020

It was early summer, and the Imperial Garden was ablaze with color, with lotus blossoms in full bloom on the lake. Si Mianmian, invited by the Fifth Prince Si Rong, went to the waterside pavilion to admire the lotuses. The Fifth Prince, whose mother had died early, was raised by the Virtuous Consort. He was lively and outgoing, and loved excitement. Because Si Mianmian had "accidentally" given him a hint a few days earlier, sparing him a difficult test in the study, he had become much closer to this Ninth Princess.

Besides the Fifth Prince, there were several other people in the pavilion. The Sixth Prince, Si Yujin, sat alone in a corner, sipping tea, as quiet and aloof as ever; the Crown Prince, Rong Jingyu, leaned against the railing, casually tossing fish food into the water, causing the koi to thrash about; to Si Mianmian's surprise, the Yan Dynasty's hostage, Xuan Jing, was also present, playing chess with the Fifth Prince, his expression focused.

The sight of these people gathered together was quite unusual. Si Mianmian's heart stirred slightly, but a surprised and slightly shy smile bloomed on her face as she stepped forward to greet them one by one: "Mianmian greets Fifth Imperial Brother, Sixth Imperial Brother, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness Xuanjing."

"Ninth Sister is here! Please sit down!" The Fifth Prince, Si Rong, was extremely hospitable and quickly invited her to sit down. "We've been waiting for you. We were just about to play the lotus flower game!"

Rong Jingyu's peach blossom eyes darted around and landed on Si Mianmian, a playful smile curving her lips: "Oh, little darling, you look quite well today. It seems the bird's nest in the Empress Dowager's palace is very nourishing." These words indicated that she was currently enjoying the Emperor's favor, but they also carried a hint of intimate teasing.

Si Mianmian blushed slightly and whispered, "Young Master is teasing Mianmian again..."

Xuan Jing glanced at her, his gaze calm, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then focused on the chess game again. Si Yujin gently pushed a plate of freshly picked and peeled lotus seeds in front of her, her voice flat: "Fresh, good for clearing heat."

Survival Handbook Rule #20: When in the spotlight, you need to be tactful and diplomatic, making every "important person" feel valued while maintaining a delicate balance without favoring any one side too much.

Si Mianmian felt a warmth in her heart, knowing this was the Sixth Prince's silent concern. She thanked him politely, picked up a lotus seed, and put it in her mouth; its sweetness instantly filled her tongue. She observed the people in the pavilion discreetly, her mind racing. These people belonged to different factions, their relationships subtle; their gathering here today was no coincidence. The Fifth Prince, innocent and carefree, might be unintentional, but the other three… especially Rong Jingyu and Xuan Jing—their presence must have a deeper meaning.

The drinking games began, consisting of refined activities like reciting poems and composing couplets. Si Mianmian deliberately concealed her brilliance, occasionally offering a line or two that was neither outstanding nor flawed, but mostly she simply listened with her chin in her hand, occasionally displaying an expression of admiration or contemplation, leaving the stage to the princes and heirs. She knew that in this setting, appearing too intelligent was not a good thing; a well-placed air of "ignorance" and "admiration" would better satisfy the vanity of these privileged young men and also better conceal her own abilities.

However, accidents always happen unexpectedly. After several rounds, a maid came forward to refill everyone's tea. Just as she was pouring tea for Si Mianmian, she tripped over something, stumbled, and the entire pot of freshly brewed, scalding hot tea splashed straight onto the back of Si Mianmian's hand!

"Ah!" Si Mianmian exclaimed, instinctively trying to pull her hand away, but it was too late. A sharp pain shot through the back of her hand, and her fair skin instantly turned red.

"Mianmian!"

"Ninth Sister!"

Several voices rang out almost simultaneously.

The Fifth Prince, Si Rong, who was closest to her, jumped up in fright, scrambling to his feet. The Sixth Prince, Si Yujin, had already quickly stood up, shoving aside the terrified maid with a swift movement that created a gust of wind. His brows furrowed, he grabbed Si Mianmian's wrist to examine the injury, his voice still cold, but with a barely perceptible tension: "Don't move, let me see." He had been frail for many years and always kept various medicinal herbs by his side; he had already taken out a delicate little porcelain bottle from his sleeve.

Almost at the same time, another hand reached out—it was Xuan Jing's. He held a plain white handkerchief between his fingers, seemingly wanting to press it against her wound, but when he met Si Yujin's cold gaze, his movements paused slightly, and the handkerchief stopped in mid-air.

Rong Jingyu's reaction was completely different. He didn't step forward immediately. Instead, he sharply scanned the trembling maid who was lying on the ground, then slowly looked around at the expressions of everyone in the pavilion before finally walking over to Si Mianmian. His tone was somewhat cold: "Clumsy thing, take her away and investigate which palace she's from. How could she be so careless?" These words seemed to be about punishing the maid, but in fact, they revealed the word "accident" and led to a deeper possibility.

Survival Handbook Postscript: Accidents can sometimes be a mirror, revealing true intentions and falsehoods; sometimes they can also be a touchstone, testing the undercurrents of various forces.

"Hiss..." Si Mianmian's eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but she held them back. She gently tugged at Si Yujin's sleeve with her uninjured hand, her voice trembling with sobs, "Sixth Brother...it hurts..."

This vulnerable, helpless, and completely dependent appearance instantly touched the softest part of the hearts of the young men present. Si Yujin ignored Xuan Jing, quickly opened the medicine bottle, and carefully applied the cool ointment to Si Mianmian's swollen hand. His movements were extremely gentle, a stark contrast to his usual cold and hard image.

Xuan Jing silently put away her handkerchief, watching Si Yujin apply the medicine to her, her eyes deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.

Rong Jingyu bent down, leaned close to Si Mianmian, and whispered in his usual magnetic, lazy voice, "Little darling, don't be afraid. Your brother will blow on it and it won't hurt anymore." As he spoke, he actually blew gently on the back of her hand, the warm breath brushing over the wound and bringing a strange tingling sensation.

Si Mianmian's face flushed instantly, and this time it wasn't entirely feigned. She glanced quickly at Rong Jingyu, then lowered her head again, her voice barely a whisper: "Thank... thank you, Your Highness..."

The Fifth Prince, Si Rong, paced anxiously to the side: "Quick! Go and summon the imperial physician! No, bring a sedan chair directly and send Ninth Sister back to Zhuixia Pavilion!"

The commotion had already alerted the patrolling guards and palace servants nearby. The news spread like wildfire throughout the inner palace.

The first to arrive was Crown Prince Si Jingjin. He was clearly dealing with state affairs, but rushed over upon hearing the news, still wearing his apricot-yellow crown prince's robes, his brows bearing a trace of lingering sharpness. He strode into the pavilion, his gaze first falling on Si Mianmian's swollen hand, his eyes suddenly turning cold, then sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on the maid being escorted by guards.

"What's going on?" The crown prince's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Rong Jingyu casually chimed in, but his tone was chilling: "Your Highness, you should really ask this servant how it could be such a 'coincidence' that the Ninth Princess was burned."

Si Jingjin walked to Si Mianmian's side, carefully examined her injuries, and said in a deep voice, "Will the medicine work?" He was referring to Si Yujin.

Si Yujin nodded: "Your Majesty, I have applied a cleansing and detoxifying ointment to Ninth Sister, which can temporarily relieve the pain, but she still needs a thorough examination by the imperial physician."

Si Jingjin grunted in acknowledgment and instructed his attendants, "Immediately summon the imperial physician to Zhuixia Pavilion. Take this person to the Shenxing Division and interrogate him rigorously!" He pointed to the ashen-faced maid, his tone chilling. These words effectively classified the matter as one that "requires thorough investigation."

Soon, Consort Wen arrived upon hearing the news. Seeing her daughter injured, she was heartbroken and burst into tears. Si Mianmian, however, comforted her mother: "Mother, don't cry. Mianmian is not in pain anymore. Sixth Brother's medicine is very effective."

Just as everyone was preparing to escort Si Mianmian back to the palace, the Empress Dowager's trusted old nanny arrived, bringing with her an imperial edict and a large quantity of precious medicinal herbs and tonics. She said that the Empress Dowager was very concerned upon hearing the news and instructed the Ninth Princess to rest and recuperate. Immediately afterward, the Emperor's chief eunuch also arrived with gifts, saying that the Emperor knew the Ninth Princess had been frightened and had specially bestowed upon her these precious items to calm her nerves and soothe her nerves.

In an instant, this small waterside pavilion became the focus of attention and concern for almost the entire harem due to the unexpected injury of the Ninth Princess, Si Mianmian. The Crown Prince, the two princes, the heirs of princes of different surnames, the hostages of enemy countries, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor... This "honor" is probably unparalleled in the entire harem.

Si Mianmian was carefully helped into the sedan chair. Before leaving, she glanced back at the various expressions on the faces of the people in the pavilion, her gaze finally meeting Xuan Jing's calm and unwavering eyes. He still stood there, like a jade sculpture, but Si Mianmian saw a faint, indescribable, complex emotion in his eyes.

Rong Jingyu winked at her and silently mouthed, "I'll come see you later."

Si Yujin followed silently beside the sedan chair, while Crown Prince Si Jingjin personally escorted him for a part of the journey.

Back at Zhuixia Pavilion, the imperial physician was already waiting. After a careful examination, he confirmed that it was just a superficial injury and that no bones or tendons had been damaged. With proper medication, there would be no scarring, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

That night, Zhuixia Pavilion was bustling with activity. Consorts from all the palaces, whether their intentions were genuine or not, sent gifts to express their condolences. Si Mianmian leaned against the couch, looking at the white gauze wrapped around the back of her hand, while Qiuhe chattered on and on about the reactions from all sides.

She gently stroked the wound beneath the gauze, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.

The pain from this accident was real.

But it's also true that misfortune can turn into a blessing in disguise.

This "little white lotus" has, with this injury, definitively cemented her status as the "group's darling." Not only has it reaffirmed the protective instincts of the Crown Prince and Empress Dowager, but it has also significantly increased her presence and affection in the Emperor's eyes. Even the enigmatic hostage, Xuan Jing, seems to have shown a hint of unusual attention because of this unexpected incident.

The final lesson of the survival manual: Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune. The wisest way to survive is to transform adversity into a stepping stone to greater heights. Today's wounds become tomorrow's stronger shield.

As Si Mianmian walked this path deep within the palace, she became increasingly steady.