015
On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, just after the Little New Year, a heavy snowfall adorned the Yu Dynasty's imperial palace in a silver-white blanket, yet it couldn't conceal the tense atmosphere that quietly permeated the air. A sudden imperial edict, like a boulder thrown into a frozen lake, instantly shattered the surface tranquility—
His Majesty has issued an edict appointing the Third Prince, Si Jingjin, as Crown Prince, placing him in the Eastern Palace.
The imperial edict was personally read aloud by the emperor's most trusted chief eunuch during the morning court session. Its words were earnest, praising the third prince as "possessing both literary and martial talents, filial piety and wisdom, closely resembling the emperor himself, and fit to inherit the throne." The news shocked both the court and the harem, immediately triggering a turbulent undercurrent of unrest.
Inside the Zhuixia Pavilion, Si Mianmian was practicing calligraphy by the window when she heard Qiu He running up breathlessly to report. Her wrist trembled slightly, and a drop of rich ink fell onto the Xuan paper, quickly spreading into a dark blot. She slowly put down her brush, her face still showing that docile and innocent expression, but countless thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning.
Survival Handbook Rule Fifteen: In the eye of the storm, panic is the worst thing you can do. The greater the change, the more you need to remain absolutely calm to analyze the pros and cons and find your own glimmer of hope or a ladder to advancement.
"Third brother... has been named crown prince?" She raised her eyes, her gaze revealing just the right amount of surprise and joy, as if it were just an ordinary happy event.
"Yes, Princess! It's all over the palace now!" Qiu He's face was flushed with excitement. In her simple mind, the Third Prince was her princess's half-brother. If he gained power, life in Zhuixia Pavilion would naturally be better.
Si Mianmian smiled faintly, but her mind was perfectly clear. Si Jingjin's appointment as Crown Prince seemed like a glorious moment, but in reality, it was a step to the top, and also a step to the bottom. This was by no means the dust had settled, but rather the beginning of a much larger storm. How could those princes who had originally coveted the throne, and the forces behind them, such as the Second Prince's faction, or even the other older princes with prominent maternal families, be content with this? Countless eyes in the palace and the court would be fixed on the Eastern Palace, searching for the slightest mistake. And they, this "weak" pair sharing the same mother as the Crown Prince, would undoubtedly be pushed to the forefront, becoming, in the eyes of some, the perfect tool to attack and restrain the Crown Prince.
Good fortune may be the harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be the harbinger of good fortune. At this moment, Zhuixia Pavilion needs to be more cautious than ever before.
Sure enough, less than half a day after the imperial edict was issued, Zhuixia Pavilion unexpectedly received a wave of "visitors." First came several low-ranking concubines who usually ignored Consort Wen and her daughter, who came together to "congratulate" them. Their conversations were mostly inquiries about whether Consort Wen was about to be moved to another palace and whether Si Mianmian would frequently visit the Eastern Palace. Si Mianmian only accompanied her mother, Consort Wen, putting on a show of being flattered and dutiful, deflecting all the inquiries with "Father's imperial will is absolute, and Mother Consort and I only know to be dutiful and dare not speak recklessly."
After seeing off wave after wave of insincere "congratulators," Si Mianmian sat alone by the window, gazing at the pristine white snow outside, her mind calm. She recalled the day Si Jingjin returned to the capital, and his seemingly casual yet weighty words in the Zhuixia Pavilion: "Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), after the audience at the Imperial Study, accompany me to my mother's palace." She remembered the barely perceptible protectiveness beneath his cold exterior. This elder brother was a man of deep thoughts and decisive action, no ordinary person. His selection as Crown Prince must have been the result of the Emperor's careful consideration, meaning he possessed enough leverage or power to sway the Emperor's decision.
But this is far from enough. Appointing him as crown prince is only the first step; the real test lies in whether he can secure his position and successfully inherit the throne. Si Jingjin needs more support, and he also needs… someone to see through the hidden dangers lurking deep within the palace.
As evening fell, the personal guard commander named "Xuanwu" who was by Si Jingjin's side quietly came to Zhuixia Pavilion. Without alerting anyone, he respectfully handed Si Mianmian a small, cool-to-the-touch black iron token with an ancient character "Jing" engraved on it.
"His Highness instructed that this item be given to the Ninth Princess. His Highness said, 'If there is any emergency in the palace, this token can be used to directly enter the outer perimeter of the East Palace to find me, which may avoid some unnecessary trouble.' His Highness also instructed me to tell the Princess, 'Rest assured, I am here.'"
After the guards left, Si Mianmian stroked the token, its cool, hard texture calming her slightly. It wasn't just a promise of protection, but also a silent acknowledgment and an invisible connection. Si Jingjin was telling her in his own way that they were now a community of shared interests.
However, merely passively accepting protection is not Si Mianmian's way of survival. She needs to demonstrate her own value in order to bind herself more tightly to her new elder brother, the Crown Prince, and gain a true foothold in the coming storm.
A few days later, one afternoon, Si Mianmian used the excuse of going to the Imperial Garden to pick plum blossoms, but actually took a detour to the "servants' area," the most well-informed place in the palace. She deliberately found a sheltered spot and "accidentally" overheard two old eunuchs whispering. The conversation concerned a certain prince of the imperial clan who had not been on good terms with the Third Prince. Recently, he seemed to be in close contact with old acquaintances from the Second Prince's residence. In his words, he expressed some dissatisfaction with the new Crown Prince and even mentioned some old matters, as if he intended to dredge up old grievances.
Si Mianmian's heart stirred, and she left without making a sound. She did not go directly to the East Palace, but returned to Zhuixia Pavilion, found the "Qingjing Jing" scroll that Si Jingjin had sent her before, and wrote down the message she had heard in the blank space of one of the pages using a special medicinal juice that only became visible when heated, in extremely small and neat characters. The words were extremely concise and subtle, only giving hints, without adding any subjective speculation.
Then, she carefully cut out the page of scripture, folded it neatly, called Qiuhe over, and instructed her, "Send this page of scripture to Sixth Brother. Tell him that Mianmian borrowed Sixth Brother's 'Qingjing Jing' the other day and found that there was a note here that was not very clear. She was puzzled and specially copied this page to ask for his guidance. She hopes that Sixth Brother can help Mianmian when he has free time."
Although Qiu He didn't understand her meaning, seeing the princess's solemn expression, she delivered it as instructed. Si Mianmian knew that Si Yujin and Si Jingjin had a delicate relationship, but facing a possible external threat, they might share common interests. Moreover, Si Yujin was meticulous and would surely understand her hints. It would be much safer for him to pass the message to Si Jingjin more naturally than for her to do it directly.
Survival Handbook Note: When sending danger signals, indirect methods are often safer than direct ones. Using someone else's strength against them can achieve your goal while minimizing your own vulnerability.
Two days later, news circulated in the palace that the prince had been reprimanded by the emperor for "inappropriate words and actions" and had his salary reduced by half a year. Meanwhile, Si Jingjin, in a seemingly ordinary audience between the emperor and his ministers, successfully took over some of the defense matters of the capital region that had originally been under the jurisdiction of the second prince.
When the news arrived, Si Mianmian was arranging a vase of newly picked red plum blossoms for Consort Wen. Her slender fingers gently brushed over the delicate petals, and a barely perceptible smile curved her lips.
This innocent, pure white lotus not only had to survive in the deep palace, but also had to cleverly climb the social ladder by taking advantage of the new crown prince's influence. The crown prince had already accepted her "gift" and responded with actions. This was undoubtedly a successful, silent consolidation of an alliance.
However, Si Mianmian also knew clearly that this was only the beginning. The power reshuffling brought about by the establishment of the crown prince was far from over; more open and covert struggles were on the way. The unpredictable Crown Prince Rong Jingyu, the ambiguous Sixth Prince Si Yujin, and even other factions in the palace would all readjust their strategies because of the establishment of the crown prince.
Outside the window, the sun had just cleared after the snow, and the sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.
Si Mianmian narrowed her eyes slightly. This path through the deep palace, due to Si Jingjin's investiture, had entered a new and more dangerous phase, but it also meant that more possibilities had opened up.
The storm is coming, and this seemingly delicate little white lotus will surely have its roots grow deeper and spread further.
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