Chapter 3

The palace banquet was, in reality, Noble Consort Liu’s birthday celebration. That Qin Xiyi had taken the initiative to attend shocked both the imperial court and the inner palace.

After all, rumor had it that the death of Qin Xiyi’s birth mother, Empress Zhang, had been orchestrated by none other than Noble Consort Liu.

Qin Xiyi lost her mother at the age of eight and was assigned to the care of the deeply unfavored Noble Consort Ying. But as Noble Consort Ying could barely make ends meet herself, Qin Xiyi was raised from childhood by her wet nurse, Nanny Du.

Ever since she reached womanhood, her temperament had undergone a drastic change; she became unrestrained, defying social conventions and acting as she pleased. Perhaps out of lingering nostalgia for his first wife, the Emperor turned a blind eye to Qin Xiyi’s eccentric and impudent behavior.

Had this been a few years ago, Qin Xiyi would have dared to defy an imperial decree and skip the banquet. But now, she had learned to compromise—after all, Noble Consort Ying and her wet nurse had no one to rely on but her.

At that moment, as the palace music swelled, Qin Xiyi couldn’t be bothered to watch the Emperor, Noble Consort Liu, and the Second Princess, Qin Luoke’s family, enjoying their harmonious gathering. Without even offering a greeting, she grabbed a wine flagon and walked out of the great hall alone.

Spring was in full bloom in the Imperial Garden. She wandered aimlessly until she reached a pond, where she sat on a rock by the water’s edge and poured the contents of her flagon into the pool.

The surface of the lake reflected Qin Xiyi’s tear-reddened eyes.

Everyone was here today to celebrate Noble Consort Liu’s birthday, but did anyone else remember that today was also the anniversary of her mother’s death?

“So it really is you!” a sharp voice called out.

Qin Xiyi turned around to see Cheng Mozi standing behind her.

His purple-brown official robes only served to highlight his heroic air, but the undisguised joy and smile in his eyes made Qin Xiyi’s heart skip a beat.

She had just made up her mind to let go last night—why did she have to run into him today of all days?

Suppressing her inner turmoil, Qin Xiyi offered a distant, polite smile. “My lord, have you lost your way in the palace?”

Whether from anxiety or delight, Cheng Mozi’s face flushed red. He grabbed the sleeve of Qin Xiyi’s robe, speaking with intense urgency: “I had people scour the entire capital for you, but I never imagined you were here in the palace. I should have guessed, I really should have guessed…”

His frantic demeanor made Qin Xiyi want to laugh, but she feigned surprise instead. “My lord, in broad daylight, pulling and tugging at me like this in the palace—are you trying to get this humble servant punished?”

“You are… a palace maid?”

“And who did you think I was, my lord? The palace rules are strict, and I haven’t saved enough silver to buy my freedom yet…”

“I have it! How much silver is enough? I have my salary, and my family has some modest assets…”

When they first met, reason told Qin Xiyi to pull away in time. But this top scholar, with his constant talk of buying her freedom and offering a dowry, was becoming so annoyingly persistent that she flicked her sleeve and spoke off the cuff.

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to leave the palace. If you are so insistent, young master, then if it is meant to be, we shall meet at the foot of Qingcheng Tower at the third quarter of the Mao hour.”