Qin Shuying’s voice wasn’t loud, but her words came at such a rapid pace that no one could interrupt. In mere moments, she finished her remarks. Princess Fuping was utterly stunned—who was this reckless girl, daring to utter such audacious words in front of so many people?

  The gardeners had already left and hadn’t heard the exchange, but the pace maids beside Fuping were visibly shaken, nervously gncing at the princess.

  One maid, steadier than the others, pointed at Qin Shuying and said, “You—stop talking at once!”

  Stop talking? Having successfully drawn the princess’s attention, Qin Shuying was happy to oblige.

  She gave a faint smile, gracefully bowed, and said, “This humble servant greets Your Highness. I am Qin Shuying, niece of Qin Yongtao, the Minister of Justice, and a cousin of Consort Lian. I am ranked seventh in the Qin family. Your Highness is known for your kindness and fairness, and I trust you won’t take offense at my crude words. I did not pick the Yao Huang, Your Highness.”

  Princess Fuping, though young, was clever. She was vaguely aware of the tension between Consort De and Consort Lian. This girl, with just a few words, had id bare the intricacies of their retionship. Fuping frowned slightly, scrutinizing Qin Shuying closely.

  The pace maid, regaining her composure, saw that Princess Fuping remained silent and snapped, “What a sly tongue! If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”

  “It was Handan, who serves Consort Lian,” Qin Shuying said calmly. “She found the Yao Huang beautiful and picked one despite my attempts to dissuade her. However, as a cousin whom Consort Lian does not favor, I have no authority over her trusted maid.”

  There was no way Princess Fuping believed her, yet she remained silent, lost in thought.

  Qin Shuying smiled faintly and said, “It’s natural for Your Highness to doubt my words. If Your Highness has time, why not see what punishment Handan intends to impose on me?”

  “Impudent!” Princess Fuping had been caught off guard by Qin Shuying’s earlier shocking words. Now, regaining her composure, she realized she was being led along by this girl’s narrative. Such audacity was intolerable. “How dare you try to deceive me? Such insolence!”

  Qin Shuying’s eyes were calm and unwavering as she met the princess’s gaze. “Your Highness, whether my words are true or not, you’ll see for yourself soon enough.”

  Never before had a mere official’s daughter spoken to her like this. Qin Shuying’s boldness, coupled with her mention of the rivalry between Consort De and Consort Lian, had piqued the young princess’s curiosity.

  “And if what you say is true, why would Consort Lian do this? And why should I help you act out a charade? What benefit would I gain?”

  Qin Shuying smiled slightly. As expected of a princess raised in the deep pace, she thought. With just a few words, Princess Fuping had grasped the underlying implications of her speech. The girl had intentionally avoided mentioning Consort Lian by name, yet the princess had deduced the consort’s involvement and even questioned the benefit of pying along.

  “Your Highness, let’s not beat around the bush,” Qin Shuying said. “I have no personal interests tied to you. Why would Handan go out of her way to involve me in an offense against Your Highness?”

  “Sweet-talking trickster! How would I know whether it was Handan or you who picked the Yao Huang?”

  “That’s easy to determine, Your Highness. The greenhouse isn’t rge, and I haven’t left since entering. With a simple order, Your Highness could have the pce searched.”

  Princess Fuping snorted lightly. “You’re clever, but what if I insist it was you who picked the flower? What would you do then?”

  “Then, Your Highness, you would miss out on quite the show,” Qin Shuying said with a calm smile.

  Princess Fuping stared at her, and Qin Shuying held her gaze without fear or hesitation.

  Suddenly, Princess Fuping dropped her serious demeanor and smiled pyfully. “Interesting, interesting. If that’s the case, I’d regret it if I didn’t watch this py unfold. Tell me, then, why would Consort Lian do such a thing? Convince me.”

  “As you wish,” Qin Shuying replied. “Consort Lian’s goal is simply to have me offend Your Highness. As a noblewoman of Great Zhou, Your Highness cannot tolerate being disrespected by a mere official’s daughter. According to pace rules, I should be punished. Under the weight of Your Highness’s authority, I would become a frightened bird. If Consort Lian were to protect my reputation in such a situation, I would naturally feel immense gratitude toward her.”

  Princess Fuping tilted her head curiously. “Didn’t you say you’re her cousin? Isn’t it her duty to protect you?”

  “Your Highness, have you heard of a new product in the capital called red sugar? In just over a month, it has driven bck sugar shops into ruin, with the red sugar shops making massive profits.”

  Princess Fuping slowly shook her head. “I’ve tasted this red sugar before—it’s delicious. But I’m unaware of the shops behind it.”

  “To be honest, Your Highness, I’m the one producing this red sugar. In just over a month, after deducting operational costs, the profit margin has reached 60%. It’s an extremely lucrative business. By producing this alone, I can earn fifty to sixty thousand gold per year.”

  Even Princess Fuping was stunned. “That profitable?”

  A princess of her stature, with rich fiefdoms, earned an annual income of barely over 100,000 gold—excluding pace rewards and allowances, of course.

  “Exactly so, Your Highness. I am Consort Lian’s cousin, an orphan whose parents passed away early. This red sugar business is the livelihood my te father left me, a trade secret that is mine alone. The principle of a treasured possession invites trouble is something Your Highness must surely understand.”

  Princess Fuping’s expression shifted to a peculiar one, as though she had grasped the underlying message.

  Qin Shuying refrained from further expnation, but her implied meaning was unmistakable.

  “Still,” Princess Fuping said, “what benefit does telling me all this bring to me? Even if I were to help you, you’re still Consort Lian’s cousin. Behind closed doors, you’re family—you share the same branch of the tree.”

  Qin Shuying smiled faintly. “With the uncertainty at the border and the Crown Prince set to ascend the throne in the future, Your Highness has yet to be married. Should the bordernds require a royal marriage alliance, what would Your Highness do then?”

  Princess Fuping froze in shock, her back breaking into a cold sweat.

  Qin Shuying’s words were polite, but the underlying truth was chilling. The emperor’s health was failing, and he likely wouldn’t st more than two or three years. By then, she would be of marriageable age. If the Crown Prince ascended the throne, wouldn’t she face the same fate?

  She had two aunts, imperial princesses, who had been sent away for marriage alliances to foreign nds.

  Those two aunts were half-sisters of her father.

  Five years ago, another, Princess Yongxing, was married off to a distant kingdom. Although Yongxing wasn’t a real princess, it was only because no suitable princesses of age were avaible at the time.

  Qin Shuying’s words were blunt. Her point was clear: if you cim that behind closed doors, the royal family is united, then why did your father send his sisters away as marriage pawns when he ascended the throne? And when the Crown Prince ascends, could you be the next to leave?

  The royal family, for all its grandeur, was rife with internal strife and struggles far crueler than anything outside the pace.

  Qin Shuying added, “Your Highness need not assist this humble servant today. Simply allowing events to unfold as they will is sufficient. However, I will remember Your Highness’s mercy in sparing me from punishment. Should Your Highness ever need my assistance, I would never decline.”