Chapter 12: Rising Winds and Surging Clouds

The Fourth Prince? The Third Prince? Qiu Liyue froze for a moment. That was right, she had truly been negligent. Aside from a prince, who else could a man with a Coiling Dragon Jade Pendant be, capable of walking through the Imperial Palace without restraint? However, that Ye Liuyun who hadn't entered—what exactly was his identity?

Qiu Liyue's gaze drifted between the two men, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. At this moment, they were close brothers, but before long, they would become life-and-death enemies over that throne.

In her previous life, she only knew that Qiu Lixing had been crowned Crown Princess and that the Second, Third, and Fourth Princes were fighting fiercely; she knew nothing of the rest.

"Miss, Miss!" Hearing Zijin calling her softly beside her, Qiu Liyue snapped back to her senses, only to realize that Chu Junfeng had vanished at some unknown point, while Nalan Can was looking at her with a smiling face.

"Greetings, Third Prince!" Qiu Liyue hurriedly bowed. Among these princes, aside from the Fifth Prince, Nalan Ye, who had imprisoned her, she did not recognize any of the others.

In truth, during yesterday's flower-viewing banquet, all the princes residing in the capital had made appearances, but at that time, Qiu Liyue's entire focus had been on dealing with the Empress and Yun Ruo, so she naturally hadn't paid attention to the princes.

"Miss Qiu, there is no need for such formality!" The Third Prince, Nalan Can, smiled. "Fourth Brother, an invitation is better than a chance encounter. Why don't we go for a drink? Would the three Miss Qius grant us the honor?"

"This... I am sorry, I still have some business at Cuiyu Pavilion," Qiu Liyue apologized to Nalan Can, then turned to look at the glowing eyes of Qiu Lixing and Qiu Zhen. "I still have some matters to attend to; I wonder if my two younger sisters would join me?"

A most proper smile bloomed on Qiu Lixing's face as she said, "Then Sister, please attend to your business first. Zhen-mei and I will go ahead. Sister, come find us once you are finished. Would that be alright, Third Prince?"

"Very well. The Number One Room of the Heaven Grade in Chunfeng Pavilion. Eldest Miss Qiu, remember to come by later," Nalan Can instructed once more before turning to depart.

When no one else was looking, Qiu Lixing flashed a provocative look at Qiu Liyue before gracefully following behind the two princes toward Chunfeng Pavilion.

"Miss Qiu, look, these are all the red ornaments in our Cuiyu Pavilion warehouse. I wonder if any catch your eye?" Manager Feng said, entering while carrying a tray covered with white brocade.

On the tray lay a gold hairpin set with rubies, a bracelet of red beads, and a red jade thumb ring.

"What is this?" As Qiu Liyue reached out, she picked up the bracelet made of a string of translucent red beads from the tray.

"This is a red jasper bracelet," Manager Feng said, feeling a sense of relief upon seeing Qiu Liyue take the red bracelet. "This bracelet was not easily obtained; there are only a few such strands in the world. Miss Qiu truly has an excellent eye."

A gust of wind stirred the curtains by the window. Qiu Liyue thought she saw a flash of white clothing flutter past the window, but when she walked to the window to look out, she saw only the bustling crowds on the street below. There was no one there. This was the second floor; perhaps she was merely seeing things.

She studied the red jasper bracelet carefully for a long time. Every bead was crystal clear, with a bright luster shining through the red. An Xiaoman would surely love it. This was the one!

As they stepped out of the doors of Cuiyu Pavilion, Zijin asked, "Miss, are we going to find the Second Miss and Third Miss?"

Find them? She certainly didn't want to. In this life, she wanted to stay as far away from those imperial princes as possible. Thinking of the various schemes and battles between them made her shudder. "No, let's just wander around casually!"

As the sun set, it painted the entire western sky with a light shade of rouge.

Just as Qiu Liyue entered Tingyu Pavilion, Qingqing and Youyou came forward to greet her.

"Miss, Madam has already sent Qiu Mei to urge you three times, and Master has sent someone once as well. They are both at Yun Court right now," Qingqing said concisely, before adding, "The Second Miss and Third Miss returned an hour and a half ago."

"I understand." A smile appeared at the corner of Qiu Liyue's mouth. "Qingqing, Youyou, pack these up. Zijin, Xin'er, take these boxes and follow me to Yun Court."

Just as Qiu Liyue stepped into Yun Ruo's room in Yun Court, Qiu Jinshan slammed his celadon teacup onto the chicken-wing wood table with a loud *clack*.

"So you finally decided to come back? What were you doing?" Qiu Jinshan asked with a stern face. "You are a lady of a great family; how can you behave like this? If people with ill intentions start gossiping, it will tarnish the reputation of our Qiu family!"

"Master, please do not be angry." Yun Ruo spoke with gentle eyes, helping to soothe Qiu Jinshan's temper. "Liyue is still a child; it is inevitable that she would be fond of playing. Since she has never been out, it is only natural that she would want to see new and curious things. All these years, I have kept a tight rein on her and never let her leave the house; just let her see more. In the future, when she enters the palace, she can at least say she has seen the world."

Yun Ruo's words were truly masterful. On the surface, she seemed to be speaking for Qiu Liyue, but every sentence was actually accusing her of being frivolous and gossiping in front of others.

A mocking smile touched the corner of Qiu Liyue's mouth. Before Qiu Jinshan could speak again, she preempted him. "I am sorry for causing Father and Mother worry. After I finished selecting gifts for Miss An at Cuiyu Pavilion, I realized this was my first time out, so I went to select gifts for Father, Mother, the various concubines, and my sisters. That is why I was delayed. Zijin, bring the gifts I prepared for Father and Mother."

"Even so, it shouldn't have taken this long. We even accompanied the Third and Fourth Princes for half a day," Qiu Lixing muttered from the side. Although throughout the entire process she had only mentioned that she had been physically weak and sensitive to cold since childhood, the mere fact of dining with the two princes was enough to make other young ladies envious.

Qiu Liyue spoke with a light smile. "That was because I didn't know what would be suitable for the concubines and the baby in the womb, so I went to Hanxiang Temple in the West City to burn an incense of peace for the concubines, to pray for the safety of mother and child."

Hearing Qiu Liyue say this, Qiu Jinshan's expression finally softened.

A trace of coldness unconsciously flashed deep in Yun Ruo's eyes, but regardless, this was an act of filial piety from Qiu Liyue, so she could not criticize her further. She turned to Qiu Liyue with a beaming smile. "Liyue is truly a good child, so thoughtful! Mother misunderstood you; please do not take it to heart!"

"Mother is too kind! If there is nothing else, then I shall take my leave!" Qiu Liyue truly did not want to watch Yun Ruo act anymore. If she hadn't possessed the memories of her previous life, she might have actually believed that Yun Ruo truly had her best interests at heart.

Fortunately, she was on guard. Otherwise, looking at the current situation, her best outcome today would likely have been being grounded. Once grounded, she wouldn't be able to attend An Xiaoman's coming-of-age ceremony.