some people said, "With their flowing robes and graceful dances, we feel as if we have entered a fairyland in this garden."

With a faint smile still on her lips, Jiang Yuanfu glanced at the small garden outside the hanging flower gate, then quickly beckoned Zi Shu over and whispered something in her ear before looking at everyone and saying, "Let's shoot arrows."

The women were immediately surprised and intrigued. Normally, archery was a pastime for the men at banquets; they could only peek at it through the hanging flower gate.

A moment later, Meng Yu led the way, followed by groups of two or three eunuchs. Together, they placed a large wooden stake in the center of the garden and then placed a pot of lychee wine on top. Jiang Yuanfu raised her hand to smooth her hair and pulled out a red-gold peony hairpin, handing it to Zi Shu. She smiled and said, "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; let this be today's prize."

Liang Xi then said, “Princess, you have a good interest, but this is rather boring. Why not find an eunuch to hold this wine pot on his head? That way, the prize will be more interesting.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shuhan frowned slightly, about to stop him, but Qin Weixi subtly pulled her back and shook her head. She looked up at Liang Xi, a half-smile on her face.

Here we go again.

Liang Xi remembered that when Qin Jia Nu was alive, she disliked the eunuchs in the palace the most, but Jiang Yuanfu knew it was because of Cui Lu.

Princess Jiang Rong, daughter of the Prince of Jing and a former friend of Li Chuirong, the daughter of the Marquis of Wuding's Li family, suddenly spoke up: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? Ah Xi, I heard that the Luo family's daughter fell seriously ill after being frightened by your younger brother. What will you do if you frighten her again today?" Her lips curled slightly, and she smiled, but her voice had a strange tone that all the noble ladies present could hear.

As soon as these words were spoken, all the noble ladies immediately turned their gazes to Qin Weixi, who was sitting in a corner.

Zhao Shuhan frowned slightly upon hearing this, but Qin Weixi smiled gently at her, saying, "Little Shu." Then, she took a sip of lychee wine, letting them scrutinize her. The women quickly turned their attention to Pei Qing, who was facing her.

Jiang Rong was speechless, realizing she had secretly suffered a loss. Seeing that the princess hadn't expressed her opinion, the eunuch in the distance could only reluctantly pick up the lychee wine.

Jiang Yuanfu suddenly shot her a cold glare, and Jiang Rong turned her head away angrily without saying a word. She turned back to look in the direction of Qin Weixi, and a hint of anger suddenly welled up in her eyes. She swept her gaze over all the noble ladies present at the banquet and said, "Today is my birthday banquet. If any of you want to cause trouble, you should first consider your own status."

At that moment, Jiang Yuanfu suddenly stood up, picked up the bow from a eunuch, and began to draw the bow and nock an arrow. In an instant, she aimed the arrow at the wine pot above the eunuch's head.

Liang Xi immediately got up and followed her.

Everyone was startled and held their breath.

Qin Weixi held the pot in one hand and poured himself another cup of wine, which he then drank in one gulp.

Zhao Shuhan watched Jiang Yuanfu from a distance and secretly shook her head at her.

Jiang Yuanfu smiled, and just as the women thought she was about to shoot the arrow, she tossed the bow to Liang Xi beside her. She glanced at Liang Xi, her tone ambiguous: "You do it."

However, Liang Xi, who had accompanied this favored daughter of the Empress for ten years, knew that the princess was in a very bad mood at this moment.

Liang Xi chuckled dryly twice: "Princess, this humble woman does not know how to shoot arrows."

Jiang Yuanfu glanced at Liang Xi again and nodded. Seeing this, Liang Xi returned the bow to the eunuch beside him, but then suddenly heard Jiang Yuanfu say from behind, "But if Seventh Sister knows how, would you be willing to learn?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Xi abruptly raised her head, momentarily wondering if she had misheard. She looked at Jiang Yuanfu's indifferent face and asked, "Princess? What do you mean?"

However, Jiang Yuanfu did not glance at her again, and turned to instruct Zishu: "I have no interest in this. Let the palace maids dance and play music." She then slowly walked to the edge of the garden, heading in the direction of Qin Weixi.

Seeing this, Zhao Shuhan quickly offered her her seat: "Do you two want to have a private chat?"

Jiang Yuanfu smiled and said, "No need, my cousin is fine with me."

Qin Weixi looked up at her, and Jiang Yuanfu smiled gently, saying with a hint of helplessness, "My cousin was right back then. Even though I've learned how to brew wine now, it doesn't taste the same as before."

"Is it alright to drink? Did you just go to see the Empress Dowager?"

Qin Weixi smiled and said, "I'm not particular about food these days. Her Majesty the Empress asked me if my nightmares have improved recently."

Jiang Yuanfu sat down next to her, her gaze lingering on the pair of jade gourd earrings hanging from her ears. She then sighed deeply and leaned her head on Qin Weixi's shoulder. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she whispered, "I know about what happened on Gulou Street. Did you step in to annul my cousin's engagement? That Wei Zhong is such a hypocrite; I never realized it before." She smiled and continued, "Seventh Sister, I did my best back then, but I understand that compared to my brother, I still haven't done enough."

“Brother has worked so hard for the Qin and Chu families all these years, but Seventh Sister, I never expected that Fourth Brother would trust the Qin family so much.” Jiang Yuanfu murmured to herself, “Later I thought, it makes sense, because he is Chu Yening.”

"That's wonderful!" she said, clearing her throat slightly.

"Over the years, I have sent letter after letter to the border regions, but why has my fourth brother never replied to me all these years?"

Qin Weixi listened to her quietly, but her eyes held a complexity that Jiang Yuanfu could not see.

Then she asked Jiang Yuanfu, "You've been unwell since I came back. Haven't you taken good care of yourself?"

Jiang Yuanfu chuckled softly, "The snow that year was so heavy that I couldn't even see the person coming from the other side." She put one hand on Qin Weixi's arm, "Seventh Sister, I'm a year older than you. But don't you think you're more like the older sister?" Her voice was low, "Both of your brothers treat you the best, and Xiaoxing loves to hang around you too."

Qin Weixi remained silent for a long time, but then took out the bracelet from the pouch at his waist and put it on her wrist.

Jiang Yuanfu's gaze sharpened, but then she heard Qin Weixi say, "When we were little, you always said that money could only buy vulgar things in the market, but now I can only buy these vulgar things too."

Jiang Yuanfu looked at the bracelet, her gaze drifting towards the purse hanging from her waist.

Qin Weixi understood and said with a faint smile, "Didn't you say before that I wasn't good at needlework?"

Jiang Yuanfu smiled but didn't say anything.

Looking at the tall branches in the garden, Qin Weixi said to her, "Have you forgotten when you were little and you were sick and wanted to eat candied hawthorn gourds? The Imperial Kitchen made them, but you wouldn't eat them. You insisted on eating the ones that old men from the countryside sell on the streets. Back then, you insisted that they didn't taste the same, so your third brother secretly slipped out to buy them for you. When you returned to the palace, you were covered in sweat. Your fifth brother couldn't do anything about it, but he laughed and said that this must be the taste of everyday life."

Qin Weixi suddenly felt the hand on her arm tighten. When she looked at Jiang Yuanfu again, the person in front of her was pale and had tears in her eyes.

Jiang Yuanfu choked up a little as she said, "Seventh Sister, you remember everything?"

Just as Qin Weixi was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of Liang Xi approaching. Soon, Liang Xi drew near and, using her skirt as cover, knelt down to present Jiang Yuanfu with a peach-colored purse.

Liang Xi lowered her eyes and said, "I was ignorant back then, and only later did I learn that this item was a gift from the Empress Dowager to the Qin family. In that case, at the Princess's birthday banquet today, I will return this earring to the royal family and to the Princess."

Melodious songs filled the garden as palace maids danced gracefully.

Some people didn't understand, while others who were nearby heard it all.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanfu subconsciously glanced at Qin Weixi beside her, but Qin Weixi didn't even look at Liang Xi. Jiang Yuanfu understood and quickly said, "No need. Since it was a gift from the Empress Dowager, it's yours."

Liang Xi's heart skipped a beat. When did the princess start turning her away? For the past ten years, the princess had been so kind to her on so many occasions. As a result, she had used the princess's influence to rise above the other women from prominent families. Her Liang family had also gradually begun to prosper.

Yes, it started from the day Luo's daughter returned to Beijing.

She had been dressed in a pale yellow silk gown, expecting the princess to be delighted to see her. However, she first encountered the Luo family's daughter at the Floating Jade Pavilion, which caused some unpleasantness. She then put this aside and went to the princess's palace to find her, only to learn that the princess had gone to fetch wine, and the palace maids asked her to wait. In the past two years, the princess had come of age and moved into her own palace, becoming increasingly fond of quietude, dismissing many of her attendants and leaving only a small number of palace servants.

When Liang Xi came here today, the palace maid saw that she was a "new favorite" of the princess in recent years, so she went to find her some herbal tea and candied fruit, intending to treat her well.

Liang Xi was sitting quietly on a chair in the outer hall when she suddenly heard a dog barking from the princess's bedroom in the inner room. Then she saw a large hunting dog dart out from the inner room.

Liang Xi was startled and quickly stood up. She was genuinely afraid of dogs, having been terrified years ago by the large wolfhound owned by the heir of the Jingning Marquis's mansion. She nearly jumped back onto her chair, exclaiming, "Quick, grab it!"

The remaining palace maids, fearing they would disturb the noble ladies attending the banquet, mostly began searching for the dog.

Two palace maids surrounded her to protect her. One of them quickly comforted her, saying, "It's the dog that the Empress of Kunning Palace keeps. It won't bite anyone, so don't worry, Miss." After saying that, the palace maid hurriedly turned around and went to the inner hall to close the open hall door tightly.

Liang Xi said anxiously, "How could it not bite? That Chu family..." Knowing that she was now in the vast and deep palace, she quickly stopped talking, "You should go and find Gou'er. You don't need to protect me anymore. Many noble ladies have come to the palace today. If the princess's birthday banquet is ruined, it will be difficult to explain to the Empress."

Seeing her furrowed brows and uneasy expression, the two palace maids had no choice but to go and search for her as instructed.

It was said that the Empress of Kunning Palace disliked keeping pets the most, so why is she keeping such a large hunting dog now? Liang Xi couldn't help but secretly grumble to herself.

Thinking of this, she secretly glanced into the princess's inner chamber. The hunting dog had run out from there, and the palace maids seemed to be hiding something. She looked around the chamber and saw no one else besides herself. After a moment's thought, her throat tightened, and somehow, she found herself walking towards the inner chamber as if possessed.

Inside the bedchamber, a magnificent dressing table and a clothes rack beside it were filled with pearls, jade, and silk, while the antique display shelf opposite was filled with all kinds of jeweled boxes of different sizes.

She truly is the emperor's favored daughter.

Liang Xi stared blankly for a moment, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the bottom shelf of the display case and was immediately drawn to a square wooden box that was locked.

For no other reason than that the first thing that struck her when she saw it was a shock, because the lacquer of the wooden box gave off a chilling feeling at first glance.

She suddenly remembered the coffin she had seen after her second brother, Liang Bai, died.

Yes, that's the color.

Why would such a horrifying object be found in the princess's palace?

Thinking to herself, she strode forward, her eyes fixed on the wooden box without blinking, her heart pounding. Curious, she noticed the box was locked, and fearing a palace maid might return from the outer hall, she considered retreating immediately.

A warm breeze drifted in from the inner hall's window. Turning around, she saw a key scattered on the floor inside the window, though she couldn't tell where it had been hidden. After a moment's thought, she realized that the hunting dog must have accidentally knocked something over and dropped it.

She turned her gaze to the black wooden box on the display shelf, and without hesitation, picked up the key and walked towards the shelf.