Chapter 5: Eavesdropping

For the Xiahou family, forming a marriage alliance with the crown prince would be an ideal outcome, which is why the old lady spared no effort to bring Xia Tong to the palace. However, Xia Tong knew that the crown prince was the hero, and she had no desire to become the vicious supporting character fighting the heroine over him.

The palace was vast, and since the old lady walked slowly, it wasn’t until the last glimmer of sunlight disappeared from the horizon that they reached the Changle Palace.

Unlike usual, the old lady immediately put on a humble smile upon arrival and gently spoke to the palace maid at the door, “Please inform Her Majesty that the old madam of the Xiahou family requests an audience.”

Many people had come to visit the empress today, but the empress hadn’t seen anyone. The palace maid hesitated for a moment. “Old Madam, perhaps you are unaware—Her Majesty is feeling unwell today and is not receiving guests.”

The old lady’s expression shifted slightly, but the astute Momo Liu, standing beside her, quickly handed over a small pouch as a gesture. “Please, we would be very grateful if you could pass the message.”

“You’re too kind, Old Madam. It’s not that I don’t want to pass on the message—it’s just that Her Majesty truly isn’t seeing anyone today,” the palace maid replied with a bit of difficulty.

At that moment, a green-robed palace maid approached from a distance. Upon seeing the old lady, she immediately stepped forward and bowed, speaking with calm composure, “Her Majesty indeed is not feeling well today. Perhaps you could return for now, Old Madam. I will make sure to inform Her Majesty that you visited.”

“Sister Liyun.” Upon seeing the green-robed maid, the previous palace maid quickly bowed and retreated.

Recognizing that this was the head maid serving the empress, the old lady did not press further and maintained her kindly smile. “Thank you for your help, young lady.”

“It’s my duty,” the green-robed maid, Liyun, responded with a faint smile.

As they turned to leave, Liyun’s gaze subtly lingered on Xia Tong. A flicker of thought crossed her eyes—she hadn’t known that the Xiahou family had such an outstandingly beautiful young lady.

Xia Tong had expected that the old lady would be displeased about not meeting the empress, but surprisingly, the old lady showed no signs of discontent on their way to the banquet.

Upon arriving at Jinhua Palace, they found a lively atmosphere filled with music and dancing. As Xia Tong entered, she immediately attracted the attention of several ladies in the audience, who recognized her as a member of the Xiahou family but were puzzled since they had never heard of such a striking girl before.

After settling into her seat, the old lady engaged in casual conversation with other noble ladies, inevitably mentioning Xia Tong, who simply sat there, pretending to be a decorative vase for others to admire.

“Is this sister from the Xiahou family? How come I have never seen her before?” A cute girl sitting on the right suddenly came over curiously.

The other noblewomen also cast their eyes toward Xia Tong, who felt a bit awkward. She smiled slightly and replied, “I’ve lived in Suzhou with my father since I was young and just returned to the capital. You can call me Xia Tong.”

The girl blinked in surprise. “So it’s Sister Tong, I was wondering why I’ve never seen you before. I’m the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s household, you can call me Qin’er.”

Qin’er was very friendly, her smile revealing charming dimples, and her status as the legitimate daughter of a duke was certainly higher than Xia Tong’s. However, Xia Tong wasn’t easily swayed by her warmth. She knew that in the world of noblewomen, friendships could be as fragile as glass.

Still, she had to play her part well. “Sister Qin’er, this dress is really beautiful. I wonder where it was made?”

When it came to clothing and jewelry, no woman could resist the topic. Lin Qin immediately glanced at her outfit with a smile. “It’s from Yu Defang in the city. Their seamstress is incredibly skilled. We can go shopping together someday when we have time. Sister Tong is so beautiful, she will definitely look beautiful in any clothes.”

In just a few exchanges, they seemed like close sisters. Xia Tong smiled modestly, “Sister Qin’er is really good at joking. By the way, I heard the legitimate daughter of Minister Shen is quite remarkable. Do you know if she’s here today?”

As she spoke, she deliberately glanced around, eager to seize the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the female lead.

“Her?” Lin Qin’s expression changed subtly. She then stole a glance at a woman in red sitting in the far southeast corner. Lowering her voice, she said, “I’ve heard she’s been quite reckless lately, often appearing at the market. Even if she’s beautiful, what good is it? I still think Sister Tong is the prettiest.”

Flattered, Xia Tong feigned modesty, lowering her head while her peripheral vision remained fixed on the red-clad woman.

From a distance, Xia Tong could make out the woman’s striking features. Dressed in vibrant red, she drew attention like the sun itself, sitting alone and ignoring everyone else.

The heroine is a time traveler. In her previous life, she was an international lawyer with strong and capable methods, a typical strong woman. Despite being a legitimate daughter, she was often oppressed by her stepmother and was always on the lookout for opportunities to strengthen herself. Tonight’s banquet was her first encounter with the hero, the crown prince.

According to the plot, the two had likely crossed paths in the garden earlier. The heroine had accidentally overheard a conversation between the hero and his subordinates, leaving behind a handkerchief in haste. Later, the hero, noticing the handkerchief, would naturally deduce her identity and begin to take an interest in her after realizing she was different from other women.

However, there was a major plot twist tonight. The heroine’s sister, having long held resentment toward her, devised a scheme to summon the heroine to the imperial garden, falsely accusing her of an affair with a guard. The empress suppressed the scandal but temporarily detained the heroine. After the banquet, the heroine would find a way to clear her name, but her reputation would still suffer, and the supporting character also completely offended the heroine because of this.

“Sister Tong, since you’ve just arrived in the capital, you must be unfamiliar with the city. How about I take you around in a few days?”

Lin Qin continued her enthusiastic invitation, but Xia Tong was preoccupied with other thoughts, merely nodding in response.

As a small supporting character, Xia Tong felt she needed to carve out her own path. Competing for the hero was too dangerous. She preferred to become a good friend of the heroine, hoping that the heroine’s Mary Sue halo can take care of her.

But suddenly, she noticed that the woman in red had vanished from the corner. Startled, Xia Tong realized the heroine had been called away by the supporting character in the blink of an eye. This would not do. Since she wanted to be friends with the heroine, she must prevent this from happening.

There was still half an hour before the banquet started. Xia Tong’s eyes turned, and she suddenly covered her abdomen and looked at Lin Qin shyly, “I feel a little uncomfortable, I have to go to the side hall to rest. If my grandmother asks, can you tell her for me?”

“Of course! Do you need a physician?” Lin Qin inquired with concern.

Shaking her head, Xia Tong expressed her gratitude and left Qing’er behind, clutching her handkerchief as she made her way outside.

She had a sharp memory. Despite the palace’s complex layout, she remembered the location of the imperial garden. If she hurried, she could catch up with the heroine.

The sky was darkening, the moon shining brightly. The palace buzzed with activity as servants moved in pairs, and guards patrolled in shifts. With the moonlight guiding her, Xia Tong soon reached the imperial garden. However, the garden was vast, and she had no idea where the heroine had gone.

Time was running out. If the heroine got caught, her efforts would be in vain.

Scanning the area and finding no sign of anyone, just as she was about to investigate further, she heard voices coming from behind a rockery not far away.

Curiosity piqued, Xia Tong stealthily crept closer, listening intently as the conversation became clearer.

“This matter must not leak a word. Do you understand?”

A sharp, slightly sinister male voice sent a chill down her spine.

“Those unnecessary individuals have been dealt with. Your Highness need not worry.”

The second voice carried a respectful tone, yet its words sent a shiver down Xia Tong’s spine. Dealt with…

Xia Tong felt a chill creep down her back. Glancing at the waning moon above, she instinctively began to step away from this dangerous place.

“That’s for the best. In a few days… who!”

The sudden sharpness in the voice made her heart race, and just as she turned to flee, she collided with a solid wall of flesh. A glinting blade brushed against her neck, leaving a faint trail of blood.

A heavy silence enveloped the area, the evening breeze stirring as footsteps approached from behind the rockery. Two figures emerged. A man dressed in luxurious robes, his expression dark and foreboding, exuding an aura of extreme nobility. Upon seeing him, the other figure’s face paled in terror.

“The Regent…why…why are you here?”

Regent…

Xia Tong’s face went pale. She couldn’t move an inch. A sharp dagger pressed dangerously close to her neck, held firmly by a pair of long, bony fingers belonging to the man standing behind her.

The dagger gleamed ominously in the moonlight as the man casually toyed with it, his inscrutable gaze suddenly landing on the man before him. His voice was icy. “Third Prince, are you attempting to assassinate this king?”