Qi Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she held her breath. This was clearly a conspiracy against the Crown Prince! She peeked out and saw two men in court robes standing behind the artificial hill, but due to the angle, she couldn't see their faces.

"Who's there?" Suddenly, a cold shout came from behind.

Qi Yue trembled with fright and turned around to see Xin Suiyun standing behind her, his eyes sharp as knives.

The sounds from behind the artificial hill abruptly ceased, followed by hurried footsteps. Xin Suiyun immediately gave chase, but the two had already vanished into the depths of the garden.

"What did you hear?" Xin Suiyun asked, her face even colder as she returned.

Still shaken, Qi Yue stammered as she recounted the conversation she had just overheard.

Xin Suiyun frowned, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Why did you come to this remote place?"

"I...I just wanted to find a quiet place..." Qi Yue was frightened by his interrogative tone, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Xin Suiyun's expression softened slightly: "This place is not safe to stay any longer. I'll take you back to the banquet."

On the way back, the two remained silent. It wasn't until they saw the lights of the banquet that Xin Suiyun suddenly spoke: "Don't mention today's events to anyone, including the Crown Prince."

Qi Yue looked at him in surprise: "Why? Those people clearly wanted to harm the Crown Prince..."

“I have my own plans,” Xin Suiyun interrupted her. “If you get too involved, you’ll only bring trouble upon yourself.”

His tone remained indifferent, but Qi Yue detected a hint of concern in it. This gave her the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind: "Are you... are you alright?"

Xin Suiyun was clearly taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to ask that. He gave Qi Yue a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "No need for Miss Qi to trouble herself."

After saying that, he turned and left, his black figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Qi Yue stood there, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Xin Suiyun's attitude remained indifferent, but this time, she seemed to see a crack beneath the cold exterior.

Back at the banquet, Xin Rui immediately came to greet her: "Yue'er, where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages."

Remembering Xin Suiyun's instructions, Qi Yue had no choice but to make up an excuse: "I just went a bit too far and got lost."

Xin Rui was skeptical, but didn't ask any further questions. At this moment, Crown Princess Su Qingwan walked over and said to Qi Yue with a smile, "Sister Yue'er, Her Majesty the Empress said she would reward the girl who painted the best today. Come and see everyone's works."

Qi Yue was pulled by the Crown Princess towards the pavilion, but her mind was still preoccupied with what had just happened. The conspirators' contemptuous attitude towards Xin Suiyun, and Xin Suiyun's intention in asking her to keep it a secret, all made her uneasy.

The chrysanthemum appreciation banquet ended at 7 PM. Before leaving the palace, the Empress specially kept Qi Yue behind and gave her a brocade box.

"This is calming incense from the South. I've heard you've been having trouble sleeping lately. Burning this might help," the Empress said kindly. "Yue'er, you've been frail since childhood, so you must take good care of yourself."

Qi Yue accepted it with gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

On the carriage back to the manor, Qi Yue remained silent. Xin Rui assumed she was tired and didn't disturb her.

However, Qi Yue was repeatedly pondering what she had seen and heard that day. Xin Suiyun's true colors, the undercurrents of crisis in the court, and the secret plan concerning the Northern Di delegation... everything was like a large net, slowly enveloping her.

What puzzled her even more was that Xin Suiyun clearly cared about the Crown Prince's safety, so why wouldn't she tell the Crown Prince about the conspiracy she had overheard? What exactly was he planning?

When the carriage stopped in front of the Qi residence, Qi Yue had already made up her mind: she would find out the truth behind everything. Not only to resolve her confusion about Xin Suiyun, but also for the safety of her cousin, the Crown Prince, and the entire Qi family.

This decision terrified her, yet it also brought a renewed sense of resolve she had never felt before. Perhaps it was time to step out of that overly protected world and confront the harsh realities of life.

As night fell, the gates of the Qi residence slowly opened, letting in warm light that illuminated her path. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace's secret guard quarters, far away in a corner of the imperial palace, Xin Suiyun stared blankly at the candlelight, the wound on his arm throbbing slightly, his mind filled with thoughts of the Third Miss Qi, who always looked at him with timid eyes.

"Why her of all..." he muttered to himself, a hint of pain and struggle flashing in his eyes.

The cold moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a long, long shadow of his loneliness. The gears of fate were turning faster and faster.

Chapter Five: The Mist Gradually Disperses

Back at the Qi residence, Qi Yue spent a sleepless night. The Empress's calming incense lay quietly on her dressing table, but she had no desire to light it. The scenes of the conspiracy behind the artificial hill and Xin Suiyun's enigmatic attitude kept replaying in her mind.

The next morning, Qi Yue had developed faint dark circles under her eyes. During breakfast, her mother, Xin Xiyao, asked with concern, "Yue'er, were you tired from the palace banquet last night? Why do you look so pale?"

Qi Yue forced a smile: "I just didn't sleep well, I'm sorry to have worried my mother."

Xin Xiyao glanced at her thoughtfully, but didn't ask any further questions. Her father, Qi Huaihe, however, put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "The Northern Barbarian delegation arrived in the capital today, and the city is under heavy security. Avoid going out unless absolutely necessary these next few days."

Qi Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she asked cautiously, "Father, what is the purpose of the Northern Di delegation's visit to the capital this time?"

Qi Huaihe and Xin Xiyao exchanged a glance and sighed softly, "On the surface, it's to celebrate His Majesty's birthday, but in reality, they want to take this opportunity to test the strength of our dynasty. There has been a power shift within the Northern Barbarians, and the newly enthroned Third Prince Ashina Lu is ambitious. We must be wary of him."

Qi Yue recalled hearing "everything is proceeding according to plan" behind the artificial hill, and her unease deepened. She lowered her head and ate her meal in silence, secretly determined to find out the truth.

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