The sound of ceremonial gongs echoed softly from the gates of the Imperial Palace.
The envoy procession from the Allied Kingdom moved gracefully beneath the ornate archway.
Imperial guards stood in precise formation, while each attendant from the foreign delegation wore native attire embroidered with golden silk and blooming plum blossoms.
At the center of the procession, a white palanquin shimmered in the sunlight, adorned with glistening moonstones.
It carried Princess Bai Yuening — the woman renowned across the northern realms as a beauty likened to a celestial maiden.
Whispers swept through the palace grounds.
"They say Princess Bai descends from emperors on both her father's and mother's side…"
"She's considered the most powerful woman of her generation in the Allied Kingdom…"
"Will our court truly accept her presence?"
—
At the Ministers' Pavilion
Xianlan stood silently by the window.
Sunlight spilled over her slender shoulders, making her long hair flutter softly.
Feng Yuhan stepped up beside her.
"Will you go greet her in person?"
She didn't turn. Her reply was soft but clear.
"Of course…
How could I be discourteous to a woman arriving as our court's honored ally?"
He gave a faint smile.
"Then I suppose I'll have to stand beside you…
in case her dagger is hidden among those plum blossom garlands."
Xianlan turned just slightly, her eyes twinkling.
"Never underestimate flowers…
Some blossoms carry poisons far deadlier than blades."
—
When the palanquin doors opened,
Princess Bai Yuening emerged with the poise befitting her station.
She wore a silver-white gown, cinched with strands of moon pearls draped across her narrow waist.
Her jet-black hair was pinned high, adorned with intricately carved white jade hairpins.
Her face was stunning—serene and dignified—her eyes cold as glacial waters atop the mountains.
"I pay my respects to His Majesty, Emperor Li Sichen,"
"and to the Crown Prince of the Nan Yan Kingdom,"
"and… to Princess Xianlan, famed throughout the inner palace."
The final greeting held a subtle chill—an undercurrent of challenge.
Xianlan gave a faint, composed smile.
"Princess Bai must be weary from the journey.
I hope the Hongyue Palace suits Your Highness's esteemed presence."
Bai Yuening replied with a smile that never blinked.
"If a flower as radiant as the moon resides here—like the Fourth Princess herself—
I doubt any place in this palace could ever make me feel inferior."
Their gazes locked in silence.
A single meeting—
yet already the scent of drawn blades lingered in the air.
—
Afternoon at Hongyue Palace
Bai Yuening gazed out over the lotus pond.
"That princess…
Her gaze was too sharp for her station."
She sipped her tea slowly, barely moving her lips.
Her attendant whispered,
"She may be of royal blood, but her mother was only a consort…"
"Were it not for the Emperor's favor, she'd never have found a foothold in the palace."
Yuening narrowed her eyes.
"And yet she dared…
Dared to meet my eyes without flinching."
"That alone tells me—
she may be more dangerous than even Consort Su Zhen."
—
Nightfall, at Fenghua Residence
Xianlan sat sorting records at her table when Wen Yuchen arrived unexpectedly,
holding a small wooden box.
"A gift from the delegation…
A plum blossom bouquet from Princess Bai, sent to you personally."
Xianlan accepted it, examining the box—but did not open it.
"I don't trust flowers that are too beautiful."
"But those are precisely the flowers gifted to people she considers enemies."
Wen Yuchen chuckled quietly.
"I don't think you're afraid…"
"I think you'll simply keep it—
and wait for the right moment to return the gesture."
She let out a soft laugh.
"Naturally…
Every greeting… deserves its answer, in time."
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