Lin Ting looked up at the Eastern Palace before her.
The midday sun was at its peak, its rays spilling onto the yellow glazed tiles of the palace.
The refracted sunlight illuminated the vividly carved mythical creatures on the eaves, beneath which stood golden roofs and vermilion gates, adorned with intricate carvings and paintings.
Standing at the palace gate, Lin Ting could feel the grandeur unique to the royal family without even stepping inside.
However, amidst this splendor, there was a hint of coldness, a lack of human warmth that made it feel somewhat lifeless.
She averted her gaze, steeled herself, and followed the eunuch into the Eastern Palace to meet the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess was currently in the rear garden, picking flowers to make some fresh flower cakes for the Crown Prince.
Upon seeing her guests arrive, she set down the flowers and scissors in her hands.
She first glanced at Duan Xinning, then at Lin Ting, and smiled gently, “Miss Duan, who is this?”
Duan Xinning curtsied and replied, “Your Highness, this is my close friend, Lin Ting, courtesy name Leyun, the seventh daughter of the Lin family.”
Lin Ting also curtsied in greeting.
The Crown Princess had heard a bit about Lin Ting, “Miss Lin? Are you the one betrothed to Commander Duan?”
Lin Ting maintained her composure, keeping her head bowed and her eyes fixed on the bluestone floor.
It was considered highly disrespectful to look directly at a member of the royal family without permission, so even though she was curious about the Crown Princess, she resisted the urge to look up.
“Yes,” she replied.
The Crown Princess slowly ran her hand over the delicate flowers beside her, startling the butterflies resting on them and said:
“You may all raise your heads. There’s no need for such formality.”
With the Crown Princess’s permission, Lin Ting slowly lifted her head and looked ahead.
Before her was a small sea of flowers, countless blossoms vying for attention.
The Crown Princess stood amidst them, her embroidered golden brocade gown pressing down the flowers beneath her.
Every movement exuded grace and elegance.
At first glance, an ordinary person would only see the Crown Princess among the flowers, not distracted by the blooms themselves.
Her powdered face was slightly narrow and thin.
At first glance, her features were not particularly striking; she was not a breathtaking beauty.
But upon closer inspection, she was quite pleasant to look at, with a dignified and graceful appearance.
Lin Ting did not linger her gaze.
The Crown Princess left the flower sea and walked into a nearby pavilion, warmly inviting the two to sit.
Duan Xinning seemed a bit nervous, sitting close to Lin Ting.
The Crown Princess noticed but said nothing, offering them tea and snacks.
Duan Xinning was both flattered and apprehensive.
She held the pastry handed to her by the Crown Princess but hesitated to eat it.
After a moment, she gathered her courage and asked, “May I ask why Your Highness summoned me today?”
The Crown Princess called for a maid to bring the flowers she had picked earlier.
As she plucked the beautiful petals, she said, “I felt an instant connection with Miss Duan when we first met and wished to get to know you better. That’s why I invited you here today. Did I startle you?”
Lin Ting calmly sipped her tea.
An instant connection with Duan Xinning?
She didn’t believe it.
Duan Xinning kept glancing at Lin Ting, and seeing that her friend remained composed, she felt somewhat reassured and replied, “Your Highness is too kind.”
The Crown Princess warmly engaged Duan Xinning in casual conversation, occasionally mentioning Lin Ting, who sat beside her.
She did not neglect Lin Ting, handling everything with thoroughness.
Duan Xinning gradually relaxed.
She was guileless and, seeing that the Crown Princess truly meant no harm, began to open up.
Her speech became more natural, less restrained, and by the end, she even felt that the Crown Princess was like a caring older sister.
Lin Ting quietly ate her snacks, unafraid that the Crown Princess might have put something in the tea or food.
Whatever her intentions, she wouldn’t harm Duan Xinning during an invitation.
On the day Duan Xinning came to the Eastern Palace, she made her move, unless the Crown Princess dared to openly offend the Duan family.
During casual conversation, the Crown Princess seemed to casually ask, “Is Miss Duan San still unmarried?”
An alarm bell rang in Lin Ting’s mind.
At the mention of marriage, Duan Xinning’s face immediately turned red.
She hurriedly sipped her tea to hide her embarrassment, lowering her eyes as she replied, “I am not yet married.”
Xia Zimo’s father had not yet returned to the capital, so he couldn’t bring him to propose marriage.
The matter of the proposal was temporarily put on hold, and outsiders were unaware of it.
She wouldn’t tell the Crown Princess about these things.
The Crown Princess smiled and took her hand, asking, “Does Miss Duan San have someone she likes?”
In fact, from Duan Xinning’s reaction, it was clear that she had someone in mind, but the Crown Princess still asked the question, as if wanting her to admit it herself.
Lin Ting felt something was off.
She glanced at the Crown Princess but didn’t interrupt their conversation.
Instead, she continued eating pastries, listening quietly.
Duan Xinning shyly replied, “Yes.”
The Crown Princess examined Duan Xinning’s fair and lovely face, tightened her grip on her hand for a moment before letting go, and asked with a smile, “Which young master is it?”
Duan Xinning had already let her guard down with the Crown Princess, but she was too shy to say it outright, only replying, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Lin Ting put down her pastry and picked up her tea.
The Crown Princess was about to ask more when Lin Ting deliberately spilled the lukewarm tea in her hand, splashing it on both her own and Duan Xinning’s skirts.
She immediately stood up and apologized, “My apologies.”
With Lin Ting’s interruption, the Crown Princess couldn’t continue her questioning.
She gave Lin Ting a meaningful look and had someone take them away to tidy up their skirts.
As soon as the two of them left to change their clothes, the Crown Prince arrived at the pavilion.
He quickly walked up to the Crown Princess, his expression cold and his gaze sharp, demanding, “Where is she? What have you done to her?”
The Crown Princess smiled, “Why is Your Highness in such a hurry? I merely wanted to see the appearance and temperament of the woman you fancy. I wouldn’t harm her. Why would you abandon your duties and rush here to question me over her?”
With that, she reached out to take his hand.
The Crown Prince avoided her touch, his voice cold, “She is the third daughter of the Duan family. Her father is the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and her second brother is the Deputy Commander. If you invited her to the Eastern Palace and the Emperor found out, what would he think of me?”
“Your Highness, you are also the Crown Prince of Great Yan. You cannot go over the Emperor’s head and have any relationship with the Imperial Guards,” the Crown Princess stepped forward.
“If that’s the case, why do you still like Miss Duan San?”
“You clearly know it’s impossible between you two, so why can’t you let her go?!”
The Crown Prince avoided the topic, “As the Crown Princess, you only need to focus on your own duties. Don’t try to interfere too much in my affairs.”
The Crown Princess stared at him intently, “I am the Crown Princess, but I am also your wife.”
He frowned, displeased, “The only reason I married you was because the Emperor arranged it. I have no feelings for you. Didn’t you know that from the start?”
She let out a low laugh, though her eyes were filled with tears, “I know. I also know how deeply Your Highness cares for Miss Duan San. Back then, when she was seriously ill, you spared no effort to find medicine to save her, even if it meant sacrificing the lives of innocent people.”
The Crown Prince’s frown deepened.
“You are the Crown Prince. Every move you make has far-reaching consequences. If people find out that you acted so recklessly for personal reasons, your reputation will be ruined. Is it worth it, for the sake of a woman?”
The Crown Princess wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye and slowly walked back to the table, stirring the crushed petals in the basket and said:
“What a pity. Miss Duan San had already found another effective remedy to cure her illness before you returned to the capital with the medicine. Thus, she could never know the depth of your affection.”
The Crown Prince remained unmoved by her tears.
She murmured, “No, even if Miss Duan San needed the medicine you brought back, you wouldn’t dare to give it to her openly. You could only do so through someone else.”
As long as the current Emperor lived, he could never marry the daughter of the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
He didn’t want to hear any more.
“Enough. I warn you, do not seek her out again.”
Just as he was about to leave, Lin Ting and Duan Xinning returned.
Duan Xinning, having met the Crown Prince before and knowing his identity, curtsied, “Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.” Lin Ting deduced his identity from his attire and behavior.
He was dressed in a bright yellow robe embroidered with five-clawed dragons and auspicious clouds, and he moved freely in and out of the Eastern Palace.
Before leaving, he stood close to the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince paused, glanced at Duan Xinning beside her, and gave a lukewarm “Hmm” before walking away without looking back.
The Crown Princess had already composed herself, her face dry of tears, as she watched the Crown Prince depart.
Only after he was completely out of sight did she turn to look at them, her gaze lingering on Duan Xinning’s face.
Then, claiming to feel unwell, she asked them to leave and suggested they meet another day.
Thus, they were escorted out of the Eastern Palace by the palace attendants and boarded a carriage outside the palace gates.
However, Lin Ting did not get into the carriage in the end, for she noticed Jin Anazi standing outside the palace gates.
He didn’t avoid her and stood in a rather conspicuous spot, as if he had something to say to her.
He still wore his mask today, his figure tall and slender, but he carried no sword.
Lin Ting wasn’t sure why Jin Anazi was looking for her or whether he intended to take her away, so she couldn’t let Duan Xinning wait in the carriage.
She asked Duan Xinning to return to the Duan residence first.
Instead of approaching him directly, Lin Ting signaled with her eyes for him to move to a secluded corner.
After confirming that no one was following them and that the area was clear, she asked, “Why are you outside the palace gates today?”
Jin Anazi crossed his arms and stepped closer, his tone peculiar, “Do you know the Crown Prince?”
They spoke simultaneously.
Lin Ting said, “You answer me first.”
Jin Anazi had been investigating the Crown Prince’s movements these past few days, looking for an opportunity to assassinate him.
Seeing Lin Ting being escorted by palace attendants with Eastern Palace tokens, he grew concerned and waited for her outside the palace gates.
“I’m looking for a chance to assassinate the Crown Prince,” Jin Anazi said, something he had never mentioned to her before.
Lin Ting was stunned.
“What? Are you insane?”
She had just sent off the troublesome Xie Qinghe, and now Jin Anazi wanted to assassinate the Crown Prince.
She could think of no other word to describe him but “suicidal,” especially since he had no plans to restore his kingdom.
Jin Anazi replied, “This has nothing to do with you. Just pretend you don’t know. I didn’t want to lie to you, which is why I told you the truth when you asked. Now, answer me, do you know the Crown Prince or not?”
“I don’t. The Crown Princess wanted to see Duan Lingyun, and I accompanied her.”
Lin Ting calmed down and thought about it.
Jin Anazi was a man of discretion; if he wanted to assassinate the Crown Prince, he must have his reasons.
“What’s your reason for the assassination?”
“He owes me a life.”
Even though no one was around, she lowered her voice.
“Are you really sure about this? Whether you succeed or not, you’ll likely die.”
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