While Princess Fuping was still deep in thought, Qin Shuying caught sight of a green figure approaching out of the corner of her eye. With a cold smile, she immediately knelt down, feigning panic, and deliberately disheveled her hairpin, causing the ornaments in her hair to tilt askew.

  “Your Highness, please forgive me!” she cried in a flustered voice.

  Handan hurried over, gnced at Princess Fuping, and noticed her expression was unclear. Bowing quickly, Handan said, “Your Highness! What has happened here?”

  Qin Shuying chuckled inwardly.

  She didn’t need to say so much to Princess Fuping in the first pce. If she had simply knelt as soon as she saw Handan arrive and pyed her part, the rest would have unfolded exactly as expected.

  But she wanted to pnt a seed in Princess Fuping’s mind—a reminder of just how ruthless Consort Lian could be. If Consort Lian could treat her own cousin this way, how genuine could her loyalty to Consort De be?

  Everyone knew the Crown Prince was weak, indecisive, and overly self-assured.

  Although the Emperor was hailed as a wise ruler, his stance on his sons was enigmatic. Despite the Crown Prince’s evident fws, the Emperor had never shown any intention of deposing him.

  Among the Emperor’s grown sons, there was the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Seventh Prince. Their ages were close: the Seventh Prince was 14, while the Fourth Prince was 19.

  The Fourth Prince’s mother was of humble birth and passed away early. However, he had accompanied the Emperor on military campaigns for years and had proven himself both brave and intelligent. His reputation in the army was formidable.

  The Fifth Prince, Consort De’s son, was 16 this year, a year older than Zhou Qin. He was talented, capable, and efficient. With Consort De’s family being Duke Liang's household, their military-earned nobility, though not as illustrious as Duke Chu’s family, still commanded considerable respect.

  The Sixth Prince, Consort Lian’s son, was simirly talented, meticulous, and decisive. However, his lower maternal lineage put him at a disadvantage. Consort Lian’s influence paled in comparison to Consort De’s and was even weaker than that of Consort Kang, the Seventh Prince’s mother.

  The Seventh Prince, on the other hand, was the Emperor’s clear favorite. Exceptionally handsome, he was said to draw crowds that blocked streets whenever he appeared in public. Yet, he was far from being a decorative figure; he was sharp and quick-witted. His mother, Consort Kang, was the daughter of the Prime Minister, a position of unmatched prestige.

  The Fourth Prince openly supported the Crown Prince, while the other princes pretended to do so while keeping their own pns hidden.

  Consort Lian relied on Consort De, whereas Consort Kang maintained her independence. Naturally, their sons aligned themselves with their mothers’ allegiances.

  Qin Shuying had pieced together all these dynamics from rumors she’d heard in her past life and through careful observation over the past six months.

  Money could move mountains.

  She left no ambiguous clue or fleeting detail unexamined, analyzing and cross-referencing everything. From official gazettes to geographical records, she meticulously studied and pieced together the web of pace intrigues.

  From Princess Fuping’s earlier reactions, it seemed her deductions were correct—about Consort De and Consort Lian’s secret alliance, the Crown Prince’s wariness of the Fifth Prince, and Consort De’s cautious approach toward the Crown Prince.

  Reborn, Qin Shuying had no inherent advantages, only her past-life experiences and a cautious determination to seize every possible opportunity.

  Princess Fuping was evidently intelligent. While she seemed to believe part of what Qin Shuying had said, it was unlikely she would fully trust her when reporting to Consort De.

  That didn’t matter. As long as the seeds of doubt were pnted, they would sprout in time.

  As expected—

  Princess Fuping, her face calm, muttered vaguely, “So, this is the Seventh Miss of the Qin family? Such poor manners!”

  Qin Shuying’s clear eyes seemed calm, but deep within, faint ripples stirred: when benefits are at stake, no one remains indifferent. Though Princess Fuping still harbored doubts about her words, it was enough to pnt a seed of wariness toward Consort Lian.

  —Of course, Princess Fuping didn’t seem foolish. On the contrary, she was a clever young dy. Her apparent closeness to Consort Lian might not be entirely genuine in the future.

  Handan, assuming the issue of the missing Yao Huang had erupted, expined hurriedly, “Your Highness, please forgive me! This servant got mud on her skirt and returned to the quarters to change, instructing Seventh Miss to enjoy the flowers here. I didn’t expect she would still offend Your Highness. Seventh Miss, why aren’t you apologizing to Her Highness?”

  Qin Shuying knelt on the ground, raised her head, and looked inexplicably confused. “Handan, I… I don’t know what crime I’ve committed!”

  Handan froze. Only then did she notice Qin Shuying’s disheveled hairpin and the absence of the Yao Huang in her hair. Her heart filled with suspicion, though her face betrayed nothing. “Well… Her Highness said you’re being disrespectful. If Her Highness says so, then you must apologize for your ck of decorum.”

  Princess Fuping let out a cold ugh, and one of her maids added, “Who would’ve thought? Handan has grown so bold. With just a few words, she’s made our princess seem domineering.”

  This wasn’t Princess Fuping’s usual demeanor. While she carried herself with the dignity befitting a princess, she wasn’t ordinarily hot-tempered. Why was she so upset today? Could Qin Shuying’s disheveled hair be the result of a beating or struggle? That might expin the missing Yao Huang.

  Handan assumed the princess’s ire was directed at her due to Qin Shuying’s alleged flower-picking incident. Delighted at the thought, she maintained a deferential expression and said, “It’s entirely my fault for misspeaking, Your Highness. Please don’t take offense.”

  Princess Fuping replied coolly, “I’m unworthy of such deference. I’ll only ask you this: the Yao Huang is missing—do you know where it went?”

  Handan’s face turned conflicted as she turned to Qin Shuying and said, “Seventh Miss, are you not telling the truth? This could be a crime of deceiving the sovereign!”

  In the pace, the princess was also considered a sovereign.

  Qin Shuying’s expression turned to one of shock and arm. “Handan, that Yao Huang...”

  She hesitated, her face showing clear reluctance to speak further.

  Handan shook her head. “That Yao Huang was one of Consort De’s cherished flowers. Her Highness, Princess Fuping, cultivated it personally as a gift for her mother. Now that the flower is gone, even if Consort Lian and Consort De are on good terms, they can’t cover for you. Seventh Miss, why don’t you hurry and apologize to Her Highness? This is all my fault—it’s because I left for a short while that you made this mistake…”

  With that, Handan knelt and banged her head on the floor three times, the sound echoing loudly.

  After her dramatic apology, she noticed Qin Shuying still kneeling stiffly and excimed in arm, “Seventh Miss, why aren’t you bowing and apologizing?”

  Qin Shuying seemed to snap out of her daze and replied, “Handan, I didn’t pick the flower, and Her Highness hasn’t bmed me. Surely there’s no need to apologize?”

  Handan was both shocked and anxious. “If you didn’t pick the Yao Huang, who did? Seventh Miss, if you say that, it’s a crime of deceiving the sovereign! You… you must apologize immediately!”