Lin Yanxi and Shen Muzhou had just entered the palace when Eunuch Li, the Emperor's attendant, came looking for them.
He looked at Lin Yanxi with concern. He usually didn't attend such palace banquets, but they had just been betrothed, and he worried that Lin Yanxi might be subjected to gossip if she came alone, so he accompanied her.
Lin Yanxi shrugged indifferently, "I can manage on my own. It's not my first time in the palace."
He hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll be back soon."
Then he followed Eunuch Li in the opposite direction. After a few steps, he looked back again. Lin Yanxi was walking at a leisurely pace, not hurrying, into the palace.
Eunuch Li saw this and chuckled, "It seems the Prince dotes on this Second Miss Lin."
Shen Muzhou retracted his gaze and remained silent.
Lin Yanxi walked alone in the imperial palace, heading slowly towards the Imperial Garden. Suddenly, a pleasant male voice called from behind her, "Second Miss Lin."
She turned her head in confusion. Standing behind her was a handsome man with a scholarly air. He looked somewhat familiar.
The man stopped and said, "We meet again?"
Behind him followed a young girl, who held a sword and was not wearing a long skirt. She looked like a female guard.
The moment Lin Yanxi saw the young girl, she instantly remembered who the man in front of her was.
The hostage from Dongyang, Luo Qizhe.
He spread his palm, and the girl took a handkerchief from her clothes and placed it respectfully in his hand.
"Thank you for your help last time. After you left, I found your handkerchief. Yinghong helped me keep it. Yinghong inquired and learned your identity. Knowing you would likely attend today's palace banquet, I waited here specifically to return it to you."
Lin Yanxi took the handkerchief from his hand and looked at it. In the bottom right corner, a 'Xi' was crookedly embroidered. It was indeed hers.
However, she had many such handkerchiefs. Losing one or two wouldn't have bothered her.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I've forgotten about that incident. Your contributions to the peace between our nations are admirable. Even if someone else had passed by and seen Your Highness in distress that day, they would have intervened."
Lin Yanxi glanced around and lowered her voice, "Besides, that Third Princess is truly detestable!"
Anyone would pity being pestered by such a stupid and arrogant Third Princess.
She looked at the man before her with sympathy.
Luo Qizhe had been in the palace for ten years. Regrettably, these people had never extended a helping hand. None of them had ever spoken of him in such a grand way.
In their eyes, his entry into the palace as a hostage was not for the sake of both nations. Dongyang was in decline, and he was merely the dregs discarded by Dongyang.
Luo Qizhe smiled weakly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, "It's a pity that in the palace, only the Second Miss Lin would think this way."
Lin Yanxi felt a pang of pity for him but didn't know what to say to comfort him.
Fortunately, Luo Qizhe's expression was calm, devoid of strong emotion. He turned to Yinghong behind him and said, "Let's go."
"Miss Lin, farewell."
She hesitated for a moment, then called out to him, "In adversity, one must still be full of hope, just like Your Highness's name."
Qizhe.
After speaking, she curtsied. Luo Qizhe paused, surprised by her words. Upon recovering, he nodded to her and left with his attendant.
Lin Yanxi watched him leave. It was not easy to remain unyielding in such circumstances.
----
Imperial Garden.
It was still early, and the flower viewing banquet was not yet crowded. In a pavilion by the water, two or three noble ladies were clustered around Shen Huajun, chattering and laughing.
"Second Miss Lin of the Grand Tutor's Manor has arrived!"
With the announcement, Lin Yanxi entered the Imperial Garden. Seeing Lin Yanxi arrive, the women in the pavilion by the water ceased their laughter, cast a disdainful glance at her, and fell silent.
Lin Yanxi knew that these women were close to Shen Huajun and disliked her. There was no point in seeking trouble, so she stood alone in a corner of the Imperial Garden.
Though not many people were in the Imperial Garden, the descendants of prominent families were gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing. Only Lin Yanxi stood alone. She occasionally looked at the ladies who were engaged in pleasant conversation, a hint of loneliness on her face.
Shen Huajun didn't want to cause trouble. Her arm rested on the low railing, and with a slight tilt of her head, she could see her carefully adorned face reflected in the lake. She had deliberately worn a new dress.
Since the small disagreement with Luo Qizhe before the hairpin ceremony, they hadn't seen each other. She had also sought out the hostage several times, but he had always claimed illness and refused to meet her.
Today was different. It was the Empress's flower viewing banquet, and he was sure to attend. She had spent several days preparing, her makeup, dress, and jewelry were all new and in the latest, most luxurious styles. She had spent all her money on them.
A maidservant entered from outside the garden and hurried to Shen Huajun's side, whispering a few words into her ear.
Shen Huajun frowned, gritted her teeth, and asked, "Are you sure?"
She had deliberately sent someone to wait along the path to the Imperial Garden, so she would know when Luo Qizhe arrived.
But the maidservant reported that the maidservant had seen Luo Qizhe deliberately waiting for Lin Yanxi for half an hour. They chatted and laughed for a while, and then Luo Qizhe even gave her a handkerchief!
After that, Luo Qizhe did not go to the Imperial Garden but turned and left.
The maidservant lowered her head fearfully, "This servant would not mistake."
Shen Huajun asked again, "He's not coming?"
The maidservant stammered, "This servant, this servant does not know, but seeing him go in the opposite direction, he did not, did not come to the Imperial Garden."
She clenched her fists, enraged. It must be Lin Yanxi's doing!
Seeing Shen Huajun's furious expression, the noble ladies surrounding her also looked grave and asked, "Princess, what's wrong?"
Shen Huajun glared at the young woman standing by the pond and said fiercely, "That lowly hostage actually gave Lin Yanxi a handkerchief!"
"This Lin Yanxi is no good either."
The noble lady exclaimed, "Her? Hasn't she just climbed onto the Ninth Prince? Why is she entangled with the hostage now?"
Another said, "You don't understand. The more innocent someone appears, the more seductive methods they use in private."
Hearing these words, Shen Huajun stamped her foot in anger and stormed towards Lin Yanxi.
Lin Yanxi was gazing at the pond, thinking about the curse she had encountered during her last visit to the palace. She hadn't encountered it in the palace since. Was it related to the Crown Prince?
She was lost in thought when she was suddenly pushed, nearly falling.
After regaining her balance, she saw who it was. Shen Huajun, accompanied by two noble ladies and two maids, stood before her menacingly.
"Tsk—" she frowned, clicking her tongue in disgust. Why did this foolish princess always come looking for trouble?
Shen Huajun pointed at her and said, "You truly learned your ways in the brothels. First, you seduced the Crown Prince, then you broke up Ninth Brother and Princess Chaoyang, and now you won't even let go of the most wretched hostage in all of Nanmin? Are you that desperate for men? You two are truly a match made in heaven, both base creatures."
Lin Yanxi stared at her face, her gaze calm and expressionless. Her fair face showed no anger.
The scattered attendees from prominent families in the vicinity all turned their heads, secretly observing the commotion.
Shen Huajun's voice was loud, as if intentionally making the entire Imperial Garden hear. After spewing a torrent of unpleasant words, her anger subsided slightly. She stiffened her neck and looked down at Lin Yanxi.
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Yanxi raised her arm and slapped her fiercely across the face.
"Slap!"
Everyone was stunned by the slap.
Shen Huajun clutched her face, still not having recovered, when Lin Yanxi gathered her strength and delivered another blow to the other side.
The entire Imperial Garden fell silent. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Shen Huajun screamed, "Ah! You dare to hit a reigning princess! Are you mad?"
"What are you waiting for? Go on, beat her to death!"
The two noble ladies exchanged glances. As they took half a step forward, Lin Yanxi's gaze scared them back.
Lin Yanxi's eyes were piercing. She gritted her teeth and said with imposing pressure, "Let's see who dares to step forward!"
The Grand Tutor's Manor was the most trusted minister of the Crown Prince, and their status in the court was far beyond that of their families. The common folk would suffer from the conflict of gods.
Their legs trembled. They were so terrified by her stern gaze that they dared not step forward.
The two maids at the back, loyal to their mistress, stepped forward to grab Lin Yanxi's arms and vent their mistress's anger. Lin Yanxi took a half-step back, her fingertips hidden in her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist, she gently pushed forward.
The maids' legs were rooted to the ground, unable to move, but their upper bodies lunged forward, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Ouch!"
Lin Yanxi's fair, tender hands dangled by her sides. With a slight wave, she released the restriction. They fell to the ground, clutching their knees, thinking they had tripped.
She chuckled, looking at the two maids kneeling before her, and mocked, "The dogs in the palace have such good manners. Before biting their master's enemy, they must first kneel and bow."
The onlookers burst into laughter. This Third Princess had always been arrogant and bullied others. It was extremely satisfying to see someone teach her a lesson.
Shen Huajun was furious. She kicked them away, "You useless wretches, what good are you?"
Her tender white face was swollen. She had never been so humiliated since she was a child. She rolled up her sleeves and cursed, "Lin Yanxi! I'll fight you today! I'll make your entire Grand Tutor's Manor pay!"
The Grand Tutor's Manor pay?
Lin Yanxi, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, moved faster than her. She gathered talismans and struck towards Shen Huajun's shoulder.
"Ah!" Shen Huajun's scream could be heard throughout the Imperial Garden.
Her entire body froze in mid-air. Her shoulder bone was shattered...
One of her shoulders suddenly drooped, as if all its strength had drained away. She endured the pain and squatted on the ground, clutching her shoulder, disregarding her image, writhing in agony.
"Ah, summon the imperial physician! I'm in so much pain! You demon, what did you do to me?"
Shen Huajun couldn't understand why, with just a slight touch of Lin Yanxi's fingertips on her shoulder, her bone had instantly fractured. She shrunk into a ball in terror, trembling on the ground.
She muttered, "Demon, she's a demon."
Lin Yanxi looked down at her, her eyes calm and unfathomable.
Just then, Shen Muzhou and Luo Qizhe entered the Imperial Garden with the Empress.
A young eunuch announced loudly at the entrance, "Her Majesty the Empress arrives!"
"Ninth Prince, Prince of Dongyang arrives."
Upon hearing the Empress's arrival, everyone quickly dispersed to the sides, clearing a path. As they entered the Imperial Garden, they saw Shen Huajun on the ground, clutching her shoulder, writhing in pain, and still cursing.
As they approached, the Empress, with a stern face and suppressed anger, asked, "What happened?"
The two noble ladies who had been afraid to speak now had the courage to step forward and complain, "The Princess discovered Second Miss Lin's affair with the hostage. After being exposed by the Princess, Lin Yanxi resorted to violence."