The Third Prince exchanged a quick glance with the Crown Prince, suddenly feeling inexplicably guilty. “Well… I’ve known her since she was a child, so I understand her a little better than most.”

Qin Yan gave him a cool, detached look. His chiseled features betrayed no emotion as he spoke in an even tone. “How’s the progress on the documents I gave you to review yesterday?”

The question seemed to hit a nerve. The Third Prince’s expression shifted as his steps slowed. He began looking everywhere but at his brother, stammering. “Uh, well, about that…”

Xia Yi, walking nearby with a folding fan, let out a low chuckle. Without saying a word, he passed by the Third Prince with an amused smirk. Furious, the Third Prince clenched his fist, feigning a punch at Xia Yi, who dodged just in time. The two exchanged silent glares, locked in a playful battle of wits.

“Make sure it’s handled by tomorrow,” the Crown Prince said suddenly, his voice firm.

Caught off guard, the Third Prince forced a smile and replied reluctantly, “Understood!”

His frustration simmered under the surface. Clearly, this was his brother’s way of making things difficult for him—a consequence of speaking up for that girl. He sighed inwardly, realizing he should have known better.

On the other side of the palace, Liu Yin arrived at the academy just in time, barely a second before the Grand Tutor walked in. Both she and the Sixth Princess were gasping for air, completely winded from their earlier rush. Fortunately, the Fifth Princess had been confined to Chengqian Palace to “reflect on her actions,” and Shen Yao were absent that day.

Liu Yin enjoyed the respite. With fewer distractions, she focused on her lessons with renewed seriousness. The Grand Tutor even gifted her a few calligraphy books suited for women, filled with graceful and simplified strokes. Touched by the gesture, Liu Yin resolved to return the favor. Since the Grand Tutor loved calligraphy and paintings, she remembered her father’s collection of fine works. Bringing one as a gift might be a good idea.

After class, Liu Yin was packing her belongings, already musing about what to eat for lunch, when the Sixth Princess, who had been holding back all morning, finally blurted out. “Cousin, why didn’t you greet my Imperial Brother this morning?”

In the past, her cousin would have clung to the Crown Prince and refused to leave his side. Yet today, she’d rushed off so quickly that the Sixth Princess couldn’t help but wonder if the sun had risen from the west.

Liu Yin glanced at her and said plainly. “I promised the Crown Prince I wouldn’t bother him for a month.”

After saying that, she noticed the Sixth Princess still seemed to have something to say. Leaning in conspiratorially, Liu Yin added with a sly grin. “Besides… this is called playing hard to get. The Grand Tutor says everything requires a balance, pushing too hard will only backfire.”

With this crafty explanation, the Sixth Princess’s face lit up in sudden realization, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly, exactly! Cousin, you’re so smart. That’s how Father’s concubines always win his favor, too.”

Liu Yin: “…”

Fine, let her think what she wants—seduction tactics it is.

After leaving the academy, the two began discussing what to have for lunch. The Sixth Princess eagerly mentioned a hot spring pavilion in the palace, suggesting they stop by for a soak later. Hearing this, Liu Yin’s heart soared with excitement. The thought of soaking in a hot spring and munching on watermelon in the middle of a scorching day sounded like pure bliss.

With sisterly affection, they hurried toward Xiefang Palace, giddy with anticipation. However, as they reached the Chunyi Pavilion, they were abruptly stopped by a commotion. A group of people led by the Ninth Prince was causing quite the ruckus, and from the looks of it, a fight had broken out.

The two of them immediately headed toward the pavilion. Just as they turned a corner, a young eunuch came running in such a hurry that he crashed squarely into Liu Yin. The impact nearly knocked her over, and the young eunuch fell to the ground, pale with fear.

“Pardon me, Miss Liu! Please forgive me!” he cried, frantically kowtowing as the sound of his forehead hitting the ground echoed sharply. The poor boy looked utterly terrified.

“Are you blind?” The Sixth Princess glared at him and then turned to Liu Yin with concern. “Cousin, are you okay?”

Rubbing her sore arm, Liu Yin gave a small shake of her head and glanced at the trembling eunuch with an odd expression. Finally, she said flatly. “Forget it. Just be more careful next time.”

She brushed off the incident and continued toward the pavilion, though a question lingered in her mind. How did a random eunuch know who she was? Was she really that infamous?

As they approached, they saw the Ninth Prince and a group of mischievous young princes gathered in a circle. Their loud voices rang out with taunts, calling someone “ugly” while gleefully ordering a group of eunuchs to continue hitting someone on the ground.

“What are you all doing?” Liu Yin’s voice rang out sharply.

The group froze and turned their attention toward her. The Ninth Prince immediately ran over with an ingratiating grin. “Sister Liu, you’d better not look—it’s just some ugly freak. Terrible to behold!”

Despite their young age, the princes had already mastered the art of arrogance and cruelty. They were notorious for bullying servants and eunuchs in the palace. Liu Yin shot the Ninth Prince a warning look before stepping past him and walking forward, her presence prompting the other eunuchs to hurriedly move aside.

As she approached, a frail figure came into view. Dressed in clothes so threadbare they were barely recognizable in color, the person was curled up on the pebbled path. Disheveled hair obscured their face entirely, making them look even more pitiful.

The Sixth Princess moved closer to Liu Yin and whispered in her ear. “That’s the hostage prince sent from Dong Country. They were supposed to retrieve him last year, but it seems they’ve still left him behind.”

As the Sixth Princess finished speaking, Liu Yin noticed the figure on the ground stir slightly. She turned her stern gaze toward the Ninth Prince and his companions, addressing them in a firm tone.

“What has the tutor been teaching you all this time? If you keep bullying people, I’ll report you to my aunt and see how she punishes you!”

In the palace, the Empress and Consort Li held the greatest power. The children feared the Empress deeply, as she had control over their fates. Terrified by Liu Yin’s words, the group hastily muttered, “we won’t dare anymore,” before scattering like a frightened flock of birds.

“None of them study properly. They’re even lazier than I am,” Liu Yin muttered, shaking her head in exasperation.

The Sixth Princess, standing beside her, lowered her head to suppress a laugh. It was amusing that her cousin was aware of her own lack of diligence.

Turning back to the figure on the ground, Liu Yin crouched down and gently took hold of his arm. “Come on, get up.”

^_^