Qin Shuying maintained a calm expression as she looked at Princess Fuping.

  Princess Fuping, however, appeared displeased. "I have no time to listen to your idle chatter. Only the two of you entered this greenhouse. I’ll only ask once: where is the Yao Huang peony?"

  Handan, exasperated with Qin Shuying, scolded, "Seventh Miss, Her Highness the Princess is the kindest of all. If you admit your mistake now, she may not punish you harshly. Why don't you quickly apologize and confess?"

  Qin Shuying’s clear, bright eyes fixed on Handan, though a flicker of something sharp and chilling seemed to fsh within them.

  At that moment, a voice came from outside—

  "Consort Lian has arrived—"

  A fragrant breeze accompanied Consort Lian’s swift entrance. Taking in the scene before her, she appeared surprised. "Fuping, Shuying… what’s going on here?"

  The maidservant beside Princess Fuping expined, "Your Highness, our Princess came to pick a Yao Huang peony to present to Consort De for her appraisal. This is the first batch of blooms this year. Who would have thought the finest blossom, marked yesterday, would be plucked by someone? Only Handan and your cousin entered the greenhouse today. Handan cims your cousin took it, but she refuses to say a word. Your Highness, you’ve arrived just in time—please resolve this matter."

  Consort Lian’s beautiful eyes blinked, as if in disbelief, before she sighed softly. "This cousin of mine grew up in the southern regions. Three years ago, after my third uncle and his wife both passed away, she returned to the capital to observe mourning for her parents. She has not stepped out of the Qin residence for three years. Today is only her second time entering the pace. During those three years, her parents were busy, and she was in mourning. Etiquette and decorum were inevitably neglected, making her a source of amusement today. I apologize to the Princess on her behalf."

  With that, she gracefully curtsied, a gesture of apology.

  Her words were impeccably crafted.

  In just a few sentences, she beled Qin Shuying as cking proper upbringing and pinned the bme for the plucked flower squarely on her.

  Princess Fuping naturally would not accept Consort Lian’s curtsy and turned slightly aside. "Your Highness, such a grand gesture is unnecessary."

  Consort Lian smiled gently. "With my third uncle and aunt gone, who else can look after Seventh Miss if not me? Rest assured, Your Highness. Even though she is my cousin, I would never shield her. If she made a mistake, she must face the consequences. Seventh Miss, Her Highness is noble, and Consort De is the highest-ranking of the Four Consorts. Plucking Consort De’s favorite Yao Huang without permission warrants thirty strokes, according to pace rules."

  She deliberately paused at this point. Sure enough, Qin Shuying’s previously calm expression shifted, repced by fear and arm.

  For an unmarried girl to suffer thirty strokes in the pace would undoubtedly mean she had offended someone important. How could she face the world afterward? Who would dare to marry her?

  Consort Lian felt satisfied, eagerly anticipating Qin Shuying’s panic and pleas for mercy. At that point, she could py the role of the magnanimous protector and plead on Qin Shuying’s behalf.

  Princess Fuping, after all, was young and naive—quite different from the shrewd and capable Consort De. Furthermore, Consort Lian had some favor with Consort De and had always treated Princess Fuping kindly. If she pleaded, the princess likely wouldn’t insist on harsh punishment.

  As for the flower? There were still two blooming, weren’t there?

  But the expected scene did not unfold.

  Instead, Qin Shuying calmly said, "Your Highness, I did not pick the Yao Huang."

  Consort Lian didn’t believe her. Though she had briefly wondered why Qin Shuying’s hair showed no sign of the peony, Handan had clearly told her that the flower had been pinned in Qin Shuying’s hair. Even if it had fallen, it must be nearby. Since only Qin Shuying and Handan had entered the greenhouse, Qin Shuying must have plucked the flower.

  Consort Lian patiently advised, "Seventh Miss, don’t be afraid. If you admit your mistake now, the Princess’s kindness may allow her to be lenient. But if you stubbornly deny it, that would be deceiving the monarch—a crime punishable by much more than thirty strokes."

  Without even asking, she insisted that Qin Shuying was guilty.

  So eager—was this truly a performance, or just a poor one?

  Qin Shuying turned her gaze to Princess Fuping, who met her eyes with an enigmatic expression.

  The clever Princess Fuping had clearly discerned the truth of the situation.

  Qin Shuying gnced at Consort Lian, then at Handan. Her expression seemed conflicted, as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if she should.

  Consort Lian sighed. "Seventh Miss, Her Highness is merciful. If you sincerely apologize and make amends afterward, I will plead on your behalf. But if you persist in your denial and refuse to admit your mistake, even I will have no face to shield you from Consort De’s wrath."

  A glint of coldness flickered in Qin Shuying’s eyes.

  Had she not already given her a chance? Was she so eager to see her reputation ruined, to have every noble in the capital despise her? So impatient to drive her to utter ruin with no pce for redemption?

  Qin Shuying hesitated briefly before pointing at Handan’s sleeve and stammering, “Your... Your Highness, isn’t the Yao Huang in Handan’s sleeve?”

  Her words were like a thundercp, startling everyone present. All eyes turned to Handan’s sleeve but initially saw nothing unusual. Upon closer inspection, however, they noticed that the wide right sleeve of her garment bulged conspicuously.

  A maid beside Princess Fuping quickly lifted the sleeve, and her eyes lit up. “Your Highness, it’s the Yao Huang!“

  The Yao Huang was retrieved, but only half of it remained, crumpled and unrecognizable.

  Handan was utterly stunned. “Impossible, impossible! I clearly pinned it on Seventh Miss’s hair... how could it...”

  Both Princess Fuping and Consort Lian immediately understood what had transpired.

  Princess Fuping’s face darkened with displeasure.

  Qin Shuying lowered her head, saying nothing.

  Earlier, while helping Handan dust herself off, she had swiftly torn the Yao Huang in half, tucking part of it, including the flower’s core, into Handan’s sleeve. The other half she discreetly consumed after Handan left. The entire bloom would have been too rge and conspicuous if hidden in Handan’s sleeve.

  Consort Lian quickly seized the moment, her mind racing. “Seventh Miss, how did you know the flower was in Handan’s sleeve? Could it be that you pced it there yourself?”

  Regret flickered through Consort Lian’s thoughts. She cursed herself for not heeding Madam Xu’s warnings.

  Madam Xu had mentioned that Qin Shuying was an unusually clever girl, whose schemes had repeatedly backfired on her adversaries. At the time, Consort Lian had dismissed the caution, believing her mother to be exaggerating. After all, how much trouble could a young girl who rarely left her home cause? Surely a minor ploy would have been enough to keep her in line.

  Qin Shuying’s clear, bright eyes met Consort Lian’s gaze, steady and calm, with not a trace of panic. “Your Highness, why are you so certain that I pced the Yao Huang in her sleeve? Did you witness it yourself?”

  Consort Lian was rendered speechless by the question.

  She gnced at Princess Fuping, whose expression remained as serene as a still ke. Panic surged within Consort Lian, yet she had no choice but to retreat. Hastily, she changed her tone, saying, “This… this was all my fault. I acted too hastily, listening to Handan’s words without verifying them myself...”