The Imperial School's landscape was monotonous; after meeting Xi Xingjiang, she had not met anyone again. She walked around for a little while, then returned to the side hall to rest. Inside, Lin Jingyuan had already prepared refreshments for her beforehand. She enjoyed her tea and snacks; then picked up an adventure book from a bookshelf to pass the time.

Kang An was standing to a side, looking at her in astonishment.

Was the Fifth Princess literate despite being so young and had never attended the Imperial School?

He tentatively asked, "Fifth Princess, may I ask what you are reading?"

Lin Feilu nonchalantly replied as she munched on her snacks, "It's a record of the localities and landforms that a scholar had observed from his journeys across the land."

Kang An felt that the Fifth Princess was peculiarly exceptional.

Halfway through the book, outside there was the dull sound of a bell ringing again. Kang An cheerfully responded, "His Royal Highness has finished his classes."

Lin Feilu had Kang An put the adventure book back on the bookshelf. She drank her last cup of tea and said, "Let's go and pick up Fourth Brother."

People were coming down the steps one by one as they departed from the three halls of the Imperial School. They were chattering in little groups of twos and threes — just like an afterschool scene. Lin Feilu was standing to one side as she looked on, but she did not recognize anyone.

Lin Jingyuan was usually the fastest one to rush out, but today he was still nowhere to be seen after waiting for so long. Seeing that the terrace in front of the hall was nearly deserted, Kang An began to feel worried, so he said to Lin Feilu, "Fifth Princess, please wait here. I will go in and find His Royal Highness."

Lin Feilu nodded her head. She watched him walk two to three steps up the terrace as she yawned, feeling bored.

As her eyes were blurred by tears, she finally saw two familiar silhouettes.

Oh. It was her Third Imperial Sister, and she's at it again with her harassments.

This was the second time Lin Feilu had met with the hostage prince of Song Kingdom. He was still very good-looking and was particularly eye-catching when clothed in white robes. Even as he faced Lin Xi, who was prattling on and on; the expression on his face remained gentle, and there was a faint smile on his lips.

Lin Feilu felt this hostage prince had a really good temper.

Lin Xi's shrill voice was irritating to listen to as she wailed, "I still don't understand that essay the teacher taught just now, explain it to me again!"

Song Jinglan replied in a composed manner, "I have already explained to you once in the study hall."

Being the overbearing princess that she was, Lin Xi responded in a tone that was coquettish yet commanding, "I still don't understand! You have to explain it to me again!"

Lin Feilu could not help but to burst into laughter.

The two people who were not too far away looked over to her at the same time.

When Li Xi saw her, she was immediately filled with shock and disgust. She stepped down and rushed towards her, pointing her finger at her and haughtily questioned her, "What are you doing here, you little wench?!"

Lin Feilu was still laughing, "To hear the explanation twice yet you still don't understand it; if an unsophisticated illiterate like you with such shallow knowledge of literature can come to this school then why can't I?"

Lin Feilu had always been the weaker party; Lin Xi used to bully her to her heart's content and she never dared to pip a squeak. Since when did she get the courage to mock her like this? She wanted to retort but she was so angry that she lost her rationality and was speechless for such a long time, even her face was turning purple with rage. Like mother like daughter, she raised her hand and slapped Lin Feilu across her face.

Song Jinglan, who was a few steps away from them, froze momentarily, then he hurried forward to stop them.

Lin Feilu caught a glimpse of two figures not too far away. It was Lin Ting and Lin Jingyuan on the terrace. She was originally about to dodge the next hit, instead she stood still.

But she did not let her face get slapped by Lin Xi again, rather she tilted her head slightly downwards. The next slap struck her head instead, unfurling the little bun of hair on the left side of her head.

Then, without letting out a sound, she fell to the ground and held her breath.

When it comes down to acting — I am a professional.

Lin Jingyuan happened to witness this scene. He nearly went mad from fury as he rushed down the steps and ran over to Lin Feilu's side. Lin Xi was clouded by rage; a slap was not enough to quell her anger as she motioned to continue her assault. However, Lin Ting had rushed over in time as he swiftly grabbed Lin Xi's wrist.

The mild-mannered prince was rarely quick to anger. But this time, he shouted, "Stop! What are you doing?!"

Lin Jingyuan lifted Lin Feilu from the ground and saw that she was sweating bullets from her forehead. Her face was sickly pale; her hair was thrashed from the blow and remained disheveled. He felt angry and was heart-broken at the sight of her. After handing her over to Kang An; his face was filled with indignant fury as he rushed forward to beat up Lin Xi.

Lin Ting had to block him and stopped him in his tracks. "I order all of you to stop! What are you all trying to do?! Have you all forgotten your royalty?!"

A tinge of redness dabbed the corners of his eyes as Lin Jingyuan roared, "She hit Little Lu! I'm going to kill her!"

Lin Xi screamed in a shrill voice, "She insulted me! She deserved it!"

With a harsh voice, Lin Ting shouted, "Shut your mouths!"

Befitting the eldest son of the Emperor, Lin Ting exuded a dignified stature, forcing both Lin Jingyuan and Lin Xi to shut up. Seeing they had both dampened down, Lin Ting went to check on Lin Feilu. He stooped down beside her and gently touched her flushed face. Softly, he asked, "Does it hurt?"

Lin Feilu did not speak. With moist eyes, she shook her head and gave him a strained smile.

Lin Ting felt his heart ache. The Third Princess's palace maid had just rushed over to her mistress' side, when Lin Ting turned around and said, "The Third Imperial Princess has acted in utter defiance of courtly manners and disturbed the peace of the Imperial School! As penance, she will be placed under house arrest for half a month and reflect on her mistakes in solitude!"

As the eldest imperial prince and the eldest brother, it was his birthright to mete out punishment on his younger siblings.

Lin Xi did not expect that her eldest imperial brother would actually take Lin Feilu's side. Despite her tactlessness, she was quick on the uptake as she whined and wailed, "Eldest Brother, she insulted me first! Even if I were to be punished, she should face the same punishment too!"

Immediately, Lin Jingyuan angrily refuted, "That's complete nonsense! Little Lu would never insult others! You've become so full of yourself; you've even learnt how to slander others!"

Lin Xi continued to sob and said, "She did insult me! Even Song Jinglan heard it!"

Several heads turned to look at Song Jinglan, who had been standing aside the whole time.

All eyes were upon him, but the young boy's expression remained calm. He first turned to look at Lin Feilu, who was in a pitiful state; then he turned his eyes and fixed his gaze on Lin Xi. As if reluctant to tell a lie, he lightly pressed his lips together and said, "That is not true."

Lin Xi: "?!"

Lin Jingyuan sneered, "What are you waiting for? Take your princess and be off; go home and reflect on your conscience!"

Not wanting to cause more trouble, she kept quiet as she was taken away by her attendants with a tearful face. Before she left, she shot a vicious glare at Song Jinglan.

Song Jinglan pretended to not have seen it. He was looking downwards to tend his sleeves as if nothing had happened.

Lin Jingyuan spat vicious words behind her back, "She's getting off lightly with house arrest and self-meditation! If I ever see her again, I'll kill her!"

Lin Ting reproached him with a stare, "Stop fooling around."

Lin Jingyuan grunted. He then walked up to Lin Feilu and patted off the dirt on her cloak. Feeling guilty, he said, "It's all because I was inattentive in class; I was forced to stay behind for supplementary lessons. If I had come out earlier, Little Lu would not have encountered her."

Lin Ting also walked over to her side. "Return to the palace; and call for the imperial physician to have a look."

Lin Feilu obediently nodded.

After the three of them had finished speaking, when she looked up once more, Song Jinglan had already left without anyone's notice.

She thought to herself, He did a good thing without asking for anything in return, what a kind-hearted older brother.

On the way back to Mingyue Palace, Lin Jingyuan suddenly remembered something and asked Lin Ting, "Eldest Imperial Brother, did you give your rabbit to Sixth Brother?"

Lin Ting turned his eyes to Lin Feilu.

He seemed grateful that she did not reveal the truth. After all, it was too harsh to speak of: to be forced by his own mother to personally kill his beloved pet, only to hide in the garden and cry. He nodded and replied, "Yes, Sixth Brother loves little rabbits, so I gave mine to him."

Lin Jingyuan: "Willing to give away even your most beloved pet, Eldest Imperial Brother is so generous! You see, I also love that little black horse you keep in your villa, what do you think?"

Lin Ting: "…"

Lin Feilu: "…"

She could not stand watching Lin Ting, an honest, getting bullied by the shameless Lin Jingyuan. She pulled his sleeves and said with a gruff, "Brother Jingyuan, a gentleman does not deprive others of their love."

Lin Jingyuan immediately responded, "Little Lu is right! Eldest Brother should just keep the horse for himself."

Pretending as if nothing had happened, Lin Feilu turned her head around and quietly smiled at Lin Ting. Pressing his lips together, Lin Ting could not suppress a smile from forming on the corners of his lips.

Upon returning the Mingyue Palace, only Qingyan was present at that time. First, she greeted the two princes. Seeing that the little princess's hair was messed up, Qingyan was concerned and immediately asked, "What happened to the princess?"

Lin Feilu answered sensibly, "I accidentally fell down," and asked "Where is Mother Consort?"

Qingyan replied, "My Lady made some cakes; she is personally delivering them over to Lady Consort Xian."

Lin Feilu was a little surprised.

Xiao Lan had always been the type to act only when provoked — unless Consort Xian summoned her, she would not have gone to see her. However, this time, she took the initiative to personally deliver cakes to Consort Xian. It seemed that the conversation they had last time had affected her and gave her the determination to change.

Seeing that Lin Feilu was unwilling to tell the truth, Lin Ting thought she must not want to worry the people around her. So he did not say anything else and only told Qingyan, "Go to the Physician's Court and ask for a physician to look after Little Lu. See if she's broken anything or not."

Qingyan hurriedly left to fulfill his command.

Lin Zhanyuan ran out of his room. Holding the rabbit in his arms, he shouted with enthusiasm, "Big Brother Rabbit!"

Lin Ting smiled as he walked over and patted his head, "Sixth Brother."

Lin Jingyuan suddenly was unhappy, "What about me? I know about you way before he did!"

Lin Zhanyuan was a little scared as Lin Jingyuan looked intimidating, so he hid behind Lin Ting. This made Lin Jingyuan even more upset.

Holding back her laughter, Lin Feilu reminded her brother, "Brother, if you remember the persimmons you like to eat, those were all gifted by Fourth Brother."

At this, Lin Zhanyuan shouted cheerfully, "Big Brother Persimmon!"

The few of them played with each other for a while. Not long after, a young imperial physician hurried over with a medicine box behind his back. Seeing that the Eldest Imperial Prince and the Fourth Imperial Prince were both here, his heart trembled. The young imperial physician was worried that the two princes would dislike him and would drive him away in exchange for a more experienced senior imperial physician.

This kind of blatant dismissal can be really hurtful.

Fortunately, it was just a fall and the princess was not hurt badly. It was probably because of this, the princes accepted that this physician was good enough. The young physician treated the Fifth Princess with extra care and caution. Once he had finished prescribing her medication, he retreated respectfully and left.

It was getting late, and the two princes had to return to their palaces to finish their homework. Seeing that Lin Feilu safe and sound, they left Mingyue Palace.

Within this short span of time — news about the conflict between several prince and princesses, and that the Eldest Imperial Prince had sentenced the Third Imperial Princess to house arrest — had spread like wings and travelled throughout the Imperial Harem.

When Lin Ting returned to Yunxi Palace, Noble Consort Ruan was eating fruit as she sat on a cushioned daybed.

Inside, the house was burning silver charcoal; which not only made the house warm, but also filled the house with a faint fragrance. It was a top-quality charcoal — asides from Emperor Lin's bedchambers, only she herself and Noble Consort Xi from the Changle Palace had it.

Lin Ting greeted his mother and was about to return to his quarters, when Noble Consort Ruan nonchalantly called out to him, "I heard that you punished that little moppet Lin Xi today?"

Instantly, Lin Ting knelt down and said, "Yes, Mother Consort. You may punish me as you see fit."

Noble Consort Ruan let out a chuckle, "Silly child, what did you do to warrant a punishment from your mother?" She walked over to her son and helped him up, praising him with sincerity, "You did well."

Her eyes were extremely bright and vivacious. There was a flair of flamboyance to her beauty. When she smiled, it was as if all the splendors of light had gathered within her very being — she was dazzling beyond compare.

"You are the eldest son of the Emperor, after all, you have acted befittingly. Everyone in this palace must learn to fear you, respect you, cower before you. Only then, will it reflect your rightful stature."

She knew her own son had always been too meek. She despised his pacifist nature and had exhausted all methods to harden him. Since it was so rare to see him behave in such a harsh manner, how could she not be happy?

Lin Ting listened to another one of his mother's lectures without reciprocating. Just as he always did, he lowered his eyes and nodded silently.

Xiao Lan also caught wind of this incident at Consort Xian's palace and remembered that her Lu'er was going to the Imperial School today. She had a premonition that this matter was most certainly related to her daughter. Unable to sit quietly, she said her farewells to Consort Xian and hurriedly left for Mingyue Palace.

Lin Feilu was eating snacks and reading books in the house. Seeing that her mother had returned, she called out to her, "Mother Consort!"

Xiao Lan walked over and patted her little head. She asked in a gentle tone, "Did anything happen at the Imperial School today?"

Lin Feilu was silent for a while before she began to tell her mother what had happened. For obvious reasons, she left out the part where she mocked Lin Xi. It was not the first time that Lin Xi bullied her. Every time it happened, Xiao Lan would weep helplessly and could only advise Lin Feilu to go out less often. As long as she did not go out, she would not meet Lin Xi and would not be bullied.

However, this time her mother did not say anything. She did not break down nor did she weep pitifully. Instead, she smiled softly at her, "As long as you're alright."

Lin Feilu felt that this Mother Consort of hers had truly changed.

No longer was she the old Xiao Lan, she was now Niohuru Lan! (T/N: "Niohuru" is a prominent Manchu clan name during the Qing Dynasty. It was said that many consorts from this clan were mothers of reigning emperors.)

Lin Feilu did not suffer much damage to her head and was feeling very happy about the overall outcome. However, Lin Xi was having a hard time now. Not only did she lose face, what made Lin Xi even angrier: first, was Song Jinglan's 'betrayal'; and second, was Eldest Brother shielding that girl.

What's so good about that little wench? Everyone seems to be taking all of her sides! Just like her mother, she must've seduced Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother with her vixen charms! These boys are all bewitched by her! Only a girl can see her true face!

When Lin Xi left the Imperial School, she did not return to her palace immediately. After all, she would not be able to leave her palace for the next half month; so she cried all the way to Yaohua Palace where the Eldest Imperial Princess Lin Nianzhi was situated.

Lin Nianzhi had a cold two days ago, so she took a sick leave and did not go to school. Wrapped in a quilt, she was sitting cross-legged on the daybed, playing with a nine-rings puzzle*. She saw her Third Sister enter her room with a tearful face. Once she came in, she let her sister take charge of the conversation. (T/N: A disentanglement puzzle; also known as Chinese nine-rings puzzle or Devil's needle puzzle)

Lin Nianzhi did not go out nor did she hear any news about the Imperial School today, so she only learned about what had happened after asking Lin Xi.

Lin Xi sobbed as she recounted the incident. She even swore by the Heavens that she did not utter a single false word: how Lin Feilu mocked her, how she insulted her; every word was repeated in detail.

She thought that her Eldest Sister, who had always been of the same mind as herself, would stand up for her. She did not expect Lin Nianzhi to simply ask, "Did she enter the Imperial School?"

Lin Xi was taken aback as she stuttered, "No… she didn't. She was standing downstairs, away from the terrace."

Lin Nianzhi: "Then what did you insult her for?"

Feeling extremely wronged, Lin Xi said, "I didn't insult her, she insulted me."

Lin Nianzhi felt a little annoyed, "Didn't you call her a little wench?"

Shocked, Lin Xi responded, "… Didn't we always call her that?"

Lin Nianzhi let out a dry cough, then she continued, "Did she really insult you? Said you were an unsophisticated illiterate with shallow comprehension?"

Lin Xi answered with fervor, "Yes!"

Lin Nianzhi looked at her with doubtful eyes, "But that shouldn't be possible? Fifth Sister hasn't even been to the Imperial School, she's never read a book or even learnt how to read. How could she have insulted you with such difficult words? As far as I've known her, she doesn't seem that clever with words."

Lin Xi was anxious, Why is the Elder Sister taking her side now too? She was peeved. She pressed on and asked, "When have I ever lied to you, Eldest Sister? Does the Elder Sister not believe in me?"

Lin Nianzhi leaned back and switched to a comfortable posture, "It's not that I don't believe in you." She continued, "It's just that I don't think she's insulting you — didn't she just speak truthfully?"

Lin Xi: "?"

Lin Nianzhi waved her hand sluggishly, "Alright, it's time for you to return home. Didn't Eldest Brother sentence you to half a month of confinement? No need to come running to me for the next half month, the weather is inexplicably cold."

As she left, Lin Xi sobbed and ran all the way.

Lin Xi cried all the way back to Zhaoyang Palace. Imperial Concubine Jing, who had caught wind of the incident, was waiting impatiently at the gate of the palace. Once she saw that her daughter had returned, she immediately rushed towards her and asked, "You went to visit the Eldest Princess? What did she say? How did you manage to anger the Eldest Prince when all you do is study in the Imperial School!"

Lin Xi felt that the whole world was scorning her.

She was holding back all the time she was outside. Once she was back in her own palace, immediately she erupted into an outburst of tears. Amidst her sobbing, she cursed Lin Feilu, then she cursed Lin Jingyuan. Finally, she even cursed Lin Nianzhi and Lin Ting, whom she could not forgive. Imperial Concubine Jing hurriedly ordered her maids to close Lin Xi's mouth, as she cried and scolded, "I must've been too lenient on your upbringing, you're such an incompetent child! Even that little wench from Mingyue Palace managed to curry the favor of the Eldest Imperial Prince, yet somehow you couldn't do it!"

Lin Xi cried as she asked, "Mother, why don't we go ask Father for a fair judgement?"

It would have been better for Lin Xi to not have mentioned this, as Imperial Concubine Jing became livid with rage.

Since that incident with evil spirits, Emperor Lin had never visited Zhaoyang Palace ever again. It was as if he had forgotten she existed in this place.

A few days ago, to restore her presence in his court, she had planned to cook one of her best soup dishes and personally deliver it to the Yangxin Hall. However, Emperor Lin was discussing political affairs with his ministers in the hall. She waited outside for several hours. As it was getting unbearably cold, she could only leave the soup behind and left by herself.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Lin fell ill on that evening. Both noble consorts visited the Emperor to attend to his illness.

The Emperor was fine during the day, how did he suddenly fall sick? Recalling that Imperial Concubine Jing had waited outside Yangxin Hall all afternoon, gradually rumors spread that the evil spirits were still lingering around her, and that she had wrought malady upon His Majesty. Eventually, the Empress sent someone over to Zhaoyang Palace to euphemistically advise her to not visit His Majesty in the future, and to wait until at least winter was over.

There were over three thousand beauties in this imperial harem palace, and she was not the most beautiful one. After this winter was over, will His Majesty even remember her?

Several times, Imperial Concubine Jing had been crying by herself within her palace. But when she remembers she still had her daughter, who was an imperial princess that even His Majesty adores. Lin Xi also had a good relationship with the Eldest Imperial Princess. With these prospects, it seemed that waiting for the new year to regain the Emperor's favor was not an impossible task.

Imperial Concubine Jing did not expect how incompetent her daughter was. Or rather, how she was actually an expert troublemaker to be able to offend the Eldest Imperial Prince who was known for his gentility. If they were to offend Noble Consort Ruan, they could forget about living a comfortable life.

Thinking about this, both mother and daughter held each other in embrace as they sobbed tearfully together.

As Imperial Concubine Jing mulled over the matter, she began to realize that the cause of this series of disasters was all attributed to the wenches of Mingyue Palace. The haunting of evil spirits started because of them, even now her Xi'er was punished because of them. They just recently gained Consort Xian's favor yet they dare to act so brazenly. Right now, she was just a mere Noble Lady. If that wench were to be promoted in the future, wouldn't they trample all over herself?

Whatever it would take, she could never let such a thing come to pass!

Imperial Concubine Jing wiped the tears off her daughter's face as she spoke with stern determination, "Don't cry! Mother will definitely get even with them for you! They won't be able to stay free and unfettered for much longer."

…

Lin Feilu had already expected that Lin Xi's house arrest would make herself and Xiao Lan targets for Zhaoyang Palace's animosity. During this period of time, she must make her move.

As the saying goes, the one who strikes first gains the advantage.

She felt that now was the time to completely resolve this problem.

Since the beginning, she had never intended to conquer Lin Xi and make her one of her assets. Although it was actually very easy to conquer lazy, good-for-nothing spoilt brats like her, she never considered it.

She was the murderer who personally pushed the little princess into the pond. She watched her cry for help and did nothing but laugh at her misery. Truly, she was a fool with a malicious heart.

It was said that children are innocents, but their propensity for evil was also the most terrifying.

She promised that little girl that she would avenge her.

Furthermore, in order to help herself, even that pretty little captive prince of the Song Kingdom had been marked by Lin Xi. Seeing how short-sighted she was, Lin Xi would definitely trouble him once her punishment was lifted. Lin Feilu felt that she had the responsibility to protect this pretty little prince!

She had sheathed her blade since she destroyed Xu Cairen. It was now time for her blade to see blood again.

Thus, Demon King Lin Feilu had concurred.

As Xiao Lan approached with a tray of freshly baked snacks, she saw a pint-sized girl sitting on the threshold. Her tiny hand was held up to her chin as she gazed deeply into the morning sunlight. Amused, she let out a chuckle and sat down beside her, "You haven't eaten much for breakfast. Try this new snack Mother has made for you."

Lin Feilu took two bites, "Tasty!"

The snack was still warm and crispy. It tasted sweet, yet it was not greasy. Xiao Lan's baking skills had become more refined.

As she ate, suddenly she thought of something and said to Xiao Lan, "Mother, please prepare a box of snacks for me, I want to give it to someone!"

Curious, Xiao Lan asked, "Who is it for?"

Lin Feilu smiled sincerely, "A person who helped me yesterday."

Xiao Lan did not ask much. She had always been responsive to the requests of her children. She packed a box of snacks and passed it to Qingyan who would accompany the Fifth Princess. At first, Qing Yan was not sure where they were heading to. Eventually, she could not help but to worry as they were walking towards an unfamiliar area, where even the guards and palace servants were few to be seen.

She asked, "Princess, where are we going?"

Lin Feilu pointed towards a withered bamboo forest that was not too far away. "There, we're close." She took the snack box from Qingyan's hands and said, "You can wait for me right here."

Qingyan knew the palace like the palm of her hand, naturally she knew who lived here. Her face showed worry as she asked, "Princess, this place is not convenient for you to enter alone. Why not let me send it in on your behalf?"

Lin Feilu calmly looked at her and refuted, "You are to wait for me right here."

Qingyan was inexplicably stunned by the look in this little girl's eyes. She dropped her hands and stood in place as she replied, "Yes."

At this, with the snack box in hand, Lin Feilu walked towards Cuizhu Villa.

The weathered bamboo door was bolted from the inside. She pushed it twice, but it did not budge, so she raised her hand and knocked a few times. After some time, someone came to answer the door. It was Song Jinglan's manservant, Tiandong. He was hesitant to speak to her as he eyed her with suspicion.

Lin Feilu smiled, "Did you forget about me? Last time I gave you fish."

Tiandong pursed his lips as he greeted her, "Greetings to the Fifth Imperial Princess."

As he lowered his head, Lin Feilu noticed there was a hint of displeasure in his expression.

If her guess was right, he was probably thinking something along the lines of this, Yet another princess who's come to covet the beauty of my Royal Highness. So shameless!

But no matter how reluctant he was, he would never dare to stand in her way. As the saying goes, he who is under the eaves must bow his head*. Thus, Tiandong treated Lin Feilu with respect and invited her inside. "His Royal Highness is currently reading. Please wait here for a while." (T/N: Chinese proverb that means one must do what fate compels us to do. An English equivalent would be "needs must when the devil drives" or "he must whom fate compels".)

It was early in the morning, yet he was already studying. What a diligent, studious little child. Her frivolous Fourth Imperial Brother could learn a thing or two from him.

Lin Feilu nodded in response.

Tiandong went inside to report her arrival, soon Song Jinglan came out. He was still wearing the same plain white clothes as he did yesterday. His top knot was adorned with a jade headdress. With handsome young brows, his temperament was gentle as he produced a clean and beautiful smile on his face. He spoke in a warm voice, "Fifth Imperial Princess, why have you come to visit?"

Lin Feilu carried the snack box as she hopped over to him, "My Mother made some snacks, so I brought some for you to try."

As soon as she ran, her hood slipped off the top of her head, revealing two little buns wrapped in white ribbons. Her small face was dabbed red as it was cold, but the smile on her face remained sincere. Song Jinglan reached out and took the heavy box from her, then said with a smile, "It's cold outside. If the princess does not mind, you can come in and have a chat inside."

Lin Feilu grinned, "That's great."

She followed him into the house. As soon as she entered, she uncontrollably sneezed due to the soot from the the burning firewood inside the house.

Song Jinglan looked at her apologetically and proceeded to open the doors and windows. By ventilating both ends of the room, most of the smoke in the house had dispersed and finally it was less stuffy. However, the warmth had also dissipated, thus it was a little chilly inside.

Lin Feilu was not familiar with this kind of firewood. She had never seen it before even from the previous state of Mingyue Palace.

She did not prod into the subject any further. She opened the snack box and brought out the snacks. "You should try it while it's still warm!"

Song Jinglan took a piece and ate it. Even his eating appearance was pleasing to the eyes. It was the sort of elegance that could only be cultivated from years of noble upbringing. He only ate one and stopped. Gently, he said, "It was delicious. Thank you, Fifth Princess."

Lin Feilu suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

There was no fault to be found with this young boy, in fact, he seemed to be so perfect that no one would dare to approach him. It was as if he had sealed himself in a glass frame. He would never step outside the boundaries of his frame whenever he acted or spoke. This way, he would never make mistakes. But it was also a very tiring and difficult way to live.

Lin Feilu understood this very well.

He was sent to an enemy country at such a young age. Disregarding the fact that he was abandoned by his home country, if he was despised or bullied here, he could easily die from one misstep. He probably learned to restrain his emotions since he was very young and learned how to live quietly in this turbulent palace life.

Yet despite facing such a difficult situation, yesterday he offended Lin Xi in order to help her.

Did he not think of the consequences or repercussions from his actions?

Lin Feilu fluttered her eyes and asked in a soft voice, "Your Highness, why did you help me yesterday?"

Tiandong entered the room with a pot of hot water.

With time on his hands, Song Jinglan poured a glass of water for her. Amidst the wisps of warm steam, he smiled and said, "The princess is a cute and clever child. Seeing you in that predicament yesterday, I believe anyone would naturally want to help you."

Oh my God, look at this kind and beautiful precious child!

Song Jinglan lived in a place that was even more remote than Mingyue Palace. She was not sure if she was deluding herself, but she felt it was colder here. It was likely because the air was more damp since there were many ponds in the vicinity of Cuizhu Villa.

It was originally cold today. Now, the wind was blowing through opened windows and the fireplace was not warm either. Lin Feilu sat there shaking with cold.

The only thing that kept her going was Song Jinglan's handsome face.

Song Jinglan seemed to have noticed something was amiss. He turned round and gently ordered his manservant, Tian Dong, "Go and fill up the fireplace. Make sure the temperature is alright."

Tiandong nodded lightly and swiftly left to fulfill his order. Not long after, he returned with a steaming hot hand stove. Afraid it was too hot for her, Song Jinglan took it first to check the temperature before handing it over to her with a reassuring smile. "Here, princess, take this."

It looked different from the hand stove she was used to. It was the most primitive type that simply held hot water. It was not wrapped with a buffer, so it would easily cause scald burns and it would cool down quickly. However, its surface was smooth and unblemished. Seeing its copper coating had been worn down to a smooth polish, this hand stove must have been used very regularly.

She did not refuse his offer as she was feeling extremely cold. As she stretched out her hands to receive it, she saw Song Jinglan's hands that were vaguely hidden under his sleeves.

These were not the hands of a pampered, indulgent child.

She had seen Xi Xingjiang's hands before. Since he was training in martial arts since infancy, his palms had subtle calluses. However, Xi Xingjiang's were not worn and rough. Song Jinglan's calluses were much deeper and thicker. Perhaps it was due to the biting cold weather, there was also a little crack in the web of his thumb that was painful to look at.

As if perceiving her gaze, Song Jinglan further obscured his hands in a discreet manner. Lin Feilu spoke nothing of it. Once she took the hand stove from him, she asked in a soft voice, "Your Highness, do you have any plans after this?"

Song Jinglan understood her query as he lowered his eyes and smiled, "I will be alright. The princess does not have to worry about me."

Lin Feilu felt as if she was looking at a young, promising idol who realized he was being bullied and oppressed by his own management.

She felt her heart ache so much that she wished she could chop Lin Xi into pieces.

Song Jinglan was amused by her abruptly dynamic expressions. He stood up and said, "I know what to do. It's cold today, so the princess should quickly return home. Thank you again for the snacks."

Lin Feilu had just recently recovered from her cold and was not planning to catch another one. If she were to fall sick again, it was likely that he would be implicated. So she nodded and was about to put down the hand stove, when Song Jinglan said, "Take it with you. It's cold and windy on the way back."

Knowing his circumstances, she knew this was the only hand stove he possessed. Lin Feilu asked, "If I take it with me, what will you use?"

With a smile, Song Jinglan replied, "I'm not afraid of the cold."

Ahh, what a charming smile!

Lin Feilu waved at him as she held onto the hand stove and ran off with a skip in her step.

As soon as she left, Tiandong hurriedly locked the door. When he turned around, he mumbled something under his breath. Song Jinglan was leaning on the threshold as he smiled and asked, "What are you mumbling about?"

Tiandong had a cheerless expression as he spoke, "The Third Princess was difficult enough to deal with. Now comes a Fifth Princess." He approached Song Jinglan and asked in a confused tone, "Your Highness, why did you help the Fifth Princess yesterday? Offending the Third Princess is no trivial matter. Did you forget how she tormented you before?"

Song Jinglan looked up to the overcast sky filled with white clouds. The corners of his lips were bearing a hint of a smile, but his voice was hollow as he nonchalantly replied, "Lin Xi won't be able to do as she pleases for much longer."

Tiandong looked shocked, "Huh?"

Song Jinglan retracted his gaze and smiled softly at him. "This Fifth Princess is not an opponent she can defeat."

…

Departing from Cuizhu Villa, Lin Feilu was not in a hurry to return home. Instead, she turned towards Baimei Garden. It was now the season when white plum blossoms were in full bloom. She could smell the delicate fragrance of flowers from behind the palace walls of the garden. In her mind, she had thought up a scheme which would involve these white plum blossoms.

Ever since Qingyan discovered that her princess had gone to visit the hostage prince of the Song Kingdom, it weighed heavily on her mind as she followed behind in a despondent manner. Lin Feilu ran ahead on the long, winding path towards the garden. Soon, not even a shadow of her figure was left to be seen. Qingyan called out and beckoned for her princess to no avail. Fortunately, Qingyan knew she was going to Baimei Garden, so she quickened her steps and hurried over.

Lin Feilu followed the trail of fragrance as she ran all the way into the garden.

It was a beautiful scenery where white plum blossoms were blooming in clusters that parted slightly in the face of the blowing wind. She was too short and could not reach the plum blossoms. She was also reluctant to pick them from their branches because of their beauty. Fortunately, there were many fallen flowers on the ground that were still fresh. She squatted under the tree and picked them up one by one. She dusted the dirt off the flowers and stashed them into her little pouch.

Just as she was zealously picking up the flowers, she heard a familiar voice behind the garden wall.